More Mountains and Lakes and Fireworks (Geysers!)

Jackson Lake, Grand Tetons National Park
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Now, the Grant Tetons have never been high on my list of places to visit.  I saw adjacent Yellowstone National Park when I was a kid but never made it back to this area of the country.  So, coming up the rise out of Jackson, Wyoming, I didn't have and particular expectations.  And then, there they were - the Grand Tetons.  Wow.  Rising up directly from the adjacent plateau, the wall of mountains were truly inspiring.  As we drove north to our lodging at Colter Bay, the mountain range was always off to the west and always providing a backdrop to the sites along the way.  We stopped briefly at Jenny Lake and then the overview point at Signal Mountain.

Outing, Jackson Lake
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Our cabin at Colter Bay was large but sparse, the dining better than one would expect at a National Park.  The highlight, though, was boating on Jackson Lake with bolts of lightning clearly visible at the north end of the lake.  Thankfully the lake is quite long and the storm never approached us.  We did keep a bit closer to shore than we normally might, however.  Just in case.

The canyon to the east was bathed in wonderful light, complete with rainbow.

Waiting for the Show: Old Faithful
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Then we were off to Yellowstone.  Anticipating the worst traffic- and crowd-wise, we were pleasantly suprised about the ease of travel within the park (albeit several road construction sites stopped us for a few minutes).  Only when there were bison or bear near the road was there truly a traffic slowdown - and with good cause.

The geysers blew, the hot pots bubbled and the colors were as amazing as I remembers as a kid.  The cafeteria dining at Old Faithful was tolerable, the cafeteria at Lake Yellowstone definitely above average and the soda fountain at Canyon Village a hit with all three of us.  Two nights at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge, a central location in the park, allowed us to fully see the sights in the most "active" area of the park, geothermal-wise.

Geothermal Pools, Yellowstone National Park
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The real highlight for me was the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River.  Again, I wasn't real keen on seeing the canyon.  Afterall, I was at the Grand Canyon of the Colorado (the "real" Grand Canyon), so what's the point of seeing anything "lesser."  Well, I figure since we were here and my wife and daughter were heading down regardless of my interest, I may as well follow along. A steep trail led down to an overlook right at the upper edge of Lower Falls, a 308' dropoff.  The roar of the water was defining.  The canyon to the east was bathed in wonderful light, complete with rainbow.  And all was right with the world at that moment.  It was definitely the photo highlight of the trip and one of the peak experiences of the entire road trip.

Morning Glory Pool, Yellowstone National Park
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We topped off our trip to Wyoming with an overnight stay at Mammoth Hot Springs at the northwest corner of the park.  The terraces were wonderful near sunset with shapes and shadows and colors galore.  And the moose grazing in the front yard of the hotel was icing on the cake.

Now, it was time for some music.  So, onward to Butte.