As summer ends and school resumes, it’s easy to feel like vacation was cut short, especially with the early start this year. But don’t worry—breaks like Thanksgiving, Winter Break, and Spring Break are just around the corner, offering more opportunities to explore amazing places.

And I have just the spots for you!

I want to share two of the most amazing places my family and I have been to: Yellowstone in Wyoming and the canyons of Arizona. Both will make you feel like you’ve stepped into another world. These spots are truly unforgettable.

Our Yellowstone Adventure

Let’s start with Yellowstone. My family, the Arsekar family, went there for the first time, and it was an experience we’ll never forget. 

We flew into Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport and rented a car to get around. After a quick rest, we entered the park through the west entrance and headed to Madison. From there, we saw the Grand Prismatic Spring, Old Faithful, and the West Thumb Geyser Basin.

When we asked each other about the first day of our trip, we all agreed: “The weather was perfect, and we managed to see most of the major spots by the afternoon.” My family added, “The Grand Prismatic Spring was worth the climb, and while Old Faithful tested our patience with its two-hour wait, the eruption was absolutely worth it.”

After a long day, we ran into a little problem. We exited the park from the east entrance, but there weren’t any hotels for nearly 200 miles! So, we ended up sleeping in the car. It was a rough night, but it definitely made the trip more memorable.

Later on, we reached the most remarkable spot: Artist Point, where we got an amazing view of the Yellowstone River cutting through the canyon.

To sum it up, in the morning, we all praised the bison in the Hayden valley and the view from Artist Point. But as we were going to our final destination of Mammoth Hot Springs, we saw a honey-bunny bison.

Our final stop was Mammoth Hot Springs. The colorful, bubbling hot springs were fascinating, though we didn’t have time to swim in the nearby springs. Maybe next time!

Exploring Arizona’s Canyons

Now, we move from the geothermal wonders of Yellowstone to the stunning desert landscapes of Arizona. We’ve visited Arizona twice now, and even then, it hasn’t gotten old. Arizona is more than just deserts and cacti—it’s home to some of the most stunning canyons you’ll ever see.

On our first trip, we visited the Grand Canyon specially. My mom described it perfectly: “The layers of the canyons, from reddish to white, were mesmerizing to see. It was as if an artist drew this.”

So, we drove down to Arizona and hit up Horseshoe Bend again.

“It was really amazing to see the same place again after years, at different times of day. Last time, it was sunrise, and now it was sunset,” I recalled.

After, we went to Glen Canyon, where the Colorado River winds through white limestone canyons. The craziest part was crossing between Utah and Arizona, where the time zone kept changing—something that had never happened to us before.

When asked what stood out to him, my dad said: “The time zone changes! It never happened to us before, but crossing between states made our time change. That was cool.”

The main reason we came back to Arizona was for the Lower Antelope Canyon tour. On our first trip, we didn’t know about the guided tours, but this time we were prepared. 

The tour was incredible, with towering canyon walls on both sides as we walked through. It was something for which I don’t even have words to describe. You have to see it yourself!

To contact this writer, email Muse Newspaper at musebsa@bsfa.org.

Featured photos by Dattaprasad Arsekar for the BSA Muse.