Part 2 of Alicia & I’s grand adventure took us to Grand Teton National Park. We saw a lot of sites in two weeks, but this stop was by far my favorite. I love the mountains, and those gray, rising peaks rejuvenated me. The amount of people was also less condensed and the lack of crowds added to these rocky giant’s majesty.

The first chance we had to stretch our legs (it was a long car ride) was a hike to Taggart Lake. Almost emerald in color, the lake was a peaceful stop to take in the scenery.

In the afternoon we stopped at Jenny Lake (Below). We spent another night camping at Colter Bay Campground.

Tip: Most of the campgrounds in the park don’t take reservations and are first come first serve. Get to the park early in the morning and get your site first thing. I loved this campground and would choose it again. 

I remember my internal struggle as I decided whether waking up to see the sunrise was worth giving up the extra sleep. Yes. The answer was yes. I’m so glad I talked myself out of my sleeping bag and into the car to view the sunrise over Jackson Lake. After the Grand Tetons we headed to Yellowstone National Park. The size alone of this park is unbelievable. In addition there are so many variations in landscape, and then there’s the wildlife— which was a joy to see unless they were stopping traffic. Ahem—Bison!Below: Old FaithfulBelow: The Grand PrismaticIn Yellowstone we camped at Grant Village Campground. This campground did take reservations and we were able to book in advance.

Up next Part 3…