Summer Road Trip 2020 - WY > MT > ID

The next day, we headed into Grand Teton National Park. I think this was the part of the trip I was most excited about, and it did not disappoint. We had a fabulous drive that morning - stopping at a few viewpoints and just enjoying the beauty. I don't even know how to put into words how gorgeous this was, so I'll let the photos attempt to tell the story, though they definitely don't do it justice.

These photos were taken from a small historic site called Mormon Row - the houses and barns were built by early Mormon settlers who were sent up to the valley by Brigham Young. I was trying to imagine what it would be like to come up here, with no idea what to expect, and to come into this gorgeous valley with the stunning mountains as a backdrop. No doubt it was difficult starting from scratch - and the winters are no joke - but I imagine they would've just been awestruck by the majesty.

That afternoon, we checked into our hotel in Jackson - another cute, rustic motel - and relaxed a bit before heading out to explore the town square and get some dinner and souvenirs - all masked up to control coronavirus spread.

Jackson loved that everything - included the town - was named after him!

The next day, we ventured deeper into the park and met my parents and Tessa and her kids for a hike. We took the boat across Jenny Lake then hiked up to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. It was pretty steep and we took lots of breaks, but it was worth it!

  

In all the hotels we stayed in, Jackson got his own big bed, and he certainly made use of all the space! 

The next day, we headed to Idaho to meet the rest of my family. We drove up through Grand Teton National Park and into Yellowstone National Park, so we stopped and took in some of the sights on the way.

Jackson at Jackson Lake in Grand Teton

West Thumb Geyser Basin along Yellowstone Lake in Yellowstone

Old Faithful - this was by far the most crowded spot in the park (other than the entrance, which was backed up a couple of miles). Fortunately, we didn't have to wait too long before it erupted.

The mother of all springs - Grand Prismatic Spring

Firehole Canyon and Falls

After driving through the rest of the western part of the park, and a small piece of Montana, we made it to our cabin in Island Park, Idaho where we spent the next few days with my family.