The Buffalo Bill Dam

This is part twelve of a travel series to Yellowstone and the Grand Teton National Parks.  If you'd like to start at the beginning, go HERE!

Well, after four days in Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons, it was now time to begin our 1,243 mile trip home.  But the fun doesn't end with the destination on road trips, because we still had a lot of sight-seeing to do on the return trip.

To get home, we had to drive back through Yellowstone National Park and onto the "Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway.  This byway is the gateway to the east entrance of Yellowstone and is a beautiful 27 mile drive through the Wapiti Valley.  And the most special part of this byway is going through "Wyomings Longest Tunnel" and visiting the Buffalo Bill Dam and Reservoir.

Here is a photo of the outside of the tunnel.  You can read all about this engineering marvel in the photo beneath it.

We actually stopped at the Buffalo Bill Dam twice:  once when we first arrived in the area and then again on our way back, hence the reason I have two different outfits on.  The first time we stopped the Visitor Center was closed, so we made it a point to hit in on the return trip.

The history and construction of this dam is absolutely amazing!  The Visitor Center, which is free, tells you all about it, and you can also read the next two photos for more information.

In addition to all the knowledge you receive about the dam and reservoir, you are also treated to the most amazing views!  The mammoth granite walls rising up from the turquoise blue water is breath-taking!

There are also objects outside the Visitor Center like this old "Ball Plug" and others.

It was pretty crowded inside the Visitor Center so I didn't take any photos of the interior.  They have a movie which plays on a loop that shows the whole history and construction of the dam, then there are viewing windows to allow you to get a "safer" look and a gift shop.

The parking lot is a little bit of a hike from the Visitor Center, so a golf cart shuttle picks you up and drops you off.

The bridge over the dam was so scary!  I was so afraid I would drop my camera over the edge taking photos.   Even hubby was nervous and only walked a short way out.

The next three photos were taken from the bridge, as bravely as I could!

The Buffalo Bill Dam and Reservoir is a must-see-stop if you're coming from the east into Yellowstone!  Don't miss it.

Have A Great Day!  Amy

Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE!

For more information on our trip out west, please check out these posts:

YELLOWSTONE:

Old Faithful

The Grand Prismatic Spring

Firehole Canyon Drive

Fountain Paint Pot, Lake Hotel and Cabins, and Hayden Valley

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

The Yellowstone Caldera, Tower Fall, Calcite Springs, & the Roosevelt Arch

Mammoth Hot Springs

The Golden Gate of Yellowstone, Mud Volcanos and the Fishing Bridge

Nearby Western Towns Not To Be Missed:

Jackson Hole Wyoming

The Grand Tetons:

Mormon Row, Craig Thomas Visitor Center, and Jenny Lake

Mt. Moran, Signal Mountain, Chapel of the Sacred Heart, Jackson Lake Dam, Jackson Lake Lodge, Oxbow Bend, Elk Ranch Flats, and Snake River

 

Serene Shores Sea Breeze Quilt

This winter was probably one of the worst winters of my life.  I was sick for eight weeks, with who knows what.  I never go to the doctor.  It was just a super bad flu that never seemed to want to go away and if it started to go away, then bam, it was back again with different symptoms. I think I spent most of the winter in bed watching tv, which was so discouraging because I actually look forward to winter to unwind from the busy gardening season and do indoor redecorating/home improvement projects and/or craft projects.  I was depressed that my sickness robbed me of that time.  Then my beloved cat Jackson died.  That was one of the most heartbreaking things our family ever went through.  I've rarely experienced such pain in my life.  I've had pets die before of course, but always of old age, so it seemed so much harder to lose a pet so young. I am so ready to put this horrible winter behind me and move on to spring, but as a Wisconsinite, I know that is at least another month away.

Well, eventually my illness did fade away and I was happy to get back to work. I really made up for lost time too! In just a few weeks I managed to finish a quilt, do four scrapbooks, and redecorate my family room, which I've been trying to finish for five years!  I will share the redecorated family room in a later post.  In the meantime, here is the quilt I finished:  a sawtooth star quilt,

Many years ago I used to work for JoAnn's Fabrics and Crafts and employees were allowed to take classes for free.  These classes were pretty expensive, so I was sure to take advantage of them.  The problem was, I took so many classes, that I started quilts, but never finished them before it was time to start another class.  So I ended up with a lot of quilts that sat untouched in my craft room for years.  I therefore made it a goal of mine to try and finish all these quilts, and by golly, I did it! This was the very last quilt that needed to be finish!  So I am done!  It feels like such an accomplishment

The quilt is a sea theme.  There are squares of fabric that have sea scenes on them and then the rest of the fabric is either a coordinating color or a sea-theme related pattern, like seashells or grass you'd see by water.

I showed a quilting friend a photo of my completed quilt and she asked what type of quilt it was.  I really couldn't answer her because I felt the quilt used so many different quilting bocks like a "Sawtooth Star", "Flying Geese" and a "Square in a Square". 

All the detail with the different shapes yet coordinating fabrics make it quite the interesting quilt.

I did the "Stitch in the Ditch" method to finish the quilt.

The border is a lovely sea-themed script.

And since JoAnn's is going out of business, I thought I could include an old photo copy of the pattern for those who are interested.

If you're interested in seeing all the other quilts I finished since my employment at JoAnn's, here are some other posts:

Log Cabin Quilt

T-Shirt Quilt

Bird Quilt

Pinwheel Baby Quilt

 Have A Great Day!  Amy

Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE!

How To See The Grand Tetons In A Day: Part Two

This is part eleven of a travel series to Yellowstone and the Grand Teton National Parks.  If you'd like to start at the beginning, go HERE!

Yes, you can see the Grand Teton's in a single day.  In Part One I explained how we traveled the Scenic Loop starting from Jackson Hole.  We stopped at Mormon Row first which is located just outside the park, then we drove into the north entrance of the park and went to the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center, then onto the glorious Jenny Lake.  In this post I will cover the rest of the sites we saw on the scenic loop.

Mt Moran Turnout

Looking at our trusty little map below, we are now past midway of  the top left of the loop. On the loop are many pullovers which show pretty views and points of interests.  There are so many pullovers on this loop, most of which you can see just driving slowly from your vehicle, so we didn't stop at all of them.  

Photo Credit

We did stop at the Mt. Moran overlook which reflects all the geologic forces shaping the Teton Range.  Did you know what makes the Teton so unique compared to other mountain ranges?  There are no foothills!  The mountains just jut up 13,775 feet from the flat plains.  Incredible!

Signal Mountain

Jackson Point Overlook

Continuing our drive south, there is a mountain road on your right called "Signal Mountain Road".  Although a bit scary at times because the road is quite narrow, this is a must-see detour for it gives you higher up views of the Tetons.  You can park in a larger parking lot below and hike up, but driving up is much easier.  Parking on top is limited so many people are forced to hike up, but we were one of the lucky ones and found parking on top.

Signal Mountain Overlook

The views from on top are amazing!  The mountain road climbs 800 feet to give you panoramic views of the Teton Range, Jackson Hole, and Jackson Lake. 

Chapel of the Sacred Heart

There is the cutest, log chapel in the park.  I love old churches, and this one is certainly unique.  I mean, how many churches do you see built out of logs?

The Catholic Chapel still offers weekend services during the summer months. 

There is also another chapel inside the park called the Chapel of the Transfiguration which has a scenic window of the Tetons.  Somehow we missed that one; probably because it's located just inside the south entrance and we entered from the north entrance.  But that one looks really cool too!

              Jackson Lake Dam and Reservoir

At the top of the scenic loop is the Jackson Lake Dam and Reservoir.  From the bridge, you get beautiful views of the lake and Tetons.

There is a path below the parking area where you can walk along the water and get some nice photos of the dam.

Jackson Lake Lodge

Now it was time for a fun little break.  We are at the very top of the southern portion of the scenic loop now, and we actually exited the loop to go to Jackson Lake Lodge.  Prior to our trip I read that the lodge had the best Huckleberry Shakes, so that was the main purpose of our stop.  However, little did I know that the lodge was so much more than milkshakes!  It is an enormous hotel with multiple restaurants and gift shops.

The main lobby is absolutely stunning made with stone and wood accents.

The restaurants offer indoor and outdoor dining with stunning views of the Tetons.

The lobby has huge picture windows also with incredible views of the Tetons.

The restaurants were appealing to all visitors because they offered many different dining options and cuisines for all budgets.  We weren't hungry for lunch as it was still a little early but we did grab our Huckleberry milkshakes and they were incredible!

We got our milkshakes to go and just sat outside and enjoyed the view!

Oxbow Bend Turnout

After our bellies were full with milkshakes, we hit the scenic loop again for our next stop:  Oxbow Turnout.  This was one of my favorite stops, I just loved the view of the river with the Tetons in the background.

Elk Ranch Flats Turnout

Our next stop was Elk Ranch Flats Turnout.  The grassy fields attract elk, pronghorn, and bison, but on this day we saw horses from a private ranch.

Snake River Overlook

Once in the car again we headed north in the direction we came.  We drove past some of the other overlooks as we had actually seen them the day before when driving into Jackson Hole.  We did pull over for this one because you can't see it from the road.  It is located almost to the end of the scenic loop.

The Snake River Overlook was such a disappointment because the trees grew up and covered the view.  Pictured below is how the overlook used to look before the trees grew.

I actually see this a lot in my travels:  overgrown vegetation obstructing once scenic views.  And I have often wondered why they don't cut the vegetation down.  Is it for conservation or budget reasons?  I don't know, but I would prefer them to cut the trees down.

Buffalo Siting!

As we exited the park and were driving back to Jackson Hole for the night, once again we had to stop for buffalo standing in the middle of the road.  This is a common experience in the west, but that's ok because I got some great photos of the buffalo with the Tetons in the background.

I hope you enjoyed our day in the Tetons as much as I did!  Next week, we begin the journey home, but we still had a lot of fun stops driving home too!

Have A Great Day!  Amy

Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE!

For more information on our trip out west, please check out these posts:

YELLOWSTONE:

Old Faithful

The Grand Prismatic Spring

Firehole Canyon Drive

Fountain Paint Pot, Lake Hotel and Cabins, and Hayden Valley

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

The Yellowstone Caldera, Tower Fall, Calcite Springs, & the Roosevelt Arch

Mammoth Hot Springs

The Golden Gate of Yellowstone, Mud Volcanos and the Fishing Bridge

Nearby Western Towns Not To Be Missed:

Jackson Hole Wyoming

The Grand Tetons:

Mormon Row, Craig Thomas Visitor Center, and Jenny Lake