We drove into Grand Teton National Park, but the haze from the fires kept us from seeing much. We asked at the Visitor’s Center and they said there were currently 17 fires in Idaho, 3 fires in Wyoming and the big fire in Montana, covering 280 square miles. No wonder we can’t see anything!!
We were driving thru the park and saw a crowd of cars pulled off to the side of the road. A sure sign of wildlife nearby. We got closer and saw… a MOOSE!! We finally saw a moose! We stopped (with several hundred others) and took several hundred photos. It’s a good thing we have digital cameras.
We left the park and got caught in more road construction. While waiting in line for our lead car, we saw one reason for our delay; a piece of heavy equipment had rolled down the steep hill. We watched as they tried to right it, but suddenly, the cable snapped. Our lead car guided us around it all before they made another attempt.
We stopped at Dubois, WY to ride the Giant Jackalope. For those of you who may not know, a Jackalope is a very rare creature from the American west and Canada. They are usually found at taxidermy shops and convenience stores and can be described basically as a rabbit with antlers. This lady had quite a collection of Jackalope cards, stuffed Jackalopes, toys and of course, the Giant Jackalope even an adult can ride on (and we did!).
As we drove thru southern Wyoming and into Colorado, the terrain changed from heavily treed forests to treeless sagebrush prairies. On the horizon we could see the mountains rise with the aspens glowing golden yellow. It started to feel like we were going home. …And now we have to build one.
We made it to Villa Koransky in Edwards, CO by evening, dodging a few more cows in the road. We took a long hot shower and fell into bed.