Rachel, Ely, Grandpa and Grandma joined us on this trip in the first week of August. We met at a pre-appointed place and time miraculously well without the benefit of cell phone reception. Mammoth falls was our first stop. We followed a perfect itinerary that consisted of amazing hikes and many scenic spots. We started early to avoid crowds and find parking and logged thousands of steps each day. Grandpa showed us edible wild carrots and berrries. There were many smelly geysers and mud pots with names like Dragon's belly or lair. Many months later the kids still comment when the smell of eggs reminds them of Yellowstone. The weather was a little chillier than we expected with more rain than desired also. The first night the rain beat so hard on our RV that I couldn't sleep worrying about how those in the springbar tent were holding up. With all the vacation and travel adjustments due to covid we were unsure how some things would work, but I felt like we got a great sense of the wonder and variety of Yellowstone. Many thanks to Rachel for her research and planning and to grandma and grandpa for helping with kids and keeping things running smoothly. The drive to Grand Tetons was challenging with the RV but beautiful. Grandpa treated us all for my birthday lunch. The kids were so tough to enjoy the glacial lakes as much as possible (and Jared too). Some of our favorite spots were Colter Bay and Jenny Lake. The scenery was so magestic. Ely had a fun ranch airbnb with a huge herd of horses that were let out to pasture each evening. The three cousins got souvenir pocket knives to practice their whittling. We are so grateful for the beautiful areas so close to our home and so grateful we could make this trip!
