Road Trip Day 20- A Teton Sunset

The sunset I experienced at Grand Teton National Park was one of the most memorable of my life. Paul and the kids were back in our cabin trying to get some rest and I had my first moments to myself in about 20 days. Well, not entirely to myself. I did spend way too much quality time with about a million mosquitos. I chose to take in the view from a spot known for moose sightings. While I didn’t see moose I did mange to see a couple beaver, lots of waterfowl, and one of the most amazing sunsets I will ever experience.

If you would like to see more fantastic travel photos check out Delicious Baby’s Photo Friday here.

Road Trip Day 20- Grand Teton National Park- Inspiration Point

It all started with a boat trip across Jenny Lake. First there were sprinkles. Then, just as we picked up full speed the torrent began. Stinging rain hit our faces as we did our best to shield the children. It was freezing and we were soaked. And then, as quickly as it started, it was over. We pulled up to the dock and felt the warmth of the sun dry our hair and bring smiles back to everyone’s faces. We had a climb ahead of us. We were hiking through Cascade Canyon to Hidden Falls.

The scenery was amazing. As we walked up the trail the Tetons seemed to almost be within reach. Maybe if we stretched our arms a little bit further we could just touch them. Their jagged peaks rise above the landscape with such prestige it was hard to keep our eyes on the trail in front of us. The kids seemed to have an extra skip in their step as the wound their way up the side of the mountain. Maybe they knew they were on their way to someplace special.

 

We reached a bridge that crossed a rushing creek and headed towards the sound of falling water. Hidden Falls suddenly appeared into view, truly hidden from the main trail. They were beautiful, the weather was beautiful and we were feeling ambitious. After letting the kids play on some rocks near the falls viewing area, we decided to take a chance and head further up the trail.

 

A few people who were coming back down advised us not to take the trek. They said there was no way a two year old could make it to the top. I said they didn’t know my two year olds. We started the climb, rising a total of 417 feet to Inspiration Point. Yes, it was a big climb but my kids never complained and truly loved every step they took up that trail. Towards the end there were some switch back that weren’t for the faint of heart but we kept our kids on the inside of the trail and they did just fine.

When we reached Inspiration Point, elevation 7200 feet, we were met with a round of applause.  A tour group applauded my kids for making the climb and everyone reached out to give Mari and Ben high fives. I was so proud. I try to never underestimate my children’s abilities. My son, who spent a year in physical therapy, just climbed a mountain. My daughter, loves the outdoors as much as her mom, practically ran up the side of that mountain.

  

We took our time and enjoyed the view. My kids sat on the giant boulders and gazed down at the lake below. They pointed to the tiny dot of a boat that they had cruised in on. Then we said our farewell to Inspiration Point and headed back on down the mountain. That day, my kids were my inspiration. And I think they may have inspired a few others along the way.

If you would like to see more fabulous travel photos check out Delicious Baby’s Photo Friday here.

Things To Do
Jackson

Road Trip Day 20- Sunrise Over Yellowstone

Sunrise in Yellowstone is truly a special time. The animals are active, the lighting is gorgeous, and the people are scarce. Dawn is a great time to enjoy the beauty of our nation’s first National Park. These pictures were taken by my husband, Paul, at dawn in Yellowstone.

 

Check out more amazing travel photos at Delicious Baby’s Photo Friday here.

Road Trip Day 19- Geysers and Wildlife

If there is one thing that Yellowstone is known for, its geysers. There is more geothermal activity in Yellowstone than anywhere else on the planet. Just gazing out across Lake Yellowstone, it isn’t hard to find steam rising from hotspots along the shore.

Any first visit to Yellowstone must include a trip to see Old Faithful. Not because it is the biggest or most amazing geothermal spectacle in Yellowstone, but because it an American right of passage.  Yes, its crowded and a bit of a let down in all honesty, but I still think it is an important part of the Yellowstone experience.  Personally, I enjoyed watching the geyser while gazing out of one of the giant windows of the Yellowstone Snow Lodge from the comfort of a cushioned chair. This experience is elevated even further with a chocolate ice cream cone from the cafeteria in hand.

There is so much more to Geyser Basin than Old Faithful. The region is filled with bubbling pools and exploding geysers. There is a fantastic loop trail that will take you from Old Faithful to Morning Glory Pool and back around through many more geysers, springs, and pools. It is only a mile from Old Faithful to Morning Glory and there are plenty of great things to see along the way. The route to Morning Glory is paved and the route back is boardwalk so if you have little ones who aren’t up for the walk, you can bring your strollers. 

We were lucky enough to stumble upon the eruption of Riverside Geyser, which occurs every 5-6 hours. It was really cool to watch the geyser explode directly into the Firehole River.   Of course there was one member of our family who was much more interested in the gravel than the geyser….

I could not believe the colors in some of the pools. They looked like polished cross sections of beautiful stones. The colors are caused by algae who can live in certain water temperatures.

Another great geothermal experience is the bubbling mud pots. There is something about the gurgling and spurting of hot mud that entrances me.  It even managed to hold the attention of two rambunctious two year olds for a few minutes.

We couldn’t end our day without another visit to the Hayden Valley. It is truly a magical place filled with amazing beauty and spectacular wildlife. I highly encourage you to plan your visits to this special place to coincide with either sunrise or sunset when the animals are most active. You'll have the perfect lighting to get those shots for your next Christmas card or to put on photo mugs as a keepsake.

On our trip back to the Lake Yellowstone Hotel, where we were staying, we saw a bunch of cars pulled over to the side of the road. Bear! People were creeping through the woods, cameras in tow, trying to get a closer look. I used my camera’s zoom to get a better view and was surprised by what I saw. The bear had looked small and thus appeared to be a black bear but on closer inspection, it was a juvenile grizzly!  This was my cue to get back in the car. Wherever a little grizzly is, a mamma is sure to be close by. Grizzly bears are much more aggressive than black bears and I was not about to be in the middle of a mother grizzly and her little one. I hope  nobody else was either…

If you would like to see more great travel photos, check out Delicious Baby’s Photo Friday here.

Things To Do
Yellowstone National Park

Road Trip Day 18- Tower-Roosevelt and Canyon, Yellowstone NP

There is nothing quite like waking up in Yellowstone National Park. It is invigorating to walk outside, smell the fresh mountain air, and know that there is an entire national park just waiting to be explored. Due to the size and scope of Yellowstone, its not hard to believe a family could spend months in the park and see something new and amazing every single day. Unfortunately, we only had three days so had to make the best of our time.

Our day began with water and canyons. We drove through the Tower-Roosevelt region, trying our best to take in the vast scenery that dominated our windshield. We paused at roadside overlooks and gazed at water plunging further into the landscape.  Everything was so big, so perfect, so much more than I could have ever dreamed.

As we drove towards the Roosevelt Lodge (we had scheduled a stagecoach tour at their stables), we saw a bunch of cars pulled over to the side of the road. In true lemming fashion, we pulled over and started searching the  roadside in hopes of seeing something special. Suddenly something dark started moving in the grass. It was a black bear! We excitedly pointed the animal out to our kids from the safety of our car. After a couple minutes of watching and picture taking, we noticed something else moving in the grass. Out popped two little cubs! Adorable doesn't even begin to describe those precious little babies. Seeing the mamma bear and her little ones was the highlight of our wildlife encounters for the entire 24 day trip.

After mamma and twins retreated back up into the cover of the forest we headed on over to the stables to wait for our stagecoach ride. Back in Vancouver I had promised Mari that Daddy would take her on a horse when he joined us and she had not forgotten. As a matter of fact, she had reminded me every day. As we quickly found out, there is no place in Yellowstone where kids under age 7 can ride horses. Luckily there is a stagecoach ride that all ages can be a participate in. The stagecoaches are accurate reproductions of those that came through Yellowstone back in the 1800s. It was fun to ride out into the sagebrush and pretend like we were coming out west for the first time. We even had our first bison sighting while out on our ride. I can't imagine a better way to see the bison of Yellowstone than on an Old West stagecoach.

After our ride (which fully satisfied Mari's desires to "ride" a horse) we headed towards the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. By this time the kids were tired and passed out in the car so Paul and I took turns hiking down the steep (but paved)  trail which lead to the brink of Lower Falls. The view from the edge of the falls was overwhelming. Jut peering over the rails and into all that water 300 feet below gave me the chills. The Yellowstone River seems to just plunge into an abyss.

People were not the only visitors of these amazing falls. Giant bugs hovered around the brink of the waterfall like idol worshippers. It was completely bizarre. I had never seen insects like these before and even after a bit of online research, I still have no idea what kind of bugs they are or why they are there. If anyone has any info, please share. I am dying to know more!

We ended our day with a drive through the Hayden Valley. It was one of the most picturesque spots I have ever been in my life. The valley is filled with rivers, meadows, and pockets of forest, all teeming with wildlife. If I were a bison, I would most certainly want to live here. We decided that we would certainly have to return to the valley the next day around sunset so we could further enjoy its wildlife and beauty. Until next time, here are a few shots we got that first day, with many more to come.

        

If you would like to see more fantastic travel photos, check out Delicious Baby's photo Friday here.

Things To Do
Yellowstone National Park

Road Trip Day 17- Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone NP

 

"For the benefit and enjoyment of the people". These are the words that we drove under as we entered Yellowstone National Park. These are the words that I had been hoping to see in person for more years than I can count. Yellowstone is our country's first National Park and one of the greatest. We had finally arrived (and with Daddy who had flown in for the occasion!)  and we were excited to be spending the next few days in a land of geysers, canyons, water, and wildlife.

Our first stop on our tour of Yellowstone was Mammoth Hot Springs. We threw our suitcases in our cabin  and walked down the street to the hot springs.  It's hard to miss the stark white and rust colored  hill as it stands out amongst  the wooded mountainside. It has its own kind of beauty. A beauty that reeks of sulfur and could scald the skin off your leg. It looked a bit to me like some sort of ancient and miniature Grecian city.

The white crust is fragile and incredibly thin in some places so the park system has constructed  a system of boardwalks around the hot springs to avoid damage and accidental burns. My kids loved running down the planks from viewpoint to viewpoint and climbing up the wooden steps to see what unimaginable scene was next.

 

  The view from the top was amazing. The hot springs reminded me of an infinity pool filled with boiling hot sulfurous water and a million dollar view. The hot springs are still very active and growing all the time. Trees can sometimes become casualties of their growth.

One of the more famous landmarks in the Mammoth Hot Springs area is Liberty Cap, a dormant geyser. My kids must have thought it was pretty cool because taking a picture in front of Liberty Cap quickly became a race to keep them out of the restricted area near Liberty Cap.

By the time we had finished our tour of the hot springs afternoon was slipping away into evening and dinner at the Mammoth Hot Springs Dining Room was calling. We had two full days of exploring the park ahead of us and were about to experience more beauty than we could have ever expected.

If you would like to see more fabulous travel photos check out Delicious Baby's Photo Friday here.

Things To Do
Yellowstone National Park