Day 7: The weather app

My alarm clock goes off at 4 o'clock in the morning. And like clockwork, I grab my phone and check the weather forecast for Grand Teton National Park. And sure enough, clear skies are predicted.

25 minutes later, I'm sitting in my car in the dark, hoping that no moose is sleepwalking on the road. The hour and a half drive passes without any animal encounters, and of course, the traffic is pretty sparse. When I arrive at the sign, there are already a few early risers with me, and I join them for a photo. This time with mountains in the background.

Where there was no visibility yesterday, the mountains shine in all their glory today, despite some clouds. The sunrise makes the peaks appear golden, and a photo of it will always be one of my favorites.

And even though there is still some haze, the many lookout points are a true spectacle compared to yesterday. The park has also filled up quite a bit since then, I'm not the only one who got up so early. A few stations further is the entrance to the park, which also costs money. It's great that you could have a great view of the mountains before without paying.

I ask at the ticket booth if I could buy an America the Beautiful annual pass for the national parks, taking into account my entry into Petrified Forest National Park. It's not a problem, and she deducts $25 from the $80, so I pay $55. It's worth it for three national parks, and I'll probably visit four in total.

At the various stations where you have a good view of the mountains, more and more people are waiting to see if any clouds clear. And occasionally, they do, so the scenery is constantly changing. I spend a total of 4 hours in this wonderful nature and can't take my eyes off the combination of mountains and forests. Pictures can only partially capture this.

At 10:00 a.m., I finally set off on the long journey to my next accommodation, which is now 150 km further away than planned. Plus the 150 this morning and the loop in the park, that's over 700 km I'm covering today. That's a lot even for me. So I drive back to Pine Dale and from there further south. At first, the landscape is still the same as on the way there, until it becomes much hillier and less straight.

Shortly before the border crossing into Utah, Wyoming is completely different from the journey there. And there are constantly snow-capped mountain ranges in the background. Since I'm very tired, I make a brief stop at a Walmart and let an older American enlighten me about beef turkey. It's incredibly funny. He can't stand all the new flavors like teriyaki or lime. It has to be plain.

I ask a saleswoman where they have their sushi, and she makes a face. Sushi from Walmart - that can't be serious, the way it tastes. She recommends a store in town. That's what I call identification with the employer.

In a good mood and not so tired anymore, I set off on the last 200 km. And the landscape is especially beautiful. Large plains alternate with forests and hills. The vegetation here is very lush, in contrast to the red rocks that often represent Utah.

Shortly before my destination, on a stretch with smaller hairpin bends downhill, a police car follows me and turns on the siren. The first time ever. I'm not aware of any wrongdoing, and the nice sheriff explains to me that I was speeding. I don't quite understand - my GPS shows 55. I'm not aware of any wrongdoing, and the nice sheriff explains to me that I was speeding. I don't quite understand, I don't quite understand. My GPS shows 55 on the map, and I wasn't going any faster. Unfortunately, it's actually 40. I couldn't remember the sign, but since there were several later and my GPS persistently shows a 55 speed limit, that's very unfortunate.

He advises me not to rely on the GPS, as it is often inaccurate. Thank you very much. I don't have to pay the fine right away, I do it online after five days using a code. I'm afraid it's going to be expensive.

That kind of spoiled this great day for me a little, because I never generally drive too fast here, but in the end, I can't change anything. My motel is also pretty run down, so I decide to avoid the town of Vernal entirely in the future. Although - the policeman was nice. And at least he knew my birthplace, Stuttgart. But I still got a ticket. And my life was enriched by a new experience: being chased by the US police.