Summer Road Trip - ID > MT > UT

My entire family gathered in Island Park, Idaho for a few days - it was the first time we'd all been together since Christmas 2018 I think, and the first time we've done a group vacation to this scale. There were hiccups, of course, but overall it went really well and we had a great time!

The first day, a large group of us went back into Yellowstone to see the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. The group was my parents, Tessa and her kids, Jackson and me (Brandon was fishing), and Thomas and Madison.

This time we saw a bunch of elk, more bison, and a wolf from afar.

We were hoping to hike a bit more around the canyon, but several of the trails were closed. Instead, we made a stop at some geysers and mud pots.

Back at the cabin, the hot tub was a favorite spot for the kids. Come to think of it, I don't think any adults ever got in, except for Isaac maybe who got in with his kids once.

These two almost-two-year-olds kept everyone entertained. They were so fun and so cute!

One night all the grandkids did a Fruit-by-the-Foot challenge Dominika saw online. I can't remember who won, but from this picture, it looks like Jonah was the winner.

The next day was a lake day! Jacob and Thomas rented a boat and two jet skis for everyone to play on. It was a lot of fun! I loved that we could enjoy the sun without it being too hot.

Brandon became the de facto fishing teacher. He helped Ephraim catch his first fish and the other kids were so excited that he ended up helping them all.

Jackson got to go on 2 jet ski rides and got pulled on the tube, and he said the tube was his favorite.

Saturday morning, Brandon and Jackson left to head home. They drove for 2 days straight, stopping to sleep in Nebraska, and made it home Sunday night. I stayed the finish out the weekend with my family and hop down to Utah to see my friends.

Saturday after the boys left, the rest of us had a pretty low-key day. Tessa took her kids horseback riding and when they came back, they took a few of us back to a pond that had a rope swing, paddleboats, and other activities. That night, Tessa, Micah, and I went to a local soda shop for drinks and cookies and on the way back, we saw this mama moose and her baby right off the side of the road. We sat and watched them for about 10 minutes. It was amazing!

Sunday, Jacob and family and Micah and my dad all left, so there was a smaller group of us left. Tessa and her kids (minus Jonah - he left on Friday), my mom, Thomas and Madison, and I went up to Earthquake Lake in Montana. It was an unexpected highlight for me. This lake was formed in 1959 after a huge earthquake caused a landslide which dammed up the Madison River while the Hebgen Lake upriver spilled over its dam, causing this lake to form in the valley. The story was so crazy - it all happened in the middle of the night and all the people in the area - including a full campground in the valley - were scrambling to get to safety. If I remember right, 28 people died. It was really interesting learning all about it at the visitors center they have there on top of the landslide, as well as several roadside markers. You can still see trees coming out of the lake.

They had to quickly build a spillway in the landslide to keep the river from building up too much and pushing through the landslide. 

We traveled up the river to the original lake. We stopped for lunch along the river and even saw a bald eagle in flight. It was such a gorgeous area - I'm a big Montana fan now! 

Monday morning, we headed down to Utah. I rode in the car with my mom and we caravanned with Thomas and Madison. We made a quick stop at Mesa Falls, which was absolutely beautiful. We also stopped in Rexburg, Idaho for some huckleberry ice cream before making it into Utah. 

I stayed with Thomas and Madison Monday night and got to have dinner and hang out with my friends Hailey Murri, Aubrey Johnson, Angela Farrer, Whitney Ashby, Jaime Zogmaister, and DeeAura Willmon. It was so much fun to be able to just sit and talk with some of my favorite ladies. Too bad I didn't get a picture! The next day, I led a webinar session for work, then headed to the airport only to have my flight delayed 18 hours. Fortunately Madison was able to come pick me up and I stayed with them another night before flying home Wednesday. Thomas works nights, but my mom and Micah came down and hung out with us. It ended up being a lot of fun, but I was so ready to get home to Brandon and my bed. 

And our garden had really exploded while we were gone! 

We had such a great trip and really enjoyed being out and about again. I'm writing this only 2 weeks later, and I'm already ready to go back! 

Summer Road Trip 2020 - WY > MT > ID

The next day, we headed into Grand Teton National Park. I think this was the part of the trip I was most excited about, and it did not disappoint. We had a fabulous drive that morning - stopping at a few viewpoints and just enjoying the beauty. I don't even know how to put into words how gorgeous this was, so I'll let the photos attempt to tell the story, though they definitely don't do it justice.

These photos were taken from a small historic site called Mormon Row - the houses and barns were built by early Mormon settlers who were sent up to the valley by Brigham Young. I was trying to imagine what it would be like to come up here, with no idea what to expect, and to come into this gorgeous valley with the stunning mountains as a backdrop. No doubt it was difficult starting from scratch - and the winters are no joke - but I imagine they would've just been awestruck by the majesty.

That afternoon, we checked into our hotel in Jackson - another cute, rustic motel - and relaxed a bit before heading out to explore the town square and get some dinner and souvenirs - all masked up to control coronavirus spread.

Jackson loved that everything - included the town - was named after him!

The next day, we ventured deeper into the park and met my parents and Tessa and her kids for a hike. We took the boat across Jenny Lake then hiked up to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. It was pretty steep and we took lots of breaks, but it was worth it!

  

In all the hotels we stayed in, Jackson got his own big bed, and he certainly made use of all the space! 

The next day, we headed to Idaho to meet the rest of my family. We drove up through Grand Teton National Park and into Yellowstone National Park, so we stopped and took in some of the sights on the way.

Jackson at Jackson Lake in Grand Teton

West Thumb Geyser Basin along Yellowstone Lake in Yellowstone

Old Faithful - this was by far the most crowded spot in the park (other than the entrance, which was backed up a couple of miles). Fortunately, we didn't have to wait too long before it erupted.

The mother of all springs - Grand Prismatic Spring

Firehole Canyon and Falls

After driving through the rest of the western part of the park, and a small piece of Montana, we made it to our cabin in Island Park, Idaho where we spent the next few days with my family.