The most exciting year-long holiday trip: fulfilling the dream of Yellowstone and Yosemite

It was also a long-cherished and the craziest trip, starting and ending in Hong Kong, entering through New York and exiting through San Francisco, completing a high-intensity road trip across the United States from east to west.
After two in-depth trips to UT & AZ before graduation last year, I finally had the chance to check off two veteran national parks: Yosemite & Yellowstone. So during the National Day holiday, I completed two self-driving loop tours in Salt Lake City and San Francisco; visited three major cities: New York, Salt Lake City, San Francisco (also returned to Philadelphia, full of student memories), and four national parks: Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Teton, and Sequoia.
Yellowstone♨️: The Grand Prismatic Spring, like a natural palette, reflected a colorful earth. Old Faithful and Norris Geyser Basin made me feel in sync with the breath of the earth; some may be disappointed if their expectations for Yellowstone are too high, but it never diminishes its status and impact as the first national park in the U.S. Racing against the sunset, I caught the sunset at the Grand Prismatic Spring, which was extremely stunning.
Yosemite🏞️: The largest single granite formation in the world, with primeval forests, canyons, and waterfalls, it is a paradise for hiking enthusiasts; I checked off the legendary Mist Trail, and the scenery along the way was all worthwhile. Standing at the edge of Taft Point cliff, the grandeur was overwhelming. Racing against the sunset again, the sense of achievement and exhilaration after a one-and-a-half-hour hike on the Mist Trail to Vernal Fall was overwhelming.
Grand Teton🏔️: The Mormon barns and the Chapel of the Transfiguration inspire reverence, with snow-capped mountains half-shrouded in mist behind them. The hazy clouds and snow formed the backdrop for the golden autumn colors of Grand Teton. Once again racing against the sunset, passing through Grand Teton at dusk, from heavy rain to heavy snow, from golden autumn to harsh winter.
Sequoia🌲: The massive North American sequoia groves evoke awe at the length of life and the millennia of rise and fall of California’s original soil. The last race against the sunset, the afterglow of the sunset passing through the Parker Grove seemed to tell the story of the millennia of prosperity and decline of the American sequoias.
The beautiful scenery is all along the way, but more importantly, it’s the people who accompany you on this journey.

Post by The Culinary Nomad | Oct 19, 2025