Sun, Oct 3, 2010

Sunday, October 03, 2010

Every time we take a road trip there comes a point in the trip where I feel like I’m just repeating myself… perfect weather… gorgeous scenery… pups playing… short hikes… etc…  So if you’re getting bored with my daily writings, I’ll certainly understand but I have to warn you today was a day just like many of our previous days on the road… perfect! 

We had a good night’s sleep and got up about daylight to begin the day’s journey.  After a cup of coffee and a donut, we left Afton headed toward the Tetons and Yellowstone.  Soon we were winding thru the mountains beside the Snake River.  At Hoback Junction (about 15 miles south of Jackson Hole) we spotted a nice looking market so we shopped for picnic foods and picked up another hot coffee! 

Shortly, we were in Jackson Hole but had no reason to tarry there since we wanted to get into the Tetons while the light was still good.  Once inside the Grand Teton National Park that’s where our plan kind of went awry.  The weather was just too perfect and we had no reason to hurry toward Yellowstone so we basically spent the better part of the day wandering, walking, having picnics and making photos all thru the Tetons.  It was another beautifully clear day with very mild temperatures and that sooth your soul breeze that feels to me like the calming hand of God reaching down to remind me that all these take your breath away sights come courtesy of him because he loves us so much.

By late afternoon we entered Yellowstone and the perfection continued.  At the first place we found a phone signal we called and got a room in West Yellowstone so we wouldn’t need to leave the park before dark.   We drove the loop road up the east side around by Lake Yellowstone soon replaced by the Yellowstone river.  Followed up with stops at Yellowstone falls and Tower falls, the Hayden valley, the Lamar valley with sightings of coyotes, a big bull moose, large herds of buffalo, mule deer and elk.  I have to tell you my eyes are tired!  Unfortunately, I was only able to get a quick photo of one of the coyotes.  The moose was too far away, and the light was so low by the time we got to the Lamar valley where the majority of the larger animals were… well it was difficult to get any decent photography. 

Tomorrow we will head back in to the park about daylight and plan to make the drive along the Madison River and then around to Old Faithful.  At that point we’ll see what opportunities we have had and determine what the rest of the day will hold for us.

Charles has been reading to me from the West Yellowstone paper… actually he was just reading the police report to me and it was a hoot.  A black bear was trapped in someone’s yard, two horses were found loose on a local street, someone stole some “stuff”, and the best one was the woman who called dispatchers and told them she lost her husband.  She doesn’t know where she is staying, doesn’t know the street and she advised them that she “has been drinking”.  Folks, I can’t make this stuff up.

We had another great day on the road and are well tonight.  We hope you all are too.

 Peace, Hope & Love,

Donna, Charles, Paris & Dodger