Day 3 of our summer vacation started in Pinedale, Wyoming, and we made our way northwest via Jackson Hole. With eyes full of art and lunch in the belly, courtesy of the National Wildlife Art Museum, we drove into the Grand Teton National Park. While it wasn’t a significant part of our travel plan, it is worth noting that the Teton mountain range is striking in its beauty. Highway 191 becomes the Rockefeller Memorial Parkway and rolls north, slowly gaining altitude as it transits the park. Lake Jackson stretches along the west side of the road, a calm pool in contrast to the jagged peaks of the range. A couple of hours driving through the park has convinced me that Teton might require another visit.

Lake Jackson with the Teton Mountains to the west.

Did I mention that the National Park Service charges most folks a fee to get this far? The Captain (Ret.) was happy to whip out her DoD ID card in order to extract her small “free passage” benefit for 25 years in service to the nation. By mid afternoon, we crossed from Teton into Yellowstone and continued up the Lewis River valley. Three times we crossed the Continental Divide before we rolled finally into the Old Faithful Inn. It was our first experience with vehicular traffic in the Park. Getting anywhere via the roadways in Yellowstone takes much longer that expected. It’s probably a good thing, because most people might not take the time to slow down and enjoy their surroundings.

The massive log structure known as the Old Faithful Inn.

We spent the first night in the historic Old Faithful Inn located right next to the most famous geyser on the planet. The lobby is quite impressive with balconies and a huge fire place. Part of our Park package included a “geyser view room,” and the Inn didn’t disappoint. Out the window, 150 yards away, the crowds gathered every 60-90 minutes to watch the water and steam blast into the sky. Some folks suggested it might keep us awake at night, but that wasn’t an issue. (I tipped the concierge to dial it down on the nights we were there.)

An evening crowd watching the Old Faithful geyser.

That evening, we met the other 6 travelers signed up for the 5 day tour. We also met Jay and Cindy, our drivers/guides. We were pleasantly reassured to find everybody in our party was friendly and had a heathy spirit of adventure.

On the morning of Day 4, the tour group met up with our guides, and we were introduced to Hollywood, one of several restored rag-top 1936 White 706 tour busses operated in the park. It was pretty cool, and simultaneously weird being one of the visual attractions in the Park. After loading up, Jay and Cindy drove us up the west side of the southern loop road to take in geysers and the geologic richness of the park. Something like half of the known geothermal features on the planet are located in the Park, and every one of them has a name and unique personality.

Hollywood earned its nickname for appearing in the film *Big Trouble in Little China*. (https://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_6305-White-Model-706-1936.html)

“Red Spouter” venting steam on the morning we visited, but it is also known for occasionally making “mud” or a pool of water.

“Castle” geyser chugging away, awaiting the rare day it builds up enough pressure to blow.

One minute “Anemone” sits silent and dry.

We rounded out the day by traveling across the bottom of the southern loop to the Lake Hotel, where we spent the next two nights of our tour. The hotel overlooks Yellowstone Lake and we had a beautiful view to the southeast. We enjoyed the dining room experience and finished the evening by walking along the shore, looking for some of the much anticipated mega-fauna like Bison, Elk and Bears. Other than a glimpse of an Elk outside the window, the animals remained elusive until the next day.

Summer Vacation - Part 2 of 6

Summer Vacation - Part 3 of 6

Summer Vacation - Part 1 of 6