Road Trip Day 8

On the eighth day of my road trip journey, June 18th, I was leaving West Yellowstone Mt. and again driving south through Yellowstone Park and heading to Teton National Park. I was planning to spend a couple days in Jackson Wyoming nearby so I would be close to the park. We started off in really bad weather. Clouds, fog, and a steady cold rain prevented me from doing any photography or sightseeing. The traffic was heavy, and road construction had started between Yellowstone and Teton parks, so it was a long slow journey.

We had stopped at a rest area to stretch a little since it had stopped raining. As you can see the moutains were clouded in quite a bit and it was a very gray day. This Yellow-headed Blackbird was pretty friendly though and he allowed me to get close enough to get a few quick shots in.  

The drive from Yellowstone NP to Teton NP is pretty spectacular even on a crummy weather day. I could see the weather was starting to break in the afternoon. So we stopped for a late lunch and again waited out the weather. This allowed me to catch a few landscape photos before heading into Jackson.

One reason the Tetons are famous is because of their great elevation above their base. Unlike most mountain ranges, the Tetons lack foothills, or lower peaks which can obscure the view. This is due to the fault zone being at the base of the range on the eastern side, and the range being too young to have had time to erode into soft hills. As such, the Tetons rise sharply, from 5,000 to nearly 7,000 feet above the valley floor.

The town of Jackson is located in the Jackson Hole Valley, not far from Teton National Park. Jackson is a really interesting place to stay. There are numerous art galleries and plent of great shopping. It is not cheap in Jackson. If you are looking for a bargin vacation spot, this is not it. I highly recommend it, but just bring your check book!                                            

Joints like the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar are really fun and the decor is amazing. Did I mention that you need to bring your check book.

A street scene in Jackson before the traffic picked up, At night it is usually bumper to bumper. Had to turn in early for a goond nights sleep. I had planned a very early photo trip in the morning.