Throughout my life I’ve traveled across the United States after my parents set the goal for me to see the 48 continental states before going to college. However no trip has compared to my family’s trip this past summer. The trip began like every other with us all gathering in the car and driving off. We headed west and continued until we reached Theodore Roosevelt National park in North Dakota. While here we saw our first, of many, bison on the trip. After that stop we continued going west until we reached the town of Bozeman, Montana, which was where we would be spending the night before heading into Yellowstone.
We arrived at Yellowstone early in the morning, just before the enormous rush of people. In the beginning the park looked like just another forest I’ve seen countless times until I began to see a mist out in the distance. As we continued, the mist coming from the ground began to seem larger and larger and appeared from new spots farther away. I soon was able to see the true beauty of Yellowstone. This fascination continued as we spent the night at a lodge within the park just a minute’s walk from Old Faithful. After our first night in the park we were privileged to see a young grizzly bear wander through a meadow full of plenty of flowers and bison. After another night within the park we moved on to the Grand Tetons, however before leaving Yellowstone, we found ourselves stranded with only a park ranger amongst the company of a black bear cub in a tree after my dad was stuck within the heavy traffic of tourists that stop to admire everything that moves within the park.
We were then able to continue and explore the magnificence of the Tetons, which shot up from the flat ground, and left amazing memories such as seeing the same moose eating from the same spot every night we were there. I was also able to try mountain biking in Teton Village, which is where we stayed in Jackson Hole. It was a great thrill. After numerous days exploring the beauty of the Tetons and the wonderful food and atmosphere of Jackson we headed home. However on our way home we adventured off the beaten path to visit a dinosaur fossil dig site in Thermopolis, South Dakota. Not long after that stop our car broke down, which led to us staying in Rapid City, South Dakota for a few days. While there we explored some local attractions, and the local Jeep dealership, until we learned that it would be a month for the part our car needed. After hearing this news we got a rental car and drove back across the country until we reached our home. All of these unique memories are what makes this the best trip I have ever taken and if I had the chance I would do it all again in a heartbeat.
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