An informal guide to the Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks

My wife and I went on another national park tour to Yellowstone, the most famous NP known to the Chinese, as well as Grand Teton. I’ve known the Yellowstone and the Old Faithful since I was in elementary when reading One Hundred Thousand Whys - the most popular science book for children. The Yellowstone was then buried in my memory for a long time until during my undergraduate when it was reintroduced to me as the infant of plate tectonics, after the kid Great Rift Valley, the teenager Atlantic Ocean, the adult Pacific, the mid-aged Death Sea, and the old-man Tibetan Plateau. The circle of life. Anyway, as I finally got the chance to visit a childhood dreamland, I was pretty excited with high expectations. The reality, however, is always more complicated. So here are some suggestions for those who plan to visit in the future:

• if you encounter a traffic jam inside Yellowstone, 9/10 it is because of bison crossing the road. So stay patient, and take out your cameras to capture some wildlife.
• Bring a binocular with you, spend a whole afternoon in the Hayden Valley and you will have twice more fun
• Check out if there is any wildfire in Canada, which could bring haziness to the sky
• The Old Faithful is indeed magnificent, so try to come 10-20 min earlier than the forecast time and secure a first-row seat.
• The Grand Prismatic is also spectacular, but do go to the Fairy Falls Trailhead for an overlook
• Don’t forget to check out some falls in Yellowstone, they are just as gorgeous as the hot springs
• Go on a cruise around Jenny lake, try asking so tricky geology questions to the guide, like what kind of rocks were the Grand Teton made of?
• kayak on the Jenny Lake if you arrive between June and November
• have a picnic at any of the turnout points inside the Grand Teton