Click on the map to enlarge it. About This Site Planning Your Trip -- Detailed Expanations Old Faithful & the Geothermal Areas Yellowstone Lake Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone Mammoth Hot Springs Wildlife Safari in the Lamar Valley Grand Teton National Park Float Down The Snake River The Grand Teton Wildlife Safari The Eagle Chases An Osprey Wild Flowers, Berries and Trees This travelogue is one family's experience in Yellowstone. To see a photo in a 1024 x 681 size, just click on it. We hope you enjoy the record of our journey, and that you get to experience your own. Note: Stock photos of these and many other images with reproduction rights are available in their original 3008 x 2000 size. We also have a screen saver. Click here for more information. Grand Teton National Park is located at the top of the giant Jackson area valley, which extends from Jackson, WY, in the south through the park. Its known as Jackson Hole because the French trappers who first saw the area in the 1800s called valleys "holes." Its main feature is the Teton mountain range, which is only 40 miles long and seven miles wide. Its highest peak, Grand Teton (shown in the center) is 13,772 feet high from a base that is 6,800 feet above sea level. Unfortunately, the photo to the right was taken during a hazy time of year, so that the Tetons are not as crystal clear as I would have liked. Alas, we just can't have it all ... Here's the clearest shot we got of the Grand Tetons. It was taken early in the morning before the temperature increased and the haze really got bad. The truth, however, is that even this shot isn't close to the clarity you can get in the Winter or even Spring when their are far fewer cars and crisper air. While the Tetons were still majestic to look at, they weren't that good to photograph at this time of year. We entered the park from the North and stayed our first night at the Jackson Lake Lodge, which is a beautiful hotel that has just undergone a major renovation. Here's a picture of the outside of the hotel, which faces Jackson Lake and the Grand Tetons. Here's the view from the hotel itself, looking at the Grand Tetons. If you want to see wildlife, you don;t have to go very far. Elk, moose and bears frequently are seen in the area between the back of the hotel and the lake. On our first morning there, for example, we saw a pair of moose just a short distance from the hotel. The Jackson Lake Lodge's dining room, the Mural Room, has one of the best views that we've ever seen. Here's the view from our table in the late afternoon. You're not looking at a mural. You're seing the Grand Tetons through floor to ceiling windows. They look muted because the sunshades are pulled down. Here's the view from the lounge just outside the Mural Room. The room is ringed with large paintings of local wildlife, and is filled with numerous couches for a few dozen of people to sit comfortably. The Jackson Lake Lodge is the center for several local activities, including nearby hiking, floating down the Snake River, and horseback riding. We went on a two hour trail ride through the local countryside, and also floated down the Snake River, which is an absolute must. Here's a picture of one of our guides with a view of the Grand Tetons in the background. Here's Teresa and me on our horses with a beautiful view of the countryside in the background. Click here to tour the Snake River.>

© 2009 by Stephen Caswell. All Rights Reserved.