Yellowstone (and beyond) 2025

The last major leg of our road trip (we have covered a total of just over 2,000 miles in the past 13 days since we picked up the car) and to our final stop - 2 nights in Salt Lake City. A 231 mile journey pretty much due south down I15, out of Idaho and over the state line into Utah: Not such a spectacular or scenic drive as some we have had on this holiday as we effectively followed the road in the valley between two mountain ranges: Dinner tonight in the restaurant, Ramblin' Roads, adjacent to our Holiday Inn Express ..... could be meatloaf and brown gravy (we are in the USA after all) 😋 Deep fried Oreo and vanilla ice cream for dessert ....  🤔

We saw them yesterday and ate them today - elk sausages for breakfast at our hotel this morning before taking a couple of hours to explore Jackson town centre including the Old Town Square which has an entrance on each of its four corners created out of an arch of elk antlers shed each spring: The stores in the town feature alot of old facades and the pavements/sidewalks are made of wooden boardwalks: We found a drug store selling Huckleberry Malt Shakes: A commemorative t-shirt may have been purchased ..... And so back on the road heading west out of Wyoming climbing steeply through the Targhee National Forest before descending again over the stateline into Idaho and the beautiful Swan Valley: We made it to to our overnight stop in Idaho Falls early afternoon so took the opportunity to go downtown to view the (man-made) falls, the Japanese Friendship Garden and the main local talking point,...

We left Yellowstone behind with heavy hearts as we have had such a great three days. It actually snowed overnight so maybe it really was time to go.  We headed south out of the National Park and straight into the Grand Teton National Park: Yet more impressive scenery surrounded by mountains: .... and waterfalls (the Lewis falls): .... and wildlife (pelicans, otters and more elk and bison): As we left the Grand Teton National Park and entered Jackson (Wyoming's wealthiest town, residents include Sandra Bullock and Harrison Ford) we visited the National Elk Refuge, a fascinating information centre explaining all about the vast tract of land put aside outside the town to ensure migrating elk have a safe winter haven: And finally to our overnight accommodation, the rather magnificent Wyoming Inn (styled  in a way reminiscent of a Scottish Hunting Lodge). Dinner at Sidewinder...

Having toured the southern loop road yesterday today we drove around the northern loop road: We also, very briefly, hopped over the state line into Montana 😊 and saw the Roosevelt Arch: On the way to Mammoth Hot Springs we stopped at Obsidian Cliff that has the first ever National Park viewpoint. We also drove through the majestic Golden Gate: And so to Mammoth Hot Springs: Mammoth Hot Springs is essentially a hillside covered in limestone terraces accessed by visitors via a maze of raised wooden walkways. There is also an excellent visitor centre ...... and more wildlife notably a male elk wandering around the town centre: After Mammoth Springs we slipped briefly into Montana before heading east again stopping to view Undine Falls and Tower Falls: Our final stop of the day was at the falls that form part of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone: Today we a...