Travel: Grand Teton National Park

 

Grand Teton National Park is located in northwest Wyoming, just south of Yellowstone National Park. Uploaded by wallpaper-s.org.

In this roughly 40-mile long range of the Rockies, you’ll see nine peaks over 12,000 feet high, the highest being (no surprise) Grand Teton at 13,770 feet. They aren’t the tallest, but they rise without foothills and are some of America’s most scenic mountains.

The area became a national park in 1929. The park covers 484 square miles of land and water, and like most of the national parks in the western U.S., is a haven for sports enthusiasts. It’s located in northwest Wyoming, just south of Yellowstone National Park (Great American Things, December 28, 2009).

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There’s biking, boating, camping… cross-country skiing, fishing, hiking… climbing, rafting, and snowmobiling. You can get a guide to show you the best places to fish. If you enjoy birdwatching, this is an especially diverse habitat for birds, with more than 300 species present. And there are more than 200 miles of hiking trails within the park as well.

By the way, it’s likely that the name “Tetons” was given the mountains by some lonely French trappers. Tetons means “breasts” in French…

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Travel: Blue Ridge Parkway

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Now, this is what a stimulus project is supposed to be. Authorized by Congress during the Great Depression, much of the early work on the Blue Ridge Parkway was completed by New Deal Agencies. The Works Progress Administration, the Emergency Relief Administration, and the Civilian Conservation Corps all took part in construction and landscaping.

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Although the work began in 1935, the full 469 miles weren’t completed for 52 years. The last stretch to be finished was near Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina. Now the Parkway takes you from the southern end of the Skyline Drive through Virginia and North Carolina to Cherokee in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Or at least, you can drive the full route in warmer months. Because of the altitude and frequent ice and snow, much of the Parkway is closed for extended periods during the winter.

Dogwoods and wildflowers bring the roadside to life in spring, but the most popular time of year, of course, is fall. One of the most beautiful and inspiring outings a family can enjoy is a drive along the Parkway to view the breathtaking fall colors. From late September through early November, this National Park Service property is more than a Great American Thing; it’s a national treasure.