Yellowstone and Teton National Park

From the tranquil beaches of Portugal to the peaceful mountain tops of Yellowstone National Park the world provides numerous spaces where one can relax and be rejuvenated.  While I do not consider myself an "outdoor person," I am often overwhelmed at the splendor of the natural world.  As I headed off to Yellowstone and Teton National Parks, I was expecting to see something special, but never did I imagine the spectacular beauty that I witnessed at every turn:  soaring mountain tops, icy blue lakes, towering trees, graceful animals, powerful geysers, and majestic waterfalls.  The quaint towns acted as time warps transporting me through the years when visitors first began going to the parks to hundreds of thousands of years ago when the parks were first created.  There was so much to see in just the four short days that we were traveling that it will take me a few posts to cover it, but here I would like to give a brief overview.  

The first day we drove up to to Teton National Park and then down to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where we stayed the first night.  I did not know that real "western" towns (like those from the movies) still existed, but Jackson is one of them.  The central part of town is filled with rows of shops and restaurants with faux-façade fronts and verandas.  We stayed at the Jackson Hole Lodge, which I will review in a following entry.  

Day two brought us to Yellowstone park itself.  This was a great time of year to visit the park.  It wasn't too cold (between 40 and 65 degrees over the course of the weekend) and it was sunny, which kept it feeling warm.  The best part of this time of year is that it is not tourist season yet, but it is warm enough to enjoy all the park has to offer.  We didn't have to deal with lots of traffic.  The major attractions, such as Old Faithful and Mammoth Hot Springs were not crawling with people.  You are still able to enjoy the peacefulness and tranquility of nature without the sound of a million tourists.  The weather was mild enough where we could go for a 3 hour hike and barely break a sweat.  Finally, as spring comes in, the animals come out and you have the opportunity to see all of the new born baby animals that have joined their herds.

For lodging you have several options.  There are 5 hotels inside the park at various intervals and all are near at least one major attraction.  We stayed at the Old Faithful Inn, which was extraordinary.  I highly recommend spending at least one night in the park, but it can be expensive, so for those of you who want a more budget friendly option, there are many hotels in Montana just outside the West entrance to the park.

  

The other benefit of going early in the season is that the prices are much lower for lodging, both in and outside the park.  The early part of the season does have some disadvantages, the largest being the presence of snow.  Yellowstone accumulates a large amount of snow during the winter, and by this point it is not all melted, so some of the trails and roads are still closed.  All of the lower elevations seemed to be clear, but some of the higher elevations were closed, but we were still able to see all of the major sights.

The weekend brought about amazing experiences, including a bear sighting, and I will unravel all of my experiences over the next few days.