My mom has been visiting this past week, and we went all over Eastern Idaho, Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks. It was quite the adventure. Even though my mother loves nature and picturesque scenery, it appears that she has developed a phobia of driving over 20 mph on roads that are not level and straight.
I thought that she was just scarred due to marrying a NASCAR enthusiast (read "wannabe"). I assure you that I drove very safely, never straying above the speed limit, which is 45 mph or less in the national parks.
As I recall, my grandmother got more and more nervous about things as she got older. Looks like I have something to look forward to. In any case, we did enjoy the places once we got there, and it was very beautiful. In an effort to make the pictures more interesting, we tried to get people in them as often as possible. Of course, as I was the photographer, my mommy is my model.
Scout Mountain, Pocatello,ID -- Really don't have to go out of the area for natural beauty.
Really cool bear sculpture as the Pocatello Zoo.
One of the first pictures in the beauty of Yellowstone.
My mom took this bison pic through the car window as everyone else seemed to be gaping at a different pair about 500 yards away. They looked like two brown specks. So often we noticed people being so obsessed with what everyone else was looking at that they missed what was right in front of them. As people in my line of work would say, "That will preach." Really a great commentary of our oblivion in life.
The cute, somewhat touristy, motel room we had in West Yellowstone. Newly renovated with beautiful wood paneling and rustic furniture. Moose Creek Cabins. Highly recommended if you are in the area. We also had a chance to sample the local fare of bison, elk, and pheasant. There were notes on the menu that they weren't hunted in the parks. I thought that was a nice touch.
We crossed the Continental Divide three times that day.
One of the beautiful falls in Yellowstone, one which didn't require parking in a lot with 500 people.
Jackson Lake in Grand Teton National Park. Yellowstone & Grand Teton are connected, so it's relatively easy to do them both at the same time.
And this is the Grand Teton itself in all it's glory. Incidentally, it's also where I locked my keys in my car. Luckily, my AAA membership was in effect, and we were pretty close to Jackson, WY. Only amounted to a one hour delay. Didn't prevent me from feeling like an idiot.
And this is the lovely addition to my front door that I found when we returned home. I'm coordinating a Youth Flamingo Fundraiser at my church. They say that paybacks are hell, but I thought that this one was pretty fun. When I get stressed out at work, I have to remember they really do love me. :)
In other words, we had a great time!
Flamingo,Grand Teton,My Life,photo,West Yellowstone,Yellowstone
4 comments
4 comments:
Hooray for vacations! Glad it was a balance of invigorating and relaxing.
Joy: I didn't even need a vacation after my vacation. Hard for it to have been much better, unless I could have figured out a way to swing by your place for a fireworks show. ;)
When I tourist, I try to slow down and be quiet. You almost can't tell whether I'm enjoying what I'm visiting, but a good clue is how quiet I get. The quieter I am, the more I'm enjoying things.
Some folks though...it seems like they have to see so much so fast. I wonder if they even soak in where they've been and what they've seen. Might as well just look at pictures on the internet.
But, I guess it takes all kinds.
Travis: Too true. :)
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