Jenny Lake Lodge

Jenny Lake is one of two lakes in the Grand Tetons National Park on which motorboats are permitted.  The other is Jackson Lake.  Jenny Lake is about 1200 acres large with depths in some places of 420 feet.  It was formed 12,000 years ago.  We stopped at the Lodge for lunch plans before going on to take the boat ride across the lake.  

I better get started on my Christmas shopping!

Mountain Trout for me was excellent

Steve had the bison burger

After lunch we drove to the south end of Jenny Lake to take the ferry boat across the lake.  Once on the other side, there are several options for hiking adventures.  We took the shortest hike to the falls and the round trip ride back to the car.  Wishing we could spend more time here hiking because it is beautiful.  There are warning signs everywhere telling us to be careful of the bear.  Luckily for us, the only bear we saw were from inside the car from a very safe distance.

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The Grand Tetons

The vastness of the mountains in Wyoming can be compared to the seas we have traveled.  And just like I am awed by the vastness of the sea,  the beauty and majesty of these mountain ranges remind me of the power and strength of God.

The Tenton Range is a mountain range of the Rocky Mountains.  The east slope of the range is in Grand Teton National Park which is where we spent much of the day.  

There are four marina options in the Grand Tetons National Park.  We found Leeks marina to explore on Jackson Lake.  There were several boats at anchor at Leeks--I suppose that is because this is not a marina in the typical sense with slips and a wooden dock.  When one is ready to board a boat, a smaller shuttle makes a quick trip to the boat at anchor so all can board.  

The dock master told us that boaters do ski in these lakes, but most wear wetsuits because the water is so very cold.

I had to stop at the Chapel of  the Sacred Heart on our way to Jenny Lake.

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A Beautiful Ending to a Great Day

On Sunday, August 23, we saw as much as possible at Yellowstone National Park.  Bison, geysers, canyons, mud pots, rivers, and an historic National Park Lodge.  On the way back to our hotel we were treated to a sun setting over the Grand Tetons.  We were not alone in stopping to record this glorious event.

Thanking God for a beautiful day in His Creation!

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More Bison Encounters

 Just one day in Yellowstone and we encountered 3 different bison sightings.  

In a field faraway resting

In a field closer getting a bite to eat

Traffic stopped as this bison walked down the middle of the road.  Eventually it decided to move on over to the grass as it headed home after a long day at work.  

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Mud Volcano

Beware of the rotten egg smell when stepping out of the car to view Mud Volcano and its surrounding mud pots.  Hydrogen sulfide gas makes is presence known by its strong aroma wafting through the pines.    The mud pots and fumaroles (also called steam vents) in this area occur when the ground water boils away faster than it can be recharged.  

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Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

Happy Labor Day All!  I am still working on posting about our trip out west to visit Caroline.  The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is the first large canyon on the Yellowstone River downstream from Yellowstone Falls.   It varies in width from a fourth mile to three fourths of a mile.  

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Firehole Lake Drive

Firehole Lake Drive is a 2-mile drive that passes geysers, hot lakes and hot springs.  

From Firehole Lake Drive we headed to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.  Before we could get there we saw our first Bison.

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The Springs around Old Faithful

Needing to walk off our lunch at the Old Faithful Inn we walked along the trail surrounding Old Faithful geyser.   The springs here were comparable to the clear blue waters of the Bahamas.  

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Journey to old Faithful

On August 23 we left our Super 8 Motel room headed for Yellowstone.  (If you are still stuck on Super 8--yes that was not a typo.  As our girls can attest--we never waste or spend money on hotels, especially when we are not going to be in the room for very long.)  

Old Faithful is located in Yellowstone National Park.  The park covers an area of over 3400 square miles which include areas of Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana.  Established in 1872 as the first national park in America, the part is home to the majority of the world's geysers.  Old Faithful was the first geyser in the park to receive a name in 1870.  As its name indicates, it is one of the most predictable geysers on Earth erupting every 35-120 minutes each day.  

We had to stop several times along the way at the turnouts for the views were spectacular.  Caroline had to journey to the edge of a rock.  She wanted to cross to the smaller rock just behind her but stopped short.  The area behind she and Steve had been badly burned by a fire in 1988.  

Old Faithful was scheduled to erupt at 12:09 give or take ten minutes.  The geyser started off slowly teasing us with a few small burps.  The water temperature has been taken at 255 degrees. 

The Old Faithful Inn which opened in 1904 was our choice for lunch.  It is designed in the National Park Service Rustic and features a 85 foot stone fireplace.  It was built largely using locally materials such as lodgepole pine and rhyolite stone.  The central feature is the high ceiling open beam lobby.  

Grilled Portabella Mushroom Sandwich and Salad

Grilled Sausages with Sauerkraut and Potatoes

BLT National  Park Style

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