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After an overnight stop we went to Rocky Mountain N.P. unfortunately we were not blessed with good weather and had rain & snow - just what you want on your summer holiday. Still we made the most of the time and got a couple of hikes in amongst some rather impressive scenery.
The drive to Breckenridge involved crossing some very high mountain passes and we saw snow again. Breckenridge is a ski resort and an outdoors place in summer, as it was approaching the end of the summer season it was quiet and we rented some mountain bikes for a couple of days. The first ride resulted in a navigation error which saw us above the snow line and wading through very cold streams. Next day we had a great ride past old mines and on the route of an old railway, finishing with a very long single track descent back to town - great fun.
Heading off to Grand Teton N.P., with an overnight stop on the way, saw us passing through a varied landscape, from big mountains to wide open rolling plains. The nearest town to the park is Jackson Hole which is popular with the likes of Harrison Ford and has some very expensive shops along with an old time feel. The Tetons are a rugged range of mountains and we went for a couple of hikes and saw plenty of wildlife both in the mountains and on the adjoining flatter lands.
Yellowstone N.P. is an amazing place, full of surreal landscapes, steam rising from the ground and water shooting and bubbling up all over the place. Old Faithful may be the most well known geyser but there are many more equally dramatic features. But it was cold, we had snow and below freezing temperatures as well as a reasonable amount of sunshine.
We drove back to Jackson Hole and flew on a tiny airplane to Denver for the flight home. It was a very different trip to what we have done in the past and generally enjoyable, however we came to the conclusion that the 2nd & 3rd weeks of September was too late in the year to go to these places.
Misty Day 
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