Grand Teton versus Yellowstone?

Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks are adjacent to each other but in my mind that's where the similarity ends. Having visited both many times through the years we've come to love them both and it's their differences, rather than any similarities, that keep us coming back time and time again.  

Grand Teton offers wide-open vistas and spectacular panoramas, great cycling and hiking options, and the western-themed town of Jackson, Wyoming for art galleries, shopping, fancy and not-so-fancy restaurants, and great people watching. 

Yellowstone boasts geothermic attractions from geysers to mud pots, lots of wildlife viewing, more of a true wilderness feel especially off the very busy roadways, and the tourist haven of West Yellowstone, Montana. 

Having just returned from a month spending time in both Parks our love affair remains undiminished and if you've never been to either, or both, of these national treasures you owe it to yourself to visit. I had mentioned in my prior blog uncertainty whether to make a video of each Park separately or to combine the two. I've opted for the former as the visits to each were different enough to warrant their own look. Here's the video of the Teton area. In the last two years we've been fortunate to visit Teton Country from June through October and I still have aspirations to see this land covered in white at some point. 

Any return visit to a favorite destination raises the challenge of seeing it in a different light from prior trips. My wife and I make a concerted effort to seek out new perspectives and experiences that keep our favorite places fresh. Sometimes this is as simple as seeing a familiar vista at a different time of day, or in different weather. Other times it takes a little more effort to find the unexplored and unexpected, but as with most trips it's the journey rather than the destination that ultimately yields rewards to the traveler. The mark of a good trip is wishing for a return visit as soon as you leave and for us that's certainly the case for this beautiful part of the country.

The Grand Tetons are some of the most photographed mountains in the world. The power of modern technology has put the ability to take great photos into almost everyone's hands. Walking through some of the galleries in Jackson one can certainly see spectacular shots framed on everything from glass, to metal, to canvas, as well as traditional prints. Yet I'm also struck by how many great shots taken by amateur photographers rise to the same quality and beauty of the pro's. For me, that's what keeps photography and videography fun - trying to get that unique image that gives the viewer a slightly different perspective of whatever is in front of the lens. Can't say I'm always successful in that effort but I'm always trying. So sit back and enjoy another journey on the road that beckons.