Yellowstone National Park & Old Faithful - My Own Personal Experience (Yellowstone National Park)

Member Name: andrew_dav

Product:	Yellowstone National Park
Date:	24/09/09 (14 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Simply Breathtaking. Nature At Its Finest

Disadvantages: Strong Smell Of Sulphur, But Worth It For The Experience

When I visited this place a couple of years ago I imagine I felt how anyone else would be when you come across this creation of nature. It was simply breathtaking.

I was approaching from the North having just come across from Montana. This place kind of creeps up with you and the only way we first of all knew we were in the park was when we went under a small stone archway welcoming us (although that was followed by a toll booth and an entrance fee soon afterwards)

The ecosystem there is just astounding, you have heard of Bison walking aimlessly in the middle of the road at their own speed which are simply wonderful animals. Word of warning though, don't get out of the car to pet them as they can easily turn nasty and I believe you're consistently reminded of this when you're in there by way of signs and leaflets.

There's a strong smell of sulphur and there's hot water running freely which you just couldn't imagine until you've seen it, all of which is flowing down white rocks where sulphur has settled and crystallised. The closest analogy I can compare it to is a garden rockery with the plastic waterways. Except this is real in every single way and heated by geothermal activity.

Eventually we got to the geysers and old faithful. I don't know how this is done but they appear to know right to the very minute when old faithful will go off. And when it does, it's one of those moments for me that made me glad to be alive by witnessing nature in all of its glory. Incidentally, while you're waiting for this there are loads of chipmunks around which are incredibly cute. They'll happily sit around you, just up on you and stand and entertain for you. They've obviously become very comfortable around humans.

There's also another geyser next to Old Faithful which I believe is called Bumblebee. This goes off far less frequently and we were lucky to see this too.

Overall this is a wonderful experience and a review like this simply can't do it justice. I really recommend seeing it as part of a wider holiday. The park has a very detailed website and has a live streaming website so you can see it before you go. There's also plenty of footage of old faithful on YouTube along with the rest of the park and its animals. This is definitely one place I will visit again if I ever get the opportunity to do so later in life.

Summary: A Wonderful Experience To See Geothermal Activity And Effectively Sit On A Volcano!