Amazing Road Trip to Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Parks! The Beginning of the Adventure Starts Here!

I've been wanting to go to Yellowstone for the last few years and every year SOMETHING prevented it.  I was determined to make it happen this Spring and, with the help of my wonderful daughter, I was able to make it happen.

I wanted to go in Spring so I could see BABIES hopefully.  And I also didn't want to be there during the busy time of year (Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend, primarily) because I'm not one for crowds in the first place plus we are still dealing with this pandemic.

I had my second Moderna vaccine shot 3 weeks prior to my trip, so I was happy because the timing for me to take a road trip was really working out.  

As you may know, I love to see churches and temples for their architecture and beauty and my route would be taking me through parts of Idaho where my mom and dad lived and married.  I was happy to drive though these places I hadn't seen since my childhood. 

I left California on Sunday afternoon/evening and headed up I-80 towards Wells, Nevada. 

I drove until just as the sun was coming up before I started to feel tired enough to take a nap.  I stopped at a Truck Stop/Casino in Wells Nevada and climbed into the back of my SUV for a short nap.  I woke up to quite a gorgeous view of the East Humboldt Range. 

After my nap, my road would take me through Twin Falls, Pocatello, and Idaho Falls.  I vaguely remember having family around Twin Falls (Burley) and Pocatello (not sure) and my parents got "sealed" in the LDS Idaho Falls Temple.  So, since I had to stop for gas and to stretch my legs and such, I decided I would take photos at each of the temples.

First on my route was Twin Falls:

And next, I saw the Pocatello temple from the freeway and was a little surprised because I didn't know there was one in Pocatello.  Turns out it is under construction but was still pretty photogenic from the right angle.  It is up on a hill which makes it look really cool from a distance. 

Pretty with a similar look to Twin Falls, but the layout is akin to the Idaho Falls Temple.  Speaking of which...

The Idaho Falls Temple is definitely the Queen of the three!  Gorgeous architecture on a gorgeous location.  I walked around a bit but would love to go back again to explore more fully.  

Next leg of the journey took me from Idaho Falls over the mountain pass into Wyoming.  And into the incredible beauty of Grand Tetons National Park.  

To be honest, nothing really prepared me for the beauty I was about to see.  Photos that I had seen didn't really do it justice and mine may not either, but let's get to it in the next post!

xoxo

Nikon D600 & D7200

Oh My!! New Lens In My Bag - Let's Test It Out at Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge!

 For my birthday my wonderful daughter chipped in to help me get the lens I've been wanting!  The Sigma 150-600 Contemporary.  I couldn't WAIT to test it out - especially handheld - because we all know I'm too impatient to use a tripod.  haha  But I am really going to try. Sometimes.  :-)

It was raining in Sacramento but the farther north I got, the more the clouds concentrated around the mountains, creating some stunning landscapes. 

What a beautiful Red-tailed Hawk!  She was huge (so I'm assuming she was a she). 

Awesome Common Gallinule!  Nothing common about these cuties.

They actually lift their wings up further on their backs when they are floating, which often cause them to have a curly look to their feathers. 

Pied-billed Grebe!

I drove right past this guy.  I felt someone staring at me! So I looked to my right and our eyes met.  

I braked gently and reversed...hefted my large camera and Sigma lens to my eye - praying that the bird staring at me would remain calm and still!

Spoiler alert - he did!

More gallinules!  The tips of their beaks were actually a bright yellow; I feel like these photos don't really capture it well.  

And their cousin, a cute American Coot!

Hawk in flight with the Buttes in the background.

There was at lest 75 Coots floating on the lake.  So cool to see them bobbing around.

And another Pied-billed Grebe!

Along with the Coots and tiny Pied-billed Grebes, there were quite a few Clark's Grebes floating around.  A lot of them were settling in for a nap...

But some were beginning to pair up for courting. 

And you could see their beautiful, bright red eyes!

Cormorants, ducks, and geese snoozing on the island. 

Wow!  About 6 American White Pelicans were out there floating around too!

Check out those baby blues!

And, much to my absolute delight, there was a lone Mute Swan serenely floating around the lake. 

And there were a LOT of Snow/Ross Geese still hanging around on the beach!

Along with a pretty gigantic Red-eared Slider turtle.

Turkey Vulture flying over the Geese 

Green-winged Teal duck pair with a Cinnamon Teal duck friend. 

Awwww, babies!!  This Canada Goose had little babies but there were some teenagers hanging around just beyond mama too.

Oh my, this cormorant was soooo fast!  I saw it coming to my right, got the camera/lens hefted and into position.  But before it could focus clearly, the bird was almost out of my range!  I thought it still looked pretty cool.  

White-faced Ibis!  I think this guy is almost in breeding plumage.  But the white around his face isn't quite as distinct as it should be.  

You can really tell the difference in coloring between the breeding adult on the right and the juvenile/non-breeding Ibis on the left. 

Came around the corner and saw this Squirrel just drinking in the sights and looking for birds like the rest of us.  lol  Little cutie. 

I know I say "wow" a lot, but WOW!!  A Double-Crested Cormorant in breeding plumage, which means you can really see those crests!  And his gorgeous blue-green eyes!

These cattle egrets were sitting on a fence beside the road and were spooked by my car.  But luckily they just flew across the water.  Look at his little yellow feet!  

So beautiful.

Red-Winged Blackbirds are so hard for me to get a pic of lately.  They're pretty skittish.  But these two (yes, they are two different birds) were happy to pose!

Oh, this Mourning Dove looked so lovely in the golden and pink sunshine!

I had seen quite a few Jack Rabbits as usual, but they were all very quick to escape my eye.  Not this guy though!  He sat there for quite awhile, clearly hoping that I hadn't seen him!  lol  

xoxo

Nikon D600 Sigma 150-600 Contemporary Lens