Grand Tetons

Leaving Yellowstone through the south entrance leads directly into the Grand Tetons National Park. As we drove south we first passed this huge lake. It looked as if it should have been littered with boats fishing and sailing but it was bare, just littered with beauty.

Not long after, we got our first look at the Grand Teton Mountains.

Driving the highway through the tall conifers resembled driving through the NYC between the tall buildings.

Along the way, we turned down a side road that led us to a marina with boats of all types moored in the harbor.

Visiting the Tetons consists mainly of driving along the river while viewing the mountains on the other side.

Mandy spotted a herd of Elk at the far end of this field. They were visible through binocs but not through the camera lens.

After leaving the Tetons we stopped for the night a Jackson Hole where the locals are so cool and too smoove to move that they can barely contain their excitement and stop admiring themselves. They also have a hard time serving the tourists because they seem to think that we come there to observe how cool they are. The local businesses have a motto that must be "gouge with greed".

This is where city folk from Salt Lake and Denver go for the weekend to show off their cowboy heritage. The women wear cowgirl boots with their miniskirts and cowboy hats then strut the streets as if they are heading to the rodeo where they might star in an Annie Oakley tribute.

The men don their extra wide belt buckles, 10 gallon hats and cowboy boots with spurs. "Watch out there with them thar spurs, Cowpoke," I wanted to yell when the wind carried a $200 hat down the street. "Careful when you squat to pick up your hat or you might need more than stitches in your britches." Did you know that Cowpoke is also a verb in Wyoming?

The best thing about Jackson Hole is US route 191 which leads south through scenery so breathtaking that it rivals Yellowstone.

More about that soon.