Yellowstone Guide: Tatiana Heckles

Short Bio:  I grew up in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, a heartland so fertile and temperate in the Spring, Summer, and Autumn that tomatoes, grown years ago in my garden there, still sing on my mental palate.  Three years ago, I moved to Livingston, a beautiful Yellowstone River town ripe with year-round inspiration and adventure.  I still eat well, but not nearly as heartily from my own garden.  I have acquired a taste for wild game. 

In 2009 I began working in Yellowstone National Park.  I was greeted on my first day in early May by cool, clear skies, whispering lodgepole pines, and a still lake, silent and frozen.  Some evenings on late bike rides I would stop to hear the coyotes' calls at Fishing Bridge.  Other nights later in summer, I’d push my kayak onto the still waters at Pelican Bay, lean back to the oddly-pleasing-to-me smell of Yellowstone sulfur, watch the shooting stars and listen to the boreal chorus frogs’ (Pseudacris maculata) song.

 My favorite destination? My mom's garden in Lancaster County

What destination would you like to visit? I'll go anywhere. Croatia, South Africa, and Patagonia are at the top of my list right now.

What’s your favorite bike ride? Lancaster Central Market in Saturday mornings for fresh pastries

What is your favorite hike? The hike to Lake of the Clouds Hut on Mount Washington takes me back to being young and hiking with my family.  My dad told me there were hot showers on top.  We still laugh about this.

What’s your favorite historical site, castle, museum, etc? I love the Ballinalacken Castle in Lisdoonvarna near the Cliffs of Moher for its beautiful, damp dreariness, and I love the Philadelphia Museum of Art for its luminance at sunset.

Describe the most amazing experience you’ve had while traveling: Participating in a Polish wedding in Wrocław, stumbling upon a Mexican wedding in Chemuyil

Favorite Movie: Roberto Benigni’s Life is Beautiful

Favorite Book: Ruth Reichl’s Comfort Me with Apples

Favorite Outdoor Activity: Cooking for friends on summer evenings

What are your hobbies? Cooking, camping, climbing, dancing, hiking, biking, baking, swimming, diving, skiing, soaking, floating, star-gazing and drinking wine.

When did you first catch the travel bug? Just after hitting "complete transaction" on the cheapest flight I could find out of the US in 2005.  $545 to Paris on Travelocity.  Hmmm...that was easy.