Day 14

Ok, I'm finally back on schedule with writing this blog. We were able to sleep in a bit today and the kids spent some time visiting the resident bison that live at this hotel They were even able to pet them... well, the babies anyway.

We had big plans for today that we have been looking forward to this whole trip ~ whitewater river rafting! As you can see, we were successful at meeting this goal, even though we just scheduled it this morning. This photo is from the end of a HUGE rapid we went through. But I'm jumping ahead of myself.

We headed back into Jackson Hole and had lunch at the Wort Restaurant, which is one of the oldest hotels in town. When Brenna's kid's meal was delivered, a woman from the hotel came to us and asked Brenna if she would be a junior sheriff for the town. She said yes and was sworn in right there. She received her badge and a chocolate silver dollar as payment. It was really cute and she loves having a new souvenir.

We then hurried over to Mad River Boat Trips for an 8-mile whitewater trip and dinner. To be honest, I was a bit nervous since I'm not a real strong swimmer and Brenna was nervous as well. We loaded onto the bus and headed down to the launch spot. We were divided into boats and were lucky enough to have really, really nice people on our boat. A family from Kansas City. We got our life-jackets on and loaded into the boat. I headed to the back, Dan and Brenna were in the front and Alex was behind them. We took off and pretty quickly, Brenna fell completely in love with rafting and basically became the hood ornament for the boat, hanging over the front to get soaked. Alex was such a stud on the boat and paddled with the best of them!

I soon relaxed and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Our guide was awesome and let us try lots of fun things. Everyone jumped overboard and floated for a wee bit... and by everyone I mean, not me! But Brenna was the first in and loved it. Since I hadn't jumped in, our guide made sure to turn the boat at the next rapid in order to ensure that I was completely christened with river water. My sinuses are clear, thank you.

We stopped partway and climbed up a hill to a setting with tables and a bbq. As we dropped our life-jackets off, Brenna wasted no time and ran straight to get a cheeseburger, salads, brownies and a drink. It was pretty good but only enhanced by the ability to sit overlooking the river and watching other rafts and kayaks tackle the big rapids. We saw plenty of people pop out of their boats or flip their kayaks, which brought my nerves back.

We got back in the raft and headed for the big rapids. This was the only time that Brenna sat on a seat and had me hold the back of her jacket. It was just a-m-a-z-i-n-g!!! We had so much fun and the biggest smiles on our faces.

It ended all too soon and we have all decided that another rafting trip is on our list! The people we rafted with had a waterproof camera and took pictures of us saying they would send them to us so hopefully they don't lose our address!

We start heading home in the morning. We're going to hit part of Idaho just to say we did... not sure where we will end up Friday night but if there is WiFi, I'll update this blog.

Day 13

This is being written the day after but..... I was just too tired when we finally landed to write.

Wednesday saw us leaving Montana and entering Yellowstone for the third day. We were lucky enough to be camping at the edge of the campground and awoke to a herd of horses right next to us. It was so pretty to see all these horses on the hill with miles and miles of beautiful scenery behind them. The kids had a great time petting and feeding them.

Today our plan was to cover the lower part of Yellowstone and head out to the Grand Tetons. We pulled over on many side roads and saw incredible geysers, paint pots, etc. It is just impossible to describe everything we saw and give it proper justice. The colors and sights are just unbelievable.

We also fell in love with the funniest sign and Alex requested that I post it here for your enjoyment. We especially love the dad who is completely oblivious to his children... hmmm, please notice it's not a mom....

We eventually made it to Old Faithful. Of course, as we pulled in there was a huge crowd leaving so we knew that we had just missed the eruption. No problem. It was 2:00 and we still hadn't eaten yet so it gave us a chance to pick up some really great sandwiches and picnic near Old Faithful. It was a cloudy, rainy day so the impact of Old Faithful doesn't show up as well in photos as it does against a blue sky. Still, we thoroughly enjoyed it.

It was also a great chance to observe human expectations now ~ we are such an instant gratification society that when it didn't erupt exactly at the predicted time, people started grumbling. Like someone is flipping a switch or something! Anyway, on to the Grand Tetons.

On our way out of Yellowstone we crossed the Continental Divide three times. But we were too tired to stop, get out, pose and take pictures next to the sign. But I did get pictures of complete strangers next to it!

The Grand Tetons are just spectacular. What an amazing range of mountains that look like they just erupted out of the earth. Still covered with snow, they are a sharp, dramatic range overlooking meadows and lakes. The rain started again and gave us some beautiful images. We checked a few places there for lodging but didn't find anything that really suited us. We pushed onto Jackson Hole...

Remember the 'loose' trip that this is? Well, we hit Jackson Hole and there was NO WHERE to stay. No where. Not even the gross, scary places. We headed to campgrounds... booked. Headed out farther. No vacancy. By this time it was getting pretty late. The kids were starting to stress and we were a little... We continued heading out through the canyon towards Alpine. Found a cute place that said Vacancy... phew. Nope, we need two nights and they only have one. She was nice enough to direct us to another place, much farther down the road. We booked it sight unseen, with me worried to death that they might also be renting rooms by the hour... kidding. Anyway, we finally find it ~ the Wolves Den. By now it's after 9:00. Turns out to be a great place. New, big rooms and very, very clean. We all are thankful for a hot shower and big comfy beds. Ahhhhh.

Day 12

Today began with breakfast at the campsite and then we headed back into Yellowstone. This time we were heading north towards the Mammoth Hot Springs area.

Again, stinky but the colors and formations are so beautiful (Alex demonstrates 'stinky' above). We spent a lot of time hiking here, checking everything out. It still amazes me how these dramatic landscapes butt up against soft meadows of yellow, purple and pink wildflowers. You'll see delicate yellow daisies growing alongside this white sulfur material that looks like snow or a moonscape.

This journey has made all of us appreciate the intricacies and immense power of nature. Despite the many hours spent in the car, the kids keep telling us how much they are enjoying this trip. And notice Brenna's new pink cowgirl hat. She loves it!

After spending time at the hot springs, we headed over to the visitors center and lunch! Actually decent food and very reasonable prices. Seems like when the park system is running it, as opposed to big hotels, they are more realistic about prices ~ kind of surprising but very much welcomed! And lunch of course finished with huckleberry ice cream. Yummmm!

It was neat to view the hot springs from this new location, lower than the springs and to see how it causes formations over the sides. We then headed South, towards the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and had a chance to check out all the falls. Everywhere you turn here is beautiful. We found a huge geode that had split in half with crystals in it but being the good citizens that we are (and the fact that it was pretty darn big and a ranger was nearby) Dan and the kids took it to the ranger who said they will display it in the station/visitors center. So there you go, we are now part of Yellowstone's history. Trying to get it out would have required Dan looking like the second pregnant man so it wasn't worth it!

We crossed west again, heading back to the campsite. Dan has done all the driving and was feeling pretty tired at this point. We saw more wildlife on the way back and stopped for pizza in town before stopping for the night.

So far we have seen the lower west side, upper loop and east side. Tomorrow will be our third day in Yellowstone and the day we head towards Old Faithful and the Grand Tetons.

Day 11

Monday began our journey into Yellowstone. Prior to this opportunity, Dan and I never thought we'd get to Yellowstone so we are very excited!

We started our day with all-you-can-eat pancakes at the KOA, one last jump on the jumping pillow and said goodbye to the most incredible cabin... for a KOA.

First stop was the Buffalo Bill Dam. Wow. We were able to walk over the dam and looking towards the 'lake' side was good, looking over the dam edge made me nauseous... still does just thinking of it. Blah! Nice visitors center, took pictures and hit the road.

There is a huge fire at this entrance to Yellowstone and traffic was down to one escorted lane, alternating with the opposing traffic. We were actually close enough to see huge flames and after the fire we had back home last year, this made Brenna nervous. They have made a huge effort in Yellowstone to talk about the fire that occurred in 1988 and how much stronger it makes the forest, naturally reseeding itself. There had also been a neat exhibit in the Bill Cody Museum, including the smell of smoke. Now Brenna is a bit obsessed with it, wanting to learn more and writing notes of thanks to the firefighters that she wants to deliver. This is much better than the fear she had for a while.

We hit Yellowstone Lake and were rightly impressed. And surprised to see seagulls... although I guess that would make them 'lakegulls'?

As we traveled we saw a bison here and there (and sometimes really close!), which was exciting and then a herd of a hundred or so bison. It's amazing to me how stupid people can be and how close they try to get to a HUGE wild animal. While the bison looks sleepy and slow, it can actually run 37 MPH, which is faster than I can run! But as we learned, you don't need to outrun the wild animal, just the guy next to you!

One of the most incredible spots we visited was Dragon's Mouth Spring. This is an area with mudpots and sulfur springs. Very awe-inspiring and VERY stinky! But this particular spring was amazing and it's name suits it very well. You can hear the boiling water churning and roaring within this cavern with steam pouring out of it.

We then ventured farther north and visited the Lower Falls of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. It was so pretty! We are planning on hitting the rest of this area tomorrow.

We headed west towards West Yellowstone where we were staying. Along the way we saw Elk, Canadian Geese, more bison, etc. Beautiful hot springs from the roadside caused us to stop several times but we pushed on.

And into ANOTHER state ~ Montana. It was so crowded and a bit pricey but cute. We camped at... the KOA, which was a bit disappointing. They had messed up our reservation and it was really crowded but we weren't spending that much time there so it was all fine. The view from our site was spectacular and the stars at night... amazing. I understand why they call Montana 'Big Sky Country'.

Day 10

This is being written many days after the fact so I'll do the best that I can....

We left Greybull and headed to Cody. It is such a nice town! We enjoyed a great breakfast and were tempted by their huckleberry muffins. Too bad they were all out..BUT, they did have them at the buffet, which Brenna was eating. The waitress told us to have Brenna grab them there and give them to us... so much better when what you're planning to do is endorsed by an employee! Yummy muffins. Turns out that huckleberries are a big deal here ~ you see them in ice cream, chocolate, etc.

We headed off to the Bill Cody Museum, which consists of 5 separate museums. It is such a well done museum. Great displays, information and activities. Our favorite was the wildlife museum which included a 'passport' program for kids which Brenna loved. The Indian museum also consisted of great methods of displaying and communicating the material, very interactive. After the museum, we decided we'd start looking for a place to stay (remember, loose trip). We were shocked at the prices we were coming across and decided we'd check the local KOA again. Turns out to be the best decision. We got a 'bunkhouse' for about 1/3 of the price of a Comfort Inn room and it consisted of a living room, kitchen, table, bunk beds, bedroom, and bathroom. Now, for those for you unfamiliar with KOA's this is unheard of luxury. Plus, it was brand new. There were 2 pools, jacuzzi, a 'jumping pillow' (basically a huge inflated pillow/trampoline in the ground that Alex now thinks we need at home), etc. Plus, an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast for $2!

We ran back into town to go to a special store ~ "Because of Brenna" but it wasn't open on Sundays. We did manage to take a family photo... at an old-fashioned photo store. We all got dressed up and had a lot of fun. Then we headed back to our 'bunkhouse' to make dinner, swim and watch a movie. It was a great evening!

Day 9

Today was the first day of the second half of our adventure. We loaded up the camper and headed northwest towards Thermopolis, WY. This city is home to the world's largest mineral hot springs and we were really looking forward to a good soaking.

As I said before, this is the 'loosest' vacation we've ever done which means, we basically are stopping when we see an interesting place. Well, Thermopolis looked interesting and we 'assumed' (I know, I know) that we'd be able to get a cheap hotel easy. Wrong! This weekend is rodeo weekend in Thermopolis and there was no room at the inn. We have learned this past week that rodeo is a huge event in Wyoming. We drove through another small town and everyone was heading to a rodeo there.

But before leaving, we decided to check out the Wyoming Dinosaur Center. We got there with less than an hour before closing. We walked into a large gift store section, saw the prices for the museum and sent Dan & Brenna in for a look. Being the Scot that I am, as soon as I realized that I could still see the dinosaurs through an large opening, there was no way I was spending $16! Brenna LOVED it!

We set off again heading north and finally reached Greybull, WY. We found a KOA with a Kamping Kabin (like we stayed in when we visited Laramie) so we're staying here for the night. Since we are heading to Cody in the morning, it's just too much work to set up the tent, etc. These Kabins are perfect, there is a pool and I was also able to do a load of laundry. This is one of the nicest KOA's that we've stayed at over the years. It even has a nice restaurant, which could be helpful but it closed just before we were ready to eat. Anyway, if you're passing through Greybull and interested in camping this is a nice place.

Well, except for the siren that goes off at 9:00 p.m. The story they told us is that it is an old curfew and is now is use for the volunteer firefighters. They say the average age of their firefighters is 78 so they use it to test their hearing. If they can hear the siren, they can stay, otherwise...

Speaking of fire, we smelled smoke and now have learned that there is a fire in Yellowstone, at the entrance we are planning on using. We just checked the news updates and they have reopened the road but there are certain areas that you cannot stop in right now. I'm sure it will all work out fine!

Again, really neat scenery. Farmlands running right up against volcanic upshoots. WOW. We passed through an amazing canyon that is an Indian reservation. A river ran next to the road and a train track ran along the other side of the river. They posted signs along the road that described the age of the rock formations.

Too bad our kids were more interested in looking for roadkill... Actually, they are really enjoying everything but still, they are weirdly interested in animals that have met car bumpers. What can I say... they are Dan's kids!

Tomorrow we head to Cody to explore the Wild West and Yellowstone Park on Monday. Not sure where we are staying but as usual, we're looking for pools and WiFi!

Day 8

This posting will be short and sweet... well, 'sweet' probably isn't the word...

Friday was spent playing 3 softball games. The first game was early and the outcome wasn't great. This dropped us down into the 'losers' bracket and any subsequent loss would eliminate us from the tournament. Who do we end up playing against? The team we lost to on Thursday. We were so proud of the girls ~ they came out swinging and scored 5 runs in the first inning! The tide started turning towards the end of the game and the other team started coming back... this was followed by some major drama, wrongly so, which made the game even more dramatic. Long story short, our team won!

This lead to a game at 7:00 p.m. Again, a team we had played before! Good and bad news ~ we lost the game. Hate to lose but it means we can start heading up to Yellowstone.

Cheyenne has been really wonderful. We met some really nice people, the girls made friends with several teams, and we had some fun adventures. We're anxious to see what the other parts of Wyoming look like. I'm not sure what internet availability we will have so I will try to post as often as I can (as I'm sure reading this has become an important part of your daily life ~ha ha!)

So bring on the second part of the Adventure!