2019 Roaming Freely Across 5000 km of the American West (Part 1)

📍 Los Angeles · 👁 1 reads · ❤️ 28 likes

The American West has been on our travel list for a long time! I vaguely remember first making plans with a friend in 2013, but we ended up going to Spain that year. The next year, we planned again, but it became Australia. The third year, we actually went to France and Greece. The fourth year, an elderly relative had an accident, so we stayed home to take care. Last year, we tried again, but the kids unanimously complained about the long flight time, so it fell through once more... This year, 2019, we each bought our tickets and got our visas. The kids were told that this summer vacation we would be doing a road trip in the American West, experiencing the desolation and grandeur of the West! Unfortunately, Mao Dad, who is extremely busy, couldn't find the time to come with us—a slight regret!

18:25 Depart Shanghai for Los Angeles

After 12 hours, covering more than 10,000 kilometers, crossing the Pacific Ocean, we finally arrived!

I read in some travel blog that LAX is huge, the transfer between international and domestic terminals is complicated, and you should allow at least 4 hours for connecting flights—we actually believed it... The reality was that after landing, we went through automated customs, collected our luggage, and had a simple customs inquiry—very fast and smooth. The signs from the international to domestic terminal were clear and easy to follow. After checking our luggage and getting boarding passes again, we wandered through every corner and shop of the terminal, and then we just sat there waiting foolishly...

A full 24 hours: driving from Wuxi to Shanghai, flying directly to Los Angeles, then connecting to Salt Lake City! But the kids showed no signs of long-distance travel fatigue, only the excitement of arrival!

We checked into a hotel near the airport late at night. The two kids, full of boundless energy and unwilling to sleep, saw the frozen food at the front desk and their eyes lit up. They insisted on getting a pizza and pasta to soothe their empty stomachs, claiming: "Only when we're full can we sleep well!" At that moment, their traveling companion was already fast asleep!

The microwave pizza and pasta were fragrant, but the kids still preferred the instant noodles in their friend's suitcase!

The bright Utah sunshine woke us up early through the curtains. Although we hadn't slept much, the kids were already full of energy.

After breakfast, we went to the airport to pick up the car, arriving 30 minutes earlier than our scheduled time. AVIS said we could take the car early, no problem, but we'd have to pay extra—but we didn't want to!

The two bored kids played cat's cradle. I remember when I was young, if older people saw us playing this, they would say, "Stop playing, it's going to rain!" But these two kids played all the way, and it was always sunny and bright! It gave us a chance to reminisce about this childhood game from long ago—they could make all kinds of intricate shapes, seemingly limitless!

Our first stop after picking up the car was Walmart. On every road trip, the first thing is always to stock up the car with plenty of supplies—it's the greatest satisfaction. Then we drove 500 kilometers north all the way to Yellowstone, checking into a cabin deep in the forest...

A wooden cabin deep in the forest, a deer head on the door, animal fur on the stair railings... Oh my god! When the lights go out at night, ghost stories could be told...

As usual! The kids drew cards to compare sizes; the biggest card got first pick of their favorite room. Mao Mao drew the biggest card but chose the smallest room. When asked why, she said there was a cabinet door in the corner of the big room, which left too much room for imagination at night and was a bit scary. Hahaha... Even a tomboy has her fears!

After dinner, the kids ran wild in the forest. I thought they would be tired and ready to adjust to the time difference when we got back to the cabin. But no, late at night they were still full of energy, none of them wanted to sleep, and they dragged us parents into playing Werewolf...

The kids, with no sense of jet lag, woke up promptly at 6:30, full of spirit!

They brought notebooks and colored pencils, and whenever they felt like it, they'd write and draw, recording the joys of the journey...

After finishing their journal entries, the kids insisted on making breakfast: fried mushrooms, spam, and noodles. Since they couldn't make a perfect sunny-side-up egg, they settled for scrambled eggs.

Setting out from the forest cabin, we drove 28 kilometers and officially entered Yellowstone National Park.

Why choose to stay so far away? First, there are limited bookable accommodations inside Yellowstone; you have to start booking at least half a year in advance. Second, the entire park covers about 898,317 hectares, stretching 101 kilometers from north to south and 87 kilometers from east to west. The internal roads total about 230 kilometers—considering that, 28 kilometers was acceptable...

The Grand Prismatic Spring, the third largest hot spring in the world, was already on our schedule for today. But because of a traffic jam detour, it suddenly appeared before us... The entire boardwalk loop surrounded four hot springs: Excelsior Geyser, Grand Prismatic Spring (the famous one), Turquoise Pool, and Opal Pool.

Walking along the boardwalk, we reached Excelsior Geyser. Large amounts of steam continuously gushed from the rock crevices, creating a spectacular, misty scene. But for some reason, seeing this pool reminded me of Gargamel from "The Smurfs" standing in front of a boiling cauldron, muttering while adding various reagents, then the cauldron explodes, leaving a mess...

Continuing along the boardwalk, we arrived at the Grand Prismatic Spring. Nearly 90 meters wide, the boardwalk runs through it, allowing an up-close experience of the different textures and colors of the ground, the steaming hot water, and the strong smell of sulfur.

On the other side of the boardwalk was Opal Pool, looking like a miniature version of the Grand Prismatic Spring.

Old Faithful Geyser is probably the most popular spot in Yellowstone, and the nearby large parking lots were indeed packed with cars.

Before leaving, the kids and I watched a Discovery Channel documentary about Yellowstone at home. It's called Old Faithful because it's so reliable—it erupts every 90 minutes, right on schedule, never disappointing. We also learned about the principle of geyser eruptions: surface water seeps into the ground, gets heated by geothermal energy, boils into steam, and under immense pressure, bursts out with water. Once the pressure is released, it calms down and prepares for the next eruption.

After the Grand Prismatic, we visited West Thumb. There were over a dozen small springs of different types and colors, fairly standard. But the adjacent Yellowstone Lake was impressive, with hot springs bubbling up from the lake bottom. It is said that in the past, anglers would cook the fish they caught right in the hot springs by the lake... Quite unique.

From the Discovery documentary, we learned that Yellowstone Lake is the center of the Yellowstone supervolcano, and the volcanic rocks covering the entire park erupted from here. The lake surface itself shows different colors—emerald green, sapphire blue, even dark black—depending on the water temperature and the microorganisms present.

We continued on to find the trail to overlook the Grand Prismatic from above. Lucky us, we easily found the small dirt road intersecting the main road. In the small parking lot, there was a warning sign: "Forest hike, beware of bears."

Following the trail for about twenty minutes, the entire "big eye" was laid out before us—a magical, brilliant display of orange, red, yellow, blue, and green. Amazing, truly amazing! No words can describe it, and even a camera cannot capture its beauty. You really have to be there to feel the awe!

The three kids refused to hike up, claiming they were tired and wanted to stay in the parking lot to rest. But when we came down, they didn't seem the least bit tired...

We slept in comfortably, had a nice brunch, and even prepared fruit sandwiches for a second entry into the park. Honestly, we're used to having restaurants and convenience stores everywhere in domestic parks, so hunger can be solved instantly. But in Yellowstone, it's extremely difficult. Geothermal features are everywhere, and spotting animals isn't hard, but finding a restaurant or buying food and drink is really, really tough...

Just as we entered the park, we spotted a lone black bear foraging for food on a slope just a few meters from the road. It was scrawny and not intimidating at all.

Norris Geyser Basin: thick white smoke with a hissing sound, like a battlefield right after a battle.

The basin was dyed in various colors by bacteria and algae—vibrant and dazzling! But this green water band was quite striking, as if a can of bright green paint had been spilled, slowly spreading and fading into the water...

The clouds were so low that the kids felt if they jumped hard enough, they could stand on them... But they knew that the seemingly calm and cool water beneath the boardwalk was actually dangerous—not only hot but possibly corrosive. They satisfied themselves by jumping around a bit.

As we walked, a hot spring next to the boardwalk suddenly erupted without warning. But before the excited shouts of surrounding tourists ended, the eruption had already subsided...

We got back in the car and continued through the park; the scenery was everywhere.

Mammoth Hot Springs, one of the top three attractions in Yellowstone.

When we got out, all we saw were large gray-white limestone terraces—a desolate scene that didn't match the top three ranking at all. Later, we saw pictures and learned that before an earthquake in 2002, the hot springs cascaded down step by step, and the terraced platforms were dyed in brilliant colors by bacteria, incredibly spectacular. But now, most of Mammoth's hot springs have stopped flowing, a large number of bacteria have died, and the hot springs have lost their color.

The kids were using the DJI drone, switching between video and selfies, hopping all the way from the top to the bottom without any sign of needing a rest.

My only worry as a mom was the phones beyond the railing—one careless moment and they could slip. If they fell into the limestone, they'd be slow-cooked at low heat. If they fell into the hot springs, they'd likely be boiled at high temperature. Either way, I'd just watch and never try to retrieve them...

The area around Mammoth Hot Springs was probably the liveliest part of Yellowstone I saw: hotels, post offices, RV camping areas, as well as deer resting under trees and bison grazing by the road—very harmonious and relaxing!

We set off again for the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Before leaving, when I looked at online guides, the only impression in my mind was: the photos look fake, like oil paintings—they must be photoshopped! But after experiencing it in person, I knew I was wrong! The most dazzling thing here was not the waterfall, but the bizarre volcanic rocks on both sides of the canyon—the tan cliffs interspersed with black, gray, and faint pink, resembling an oil painting from afar!

The entire canyon is steep and narrow. Leaning over from the top, you could see the Yellowstone River at the bottom, hundreds of meters below. The kids lay on the rocks, snapping photos endlessly with their phones while I stood behind, constantly mumbling, "Safety first, safety first!" It was said that after she finished taking photos and stood up, a foreign couple pointed at her coat with a smile and asked, "Are you a wild child?" The kid laughed and replied, "Yes, I am." Hahaha...

Silly kids bring so much joy...

The wild child bounced down the winding trail and ended up right in front of the waterfall, striking various poses for selfies—so happy!

When it was time to climb back up from the bottom of the canyon, the kids, now low on energy, looked like they were singing that children's song: "The snail carries its heavy shell, crawling up step by step..." I followed slowly behind, gloating and taking photos. The kids muttered softly, "Bad mom..."

On the way back, we passed the Mud Volcano—a pot of continuously boiling mud, with a pungent smell in the air.

We left Yellowstone at 20:30. Restaurants in the town either required reservations or had long lines. We found a supermarket, bought fruits, drinks, ice cream, and some basic cooking ingredients, planning to make fried rice back at the cabin.

The kids, who had slept on the way, quickly recovered after arriving at the cabin. After showering, they helped with the cooking. We had mushroom and pork fried rice at 22:15; the kids wolfed it down and praised it highly, asking for seconds, but it was limited to one bowl per person! After cleaning the kitchen and doing laundry, we lounged on the sofa chatting aimlessly, feeling so comfortable that it didn't feel like a trip at all—just the ease of home life.

We said goodbye to the forest cabin and prepared to enter Yellowstone for the third time. But the only road to the park was jammed. What should have been a 20-minute drive took several 20-minute stretches with no end in sight. We decided to detour out of the traffic and go for a walk in town to enjoy the breeze...

After several days on the road, drinking various "heated" drinks we brought in the car, sitting in town, basking in the sun, and having a Starbucks with lots of ice—pure bliss! I've always believed that there is no good or bad in travel; the best part is experiencing the unexpected and the authentic.

We re-entered Yellowstone at 3 PM and went to Norris Geyser Basin again, planning to walk a different boardwalk.

The two usually gentle and sweet kids changed their demeanor in a flash, humming songs like "The Great King Sent Me to Patrol the Mountain" and other odd tunes... They swayed with strange, enchanting steps...

Hot springs of various shapes and colors: some bubbling, some hissing—very lively.

Steamboat Geyser, the tallest active geyser in the world, last erupted in September 2014, with a recorded height of 91 meters. It was hissing away, probably storing energy for its next powerful eruption.

Scorched soil, charred tree trunks standing or fallen—this too is a unique scenery of Yellowstone.

At dusk, we drove to Lamar Valley. Herds of bison occupied the entire grassland—countless numbers, truly spectacular. And of course, some would cross the road or stroll along it, causing traffic jams in this otherwise vast area.

Nature, bison doing whatever they pleased, and us constantly taking photos—it was all so amazing.

Our last stop in Yellowstone was Fishing Bridge. We followed the GPS but drove around twice without finding this famous spot. We accidentally ended up at a visitor center that seemed mainly about birds, but it was closed. However, to our surprise, there was a trail from the back of the visitor center down to the shore of Yellowstone Lake.

At 19:00, Yellowstone Lake was incredibly peaceful under the blue sky and white clouds, making it hard to imagine that this was once the violently erupting volcanic crater...

The kids picked up a stick and wrote "ZOE LIKES THE USA" in the sand.

Only on the way back did we realize that Fishing Bridge was just an unremarkable two-lane bridge made of logs and concrete. Fishing has been prohibited there since the 1970s. But the mosquitoes circling above the bridge were as dense as enemy bombers—quite scary! So we just hit the gas and left.

At 20:30, we queued to exit Yellowstone National Park; the speed was 1 km/h! In the dark, we drove along the Teton Range straight for 130 kilometers to Jackson town.

In 3 days at Yellowstone, excluding the distance to and from the forest cabin, we drove nearly 600 kilometers inside the park—and this was after we were very selective about our routes! Once again amazed by the park's size!

To be continued...

Travel journal directory:

1. Preface

2. Day 1 - 2019-07-01

3. Day 2 - 2009-07-02 (Note: likely a typo, should be 2019)

4. Day 3 - 2019-07-03

5. Day 4 - 2019-07-04

6. Day 5 - 2019-07-05

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