Yellowstone + Grand Teton

We were up early as we wanted to get to Old Faithful and the geyser basin before it all got too crowded. We were on our way around 7:00 (which counts as early for the boys). We certainly were not alone when we arrived at Old Faithful, but there were lots of empty parking spots (and I mean lots...the parking lot is enormous). I wanted some coffee, but the line at the coffee bar in the Old Faithful Lodge was long and there was one single overworked person there, so I skipped it. We checked on the predicted time for the next eruption and seeing that we had some time took a walk around.

We checked out some of the nearby features then took a seat to await "the show." The geyser was pretty much on time and did not disappoint. Old Faithful is one of those super-famous sites that is famous for a reason.

After watching the eruption, we took the walk through the geyser basin back to Morning Glory Pool. We checked out all the geysers and pools along the way, and spotted a couple of marmots nearby. After completing the loop out to Morning Glory we had a little picnic near the Old Faithful Lodge, where we were supervised by a very tame raven.

Since we'd seen a lot the previous day, we decided to head out of Yellowstone and go look for a quick hike in Grand Tetons. We've often passed by the Tetons but we'd never actually been into the park.

After a quick stop at Lewis Falls we continued down the road to Grand Teton. Teton is kind of a weird park...we drove in and there was no actual park entrance or place to pay for entry (I know that Yellowstone entry covers Grand Teton as well, but what if you are only going to GT?). At any rate, we turned off and made our way to Colter Bay. It was lunch time, so we made some basic sandwiches from provisions we'd brought along and just ate on a bench looking out at Jackson Lake. It was a pretty spectacular spot.

After eating we took a little walk along the shore where we found a good stone skipping beach. We didn't really have time to do a proper hike, but it was nice to walk around and get different views of the lake and the mountains. One day we'll do a real visit to Grand Teton and get a better feel for it.

But this time we were off to our next stop in Swan Valley, Idaho. Shortly after leaving Grand Teton NP we encountered a bison-induced traffic stop. This gave us a chance for a few last bison pictures. The route takes you up over the Teton Pass, which is around 8,400 feet. The road had some very steep grades and sharp switchbacks and while the views were impressive I was happy to be through it.

Our accommodation in Swan Valley was at the Sleepy J Cabins. We were a little unsure of this spot, but it turned out to be pretty nice. You got a cabin with a bedroom and pullout couch and a nice kitchen. Given the kitchen, we decided to do a little shopping and make our own dinner. We made soup from the mix we'd purchased in Thunder Bay. This was tasty, but the stove took forever to get water boiling, so it took longer than we'd anticipated.Read more