Before leaving this morning, here's a few photos of Murphy getting some outdoor time at our RV site...
I got to thinking about it, and the only time this furry boy has been around grass before is when we went to North Carolina, the Ozarks, and Taos last summer. We have turf at home, but that isn't the same... he didn't know what to think about this lush grass stuff.
Before leaving, we had a nice breakfast at the resort where we stayed. Then, onward. It is a beautiful drive as you head north from Afton...
The road runs along the Snake River much of the way...
And as you get further north, there is still snow at the tops of some of the mountains (above).
We stopped in Jackson for groceries and gas, then found a good parking spot at the public lot (just a block from the Main Square). Murph stayed in the van (in air conditioned comfort) while we walked around town. I didn't shoot any photos, but there will be a video of some of that shopping expedition at some point.
From there, we headed into the park and made our way to the Gros Ventre Campground, our home for the next two nights. Our site for tonight is short (we just barely fit in it). No hook-ups. We are ready for that. By positioning ourselves foreward into the site, we are able to be level without any blocks...
We weren't ready to settle in, so we drove on north to get a better look at the Tetons...
We stopped at Dornan's, just before the Moose Entry Gate, for lunch - it was packed! As busy as Jackson, earlier. There were huge lines waiting to get into the two eateries there... nope; we moved on. We didn't realize that today is a holiday until we pulled up to the Entrance Gate, and when I went to hand the Ranger my Geezer Card and ID, he said, "No pass necessary - everyone gets free entrance today for Juneteenth."
No wonder everything is packed. We decided to head towards Signal Mountain, where there are two more restaurants - and, it is about mid-way into the park; thinking that it might not be as crowded. Good deduction on our part: it was a half hour drive to get there, but the scenery is beautiful and we had no wait to get a table...
I decided to take the "outer loop" back to our site for the night - a bit longer, but there should be less traffic and the drive will top off our batteries (after having the a/c running while we were in the restaurant)... we have to go the next two nights without a plug-in. More views of the Tetons...
Somethings have changed since we worked here (2010 - 2011), but much of it is still the same. I have good memories of this beautiful place.
Back at our site, we turned off the a/c and turned on the roof vent fan. Not much to set up, since there are no utility hook-ups. Joan got things set up inside while I took Murphy out for a walk...
Unlike most RV parks, the camping sites in most National and State Parks are spacious. "Then, why don't you stay in these parks all the time?" Thanks for asking. Location and amenities. As we travel, most cities and towns have commercial campgrounds, so they are easy to come by. They also have amenities like: water, sewer, electricity, wifi, cable TV, and often have a swimming poor or a hot tub. That said, this time of year, the State and National Parks are generally booked out well in advance. I got these sites for the next 4 nights by booking them one at a time as a cancellation came up. It worked for this trip. That isn't always the case.
Plus, with the heat in Arizona, I was looking for someplace cooler. But, today in Jackson and Grand Teton National Park, the temps were upper 80s, pushing 90º. We know it will cool off fast once the sun goes down. We spent plenty of time here in the Tetons, having first come here in 1973... and frequently after that, well before we worked here.
Speaking of working here, I'm hoping it will work out that we'll get to the Colter Bay area, where we worked. We'll see how things play out.
And now to start working on that "shopping in Jackson" video.
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Here's the video...
Mostly about shopping for a sweatshirt - it's going to get downright cold here in a couple days! (Upper 80s today, into the 20s Sunday night)
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