National parks have been priority destinations on our year-long road trip, and Wyoming held two biggies: Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone gets a lot of hype. After all, it was the very first National Park. And well, it’s basically an active super-volcano, so that makes it hype worthy too. But Grand Teton blew our minds with beauty. Go ahead and quote me on that, I know it’s really poetic.
Anyhow, all kinds of adjectives come to mind to attempt to describe Wyoming. Gorgeous. Beautiful. Breathtaking. All fall short. All overused (mostly by me!). Majestic seems especially fitting though. And inspiring. I don’t know how you could look at the scenery of Wyoming and not feel inspired. And wild. Definitely wild. After all, it has the aforementioned super volcano and giant herds of wild elk and bison roaming amid jaw dropping mountain vistas. So there you have it. Wyoming: Majestic. Inspiring. And Wild.
Base Camp
We situated ourselves on a beautiful ranch in the small town of Dubois, Wyoming for base camp. We had a beautiful, laid-back locale to create and ship Destination Tree artwork, and it was a perfect jumping point for taking day trips to Grand Tetons, Yellowstone and Jackson.
We created and shipped lots and lots of orders while we were in Wyoming…and the ranch was a great backdrop for photography!
Grand Teton National Park
We’ve been all over the country and to countless national parks on our year-long road trip. And the number one question we get is: “Where is your favorite place?” Prior to beginning this epic journey I probably thought I’d be able to name a favorite, but we’ve been to too many beautiful and diverse places to choose ONE favorite place. So, while it’s impossible to narrow it down to ONE, I can say without a doubt that Grand Teton National Park ranks HIGH on the list.
We’ve seen plenty of beautiful mountains, so I can’t quite explain why the Tetons are so captivating. They just ARE. It is truly a magical place. Unlike most parks we’ve visited, we didn’t do a lot of hiking. We actually did a lot of gawking. At one point, we literally sat down in a field and stared at the mountains. And it’s one of my favorite memories from the entire year-long journey.
A photo posted by Destination Tree (@destinationtree) on
Yellowstone National Park
Ah, yes. The super volcano. Yellowstone National Park is a place I’m glad we visited, but feel like we’ll probably only do it once. No need to risk it twice. (Have you SEEN the movie 2012?!) Because it seems a little crazy to walk on a boardwalk inches from exploding geysers, boiling springs and steaming sulfur. But maybe that’s just me.
Regardless, the geothermal features are fascinating and spectacular, and then of course, there’s also the roaming bison. Yellowstone is wild and wonderful, and if you tire of the geysers there’s also rivers, lakes and waterfalls.
A video posted by Destination Tree (@destinationtree) on
A video posted by Destination Tree (@destinationtree) on
A photo posted by Destination Tree (@destinationtree) on
A video posted by Destination Tree (@destinationtree) on
Jackson Hole
In addition to the national parks, the valley within the Tetons called “Jackson Hole” contains the super cute town of Jackson, Wyoming. Known for being a ski-town in the winter, it’s a bustling little town, full of character, hikers and sightseers in the summer. We had an AMAZING breakfast at Cafe Genevieve (HIGHLY recommend!), walked all around the town square, shops and streets with the pups, and hydrated with a few tasty pints at Snake River Brewing. All in all, one of our favorite small towns!
Wyoming met and exceeded our expectations! And as far as national parks…we still have two remaining…stay tuned for more of our journey!
Cheers!
Kristin
Stubs says
That was truly a wonderful part of your adventure. I never knew such beauty existed! I think I have seen the Tetons in some westerns, but not all the beauty that you have captured!
Thank you both for taking the time to share this with the world!