Yellowstone to Salt Lake City via Jackson

,Yet another early start. Up at 5:45, bags collected at 6:30, on the bus at 7:15 zzzzzz This morning it is very cold with Yellowstone covered in frost and shrouded in mist. 

Yesterday we managed to notch up 192 miles and that was just driving in the park. 

Today we will be crossing the continental divide 3 times. It's fascinating to think that all rivers to the east of the divide flow to the Atlantic and all those on the west to the Pacific. Pity about the snow pole through the photo but it was taken from the coach. 

The sun has now burned off the fog and it is already getting warm. Yesterday the temperature was in the 50s, today we're expecting 84 in Salt Lake City. What a change. 

We are now entering the Grand Tetons and we've just stopped for photos at Lake Jackson and as you can see it is almost dry. Our guide tells us she has never seen it like this before. 

From the photo below of the Grand Tetons you should be able to see the image used at the beginning of all Paramount films.  

Spent a very pleasant picnic pickup stop in Jackson, the town made famous by Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood, I'm goin to Jackson. It was a lovely little town but stuck in the middle of nowhere. You end up wondering what people do to survive when all the tourists have gone. 

Jackson Main Street

Elk Arch

Elk arch is made up of thousands of sets of antlers. There are four of these arches around the town square. Every year the elks make their way from Yellowstone to Jackson where there is a reserve for them because its too cold for them in the winter. When they shed their antlers they are collected and sold, mainly to the Chinese, who believe they are an aphrodisiac. The income is then used to feed the elks until they return to Yellowstone. 

The scenery has been outstanding today but the journey has been long. We have now crossed into Utah our sixth state and are due to arrive in Salt Lake City at 6pm. It's then a quick turnaround to get out by 6:45pm for a tour of the city and a gourmet buffet dinner in The Roof Restaurant of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. I think he was some big Mormon but I fell asleep when the tour guide was giving a background talk. 

The view from the restaurant.