Island Life Magazine Ltd December/January 2018 | Page 63

Travel
The Americans have a saying, “experience
it today, preserve it for always!”, which
seems to perfectly sum up my recent trip
to Yellowstone National Park.
By Terry Willey
I was fortunate enough
to experience this
extraordinary area of
America, which offers
the most exceptional
natural beauty coupled
with the world’s largest
concentration of geysers
that survive and thrive
in Yellowstone’s active
volcanic environment.
The history is as interesting as
the Yellowstone region itself
- stretching back more than
11,000 years and having inspired
American Indians, mountain
men, explorers and modern-day
travellers. It spans a region in
excess of 3,500 square miles.
We entered the south entrance of
the National Park, making our way
to the Old Faithful Visitors Centre
where the most infamous geyser is
located. This magnificient natural
feature forces water to the surface
virtually at boiling point, forming
steam to heights of over 200 feet
at times.
I was fortunate to be able to stay
at the Old Faithful Inn directly
opposite the geyser and view
this experience regularly from
our room, watching hundreds of
people observe this extraordinary
phenomenon which occurs
without fail approximately every
90 minutes each day.
In addition to “Old Faithful” there
are many other geysers to be seen
throughout the Park which are all
well laid out with pathways and
barriers to ensure that visitors
are kept at a safe distance. Such
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