An Adventure to Big Sky, Montana and through Yellowstone, Wyoming

August 16, 2016

Overall Mission: Two cousins heading to Seattle from Ohio by car, stopping at many National Parks along the way.

Miles Driven: 300 miles
Hours Driven: 9 hours
Goal of the Day: See as much of Yellowstone National Park as possible, while making our way to Big Sky, Montana, then Jackson, Wyoming.
Journey: We drove from Lake Yellowstone Hotel, toured through part of Yellowstone, exited through the West Entrance to Big Sky, Montana, re-entered Yellowstone through the West Entrance and continued to tour the park, exited through the South Entrance to Grand Teton National Park, ending the night in Jackson, Wyoming.

Day 4: From Yellowstone National Park to Big Sky, Montana, back to Yellowstone to Jackson, Wyoming

Animals Spotted: Buffalo, three hawks, three trumpeter swans, elk, magpies, mountain goats, a bald eagle, herons, ravens, and horses.

Lines from Songs Applicable to the Day: What songs are these? Check them out!

• The long and winding road…
• The mountains and the canyons started to tremble and shake…

Pondering of the Day: How many trees are in Wyoming and Montana?

Learning of the Day: We have had impeccable timing and luck on this trip. Scoring last rooms, finding great deals, and seeing timed sights at just the right moment. As our hotel friend suggested yesterday, maybe this is karma after all. We’ll allow it!

Notable Sightings:

• Several forest fires within Yellowstone and surrounding forests. We learned that fires are not automatically distinguished because fire is a part of the ecosystem and plays a role in creating vegetation patterns. Fires are allowed to continue with careful monitoring, unless massive damage is suspected, and then they will be contained.

The Beauty of Montana:

• The drive from Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming to Big Sky, Montana, was astonishingly beautiful. The mountains are humongous, and around every corner, there was an entirely new and astoundingly beautiful views of mountains, trees, and creeks.

Beautiful Montana

The Road to Big Sky, Montana

The Road to Big Sky, Montana

• We did not see the Lone Peak (or what we called the Big Sky mountain) until we came around the last corner into the community of Big Sky. The mountain stands alone in its physical description, in that the peak is brown and rocky versus the other mountains that are tree covered.

Big Sky, Montana

Big Sky, Montana

• The Big Sky resort area is an incredibly attractive, modern-looking town with a mountain log cabin feel. We rode the ski lift up part of the mountain for a better view, conquering fears of heights along the way. We rode an additional ski lift to another elevation point for a quick drink at Everett’s 8800 (elevation 8,800 feet).

Big Sky, Montana

Ski Lift up the Mountain Overlooking Big Sky, Montana

Big Sky, Montana

• Big Sky is a definite repeat destination. Summers are packed with mountain bikers and sightseers, while winters are described as attracting skiers galore. I could easily relax for an extended weekend in this town, enjoying the views, restaurants, bars, and cool people that are attracted to the area. Friends, let’s go!

Nici and Todd at Everett’s 8800 in Big Sky, Montana

The Beauty of Wyoming:

• Yellowstone is a breathtaking national park, and driving through the scenery is almost surreal because the beauty is nearly beyond description. We were able to see creeks, rivers, rapids, and waterfalls … forests, mountains covered in pine-like trees, open fields, and green and yellow canyons … Long and winding roads.

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Buffalo in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

A Buffalo in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

A Swan in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

• We spotted hot springs randomly throughout the park, most notably Dragon’s Mouth, which was an angry-sounding tunnel of boiling hot water and spewing steam. It almost sounded like an artificial sound effect of a monster at an amusement park. Beryl Spring was just as angry and beautiful.

Hot Springs Near Dragon’s Mouth in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Dragon’s Mouth in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Dragon’s Mouth in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

• Old Faithful did not disappoint. Currently erupting every 80-90 minutes, we arrived just in the nick of time. Old Faithful spewed its mighty fountain of water for a few minutes for all of the spectators who had been patiently waiting.

Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

• We drove through Grand Teton National Park, eventually spotting the Teton Range, a huge black-looking, peaky mountain range, slightly covered in snow.

Teton Range, Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming

Teton Range, Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming

Teton Range, Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming

• We walked around Jackson, Wyoming, in the evening, an attractive town with wood-slatted walkways, stopping into two places for drinks and food:

1. Pinky G’s Pizzeria was alive with activity, great pizza, and happy people. We ordered pizza by the slice, which was delivered by a man from the kitchen, shouting out our names. Every time a pizza order was ready to be delivered, someone from the kitchen would shout out the customer’s name until that person could be found, no matter how many times the name was called. This place was so lively and the process was so entertaining, we stayed for an extra beer. The bartender loved his job and town, was friendly and cool, and wore a T-shirt appropriate to the place and to my life: Adventure, then Pizza.

2. The Million Dollar Cowboy Bar has live country music, horse saddle bar stools, and lots of dancing people. We accepted tequila shots from strangers without any fear of consequences (until we thought about it later; oops).

Million Dollar Cowboy Bar in Jackson, Wyoming