Westward Ho: Wyoming to Idaho

Ha, didn’t count on zero wifi at Yellowstone, but it makes sense. It is a HUGE park, and I actually enjoyed the no-pressure zone of not responding to Facebook posts or tweets or emails for the better part of three days. All the better to focus on the experience of being in Yellowstone, which is hard to put into words right now, and even harder to pick just a few images to convey the feelings I had there. But I have to try… and then I have to include Grand Tetons and eastern Idaho. So this is going to be a photo bonanza for your eyeballs. And while I get that people read this blog on iPhones and other tiny screens, treat yourself and at least use a tablet if not a big monitor to read this one post. I swear, the photos are worth the effort.

First image is just to show Breeze (my trailer) with snow. Talk about a shakedown cruise: we have now been through rain, sleet, hail, fog, and snow this trip!

OK, serious Yellowstone photos now…

So that’s how I spent my Saturday-Monday. I definitely will be back, there is so much more to see and I love this park so hard.

Tuesday was a travel day, so up semi-early in the cold morning (27F overnight!) and I was hitched up and moving by 8:15 AM. I have to say, I have two really good trailering skills so far: I am killer at leveling the trailer and I am getting pretty good at backing the Subie up to the trailer hitch. I’m still working on the rest, but after two weeks, I feel much more confident and less nervous about everything, from making right turns to getting a site set up for the night. That first week was like boot camp + Survivor, Alto style. Now that I’m starting week 3, I have less of the “what was I thinking?” moments and way more of the “Oh, wow, I have to come back here again” moments.

To get from Yellowstone to Idaho, I went south. Yes, I could have gone west, but then I would have missed the Grand Tetons, and my Yellowstone guide would not let that happen (thanks, Ray, you were absolutely right to reroute me out of West Yellowstone!).

So now, the Grand Tetons in photos…

I survived driving through Jackson Hole (yikes, narrow lanes + much traffic + tourists = not fun for me) and then was out into the open roads leading to Idaho. Crossed the state line, made a right turn to head west and ran smack into about two hours of views like this:

Honestly, I had no idea how beautiful the landscape is here. This area is one of the places in the US I have never been even close to before, and I’ve enjoyed it immensely.

Tonight I’m holed up at an RV park in Arco, Idaho, poised to get an early start tomorrow, heading for some photography fun in the morning at Craters of the Moon.

Today’s quotation

Trip stats

• Miles Driven: 280 (2,820 overall)
• MPG:  19.3 (15.3 overall)
• Side trips: None today
• States/Provinces: Wyoming, Idaho

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