Wildlife

We made the drive from Jackson, WY to Yellowstone today. We went from our large condo to a little cabin. It's been tricky to find a place for all of our stuff!

Just a few miles before we entered Yellowstone, we saw the traffic begin to slow down. As we approached, we discovered why. A grizzly bear was snacking just several feet from the side of the road.



And, of course, there are bison everywhere. They don't even notice the people.




Here are my own "wildlife." Well, at least On the Loose can be considered wildlife. :-)



Hiking around the "Grand Canyon of Yellowstone" tomorrow!

A Wyoming Sunset

The sunsetting over the Tetons from the patio of our condo in Jackson, Wyoming.

It took my breath away...

Grand Teton National Park

I've been dreaming of visiting the Tetons for years! I'm always drawn to photographs, paintings, TV specials, etc. featuring them. They definitely do not disappoint!

Today we ventured into Grand Teton National Park. The views are incredible. I don't think words could begin to describe them!



Three of my very favorite people! The fourth was off taking some panoramic shots of his own.



After a very tasty lunch at the Jackson Lake Lodge, we took a short half mile walk on the property. Then we decided to try a longer hike and did the five mile round trip trek to Hidden Falls to see this.



The little guy did a great job on a long, up and down hike on a narrow trail covered in rocks and fallen trees!

Tonight we're planning on where we would like hike tomorrow. :-)

Vacation

I'm taking a break from the remodel updates. It might have something to do with the fact that another hole was found in another pipe under the concrete! It was under the hallway which just had brand new hardwood flooring put in two weeks ago...hardwood flooring that was pulled up today and the concrete jacked up to replace the pipe. Don't ask how much it cost or I'll cry. :-)

So, instead of listening to a jackhammer all day long, I enjoyed a scenic drive through Utah, Wyoming, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho and Wyoming. We drove from Salt Lake City to Jackson, WY which took us right along the borders of the three aforementioned states.

Yesterday we woke up before dawn and drove 637 miles to Provo, UT. What a nice little town! This was the view from our hotel window:




This morning we left Provo and made the short drive up to Salt Lake City. We figured we couldn't be that close to a state capital and not visit. Homeschoolers! We turn everything into a field trip.

I think this was my favorite capital we've been to so far. The building looks majestic sitting on a hill downtown.



Here's where the Utah House of Representatives does its work:



As we read through some of the state history, it was apparent that the right of women to vote was a huge point of contention. Footloose and I were particularly perturbed by this quote on the wall:



We arrived in Jackson this afternoon. We checked in at Spring Creek Ranch. They assigned our room and it was very nice...EXCEPT...Footloose shrieked and said, "There's a chipmunk on the bed."

I said, "A fake one?"

She said, "NO! A real one!"

That freaked me out! I am not a lover of rodents! Turned Loose checked it out and he saw it scurry under one of the beds. I was not happy! My hero (aka Hubby) tore the room apart looking for it and couldn't find it. I just could not sleep in the room knowing said critter was there! If I wanted to sleep with wildlife, I would camp not pay for a fancy condo!

So, Don called the front desk and asked if we could be moved. Without hesitation they not only moved us but upgraded us! We ended up with a bigger room with a bigger view! Here's a photo of sunset from our patio:



Tomorrow, we're planning on going to Grand Teton National Park. Time to crack out our new hiking boots!