Flaiming Gorge National Recreation Area and Grand Teton National Park

I left Hurricane, Utah and headed northeast with plans of spending a week in the Flaming Gorge area instead of going to Moab as previously planned.  I made a mistake and should have stayed in the Southern Utah area another month to allow the northern weather to warm up.

My first night I stopped at a forest service campground about ten miles off the highway at a little town called Ferron, Utah.  It was way back in a canyon and pretty nice but I felt almost claustrophobic.  It also got very cold that night!

I camped back where you see the sunshine.

This is what the area looked like going into the canyon where I camped.

Flaiming Gorge

As I entered this area, I made the decision to go around the east side because I had not been there before.  It was nice but all the campgrounds were closed except one.  I found a small camping area near the boat launch in one of the coves.  It was not pretty but it was sheltered and flat.  I decided to stay only one night.

I was camped down there.

The Birthplace of J.C. Penny Company 

By accident I passed through a little Wyoming town called Kemmerer.  It is a pretty small all American town but it also happens to be where the first J.C. Penny store was opened in 1902.  Here is picture proof. I could live in a little house like that but I would want a larger front porch.

Fossel Butte National Monument

After leaving Kemmerer I came upon this place.  It was very interesting and proves existance over 400 million years ago.  There were lots of pictures of fish and wildlife and flowers etc from way back when.

On To Grand Teton National Park

It is a long drive from where I was in Flaming Gorge to Gran Teton.  I didn't plan to drive so far but I was too early in the season and all the campgrounds were still closed.  It was strange to see signs that said to camp only in designated campgrounds May 1st through Labor Day and still find all the campgrounds closed.

Anyway, I passed up many nice commercial RV parks thinking I would find my free or low cost forest service camping spot around the next bend.  Let me tell you there are a lot of bends in the road when you drive about 300 miles in the Rocky Mountains!

I did pass though some really pretty areas and would find myself visualizing living in a neat cedar or log cabin near one of the pretty mountain towns.  Not going to happen because I can't afford it and I'm not ready to settle down yet.

I really love being back in the mountain states with all the trees and beautiful scenery.  As I said earlier, I got here too soon as you will see by the following pictures.

This is the Lander cutoff at about 7500 feet.

This was a neat little town.  That arch is made of Elk antlers.  Jackson Hole has a similiar one but these folks claim this is the largest in the world.

The Grand Tetons

Neat little church in the park built in 1925.

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Frozen Lake Jackson

My home on wheels..and no neighbors.

OK.....that is all unless I take some really neat pictures of wildlife.  I will only be here five nights and then on to Yellowstone and over to Cody, Wyoming.  The weather does not look good for me this coming week but I can't change that....only my direction if it gets too bad.

I am seriously considering continuing East to Upstate New York and New England and then down to Florida for the winter.  I may change my mind but hope to do this as it was on Pati's and my bucket list for years and I'm traveling on the short end of the stick, if you get my meaning.