Our journey to
Grand Teton and Yellowstone, Wyoming, USA with Gather Away
Gather Away focuses
on private, guided tours and offers a uniquely personalised way to explore the Greater
Yellowstone ecosystem with its most awe-inspiring landscapes and diverse
wildlife, venturing into untouched corners. Their highly experienced guides
take guests off the beaten track to discover Grand Teton and Yellowstone Parks
in a way that few others experience. Curated dining and specialist scopes, binos
and additional equipment all enhance the overall experience in this stunningly
beautiful area.
Jackson is
a great base for exploring the Great Teton NP, with its superb wildlife (the best place to see moose)
bison, elk, grizzly bears, mule deer, foxes, badgers and a multitude of birds. Our highlight was taking a walk off the
beaten track, pure serenity in the mountains. Grand Teton is perfect for those
looking for action; drift down or raft the Snake River, horse ride, hike, cycle
or visit a rodeo as well as offering the best hotels and restaurants in this
region.
We continued on
to Yellowstone NP which is a staggering 2.2 million acres in size and was
the first National Park in the World, created in 1872.
We recommend
spending at least 2 nights in Yellowstone.
Many people only come for a day, however this is generally 12 ++ hours,
often arriving after the wildlife has already disappeared into the cooler
forested areas. By travelling with
Gather Away and a private guide, we were able to be right in the wildlife
action in the early mornings and evenings and find serene spots away from the
road. Gather Away provided a delicious
packed breakfast so that we could be in the key areas when the wildlife was
most active, such a game changer.
Consider
staying for longer in this area with 2 days in Teton and 4 days in Yellowstone –
which allows for wildlife viewing, as well as time to visit the world famous
geysers and hot springs. You could easily stay longer in either. By far our favourite spot was the Lemar
Valley (so called Serengeti of Yellowstone), stunningly beautiful and filled
with wildlife as the bison herds reminded us of the great migration of
wildebeest in the Serengeti. We also were very taken with the Hayden
Valley where we saw our first wolves – the Wapiti Lake Pack with two small cubs.
We had so
many bear sightings; grizzlies with young cubs and so many black bears, although
they come in many different colours from cinnamon to brown to jet black. We saw
many coyotes, pronghorns, bison galore, foxes, pine martins, numerous elk (of
course), mountain goats, long-horned sheep, harlequin ducks and a golden eagle feeding
a chick on its nest which was so special.
Armed with a
packed breakfast each day, we were able to depart early to explore before the
crowds descended. We also had fresh, healthy and delicious picnic
lunches. Quite a contrast to a family self drive 7 years ago! Back then,
we had a lovely time but we only saw bison on the road and lots of elk. We visited
the geysers and hot springs but having done both, I can truly say that Gather
Away made an enormous difference with a private guide, curated dining and local
expertise, especially in terms of wildlife viewing.
To book
Gather Away services please contact your UK based Tour Operator or Agent.
For trade information
only, contact Helen Simmans or Sally Brunning
helen@marketing-worldwide.co.uk
www.marketing-worldwide.co.uk