Recently, my son's dad and I took him on a long-overdue trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Long overdue because the last time I'd been up there was about 25 years ago. I'd really wanted to go back.
We planned the trip about 6 months in advance knowing we'd have to get hotels booked fast. It was a good thing we did because hotel rooms were far and few between, even that far in advance. I'll know better next time. And if I ever plan to stay inside the park, I should book it out at least a year in advance (and plan to spend a lot).
We decided not to camp because time was important and we didn't want to be bogged down dragging a ton of extra gear with us. The parks are enormous, and we wanted to spend every possible moment enjoying them.
The first couple nights, we stayed in Jackson, Wyoming. It is such a charming town, and I look forward to exploring it more someday. I'd expected the hotel there to be quite expensive, but it wasn't. And, we got a great room with a giant fireplace. How we managed that perk, I'll never know. The coolest place we ate in Jackson was the Snake River Brewing Company. Yum!
Grand Teton National Park made for a nice drive on the first day, circling through and heading back to Jackson. We stopped at the Jenny Lake Lodge for lunch, which was by far my favorite meal of the trip. The view was worth at least ten million dollars or more, but the cheeseburger I had was very reasonably priced.
The next few nights, we stayed in West Yellowstone, which was not as charming as Jackson, and was extremely overpriced. The hotel was mediocre, yet we spent three times as much to stay there as we had in Jackson. But, if you've ever been to Yellowstone, you know the place is about the size of a state, and location is important when choosing a hotel. As we'd planned out our driving routes in advance, we were kind of stuck there.
My son got lucky and was the only one of the three of us that saw a wild bear. We weren't looking in the right place, and he saw the bear just as it disappeared into the woods (disappointing a few tourists as it did). We did, however, see two moose, bison, elk, an adorable red fox, and many birds of prey. The most magical experience we had was at the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone, when their wolf pack began to howl. I closed my eyes to listen to the haunting sound while it wafted through the cold breeze like a spell. I highly recommend a trip to the Center on your next jaunt to Yellowstone country.
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NOW in AUDIO
Title: Steele and Stone
Series: The Daring Hearts series, Book 1
Author: Kay Phoenix
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Date of Publication: November 2, 2016
ASIN: B01LYUQ75N
Number of pages: 133
Word Count: 42,000
Blurb:
Elle Thompson was raised in Denver. She paints. She hikes. She knows how to avoid cougar attacks.
The only cougars Michael Williams usually worries about are the ones that wear leopard print leggings on 5th Avenue.
But, when his acquisition firm sets its sights on Elle's family business, his tidy life goes awry. As things unravel, so do all his preconceived notions of love and what makes a perfect partner.
Buy link:
Excerpt:
“So, how are you feeling today?” a familiar voice asked behind him. He didn’t have to turn to know who it was, but he turned anyway, temporarily forgetting about his sunburn until he saw the shocked expression on her face.
“Whoa! No sunblock either? I had some, you could have asked,” she giggled. “That’ll peel for sure.”
Blue! Brilliant, shimmering blue eyes. He hadn’t seen her eyes during their hike, as they’d been hidden behind sunglasses the whole time, and he’d always been a sucker for blue eyes. Her blonde hair hung long, loose and wavy as she leaned casually against the door frame.
“I see you’ve already made yourself quite at home,” she said. “Randall told me he let you use the conference room.”
“What are you doing here?” he asked in a tone that sounded a bit too firm.
“Oh, no ‘How are you?’ or ‘Nice to see you?’” She tilted her head to the side, causing a loose curl to graze her breast.
He turned back to the coffee. “I didn’t mean to sound rude. You just surprised me.”
Author bio:
“Whoa! No sunblock either? I had some, you could have asked,” she giggled. “That’ll peel for sure.”
Blue! Brilliant, shimmering blue eyes. He hadn’t seen her eyes during their hike, as they’d been hidden behind sunglasses the whole time, and he’d always been a sucker for blue eyes. Her blonde hair hung long, loose and wavy as she leaned casually against the door frame.
“I see you’ve already made yourself quite at home,” she said. “Randall told me he let you use the conference room.”
“What are you doing here?” he asked in a tone that sounded a bit too firm.
“Oh, no ‘How are you?’ or ‘Nice to see you?’” She tilted her head to the side, causing a loose curl to graze her breast.
He turned back to the coffee. “I didn’t mean to sound rude. You just surprised me.”
Author bio:
Ms. Phoenix is a rare bird herself...a lifelong resident of Las Vegas, Nevada. She belongs to Las Vegas Romance Writers and has served on the board for several years. She is also a member of Romance Writers of America with PAN status.
Prior to writing, Kay was a Graphic Artist for fifteen years in the casino industry and holds degrees in both Graphic Arts and Psychology. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, traveling and photography. She is also involved in several Las Vegas non-profits, and is the current Chairman of a popular, long-running, local art show.
Kay has been blessed to be able to travel many places, which inspired her to host a weekly author spotlight called “Midweek Escapes” on her blog. It features guest author’s favorite vacation destinations, their travel tips, and, of course, information about their book releases and occasional giveaways.
Author website and social media links:
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