As I look out the window of the car, a beautiful landscape is dotted by herds of buffalo. We stop to get close enough to see the individual buffalo and hear them snorting. I watch the dust fly up behind them as they run across the plain. I snap pictures before we move on.

Up around the bend, there is a line of cars stopped on the side of the road. We pull up, get out, and ask what is happening. A bear. I get out, armed with my camera, and walk up to the hillside. There, through the trees, my mom points out the bear as it forages for food. Again, I take pictures and then continue on.

We reach the boardwalk. As we walk around, I see natural landmarks—geysers. The water is pristine blue and boiling hot. I feel the heat and I smell the sulfur in the steam. The landscape is barren, eaten away by the heat. And everything is dead here, even the trees. There is no grass. But it is still beautiful in its own way, just like all of the other places in this park.

As we continue driving, we spot a lone wolf, hunting for prey in the woods. Again I take pictures and we drive on. Finally, we reach our destination. Old Faithful. We take our spots on the benches to watch the eruption. Slowly, the crowd thickens as the time draws nearer. 3:52. It erupts right on time, spouting 10 feet of water. At this moment, caught up in the natural beauty of the geyser, I decided that the 18 hour drive was worth it.

The day closes and we exit the park. Driving past the lake with the sun setting over it, I take my final pictures before we leave. These are my reminders of our time in Yellowstone National Park.