Page 24 - AAA Magazine – Ohio Auto Club – November 2022

AN
AMERICAN
SAFARI:
YELLOWSTONE AND THE GRAND TETONS
By John T. Garcia
If you are looking to get out, and possibly get active, there’s no better place to do that than
in Wyoming. Fishing, skiing, mountain climbing, hiking and whitewater rafting are among the
activities you can partake in at the entrance to the Grand Teton National Park. But you also can experience nature as the Grand Tetons tower above and you are less than two hours by car from Yellowstone National Park, considered the first national park in the world. AAA even offers Yellowstone and Grand Teton Audio Driving Tours to hit all the highlights and not miss a thing, all at your own pace.
Located between the Gros Ventre Mountain Range and the Teton Mountain Range, Jackson Hole is a valley about 48 miles long and between 8 and 15 miles wide. With plenty of lodging options, restaurants, shopping choices and the largest commercial airport in Wyoming, it makes it the perfect place to set up camp for your adventures, much like the settlers and pioneers of the Old West.
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Believed to be the youngest of the Rocky Mountains, Grand Teton rises to 13,775 feet, making it the second- highest peak in Wyoming. The national park operates year-round with plenty of activities, including bird watching and other wildlife viewings, fishing and horseback riding. The park also offers backcountry camping and, during certain times of the year, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
Up the road to the north, more nature awaits at Yellowstone. Whether it’s waiting for the next eruption of Old Faithful or grabbing a gander at the wildlife wandering the park, make sure you plan to make the most of your trip. Yellowstone has nine lodges and
12 campgrounds within the park, as well as plenty
of restaurants.
As you enter Yellowstone, you will see the beauty that has been thrilling visitors for more than 150 years. Approximately half the geysers in the world are located in Yellowstone, as well as fumaroles and bubbling mud pots. But the star of the park is Old Faithful, so named
22 | AAA MAGAZINE