Jackson Hole, The Grand Tetons, & Moose Wyoming

Since I was in high school, my dream was to visit Yellowstone National Park.  Maybe it was because of the breathtaking scenery, the geysers, and the wilderness, or maybe it was because I was in awe that a National Park could be the same size as our little state of Connecticut.

Whatever the reason, I've been drawn to it, and I can't believe that right now, my (our) dream is finally coming true.  On Friday, we flew into Jackson Hole, WY and stayed at the Snake River Lodge.  There, we've been able to explore a little of the Grand Tetons.  Tomorrow (Monday), we are on our way to begin a five day tour of Yellowstone, complete with our own tour guide who will be leading a group of two to three families with children Lewie's age (ages 8 - 12).

While Yellowstone has been the focus of our trip, I can't say enough about our experience here in Teton Village and the surrounding area.  What a gorgeous view of rolling fields, ranches, and farms with the beautiful white Teton Mountain Range in the backdrop!

Here is how we spent our first day...it's pure paradise for anyone like me that loves nature and getting a glimpse of life on the prairie back in the 1800's:

Our plane at Jackson Hole Airport.  We saw the beautiful Teton Mountain Range as we landed on the runway.  Breathtaking!!

Our hotel inside Teton Village.

Views from right outside of Teton Village.

On our short walk, we saw a few paragliders jumping from the mountains.  Their journey to the bottom looked so calm and peaceful; I think this activity may be on my bucket list....

Wagon ride anyone?

 After exploring views from Teton Village, we left to take a rafting trip down Snake River.  At first we were going to try whitewater river rafting, but when we learned the snow-melt river was 50 degrees, we decided to try the "dry" floating option...

Floating down the Snake River through the forests of Grand Teton National Park.

Our tour guide rowed the boat and kept it steady in some choppy waters. 
(He's going to Brown University for med school in the fall.)

On our tour, we saw some Pelicans and a baby Bald Eagle.  (It was my first sighting of a Bald Eagle ever!)

If the river rafting wasn't enough, we decided to drive to Moose, Wyoming (inside Grand Teton National Park) to eat at Dornan's Chuckwagon.  This was truly our first chuckwagon supper experience.  For those of you, like me, that's not up on the lingo, a "chuckwagon" is a type of field kitchen with a covered wagon used for storage and cooking equipment.  Early settlers, cowboys, and loggers were used to eating like this on the prairies of the United States and Canada.   I loved it!!

On Mondays, Dornan's has hootenannies.  If we were not traveling to Yellowstone, I would have loved to experience this, too.  Who wouldn't love eating with some folk music and dancing?!

Good eats!!

Our first day in Wyoming was simply outstanding.  The weather was perfect (in the low 70's) with a light breeze, and the sky couldn't be bluer with the most beautiful white puffy clouds.  There wasn't a single bad view.  Even the grocery stores like Albertsons and Aspens Market were surrounded by beauty, and the insides of the markets were clean, rustic, and cozy, too.  It was nice to be in an environment where it appears as if everyone takes pride in their home.