Girl Scout Marissa Vernon of Lewisville and a member of Girl Scout Cadette Troop 02385 traveled to Jackson Hole, Wyoming this summer as part of the Wildlife, Geysers and Mountains trip, a Girl Scout Destinations program.
Vernon spent a week exploring the beautiful scenery of Jackson Hole, Wyoming with 19 other girls. The girls got a chance to explore Yellowstone National Park, learn about the rich history of the area and see different types of wildlife.
What was a typical day like at Wildlife, Geysers, and Mountains camp?
“Every day was so different!” Vernon says. “One day we learned about Geothermal Features such as geysers, fumaroles, hot springs and mud pits. The next day we saw Old Faithful and other geysers erupt and got to tour the beautiful Grand Prismatic Spring.”
Every year, Girl Scouts in grades 6-12 can apply to attend a Girl Scout Destinations trip. Sponsored by Girl Scouts of the USA, Destinations allow girls to pick from a variety of travel locations, immersing themselves in a new environment, developing leadership skills and confidence all while taking action outside of their normal communities. Applications for 2020 trips are due November 15 and can be found at http://forgirls.girlscouts.org/travel/take-a-trip/destinations/.
“I was able to do so many things I have never done before like camping outside in a National Park, experiencing Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park, observing bison in their natural habitats, learning about and seeing so many geothermal features, canoeing and hiking at String and Leigh Lakes inside of Grand Teton National Park and so much more.”
Although Vernon loved getting to adventure across the beautiful scenery, one of her favorite parts about the experience was getting to be a leader and grow in her independence. “This was my second Destinations trip. I decided to go on Destinations again because I loved my experience with Space Camp in Alabama. I wanted to push myself to go to a new state and challenge myself to try something new. The Wyoming trip helped me to learn more about nature while being a leader, and I was able to fly alone for the first time to attend camp in Wyoming,” said Vernon.
Vernon is the daughter of Chris and Maria Vernon and is an eighth grader at Cavalry Day School. She has earned her Girl Scout Bronze and Silver Awards and is looking forward to completing her Girl Scout Gold Award when she enters high school.
“I would highly recommend a Destinations trip to other Girl Scouts! This was an amazing once in a lifetime experience for me to try something new, travel independently from my parents, learn about nature and wildlife while camping in Yellowstone National Park, learn about myself and have FUN.”
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