Rocking in the Rockies: Day 11 Grand Tetons & Idaho

[CrispyA]

Friday 5 August - Grand Tetons and Idaho

We planned another early start to try and maximise wildlife viewings. We knew we weren't going to make it for dawn but we thought we might still have some luck, and enjoy the sights without all the crowds.

It was a chilly night in the cabins and we were glad of the snuggly blankets on the beds. It didn't take us long to be up and out and we headed off for Oxbow Bend as there was supposed to be a good chance of seeing moose there.

We hadn't been driving long when we saw the telltale sign of cars parked up and quickly pulled over. We were just in time to see these elk as they headed back into the trees.

We felt very lucky to have caught them as they were gone in minutes. Hopes were therefore high as we continued to Oxbow Bend, Paul and me recalling the main thing we remembered from geography at school - how an oxbow lake is formed!

Alas, we were not to be lucky at the Bend. Here we are, seeing no moose

We waiting a little while but then decided that the moose were not going to appear and so we headed off, a little downhearted (well, I was anyway).

It was a lovely drive alongside the Snake River, and we saw bison and pronghorns along the way. We had decided to stop at Dornan's Chuckwagon for breakfast, as it was highly recommended it the guidebooks. Our expectations were high but alas the meal disappointed. It was very expensive, they had forgotten to switch the coffee machine on, so we had to get that from another stall (so no top ups) and the breakfast was quite meagre and served on cold plastic plates. Also, you eat outside, which was a challenge at that time of day as the sun hadn't yet warmed everything. All in all, it was a great disappointment

Glad to back in the warmth of the car, we continued on through Moose Junction and back up into the park. We were planning a walk around Bradley and Taggart Lake and fortunately, the parking lot wasn't too busy when we got there. There were people gathering for a ranger-led walk as well, so we had got there just in time. We got our shoes on and got ready to go, determined to head off before the ranger-led walk departed as we didn't want to get stuck behind them.

We did take the time to photograph this little fellow though. Is it a gopher? Very cute, anyway!

Not far along the trail, we turned a corner and saw this gorgeous baby mule deer.

And Mamma mule deer wasn't far away.

It was a gorgeous winding trail through the trees, with great views of the mountains. We spotted a garter snake (well, we had it pointed out to us by fellow walkers) and saw quite a few squirrels along the way as well. The scenery was gorgeous - great views from the tops and down at the lake.

I was still hopeful of seeing moose and did keep thinking I might have spotted something but they generally turned out to be logs or rocks.

It was quite busy around Taggart Lake as that is the accessible from the car park on a short trail. It is very lovely but we decided to add on the loop along Beaver Creek as we weren't quite ready to go back yet. There was slight dismay from the kids but that turned out to be the best part of the walk and we were all really glad to have done it. It was lovely and quiet and so relaxing.

We were all a bit sad to be leaving the Tetons after this - we had really enjoyed our time there. We stopped off at the visitor centre on the way out, spotting this moose statue outside.

We drove out on the Moose-Wilson road which is unpaved in parts and quite winding, before picking up the main interstate and heading out, over the Teton Pass to Idaho.

We had picked Idaho for an overnight stop as it was recommended on another forum as being good value. The National Parks accommodation is expensive so we decided to tick off another state for the sake of a short drive.

We were staying Driggs in Idaho and it turned out to be a charming little town. There was a great supermarket, Broulims, where Evan managed to knock over the sushi signs by some frankly appalling trolley manoeuvering but they were very nice about it! We bought some sandwiches and ate them in the town square, where there was a lovely stage which had been built as a tribute to townspeople who had died. There was a notice explaining this and saying that it was a place to enjoy live acts and remember those who had passed away and it felt like a lovely gesture from the town.

We called into Family Dollar, where I bought some measuring cups. This may not excite many of you but I was really pleased. I use a few american recipes and having the cups makes it much easier to follow the measurements.

We were staying in the Teton Valley cabins which were very nice, if a tad on the cosy side. The TV wasn't working and the water pressure in the shower made it somewhat akin to trying to wash yourself by having someone flick water at you from a toothbrush. We reported this to the young girl at the desk but her mother was out so we didn't hold much hope of getting it sorted out.

The hot tub was nice though and it was in a lovely setting. The water pressure problem resolved later and turned out to have been caused by all the sprinklers being on. And the owner later showed up and fixed the TV, so it was all good.

We had a lovely Mexican meal at a restaurant called Agave. The food was really good and we were finding a new love for Chile Rellenos. Mmm! On the way back, we spotted a softball game and stopped to watch the last few innings. It was the Driggs team against some local rivals (we think!) and although we had no real idea who was who, it was nice to sit in on a real small town American experience. It was all taken quite seriously, with some mutterings going on between team mates, but fortunately no fighting!

We finished the evening with a drink on the porch of our cabin and trying an Idaho Spud - the chocolate bar of the Potato State. It was a bit weird and we wouldn't buy one again, but hey, at least we've tried it.

[Melbatb]

Another fantastic day! Great that you saw some wildlife too!

[jheaton]

You packed a lot into your last Tetons day-looks lovely.Well done spotting the elk-we only ever saw them in ones or twos

Not managed Idaho on our list of states yet-the chocolate bar looks interesting-is it shaped like a potato?

I recognise your moose

[CrispyA]

That is a familiar looking moose!

Idaho was nice and we'd visit again. The spud was indeed potato shaped and contained a weird sort of chocolate marshmallow in a chocolate and coconut casing. I'd prefer a Reese anyday!

[WileyCoyote]

I was getting elk withdrawal symptoms, phew, glad they made an appearance today.
Stunning scenery and wildlife pics again, all so beautiful.
Lol at the non existent shower, glad it got sorted .
How lovely to just " be local" and take in the game, so nice to take in the atmosphere.
Got to have that Idaho potato thing. Sounds frankly bleurgh !