Museum of Wildlife Art

On our way back into Jackson, Wyoming, we stop at the National Museum of Wildlife Art, the only museum in the US dedicated solely to wildlife art, representing animals from around the world.  The museum is on the edge of the National Elk Refuge and features indoor art and lifesize sculptures on an outdoor trail, with art of all mediums.

National Museum of Wildlife Art

We enter and wander.

Wildlife art

We wander into an intriguing gallery of Contemporary Wildlife Art, much of it on the plains.

Contemporary wildlife art

We continue throught the museum, with so much incredible art and the opportunity to share only a small sampling of it here.

Continuing through the museum

What a collection!

Snake River Overlook, Oxbow Bend, Signal Mountain, and Jenny Lake in the Grand Tetons

The rain that followed us from Yellowstone ends the next day and we have beautiful weather to drive through Grand Teton National Park and view some of the incredible sights, starting with the views of the mountains themselves.

Grand Tetons

We drive in a counterclockwise loop through the park, passing by Mormon Row where Mormons moved from Salt Lake City in 1890, establishing 27 homesteads, and on to Snake River Landing.  The Snake River flows over 1,000 miles (1,610 km) from Yellowstone National Park, through Grand Teton National Park and, ultimately, to the Pacific Ocean.  The viewpoint at Snake River is famous for being the spot where, in 1942, Ansel Adams (hired by the National Park Service) photographed the Snake River and the Grand Teton Range.

Mormon Row

Snake River Landing

Ansel Adams was here

We also stop at Oxbow Bend on the Snake River for a short walk along the river and more great views of the mountains and the river.

Oxbow Bend

We drive further into the park and up Signal Mountain, a 7,727 foot (2,355 meter) peak with panoramic views of the Teton Range.

On our way to Signal Mountain

Views from Signal Mountain

Continuing our loop, we drive past Jenny Lake, with more great sights (we'll return another day to hike around Jenny Lake, today we're sightseeing).

Views from the shore of Jenny Lake

We continue the loop back into Jackson, to reenter the park another day.

Heading back into Jackson

For dinner today, we stop at HatchTaqueria for yellowfin ahi and bison tacos.

Tacos

A great first full day in Grand Teton National Park!