Meeting at Old Faithful

     Once we beat the snow and passed the bison jam, we finally arrived at Old Faithful. By chance, we stood next to an English family while we all waited for the big moment. The man’s name was Nigel, young with a welcoming, jubilant smile. His wife’s laugh matched his smile and their two small daughters were more interested in getting some peanuts than anything else. Nigel explained that his wife’s cousin lives in San Franciscois and another is getting married in Chicago, so they decided to make their seven week vacation an adventure and see what America has to offer. Nigel’s grandfather is an American from the East coast, so Nigel had an appreciation for the states, however his wife vowed to never visit; he talked her into it. They said they would talk to locals and ask what there is to see. The response would always be “Just Oregon” or “Just Idaho.” They appreciated the fact that the States are worth visiting simply for the land, not large cities or famous monuments. While Old Faithful was erupting, Nigel commented that he half expected U2 to come out on a platform. Least to say, U2 did not appear and the hype surrounding Old Faithful proved as empty as some of the geysers around the park. However, it was amazing to see one of America's natural beauties.

-Al Rodgers