The American West is something to behold. For one thing, the scenery is just spectacular. It can really make a difference in how a person views nature, and natural surroundings.
Montana and Wyoming, which is where Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons are located, are very sparsely populated. Montana has a population of only about 1,450,000. It ranks 43rd among US states.
The Yellowstone River curves through open grassland beside a quiet road, framed by blue sky, summer clouds, and distant hills.
Wyoming comes in dead last at 50. Slightly less than 600,000 call Wyoming home. The combined population of both states is right around 2 million people. To put this in perspective, Manhattan’s population is about 1,630,000, which is slightly greater than the entire state of Montana and close to 3 times the population of Wyoming.
The Upper Falls of the Yellowstone River plunges into the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, with a historic bridge visible upstream and turquoise canyon water flowing below. Lodgepole pines frame the view from an elevated overlook under a dramatic partly cloudy sky. Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA.
Upon seeing the physical beauty of the place, it makes you wonder why there are not more people living there. The winters can be brutal though. Then again, the fact that 4th of July baseball games can get called off because of snow might have something to do with it.
A large herd of elk grazes calmly in a lush green meadow at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone, with dramatic grey eroded mountain slopes rising in the background.
This is without doubt cowboy country–both the real ones and the make believe ones. The locals love telling stories about how the make believe cowboys like to strut around Jackson Hole wearing their newly purchased $2,000 cowboy clothes. Being a Rhinestone cowboy can get pretty expensive pretty fast. For instance, in Bozeman, Montana (pop 60,000), discounts of up to 20% can be had on cowboy boots–but only for the ones starting at $800 a pair.
The restaurants have lots of Elk burger, but they also have large selections of Martinis not to mention avocado toast and other stuff you would find in Manhattan. And they (the restaurants) are pretty good too.
Old Faithful geyser sends a towering column of steam and boiling water into the sky as crowds of visitors line the boardwalk viewing area to watch the famous eruption. Conifer forest and rolling hills form the backdrop under a partly cloudy blue sky. Old Faithful, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA.
We did get a chance to see Old Faithful erupt. And we also went to a rodeo, complete with horses and bulls trying to throw their riders off. Which they did with some regularity. Apparently staying on a bucking bronco for 8 seconds is a big deal. Finally there was a ride on a raft down the snake river–with about a zero chance of even getting wet, much less getting tossed off the raft.
All in all Yellowstone should not be missed. We’d go back in a heartbeat.
We can now count ourselves among the over 4 million people who will visit Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks this year, enjoying their 2.5 million acres of incredible scenery, water features and geological places of interest.
Yellowstone NP is a caldera (the basin formed after a volcano erupts) within a caldera, with mountains all around, forests, wildlife, lakes and other bodies of water. Over the course of 4 days we toured Yellowstone NP from north to south, before heading to Grand Teton NP for 2 days. Over twenty native American tribes are affiliated with each of these national parks; among them are the Crow, Blackfeet, and various Sioux and Shoshone tribes.
Our trip started in Bozeman, MT, an old cowboy town that is quite sophisticated (you can go to the local saloon with its rustic décor and get the same variety of cocktails and food as in any fine restaurant in Manhattan). Montana is home to many dinosaur fossils, and the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman has incredible displays of the dinos and other prehistoric animals that lived in Montana about 100 million years ago. Bozeman also is home to the American Computer and Robotics Museum, filled with artifacts and explanations about the history and development of innovation and technology.
Tyrannosaurus Rex in the Museum of the Rockies
We were not surprised to see snow on the distant mountains during this June trip, but snow on the ground around us, and morning temperatures in the high 20s F and low 30s F were a little unexpected. The days warmed up quickly, and we were happy to have sunshine for the long days during the entire trip.
JFB in the state of Wyoming
The continental divide mountain ridge runs through Yellowstone, and the lakes in that ridge drain all the way to the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Throughout the parks, water is ever-present in lakes, rivers, creeks, waterfalls, geysers (like Old Faithful in Yellowstone), hot springs, and other forms. The water’s effect on rock creates some incredible formations, like Minerva’s Terrace at Mammoth Springs in Yellowstone, and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.
Valleys between the mountains sustain a great variety of wildlife, and we saw lots of bison, elk, deer, pronghorn sheep, black bears and birds, as well as a few foxes and a moose, and some cattle and horses on ranches.
Deer at Rest Stop in Mammoth Hot Springs, WY
Several small towns are just outside the parks, with lots of lodging for hikers and fishers. Shops abound, selling bait and bear spray, beer and bison burgers, and works by local artists.
The Grand Teton mountains are magnificent, appearing to rise up almost suddenly from the earth (no foothills or incremental elevations), and reflected perfectly in the Snake River and other bodies of water. Glaciers are still present in the Grand Tetons, looking like frozen rivers on the mountains in the range.
The National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson houses an impressive collection of paintings, drawings, sculpture and other items commemorating wildlife and the traditions of the West. It sits on a hilltop across from the National Elk Refuge, a massive area where many species of animals and birds can come during the harsh winters to find food needed for survival.
Our trip ended in Jackson WY, another rustic yet sophisticated town, where outdoor life is celebrated yearlong. No matter the season, there are outdoor sports to play – hiking, fishing, hunting, skiing, etc.
We went to the Jackson Hole Rodeo on our last night in town, and saw some incredible horsemanship by riders of bucking broncos (horses) and bulls, ropers of calves and steer, and people doing other risky things with big animals. The stands were filled with families, and virtually every kid had on boots and a cowboy hat, while the boots worn by the women in attendance ranged from plain brown leather boots to high-style ornamented versions in red and pink leather and suede, with lots of sparkles. It was a lot of fun, and interesting.
Kids at Jackson Hole Rodeo
We haven’t yet made it to all 63 of the US national parks, but we are working on it. Yellowstone and Grand Teton are two that we are very happy to have visited, and would visit again in a heartbeat.
To mark the beginning of the new year we took a short trip to Colonial Williamsburg. It was just fabulous. We stayed in a wonderful hotel, the Williamsburg Inn. The luxury hotel is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It was originally built in 1937 by John D Rockefeller as part of an effort to enhance staying in Williamsburg.
Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, USA — January 2, 2026. A photo of an operator in 18th-century attire driving a carriage pulled by two horses down a street, waving to onlookers
Among other things we visited a church and we saw a mock trial in the county courthouse. The justice system those days lacked the type of due process we take for granted nowadays. The stockade and the whipping post were a reminder of the consequences of getting out of line. It also didn’t help if you were Catholic, non-white, female or not a significant property owner. But given the time frame, there was probably more due process than most places in the world.
The Bruton Parish Episcopal Church in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia
We also went to the Art Museum which is actually two museums housed in the same building. There is a large collection of American folk art in the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum. The collection includes paintings, quilts, sculpture and other works by artists of the era who were essentially self-taught. The DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum, housed in the same building, features high-quality decorative pieces from American and British artists. The pieces, which range from elegant furniture to ceramics and textiles, showcase both the tastes of the era and link Williamsburg to a broader view of the era.
Williamsburg, VA — Jan 2, 2026. A pottery exhibit at the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum
Children’s Section of the Museum
Wlliamsburg, VA–Jan 1, 2026. Mary Anne snaps a scenic photo in Williamsburg Virginia on New Year’s day.
We had some fabulous meals while we were there. We had a delicious dinner at The Blue Talon restaurant. It is set-up like a French Bistro, and is casually elegant. We also had dinner at The Terrace & Goodwin Rooms in the Williamsburg Inn. The restaurant combined Southern hospitality with classic décor, impeccable service and very good food. And of course we visited the elegantly furnished bar.
A sophisticated bar scene featuring dark wood, ornate mirrors, and a wide selection of spirits, perfect for a night outWilliamsburge, VA, USA — Jan 1, 2026. Men in period attire operate a historical cannon, firing it with a burst of smoke and noise during a reenactment event
Banff deserves a priority listing on any to do list. The place is a natural wonderland, with spectacular mountains, valleys and lakes. It is full of good restaurants; it has wonderful hotels, the service is first rate and there are numerous tours lasting from a couple of hours riding a tour boat on a lake to weeks long camping trips. Among other things, we booked a tour that allowed us to walk on a glacier.
We also booked an all-day tour with a guide named Sam who took us all around Banff, Lake Moraine and Johnston Canyon, where we did a considerable amount of hiking around. One place was more spectacular than the next. (Thanks Sam!)
Now we are back in the airport in Calgary waiting to fly back to DC. It was a great trip and belongs on everyone’s to do list. Here below are a few shots from the tours.
JFB
Our Hotel in Banff
Tourists take a walk on the Athabasca Glacier in Banff.
Alpine Glow in the Canadian Rockies
Photo looking over Lake Minnewanka from a boat with a colorful sky and the Canadian Rockies in the background.
Banff is nestled in the Canadian Rockies in Alberta, Canada. It is a place of spectacular beauty, which may explain the proliferation of one of the banes of modern life. I refer to that most horrid of devices: The Selfie Stick. It seems like everyone in Banff has at least one, ever ready to snap a photo of the owner with a mountain or lake in the background. Which is not to short change go-pros; they are everywhere as well, if only slightly less obnoxious.
But even the ever present selfie stick fades into insignificance in the midst of the breath taking beauty of Banff. The Canadian Rockies are ever present; the lakes and rivers are a clear gorgeous turquoise, and there are massive glaciers all over the place. Our initial outing included a trip to Lake Louise, Peyto Lake, and the Athabasca Glacier, which we got on chance to walk on. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Here are some photos below. More will be posted in the coming days.
JFB
Athabasca Glacier, Banff
Wide angle shot overlooking Peyto Lake in Banff Canada. Note the selfie stick photographer in the lower right corner.
Wide Angle shot of Lake Louise
Bow River, Banff Canada
Main street in Banff with mountain rising in the background
