Daytrip: Grand Tetons and Yellowstone

Who doesn’t love a good day-trip?

As COVID-19 continues to dictate our lives across the nation, many people are becoming antsy and looking for their next trip. Recently, Olie and I made the trek from Texas to Wyoming for work. Olie is from Wyo and his parents still live in Riverton with a gorgeous view of the Wind River Range.

Over the 4th of July weekend, we decided to take a day trip to the Grand Tetons and Jackson Hole. I had been once before (for two hours, which was the only place we could find to park our trailer), and was anxious to return. I should note this trip was taken without our trailer.

We made it to our first photo op at Mormon Row just before 10 a.m. This was actually the ideal time to shoot this side of the mountains. In the morning sun, light sweeps across the mountainside showing off all of the cracks and ledges.

After we got a few shots of the infamous barn on Mormon Row, we headed to Moose for some breakfast. This is near the gate to the Grand Teton National Park and Visitor’s Center. We opted for a chuckwagon breakfast from Dornan’s Chuckwagon at Moose Junction accompanied by a gorgeous view of the Teton Range and Snake River.

After breakfast, we headed into Jackson. Being a holiday weekend, the downtown square and surrounding streets were packed. Since we have been to Jackson before (once for me, and thousands of times for Olie) we skipped any festivities this time. I do recommend if it is your first visit, to visit the National Elk Refuge and Jackson Town Square. If you visit at the right time, you can witness many elk, moose, bears, or deer and antelope in the refuge. In the town square, you can visit many local shops and restaurants. During the summer you can even watch a melodramatic shoot-out six nights a week. Don’t miss the opportunity to get your photo under the well-known elk antler arches as well.

From Jackson, we headed to Teton Village. The massive ski resort used to be a staple in Olie’s Wyoming winters growing up. As we walked through the shops and under the trams he seemed amazed there weren’t three feet of snow below his feet. It seems as if the entire Jackson Hole changes dramatically with the seasons.

From Teton Village, we traveled along Teton Park Road checking out the views of Jenny Lake and Jackson Lake. At Willow Flats, we decided to take Highway 89 North to Yellowstone National Park.

Due to COVID-19, all of the Visitors Centers were closed. I thought for a minute that I would be visiting Yellowstone for the third time without receiving a passport stamp. If you follow me on Instagram, you know how much I love getting my stamps. Obviously, this isn’t the only reason I visit the parks, but it has been so fun to document my journey.

Luckily, we were able to find a stamp location at the West Thumb Geyser Basin thanks to Yellowstone Forever. At this point, Old Faithful was only 17 miles away. We decided to spend the rest of the day seeing sites and took the trip to the massive geyser.

After Old Faithful blew, we headed for home. Going back through Yellowstone to Moran Pass. We fueled up at Colter Bay before we exited the National Park and scored very reasonably priced diesel (cheaper than stations outside of the park). We stopped in Dubois, the lesser-known gateway to the Tetons, for dinner. We had a fabulous meal at the Lone Buffalo Steakhouse - we highly recommend it!

We made our way home at about 10:30 p.m. In total, a 15-hour trip away from home, and so many sights to be seen! There are definitely more ways to make the trip and many tour services in the area if you’re interested (we suggest Brush Buck Wildlife Tours).

Have you visited the Tetons and Yellowstone yet? If so, leave me a comment and tell me your favorite part of your trip!

I’m Brenna - and I can’t wait to chat with you about all things business and rural life. Thanks for reading!

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