After surviving strep throat at almost 8,000 feet elevation (quite a change from Florida!) at Fishing Bridge campground in Yellowstone, we made it out to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and Lamar Valley to view some animals. We took the Lower Falls hike through the drizzling rain to see the start of the lower falls that flows into the “grand canyon” and it was well worth the wet trek! It was an awesome site and the canyon was inspiring.
When we left the hike we put on the heat in the car and drove to Lamar Valley. Although we did not see any wolves (Rich and I really wanted to see some of those incredible predators), we were able to see some beautiful Pronghorns (the fastest animal in the Americas) and some more Elk and Bison. On our way back to our campground we stopped with a group of others and saw a beautiful black bear! (I was super excited and the kids and Rich all like to imitate my “look at that beautiful black bear!” enthusiasm).
The next day we moved camp to “Grant Village.” Rich happened to book the most requested site in the campground and loved our space there! We were right on the edge of this amazing waterway and “beach” and right across from the bathrooms and “dishwashing room” (both were heated which was a big plus since it got down to 29 degrees at night…crazy!). We enjoyed our first day exploring our campground, walking over log bridges and cooking over our firepit. Ok, let me clarify…Rich and Vangeli cooked over the fire; Akira, Eli and myself went to take a shower (the kids specifically needed the shower because they have covered themselves in black sand from the “beach”) and do 4 loads of laundry!! 4 loads! (since having strep we needed to wash everything, including sheets, so…) 4 loads of laundry is quite a task when you have to carry in each load, pay with quarters, and make sure your two “helpers” are “helping” 😊 After the laundry though, we were able to come back to the campground and eat the really delicious food Rich and Vangeli had prepared for us (it was really good!).
The next day we woke up and walked along the “beach” again, this time with fishing poles, and I had the opportunity to try fly fishing…I enjoyed it! We then traveled to the Grand Teton’s national park and enjoyed a view of the Tetons before heading back to the campground. We visited the Visitor’s Center in Grant and listened to half a talk on “wildlife.” That night we had another nice fire-cooked meal and marshmallows as well. The next day was our last in Yellowstone and we headed out towards West Yellowstone to drop off our car. Along the way Akira got car sick and Vangeli saved the day by finding a plastic bag just in time! Yikes! We decided to stop before leaving the park and try to get some more fishing in (and I wanted to clean the car…it needed it even before Akira’s episode). We found a nice area and spent some time there. We soon made our way out of the park and stopped in West Yellowstone for some lunch and ice cream before hitting the road again.
So, we headed off towards Washington…the final frontier!
Yes, Akira is barefoot and it was 30 degrees...beach baby!
