Before Yellowstone was Yellowstone, it was called Wonderland. The stories of steaming earth, filled with strange spouting wells and painted pools sounded so fantastical to many 19th century americans that it reminded them of a popular novel of the time, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Just like Alice and her travels in Wonderland many visitors may ask themselves, "Which path should I take?". "Well that all depends on where you want to go". There are paths a plenty in Yellowstone with countless little treasures to discover along the way.

Take Mystic Falls for example. This beautiful cascade is only a short introductory hike into Yellowstone's back-country. Watch the video for more information. It's a perfect hike for just about any skill level, and a gateway to even more wonders. Just remember Yellowstone is bear country. Be prepared. Know how to handle bear encounters, make noise when hiking. Travel in groups and carry bear spray in a very accessible location.

Make sure to stay tuned to At Home in Wild Spaces for more featured locations and travel tips, including bear safety. And check out the rest of our website. There's tons here for any lover of Wild Spaces.

to decorate their walls and patient's rooms with photographs and paintings of natural scenes in order to facilitate healing. But what of the rest of us who aren't currently recovering in a hospital? Are we in need of healing? -- Of course we are.

Depression and anxiety are unfortunately on the rise in our modern world. Some have contributed this development to the growing urbanization of our society. More than half of the world's population now lives in cities, and many of us are slowly becoming more and more isolated from the healing power of nature. 

We've all heard the saying "When Life Gives You Lemons - Make Lemonade". Well, the answer of how to make the lemons of modern life into "healing lemonade" may be as simple as going on a hike, and allow our local, county, State or National nature parks to do what they do best and heal our weary modern bodies and minds -- Even in the colder months.

Just make sure to wear a jacket and start small. And check out our NEWLY LISTED, "When life gives you Lemons..." T-shirts by clicking the link below!

References:
http://news.stanford.edu/news/2015/june/hiking-mental-health-063015.html
​http://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2014/09/14/nature-scenes-can-promote-hospital-patient-healing/15646201/

But it's not all good news. Mortality rates among wild condors remain extremely high for many of the same reasons which led to their near extinction in the 20th century. Loss of habitat, diminished food sources, lead poisoning, trash ingestion and poaching continue to frustrate condor restoration efforts.

They remain one of the rarest animals in the world. So rare, that they are one of relatively few species where each and every individual is numbered, and tagged.

Against the odds condors have come back from the brink of extinction, but they are far from in the clear. Condors are still hugely dependent on captive breeding programs and continuing conservation efforts. But there is hope that with greater awareness and continuing efforts to preserve and restore these birds to what is left of their historic range, that condors may once again soar through our skies on their 10ft wings.

Condors remind us that it is possible to bring a species back from the brink. But it requires continual effort and dedication. We've been fortunate to see four wild condors in our Wild Spaces travels, and each time it has been a huge thrill.

​Check out the stunning footage we shot of these massive birds in Zion and Grand Canyon National Parks. And make sure to check out our store for our new Condor T-Shirts!

References:
http://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/nature/condor-re-introduction.htm
http://www.fws.gov/uploadedFiles/Region_8/NWRS/Zone_1/Hopper_Mountain_Complex/Hopper_Mountain/Sections/News/News_Items/PDFs/_California%20Condor%20Five%20Year%20Review_2013%20Final%20Published.pdf
​http://www.defenders.org/california-condor/basic-facts