The Wyoming Adventure Day 7

Day 7 began nice and easy. We slept in for a bit and then did the tourist thing in Jackson during the morning hours. Looked through the local shops, bought some t-shirts, and of course, took a picture of the Elk antler arches at the town square. No trip to Jackson is complete without them.

Antler Arch

After about 2 hours of this, we got board so we headed out to see what wildlife we could see. First stop was at the National Elk Refuge where we got to see a lot of… no not Elk, Ducks and Swans. Go figure. 🙂

Swans

From there we headed out to Antelope Flats where we ran into a herd of… no, not Antelope, Pronghorn. Apparently, even through they are sometimes called Pronghorn Antelope, they are not really a true Antelope. At least they were kind enough to pose between us and the mountains for a nice shot.

Pronghorn and Teton

Pronghorn

From there we continued on, looking for Elk, Moose, or maybe a Bear, when we ran into (not literally) a herd of Bison. Did you know that true “Buffalo” are native only to Africa and Asia and what we have in North America are actually Bison? They are distinctly different animals. So, I guess he should have been called Bison Bill, though it doesn’t quite have the same ring to it.

Anyway, we stopped along the road to watch them graze, and before you know it, they had actually grazed right up to us. The herd then split and went around our car, surrounding us. They were about 10 yards away when I remembered being told by one of the Park Rangers that more people are killed by Bison attacks here than by Bears. Great! At least I have a rental car to hide in if they start to charge.

Big Bison

Bison Call

While some of the moms in the group kept a close watch on us, we just stayed calm and kept shooting pictures and everyone went home happy. But if you ever want to know what it’s like to stare down a 2000 pound Bison at a distance of about 10 yards, either Karen or I can tell you.

Bison and Calf

Bison Head

As we were returning back to town to enjoy a long awaited steak dinner at the Million Dollar Steak House, I had to grab one more shot of the giant peak! I love that mountain. It’s just hard to pass it by without taking a shot at it. Add on the fact that the Aspens have started to change this week and it makes the mountain even more irresistible.

Teton and Aspens

Tomorrow we leave Jackson and head home. While we have really enjoyed our visit and are continually awed by the wonder of God’s creation, we must always remember that it is the Creator and not the creation that deserves all the glory and honor.
Until next time…