Crown Jewels of the Rockies

Just south of Yellowstone lies Grand Teton National Park, home of the eponymous Grand Teton mountain and its companions in the Teton Range. The Grand Tetons are exactly what you expect the Rocky Mountains to look like -- steep, jagged, snow-capped peaks of exposed rock. For this reason, the Tetons are referred to as the crown jewels of the Rocky Mountains.

Ironically, for such a beautiful national park, there isn't a heck of a lot to do, at least compared with its immediate neighbor to the north. Jackson Lake offers great opportunities for boating while looking at the mountains. The park road through the valley known as Jackson Hole offers great opportunities for looking at the mountains. There are campsites where you can set up tents while looking at the mountains. As for hiking, the steep, exposed nature of the peaks makes trekking without specialized equipment highly inadvisable. So, drive through, gawk, bask -- they are gorgeous, don't get me wrong -- and make your way onto the next thing.

For my Grand Teton photo album, click here.