Road Trip! (Day 2)

Today's drive was from Denver to Jackson, Wyoming.  It was a long day of driving, but not one I am willing to complain about.  Upon leaving Denver, I drove straight to the Wyoming state line, where I stopped at the first rest stop to get a map.  Yes, I had an atlas, and a cell phone, but I'm old school, people.  I like maps.  =)  At the rest stop, I took it as a sign that I got this sticker for free along with my map.

I took a look at the map, and decided to take a longer, scenic route into Jackson that gave me my first glimpses of the Grand Tetons.  More than anything, what I remember about this day is the disbelief I had that people actually LIVED in these places that were so beautiful and scenic.  I took my time, and enjoyed the longer days as I moved North, and stopped at EVERY single scenic outlook.  I am not joking.  Every one.

Once I was in Grand Teton National Park, I came across my first herd of bison.  I must admit, I thought they were beautiful and majestic.  I was so excited to see my first wildlife, and could hardly wait to see more.

As the sun was setting, I did not get great shots of the mountains, but I'll never forget my first glimpse of them.  Here are a few of my favorites.

I arrived in Jackson around 8, and with a dinner/brewery recommendation in pocket, quickly checked into my hotel and headed off to Snake River Brewery.  (Snake River is pictured in all three above shots.) I enjoyed a burger and a wonderful beer or two here, and then headed to my home base around 10.

At this point, I was exhausted, but I took a few minutes to get my pack ready for the next day.  Up to this point I had done mostly driving and a little stopping, but I knew I was planning on my first day of hiking in Grand Teton!