Greetings from the Teton Valley!

After a week of driving from Alaska, we've made it to our new "home" safe and sound! It's amazing how tired we are, even though we sat for most of the journey. I'll just blame that on the time change. In Alaska we were one hour behind Seattle and now we are one hour ahead. As fun as it is to refer to ourselves as "time travelers," this wreaks havoc on our sense of when to do things and call people. I know we'll adjust again soon, but for now it's a practice of constantly checking the clock.

Here's a visual of our travels so far according to our satellite tracker

The journey down the Alcan was just as fun as when we drove up, although there were a lot less people on the road. Many of the stores and camp sites have either closed for the season or are about to. This made finding gas interesting. Here are a few pictures of animals we saw who couldn't care less when it's tourist season or not.

A herd of bison lounging at the side of the road

Just snoozing in the sun... look at those horns!! Ouch!

 A young male elk

 Mountain goats with babies

Caribou. Do you know what the difference between a reindeer and a caribou is? Reindeer are domesticated.

Big Horn Sheep

Black bears- so many black bears!

This Grizzly Bear was eating plants by the side of the road and stopped to pose for pictures. ;-)

 What a ham, right!?

Needless it say, it was pretty amazing. We drove through Yukon, British Columbia, and Alberta. Before leaving Canada, we drove through Jasper, Banff, Yoho, and Kootenay National Parks and stopped a few times to marvel at the scenery. "Train ride through the Canadian Rockies" has now been added to our ever-changing joint bucket list. It was so beautiful!

After crossing the border into Idaho, we visited family and then headed to our new "home" in the Teton Valley, which is right between Idaho and Wyoming. The mountains along the road gave way to red rocks and brush, which gave way to plains and hills. The climate became drier and the scenery more "western." We started seeing signs that told us we were on the "Nez Perce Trail," "The Sacajawea Scenic Byway," and the "Lewis and Clark Trail"- all opportunities for living history lessons.

After reaching our destination, I can confidently say that the Instagram pictures will be a little different than the one's you saw from Alaska. For example, there are vast fields of cows, and ranches everywhere. I also noticed a drive-in theater with a giant potato in front of it... I mean, how could I NOT get a shot of that at some point?!

For now, though, we've mostly been getting settled and have been focusing on reestablishing our routine. This leg has only begun, so if you have any tips for must-see places in and around the Teton Valley, Jackson Hole, The Grand Tetons, and Yellowstone areas- let me know! And if you happen to know Harrison Ford, tell him we're in the neighborhood....in case he ever needs to borrow a cup of sugar or something. Hey, it could happen! ;-)

Happy first week of Autumn!

- Jen