The Great Outdoors

     The car door shut with a thump and we were off! The start of a fifteen-day road trip across western America. Our first target was the Yellowstone national park in the state of Wyoming. Our experience in the car wasn't that bad, with plenty of foot room, books, and games. After our first eight hours in the car, we had reached Missoula, Montana. We arrived at our room and relaxed on the beds after the long ride. We got the classic "American Chinese food": Panda Express.

    After the refreshing night, we got up early and drove to the West Entrance of Yellowstone, the border of Montana and Wyoming. While entering, I could see the barren desert scenery. We visited many key places like Mammoth Hot Springs, Old Faithful, Artist Point, Steamboat Geyser, Fountain Paint Pots, Lower Geyser Basins, and much more. While we waited for Old Faithful, it rained two times. Lightning had flashed in the sky with loud booming thunder, and it had hailed. Then suddenly Old Faithful erupted over 100 feet into the air. The crowd went silent then we all started clapping! Old Faithful was twenty minutes late but was magnificent. It was worth it. Then we went to the Grand Teton in Wyoming. The large mountain was breathtaking, with the clear blue lake reflecting every detail, it was beautiful.

    Our next stop was the Badlands Canyons. The red and yellow canyons were epic, with lengthy trails all around it. Watching the sunset in the canyon was so cool! The orange fireball slowly made the horizon pink and purple. Later, we visited the famous Mt. Rushmore! The developers of our nation, Washington, Roosevelt, Jefferson, and Lincoln. Nearby Mt. Rushmore, we rode horses into the close National Forest.
    
    After that, we drove on into South Dakota to visit the Rocky Mountains. Since we didn't make reservations we had to wake up and get there before 6:00 A.M. to be allowed into the park. We hiked through the flourishing forest and the scenic lakes and rivers. My family and I watched the glowing sunrise each morning as well! We saw many wild animals like moose, deer, ducks, geese, squirrels, chipmunks, and more! I was fascinated by how they reacted to humans! Some animals were scared and the others were very friendly.

    The next morning we took off to Utah to see the famous Arches. We hiked for over an hour in the sweltering heat of the desert to feel the arches. The "Devil's Garden" was truly barren and nothing survived there except the yellow weeds. We also visited Black Hills National Park with large expanses of green luscious forests.

    On the way back to Washington we visited Craters of the Moon National Preservation. Everything was black and each step was a crunch. Although the gravity was still the same, it was so cool. After fifteen fun-filled days in nature, we had finally arrived home in Bothell, Washington. That experience was amazing and my family and I had had tons of excitement! We unpacked and collapsed back on our beds. Home Sweet Home.
​

​Timothy Mei is a seventh-grader at Northshore Middle School. This is his first piece in the Emerald Youth Review.