Part 6: the last part of my dream trip, then back to civilization in Salt Lake City

The raft trip on the Snake River was nice, but because it was still spring chilly, I chose not to go on the white water section. As you can see from the rafts pictured above, we didn't even paddle ourselves; our guide used oars to paddle us down a short section of the river.

Next time I'll go on the white water part or else rent a kayak! Or do both!! I did notice that Western water is more powerful and swifter than Eastern. Probably from all of the snow and ice melting up in the mountains and gushing downward.

I sat at the end of the raft. The cottonwoods are those light green, airy-looking trees that you see behind me.

Lots of cottnwoods lined the river banks, and I saw my first lovely lupine when we stopped for lunch. The guide said that if we came back in autumn (late August/early September in Wyoming!) that we would get to see the cottonwoods turn that bright beautiful yellow. Later in a meadow at Jenny Lake in the Grand Tetons National Park (GTNP), I got to see even more lupine.

Me--taking my first selfie--at Jenny Lake!

Just found these images on the net--apparently, cottonwoods in contrast to aspen have these dark trunks and branches. Like the birches up in New England, the apen have the white branches. Both are rather dramatic shows of autumn color. By the way, I love trees and mountains and rivers and autumn! Just saying!

After my voyage down the Snake River and some more hiking at Jenny Lake in the GTNP, the next day I headed to Salt Lake City to catch my plane home. The drive, mostly through Wyoming, some a bit west into Idaho, and then into Utah, was even prettier than my first-day drive through Idaho into Montana.

Primarily, I drove through several national forests with mountains and many creeks and rivers and lakes but occasionally, there would pop up these "little" towns--like Etna, WY, population 163, or Thayne, WY, population 147. I also could see evidence that many of these roads that I was on in late May would be closed in the winter when the snows came, which I figured was prety much from September through April here in Wyoming. I'm betting these people really love their springs and summers.

One of the best surprises awaiting me in Salt Lake City was my hotel--the Little American Hotel. After staying at the Best Western in West Yellowstone, Montana, and the very modern but very small and somewhat expensive Motel 6 in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, I was in for quite a treat!

It was there in the hotel dining room that I also had the best dinner of my whole trip--fresh river trout, sweet potato cassarole, fresh green beans and salad, and yeast rolls. Yum, yum, I can still taste it all!

Like many of the bigger cities in Utah and Wyoming and Idaho, Salt Lake City is surrounded by mountains,which I could see from my hotel. The next morning before heading to the airport, I went to see the Mormon Temple at Mormon Square, quite close to my hotel. Wish I had had a few more hours to explore that area, which is an amazing man-made sacred shrine to God.

But lovely as it was, the Mormon Temple does not compare to God's creation on this earth--the grandest Grand Teton Mountains! Don't miss seeing them with your own eyes!