“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.”
2 Thessalonians 3:16
Happy Thursday! As I am writing, Hurricane Michael has made landfall in the panhandle of Florida and is moving on into Georgia and then the Carolinas. My prayers are for all of those who are in harm’s way.
We returned last week from a wonderful trip to Wyoming where we stayed in Jackson, which is a small town that borders The Grand Teton National Park. Butch and I, as young newlyweds in 1975, took a road trip that took in the states of South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado. Butch returned to Jackson Hole on a business/skiing trip several years ago, so his memory of this gorgeous part of our country was more vivid than mine. But it was impossible for me to forget the view of those majestic mountains with peaks that rise as high as 7,000 feet off the valley floor You might want to grab a cup of coffee and get comfortable for armchair travel to Autumn in The Grand Teton National Park!
Jackson is a small town in the Jackson Hole Valley. Just north are the peaks of Grand Teton National Park, as well as vast Yellowstone National Park. The four antler arches are the gates to Jackson Town Square. About 7,500 elk winter on the National Elk Refuge. The bulls shed their antlers each spring and are picked up by local Boy Scouts and are sold by public auction in the square. Butch and I would love to see the thousands of elk that spend the winter in the refuge just outside of Jackson!
Jackson has a population of just under 10,000 with a definite western feel. Tourism drives the economy which has produced wonderful shopping, fine dining, and world class skiing.
Our home for six days was the Rusty Parrot Lodge, a family-run 32-room lodge that’s one of the top small luxury hotels in the world. It caters to the traveler—not the tourist. They made us feel like family as they took care of everything. The on site restaurant, The Wild Sage, has an intimate 32-seat gathering room, with a rugged river rock fireplace, and a full view of the exhibition-style kitchen. I found it fascinating as I watched the preparation and plating of their locally sourced food. In the small dining room, it wasn’t hard to notice that Reba McEntire was also having dinner. The Body Sage Spa was fabulous and Butch and I agree it was the best massage that we have ever had.
Only about three miles from Jackson Square is the entrance to the park!
When this scene came into view, I was speechless. Oxbow Bend in Grand Teton National Park is the most photographed place in the entire park. The image of the Snake River with Mount Moran’s reflection is iconic and is probably the most recognized image of the park. The water was perfectly still which allows for this gorgeous reflection. The aspens were in full autumn color and it was perfect for every photographer, even this amateur!
Two days later under very cloudy skies and strong winds, the scene was quite different, but still beautiful!
On three separate visits along Moose-Wilson Road we saw three moose in the same place…a bull, cow, and a calf. Enjoying the pond on this day was the cow!
Standing on Signal Mountain gave us another perspective of the vastness of Jackson Lake and the prominence of Mount Moran at 12,610 feet! Jackson Lake is one of the largest high altitude lakes in the United States, at an elevation of 6,772 feet above sea level. The lake is up to 15 miles long, 7 miles wide and 438 feet deep. The water of the lake averages below 60 degrees, even during the summer. That is a little too cold for me!
Jenny Lake is a must see and a major focal point in The Grand Teton National Park. Unfortunately, we had cloudy skies and lots of wind, we were unable to get the perfect photograph. The lake is estimated to be 423 feet deep and encompasses 1,191 acres.
Schwabacher’s Landing is a spot on the Snake River. The reflection of the Teton Mountains in the still water of the Snake River is majestic! This is considered a prime spot for photos.
The clouds are gathering, but The Tetons are still visible!
Arriving early, the sun turned into cloudy skies which gave us this beautiful scene. The abundance of fresh water from the Snake River and the flat land grasses makes this a perfect spot for wildlife viewing!
A once vibrant community of Mormons clustered their farms here near the turn of the 19th century.
Thirty three homesteads were built surrounding a church and school.
Structures from six homesteads remain. The area is also known as Antelope Flats, situated between the towns of Moose and Kelly. It is a popular destination for tourists and photographers on account of the historic buildings, the herds of bison, and the spectacular Teton Range rising in the background.
Antelope Flats is a 640 acre stretch of land established to preserve critical habitats and migration routes for a variety of species including the pronghorn antelope. We saw quite a few in the distance, but this buck came very close to the gravel road we were traveling. It is hard to get a photo when they are running. They just happen to be the fastest North American mammal reaching speeds of 60 miles per hour!
A different view at Schwabacher’s Landing!
Bison are very easy to spot in the park!
The aspen trees were at peak color!
The Grand Teton earns it name by being the tallest at 13,770 feet!
This is my Renaissance Man’s favorite kind of vacation, enjoying God’s glorious creation, observing wildlife, and just being out in nature. Be sure to come back next Thursday as we will take you to Yellowstone.
Thank you for reading and taking time to comment. You make my day!
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Pam, it looks like you had a most wonderful trip! Your photographs are gorgeous! You make me want to take Mr. Bleu there. We have been to the Dakotas and a little slice of Wyoming, but I would love to go to Jackson. Thanks so much for sharing your trip. Enjoy your day, sweet friend!
Thank you Shannon. If you have the opportunity, be sure to see the Tetons. Have a wonderful day sweet friend!
What a wonderful trip and photos, Pam! I want to go back! Your choice time for visiting couldn’t have been better! I gotta say, I would’ve been just a tad starstruck seeing Reba – did you approach her? These photos are fabulous. Thanks for sharing your trip and background info. It’s a treat.
Thank you so much Rita. The restaurant is very small and Reba walked right by our table to be seated. I whispered to Butch and told him. She had three other people with her. When we walked out, I went to the concierge desk and we were about to walk upstairs when she almost bumped into me. She said I am so sorry, excuse me and she went into the restroom. I started to walk in there and decided to leave her alone. The day we checked out, I asked the nice man at the desk about it. He said she ate with them every time she was in town and that she owns a house there. He said a lot of celebrities have homes in Jackson. We have seen Reba in concert at least five times. I loved telling all my family and friends about seeing her. She was very pretty in person.
Butch and Pam, when we got married we considered the Grand Tetons for our honeymoon but made a switch because it was February. Thank you for the reminder to put this on our bucket list!! Your photos are stunning! I’m so glad you had a great time there. 🙂
Pam, what glorious photos and thanks so much for the opportunity to travel with you this morning. The beauty of that part of our world is hard to put into words. So happy that you had a lovely trip and such a beautiful place to have time away from home.
Hope you are seeing cooler weather ~ have a lovely day, my friend!
I loved your photography! You did very well. Thank you for the beauty and I enjoyed learning the prime spots to see. The beauty is incredible.Glad you had a wonderful trip. That massage sounds great and I know you found some great food. How nice to see Reba and that was sweet of you to let her be normal.
Sorry, I missed your last post. I loved your table by the woods. We were in prime preparation for hurricane, Michael.The hurricane warning zone was 25 minutes away from us. I had my family here for fall break and a hurricane coming so I had much to do. We were very blessed to only have limbs down and leaves everywhere as the only damage. Wind only got up to 47 mph and only 3 inches of rain here. Some areas of Georgia got 11 inches of rain in a short amount of time. We were prepared since we haven’t forgotten the damage Opal did years ago.
We have many friends with homes on the Gulf coast so it was a stressful time. It is amazing how spoiled we are to electricity and we feared we would be without for a while but did not lose power at all. We are so grateful.
Hope hurricane Michael passes you and causes no damage. Jackson is where we spent a fourth of JULY quite a few years ago. They had a spectacular fireworks show. I also remember the food as delicious. Ate everything because we spent a lot of time walking and photographing the moose and views. We didn’t see Reba but there were several instances of TV semi stars viewings. Yellowstone was a disappointment on that trip as it was only 5 years after the fire that devastated the park and the burned area was hugh. Seeing your photos makes me want to go again. Beautiful!
Thank you dear Alice. We hit the aspens at peak and it was a beautiful trip!
Your pictures are wonderful. We were out there in the 90’s and loved it all. It’s truly majestic. We need to get back out there! I enjoyed seeing these pictures!
Your photos take my breath away, Pam! What a fabulous vacation, the beautiful scenery…including Reba! Looking forward to seeing Yellowstone.
Thank you so much Sue. Have a wonderful day!
Your photos are stunning! Thank you so much for sharing such a beautiful place…isn’t God awesome in giving us so much beauty to feed our souls!!
Thank you Raylene. God’s creation is amazing!
Enjoyed your pictures so much. Brought back so many fond memories of when we took my daddy and stepmom out there many years ago. Some of the prettiest country you can imagine. Thanks for sharing. Hope you have a wonderful day. God bless.
Thank you Bobbie. Wishing you a beautiful weekend!
Beautiful photos! We were here about a month ago and it was absolutely amazing!! National Parks are America’s treasures.
Love your photos and once again you’ve made me long to go to that area-it’s so close, only 6 hours away. I’m wondering if you found reasonable prices for your stay in Jackson-I know they can skyrocket due to all the tourists.
Have a great afternoon.
Hugs,
Noreen
Thank you Noreen. Prices were high as in lodging and food. As close as you are, I definitely encourage you to go. Springtime is supposed to be beautiful!
Fantastic landscapes!!! I do love this stunning virtual tour,thank you so much!Hugs,dear friends!
Thank you Maristella. Hugs~
Stunning photographs Pam! Your lodge sounds like a great place to be pampered. The colors and scenery are truly breath taking!
Jenna
Thank you Jenna!
Oh my, such a gorgeous array of color and beauty in these photos Pam! Truly a majestic picture that you were able to take at the bend! What a perfect time of year to be there with the aspens in full color too! We passed through the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone several years ago, but did not go through Jackson. I hope to go back someday to visit all of it again, and seeing these amazing pictures you shared makes me really want to go. Visiting you from Share Your Cup 🙂
It was the perfect time of year for a visit. Thanks so much for visiting. Blessings~
The nature is majestic, really humbles the soul to see God’s great masterpieces!
Who says pictures don’t do justice?? Your pictures are totally awesome, gorgeous! I felt I was standing there beside you, looking at the beautiful scenery! ❤️
Thank you my sweet, sweet friend!
What gorgeous captures of a gorgeous place! Jenny Lake is my favorite place of the Tetons!
How fun you got to see Reba! Exciting!!
Hugs to you!!
Thank you Nancy. Hugs to you???
Pam, you got some great photos! Hubby and I honeymooned in Jackson Hole and have a photo under that arch. 🙂 We love Yellowstone as well. My 4 sisters and I have already booked a get away to Jackson Hole and Yellowstone August of 2019. Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
What a fun trip with your sisters next August!
Fabulous photos…many of them look like landscape paintings. I know the two of you had a glorious time.
Thank you Karen, it was wonderful!
Pam, We love Jackson Hole and surrounding area…so beautiful and peaceful. We love rafting down the snake river and just enjoying the glorious Autumns that we have viewed in the past. It is the perfect time of the year to visit and Yellowstone is also amazing. I have never been disappointed in our visits. You captured it so beautifully. Did you get a chance to visit the restaurant The Gun Barrel? It is one of our favorites.
Kari, it was the perfect time to visit with the aspens in peak color. Yellowstone was awesome. We did not eat at the Gun Barrel, but our food was fabulous! Have a wonderfully blessed day!
Pam We love Jackson Hole We were there about 7 years ago and stayed at the Rustic Inn Beautiful place and took a lot of the same pictures you took. Loved the stories of the migration of the Elks Jenny Lake is so beautiful and the surrounding Grand Tetons is just so majestic. Truly Gods creations.. How exciting you got to see Reba. Love her music.
Thank you Norma. It is a beautiful area of our country and God’s creative Hand that always is amazing. Blessings~
Those mountains blow my mind! They are so humbling. Thank you for sharing these beautiful pictures xx Maria
What a beautiful spot. I lived in Washington state for a few years but never got into Wyoming. I’d love to go back one day.
What a gorgeous spot Pam. You got some nice fall color for this time of year! Thanks for sharing at Home Sweet Home!
Thank you Sherry, it was a wonderful trip!
I loved your beautiful pictures! We went there last year on Sept 30…. and it snowed a few of the days we were there! That didn’t keep us from hiking though!
Thank you Angelina. It is truly a beautiful place!
Oh my goodness; what wonderful views! My husband went skiing in Jackson Hole and it’s a place we’ve always wanted to get to together. It really looks beautiful.
It is beautiful, thanks so much!