So, a couple of weeks ago, we got a call from Jody’s sister, Anna. Seems she had a week in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, but had other plans. Rather than let the place sit empty, she offered it to Jody and me.
Now, I don’t know about you, but when somebody offers you a week in one of the most beautiful places in America, you don’t spend a whole lot of time thinking about it. You say YES, figure out what to pack, and get your butt in gear!
We jumped at it!
We decided to drive rather than fly. Figured it would be cheaper, and we’d have a car to explore the countryside once we got there. Of course, that was before we started looking at the price of gas. These days, filling up the tank can feel like you’re making a down payment on a small yacht. Still, having our own wheels seemed worth the extra bucks.
We arrived Sunday afternoon and checked into what can only be described as a seriously luxurious condo overlooking the Grand Tetons. Not a bad place to hang your hat for a week! We were staying at the Teton Club, right at the base of the gondolas that normally carry visitors up the mountain.
Unfortunately, the gondolas were closed for repairs while we were there. No ride to the top for us. But when you’ve got the Tetons sitting right outside your window, it’s tough to complain too much. The view from the bottom was spectacular enough to make you forget there was anywhere else you needed to be.
There’s something about those mountains that grabs you. They’re not just big piles of rock sticking up out of the ground. They dominate the entire landscape, rising abruptly from the valley like Mother Nature decided to show off a little. And believe me, she did one hell of a job.
Of course, we hadn’t driven all that way to sit around admiring the view from a condo, no matter how nice it was. The next morning, we climbed into our trusty vehicle and headed north for Yellowstone National Park.
The South Entrance was only about 50 miles away, which made it an easy day trip. And if you’ve never driven into Yellowstone, let me tell you something. The park isn’t just another place to check off your bucket list. It’s an entirely different world, where the scenery changes around every bend, the wildlife has the right of way, and you find yourself stopping the car so often that you begin to wonder if you’ll ever make it to the next intersection.
We spent the day doing exactly what tourists are supposed to do. We stopped every few hundred yards to take pictures of something that looked too spectacular to pass up.
Then we’d drive another few hundred yards and find something even better.
Then we’d stop again.
You get the idea.
Yellowstone is one of those places where you can take a thousand pictures and still fail to capture what you’re actually seeing. The scale of the place, the mountains, the forests, the rivers, the steaming geothermal features, and the sheer abundance of wildlife are hard to appreciate until you’re standing there looking at them.
We made our way to Old Faithful, which, true to its name, was right on schedule. So Jody and I pulled out a lunch she’d thoughtfully packed, found ourselves a spot, and settled in for an impromptu picnic.
What could be better? Great scenery, a famous geyser, a beautiful day, and lunch with my favorite traveling companion.
Well, as it turned out, we weren’t the only ones who thought lunch was a good idea.
Enter the ravens of Yellowstone.
Now, I’ve seen plenty of birds in my travels, but these guys are in a league of their own. After decades of tourists feeding them, intentionally or otherwise, they’ve figured out that humans carrying food are basically walking vending machines.
And they have absolutely no shame about it.
These weren’t little birds hopping around hoping somebody would toss them a breadcrumb. These were big, black, intelligent-looking feathered bandits with an attitude. They’d stroll right up to you and help themselves to whatever you happened to be holding.
I’m talking about food right out of your hand!
Before long, Jody and I found ourselves surrounded by a half-dozen of these oversized aerial pirates, all convinced that our lunch belonged to them. We were trying to defend our meal while these feathered freeloaders maneuvered in from every direction.
It must have been quite a sight, because people around us started taking pictures.
That’s right. There we were, on vacation in one of the most beautiful places in America, and we had become the entertainment.
I suppose we should have been flattered. Most tourists go to Yellowstone hoping to photograph the wildlife. We went there and became part of the show.
Next time, I’m bringing a lunch for the ravens and one for us. Or maybe we’ll just eat inside the car with the doors locked!
I’ve been coming to Yellowstone for decades. I’ve made the trip plenty of times on my Harley while heading to Sturgis for Bike Week. I’ve also been through the area while driving east from our offices in California, sometimes on the way to the Newport Boat Show.
But here’s the thing about Yellowstone: You never get used to the beauty.
This year, we didn’t see as many buffalo roaming around as I remembered from some previous visits. But we saw plenty, including a few hundred over the course of the trip. Some were so close to the road that they were only about ten feet away.
Now, if you’ve never been close to a buffalo, here’s a little advice: Don’t let the fact that they look like big, shaggy cows fool you. They’re enormous, powerful wild animals, and they don’t particularly care whether you’re trying to get a better picture for your Facebook page.
Admire them, photograph them, and give them plenty of room. Those guys were here long before we showed up, and they have absolutely no obligation to accommodate our sightseeing plans.
We also spotted moose, elk, and plenty of other wildlife along the way. Each sighting added something to the trip, reminding us that this is still a place where nature gets to call a lot of the shots.
You can travel halfway around the world looking for adventure, but sometimes it’s sitting right there on the side of an American highway, chewing grass and looking completely unimpressed by your presence.
After a full day of exploring Yellowstone, we headed back toward Jackson Hole. That evening, we went downtown and had dinner on the square.
And what did we have?
Bison Wellington.
Yep, you read that right. Beef Wellington’s western cousin, made with bison. When in Wyoming, right?
It was a great way to wrap up the day. Jackson has a character all its own, combining the rugged spirit of the Old West with enough upscale restaurants, shops, and expensive real estate to remind you that the modern world has definitely discovered this little corner of paradise.
The downtown square is a fun place to wander, with its distinctive atmosphere and the famous elk-antler arches marking the entrances. There’s a mixture of Western history, tourism, and high-end living that makes Jackson different from just about anywhere else.
You can go from looking at cowboy boots to admiring luxury shops in the space of a block. And if you’re wondering whether Jackson has gotten expensive, well, let’s just say that the prices make you appreciate that Anna had arranged our accommodations!
The next day, we decided to take a different approach.
No schedule. No particular destination. No list of must-see attractions. We simply climbed into the car, picked a direction, and started driving.
We went looking for smaller roads, the kind that don’t always get much traffic and aren’t necessarily on every tourist’s list. We wanted to see what was beyond the obvious attractions, where the roads wandered through the countryside and the scenery could surprise us around the next bend.
And surprise us it did.
Everywhere we went, we found ourselves surrounded by natural beauty. Mountains rose in the distance, rivers cut through the landscape, and broad valleys stretched away beneath enormous skies. There were places where we just had to stop, get out of the car, and stand there for a while.
No big attraction. No ticket booth. No crowds. Just the two of us, a quiet road, and a view that made you wonder how a place could possibly look that good.
Then we discovered something we hadn’t expected to see quite so much of: log cabins.
And when I say log cabins, I’m not talking about some little wooden shack with a tin roof, a wood-burning stove, and a couple of bearskin rugs on the floor.
These were log CABINS!
Some of them were so spectacular that the word cabin seemed almost insulting. Huge log homes tucked into the landscape, with incredible craftsmanship, sprawling layouts, and views that would make a postcard photographer weep.
And the price tags?
Let’s just say that some of these places were selling for upwards of $30 million.
THIRTY MILLION DOLLARS!
For that kind of money, I’d expect the place to come with its own mountain range, a private lake, and somebody who would fill the gas tank on my car.
Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating a little. But not much!
They were impressive homes, no question about it. The logs, the stonework, the architectural details, and the way the buildings blended into the landscape were something to see. Whoever designed them understood how to make a home fit its surroundings rather than simply plunking a building down in the middle of a beautiful view.
We spent quite a bit of time admiring them as we drove by. It was fun to imagine what it would be like to live in one of those places, waking up every morning with the Tetons outside your window.
Then reality kicked in.
I figure we couldn’t even afford the upkeep on one of those monsters!
There’s a funny thing about looking at multimillion-dollar homes. You can appreciate the workmanship, admire the views, and imagine yourself sitting on the porch with a cup of coffee. But eventually you have to wonder what the property taxes, insurance, heating bills, snow removal, and general maintenance must cost.
I’d probably have to sell the boat, the motorcycle, and a few other things just to keep the lights on.
And then I’d have to find a job to pay for the gas to drive away from the place!
But I digress.
We were staying at Teton Village, about ten miles outside Jackson, right at the base of the Grand Tetons. And those mountains certainly live up to their name.
GRAND!
There’s something almost surreal about the way they rise above the valley. They don’t gradually build up from a series of foothills. They just seem to burst out of the landscape, jagged peaks reaching toward the sky, with their faces changing color as the light moves across them.
Morning, afternoon, and evening all give you a different view. The clouds move around the peaks, the shadows shift, and the mountains seem to change character throughout the day.
You can look at them for hours and still find yourself stopping to take another picture.
Even sitting around the village, you couldn’t escape the scenery. It was there when we headed out in the morning, there when we returned in the afternoon, and there when we settled down for the evening.
Not a bad backdrop for a week away from the usual routine!
Of course, all good things come to an end, and our week went by a whole lot faster than either of us expected.
As I write this, we’re getting ready to load up the car and head for the mountains of California. We’ve got roughly 800 miles ahead of us, and we’re already talking about coming back.
All in all, it was a hell of a vacation. Jody and I had a great week exploring Yellowstone, spotting wildlife, enjoying some terrific meals, and discovering the incredible countryside around Jackson Hole.
Over the past 50 years, we’ve been fortunate enough to visit a lot of beautiful places. But this one belongs near the top of the list.
As we packed up the car, one thing was certain.
WE’LL BE BACK!
There are still roads we haven’t explored, places we haven’t seen, and probably a few more million-dollar log cabins waiting to make me feel financially inadequate.
And who knows? Maybe next time those gondolas will be running, and we’ll get to see the mountains from a little higher up.
Although, knowing us, we’ll probably find some other road to explore instead.
Just remember, if you visit Yellowstone, bring a lunch.
And keep an eye on the ravens!
As they say, TRY IT, YOU’LL LIKE IT!
