Every year Josh and I like to go explore a new national park, if we get the chance! I had been having the strongest pull to go to Grand Teton National park ever since we had moved out to Idaho but it just never happened. You know when you just have this overwhelming feeling about something, well this was mine. I knew this place was going to be my place. Weird, I know. I started to plan a huge couple week road trip for Josh and I to go on after he got home from his first 6 month stint in Alaska over the summer. I had the whole route, stops, everything all mapped out and ready to go. But unfortunately Josh’s homecoming date was pretty tentative and we weren’t sure if we would be able to make it work as fall/winter slowly got closer. But just as I’d kind of lost hope on this cross country national park road trip I booked the sweetest cali couples wedding in Boise who wanted to have engagements done while they were back in Boise visiting. It just so happened that Josh made it back in time to road trip back to our old stopping grounds in Boise for their engagements. I knew we had to take advantage of this trip to go through the Tetons on our way home. So we packed up the car, drove that 15 hour drive we swore we were done taking and got to spend a fun couple of days back in Boise. After work was done, we head for the Tetons. Our first night out of Boise we stayed in Driggs, ID which is right on the Idaho/Wyoming boarder. I found the CUTEST little AirBnB at a freakin drive in movie theater people, so obviously we had to stay there! Also side note Driggs, ID is the most perfect little mountain town and is beyond picturesque so Josh and I have now decided sometime in our lives we will be moving there! My original plan was to drive to the park that evening and see a bit of it and then drive the hour or so back to Driggs to stay the night. Well we got a little later start than planned (thanks to me lol) so we rolled into Driggs about an hour or so before sunset. I was ready to roll but Josh figured we might as well just hangout in Driggs and spend the next day at the park since we’d get there in the dark tonight anyways. I have to mention that is was a beautiful evening this night too. So we ate at a local restaurant went up to most beautiful drive to Grand Targhee resort and got out and check it out. We both agreed we should come back and snowboard there for sure. We drove down the sunny mountain side even stopped to nap on the side of the road in the warm grass. Once back in town we stopped at the local grocery store to pick up some drinks to enjoy on the little porch of our cabin while we watched the sunset. It just so happened that we got to the Spud drive-in, the AirBnB where we stayed and we had just missed their last outdoor movie showing for the season. I. Was. Crushed. to say the least. But the sweetest couple who owns the place after coming over and saying hi offered to let us play something on the big screen later and stream some Netflix. AMAZING. So we watched the sun go down and couldn’t believe we had this place to ourselves. The owners ended up talking us to just go get a Redbox rental and we could just play that. So we ran back to the grocery store and got some snacks, and a movie. It was a cool 30 something degrees that night and my treat of choice was pysh food Ben & Jerry’s and it was the best decision ever ha. Josh and I cozied up in our hats and sweaters and jumped in our sleeping bags and sat out in our porch chairs watching a movie on the big screen under a clear night sky FULL of stars. WOW. really have no words for how incredible the experience was. After a cozy nights sleep in the cabin we packed up and headed to Jackson hole. The town of Driggs is off the backside of the Tetons so we got a little worried when we woke up to some heavy clouds covering the top of the mountains. We headed to Jackson Hole and dropped off our Redbox movie, grabbed some hash browns from McDonald’s and headed through town to the park entrance. We also decided we would have to come back and spend more time exploring Jackson Hole because it looks amazing. As we drive towards the park we realize weather would not be on our side and that we would get to see the Tetons in all their glory this trip. We drove into the park, checked out some scenic pullovers but ended up driving into Jenny Lake and starting the hike around it. There weren’t many others out so we had a really peaceful hike. and then. it started to snow big beautiful fluffy flakes, like the kind you dream of waking up to on Christmas morning. We ended up hiking to Hidden falls and loved it. After many photo stops we got back in the car and continued our drive through the park only to be met with more snow and less visibility. We stopped into some shops and one of the restaurants still open for some lunch but they were full so we grabbed some snack and decided to head for home because the snow wasn’t letting up anytime soon. Even though we didn’t quite get the full Teton experience like we hoped it was still such an amazing trip and I am dying to go back ASAP! I would actually love to photograph a wedding or elopement at or around the Tetons, and would love to hear from any couples interested:) There might even be some major discounting for you!!
Here are some phone, digital and film photos from the trip!
Enjoy,
– P
