Tuesday 6/25 recap
We all decided that the last couple days of our travels should focus on Grand Teton National Park, which is 20ish miles south of Yellowstone. I, for one, have been so excited to spend some quality time in this park, and today really was just Grand. An interesting fact is that they are connected by the John D Rockefeller Parkway, and it sparked a discussion about how there are few key people/families who have really helped to support this beautiful National Park system. We continue to be so grateful.
While Wes and Erin have been driving their Suburban through the parks every single day, and we really appreciate that, we thought it would be fun for them to have a change of scenery. So Rick drove Livvy today so that we could chauffeur them! We are not as nimble for driving and broad wildlife viewing (-), but we were able to get almost everywhere while having a bathroom and kitchen available throughout the day (+). Plus they got to see first hand the differences between our vehicles, which is always helpful as you think about how to tweak your current vehicle and/or consider what is next.
We decided to make an early start of it since we wanted to get to the most populated area of the park for a hike, while it was less crowded and cooler. Still, it was almost a 2 hour drive to Jenny Lake. It was my first view of the Tetons along the way and it was just surreal to see these beautiful mountains surrounded by calm lakes and stunning green forests. So the drive was just spectacular. Once we got there, we had to maneuver to a secondary lot since by 9am the major lots were already full. It was definitely as “popular” as we had heard.
The hike was STUNNING. We went a little over 8 miles around the lake, with outstanding views of the Tetons on one side and the clear blue lake on the other to start. The total hike had <500 feet elevation so it was just challenging enough without being exhausting. Some areas were more crowded than others, and there were some “add-on” options that we declined to do. I really didn’t need another couple of miles and 1,000 feet of elevation, thank you. The primary hike itself was just right, including a lovely stop at the Jenny Lake visitors center about 2/3 of the way through for a rest and a snack. The last couple of miles were HOT and we all were so glad to get back to Livvy.
We got to try some new things in Livvy that worked well… our generator runs nicely for house air conditioning while driving. (We do these nice things for our friends, not for the animals.) We also found that the outdoor shower was a huge refreshment to rinse off bug spray, sweat and dirt from our legs before we all changed into sandals.
From Jenny Lake, we drove through the park and into the town of Jackson, WY. I have heard so many great things over the years about this area and was excited to see it. Thankfully, it is RV friendly so we got a great spot in a city lot for a little exploring and late lunch.
Million Dollar Cowboy Bar was our first stop (PIB friends think Beer Barrel vibe with a cowboy theme, saddles for bar stools). Rick had been there years ago with Uncle Mike and so it was an appropriate first stop for a drink and a snack.
Lunch was at an outstanding, highly rated spot called Hand Fire pizza, located in an old theater. For those of you who have been to John’s Pizza Times Square NYC or the Magic Bag in Detroit (two of our favorite places), the building was historic and open, therefore a similar feel. We had a great lunch, complete with a relaxed atmosphere and awesome service. This break was really needed after our hike!
We spent a little time in town, primarily admiring the wonderful work of Thomas Mengelsen in his beautiful gallery. We have all admired his work over the years and could easily fill our homes with his beautiful work.
On our way back north, we did attempt some more wildlife watching (all of those pics to come later when we can sort through them). Livvy couldn’t make one of the treks due to our length, but we did make it to Oxbow Bend, known for good wildlife spotting. We had a great time watching coyote crossing the river and literally bounding up the banks, but no moose (yet). Unfortunately we all felt too buggy, sweaty and tired so we didn’t stay as long as we planned, but it was a great day.
It was a long long 1.5 hour drive back to the campground, making us appreciate even more all of the days that the Wolfes have driven us around the parks. It was a very enjoyable ride, though, as we watched the skies turn to dusk and appreciate the quiet of early evening amid this pristine scenery.
We got back to drop them off and get ourselves set up again before dark. It was an amazing day and as we reflected on it, we were so glad that the next day was going to involve more of Grand Teton National Park!
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