We started off on Sept. 17 from Salt Lake City and first visited the Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho, with its stark landscapes dominated by lava fields. Then we continued northeast along Rt 20, detouring to Upper and Lower Mesa Falls off Rt 47, before arriving to West Yellowstone. After a side trip to Bozeman, MT along scenic Rt 191, we settled for a 3-day exploration of Yellowstone. Unusually cold weather brought snow to the park and created wonderful winter-like landscapes, at least in the morning and early afternoon hours (not to mention multiple road closures). After that, it was 2 days in the Grand Teton with its snow-covered mountain peaks and splashes of yellow in the valley. We returned to Salt Lake City on very scenic Rt 89, where the snow and early foliage combined for spectacular scenery. Finally, we explored some canyons around the city and Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake.