It is with good reason that this impressive mountain range has the descriptive “grand” in its name. The Grand Tetons’ razor back walls reach up to 13,776 feet, spawning over 45 miles from north to south, backing up to Yellowstone National Park. Once home of the Shoshone tribes, the park is now home to over 300 species of birds and more than 900 types of flowering plants.

A short drive from our RV campsite at Wapiti Village in the little town of Alpine, WY, we entered the Grand Tetons National Park as the sun was setting, sending beams of light upward from behind the mountain wall.

As we were leaving the park for the evening, a sweet encounter occurred.

The next day, we set to explore the park at length. In daylight, the mountains looked even more impressive, welcoming us with glowing high tops and crystal clear mirrors of glacial lakes.

A day of exploring led us to a scrumptious lunch. We found a local gem: a food truck offering local buffalo and elk meat. We savored a leisurely meal al fresco, chatting with the locals.

Jackson Hole is usually a must-see if you’re in the area but a good friend of ours had a warning premonition about us stopping in Jackson – and since we weren’t sure if it was Jackson, Mississippi, Jackson, Tennessee, or any other Jackson cities, we decided not to tempt fate and steer clear of it. We visited Teton Village instead and drove through Jackson Hole. We walked around the quaint village, stopping to admire some Native American art, and savoring a local beer by the gondola. David savored a local beer and I enjoyed its clever slogan: “Put our river through your liver.”

Back at the camp, we settled by the fire, taking in the changing fiery colors of the sunset over the wildlife refuge adjacent to the RV park. We warmed up by the fire, sipping on a good little Washington state red wine, “Prayers of Sinners,” compliments of Chateau Ste. Michelle.

The next day brought us into the park again, and we biked some of the long paved trails paralleling the mountain range and the main road. On our way back to the camp, we stopped to check out Alpine’s farmers market, where we petted goats, got a nice supply of goat cheese and homemade preserves. We also secured a dozen chicken chile con queso tamales and were gifted juicy sweet slices of mango.

Although not long enough, our time in Wyoming was surely enjoyable and we would definitely love to return and explore more of the state.