Our Excellent "Out West" Adventure
- Thread starter bethbuchall
- Start date
bethbuchall
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 10, 2003
Thanks! We live in a gorgeous country, don't we?
You never realize how beautiful the country is.
bethbuchall
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 10, 2003
Day 5: Colorado Springs, CO to Casper, WY (Lions and Tigers and Giraffes, Oh My!)
In her trip report, 4300 Miles of Love: Yellowstone Tetons Style with LOTS of Photos, estherhead wrote, There comes a point in every vacation where things start to blend together and you completely lose track of time. That point came yesterday. It is a lovely point in a vacation. But often it is things going wrong that force you to enter that mode. The point where the plan must be adjusted, where you finally give up the control that makes your life at home work and go with flow of vacation. She hit it on Day 7, and we hit it on Day 5.
This is a day that I had really been looking forward to. Not only was I going to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, I was also going to meet my DIS board friend, babytrees! I didnt give the rest of my family the information that I should have, though, and looking back, it was pretty stupid of me. To me, I was meeting someone that I had already known for a couple of years. To my family, we were meeting a group of strangers. My family doesnt like surprises. Dh can be uncomfortable around new people. Most importantly, Girl never really outgrew stranger anxiety. I should have introduced my family to babytrees and her family before we even left home. But my family doesnt really understand this whole DIS board thing, so maybe they wouldnt have been any better anyway. Also, Im much better in writing than I am in person. Im not sure exactly how to say that, but I do have a little social anxiety myself, so its sometimes hard for me to say everything that I am thinking when Im actually talking to someone. This is getting to be rambling, so Ill wrap it up. Im going to gloss over the parts where my daughter was much ruder than she meant to be. I know, she knows, and babytrees knows, but overall it didnt spoil our day. Thank goodness, babytrees is intuitive and sensitive. I think we did a pretty good job of balancing my place between wanting to get to know her and her family better and helping Girl feel comfortable. We had a great day! I really hope she feels the same way.
One of my other mistakes that morning was thinking that I didnt need Daniel (our GPS). It was a pretty straight shot to the zoo from our hotel, so I decided to navigate and drive. The only problem was that the road was closed. So, trusty Daniel was pulled from the glove box and came to our rescue.
This is Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun. We didnt drive up there (lack of time), but I am sure that the views are phenomenal. Look at that blue, blue sky!
If anyone is going near Colorado Springs, definitely carve out some time for the Cheyenne Mountain zoo. It was spectacular! We had spent the past month watching the giraffes and meerkats via the webcam at the zoos website (www.cmzoo.org). We had already fallen in love with those giraffes. What is even better is that you can feed them! They are right there next to you and have such sweet faces, and it definitely was an experience that we will cherish.
I could have spent the entire day with the giraffes, but there was so much more to the zoo, that I eventually tore myself away.
The chipmunks were so much larger than any we had at home!
Ironically, the squirrels were much smaller, though I don't have a photo of those for you.
We wandered through the rest of "Africa"...
The elephants were inside that day, so we didnt get any really good photos of them. Girl loves elephants, though, and she was happy to get to see them.
This zoo is absolutely beautiful, and the views are stunning.
We continued to walk around the zoo and marvel at the exhibits, the scenery, and the animals. Girl continued to warm up to the strangers, and I was able to talk to babytrees more.
The wallabies were great. They were just hopping around out in the open. We were able to pet a baby wallaby that one of the docents was holding, too.
Another place that I could have spent the whole day was Rocky Mountain Wild. The grizzly bears had a terrific exhibit, and they were busy playing in their pool. They came right up to the windows and were so much fun to watch.
I didnt get any pictures of the river otters, but they were great fun to watch, too.
The mountain lions were easy to see.
The porcupine was so close that you could probably touch him if you didnt have any common sense.
We passed by the pony rides that Girl insisted that she wanted to do, but they werent operating. I think she was only half-joking. She never would have done the pony rides, but I know that there was part of her that wanted to.
It was nearing 11:30 am (MT), which was the time I was originally planning to leave. We just couldnt go without seeing the rest of the zoo, though. I realized that we didnt really need to see the Olympic Training center or the Air Force Academy. (If you ever go to Colorado Springs, please give yourself more than 30 hours!) I did need to find some food and shade for my rapidly melting family, though. It was way past their standard lunchtime, and it was hot that day. The heat wasnt as bad as it could have been, because the humidity was so low. I love low humidity! It was still taking its toll, and a quick break was in order. Babytrees and her family were also ready for a little break, so we went to the little restaurant and had some lunch/snacks. Girl really wanted ice cream, but she was too full after eating lunch. We told her that wed get some later.
To be continued (since I hit my image limit)...
In her trip report, 4300 Miles of Love: Yellowstone Tetons Style with LOTS of Photos, estherhead wrote, There comes a point in every vacation where things start to blend together and you completely lose track of time. That point came yesterday. It is a lovely point in a vacation. But often it is things going wrong that force you to enter that mode. The point where the plan must be adjusted, where you finally give up the control that makes your life at home work and go with flow of vacation. She hit it on Day 7, and we hit it on Day 5.
This is a day that I had really been looking forward to. Not only was I going to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, I was also going to meet my DIS board friend, babytrees! I didnt give the rest of my family the information that I should have, though, and looking back, it was pretty stupid of me. To me, I was meeting someone that I had already known for a couple of years. To my family, we were meeting a group of strangers. My family doesnt like surprises. Dh can be uncomfortable around new people. Most importantly, Girl never really outgrew stranger anxiety. I should have introduced my family to babytrees and her family before we even left home. But my family doesnt really understand this whole DIS board thing, so maybe they wouldnt have been any better anyway. Also, Im much better in writing than I am in person. Im not sure exactly how to say that, but I do have a little social anxiety myself, so its sometimes hard for me to say everything that I am thinking when Im actually talking to someone. This is getting to be rambling, so Ill wrap it up. Im going to gloss over the parts where my daughter was much ruder than she meant to be. I know, she knows, and babytrees knows, but overall it didnt spoil our day. Thank goodness, babytrees is intuitive and sensitive. I think we did a pretty good job of balancing my place between wanting to get to know her and her family better and helping Girl feel comfortable. We had a great day! I really hope she feels the same way.
One of my other mistakes that morning was thinking that I didnt need Daniel (our GPS). It was a pretty straight shot to the zoo from our hotel, so I decided to navigate and drive. The only problem was that the road was closed. So, trusty Daniel was pulled from the glove box and came to our rescue.
This is Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun. We didnt drive up there (lack of time), but I am sure that the views are phenomenal. Look at that blue, blue sky!
If anyone is going near Colorado Springs, definitely carve out some time for the Cheyenne Mountain zoo. It was spectacular! We had spent the past month watching the giraffes and meerkats via the webcam at the zoos website (www.cmzoo.org). We had already fallen in love with those giraffes. What is even better is that you can feed them! They are right there next to you and have such sweet faces, and it definitely was an experience that we will cherish.
I could have spent the entire day with the giraffes, but there was so much more to the zoo, that I eventually tore myself away.
The chipmunks were so much larger than any we had at home!
Ironically, the squirrels were much smaller, though I don't have a photo of those for you.
We wandered through the rest of "Africa"...
The elephants were inside that day, so we didnt get any really good photos of them. Girl loves elephants, though, and she was happy to get to see them.
This zoo is absolutely beautiful, and the views are stunning.
We continued to walk around the zoo and marvel at the exhibits, the scenery, and the animals. Girl continued to warm up to the strangers, and I was able to talk to babytrees more.
The wallabies were great. They were just hopping around out in the open. We were able to pet a baby wallaby that one of the docents was holding, too.
Another place that I could have spent the whole day was Rocky Mountain Wild. The grizzly bears had a terrific exhibit, and they were busy playing in their pool. They came right up to the windows and were so much fun to watch.
I didnt get any pictures of the river otters, but they were great fun to watch, too.
The mountain lions were easy to see.
The porcupine was so close that you could probably touch him if you didnt have any common sense.
We passed by the pony rides that Girl insisted that she wanted to do, but they werent operating. I think she was only half-joking. She never would have done the pony rides, but I know that there was part of her that wanted to.
It was nearing 11:30 am (MT), which was the time I was originally planning to leave. We just couldnt go without seeing the rest of the zoo, though. I realized that we didnt really need to see the Olympic Training center or the Air Force Academy. (If you ever go to Colorado Springs, please give yourself more than 30 hours!) I did need to find some food and shade for my rapidly melting family, though. It was way past their standard lunchtime, and it was hot that day. The heat wasnt as bad as it could have been, because the humidity was so low. I love low humidity! It was still taking its toll, and a quick break was in order. Babytrees and her family were also ready for a little break, so we went to the little restaurant and had some lunch/snacks. Girl really wanted ice cream, but she was too full after eating lunch. We told her that wed get some later.
To be continued (since I hit my image limit)...
bethbuchall
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 10, 2003
The zoo has an area called My Big Backyard (or something like that) that is an interactive area mostly for younger children. SmallBoy really wanted to go play in there for a while. Being child-like ourselves, we had a good time there. You can see that Girl is starting to warm up by this point, too.
We passed the hippo pool on the way to the primate house. The hippos were just chillin' in the water that day.
The primate house was terrific! We loved all the primates, especially the gorillas (though I didn't get any good photos). And also this mother and her baby.
After enjoying the rest of the zoo, it was time to say goodbye to babytrees and her family. We headed to the gift shop as they headed home. Girl and Smallboy picked out stuffed giraffes, since the giraffes were such a big part of our experience. Girl was also set to get some ice cream. Her luck was holding about the same, though, because the ice cream machines at the gift shop were out of order. No one wanted to hike back up to the other restaurant to get ice cream, so once again she did without. (Don’t feel too bad for her, though, she was able to have plenty of ice cream while we were Yellowstone.)
On the road again! We were heading to Denver and the famous Casa Bonita and then on to Casper, WY.
We made it through Denver traffic, which was a little
at times, and arrived at Casa Bonita only to find ourselves really not in the mood to be there. No one was really hungry or wanting to eat. No one was really up for all the noise and confusion. Everyone was tired and pretty much hit the wall at the same time. We made it in the front doors and stood there trying to decide what to do. Another thing about my family is that we really aren’t great decision makers. I think everyone is too afraid of disappointing someone to just say what is on their mind and make a decision. Dh’s wallet had caught sight of the prices and was starting to tremble. Girl was ok with staying but really didn’t want anything to eat. SmallBoy felt the same as Girl. I was trying to get Boy to say what he wanted to do. He was the one who was looking forward to trying Casa Bonita the most. He also is the one who is most sensitive to what others want, and he inherited (or learned well) his father’s thriftiness. It really wasn’t all about the money. We would have gladly dropped the $70-$80 if it would have been a good experience. Boy was overwhelmed by this time and didn’t want to be the one to make the decision. It wasn’t looking like good time for this particular adventure, so we decided to leave. I still don’t know if that was the right decision. It wasn’t the best moment in our trip as I am driving out of Denver sobbing, because I’m not sure if I’ve completely disappointed Boy or not. Boy was in the back seat looking very sullen and as if he were ready to cry himself. Dh was telling me that I should just turn the car around and head back if I thought that we should go there. I think it was just too many late nights and early mornings catching up with us. Too many emotions, even good ones, also left us a little more sensitive. In the end, I just kept driving. Boy told me later that he wasn’t upset that we didn’t stay at Casa Bonita. He said that he was just overwhelmed and overtired. I don’t know if that is entirely true, but I can’t go back and change it. In the grand scheme of things, it was a blip.Here is our first jackalope sighting.
We did finally get hungry and stopped at a truck stop with an A&W. We broke the rule about not eating where we could eat at home. It was a big mistake, too. It was not a particularly clean, inviting A&W. We took our food and ate in the car.
All was better when we arrived at our hotel, the C’mon Inn in Casper, WY. This hotel is gorgeous! It was so relaxing, too, and just what we needed at that point. We had a third floor room that had a king bed in a separate room and a queen-size pullout sofa bed. Instead of using the sofa bed, though, we inflated the air mattresses. We had two large TVs and a recliner, too. It was great to have a little extra space this night. All of the second floor rooms had private balconies overlooking the interior courtyard. The third floor had sitting areas outside the rooms overlooking the interior courtyard. They weren’t private, but there was enough seating that you never felt crowded. There were four hot tubs in the courtyard itself plus another in the pool area. The courtyard had an open, outdoorsy feel, and I think it would be a great place to spend a weekend in the winter when cabin fever sets in. This hotel was a little more expensive than the Fairfields and Country Inns and Suites that we had been staying in, but the extra space was worth it at that point in our trip. Actually, the double rooms with private balconies may not have been more expensive. We probably would have been fine in one of those rooms, too, because the balcony would have given us some extra space. It was nice to have a door to our bedroom and also to have the second TV, though we didn’t use it. SmallBoy, Girl, and I enjoyed the pool and hot tubs. Dh and Boy enjoyed having some space of their own for a little while. It really started to feel like vacation, and everyone was smiling again!
Babytrees, I’m sorry that you saw us at our (almost) worst, but we still wouldn’t trade that day away. We loved the zoo and meeting you and (most of) your family. I’m sorry that we didn’t get to meet your other dd.
Coming next: Day 6 Dinosaurs, Hot Springs, and Ice Cream (finally!)
estherhead
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2004
Great read & great photos! Sorry for your bummer day. I'll resume & finish soon as I'm home from Disney!
bethbuchall
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 10, 2003
Thanks! It really wasn't a bad day, but it was the day that we learned to let go and just vacation.
I can't wait to read more of yours, but I hope that your Disney trip doesn't end too quickly!
bethbuchall
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 10, 2003
Day 6: Casper, WY to Grand Teton National Park (Dinosaurs, Hot Springs, and Ice Cream (finally!))
Oh my, its been a while since Ive written. I think I need a quick re-cap to remember where I am.
We started in Central NYS bright and early one Thursday morning on our long awaited adventure. We traveled through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, and Colorado before ending up here at the Cmon Inn in Casper, WY.
In summary to this point:
Most of us loved the St. Louis Arch.
Sonic is GOOD!
Kansas is a long state.
Windmills excited me more than they probably should have.
Sonic is GOOD!
Colorado is a beautiful state, and we should have had at least one more day there.
The fates were conspiring against poor Girl in her quest for ice cream.
Sonic is GOOD!
We have finally arrived at that magical point in our vacation where everyone is truly in vacation mode. The hurry to rush through states is gone. We are all slowing down a bit.
Day 6 is going to be photo heavy again, so Ill have to split it into a couple of posts.
A little real life did creep up on us this morning. It was laundry day. Thats bad! No, thats good! (My apologies to Margery Cuyler if you havent read Thats Good! Thats Bad!, you dont know what youre missing. Its a picture book, so it wont take you long go read it.) Anyway, laundry may sound bad, but really it gave us time to just relax and enjoy the pool and hot tubs. There was no mad rush to get into the car early and hit the road. We had breakfast from the free breakfast area and then a little more for brunch. We were able to read the local newspaper and people watch from our sitting area. The kids all had a chance to sleep in. There were four washers and four dryers in the hotel, so the laundry was done pretty quickly.
The drive from Casper to Grand Teton National Park is relatively short about 5 hours. BUT someone (that would be me) decided that it might be fun to head to Thermopolis, WY to see the hot springs there. That would add around an hour of driving time to the trip plus the time spent there. We were leaving late because of the laundry and relaxation. Decisions, decisions, decisions Did I ever mention that my family is horrible at actually voicing their opinions and making decision (in case that decision inadvertently disappoints someone else)? So we made a non-decision at that point. Wed see which way I turned the car when we arrived in Shoshoni.
Before leaving Casper, we headed over to Wal-Mart to see if we could find a stylus for SmallBoys Nintendo DS. We had one, but it kept sliding out and getting lost. No luck with the stylus, but we did end up getting another big sub to split and some baby carrots for a little lunch in the car.
At the crucial point, I made the decision. We headed to Thermopolis. It ended up being the right decision. In keeping with the theme running through this trip, though, we wished that we had even more time to spend there than we did. We still didnt really have a good feel for what we were going to do when we got to Thermopolis except for a fuzzy go to Hot Springs State Park. I did so much planning for this trip, but then we ended up just throwing a few things in along the way without any planning at all. Often those were the best parts, because there were no expectations. The drive to Thermopolis was beautiful! We marveled at the walls of rock and gorgeous blue sky and the lake along the way.
I dont even know who first saw the sign for the Wyoming Dinosaur Center or who suggested that we go. None of my kids went through the dinosaur craze that many preschoolers do, though each of them had an interest at one stage or another. By following signs and a slightly confused Daniel, we found our way to this little building practically in the middle of nowhere. The Dinosaur Center contains a small museum and also offers bus trips out to their current dig site. The sun and heat were brutal that day, and we were more than 3.5 hours from our destination, so we decided not to go out to the dig site. Everyone agreed that we should spend the time and money to go into the museum. This ended up being one of Boys favorite stops on our vacation. Everyone else had a great time, too.
Oh my, its been a while since Ive written. I think I need a quick re-cap to remember where I am.
We started in Central NYS bright and early one Thursday morning on our long awaited adventure. We traveled through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, and Colorado before ending up here at the Cmon Inn in Casper, WY.
In summary to this point:
Most of us loved the St. Louis Arch.
Sonic is GOOD!
Kansas is a long state.
Windmills excited me more than they probably should have.
Sonic is GOOD!
Colorado is a beautiful state, and we should have had at least one more day there.
The fates were conspiring against poor Girl in her quest for ice cream.
Sonic is GOOD!
We have finally arrived at that magical point in our vacation where everyone is truly in vacation mode. The hurry to rush through states is gone. We are all slowing down a bit.
Day 6 is going to be photo heavy again, so Ill have to split it into a couple of posts.
A little real life did creep up on us this morning. It was laundry day. Thats bad! No, thats good! (My apologies to Margery Cuyler if you havent read Thats Good! Thats Bad!, you dont know what youre missing. Its a picture book, so it wont take you long go read it.) Anyway, laundry may sound bad, but really it gave us time to just relax and enjoy the pool and hot tubs. There was no mad rush to get into the car early and hit the road. We had breakfast from the free breakfast area and then a little more for brunch. We were able to read the local newspaper and people watch from our sitting area. The kids all had a chance to sleep in. There were four washers and four dryers in the hotel, so the laundry was done pretty quickly.
The drive from Casper to Grand Teton National Park is relatively short about 5 hours. BUT someone (that would be me) decided that it might be fun to head to Thermopolis, WY to see the hot springs there. That would add around an hour of driving time to the trip plus the time spent there. We were leaving late because of the laundry and relaxation. Decisions, decisions, decisions Did I ever mention that my family is horrible at actually voicing their opinions and making decision (in case that decision inadvertently disappoints someone else)? So we made a non-decision at that point. Wed see which way I turned the car when we arrived in Shoshoni.
Before leaving Casper, we headed over to Wal-Mart to see if we could find a stylus for SmallBoys Nintendo DS. We had one, but it kept sliding out and getting lost. No luck with the stylus, but we did end up getting another big sub to split and some baby carrots for a little lunch in the car.
At the crucial point, I made the decision. We headed to Thermopolis. It ended up being the right decision. In keeping with the theme running through this trip, though, we wished that we had even more time to spend there than we did. We still didnt really have a good feel for what we were going to do when we got to Thermopolis except for a fuzzy go to Hot Springs State Park. I did so much planning for this trip, but then we ended up just throwing a few things in along the way without any planning at all. Often those were the best parts, because there were no expectations. The drive to Thermopolis was beautiful! We marveled at the walls of rock and gorgeous blue sky and the lake along the way.
I dont even know who first saw the sign for the Wyoming Dinosaur Center or who suggested that we go. None of my kids went through the dinosaur craze that many preschoolers do, though each of them had an interest at one stage or another. By following signs and a slightly confused Daniel, we found our way to this little building practically in the middle of nowhere. The Dinosaur Center contains a small museum and also offers bus trips out to their current dig site. The sun and heat were brutal that day, and we were more than 3.5 hours from our destination, so we decided not to go out to the dig site. Everyone agreed that we should spend the time and money to go into the museum. This ended up being one of Boys favorite stops on our vacation. Everyone else had a great time, too.
bethbuchall
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 10, 2003
We next headed to Hot Springs State Park. We couldnt very well go all that way and not see the famous hot springs, right? There is a free bathhouse in the park as well as several commercial water slide places. There are boardwalks along beautiful terraces and plenty of places to explore. I did mention the brutal heat and sun, though, right? And the fact that the clock just kept on ticking off the minutes and hours? We would have loved to spend more time exploring if we could have done so without melting. No one had any desire to go soak in 104 degree water either. It was a fun place to spend a little time despite the sun and the heat and the time. I highly recommend the side trip to Thermopolis, the Wyoming Dinosaur Center, and Hot Springs State Park. If you head that way on a cooler day with more time to spend, though, you can do even more.
Guess what we found heading out of Thermopolis!
Yeah! Girl (and the rest of us) finally had some ice cream!
Here is some of the beautiful scenery from our drive back towards Shoshoni. I have hundreds more, but I'm trying for a little moderation here.
As we approached the Grand Tetons, the skies turned greyer and it started raining.
The drive was getting a little tricky on narrow roads that were under construction and in the diminishing light, so the rain wasnt particularly welcomed. However, we were in the car and not getting wet, so the rain wasnt really affecting our trip. Also, we were rewarded with this!
We had a little wait to get into the park, and the kids were getting antsy.
A couple of them really needed a restroom, too! We finally arrived at Jackson Lake Lodge. I went to check in while Girl and SmallBoy made a restroom dash. Dh and Boy headed to the restrooms, too, but at a more laid back pace. The kids were all surprised that we had an actual key to our room. I guess keycards have been around at least as long as they have. I was worried about the room, because even though it was costing me a fortune, I had heard that the National Parks lodging wasnt the best. This worry turned into a bit of a panic when we smelled pee outside our room (We eventually decided that it was really just some of the vegetation that had an unpleasant smell). Fortunately, the room was plenty big, clean, and comfortable (if a bit dated and dim )
We headed back up to the main building to get some dinner. It was already past 8:00 pm. (Yes, dh, I do realize thats 10:00 pm our time he could be so picky about actually being fed, sheesh!) We didnt have reservations for the Mural Room nor did we have the desire for a big, fancy meal. We went to the Pioneer Grill and enjoyed burgers, chili, and chicken fingers. It had been a long day, and we were all ready for bed.
Up Next: Who Stole the Mountains?
Guess what we found heading out of Thermopolis!
Yeah! Girl (and the rest of us) finally had some ice cream!
Here is some of the beautiful scenery from our drive back towards Shoshoni. I have hundreds more, but I'm trying for a little moderation here.
As we approached the Grand Tetons, the skies turned greyer and it started raining.
The drive was getting a little tricky on narrow roads that were under construction and in the diminishing light, so the rain wasnt particularly welcomed. However, we were in the car and not getting wet, so the rain wasnt really affecting our trip. Also, we were rewarded with this!
We had a little wait to get into the park, and the kids were getting antsy.
A couple of them really needed a restroom, too! We finally arrived at Jackson Lake Lodge. I went to check in while Girl and SmallBoy made a restroom dash. Dh and Boy headed to the restrooms, too, but at a more laid back pace. The kids were all surprised that we had an actual key to our room. I guess keycards have been around at least as long as they have. I was worried about the room, because even though it was costing me a fortune, I had heard that the National Parks lodging wasnt the best. This worry turned into a bit of a panic when we smelled pee outside our room (We eventually decided that it was really just some of the vegetation that had an unpleasant smell). Fortunately, the room was plenty big, clean, and comfortable (if a bit dated and dim )
We headed back up to the main building to get some dinner. It was already past 8:00 pm. (Yes, dh, I do realize thats 10:00 pm our time he could be so picky about actually being fed, sheesh!) We didnt have reservations for the Mural Room nor did we have the desire for a big, fancy meal. We went to the Pioneer Grill and enjoyed burgers, chili, and chicken fingers. It had been a long day, and we were all ready for bed.
Up Next: Who Stole the Mountains?
bethbuchall
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 10, 2003
Oh, you should definitely do it! We are still talking about it. It was such a wonderful trip!
Thanks! I hope that I get time this week to add another day.
bethbuchall
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 10, 2003
I am finally back with a little more to share! Have you noticed that this TR is turning into more a photo slide show than a report? There are so many sights that I can't begin to do justice to with my words. My photos don't really capture it well either. You'll just have to make the trek for yourselves some day.
Day 7: Grand Tetons to Yellowstone (Who Stole the Mountains?!)
Even though we had a fairly late night, I woke up as dawn was breaking. Everyone else was soundly sleeping, so I quietly slipped into some clothes and crept out into the morning. It was getting dark by the time we pulled in the night before, so I really hadnt had a chance to see the splendor of Grand Tetons National Park.
This little guy greeted me as I walked away from our cabin.
I think I mentioned before that the chipmunks in the West were the largest chipmunks that Ive even seen. Well, the squirrels were the smallest. The light was still a little dim for my camera to get good shots of this guy, since he was in constant motion. (I havent figured out a way to pull a dSLR from dhs wallet yet. Im working on it.)
The sun was quickly rising over the pines, so I headed off in search of the mountains.
I was absolutely awed by these mountains. They were simply stunning, beautiful, gorgeous, impressive beyond compare Im out of words. I couldnt stop taking pictures, but they cant begin to do these sights justice. I was also fascinated by the herds of elk and the sounds that they were making.
Finally, I tore myself away, because I had to get the rest of the family. I took a few photos along the way.
Here is our cabin. They are attached units, not freestanding cabins. We didnt hear our neighbors, though, so they are fairly well soundproofed.
Dh was awake by the time I went back, but the kids were still sound asleep. Dh and I decided to let them sleep a bit longer and take a walk together. I couldnt stop telling him about the amazing mountains and the beautiful views.
We finally arrived at the back of the lodge, and this is what we see.
Who stole the mountains?! In the five to ten minutes that it took me to walk to the room and bring dh back, a thick blanket of fog had rolled in front of the mountains. You could not even tell that they were back there. The fog was actually much thicker than this photo shows. In fact, the entire foreground was blanketed as well. There were no mountains; there were no elk. Dh wasnt completely sure why I dragged him from the nice warm bed. I didnt start taking pictures again until it started to clear. I was too flabbergasted and too busy trying to convince dh that there really were mountains there and that I had seen them just a few minutes before. I showed him the photos that I had taken, but they didnt look particularly impressive on that teeny, tiny screen. I was happy at this point that we had decided not to wake the kids. I think there may have been a little riot on my hands if I had. We decided to take a short hike, and the fog did slowly clear.
We decided to head back to the room to see if there were any signs of life yet.
We all showered, dressed, and ate something really healthy (NOT!) for breakfast in the room. Then we grabbed the binoculars and marched the kids in the direction of the mountains. I was silently hoping that there were still there.
Even jaded teenagers can be awestruck by the views that we had! We took turns using the binoculars to marvel at the elk and search for moose. Girl really, really, really wanted to see moose on this trip. There were others around us telling us that we were seeing moose, but Im pretty sure all we saw were elk.
This photo would be the start one of the little running jokes of the trip.
I just loved the look of the green trees against the bright blue sky. I found it so beautiful! This time there was even the moon. I often heard, Look, mom, green trees, blue sky! followed by a few giggles. Its ok; they love me and most of my little quirks.
We could have stayed in that area all day, but once again time was our enemy. We checked out of Jackson Lake Lodge cabins and headed toward Yellowstone. We considered backtracking to the Jenny Lake area, but we really were limited on time. We did stop at the Colter Bay Visitor Center and Indian Arts Museum.
The museum is small but interesting, and we enjoyed wandering around taking in the exhibits. There was no flash photography allowed inside the musem to protect the items on display. I took a few photos, but none turned out good enough to share.
Once again, my family felt a need to be fed. Yes, it was lunchtime already! We went to the grocery store in the Colter Bay Village area and bought everything we needed for a picnic lunch. I think that the deli meat was even less expensive there than it is at home. We headed down to a picnic area by the lake and had a quiet lunch.
Heres another green tree, blue sky photo for you!
And some of the beautiful flowers.
We were sad that we didnt have more time to devote to Grand Tetons National Park but excited that we were heading up to Yellowstone National Park.
Next up: Day 7 continued (Yellowstone at last!)
Day 7: Grand Tetons to Yellowstone (Who Stole the Mountains?!)
Even though we had a fairly late night, I woke up as dawn was breaking. Everyone else was soundly sleeping, so I quietly slipped into some clothes and crept out into the morning. It was getting dark by the time we pulled in the night before, so I really hadnt had a chance to see the splendor of Grand Tetons National Park.
This little guy greeted me as I walked away from our cabin.
I think I mentioned before that the chipmunks in the West were the largest chipmunks that Ive even seen. Well, the squirrels were the smallest. The light was still a little dim for my camera to get good shots of this guy, since he was in constant motion. (I havent figured out a way to pull a dSLR from dhs wallet yet. Im working on it.)
The sun was quickly rising over the pines, so I headed off in search of the mountains.
I was absolutely awed by these mountains. They were simply stunning, beautiful, gorgeous, impressive beyond compare Im out of words. I couldnt stop taking pictures, but they cant begin to do these sights justice. I was also fascinated by the herds of elk and the sounds that they were making.
Finally, I tore myself away, because I had to get the rest of the family. I took a few photos along the way.
Here is our cabin. They are attached units, not freestanding cabins. We didnt hear our neighbors, though, so they are fairly well soundproofed.
Dh was awake by the time I went back, but the kids were still sound asleep. Dh and I decided to let them sleep a bit longer and take a walk together. I couldnt stop telling him about the amazing mountains and the beautiful views.
We finally arrived at the back of the lodge, and this is what we see.
Who stole the mountains?! In the five to ten minutes that it took me to walk to the room and bring dh back, a thick blanket of fog had rolled in front of the mountains. You could not even tell that they were back there. The fog was actually much thicker than this photo shows. In fact, the entire foreground was blanketed as well. There were no mountains; there were no elk. Dh wasnt completely sure why I dragged him from the nice warm bed. I didnt start taking pictures again until it started to clear. I was too flabbergasted and too busy trying to convince dh that there really were mountains there and that I had seen them just a few minutes before. I showed him the photos that I had taken, but they didnt look particularly impressive on that teeny, tiny screen. I was happy at this point that we had decided not to wake the kids. I think there may have been a little riot on my hands if I had. We decided to take a short hike, and the fog did slowly clear.
We decided to head back to the room to see if there were any signs of life yet.
We all showered, dressed, and ate something really healthy (NOT!) for breakfast in the room. Then we grabbed the binoculars and marched the kids in the direction of the mountains. I was silently hoping that there were still there.
Even jaded teenagers can be awestruck by the views that we had! We took turns using the binoculars to marvel at the elk and search for moose. Girl really, really, really wanted to see moose on this trip. There were others around us telling us that we were seeing moose, but Im pretty sure all we saw were elk.
This photo would be the start one of the little running jokes of the trip.
I just loved the look of the green trees against the bright blue sky. I found it so beautiful! This time there was even the moon. I often heard, Look, mom, green trees, blue sky! followed by a few giggles. Its ok; they love me and most of my little quirks.
We could have stayed in that area all day, but once again time was our enemy. We checked out of Jackson Lake Lodge cabins and headed toward Yellowstone. We considered backtracking to the Jenny Lake area, but we really were limited on time. We did stop at the Colter Bay Visitor Center and Indian Arts Museum.
The museum is small but interesting, and we enjoyed wandering around taking in the exhibits. There was no flash photography allowed inside the musem to protect the items on display. I took a few photos, but none turned out good enough to share.
Once again, my family felt a need to be fed. Yes, it was lunchtime already! We went to the grocery store in the Colter Bay Village area and bought everything we needed for a picnic lunch. I think that the deli meat was even less expensive there than it is at home. We headed down to a picnic area by the lake and had a quiet lunch.
Heres another green tree, blue sky photo for you!
And some of the beautiful flowers.
We were sad that we didnt have more time to devote to Grand Tetons National Park but excited that we were heading up to Yellowstone National Park.
Next up: Day 7 continued (Yellowstone at last!)
estherhead
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2004
I love green trees & blue sky too! Must be an "old person" thing.
disneyfaninaz
It takes faith, trust & pixie dust!
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2007
What happened? I have been enthralled with your trip report (I love to take pictures of green trees and blue sky too!)
Anyway, we are planning a trip to Grand Tetons and Yellowstone next year and your report stopped.
Are you planning on writing more? Would love to hear about Yellowstone!
Anyway, we are planning a trip to Grand Tetons and Yellowstone next year and your report stopped.
Are you planning on writing more? Would love to hear about Yellowstone!
bethbuchall
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 10, 2003
Hmmm....I guess life happened.
This is going to be a very busy weekend, but I'll try to continue on Monday. I'll at least get some photos up for you.You will love your trip!
Judy from Boise
Watch out – might take away your
- Joined
- Aug 24, 1999
well chop chop !
caitlinsdad
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 9, 2007
Anyone seen day 7? Great report, hope you get to finish it sometime.
caitlinsdad
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 9, 2007
Bump,
Still hopping
Still hopping
katman2540
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 20, 2009
Would love to see day 7 also. Heading out that way next summer with my Wife and she has never been there.
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