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Day 8 – Idaho 2025 // Grand Teton National Park, Shoshone Falls

Isaac Church — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 03:30:00 +0000

Today, we finished up the Tetons and then headed west into Idaho. We did more moose watching, rode a gondola to the top of the Tetons, ate some sky-high waffles, and then saw an incredible sunset on the Snake River.

Schwabacher Landing

As usual, we started our day long before sunrise, and headed into Grand Teton National Park to look for wildlife.

Sunrise - Grand Teton National Park

Elk - Grand Teton National Park

Once again, we had no luck on Moose Wilson Road, so we rejoined US-89 and headed to Schwabacher Landing to check for moose at this popular Snake River overlook. No ungulates in sight, but we did catch the sunrise there – one of best I’ve ever seen, despite a large crowd at the trailhead.

Schwabacher Landing - Grand Teton National Park

Double Moose

In the shadow of Blacktail Butte, right off the main highway, we saw a bull and cow moose together, eating in the sagebrush. This was not the same pair we saw at Antelope Flats yesterday; you can see the antlers are significantly larger on this bull. I don’t believe it’s the bull we saw by the river, either. Many cars were driving right by the pair, because it was difficult to see them in the dim lighting where they were standing. We managed to get a few decent pictures, and then headed on to check the river area for others.

Moose - Grand Teton National Park

Single Moose

Driving over to the Gros Ventre River area again, we hoped to see another moose by the water. At one overlook, we ran into a clearly [semi-]professional photographer walking back to his car. I asked him if he had seen anything, and he replied that there was a very large cow moose that had headed upstream on the opposite side of the river, but we could probably walk 4-5 minutes and catch up with her.

Of course, Dad and I jumped on the opportunity to see another moose, so we started heading downstream, looking across the water for any signs of her. A few minutes later, I heard a loud twig snap, and thought something might be nearby. Dad said, “I think I see something moving behind that bush.” Still peering over to the other side of the river, I decided to investigate. I rounded the bush, and was greeted with the hindquarters of an extremely large cow moose, not but a couple feet in front of me. I came running out from behind the bush, saying, “Way too close! Way too close!”. We backed a safe distance away, and found a better vantage point. The moose stared us down for what seemed like forever, but then apparently decided we weren’t a threat and went right back to eating her way through the foliage.

Cow Moose - Grand Teton National Park

Soon, she was on the move again, and we tracked her down the river. Then suddenly…she vanished. It’s amazing how a creature that big can disappear behind a tree or in a field of sagebrush. It took us a minute to spot her again; she had bedded down in some grass. She was nearing 7 feet tall at the shoulder, and all you could see was her head above the grass. Her breath steamed and glistened around her in the frigid morning air.

Cow Moose - Grand Teton National Park

Persephone Westbank

More than satisfied with our moose-seeking success, we drove back to Wilson to Persephone Westbank, a bakery we have visited during all of our trips to Jackson Hole. If your memory is decent, you’ll remember we went to the downtown Jackson location yesterday. For breakfast, we ordered a piece of pumpkin bread (it was so good we went back to the counter and waited in line for a second piece), two cortados, and two ham and cheese croissant sandwiches (with Dijon mustard aioli). We also grabbed a few more pastries to go. All was excellent, and we will keep coming back when we’re in the area.

Persephone Westbank

Wilson, Wy

A very good bakery with a good variety, and more to eat than just pastries. We have been multiple times, and will continue to visit on future trips.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Jackson Hole Aerial Tram

On somewhat of a whim, Dad and I decided to ride the Jackson Hole Aerial Tram to the top of the Tetons. The idea sparked because we were looking at the top activities in Jackson Hole, trying to find something we hadn’t done before to cap off our time there. Both my guidebooks and every website said the Tram was one of the best things to do, so we decided to give it a shot.

During ski season, the Tram serves as a lift for skiers looking to take on the highest and most challenging runs at the famous Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, but in the off season, it’s a popular sightseeing excursion. We rode the tram up to the top of the mountains, beholding spectacular views in every direction.

Jackson Hole Aerial Tram

Rendezvous Mountain Trail

Jackson Hole Aerial Tram

Rendezvous Mountain Trail

We braved the Grand Teton Skywalk (see the metal overlook pictured down below), and walked around to the other viewing platforms, learning more about the history of the tram and the ski resort.

Hot Air Balloon - Jackson Hole

Jackson Hole Aerial Tram

Rendezvous Mountain Trail

After reviewing our options, we selected a trail route to hike, mostly on the Rendezvous Mountain Trail. We took it slowly, since we were at such a high altitude (many people around us were gasping for breath), and enjoyed the views towards the west side of the Tetons, something you can’t see from anywhere down in the Jackson Hole Valley. We even saw a handful of paragliders sailing down the mountain and into the valley below. The hike really gave us a good perspective of the enormity of the Teton Range and the “hole”.

Rendezvous Mountain Trail

Paraglider

Rendezvous Mountain Trail

Top of the World Waffles

Done with our hike, and now back near the tram station, we visited the other big attraction (other than the views): Corbet’s Cabin. This establishment is named after Corbet’s Couloir (pronounced coo-laar), widely considered one of the most challenging and dangerous ski runs in the lower 48 states. I’ll post a video from the resort below showing some of the drops.

Corbet’s Cabin serves made-to-order waffles, and they really crank them out. The line was long, but moved very quickly. I was in line next to a family from Romania, and we became temporary friends. They had actually visited the Blue Ridge Parkway in Blowing Rock before, and also loved looking for moose and grizzlies in Yellowstone and the Beartooths. Dad and I ordered Corbet’s signature (brown sugar and butter), and “The Cobbler” (berry compote and whipped cream. We ate at a picnic table, sitting with some other App State fans and the Romanian family. The waffles were great, but made even better by the view and unexpected camaraderie.

Corbet's Cabin Top of the World Waffles

Corbet's Cabin

Jackson HOle, WY

The waffles are great, but it’s the overall experience that really makes this special. If you are in the area, the view and the waffles make riding the tram up the mountain worth it.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Descent and Drop-Off

Soon we made our way back down on the tram, enjoying views of the aspens on the way down. The tram operator told an interesting story… In the winters, they use explosives to cause controlled avalanches, preventing dangerous slides from happening. They occasionally toss these off the trams. One time, an explosive went off too close to the tram, and shattered all the windows from the shockwave of the blast. Not an encouraging story if you’re riding the tram, but it happened back in the “Wild West” days of skiing safety.

Jackson Hole Aerial Tram

Rendezvous Mountain Trail

Back down in the Jackson Hole village, we located a hotel that had a drop-off counter for the bear spray rentals we had picked up in Big Sky several days earlier. We also learned that because our Jeep was apparently a hybrid (with a very lousy battery life, might I add), we could park and charge in the EV spots, right up front. A handy thing to learn for the parking convenience, but it didn’t accomplish much in the way of gas mileage for the vehicle. I wouldn’t trust the battery to get us from one end of the parking lot to the other.

To the Teton Pass...and Beyond!

Leaving Jackson Hole, we drove back across the Teton Pass and eventually joined I-15, heading west across the bottom of Idaho. We followed the Snake River most of the way.

Teton Pass

Snake River

Idaho Falls

Soon we arrived in Idaho Falls, and decided to stop briefly to see the “falls”. Turns out, they dammed up the Snake River over the top of the falls, so there was no water flow during the dry season. Despite this disappointment, we enjoyed a blueberry muffin, ham and cheese croissant, and another sea salt chocolate chip walnut cookie from Persephone for our “lunch”.

Idaho Falls, ID

Blueberry Muffin in Idaho Falls

Persephone Westbank Pastries

Pocatello

Continuing down the interstate, we turned off in Pocatello to drive through the town. The NCAA I-AA football championship game used to be played here, so we were curious what the town was like. By the time App State played in our three national championships, the game had been moved to Chattanooga.

Pocatello, ID

ICCU Dome - Idaho State University

Idaho State University

After a drive through Idaho State University’s campus, we were back on the interstate again.

Twin Falls

Finally, we reached Twin Falls about 45 minutes before sunset, and checked into our rental home. For the final leg of the trip, Cody and Morgan McKinney will be joining us. If you’re a blog-reading regular around here, you probably remember them from our trips to West Virginia, Colonial VA, Texas, etc. I found this National Parks-themed rental house online, and we got a fantastic deal on it. It’ll be home base for the remainder of the trip.

Rental House - Twin Falls, ID

Cody and Morgan were driving up from the SLC airport, and we’d arranged to meet at a park to see the sunset, and then would grab some dinner afterwards. Dad and I unloaded some of our luggage and then started driving to the rendezvous point.

Shoshone Falls

Arriving just in time for the sunset, we met up with Cody and Morgan at Shoshone Falls Park. These falls were also slightly dry, but still an amazing sight to behold. Faith’s mother grew up in Twin Falls, and she had told us that we needed to make time to come by even if the water level was low; she was right.

Shoshone Falls

We saw an amazing sunset, hung around until it seemed to be getting dark, decided on a spot for dinner in Twin Falls, and left the park.

Shoshone Falls

Sunset and Dinner

Little did we realize, one of the strangest sunset phenomenons I’ve ever seen was about to happen. Even though it was well past sunset (at least according to my phone), and seemed to be getting dark, the sky was lit on fire as we were leaving the park. We didn’t turn around to go back to the falls, but I wish I’d been able to get a picture with my camera from down there. It was an incredible sunset. Almost everyone was pulling off the side of the road to take pictures. I couldn’t get to my camera, so here are a few phone pictures that don’t really do it justice.

Sunset - Twin Falls, ID

The Smokey Bone BBQ

In downtown Twin Falls, we went to 2nd South Market, a food hall with a variety of options. All of us opted for The Smokey Bone BBQ, mostly because it smelled good. It was indeed very good. Dad and I split a platter, as did the McKinneys. We got smoked turkey, pulled pork, and pulled chicken, with macaroni and cheese, bacon braised cabbage, and a yeast roll. It was definitely not a contender for being one of the top 10 barbecue meals I’ve ever had, but it was very good and filling, and reasonably priced.

After dinner, we drove back to the rental house and headed to bed. We were all fairly exhausted from being in cars and planes, so we decided to get a little later start in the morning.

Video

Here’s a video from today’s adventures.

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “the sunset at and around Shoshone Falls”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the pumpkin bread at Persephone“.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “a tie between Isaac running from the north end of a south-bound moose, and the views from the tram and the top of the Tetons”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the pumpkin bread at Persephone“.

Conclusion

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Tomorrow, we’ll head to an “other-worldly” National Monument in Idaho, possibly go see Sun Valley and the Sawtooths, and explore more of southern Idaho.

– Isaac & Jerry

The post Day 8 – Idaho 2025 // Grand Teton National Park, Shoshone Falls appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.

Day 6 – Idaho 2025 // Hayden Valley, Mesa Falls, Bechler Region, Jackson Hole

Isaac Church — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 03:30:22 +0000

Today, we were all over the place. I joked earlier on this trip that we were basically driving the wrong direction all the time, and today was no exception. But, that means we got to see a lot of new things. In short, I hope you like waterfalls, because today is loaded with them!

Hayden Valley Sunrise

Our day started with being uncomfortably close to a wolf. After loading up the car in the dark hours of the morning, I went into the Lake Lodge to drop off the room key and check us out. As I came back outside, I heard a wolf howl. It sounded like it was right on the other side of the Jeep. I’ve never gotten back in a car faster in my entire life! It might’ve been the same pack we saw from Lake Butte overlook; because we heard them in the distance the evening before too.

Early Start

Hayden Valley Sunrise

We drove north from the lake through the Hayden Valley, following the Yellowstone River. We’d hoped to do some wildlife watching, but it was far too foggy to see anything. It was a beautiful sunrise nonetheless, so we enjoyed seeing the frosted landscape. It was absolutely freezing outside, with a wind chill in the single digits, if not negative. After intermittently stopping at overlooks, we finally decided to brave the cold long enough to hike up an ice-covered hill near Trout Creek and Elk Antler Creek. The views were spectacular, although our hands and feet quickly went numb. We both enjoyed the peaceful silence of the morning, then rushed back to the warm car.

Hayden Valley Sunrise

We continued up the Hayden Valley, delayed briefly by a frost-covered bison ambling up the middle of the road.

Bison - Hayden Valley

Canyon

Soon we arrive at the turnoffs for the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Although we already hiked along the north rim earlier this trip, we decided to quickly drive down the south rim to Artist Point to catch one last glimpse of the Lower Falls. Our spontaneity was rewarded with a magnificent glowing view of the falls and the canyon, lit up in a way that was wowing even the clearly seasoned local photographers who were set up for their morning exposures.

Canyon Sunrise

Breakfast

Driving back down to the Lake Hotel, we attempted to get a spot for the breakfast buffet, but after hearing the wait times, we opted to get some solidly average breakfast sandwiches from the Hotel Deli instead. We finished up our breakfast and some coffee in the deli, observed the elk grazing by the front porch of the hotel, and then drove by the lakeshore in front of the hotel to get a view of its iconic white columns.

Lake Yellowstone Hotel Deli

Lake Yellowstone Hotel

On the Road Again

Back on the Grand Loop Road, we circled around the lower part of the “figure 8”, and headed north to Old Faithful, pulling into the Lower Geyser Basin just long enough to realize there weren’t going to be any significant eruptions soon. After a brief detour down Firehole Canyon Road to see the falls and the cascades, we turned west and exited the park via the Madison River Valley, headed towards West Yellowstone. If you’re keeping track, we’re still headed in the wrong direction.

Madison River Valley

WEst Yellowstone

Back in West Yellowstone, we filled up with gas, and started our journey to our next realm of adventure: Yellowstone’s “Cascade Corner”. We didn’t have a solid lunch plan, but we quickly found one on the way out of town when I shouted “turn in!” after seeing the sign for Ernie’s Bakery and Deli, which I recognized from one of my travel guidebooks.

Ernie’s has a great to-go lunch special, which gives you a generously portioned sandwich, an apple, a cookie, a bag of chips, and a bottled drink. We each got a bagged lunch, and after a brief wait, we were back on the road again.

Mesa Falls

At this point, you might be wondering to yourself, “Isaac, why is this trip titled ‘Idaho 2025’ if you haven’t even been in the state of Idaho by Day 6?”. Well, here’s your answer: besides the game being in Boise, we wanted to focus some time on the more remote Idaho side of Yellowstone.

Crossing the border into Idaho and driving through the Henry’s Lake area, we were amazed by how much development had occurred since we were last there. We eventually turned onto Mesa Falls Scenic Byway, and headed to see our first waterfall in this area. First, we stopped at Upper Mesa Falls. The river canyon takes an almost 90-degree turn at the base of the falls, making it a very unique drop.

Upper Mesa Falls

A short drive down the road and a couple missed turns later (it is very poorly labeled), we pulled into the Grandview Campground for a view of Lower Mesa Falls down below. I wish there was a better way to see this one up close, but the view from the canyon rim was magnificent.

Lower Mesa Falls

Bechler Region

The Bechler Region of Yellowstone National Park is rarely visited, mostly because it’s a real pain to access. It’s not connected to the Grand Loop Road; in fact, it’s barely connected to any main road. There’s a ~28 mile drive from the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway (which is already remote), and the trailheads are over 50 miles from the latest semi-major town. Oh, and most of that 28 mile drive is down a washboard gravel road – yay for Jeep suspension and off-road mode! We were glad to finally make it to this remote area of the park – it truly feels like we had a Yellowstone experience that most people don’t even know about.

Bechler Region

Picnic Lunch

Near Cave Falls (pictures later on) on the Fall River, there are a couple of picnic tables right by the edge of the lower falls, plus no more than two parking spaces for the floods of crowds who bother to come out this far. We enjoyed our sandwiches, and used my guidebook in combination with the park’s rudimentary trail map sign to plan our hike for the afternoon.

Lunch - Ernie's Bakery and Deli

Ernie's Bakery and Deli

West Yellowstone, MT

A great place to get tasty sandwich to take on your adventures.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Bechler River Trail

Our hike of choice was the Bechler River Trail. The trail will eventually take you all the way to Old Faithful, some 30+ miles away, but we decided we’d go as far as the second major waterfall on the river, Bechler Falls. The trail follows the western side of the Fall River, until the river meets its confluence with the Bechler River. The Bechler River (and its trail) fork northwest, and the Fall River goes northeast. By the way, the rivers are 10x wider than they look in the pictures.

Confluence of the Bechler and Fall Rivers

Bechler River Trail

Continuing upstream, we eventually climbed up a clear fall line – a sign that the next major waterfall was near.

Bechler River Trail

Bechler Falls

On our way back down the trail, some kind of very large bird jumped up out of the brush and made us jump out of our shoes – not once, but twice! The solitude was getting to us, I guess…I even got a high heart rate alert on my Apple Watch. Despite the “fowl intervention”, we arrived back at the trailhead safely. The hike was really quite easy for its length, and if we’d planned better, we could’ve continued at that pace and slope for quite some time.

Cave Falls

Back at the main trailhead and [tiny] parking area, we finally took some proper photos of the most easily accessible feature of this region, Cave Falls. The waterfall is over 250 feet wide, and while the main drop is “only” 20 feet tall, there are nearly a dozen drops in just a short section of river that make the totality of the falls much more impressive. It’s one of the more unique waterfalls I’ve seen out west, and definitely worth the miserable drive to see it.

Teton County, Teton Pass

Leaving the Bechler Region, we drove south through Teton County, ID through Tetonia, Driggs, and Victor. The landscape was much different, with rolling farmland, but we enjoyed the semi-smooth asphalt and the views of the western side of the Tetons in the distance.

Teton County, ID

Eventually, we crossed the Teton Pass back into Idaho, and descended the grinding slope down into Jackson Hole.

Teton Pass

Wildlife Watching

We checked into our rental, a small two-bedroom condo in the small town of Wilson, WY – just west of Jackson, nestled up against the eastern slope of the Teton range. Once we’d settled in, we decided to go out to look for wildlife and catch the sunset, waiting to eat until after dark.

First, we actually drove around the condo’s neighborhood, because I knew the development was known for having moose live nearby. Sure enough, after our first turn, we spotted a cow and calf moose eating in someone’s front yard.

Jackson Hole Moose Watching

We watched them for a while, and actually FaceTimed Mom so she could see them (Faith was occupied and couldn’t answer). We continued to drive around the neighborhood, and spotted a frisky red fox trotting down a gravel driveway.

Red Fox

Leaving our neighborhood, we drove to a few other spots to look for wildlife, but besides some bugling elk, didn’t see much of anything. The best scenery was down Fish Creek Road, which follows Fish Creek, winding behind some marshland right at the very foot of the mountains.

Jackson Hole, WY

Nora's Fish Creek Inn

Soon it was dark, and time to eat. We had a reservation at Nora’s Fish Creek Inn, a cozy local restaurant that we’ve been meaning to try since our first trip to the Tetons. We were famished after a long day of hiking and driving on bumpy roads, so we made the most of it.

For an appetizer, we split their pulled pork poutine (hand-cut fries covered in pork, gravy, cheese, poblano sauce, and caramelized onions). For our main courses, we split: Trout Almandine (Idaho rainbow trout, green beans, corn, brown butter almonds, capers, and scallions), and burrata ravioli (roasted corn cream sauce, spinach, and parmesan). For dessert, we split a cookie skillet (at the recommendation of our server), and their signature huckleberry pound cake (huckleberry pound cake, house-made huckleberry sauce, whipped cream, and huckleberry ice cream).

Nora's Fish Creek Inn

The whole meal was phenomenal from start to finish. The trout was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten; the ravioli was perfectly done; and the huckleberry pound cake was the perfect dessert – tart, sweet but not too sweet, and the perfect combo of hot and cold. We liked the meal so much we decided we’d come back again before we left Jackson Hole.

Nora's Fish Creek Inn

Wilson, WY

An amazing restaurant. Great food, casual, and fun service. We enjoyed the live blues and jazz in the evening.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Wrapping Up

Back at the condo, we were able to relax a little more than usual. This is the first place this trip where we get to stay more than one night, so there was no prep work for the next morning. We headed to bed, ready for another big day in Grand Teton National Park tomorrow.

Video

Here’s a video from today’s adventures.

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “sunrise glow at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstonel”.

The best thing I ate today was… “trout and huckleberry pound cake”.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “the confluence of the Bechler River and Fall River”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the poutine and trout”.

Conclusion

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We’ll spend the next couple of days in the Jackson Hole valley – and we hope to be at a little more relaxed pace. Also, get ready for some moose watching!

– Isaac & Jerry

Hayden Valley Sunrise

The post Day 6 – Idaho 2025 // Hayden Valley, Mesa Falls, Bechler Region, Jackson Hole appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.

Day 10 – Church Trip 2023 // Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park

Isaac Church — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 02:00:00 +0000

Today marked our final day in the Tetons. We spent the morning in the Jackson Hole Valley, and then traveled north to Yellowstone.

Morning Wildlife Watching

For the second straight morning, we rose before sunrise, packed the car, and left our Airbnb in Victor, ID. We drove across the Teton Pass, and turned onto Moose Wilson Road to look for wildlife.

Sunrise

Today was much more successful than yesterday. Almost immediately inside the entrance of the park, we saw a large bull elk up on the hillside above us. We followed him for a while as he moved parallel to the road, until he finally disappeared into the woods off to our left.

Bull elk

A couple hundred yards down the road, we heard another elk bugling, and finally caught a glimpse of him through the trees. This bull was enormous (dwarfing the last one we saw), but he was moving so fast in and out of the trees that I wasn’t able to get a picture. We followed him for almost a mile, before he finally turned off and headed east, away from the road.

By now, the sun had begun to rise, so our chances of seeing more wildlife close to the road decreased with every minute.

Sunrise

Further up the road, we saw a few pronghorn eating their breakfast in a field by the side of the road.

Pronghorn

Signal Mountain Lodge

Continuing north on Teton Park road, we stopped to eat breakfast at Signal Mountain Lodge. It was a good meal, reminiscent of a cafeteria/camp breakfast. Mom and Dad got pancakes, eggs, and bacon; Faith got a hot oatmeal bowl with fruit and bacon; and I got a yogurt parfait with a blueberry muffin and eggs on the side.

Breakfast - Signal Mountain Lodge

After breakfast, we stopped at Signal Mountain General Store on the other side of the parking lot to get some coffees for the road. Mom, Dad, and Faith got mochas, and I got a huckleberry mocha (a little weird, would not try it again). The coffee was okay – it tasted a little burnt.

Teton Park Road

We left Signal Mountain Lodge and backtracked on Teton Park Road, pausing to enjoy the views and clean up a spilled coffee along the way.

Teton Park Road

String Lake

Turning onto Jenny Lake Road, we stopped at String Lake. Dad and I took a quick stroll down to the water. I thought it was just as beautiful, if not more so, than Jenny Lake. It was definitely much more peaceful, and far less crowded. String Lake runs off into Jenny Lake, which forms the waterfall we saw yesterday on our boat tour.

String Lake

Jenny Lake

Continuing the one-way drive, we stopped at Jenny Lake Overlook to enjoy one of the park’s most famous views. Here, Jenny Lake is framed perfectly by trees on the sides, with the mountains as a snow-capped backdrop.

Jenny Lake

As we left the lake, we saw a large mule deer grazing by the side of the road. He didn’t seem to mind the people or cars at all.

Mule deer

Kayaking

Turning off of Jenny Lake Road back onto Teton Park Road, we drove the short distance to Jenny Lake Visitor Center. Faith and I rented a two-person kayak for an hour, and took it out onto the lake. Once we finally figured out how to steer effectively, we paddled almost all the way to the other side of the lake, until we decided we needed to turn around to get back to the east side dock before our time was up. The views were beautiful, and it was very peaceful out on the water.

Kayaking on Jenny Lake

Two things I’ll note about the kayaking: (1) I did not like having to travel through the wake of the powerboats. That made me very uneasy. (2) Faith is a terrible paddling partner for a tandem kayak.

Grand Teton National Park

Cattleman's Bridge

We decided to make a couple final stops before we left Grand Teton for good. First, we drove to Cattleman’s Bridge site, a quiet picnic spot down by a calm section of the Snake River. There used to be a cattle bridge here, but it’s now long removed.

Cattleman's Bridge

Oxbow Bend

Our final stop in the park was Oxbow Bend. This pullout is right next to the Snake River, and as you look up the river, you see Mount Moran in the distance. It was a beautiful view, especially with the aspens everywhere. There were a lot of waterfowl in the river; we spent about 20 minutes watching them and enjoying the landscape.

Oxbow Bend

Moose Falls

From Oxbow Bend, we briefly pulled off into Colter Bay Village Vistor Center to use the restrooms, and take advantage of the window of cell service to plan the rest of our afternoon. We bid goodbye to Grand Teton National Park and drove north on the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Parkway into Yellowstone National Park. After passing through the south entrance station, we drove about a mile up the road to Moose Falls.

Crawfish Creek flows under an arched stone bridge, and then plunges 30 ft’ over a steep cliff. Because of the creek, the falls are sometimes referred to as Crawfish Falls. Moose Falls is unique not because of its height, but because of its geothermal-heated water. Moose and other animals often stop to warm themselves in the water. The creek is named Crawfish Creek because the warmer waters allow crawfish to thrive at an altitude where they ordinarily would freeze to death. The top of the waterfall is just a short walk away from the car; I chose to not climb down to the bottom because it was quite steep, and I was more concerned about getting something to eat ASAP.

Moose Falls

Huckleberry bon-bon

Walker conveniently chose this spot to have a massive blowout. After an all-hands-on-deck effort to get him cleaned up, we ate some delicious huckleberry bon-bons I’d purchased at Signal Mountain Lodge, and continued on our merry way.

Lewis Canyon

Near the overlook for Lewis Canyon Falls, we noticed a small crowd of people gathered by the side of the road watching something. We stopped to see what they were looking at, and saw that there was a bald eagle on a tree branch just a short distance below the overlook. I scrambled around to the side through some trees to get an almost eye-level view of the magnificent bird.

Bald Eagle

Old Faithful Inn

About an hour later, we arrived at Old Faithful Inn, and decided to see if we could get a table for dinner, since it was fairly early. The line was tremendously long, and they didn’t have any remaining reservations, but the hostess told us to wait around in the Inn’s grand lobby and see if something came available. About 30 minutes later, our buzzer rang; someone had not shown up for their reservation!

Old Faithful Inn

Seated at a table in Old Faithful’s beautiful rustic dining room, we learned from our waitress that a lot of the chaos was because the Old Faithful Obsidian Lodge across the way had lost power, so guests were pouring over to the Inn instead. Mom and Dad got the dinner buffet, and Faith and I ordered prime rib with potatoes and asparagus. The buffet had huckleberry chicken, salmon, beef short ribs, salad, vegetables, soup, dessert, etc.. The prime rib was delicious, but all of us except Mom thought the dinner buffet was lackluster. Dad didn’t even clear his first plate.

Old Faithful Inn Dining Room

Despite the disappointing buffet fare, it was a special meal. We were all very glad we got to eat a meal in the historic dining room; we felt like we’d experienced the Inn as more than a passerby. The Inn had live music in the lobby, and some interesting exhibitions from local photographers, artists, and craftsmen – all this added to the ambiance.

Old Faithful Inn Dining Room

Evening Wildlife Watching

From Old Faithful, we traveled North past the Midway Geyser Basin.

Bison herd

Midway Geyser Basin

We turned down Fountain Flat Drive, pausing to observe the river, moon, bison, and a bull elk.

Island Park

We drove out of the park, crossing into Montana and passing through the town of West Yellowstone. After about an hour drive, we arrived at our lodging for the night, near Henry’s Lake in Idaho. It was pitch black outside, and was very difficult to find the gate to the development, let alone the cabin itself. We finally got inside, and settled down for the night.

Video

Here’s a video from today’s adventures.

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “the view while kayaking on Jenny Lake”.

The best thing I ate today was… “prime rib”.

Faith

The best thing I saw today was… “the view from Jenny Lake kayaking”.

The best thing I ate today was… “oatmeal at breakfast”.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “the elk with the humongous rack this morning”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the huckleberry bon-bon”.

Amy

The best thing I saw today was… “Old Faithful Inn”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the meal at Old Faithful Inn”.

Conclusion

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Tomorrow, we’ll continue exploring Yellowstone National Park.

– Isaac & Co.

The post Day 10 – Church Trip 2023 // Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.

Day 9 – Church Trip 2023 // Grand Teton National Park

Isaac Church — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 02:00:00 +0000

Today, we spent all day exploring Grand Teton National Park. We took a boat tour, ate a delicious breakfast, and visited some areas of the park we hadn’t been to before.

Wildlife Watching

This morning, we woke up before sunrise, crossed the Teton Pass back into Wyoming, and drove back up Moose Wilson Road in hopes of spotting some wildlife. Our wildlife watching session was mostly unsuccessful. We didn’t have any luck on Moose Wilson Road, so we drove back to Schwabacher Landing to try our luck. We didn’t see any moose, and apparently just missed one that was diving in the water to eat reeds off the bottom.

While they might not seem built for aquatic activities, Moose are excellent swimmers, reaching up to 6mph. While that may sound a little slow, consider that an average human swims at 2mph, and an Olympic swimmer swims at 5mph. They have been observed swimming over 10 miles, and in currents that would easily sweep away other animals, even wolves.

Sunrise

Creek on Moose Wilson Road

Though we didn’t see any larger wildlife, we did spot a bald eagle in a tree above the beaver dam ponds at Schwabacher Landing. It was amazing watching its “eagle eyes” scanning the area for potential prey – and a little harrowing to see it looking straight at us.

Bald eagle

Hot air balloon

Bald eagle

Persephone Westbank

For breakfast, we headed to Persephone Westbank on Moose Wilson Road, a repeat from our previous trip to the Tetons. Dad and I split a breakfast croissant sandwich and a Belgian waffle with crème fraîche and blackberry compote. Mom and Faith each ordered a breakfast plate, and then we all got some pastries for “breakfast dessert”, including a blueberry muffin, a maple scone, and a couple cinnamon brioches. We all got a coffee to go with our meal – they have excellent coffee and espresso, in addition to the fine food.

Waffle

Croissant breakfast sandwich

Breakfast plate

Pastries

Persephone

Jackson, WY + Wilson, WY

A tasty levain bakery in a cozy, modern setting. Delicious pastries, coffee, and breakfast items.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve

Leaving the Westbank business park, we headed just up the road to Aspens Market to stock up on a few supplies for the day. Mostly, I needed some lip balm because the cold, dry air had been rather rough. Then, we headed back to Persephone to get some more coffees for the road – the early mornings had been taking a toll on us.

Continuing north on Moose Wilson Road, we pulled into the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve. This area was kept by the Rockefeller family as a retreat family for years after they purchased land to donate to the national park d.b.a. the Snake River Land Company. In 2001, the Rockefellers transferred this final parcel of land over to the National Park Service, who restored it to its original state, except for a visitor center and some restrooms.

Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve

The visitor center had recently shut down for the season, and the trails were closed due to bear activity, so we walked around for a few minutes and then left. Even though we couldn’t go inside, it was a good opportunity to give Walker a stroller ride.

Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve

Bearproof bathroom door

Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve

Grand Teton National Park

Since this is our first full day in the park, here are some facts and information about Grand Teton National Park:

By the numbers:

310,000 acres (480 sq mi)
10mi south of Yellowstone National Park, connected by the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway
Named after the 13,775′ Grand Teton, the tallest mountain in the 40mi-long Teton Range
8 peaks top 12,000′
Lowest elevation: 6,320′
Average elevation: 6,800′
242 mi of hiking trails
Jackson Lake is 15mi long
The average annual rainfall is 21.6″, and the average annual snowfall in the valley is 173″
~2,000 grizzlies reside in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks

Fun facts:

Home to both the smallest bird and largest waterfowl in North America: the calliope hummingbird and trumpeter swan, respectively.
Only National Park to have an airport inside it
Home to the fastest mammal in the western hemisphere: the pronghorn, which can run up to 70mph

Jenny Lake Boat Tour

Months ago, we’d booked a boat tour on Jenny Lake. We arrived plenty early to orient ourselves, but barely managed to find the boat dock and a parking space in time. The five of us boarded the boat, and enjoyed a scenic guided cruise around the lake. The excursion provided excellent close-up views of the mountains, canyons, and waterfalls around the lake; our tour guide provided commentary along the way.

Hiking

Jenny Lake Boating also provides shuttles across the lake for hikers. We got a significant discount with our bout tour passes, so Faith and I got our hands stamped, boarded a shuttle boat, and rode across the lake again to do the park’s most popular hike. At the west shore boat dock, we hopped off, and climbed up the hill towards Inspiration Point, which has a panoramic view of the land and Jackson Hole valley.

Inspiration Point

The next stop is the premier destination of the park – Hidden Falls. From the overlook at Inspiration Point, the trail continues winding up into the canyon. Finally, it turns a corner and reveals a 100ft waterfall thundering down the mountainside. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

Hidden Falls

If time had allowed, we would have continued into Cascade Canyon, where the trail winds into the Teton backcountry. However, we were short on time, and didn’t want to miss the last shuttle back, so we got a glance of the view up the canyon, and then hustled back down the mountainside to the boat dock.

Cascade Canyon

Our brisk walk turned into a near-sprint as soon as we caught a glimpse of the huge line at the dock. After four full shuttles slowly drained the line in front of us, we finally got to board a boat for the 15 minute ride back across the lake.

Hidden Falls

Picnic

Back on dry ground on the east side of Jenny Lake, we quickly realized we wouldn’t be back to Jackson in time to beat the dinner crowds. We’d also forgotten the diaper bag back at the Airbnb, so we needed to purchase a few baby supplies. We stopped at an Albertson’s in Jackson (my first experience in one of these) and for the sake of expediency, picked up some sandwiches from the deli. Leaving the ginormous grocery store, we drove back into the park and stopped at the Cottonwood Creek Picnic Area. Here, we ate our very mediocre, bland sandwiches at a picnic table, enjoying a view of the sun setting behind the mountains.

Picnic dinner

Sunset

Picnic dinner

Bear + Elk

As we drove back down Moose-Wilson Road, it was quite dark, and we didn’t really expect to see any wildlife. However, as we rounded one curve, I was face-to-face with a black bear out my car window! It was halfway up a tree, and I think it was just as startled by me as I was by it.

Wrapping up, we drove back across the Teton Pass to Victor, ID for the night. Along the way, we made one quick stop to listen to a herd of elk bugling (it was too dark for pictures). We were very glad to head to bed after another adventurous day.

Video

Here’s a short video from today’s adventures.

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “the view up Cascade Canyon – I wish we’d gotten to hike it”.

The best thing I ate today was… “cinnamon brioche from Persephone”.

Faith

The best thing I saw today was… “the hike to Hidden Falls”.

The best thing I ate today was… “cinnamon brioche and coffee”.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “the Jenny Lake boat tour”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the ham and cheese croissant at breakfast”.

Amy

The best thing I saw today was… “the Jenny Lake boat tour”.

The best thing I ate today was… “my mocha latte from Persephone”.

Conclusion

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Tomorrow, we’ll do a few more activities in the Tetons, and then leave the park and drive north to Yellowstone.

– Isaac & Co.

The post Day 9 – Church Trip 2023 // Grand Teton National Park appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.

Day 8 – Church Trip 2023 // Wind River Range, Grand Teton National Park

Isaac Church — Mon, 25 Sep 2023 02:00:00 +0000

Today is the eighth day of our 2023 journeys in the west, and our first full day in Wyoming. We spent the majority of our time on the road, but still managed to see some great scenery.

Morning Driving

Well before sunrise, we dragged ourselves out of bed, left our hotel in Rawlins, and began driving NNW on US-287 towards Lander. It was a chilly morning, and there were patches of frost on the ground. Along the way, we witnessed a gorgeous prairie sunrise, and watched both deer and antelope playing in the fields by the roadside.

While I’m on the subject, here are some facts about antelope… First, to clarify, they are technically pronghorn, not antelope. Pronghorn are the second fastest land animal in the world (behind the cheetah), and are more closely related to giraffes than to deer or other ungulates. Although slower than cheetahs, they can sustain their top speeds for much longer, running lightning-fast for up to 45 minutes.

Outside Lander, WY

Driving to Lander, WY

Outside Lander, WY

Breakfast

After a little less than two hours on the road, we arrived in Lander, WY – the gateway town to Wyoming’s famed Wind River Reservation and mountain range. We stopped for breakfast at Lincoln Street Bakery, a local bakery with a variety of pastries and breakfast staples. To quench our ever-growing hunger, we got a sampling of baked goods, including German apple cake, banana bread, and a blueberry turnover. We also tried a sample of their whole-wheat sourdough, the bread of the day. Dad ordered biscuits and gravy; I got a bacon, egg, and cheese croissant with lemon-thyme aioli; and Mom and Faith got the “Bakery Standard” with eggs, bacon, toast, and raspberry jam. All the food was well-prepared and delicious; the breakfast plates were much better than the pastries.

Lincoln Street Bakery

Lander, WY

A cozy bakery serving plates of delicious food all day long. Worth stopping in if you happen to be hungry in the middle of Wyoming.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

More Morning Driving

I’d hoped to have time to visit a peculiar feature near Lander called Sinks Canyon. Here, the Middle Popo Agie River disappears underground in a cave, and then reemerges half a mile later from the bottom of a pond. We were running short on time, so unfortunately we had to skip this stop. Maybe another time…

Driving Near Lander, WY

Wind River Range

Outside Lander, WY

Wind River Range

We continued north on US-287 through the Wind River Range, eventually merging with US-26. Eventually, we drove through Dubois, WY, where there are a couple interesting museums I’d like to visit someday: the National Bighorn Sheep Center and the National Museum of Military Vehicles. I read you need to allow at least half a day for the latter. I’d love to make time in the future; it looked very interesting.

About 40 miles west of Dubois, we crested a hill and saw our first view of the Tetons and the Jackson Hole valley. We stopped at Togwottee Overlook to take some pictures of the spectacular view. Soon, the road came alongside the South Buffalo Fork of the Snake River, and we followed the river into the town of Moran and the entrance station for Grand Teton National Park.

Togwottee Overlook

Moran Entrance - Grand Teton National Park

Snake River Overlook

Our first stop in the park was the Snake River Overlook, the spot of Ansel Adams’s iconic 1942 photograph, “The Tetons and the Snake River”.

Snake River Overlook

Having been on the road for several hours since breakfast, we were all getting hungry, so we decided to head on to downtown Jackson for lunch.

Lunch

Our first choice of restaurant was closed, so we headed to Hand Fire Pizza and got a couple pies and two salads to-go. We took them to Rendezvous Park, a spot just off the Snake River that we’d visited on our last trip to the Tetons. We got a Caesar salad, a mixed greens salad with grilled chicken, a “Meatbawls!” pizza, and a “Queen of Savoy” (margherita) pizza. Everything was good, but the pizzas quickly lost their heat in the cool breeze. Ordinarily, I’d award a restaurant like this at least one star, but I’ll hold off until another visit because I felt like we didn’t get the full experience.

Hand Fire Pizza

Even though the pizza wasn’t hot, the scenery was spectacular. Mom and Dad played with Walker for a while, and Faith and I took a short walk over to the Snake River to enjoy the view. We saw several groups of people tubing down the river – a chilly activity for a windy day in the Tetons!

Snake River - Rendezvous Park

Moose Wilson Road

From the park, we drove north on Moose Wilson Road, and entered the park through the Granite Canyon Entrance Station. To our surprise, the National Park Service had paved the road since our last visit, a vast improvement over the washboard gravel road. However, this is a point of controversy for the locals, because the road now sees much more through-traffic, increasing the amount of noise and thus reducing the amount of wildlife in the area. We didn’t spot any wildlife, but it wasn’t an ideal time of day to do so.

Our only stop off of Moose Wilson Road was a quick side trip to the Murie Ranch, home to some historic residences. Now, it’s a base for conservationists.

Murie Ranch

Menor's Ferry Historic District

Soon, we arrived at Menor’s Ferry Historic District, and the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center. We made a quick rest stop at the visitor center, and then took some time to explore the historic district. This spot was home to one of the only ferries across the Snake River, a mercantile, post office, and some other historic buildings.

Bill Menor, the proprietor, constructed the ferry in 1894. The Snake River bisected the valley, and was often unfordable, making the ferry an important transportation hub for the Jackson Hole valley. When the water was too low to cross with the pontoon ferry, Menor used a primitive rope cable car system to shuttle people and goods across the river. Eventually, Menor and his men would build a bridge for winter use, but would dismantle it each year before the spring snowmelt raised the water level.

Menor sold the business in 1918, and his successor eventually sold the land to the Snake River Land Company in 1927. The Snake River Land Company was a shell corporation John D. Rockefeller Jr. used to purchase land in the valley to donate to the National Park system, fulfilling his vision for the conservation of the beautiful area south of Yellowstone National Park.

Menor's Ferry Historic District

Chapel of the Transfiguration

Leaving the riverside, we stopped at the Chapel of the Transfiguration. In 1925, settlers built the chapel so they wouldn’t have to travel to Jackson to attend services. Today, it’s a part of the parish of St. John’s Episcopal Church, and seats 65 people, with additional outside seating for the summer months.

Chapel of the Transfiguration

Grand Teton National Park

Chapel of the Transfiguration

Grand Teton National Park

Downtown Jackson // Ice Cream

So we could be back in the park for the sunset, we drove back to downtown Jackson to get a snack. Faith and I strolled Walker around for a while (which he greatly enjoyed), and stopped at Pearl Street Market to get a wrap for Faith. We also stopped at the Kühl store; I’ve always known it as a great outdoor brand, but I’d never seen a brick-and-mortar store before.

Antler arch

Downtown Jackson, WY

Kühl store

Eventually, we all met up at Moo’s Gourmet Ice Cream to get some dessert. Mom got wild huckleberry and maple roasted walnut; Dad got maple roasted walnut and praline & pecan; Faith got boysenberry or marion blackberry and mango sorbet; and I got wild huckleberry and Belgian chocolate. All the ice cream was very good, especially the huckleberry.

Wrap from Pearl Street Market

Moo's Gourmet Ice Cream

Schwabacher Landing

After finishing our ice cream, we drove to Schwabacher Landing to watch the sunset. At the end of the road, beavers have dammed up a pond that reflects the mountains, trees, and sky. Boaters were once able to access the Snake River from here, but the river has changed course over time, so launching boats from here is no longer possible.

Schwabacher Landing

Glacier View Turnout

Up the hill from Schwabacher Landing, we made one final stop at Glacier View Turnout to see the last light of the sun setting over the Tetons. It wasn’t the most spectacular colors, but still a beautiful sunset – it just didn’t last long.

Sunset - Glacier View Turnout

As it got dark, we drove south back through Jackson and Wilson, headed west over the Teton Pass to our Airbnb in Victor, ID, and retired for the night.

Video

Here’s a short video from today’s adventures.

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “the first view of the Tetons coming from Dubois”.

The best thing I ate today was… “my breakfast croissant and wild huckleberry ice cream”.

Faith

The best thing I saw today was… “the first view of the Tetons”.

The best thing I ate today was… “my breakfast plate with sourdough toast”.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “the first view of the Tetons”.

The best thing I ate today was… “biscuits and gravy”.

Amy

The best thing I saw today was… “the first view of the Tetons”.

The best thing I ate today was… “our pizza picnic, because of the scenery”.

Conclusion

Thanks for reading! Click here to subscribe to email notifications.

Tomorrow, we’ll continue our explorations of Grand Teton National Park and the surrounding area.

– Isaac & Co.

Togwottee Overlook

Snake River Overlook

Schwabacher Landing

The post Day 8 – Church Trip 2023 // Wind River Range, Grand Teton National Park appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.

Day 2, Part 2 – Yellowstone National Park // Church Trip 2021

Isaac Church — Wed, 30 Jun 2021 16:00:00 +0000

Last night and this morning, we explored Grand Teton National Park, and then headed up to Yellowstone after a late lunch at Jackson Lake Lodge. I’m picking up where we left off on Part 1 of this post.

Yellowstone National Park

After driving the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway, we arrived at Yellowstone’s south entrance, and began our journey along the park loop road. I’ll save my Yellowstone fun facts for a later post.

Yellowstone National Park

Lewis River Canyon // Lewis Falls

We drove alongside the Lewis River Canyon for a while, finally arriving at Lewis Falls, which is viewable just off the main road. We would quickly learn that most of Yellowstone’s main highlights (and crowds) are but a quick stop off the main drag.

Lewis River Canyon

Lewis River

Lewis Falls

Yellowstone Lake // West Thumb Geyser Basin

Yet another short drive later, we pulled into West Thumb Geyser Basin, which sits on the shore of Yellowstone Lake. As you may know, Yellowstone was once a giant volcano that erupted, leaving a depression called a caldera, ringed by mountains. The “West Thumb” of Yellowstone Lake is a smaller caldera within the larger Yellowstone Caldera. Yellowstone Lake is absolutely massive, even compared to Bear Lake which we’d gawked at the day before.

West Thumb Geyser Basin

This was our first* experience with hydrothermal geological activity within the park, and it was a bit mind-blowing for me. We were surrounded by putrid sulfuric smells, vibrant colors, and strange sounds. It’s not like anything I’ve ever experienced before. Some of the pools boiled and churned, while some were incredibly deep, deeper than the eye could see. Some features were violent, and some were calm and almost soothing to watch.

West Thumb Geyser Basin

*Faith has been to Yellowstone before, but didn’t really get to explore much beyond Old Faithful and a few other features.

While at the Geyser Basin, we also got some nice views of Yellowstone Lake.

West Thumb Geyser Basin

Elk // LeHardys Rapids

Leaving West Thumb, we swung around the NE side of Yellowstone Lake, making a brief stop at LeHardys rapids. We saw a massive bull elk with huge antlers making its way through one of the roadside campground, but were only able to snap a picture of its rear end.

Bull Elk

LeHardys Rapids

Bison // Pelican // Mud Volcano

Continuing north, we spotted our first bison on the side of the road. There would be many more to come, but we stopped to take some pictures; this was special because it was our first sighting. We also noticed a beautiful white, orange-billed pelican gliding in the river across the road. Soon, a second bison emerged out of the woods and began grazing.

Bison

Pelican

It was now time for our second geothermal area of the day, Yellowstone’s Mud Volcano. This area is known for its bubbling mud pots, extremely acidic lakes, and some other water features. We spent some time walking around the boardwalk, interrupted by a brief dash back to the car to escape a sudden but fleeting hailstorm. This was also our first spotting of a mule deer, named for their floppy, mule-like ears.

Mud Volcano - Yellowstone National Park

As we headed over to the left side of the basin, we saw a bison playfully rolling in the dirt extremely close to the path. We were able to get some great pictures [somewhat] safely behind the fence. A park ranger had arrived to monitor the situation and make sure no one was too close or in danger of any kind. According to the ranger, bison roll around both to cool off (the dirt acts like sunscreen), and to attract females.

Bison at Mud Vocano

Hayden Valley

After finishing up at Mud Volcano, we drove north again to arrive in the Hayden Valley, one of the park’s two common homes for grazing bison herds. Sure enough, we saw bison dotting the near and distant hillsides. This was one of the most beautiful sights I’d ever seen; the lighting, river, clouds, hills, grassy plains, distant hailstorm, and wildlife created a surreal atmosphere. We also spotted two trumpeter swans in the Hayden River.

Elk, Part 2

It was getting late, but there was so much too see. We decided we’d better head to our hotel (still a good distance away on the north side of the park) before it got dark and all the beautiful wildlife transformed into road hazards. Still, there were many quick stops along the way, and being near the 45th parallel, we had plenty of daylight left, though it was dimming quickly. On hillsides beside the road, we saw one cow and two more bull elk with majestic antlers. The second bull sat down, so you could only see his antlers sticking up above the hillside. It was quite the humorous sight, like he was trying to hide but was oblivious of the protruding headgear.

Elk cow

Bull elk

Bull elk - Yellowstone National Park

Brink of the Upper Falls // Roaring MOuntain

We couldn’t help but stop at yet a couple more places on the journey to our hotel. We made a quick pull-in to Brink of the Upper Falls overlook, which takes you right to the drop of the Upper Falls in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. There was no one at the overlook (except another handful of mule deer), and the isolation made the experience even more enjoyable. We left the falls and headed up to Roaring Mountain, a fumarole-laden hillside. Fumaroles are more-or-less steam vents that are also part of the active volcano.

Mule deer

Brink of the Upper Falls

Roaring Mountain

Mammoth

Finally, we decided we couldn’t take any more stops due to impending darkness, so we headed straight to our hotel in Gardiner, MT, which is at the NW end of the park. There was a gorgeous sunset to enjoy along the way, and we ran across a herd of elk in Mammoth, the village which holds the park headquarters. From Mammoth, the road descends steeply to Gardiner, crossing the state line out of Wyoming into Montana. We finally arrived at the Roosevelt Hotel (which was surprisingly nice for a motor inn) just before 22:00, and crashed in bed, anticipating another early start in the morning.

Yellowstone sunset

Elk in Mammoth

Elk at the Post office in Mammoth

Elk - Mammoth - Yellowstone

The Best Things We Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “the Hayden Valley”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the ham and cheese croissant at Persephone”.

Faith

The best thing I saw today was… “the bison at Mud Volcano and Rendezvous Park”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the chocolate and ham croissants at Persephone”.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “the elk sitting down on the hill with his antlers sticking up”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the lemon scone at Persephone”.

Amy

The best thing I saw today was… “Jenny Lake Overlook”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the blueberry muffin at Persephone”.

Video

Conclusion

Thanks for reading! Click here to subscribe to our email notifications.

Tomorrow, we’ll head east to the Beartooth Mountains and spend more time exploring the NE corner of Yellowstone.

– Isaac, Faith, Jerry, and Amy

The post Day 2, Part 2 – Yellowstone National Park // Church Trip 2021 appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.

Day 2, Part 1 – Grand Teton National Park // Church Trip 2021

Isaac Church — Wed, 30 Jun 2021 12:00:00 +0000

Today we visited Grand Teton National Park and the surrounding area, and then headed to Yellowstone after lunch. We packed so much into today that I’ve opted to split this day into two posts.

Moose Watching

Sunrise at our Airbnb in Victor, ID

Driving across the Teton Pass

Today started very early. We left our Airbnb townhome in Victor, ID around 04:30 and drove back across the Teton Pass to Wilson, a small town situated on the Snake River just west of Jackson. We headed to Emily Stevens Park to begin the most important quest of the entire trip: to spot a moose. It was a beautiful area, and we were able to walk out on a pedestrian bridge and enjoy a beautiful view of the Snake River, but unfortunately, we didn’t see any moose.

Snake River and the Tetons

Next, we headed a short distance north to Rendezvous Park (another common place to spot moose), where we walked around several water areas, but didn’t see anything other than some moose droppings. However, I did manage to spot a bald eagle and what I think was an otter. It could’ve easily been a beaver, or something else…I’m clearly no wildlife expert.

Rendezvous Park

Otter (or beaver)

Bald eagle

As we were in our car and about to drive to our next destination, we spotted a moose cow and her calf through the trees. Even though we could only see them through the trees, the giant silhouette was unmistakable. By the time we realized what was happening, they quickly disappeared into the woods again. We left, feeling about 10% satisfied.

Dad moose watching

Rendezvous Park

Breakfast - Persephone Westbank

Now very hungry after our marginally-successful moose-seeking, we drove a short distance up to Persephone Westbank, a bakery and cafe whose main location is in Jackson. We got several baked goods to split, plus some much-needed coffee. Our samplings included a ham and cheese croissant, chocolate croissant, blueberry muffin, lemon scone, and a huckleberry-cream cheese danish. The ham and cheese croissant, muffin, and scone were especially delicious.

Huckleberry cream cheese danish, ham and cheese croissant, and chocolate croissant at Persephone Westbank

Lemon scone and blueberry muffin at Persephone Westbank

Persephone

Jackson, WY + Wilson, WY

A tasty levain bakery in a cozy, modern setting. Delicious pastries, coffee, and breakfast items.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Grand Teton National Park

After finishing up breakfast, we officially entered Grand Teton National Park. The Park was established in 1929 by Calvin Coolidge, and was expanded an additional 114,000 acres by FDR in 1943.

By the numbers:

310,000 acres (480 sq mi)
10mi south of Yellowstone National Park, connected by the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway
Named after the 13,775′ Grand Teton, the tallest mountain in the 40mi-long Teton Range
8 peaks top 12,000′
Lowest elevation: 6,320′
Average elevation: 6,800′
242 mi of hiking trails
Jackson Lake is 15mi long
The average annual rainfall is 21.6″, and the average annual snowfall in the valley is 173″
~2,000 grizzlies reside in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks

Fun facts:

Home to both the smallest bird and largest waterfowl in North America: the calliope hummingbird and trumpeter swan, respectively.
Only National Park to have an airport inside it
Home to the fastest mammal in the western hemisphere: the pronghorn, which can run up to 70mph

The Tetons have loomed up grandly against the sky. From this point it is perhaps the finest pictorial range in the United States or even North America.

Thomas Moran, while painting the Tetons from the Idaho side, 1879

Grand Teton National Park

Moose-Wilson Road

Our first ambition in the park was to drive the Moose-Wilson road, a narrow, winding gravel road that connects the small towns of Wilson and Moose. We drove with the windows down, enjoying the cool mountain air and the sound of cascading creeks, freshly invigorated with the recent snow melt.

Moose-Wilson Road

Rounding one bend, we noticed a backup of a couple cars watching something. Moose! We were so excited we could hardly scramble to get our cameras out, but we finally were able to inch the car forward far enough to get a clear view. A mother and her calf were drinking out of a pond, undisturbed by the growing crowd of cars watching them (including some people who were impatiently honking because they didn’t realize what was going on). We watched the moose for a good 10 minutes, and then proceeded on to give those behind us a clearer view. Mission accomplished!

Moose cow and calf - Grand Teton National Park

Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center

Our next stop was the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center, the main information center for the park. We browsed the exhibits for a while, and purchased a few souvenirs from the gift shop, until deciding it was time to move on to other areas of the park.

Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center

Teton Park Road

We continued north on the Teton Park road, stopping periodically in pullouts to snap a picture of the views, or to read interpretive signage. Along the way, we spotted a few pronghorn antelope prancing in the sagebrush.

Grand Tetons

Pronghorn antelope

Glacier

Jenny Lake

Our next stop was Jenny Lake, one of the Park’s most popular areas. We’d originally (before we spotted the moose) planned to do the popular three-in-one hike (Cascade Canyon, Hidden Falls, and Inspiration Point), which involves taking a boat shuttle across the lake. Because we were running late because of the moose watching, the shuttle wait had already grown to two hours, so we opted to skip the hike. Maybe on another trip…

Jenny Lake

After giving up on the hike, we spent some time walking around the lake, both from the main parking lot, and from Jenny Lake Loop Road. The view of the Teton Range was spectacular, and the water in the lake was crystal clear. It was a beautiful spot, and I wish we could’ve spent more time there. In the parking lot sidewalk, we noticed some hoofprints where a moose had walked through before the concrete cured.

Jenny Lake

Moose tracks in concrete

Jenny Lake

It was about this time that I noticed Faith’s Trader Joe’s tortilla chip bag had blown up like a balloon from the change in elevation/pressure.

Jenny Lake

Trader Joe's Blue Corn Tortilla Chips

Signal Mountain

After briefly passing the southeast shore of Jackson Lake, we veered off the main road and headed up Signal Mountain Road, which provides access to two stunning overlooks. One looks towards Jackson Lake and the Tetons, while the other provides an excellent view back into the Jackson Hole Valley.

Signal Mountain

Signal Mountain - view of Jackson Hole

Signal Mountain - Grand Teton National Park

Jackson Lake

Now back on the main road, we continued our drive past Jackson Lake, and stopped at the Jackson Lake Dam and the corresponding spillway that releases the Snake River. The amount of fish at the upper side of the dam was unbelievable. It would’ve literally been shooting “fish in a barrel” if we’d so desired. There were probably millions of fish all in that relatively small area.

Fish in Jackson Lake

Jackson Lake Dam

Jackson Lake

Lunch // Jackson Lake Lodge

By now, it was 14:30, and we were quite famished after the morning’s activities. As we soon learned, it’s a bit of a struggle to find food in the National Parks during COVID times (and because they’re short-staffed). We ended up getting to-go food from the Pioneer Grill in Jackson Lake Lodge, stopping briefly on the way up to observe a herd of elk in a field far below the road.

Elk herd

Grand Teton National Park

Mom got a pulled pork sandwich, Dad got a bison burger, and Faith and I split a bison burger and a hot dog. We all got one of the Grill’s famous huckleberry milkshakes. Since the food was to-go only, we took it into the Blue Heron Lounge in the Lodge, and ate our food with a nice view of Jackson Lake. The food was sustaining, but definitely overpriced. At least the milkshakes were very good…

Hot dog and bison burger

Huckleberry milkshakes

Oxbow Bend

After lunch, we made one final stop before leaving the park: Oxbow Bend. This pullout offers excellent view of the Snake River and Teton range. We also saw plenty of waterfowl in this area, most of which I can’t identify (other than basic ducks/geese/etc.). Finally, we swung around the north side of Jackson Lake and began our exit from the park.

Oxbow Bend

Birds at Oxbow Bend

Heading North

Even though we certainly didn’t see everything in the park, we’d managed to get a grand overview of the park. Unfortunately, it was time for us to leave and begin the long drive north through Yellowstone National Park to our hotel in Gardiner, MT, just north of the park. If you’re in the Yellowstone area, be sure to include a tour of Grand Teton National Park as well. I’d recommend allocating at least one day, if not more, to explore this picturesque area.

This post gets us through around 15:00, so I’ll finish recording the day’s activities in a second part.

Jenny Lake

Video

Conclusion

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Part two of this post will be coming soon!

– Isaac, Faith, Jerry, and Amy

Grand Teton National Park

The post Day 2, Part 1 – Grand Teton National Park // Church Trip 2021 appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.

Day 1 – Travel, Jackson Hole // Church Trip 2021

Isaac Church — Tue, 29 Jun 2021 12:00:00 +0000

The day has finally arrived…today we flew from Charlotte to Salt Lake City, then to Jackson Hole to begin our grand adventure.

Travel

Last night, Faith and I traveled down the mountain, and we all departed Granite Falls this morning around 06:00. The car ride to Charlotte gave me plenty of time to feel grateful that I altered our original travel plan, which involved a flight that departed CLT at 06:00. Even though 06:00 was early, at least we didn’t have to get up at 03:00.

After dropping our car at Park N Go, we successfully navigated the Charlotte airport and boarded our flight to Salt Lake City, UT. In the back of my mind, I was contemplating the benefits of our new itinerary, since we now had a direct flight instead of a hefty layover in Minneapolis.

Travel Tips

For anyone who might care, here are three travel tips:

I highly recommend Park N Go instead of airport long-term parking. It’s about half the price and far more convenient. They will pick you up at your car, help with your luggage, and then drop you off right at the airport door.
If you fly semi-frequently, get the TSA Pre-Check certification. I’ve never waited more than 5 minutes to go through a security line, and they will sometimes add the TSA clearance to other members of your party, even if they don’t have their certification. I think it’s $85 for 3 years, and worth every penny even if you only fly once a year. The Global Entry program is also great if you frequently travel internationally.
If you’re planning on flying in this post-pandemic era, make sure you arrive at the airport extra early. TSA lines are unpredictable, and most of the restaurants are understaffed, so plan on waiting even longer if you’re planning on grabbing food at the airport.

CLT Airport

Rocky Mountains from the plane

Flying into SLC

Great Salt Lake

During our descent into Salt Lake City, we had some great views of the surrounding landscapes, including the Great Salt Lake, and a bunch of other things that I don’t know the specifics of.

Nourishment

After checking out our rental car (a Volkswagen Atlas) from the airport, we made a quick pit stop at Trader Joe’s (the greatest of all snack-selling stores) near downtown Salt Lake City to grab some snacks for the rest of our trip. By this point, we were all pretty hungry for lunch. The airline cookies/pretzels were long gone, and our stomachs were starting to rumble.

Since it was the first day of vacation, I saw little need to be health-conscious. Enter Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. I’d seen an episode that featured Burger Bar in a medium-sized town called Roy, UT. They’re famous for homemade buns, extra-crispy fries, onion rings, fresh-ground meat, rotating exotic game burgers, and “fry sauce”. We were originally planning on trying In-N-Out, but decided it’d be hard to pass up Burger Bar.

Burger Bar - Roy, UT

Guy didn’t steer us wrong. We all got a “Big Cheese Ben”, a cheeseburger simply dressed with lettuce, pickles, and fry sauce. The food was excellent, and it was a neat to eat at a family-owned drive-in. The onion rings and fries were especially good, and the “fry sauce” (which I think is a mixture of ketchup and mayo) was a good compliment to the meat. The homemade buns were the best part by far.

Driving

We continued north on I-15, and finally turned east in Brigham City, UT to continue NE on US-89 through Logan, UT (home of the Utah State University Aggies). After making a quick pit stop at the Logan Walmart to grab some supplies and stretch our legs, we ventured on.

From campus, the road travels up the Logan Canyon and finally emerges at Bear Lake, which straddles the UT/ID border.

Logan Canyon

Our rental car - Volkswagen Atlas

U.S. Route 89

US-89, also known as the “National Parks Highway”, runs ~550mi from Arizona all the way north to Montana/Canada border, running through Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming along the way. The northern and southern sections are connected by the roads in Yellowstone National Park. It links 7 national parks and 14 additional NPS areas across these 5 states. National Geographic has donned it the “No. 1 Driver’s Drive in the world”.

Bear Lake

The Bear Lake Overlook offered a stunning view of the enormous lake, plus bits and pieces of Garden City and the other towns surrounding the lake. We all couldn’t get over how massive it was; it’s impossible to capture the magnitude of it in a photo.

Bear Lake

From Bear Lake, we passed north through Idaho, then turned east and entered Wyoming, heading across the Salt River Pass. An hour and a half later, we arrived in Afton, WY.

Shumway Farms // Afton, WY

It’s amazing what one can find on the Internet. For instance, I learned that a tiny town in Wyoming (population < 2,000) has a farm/creamery that’s rated as producing the best ice cream in the state. Shumway Farms is a sixth-generation-family-owned dairy farm and creamery located in Afton, WY. We stopped for some ice cream, and enjoyed observing the various farm animals while we ate. We tried the following flavors: Bear Lake Berry Patch (raspberry and white chocolate), Midnight Magic (dark chocolate raspberry), Holstein Supreme (coconut, fudge, and almonds), Dry Creek Berry (huckleberry), and Oreo Latte (coffee ice cream with Oreos and fudge). All were excellent. The dairy also sold raw milk and chocolate milk, cheese, cheese curds, eggs, meat, and more. I wish we could’ve sampled them all, but our stomachs limited us.

Shumway Farms - Afton, WY

Ice cream at Shumway Farms

Shumway Farms

Afton, WY

Whoever ranked it some of the best ice cream in the state wasn’t wrong.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Just north of the farm, downtown Afton has the world’s largest elkhorn arch. We stopped to take a quick picture, and then continued north on US-89 to Jackson, WY and Grand Teton National Park. Below/right, note how many bugs are splattered across our windshield.

World's Largest Elkhorn Arch - Afton, WY

Traveling to Jackson

Jackson or Jackson Hole?

I’ve always wondered the difference… Turns out, they’re almost the same thing. Jackson, WY is the municipality, while “Jackson Hole” refers to the broader area or the ski basin (including the town of Jackson). The surrounding mountains make it appear as if the area is in a “hole”.

Grand Teton National Park

We drove into the town of Jackson, WY, but opted not to stop because it was extremely crowded and we were running short on time. Instead, we drove past the town into Grand Teton National Park, immediately heading to Mormon Row Historic District to watch the sunset and snap some pictures.

Grand Teton National Park

Lupine - Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton National Park

Mormon Row - Grand Teton National Park

Victor

Lodging prices are outrageous in Jackson Hole, so we opted to rent an Airbnb townhome about 30 minutes away in Idaho. After we’d gotten our fill of views from the park, we crossed the state line via the 8,431′ Teton Pass into the small community of Victor, ID (population ~2,200). The sunset along the way was marvelous. We arrived exhausted at our Airbnb around 23:00, and immediately crashed into bed.

Leaving Grand Teton National Park

Driving over the Teton Pass

The Best Things We Saw Today

The SVP–inspired fan-favorite section is back!

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “Bear Lake”.

The best thing I ate today was… “huckleberry ice cream from Shumway Farms”.

Faith

The best thing I saw today was… “the Grand Tetons”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the onion rings at Burger Bar”.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “Bear Lake”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the hamburger bun from Burger Bar and the coconut fudge ice cream from Shumway Farms”.

Amy

The best thing I saw today was… “Bear Lake”.

The best thing I ate today was… “huckleberry ice cream from the farm”.

Conclusion

Blog posts for day 2 and on will almost certainly be delinquent because (1) our internet connections have been horrendous, (2) I have a gazillion photos to sort through, and (3) we’ve been taking advantage of every ounce of available daylight. We’ve seen a ton of great stuff, and I want to have it all in order before I share.

Tomorrow, we’ll explore Grand Teton National Park and then head up to Yellowstone.

Thanks for reading! Click here to subscribe to our email notifications.

– Isaac, Faith, Jerry, and Amy

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Introduction – Church Trip 2021

Isaac Church — Mon, 28 Jun 2021 12:00:00 +0000

Itinerary // Notes

Well, it’s almost time to hit the road. It seems like an eternity since we’ve been able to travel, and part of me can’t believe we’re about board a plane for the great American West. Travel is bound to look a lot different, but we’ll deal with the difficulties as we come to them. Here’s one last quick update before we take off:

Our semi-final itinerary looks something like this:

During parts of this trip, we’ll likely be without [quality] internet access for days at a time, so I’ll probably blog on a time-delay. Plus, that gives me more time to edit photos, write, etc…putting out quality content is a rather time-consuming process, I’ve learned. Staying up late to finish posts was more achievable when I was used to pulling all-nighters in college, but those days are long departed. So, if you don’t hear from us for a few days, don’t panic; I’ll get around to sending updates eventually.

Grand Teton National Park

Glacier National Park

Special Segments

Grinnel Glacier Trail

Every trip, I write a few specialty “segments” to keep track of interesting things. This trip, I’m going to try to include the following:

Email Update

I’m now sending my email updates through Mailchimp, so the “from” address might have a Mailchimp domain name (previously was from postmaster@mail.isaactchurch.com). If you’re not getting emails (I sent out a Trip Preview notice at the beginning of June), check your spam folder, and let me know if it continues to be an issue.

If you have any questions or issues, you can send me an email at isaactchurch@gmail.com.

Conclusion // Subscribe

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– Isaac, Faith, Jerry, and Amy

Trail of the Cedars, Glacier National Park

Siyeh Pass, Glacier National Park

Garden Wall, Glacier National Park

Image Credits

All images are licensed under the Creative Commons licensing system.

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Preview – Church Trip 2021

Isaac Church — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 12:00:00 +0000

It’s good to be back.

It’s been over three years since our last official “Church Trip”, when we went to the Pacific Northwest, so we’re clearly long overdue for some travel. More accurately, we’re due a vacation (isn’t everyone?), and what better spot than the ~~Canadian Rockies~~?

Hold up… Turns out, in early April, as I’m re-writing this intro for the third time in two years, travel to Canada still isn’t looking so great. For over two years, we’ve been planning a magnificent trip to Canada and northern Montana to visit a multitude of locations in the northern Rockies. Disappointingly, we’ve had to put those plans on hold for yet another year.

Time for some good news, though: on April 2, the CDC recommended that fully vaccinated individuals can travel again with low risk. Even though Canada is once again pushed to the distant horizon, we’re still able to travel within the States, and what better spot to social distance than “Big Sky Country”?

Buckle up; there’s a lot of travel to make up for, and a lot to share.

Travel, Travel, Travel

In late 2019, Faith and I started planning a weekend trip to Boston, to take place in April 2020. Our schedules were quickly filling up, so we decided to postpone. Turns out, it wasn’t the greatest time to travel after all…

Besides the Boston trip, our recent trips should have included:

*Canceled* - a work trip for me to Frankfurt, Germany in May 2020
*Postponed* - after my Germany trip, I was supposed to return to South America for another work-related trip
*Rescheduled* - Church Trip (2020 edition) to the Canadian Rockies
*Canceled* - Wisconsin - App was scheduled to play football in Madison in September 2020, so we were going to take that opportunity to explore some of the Great Lakes region. However, the game was scratched when the B1G canceled their season...only to reinstate it later.
*Canceled* - three more of my potential work trips to southern Africa, southeast Asia, and South America
*Postponed Indefinitely* - Church Trip (2021 edition) to the Canadian Rockies

There’s been much disappointment, but maybe one day, all these trips will finally happen! We did at least manage to squeeze in a couple of short trips to NC/SC beaches with both sides of the family. However, if you get sunburned like I do, or even if you don’t, there’s no substitute for the mountains.

Most recently, Faith and I spent a Memorial Day long weekend in Roanoke with some friends. Click here to read about that.

Universal Updates

A quick family update: my broken nose is healed, and I’m loving the benefits of my recent LASIK surgery. Faith is busy teaching 35+ music students and playing at a multitude of weddings (check out her website). Mom has recovered well from her 2019 gall bladder surgery. Dad is pretty much his normal self.

That’s about all the new news I’ll give, since I’m reasonably sure everyone is sick of hearing about quarantine projects and COVID opinions.

This trip will be Mom, Dad, and me, and for the first time [on a Church Trip] Faith! With four people, it will certainly be a new breed of adventure.

Glacier National Park

Moose

Glacier National Park

Initial Itinerary

The order is somewhat TBD, but we are planning on visiting the following locations on this trip:

Glacier National Park (MT)
Yellowstone National Park (WY, ID, MT)
Grand Teton National Park (WY)
Flathead Lake (MT)
Great Salt Lake (UT)
Missoula, MT
Bozeman, MT

I’m sure we’ll hit a lot of other locations on and off the beaten bath, but so far this is the primitive plan. Closer to our departure, I’ll post an official introduction.

Grand Tetons

Glacier National Park

Macho Map

Here’s a general idea of our planned route…and no, we’re not planning on driving all that in one day, or even one week! Like any good road trip, it’s well spaced out with many stops along the way. Plus, this is nothing compared to driving all the way up to Maine.

Pretty Picture Previews

We head out around the beginning of July, so in the meantime, here are some photo previews of some of our destinations:

Glacier National Park

Yellowstone National Park

Grand Teton National Park

Glacier National Park

Going to the Sun Road

Beartooth Highway, WY

Yellowstone National Park

Casual Conclusion

As always, thanks for following our travels! I’ll try to avoid alliteration going forward. Click the button to subscribe via email to new post notifications.

See you soon.

– Isaac, Faith, Jerry, and Amy

Image Credits

All images are not mine, and are licensed under the Creative Commons licensing system.

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