A TALE OF TWO TOP PARKS (AND OUR RETURN TO THEM)

Seth and I first visited Yellowstone and Grand Teton almost four years ago, as part of an epic trip for our 10th anniversary. These two parks were easy picks as favorites even among a whole host of awesome places we experienced — and ever since, we’ve looked forward to going back at some point.

That point came about last month, and my parents came along with us. It was awesome to introduce them to this one-of-a-kind corner of the world and also to see it ourselves in a different season — complete with snow-capped mountains, newborn wildlife and every bit as much beauty as before.

– motion pictures –

select snapshots set to song

day 1 • 05.25.24

Kansas City >>> Salt Lake City (and beyond)

Our first adventure of the trip was simply finding a way to the airport that could accommodate four adults, seven suitcases and a backpack apiece. Fortunately, we happen to have family with a 15-passenger van. We flew to Denver and then Salt Lake City, where our rental SUV was capable of accommodating only eight passengers — but we and all our things did (just barely) fit.

We then had a nearly five-hour drive to West Yellowstone, Montana, which included a vibrant rainbow — our first stunning sight of the trip. Days later, we learned that snow had closed all routes into town but one on the day of our arrival. We didn’t realize at the time how lucky we were to be traveling that one open way, but after 12-plus hours of travel, it was still a relief to arrive at our cozy cabin.

 

day 2 • 05.26.24

initial adventures in wonderland

Although it had been just a few years since Seth and I last saw Yellowstone, I’d built up a lot of anticipation to be back there in person and to fully experience what I’d seen repeatedly in our pictures. And it didn’t disappoint! From the wildlife and the landscapes to the steaming hydrothermal features, this reintroduction was a reminder of how unequaled Yellowstone is in the world. Also of special note is that this day gave us our first encounter with grizzlies in the wild — including one who was hanging with bison like he was one of the herd.

day 3 • 05.27.24

baby bison and bears, oh my

We broke out our best buffalo plaid for this second day with the bison and other Yellowstone beauty. After starting at Mammoth Hot Springs, we visited the Roosevelt Arch at the park’s north entrance before making our way to Lamar Valley. Seth and I hadn’t been able to make it there on our last trip due to a road closure, and it turned out to be even more picturesque than I’d imagined — and was made all the more magical by a sighting of a mama bear with three tiny cubs in tow. (We also ended up a little uncomfortably close to a bison stampede, but on the plus side, the single photo I snapped while running away was a winner.)

After having been closed for a week due to snow, Dunraven Pass opened that afternoon — letting us see another part of the park that was new to us all and to make a second stop at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone on our way back to our cabin. Although we’d been there the day before, this canyon and its river and falls are so awe-inspiring we’d have visited even more if time allowed. And to wrap it all up, we ended the day with huckleberry ice cream — an iconic treat that was more than worth the gas station price we paid.

day 4 • 05.28.24

Yellowstone last looks & Grand Teton grandeur

We saved some of Yellowstone’s best for last. After saying goodbye to our Bucking Moose lodging, we saw two Old Faithful eruptions before heading to West Thumb Geyser Basin on the shore of Yellowstone Lake. Everyone expects Old Faithful to be amazing — and it is — but I find the wonder of that second spot can catch you by surprise. The colorful thermal pools are awesome on their own, as is the vast lake with a mountain backdrop. But put them together, and it’s almost overwhelming.

From there, we continued south — stopping just outside Grand Teton National Park to see a cinnamon-phase black bear that had scaled a tree. And soon afterward, we encountered the true stars of the park: the mountains! It was so exciting to see them in their full glory after having had thick wildfire haze obscuring the view during our first visit. After taking in the Tetons from several iconic spots, we made the hour drive to our rental home in Victor, Idaho. We took that trip over Teton Pass numerous times over the next two days — and happened to be traveling it only about a week before a catastrophic landslide closed the road for close to a month. 

day 5 • 05.29.24

a dramatic day in the tetons

The “dramatic” aspect of this day was more in appearance than anything else — what with the stormy look of the sky. But periodic rain showers did force us to be flexible with the hike we had planned. Rather than doing it first thing, we visited the Moulton Barn and other buildings on Mormon Row, then stopped by the Chapel of the Transfiguration — recreating a couple shots Seth and I had taken outside of it our last time there.

Finally, after driving around a while in search of wildlife (with little luck), we had a break from the rain and set out on our Taggart Lake hike. All in all, it was a beautiful day even with clouds partially obscuring the mountains. And what I always tell clients about inclement wedding weather held true: No one wants rain, but a silver lining is that it can make for some awesome images.

Another special aspect of the day: I finally cut the tag off a Jackson Hole T-shirt I bought my first time there and gave it its first wear. It’s not normal for me to have something sitting unworn in my closet for years, and I do like the shirt, so I don’t know why I hadn’t worn it — other than that maybe I was looking for just the right occasion, and I certainly couldn’t have found a better one than this return trip!

day 6 • 05.30.24

Jenny Lake & Jackson

As we had with Yellowstone, we saved one of Grand Teton’s most iconic spots for this last day in the park. And on our way to Jenny Lake, we had another big moment: our last bear sighting of the trip. This one was a black bear, who turned out to bear a striking resemblance to one illustrated on a T-shirt we came across several hours later.

After our beautiful Jenny Lake hike — complete with a bald eagle sighting — we stopped by the Chapel of the Transfiguration a second time, since the day before, the view of the mountains through its window had been partially concealed by clouds. And given that I’d waited almost four years to look through that window — with the chapel having been closed due to the pandemic in 2020 — I really wanted to capture the scene in all its glory.

After completing that mission, we opted to exit the park via Moose-Wilson road. As the name suggests, it’s known as a spot to see moose, but our two trips over it the previous day had turned up only deer. I’d had high hopes to see at least one moose this trip, since during our visit in 2020, we’d seen seven in one day. But having seen seven bears this trip, it seemed they were meant to be the stars this time. So it came as quite a surprise, after I’d given up all ambition for finding a moose, that we did in fact come across one in those last minutes in the park!

This along with dinner and a walk around downtown Jackson were a great way to wrap up the day. We also stopped by the famous sign at the top of Teton Pass on our way back to our rental home — not knowing that had we taken this trip just a week later, we would have faced a road closure and lengthy detour that evening.

day 7 • 05.31.24

seeing a little of Salt Lake

Our decision to fly in and out of Salt Lake City was largely due to the fact that we could rent a vehicle much more cheaply there than closer to the parks. But we decided it was a must to see some Salt Lake sights while we were there — and first up was Antelope Island State Park at the Great Salt Lake. Seth and I had stopped there in 2020, but it was quite a bit different seeing the lake in the spring vs. the late summer, when the water level had been much lower. This was also a great spot to see bison for one last time this trip.

Afterward, we stopped by the Temple Square, which is worth a visit even for non-Mormons. We were surprised to see the temple was still under construction, just as it had been during our 2020 visit. This time, we stepped inside the Salt Lake Tabernacle (formerly known as the Mormon Tabernacle) and also looked around in the Conference Center, which is impressively immaculate. And while I’m not normally a person who takes mirror selfies in public restrooms, the lighting in this one sort of seemed to demand it.

day 8 • 06.01.24

Salt Lake City >>> Kansas City

After a week full of wonder, it was time to fly home. But not before one final surprise — which was that the four of us ended up coordinating the colors we wore without any effort to do so. I guess this is what happens after so much togetherness. And as someone who appreciates (and often aims for) good outfit coordination, I was pretty pleased to end the trip with unintended success in that arena.