Page 33 - October 2020 Adelante Magazine

to each other, and only about an hour from the park. We were so glad that we did! You can certainly stop there and have lunch, learn a bit of history, and take pictures next to the old buildings.Yellowstone is a unique national park in that it is truly full of attractions, more than it is about hiking or fitness in my opinion, and it is your place for all things thermal. If you have health or walking limita- tions, it is the perfect national park to experience, because you don't have to do any strenuous hiking to get to the attractions, and most of them are wheelchair accessible. You can also do a beautiful scenic drive through all of the park, and you're bound to see bison grazing, which is really special. While we were there, we saw two bison calling out to each other amongst the herd, and it was fun to imagine what they were saying. Just don't get too close to them.Now I will tell you right now that Yellowstone's most famous attraction, may be your biggest disap- pointment of all the things that you will see on a national parks tour: it was for me. Old Faithful is interesting and kind of neat, but you will sit there for a while waiting for it to burst, and when it does you're kind of left with this feeling like oh, OK there it went... moving on. Still, you kind of have to see it.The site that really captivated us was the Grand Prismatic Hot Spring, the largest hot spring in the United States, and the third largest in the world, after Frying Pan Lake in New Zealand and Boiling Lake in Dominica. It is nice to see it first thing in the morning, while the weather is cooler and you really see the steam coming off, but it is absolutely much better in the afternoon. So, one of my biggest tips of any national park experience is to see the Grand Prismatic in the afternoon at the base of the Hot Springs, but then go up the road a few miles to the Fairy Falls entrance, where you can take a hike up a hill and see it from the top looking down. This is truly where you can best experience it, see its magnitude, and appreciate its stunning colors. After this, definitely continue this simple hike to fairy Falls which is really beautiful.After the Grand Prismatic, my next favorite thing was Mammoth Hot Springs. It is a little further away from the other sites, but the white terraces and steaming water were just so unique to behold and photograph. Probably an hour after sunrise would be a great time to visit the springs, to see the light changing its appearance. On your way to Mammoth, definitely stop off at some of the other hot springs, especially if you are able to go in the early morning, to see the steam rising. It gives a very mystical, eerie ambience. Like everything in Yellowstone, it will get more crowded in the afternoon.If you still have time while in Yellowstone, go to the see the Upper Falls as well as the Lower Falls. You can access them in several different ways and appreciate their beauty with different vistas. There are options to drive, park, and walk a few feet to see them, or you can park and take nature trails to experience the falls from different vantage points. Most would say that these are the best waterfalls within the park.Stay tuned for next month where I will tell you about another one of the US National Parks, Zion!By: Bryan Herb Zoomvacations Bryan Herb is co-owner ofTO ADVERTISE IN ADELANTE MAGAZINE CALL 323-256-6639 | WWW.ADELANTEMAGAZINE.COMZoom Vacations®, a UScompany thatstylish international private events and gay group vacations to the world’s hottest destinations. Learn more about them at www.zoomvacations.com or call 773.772.9666.creates33