Mormon Town: Salt Lake City.

Anyone who knows the Alpaca knows that he loves his Mormons. He was, therefore, particularly excited to go to Salt Lake City and visit the famed Temple Square (http://www.visittemplesquare.com/), where you can find, among other things, the ornate Mormon Temple (http://www.utah.com/mormon/salt_lake_temple.htm), massive Mormon headquarters (http://www.lds.org/placestovisit/location/0,10634,1866-1-1-1,00.html), the Museum of Mormonism where Mormons can check their family history and map out their lineage (http://www.familysearch.org/), the Mormon Tabernacle (home of the famous Tabernacle Choir, http://www.utah.com/mormon/tabernacle.htm).

Jackson Hole: Also Lovely During Summer!

In desperate need of gas after driving through Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons, we were thrilled to reach Jackson Hole (http://www.jacksonhole.com/) several miles outside of Grand Teton National Park. The locations of the ski runs were plainly visible even during summer and without an inch of snow – and the little village at the bottom of the hill that is Jackson Hole was just adorable. We also enjoyed ogling the monstrous cabins on the outskirts of Jackson Hole.

Alpaca Teems at the Towering Tetons.

The famed Grand Tetons (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Teton) to the south of Yellowstone feature beautiful vistas, reflections off the lake and hints of glaciers which were once much larger. As we drove through the one-lane highway, we managed to snap a number of pictures, one more beautiful than the last.

Yellowstone, Part VI: Lake Country

Finally, we enjoyed a very scenic drive through Lake Country (http://www.utahtravelcenter.com/nationalparks/yellowstone/lakecountry.htm), and particularly enjoyed the drive along a very large Yellowstone Lake (http://people.uwec.edu/ERICKSKM/yellowstone.html), and eventually, exit out of Yellowstone and into the adjacent Grand Teton National Park.

Yellowstone, Part V: Roosevelt Country

After lunch, we drove through Roosevelt Country (http://www.americanparknetwork.com/parkinfo/ye/sights/index.html), named for the former President and known for its vast wildlife. It certainly did not disappoint. We saw deer, elk, buffalo and even a bear!

Yellowstone, Part IV: Mammoth Country

Heading north from the Lower and Upper Geyser Basin (http://www.nps.gov/archive/yell/tours/oldfaithful/index.htm), we drove through the section of Yellowstone called Mammoth Country (http://russell.visitmt.com/categories/moreinfo.asp?IDRRecordID=9645&siteid=10). Mammoth Springs was also spectacular, although it was much more impressive on the postcard depicting it. We stopped for lunch at the Mammoth Dining Room (http://www.travelyellowstone.com/mammoth-hotel-dining-room-terrace-grill-175.html), where we enjoyed some delicious (albeit overpriced) sandwiches and salads.

Yellowstone, Part III: Lower Geyser Basin

We next headed to the Lower Geyser Basin (http://www.yellowstonenationalpark.com/lowergeyser.htm), which was quite a sight to see – the color of the water was amazing, and you could really feel the heat emanating from the water at the larger spring.

Yellowstone, Part II: Old Faithful

First, we visited Old Faithful Geyser (http://www.nps.gov/archive/yell/oldfaithfulcam.htm), since it was less than 30 feet from our cabin. As luck would have it, it went off less than two minutes after we walked over for breakfast. We managed to get in plenty of pictures before the camera battery died (oops, forgot to recharge it), then we rushed back to the room to leave the camera on the charger in preparation for the pictures we intended to take the remainder of the day.

Jimminy Cricket, Yellowstone Is the Most Amazing Place on Earth!

Seriously, Yellowstone is gorgeous (http://www.nps.gov/yell/). Probably among the top five most beautiful place I have visited. And I’ve been all over Europe and the Caribbean, through the South Pacific and to Central and South America, so that’s really saying something. Thank goodness Teddy Roosevelt set aside this parcel of land for a national park so we could all enjoy it (http://www.yellowstone-natl-park.com/arch.htm).

Yellowstone is divided into “countries” with are so divided based on their shared characteristics (http://home.nps.gov/applications/hafe/hfc/carto-detail.cfm?Alpha=YELL#). We stayed in a cabin in Geyser Country (see below), so we started there.

We Stayed in a Cabin Without a Bathroom!

For someone who’s idea of camping is staying at a Holiday Inn, I was feeling both optimistic and adventurous. But alas, we booked a little too late and the only cabins in Yellowstone that were available for the very popular 4th of July weekend were two cabins without bathrooms (http://www.travelyellowstone.com/old-faithful-lodge-cabins-97.html). The cabins did have sinks, so at least we didn’t have to leave to brush our teeth. That said, next time I would book on the day the cabins become available so I can be assured a private bathroom.

Oh Beautiful For Spacious Skies, Indeed!

Lovely drive.

And driving through Wyoming at sunset is a sight I won’t soon forget.

Alpaca Takes a Heavenly Drive to Devil’s Tower.

Driving toward Yellowstone National Park, Alpaca opted for a frolic and detour to see Devil’s Tower (http://www.nps.gov/deto/), a big rock protruding out of the otherwise flat (or at best, rolling) landscape. What a sight! For miles and miles and miles, the landscape is fairly consistent… then, seemingly out of nowhere, the protrusion rumored by Native Americans who once lived in the area (before we beat them up and stole their country) to be the result of a giant bear clawing at a rock, appears.