“So this is where some of my tax dollars are going,”
said Mr. Rizzo. “This seems like a good investment.”
Mr. Rizzo and his family were standing near Mammoth
Hot Springs, an attraction near the northern entrance
to the park. He was the grandfather in the family and
had never been here. His children and grandchildren
had invited him and his wife on the trip.
“It is so nice to hear you say that,” commented Mrs.
Rizzo. “You have been so grumpy lately about taxes.”
“That’s enough about taxes, you two,” laughed Dad.
“Let’s just enjoy the springs.”
The family strolled around the springs on a walkway
made of wood. It looked like a smaller version of the
boardwalks they were used to near the ocean, except
they were not near the ocean. Instead, they were high
in the mountains, and right now, they were looking at
“These are called travertine terraces,” said Mom.
“Travertine is a kind of rock. The way the rock has
been deposited forms a series of layers that are
“You mean no one built these?” asked Grandmother.
“They are completely natural,” insisted Mom.
“Yellowstone National Park is full of wonderful things
like this. You will get to see a lot of them. That’s why
President Grant and Congress made it our first national
park. It may be the first national park in the world. When
most people come here, they don’t think about the
connection between government and nature, but here it
is. And as Grandfather said, this is a really, really good
investment in our country.”