Jackson, WY - Day 3

For our last full-day in Jackson, we decided to visit a hot spring about an hour away.  They had beautiful rivers and waterfalls nearby, so again, we took to the trails.

This hike was much less populated, so I'm glad we had the bear spray with us.  Although we didn't see any bears, it was well worth the price for a little piece of mind.

We got back into Jackson around noon, so we ate a wonderful deli lunch while contemplating our afternoon.  Just in the distance, Eric saw this ski lift.  We drove over to it and saw they had a rock wall and hiking trail.  The trail was strenuous (Eric's favorite word), and took you to the ridge line.  Our afternoon plans were then solidified.

Halfway up, the views were already amazing.  But, strenuous was an understatement.  We both thought we were in decent shape, yet found ourselves aiming for 40 steps before we could stop for each break.

View from the ridge line.  Breathtaking!  You can see the ski run at the bottom if you were looking straight down.

Back down the mountain, we found the rock climbing park was filled with booths, food, and live music in what's called the "People's Market" every Wednesday during the summer.  Eric's heart needed a rest, so he just laid down in the shade and took another nap.

After we went back to the hotel for their evening snacks and to clean up, we enjoyed one of our favorite evening activities:  driving down the gravel roads viewing wildlife.  We saw deer, elk, and moose, but no bear.  

Below was a female moose, and her baby is hidden in the tall grass next to her.  The males were just starting to grow their big antlers again.

Jackson, WY - Day 2

For our 2nd day, we drove into Yellowstone.  The drive there in the morning was georgous with the sun shining on the mountains.

Once in the calderon, the famous "Old Faithful" had just erupted, so we had time to walk around.

The area had more geyers than I remembered as a child.

Some geyers go off every 3-5 hours, some a few times a week.

This one below was bubbling with increased intensity.  It erupted just minutes after we walked away.  But by then, there were so many people that gathered around, I couldn't get a good picture.

As we were walking, we heard park rangers tell of buffalo and other wild life who seek refuge here in the winter to escape the cold.  They lose about 1-2 animals each year.  In addition, the rangers have to treat ten to fifteen 3rd degree burns on humans each year for stepping off the path or trying to stick their hands into the pools.

Old Faithful erupts every 90 minutes.  Although it's not the highest eruption, nor the largest in terms of volume, it's the most popular.  It's frequency and predictability guarantee visitors a show every time.



On the trip home, we stopped off the road to enjoy a scenic view of the lower falls.

Jackson, WY - Day 1

We took advantage of the kids going to camps during the same week to sneak away ourselves.  Destination:  Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  We stayed at Snake River Lodge just at the foot of the Teton Range.

During our first day, we decided to do the most intense hiking.  We packed lots of water and snacks, then headed to Jenny Lake and several of its off-shoot trails.

Here's one of my favorite pictures during the hike with Grand Teton in the background.

We passed lots of georgous waterfalls, which made the difficult hike completely worth it.

Once we got to the peak around Jenny Lake, the views were amazing.  Since there was a nice cool breeze, Eric decided to take a quick nap.  The little chipmunk below jumped on him right after I took this picture.

During our decent from the trails, we spotted a snow patch just off in the distance.  It seemed really close, and the thought of touching snow in July was neat.  So, we decided to go for it.

It was a bit more trecherous that we expected.  With a very steep ascent using our hands and legs and free-climbing up jagged, loose rocks, we finally made it.  Here's Eric below touching that snow patch.  The decent back down was even scarier.  It's hard to image the two pictures being the same terrain, Pictures can be deceiving.

After the long day and being worn out from the hike, we took advantage of a free gondola ride from our hotel to the top of the mountain.  Once there, we saw this little cafe with a deck overlooking the valley.  Highly recommend this great spot for an evening brew!

Catholic Heart Work Camp

The two oldest attended a week-long camp with our church's youth group, along with many other youth groups from across the nation. This year they traveled to Nashville, Tennessee. Each day began with Mass and a morning program; then they were sent off with a designated team to put themselves aside and serve the surrounding community. 

Our son assisted elderly nuns in Nashville. He cleaned, washed cars, and warmed their hearts with his smile :)

Our oldest daughter and her team tore down a deck that was rotting and had major foundation problems, rebuilt it with all new materials, and even added a few extra items with leftover supplies.

At the end of the week, our youth group explored the famous music city. They ate at The Wildhorse Saloon, toured the Opryland Hotel, and enjoyed the plentiful live music.

Camp Grandma

Our youngest was ready to fly by herself for the first time this summer, so we booked a trip to see Grandma.  She met her cousin there, and the two of them had all sorts of fun!

Here's my sweet girl before boarding the plane.  With suitcase and Teto in tow, she's ready for the flight.

Upon arrival, Grandma had lots of activities planned.  They went on a treasure hunt, had a cookout, swam in Grandma's pool every day, went to a movie, ate ice cream, played with Poppie, visited a dinosaur park, ate at the Rain Forrest Cafe, went to a water park, then played with Poppie some more. 

Their favorite thing was making fancy hats, dressing up, and going to a real tea party. 

 

Once the week was over, it was time to say good-bye.  The two cousins went back to their parents while Grandma savored the memories of her two precious grand-daughters.  I'm not sure who had more fun!