I fell in love with national parks, mountains, waterfalls, and the outdoors after going to Canada in 2017 with a good friend. In 1872, Yellowstone became the first national park to exist. I knew I had to go, and I did! I went to Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park from May 16-21, 2019 with my two roommates at the time, Darryl & Evan. Darryl and I have been friends for a decade, and Evan is my first cousin whom I've always been close with. As the two year anniversary of our trip just passed, I thought it would be the perfect time to blog about it!
I don't remember every detail of this amazing trip, but I do remember the smell, the sights, the weather, the food, and so many wonderful moments. We stayed in Jackson Hole, which to this day is one of my favorite towns. I am definitely a mountain girl that loves to see and experience snow when it's still navigable and who loves smaller crowds. I prefer to travel during "shoulder" season when most things are still open but destinations aren't overly crowded, which is why we decided to head to Wyoming in the month of May.
I like to arrive as early in the day as possible so that I don't feel like I've wasted the entirety of a day traveling, and we got there around 11:30 in the morning. After getting the rental car situated, our first stop was an appointment I'd set up at Jackson Hole Winery as a surprise for the boys at 2 pm. It was the perfect way to kick start our trip.
That night, we went to the Bar T5 Covered Wagon Cookout & Show. They take you in horse-drawn covered wagons 2 miles up Cache Creek Canyon, which is a unique, fun way to experience the west. I remember that it was raining that evening, so I called to see if our night would continue as planned. They told us yes and that they had covered tents where we would eat dinner and experience an interactive musical show. The cookout and show is family friendly, and we enjoyed our time there even as three adults.
May 17 & 18, 2019
We spent our two first full days exploring Yellowstone National Park, and we entered the park through the South entrance, which was a little over an hour drive from Jackson Hole. I'd done a ton of research on which hiking trails we might want to do, but we didn't have obligations, reservations, or a set-in-stone plan for these days, which gave us plenty of time to explore with no constraints. We had gotten sandwiches and snacks at a local grocery store in Jackson Hole the day before to bring with us so that we wouldn't have to stop and find places to eat in the park. Yellowstone smells slightly like rotten eggs because of all of the sulphur, but the beauty of the park is so captivating that no one seemed to mind. I made a mistake our first day there and forgot to stretch before hiking up a hill - Yikes! I pulled a muscle in my inner thigh that I then had to deal with for the remainder of the trip, so don't make the same mistake I did. We didn't see too much wildlife because we didn't quite make it to the parks for the sunrises or sunsets, but the bison were everywhere and are magnificent, beautiful creatures... from a distance. I'm sure you all have seen the video of a bison charging a young girl in Yellowstone that went viral in July of 2019. Keep your distance as you're in their natural habitat after all! The geysers and pools in Yellowstone are what make the park so special. They are so unique and gorgeous, and I, of course, have a few favorites. I am going to do my best to post the names of them below the pictures and what trails they might have been on.
Old Faithful
We laughed at this picture and said I look like a "hot head."
Geyser Hill
Doublet Pool
Heart Spring
Emerald Pool
Midway Geyser Basin
Excelsior Geyser
Grand Prismatic Spring
I have seen stunning pictures of the Grand Prismatic Spring online and from friends. Unfortunately, when we we were there, it was foggy, and we couldn't really see the vibrant colors. Even still, I thought it was so neat.
Turquoise Pool
Fountain Paint Pot Nature Trail Tour
Red Spouter
Leather Pool
Gibbon Falls
Artemisia Geyser
Morning Glory Pool
We read that this pool is unfortunately losing its vibrant colors due to people throwing objects into it that do not belong. This made me so sad - don't be one of those people! This was by far my favorite pool that we saw because of the bright blue and deep yellow colors.
Grotto Geyser
Everyone - Meet "Kyle Short Arms." Someone had added me on Snapchat with that username right around the time we found this tiny snowman. We laughed because we had no idea who that could've been. We eventually concluded that it was one of my sister's friends, and we later found out that it wasn't. To this day, we don't know who tried to add me on Snapchat, but we got such a kick out of it and named this snowman after their username.
Lewis Falls
When we got back to Jackson Hole our first night there, we couldn't find many places still open to eat. We found this one pizza place that was cheap and SO delicious.
West Thumb Geyser Basin
Bluebell Pool
Black Pool
Lakeside Spring
Yellowstone Lake
LeHardy's Rapids
Mud Vulcano Area
Dragon's Mouth Spring
Hayden Valley
The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone
Hatch Taqueria & Tequilas
Bin 22
May 19, 2021
Evan and I woke up to some difficult news on the Sunday morning that our Maw Maw had passed away. We knew it was likely going to happen some time while we were on our trip and had said our goodbyes before we left. We were told not to cancel as there wasn't much we would be able to do in her final days. We decided to spend the day appreciating the beauty around us and looking for signs she might be with us. We started the day out at Jackson Hole Resort and took the aerial tram to the top of Rendezvous Mountain where we enjoyed "Top of the World Waffles" from Corbet's Cabin and hot chocolate. We said that was the closest we'd be to our Maw Maw for a long while as the tram takes you up 4,139 vertical feet. The snow on the top of the mountain hadn't begun to melt yet, and the visibility was low. I can still taste the waffles. We met a lovely photographer on a trip with her dad that I talked to about her past travels and her love for the Smokies.
Next, we headed to Grand Teton National Park and went in search of a beaver dam that we did find. Check out the cool picture below of a tree beavers had definitely gotten into!
After that, we headed to take the shuttle across Jenny Lake. They told us the shuttles stopped running at 4 that day, and we'd only have about 15 minutes on the other side if we wanted to take the last shuttle back. We decided to just hike back! This ended up being one of the more dangerous hikes I've done, but it was also one of the most rewarding. I would do it again in a heartbeat. I remember freaking out because Darryl fell at one point, but luckily he fell straight on his behind and didn't get hurt. At one point on this trail, we thought we heard a moose and spent a decent amount of time trying to see if we could spot it. We also got off the trail for a second on accident, but collectively, we were able to find our way back to it. We took our time on this one just enjoying the breathtaking sights and taking frequent breaks so we wouldn't overdo it.
If you take the Jenny Lake shuttle boat from the East Shore Dock to the West Shore, you can hike back to the parking lot, if you choose to do so. The shuttle takes around 10-15 minutes and will let you off near Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. Inspiration Point was not accessible on our trip, but we hiked the 0.5 miles from the boat dock to Hidden Falls. From Hidden Falls, we hiked the Jenny Lake Horse Trail until it intersected with the Jenny Lake Loop Trail. We continued on that trail until we ended up back at the parking lot, which the Jenny Lake Visitor Center is in. We had to take the Jenny Lake Horse Trail because a portion of the Jenny Lake Loop Trail was closed during our visit. We probably hiked somewhere between 2 to 3 miles total from when we got to the West Shore to our return to the parking lot.
Shuttles run every 10 - 15 minutes throughout the day, and be sure to check jennylakeboating.com for their pricing and hours. An adult one-way ticket costs $12.00. They also offer 1-hour scenic guided boat rides on Jenny Lake (reservations are accepted for these).
If you’re visiting GTNP during high season, make sure you get to this parking lot early in the morning. I hear it fills up quick!
We went to the Silver Dollar Bar and Grill in Jackson Hole for dinner, which is the restaurant at the Wort Hotel. I got the Buffalo Burger, which was so good that I still remember it. I don't remember exactly what the dessert was called, but it had huckleberry in it with streusel and vanilla ice cream, I believe. I am drooling just remembering this meal!
May 20, 2021
We woke up expecting to go horseback riding, but it was snowing. They unfortunately had to cancel our excursion, but we went and had breakfast at The Bunnery and spent some time shopping and exploring Jackson Hole. We took it easy this day since our legs were sore from hiking so much, but we did go back to Grand Teton National Park, explore the iconic Mormon Row, do a short hike, and take some scenic drives. We Went to The Million Dollar Cowboy Bar for a drink before a fine dining experience at Snake River Grill to close out the last night of our trip. I know we took shots in honor of our Maw Maw.
I remember this day so vividly. The excitement of waking up to Jackson Hole covered in snow, the bittersweet feeling of knowing we'd be heading home the next afternoon, the cool, crisp winter air. This trip was so much fun, and I loved experiencing it with two of my favorite guys in my life. We planned to do another trip all together in 2020 to Lake Tahoe, but those plans were put on hold due to the pandemic.
Mormon Row
Moulton Barn
Jenny Lake
Million Dollar Cowboy Bar
Snake River Grill
May 21, 2021
This morning was spent packing and at Persephone Bakery, which is the cutest spot that I still dream about. The coffee was fresh, the food was tasty, and the patio with the street view was too wonderful. We actually went there twice while we were out there. We headed to the airport and back home after an amazing 5 days. I'd love to head back to Wyoming to show Alex around one of these days. Reliving this trip has been such a walk down memory lane, and I hope you enjoyed reading about my experience!
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