Chuck, Angie, Lindsey, & Ryland: Family Vacation

We recently went on a family vacation to Jackson and Yellowstone. We spent 3 days in Jackson and 3 days in Montana/Yellowstone. It was wonderful to spend time together and to be able to enjoy nature - rain and all!

We left Thursday, June 18th, as early as we were able to manage. Chuck's truck was filled to overflowing! I'm just glad we didn't lose anything on the way there or back! We drove to the KOA campsite we had reserved in Jackson, WY. Originally, we had reserved a tent site for 3 days, but decided just a few days before we left to upgrade to a cabin - the forecast called for rain each day of our visit. Tents and rain just don't mix! The cabin was a smart choice - it was pouring when we first got into the area! Luckily it wasn't raining at the KOA when we arrived and we were able to get everything unloaded and set-up at our site. The kids were really excited to have bunkbeds and to finally get their "surprises" - I had put together a backpack for each of them with some fun items (binoculars, compasses, fans, flashlights, hats, etc.). The cabin was small, but nice - much nicer than a tent : )

Our cabin - we loved the porch swing!

Lindsey claimed the bottom bunk

The kids loved their bag of surprises ...

Especially the binoculars!

Enjoying the campfire!

Chuck was great! He cooked every meal for us! Yummy camp food!

Ryland LOVED helping to build the fire!

Chuck cooking in the rain - we made good use of his new canopy (his Father's Day gift).

The next day Chuck and I took the kids on their first river rafting trip down the Snake River. Chuck and I had done a white water rafting trip several years ago in Jackson and loved it. Unfortunately, Ryland wasn't old enough to do the rapids so we signed up for a 8-mile scenic trip. The kids were really nervous, especially Ryland - Chuck and Ryland had stopped the day before and watched some rafters go over "lunchcounter (?)" - Ryland said he didn't want to do that until he was 12 : ) I think the scenic trip was a good introduction to rafting for them. We got lucky and didn't have to share the boat, it was just our family and the river guide, Tyler. It was a good day to be on the river - it didn't rain! We were able to see a lot of pelicans, a few hawks, and several bald eagles! We also had lunch on the raft. The kids had a great time, although I think they may be ready next year for the rapids - they kept telling Tyler (the guide) to go over any tiny bits of white water they saw. Tyler was a great guide - he even let Ryland row the raft for a while!

One of several bald eagle we saw!

Ryland especially loved being able to row the raft!

Just look at that smile!

Later that afternoon we took the kids into Jackson to wander through the shops and to watch the shoot-out they have in the town square each day. Ryland wasn't too sure about the loud shooting, but he and Lindsey enjoyed the show.

All of us in front of one of the antler arches in the Jackson town square.

Saturday we spent the day at Grand Teton National Park. We stopped at a ranger station just inside the park and decided to let the kids sign up for the Junior Ranger program. They were given newspapers filled with activities and puzzles that they needed to complete in order to earn their Grand Teton Junior Ranger Badges. Lindsey later said that it was like school, but fun : ) One of the things the kids had to do to earn their badges was to go on a hike in the park - that was our original plan for the day anyways - Ryland had been begging to go on a hike for weeks. We decided to hike up to Hidden Falls out by Jenny Lake. When we got to the trailhead it had started to rain a little, but we decided to be adventurous and hike the 2.5 miles there and back in the rain. We won't ever be doing that again. The hike up the mountain was actually a lot of fun. It rained a little - we each had rain ponchos - but most of the hike was actually sunny and nice. It was a beautiful hike around the lake. At one point Chuck was taking a picture of me and the kids and Lindsey looked to the side and yelled "Moose"! There was a moose about 15 or 20 feet down the side of the trail walking in the opposite direction from us! Chuck grabbed the videocamera and was going to start filming it when the moose walked straight towards him to the trail! Chuck decided to get out of the way instead of risking harm to videotape it : ) He did get a bit of it walking down the trail away from us. It was a bit scary, but exciting! About the time we reached the falls it had really started to rain. And it continued to rain and rain and rain. The hike back was cold and miserable and like I mentioned earlier, we won't be hiking in the rain again anytime soon. At one point it got a bit scary. We were hiking past a large boulder field in the middle of a lightning storm - not a good thing. Chuck just picked up Ryland and started running, with Lindsey and I close behind. Further down the mountain there was a tree that had fallen across the trail. By the end of the hike we were all hungry, tired, cold, and very wet. On the way back to camp we took a side road and were rewarded with another moose! That helped the day end on a positive note.

Lindsey, Ryland, and me

Hiking in the rain by the river

The moose on our trail!

Sunday we went back to the ranger station and the kids were able to get their Junior Ranger badges. They were really proud of themselves and the hard work they did to earn the badges. Lindsey wore hers everyday for the rest of the trip! After making that quick stop, we drove through Teton National Park and then on to Yellowstone. We spent the day driving through Yellowstone National Park. We saw a lot of elk and buffalo. We stopped at a ranger station just inside the park and got the kids signed up to earn another Junior Ranger badge. Everywhere we went people would point out Lindsey's JR badge from the Tetons. She and Ryland were so proud : ) and excited to earn the one from Yellowstone.

Linsey and Ryland making the Junior Ranger pledge

Yeah! They earned their Junior Ranger badges!

Lindsey and Ryland after they earned their Yellowstone Junior Ranger badges

Fishermans Bridge

One of the things Ryland had to do to earn his JR badge was to put his toes in the river!

COLD!

We saw lots of elk!

And lots of bison!

Sunday evening we finally arrived at our campsite. This was our third year staying at the Campfire Lodge in Montana, just outside of the park. Chuck's business partner, Greg, has been going there every year as long as he can remember (his mom even stayed there yearly when she was a kid!). It's a really nice site - the cabin we stayed in was a 2-bedroom with a small living area and full kitchen. We were the last of our group to arrive - the others were Greg and his two kids, Sandra and Connie (Greg's mom and her sister), one of Greg's sister's and her family, our friends Sam and Becca and their kids, and another couple (Carrie and Lonnie).

Our cabin in Montana

Chuck was excited to get some fishin' in! The Madison River runs right through the campsite.

Ryland was excited, too!

Monday we drove into West Yellowstone for some shopping. We gave the kids a budget of $5 a day to spend and they were anxious to spend their money.

The kids love the painted buffalo all over West Yellowstone!

Tuesday we spent the day in Yellowstone again. The kids were able to get their Junior Ranger badges : ) We hiked around the Norris geysers and hotpots - Beautiful! Tuesday was the only day it didn't rain, too! It was warm and sunny! The only disappointing thing about the day is that we didn't see very many animals at all. Chuck and I were really hoping to spot a bear ... some other time maybe.

Wednesday we were ready to head home (Chuck and I were, at least). We called my family and had them meet us for lunch in Blackfoot, ID. I was excited by how many people were able to join us at Wingers - My grandma Ruth, my mom and dad, and my cousin Hailey. My aunt Vickie and Rachel (my cousin Clint's daughter) were able to stop by for a few minutes, too. After lunch we went to a nearby park to visit with even more family! Josh, Whitney and Beca were in Idaho visiting my mom and dad but were too late for lunch because of Beca's nap schedule. Jake, Sara, William, and Hannah were also there. Lindsey and Ryland were so excited to see their cousins again, even if it was for just a short time. We had to hurry home because Chuck had to leave the next day for Scout camp (poor thing - it rained on them all 3 days!).