Day 4 -- Salt Lake to West Yellowstone

I am still not sleeping well so I was up and ready to leave by seven. I am still directionally challenged and had to stop off at the Marriott to ask directions back to I-15 North. At my first rest stop, I met a solo travelling woman from Nebraska who wished me godspeed. Once out of Salt Lake, it was a day of slooooow driving. Speed limits averaged 45 mph for most of the day. The drive travelled over the Oregon Trail with many historical markers and towns where populations did not exceed 500 (most were in the 100s). Cool places included Bear Lake (not sure what state I was in at this point...Utah or Idaho?) Also, the really cool small town of Paris. I am pretty sure Paris is in Idaho but then again...

Add to my bucket list: A rafting trip down the Snake River. Jackson, Wyoming is a cool town...way too many people (tourists) so I didn't stop to walk around.

Grand Teton National Park: Loved it!!!! Spent many hours here. At one stop I got out to look at an original ferry across the Snake and the small buildings that are still being used for their original purposes. At the General Store was a woman who is a High School Science teacher in Cedar City and works here during the summers. The place is maintained by the Historical Society of which her mother-in-law is a member. I met a young family from Queen Creek, AZ who drove the five mile, 20 mile per hour trip to the summit behind me. The father offered to take a picture of me at the top. Nice people.

At the end of the Tetons is the beginning of Yellowstone: The park is not as I remember (of course, I was about seven or eight at the time). Yellowstone is a total contrast to Teton. At the Continental Divide a woman from New Jersey offered to take my photo. Just missed Old Faithful show its stuff and didn't want to wait around for another so...back on the road to West Yellowstone MT. On the very slow drive out of the park (and about 50 miles of that), there were a number of accidents serious enough to stop traffic and have the EMT vehicles in attendance. People...slow down!!!

Arrived in West Yellowstone...very nice hotel AND the wi-fi actually works!!! It's been a long day...about eleven hours on the road...I have had dinner and now it's time for bed.

What I learned today: From the Dr. Oz radio show...obese people have smaller brains (true study but didn't write down the source...I was driving you know). The hippocampus will actually get larger if I exercise three times a week for thirty minutes. A larger hippocampus 'may' prevent memory-related diseases in later life.