On December 18, 1871, a bill was introduced simultaneously in both houses of congress  for the protection and dedication of the world’s first National Park. The speed with which the Yellowstone Park bill proceeded from introduction to enactment is surprising, even given the fact that the legislation was not accompanied by appropriation and was merely the reservation of land already belonging to the government. Still, 10 weeks later, the bill became law as President Grant formally allocated nearly 3,500 square miles of wilderness for the “pleasure of the people” and the “enjoyment of future generations.” PBS produced a six-episode series entitled “National Parks: America’s Best Idea.” After spending several days in both Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, it’s hard to disagree with this assessment.

For over a year, we’ve been trying to sever our relationship with Delta Air Lines by using the last of our remaining Skymiles. The opportunity finally presented itself  in the form of three round-trip tickets to Bozeman, Montana. As expected, even when you fly “free,” you’re required to offer an arm and a leg for the privilege of transporting your underwear cross country. Baggage fees are of the devil and deliver adequate incentive to go commando for the duration of your travels, or perhaps longer if you find the experience to your liking.

Baggage issues aside, we landed safely and pointed our Priceline rental wagon toward the north entrance of Yellowstone. For the first three days, the town of Gardiner, MT provided a suitable base camp for day-trips into the park. As we entered the park on the first day, we were required to purchase a pass. A seven-day pass for both Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks costs a total of $25 per vehicle. Divided by 3, the total for our family came to $8.33 per person (less for larger families). Compare that fee to a one day (adult) ticket to Walt Disney World, which now costs $95, and only $88 for children ages 3-9.  For a more equitable comparison, a 7-day pass to WDW is $288 for adults and a paltry $270 for children. Even though I was a liberal arts major, the financial equation is astounding. One week in two national parks is 35 times less expensive than a week at WDW.

So what do you get for $25??  A full report of all that we packed into our 7 days in Yellowstone and Grand Teton would fill several posts.  But I’ll offer a brief synopsis just to keep you engaged.  Yellowstone National Park is a geological wonderland with thermal features unlike any terrain on the planet.  There are 900 miles of hiking trails, over 300 waterfalls and dozens of mountain peaks soaring above ten thousand feet.  To these features, add spectacular plateau valleys inhabited by thousands of bison, along with elk, moose, bears, wolves, pikas, and bighorn sheep.  Much of this landscape is blanketed with lodgepole pine trees, glistening rivers, and crowned by Lake Yellowstone, which is 131 square miles.  The park boundary encompasses a land mass that is larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined.  And all of this can be yours for $25 a week.  I would, however, suggest purchasing a can of bear spray and a large memory card if you intend on exiting your vehicle at any point during your visit.

If you enjoy park-hopper privileges, the National Park Service will accommodate you as well.  We hopped over to Grand Teton National Park and enjoyed three days of challenging hikes, stunning vistas and almost no queue lines.  We did have to wait once – about 3 minutes – for a shuttle boat to transport us across Jenny Lake.  In all, we hiked about 35 miles on approximately a dozen different high altitude trails in both parks.  As far as we know, there were no scheduled fireworks displays or parades, except for the kaleidoscope sunsets and the prairie marches of pronghorn.  Jackson even earned  Junior Ranger badges at both Yellowstone NP and at Grand Teton NP. In the spirit of full-disclosure, we were asked for a $1 donation for each Junior Ranger patch he received.  Jackson gushed at the opportunity to take the reigns on a covered wagon ride and even paddled us down the Snake River during a sunset float-trip in the shadows of the Grand Teton range.

Don’t get me wrong – I enjoy the artificial amusement of theme parks as much as anybody.  But I find more wonder in what God has created than anything man can manufacture.  One noteworthy purchase summarizes Meridith’s sentiment about mountain magic.  She found a t-shirt in a clothing store in Big Sky that read, “I’d rather be in the mountains thinking about God than be sitting in church thinking about the mountains.”  One day, we may plan an adventure where we move as cattle from one thrill ride to another.  But unlike our trip to Montana and Wyoming, we’ll certainly miss the spontaneous outburst of Jackson’s recurring declaration, “Way to go, God!”