7.16.2019

A look into my Summer road trip continues today with a recap of Wyoming. We planned this entire vacation to center around Wyoming, so I was extremely excited as we drove closer and closer. Every mile we traveled seemed more breathtaking than the last, and when we finally crossed over the state line I was blown away by its pure beauty.

I read somewhere this weekend that you haven't seen true beauty until you've visited Wyoming and I absolutely agree! There are so many bodies of water, and the sky is as blue as blue can be. The air is fresh and crisp, the trees and mountainsides a vibrant green. I'm a beach lover to the core, but the beauty of Wyoming is on a different level altogether. I think I almost could trade the ocean for all it has to offer.

We stayed at a spacious property owned by our friend's previous boss in Etna, Wyoming. It's a sleepy little town with spectacular views of the mountains, and it's located just a couple hours outside of Jackson and Yellowstone National Park.



Yellowstone National Park:

Yellowstone was a huge reason we wanted to go to Wyoming. It's a vast 3,500 square mile wilderness that takes hours to complete if you want to see everything. We managed to do quite a bit in about 8 hours, but I think we'd need one more day to hit each stop. It was beautiful weather, and aside from the thunderstorm that moved in as we were leaving the park, it was perfect for walking around. I wore jeans, my favorite new t-shirt, a utility jacket I layered around my waist, and tennis shoes. 

The drive in has gorgeous views of the rivers and Yellowstone lake. We got out of the car when we wanted to take a closer look. It's definitely not a drive to be rushed! A lot of these photos I took as Nate drove, I just hung my camera out of the window. We saw bison, antelope, and our friends even spotted a grisly bear! Don't worry, they were extra cautious and they did just fine...but don't go too close to the wildlife! It was really cool to see these animals in person though. 

One of my favorite things to see was the "Grand Canyon" of Yellowstone. It's really something, with the canyon opening up to reveal a massive waterfall and river below. I felt SO small.

You see the bison grazing just outside our car's window?! 

Old Faithful Geyser:

Our friends had been to Yellowstone twice before, but they had never made it to Old Faithful so that was high on our priority list. It's a cone geyser that erupts every 44 to 125 minutes. On the day we went, it erupted about every 90 minutes. We walked through the site, spotting beautiful teal colored hot springs along the way. And like clockwork, we were able to see Old Faithful erupt! There was a giant crowd that formed in a circle around the geyser, and I swear there were moments where you could hear a pin drop. We all waited with baited breath...My friend's twin boys were getting impatient, and we kind of were too, but I'm glad we stayed to watch mother nature perform her show!




Jackson Hole:

We didn't have much time to explore Jackson Hole after our long day at Yellowstone, but I loved it from what I saw! I wanted to shop the local boutiques because their merchandise looked so cute in the windows, but alas we got some pizza and called it a night! However, Jackson Hole is a great place to stay in if you want to fly into southern Wyoming. It's very popular with world-class skiers and celebrities (from what I was told by a local). 



Etna Wyoming:

We spent the 4th of July doing something very American - sitting by a pristine lake and fishing. It was my first attempt at fishing and I actually caught one! Unfortunately, it didn't quite make it to shore but I would have thrown it back anyway. This particular lake was about 30 miles from the property we stayed on, and it was so neat seeing how locals live. It's a beautiful place, that's for sure.


It was really hard to leave Wyoming, but I hope we can go back someday! It really is magical, especially if you love nature like I do. I would highly recommend adding it to your travel list!

5 comments:

  1. Wow! These views are absolutely stunning! I've never been to Wyoming, but would love to go one day!

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    1. Aren't they?! I can't take any credit, I just used my iphone and didn't even need to edit the photos. I hope you do go one day!

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  2. I cannot get over these photos!! What an incredible trip! The waterfall in Yellowstone is just...spectacular! You know, I've been to most of these places as a child (even attempted to ski in Jackson Hole!! What a disaster) but I can tell you I did NOT appreciate their beauty and would love to go back with my fam. Thanks for the detailed recap and gorgeous photos!

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  3. These photos are amazing! I've never thought about putting Wyoming on my travel list but now I am!

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  4. You really did get some beautiful shots. Yellowstone is one of the most amazing places I've ever been. I went in May of 2017 and there was still SO MUCH SNOW on the ground! It was kind of crazy to see. I'd love to go back in the fall sometime and spend like a week there.

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