Tesla Model 3 Maiden Voyage - Grand Teton National Park - WY

I had just left the Jackson Supercharger and I could see Grand Teton towering in the distance. It was late fall, and a recent snow covered the peaks even though it was still quite temperate. As I activated autopilot and sped down the highway, I got lost in the scenery. Everything was absolutely breathtaking and I immediately felt a tug of joy on my heart. It is in areas like this that I truly feel at peace. Taking myself out of this daydream, I realized I missed my turn to get to the visitor center and looked for the next point to turn around. All of the sudden rows of cars parked on the side of the road appeared. I got excited as I stopped, knowing that this was the sure sign that there was wildlife close for people to take pictures of.

I jumped out of my car with my camera and ran towards the crowd to see what was going on. To my delight, there were two moose grazing in the distance. I don’t know if I can honestly describe how excited I got. I literally shrieked with glee. I had recently spent a week scrounging Maine just to get a glance at a moose and here were two right away, in one of the most majestic settings that I could think of. I got out and started snapping away to my hearts content, excited to see what the day would bring. As the moose walked on and the crowd cleared, I stayed to get some shots of my car. after a bit, I continued on to see what a hike would bring.

I pulled off of the main drive, onto a random road and headed to a trail. I hadn’t really done any research and was completely calling the shots on the fly, but I liked it that way. About a mile in to the hike, I came upon a stream that seemed like it had come out of a children’s story. The air was filled with the sound of birds chirping and the wind blowing. As I sat near the stream, I couldn’t help but think about how loud nature is when it doesn’t realize you are there. I could hear a bugle in the distance. “Elk,” I thought, but I couldn’t be sure. Instead of hiking further to find out, I returned to my car to find my next adventure.

As I got back on the highway, I saw a sign for a mountain drive. “Yes please,” I whispered to myself. Next thing I knew, I was at the top sitting next to a cell tower. What a weird combination, but I guess they have to go somewhere. I looked out over the vast horizon and taking it in was almost too much. There was just so much beauty to take in. It seemed as if everything went on forever. I needed to show this to my friends, and as this was the only place in the park with service, I facetimed many of them to share the beauty.

I headed off down Highway 89. My end destination was Yellowstone as these two parks are connected. As the sun started to set, Jackson Lake appeared out of nowhere, practically begging me to stop and take some pictures. As I clicked away, I couldn’t help but think about how content I felt. This place really was magical. The air smelled different, the sunsets glowed in a way that just felt different. You could just feel it. The next thing i knew, it was dark so I continued on my way, Yellowstone bound.