Meet a pilgrim — a nature pilgrim — a woman who traveled to the backyard of America to set eyes on a species that long ago was extinguished from her homeland archipelago. Julie Askew could have selected hundreds of other pretty destinations in the U.S. She could have also gone to Disneyland, but she selected Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks—and their stunning surrounding environs—because the wildlife predators are HERE.

Is there a need to promote places that "our woven into our American culture," that require room reservations to be made months, if not a year, ahead of schedule, and which not too long ago gained national exposure through a 12-hour Ken Burns mini-series?

Steady work by the plow crews in Yellowstone National Park has park officials predicting that the East Entrance will open to traffic Friday.

Barring a major snowstorm, crews at Yellowstone National Park should have some of the park's roads open Friday. While the North and West entrance roads should be clear of snow, more work is necessary for the East and South entrances to be opened.