My wife and I took a huge 2400 mile road trip this past week through western Montana and Northern Wyoming that included Yellowstone National Park. We made a deliberate effort this trip to avoid the interstates at all cost and only traveled via state highways and county roads, all routes neither of us have ever seen before. The result was a trip for the record books where we found beautiful vistas and scenic views we had never seen before.
In Montana off of tiny dirt roads we found endless lush and brilliantly green fields of flowing wheat and native grasses that stretched to the perfectly bright blue sky horizon like an endless ocean. This area was breathtakingly beautiful in so many ways but the best aspect was the pristine environment dotted with towering clean energy giants powering entire communities while taking away nothing from the natural lands they occupied.
Further north into Montana tiny specks of small towns were found every 3o miles or so, each with a single grain tower reaching toward the sky, the largest structures on the horizon until the picturesque mountains that served as the most perfect backdrop imaginable.
After spending time with the unabashed and wild lands that were Montana we ventured south along the western border of Montana to Yellowstone National Park and entered via the North Gate. Mammoth Hot Springs was awe-inspiring with its endless lush vistas punctuated by travertine covered hills that were created due to limestone deposited by the mineral rich and naturally occurring hot springs that run like rivers underneath the thin calcite crust. This area was the most geologically beautiful I have ever seen and makes you thankful that these natural wonders have been so wonderfully preserved for all of us and future generations to enjoy.
Here in Yellowstone native animals like the Bison exist in their natural habitat in all its magnificent glory. This entire area of the United States is magical and it makes me realize how lucky I am to live in such a beautiful and diverse area with such wondrous natural beauty.
Do yourself the greatest favor possible this summer; pack up your car, loved ones, and provisions so that you can begin the greatest road trip possible and take in the unimaginable beauty that is our great country.