The Michelin guide publishes their rating of the top restaurants in the world with the following definition:
(1) 1 star: A very good restaurant.
(2) 2 star: Worth a detour.
(3) 3 star: Worth a special journey – this could even mean traveling to a new company.
It is a simple way to illustrate how special a culinary experience can be.
I think of the national park system the same way. A county park is often a good place to go. A state park is likely worth a detour. And a National Park is worth a journey.
I’m not an expert at Michelin starred restaurants (fine dining isn’t our thing) and have no opinion about how good these ratings are. But I view National Park journeys with a Michelin star mental model. While all National Parks aren’t created equal (just as there is variance between Michelin 3 star restaurants), they’re the nature’s equivalent of a Michelin 3 star experience in my mind.
