Time Event Range Remaining 9:04 am Departed Jackson 240 9:29 am Arrive Grand Teton Moose Visitors Center 225 Range/Distance ratio: 1.15 Conditions: Mountain roads, traffic After packing up and departing the hotel, we drove north to enter Grand Teton National Park. The park entrance and the Visitors Center at Moose was crowded, but we managed to park and obtain Junior Ranger activity books for the children. We stayed to hear a Ranger talk at this Visitors Center too. Jackson Hole is named for the valley here that seems like a hole ringed with mountain ranges all around. Early male European settlers baned these mountain peaks the "Grand Tetons" after the French word.

Grand Tetons

After we left the Visitors Center we took a sightseeing drive on the way to Jenny Lake. We couldn't find parking at the south end where the boat picks up because of construction, so we decided to drive to the north side of the lake.

Cathedral Group

After we had a great lunch at the Jenny Lake Lodge, we hiked from here around the north side to the west. After crossing the river that feeds Jenny Lake from String Lake, we hiked to the northern edge of Jenny Lake to enter lush green forests before we hiked into Cascade Canyon to the west. It was around Jenny Lake I tripped on some rocks and scraped up my knees badly enough to bleed, but we carried on. We ultimately took in views of Hidden Falls and from Inspiration Point before heading back.

As we returned to the Lodge where the car was parked, the children were exhausted. Nonetheless this hike was the most beautiful hike of the entire trip, prompting us to decide we definitely want to come back specifically to Grand Teton National Park for a longer stay.

After leaving Jenny Lake Lodge we drove north on Teton Park Road to the Colter Bay Visitors Center so that the children could complete their Junior Ranger badges. Then we drove out the north entrance and through the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway.

Time Event Range Remaining 5:48 pm Exit Grand Teton National Park 160 6:52 pm Arrived Old Faithful 118 Range/Distance ratio: 1 We then entered Yellowstone via the South Entrance, and I planned an extra treat to stop by Old Faithful on our way to our hotel. When we arrived we discovered we were extra lucky in that Old Faithful was set to erupt only 12 minutes after we parked.

I haven't seen Old Faithful since I was eleven, and this was my childrens' first time viewing it. What a sight!

After the geyser faded, we ate dinner at the Old Faithful Lodge. Then we took a peek at the Visitors Center and the Inn before continuing northwest.

Time Event Range Remaining 8:02 pm Departed Old Faithful 117 8:54 pm Arrived Holiday Inn, West Yellowstone 95 Range/Distance ratio: 0.688 Conditions: Traffic A lot of people were in Yellowstone, even at this hour on a Sunday. Just getting out the west entrance had traffic too.

The west border of Yellowstone is actually in Montana, and just outside that border we stayed at a Holiday Inn in West Yellowstone, which is a member of the Tesla Destination Network.

After we checked in and I plugged in the car, we showered and settled in for the night.

Cost to Charge: $0