2021.06-Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks

The next morning we headed to Yellowstone and right away saw a bison near the side of the road. The kids loved seeing all the wildlife and had an “animal counter” going but stopped around 40 or 50 animals within the first few miles into the park…

First stop… Old faithful before it got too busy in the day…

After watching Old Faithful, we hiked Observation Point and the Geyser Hill Loop trail which is connected/very close to Old Faithful.

We then walked the boardwalk after observation point. The kids weren’t a fan of the strong sulfur smells but the hot springs and geysers are incredible and so unique.

After doing some shopping in the Old Faithful gift shop, we headed to Spring Creek to have our picnic. Some of the kids said this was their favorite part of the day. Sometimes you need to just walk on logs in the woods with no predefined trails.

We then went to Yellowstone Lake and walked around West Thumb Geyser Basin.

Made a quick stop at Duck Lake.

We stopped at Midway Geyser Basin Trail which was a great trail to get up close to the geysers and actually feel/walkthrough the steam. I do highly recommend Grand Prismatic Hot Springs Trail which was a longer hike (approximately 2 miles) that gives you and overhead view of Grand Prismatic that we did on Friday (6/11).

It was approximately 4:00 P.M. and a really long day so we headed to our last short hike for the day at fountain paint pot trail. After watching the bubbling of the pots, we were fortunate to see some geysers erupting which a ranger volunteer said did not typically go off.

The kids enjoyed time in the hot tub with the scenic views after a long day.

One of the activities we planned prior to the start of our trip was going horseback riding at Eagle Ridge Ranch. The ranch rules state that everyone over the age of 5 needed to get their own horse. We weren’t sure how all of the kids would do, especially Harvey who just made the cutoff with his April birthday.

Prior to riding, we had access to the ranch and all the activities that were onsite. The kids had fun paddle boarding (minus it was somewhat windy and Kaitlyn fell in), paddle boats and jumping on the pond trampoline.

Since we still had about an hour, we had just enough time to go shooting and Harvey enjoyed pushing the button to let the discs fly…

We toured the barns prior to our ride and one of them tried to eat Harvey’s hat which thankfully he thought was funny…

We decided that all 18 of us would go out together with 2 guides instead of breaking up. Once we got the instructions, we got into the coral and one by one got paired with horses. The guides/staff were very good with all of us including the kids but I did feel for Charlotte as she was very last out of all 18 of to get her horse and I could tell she was very nervous. However, the main guide talked her through it and after a bit she did great. I also felt bad for Harvey as his first horse, Butterscotch, got into the stall and gave a massive shake. Harvey hung on but I could tell that definitely scared him. Let’s just say Butterscotch was not on his game that day as he started to go off the path and did whatever he wanted. Thankfully, the guides could tell Butterscotch was off and Sylvia was doing great with her horse named Blue so they switched horses. However, 15 minutes later Butterscotch was back off the trail and took her right through a tree. Thankfully she didn’t get hurt but could tell she was a little shaken. The guides decided Butterscotch was better back at the ranch so they went back to get another horse. Overall it was a minor issue and everyone had a great time and one of the more memorable quotes was:

Horse back riding was probably one of the highlights for the trip and here were each of our horses names: Mark – Wilbur, Hanna – Senator, Lydia – Derby, Charlotte – JJ, Harvey – started with Butterscotch and then Blue

After our ride, the ranch then had a chuck wagon for all the riders and food was really good. It was a long day and a few minutes down the road I think Butterscotch and Blue wore out Harvey as he was out…

The next morning we headed out to Grand Tetons. Nice to get family photos at the entrance as well as the whole group.

After we got into the park, we stopped to have a picnic lunch and wanted to get a few pictures of all the kids as they had on their “Cousin Crew” shirts.

We then headed to Jenny Lake and took the ferry one way to the other side as we planned on walking back to where we parked.

From the dock we hiked to Hidden Falls which was only about 1 mile and a minor elevation gain. I’m sure the falls are often flowing and beautiful but they were amazing from all the snow melt in the first week in June. Beautiful.

After Hidden Falls, we hiked to Inspiration Point which was about a mile with some elevation gain (approximately 500 feet). We didn’t go all the way around and instead went to the overlook which had a beautiful view of Jenny Lake. We were thinking Mom and Dad would stay down by Hidden Falls as there was a pretty good elevation gain but a little bit later there was Mom and Dad with all the kids giving them hugs for making it.

From Inspiration Point, we then left Mom and Dad as they were going to take the Ferry back to the Jenny Lake visitor center and the rest of us were going to make the 4 mile hike back on the Jenny Lake Trail. This was one of the more beautiful and scenic hikes we did and the lake and mountain views were amazing. So glad we could get some family pictures along the way…

After a great day in Grand Tetons, we all went for pizza in Jackson Hole and head back to our house which was about a 2.5 hour drive.

Mom and Dad have been hosting cousin camp for those that are potty trained approximately every 2 years. Since this was the year for cousin camp they said they would take the kids all day while the adults had a day and night to themselves.

We decided that while in the area we would rent ATVs for the day to see more back country and areas you wouldn’t see from your car. We rented one 2 seater and one 4 seater ATV from High Mountain Adventures located a few minutes from our house. We had a great time but definitely got dusty and dirty. We first went to some meadows and were worried as we got separated at one point but shortly figured out that we could “connect” the 2 ATVs together so it was almost impossible to lose each other. We tested it out with playing some hide-n-seek and yes we were able to find each other.

We then headed to Sawtell Peak which had an elevation of 9,917 feet and was a pretty amazing climb. Prior to the climb it definitely didn’t look like it was that high up but every 5 – 10 minutes the views kept getting better and the temperatures kept getting colder. By the time we got to the top, it was cold with a breeze and 59 degrees with only shorts and t-shirt on. I think we are all glad we went to the top but there were points (we won’t name names) where eyes were closed and the drop offs were steep. At the very top, we could see Grand Tetons which was approximately 80 miles away and cool seeing as we were just there yesterday.

After getting down the mountain, we found a stream and had a picnic lunch and some wine and just relaxed with the adults. Although we never felt rushed, it was a busy vacation so relaxing by a stream with a glass or two of wine was just what was needed. Great to connect with siblings and their spouses.

We then head back for the meadows and went a ways off the beaten path. Hanna and I were leading and at one point a small black bear cub was in the middle of our path. It was too fast for a picture and we were worried mama bear could be around so continued on.

After our day on the trails in Idaho, we headed back to the house and snuck into the basement for everyone to have a long hot shower. We then headed to the Buffalo Bar which we heard was one of the better restaurants in the area. We had low expectations but overall it was solid bar food and again nice to just be with the adults and not needing to help the kids.

This day we went more north of the entrance. Our drive started out with a significant delay due to Bison in the road. That added an hour plus to the first part of our drive but thankfully the kids do well in the car and we had beautiful scenery.

We first went to Artist Point which is very short hike but probably one of my favorite viewpoints in all of Yellowstone. The views were absolutely amazing.

We then headed to Lower Yellowstone Falls. At Lower falls we hiked to Upper Yellowstone Falls while my parents took a vehicle to Upper falls so we wouldn’t all need to walk back to get the cars. Again, one of my favorites of the trip was seeing all the different view points and the hike was only about 1 – 2 miles and was nice to just get next to the water and see some wildlife.

Hike between Upper and Lower Falls…

After getting back in the cars, we drove along the north rim and went to Brink of Upper Falls that got you up close with the falls. Hard to fathom how much water was flowing…incredible…

Along the north rim, we made two stops at Canyon overlook and Grand overlook. Views were similar to Artist point but on the other side on North Rim and still amazing.

We then headed to Mammoth area for the hot springs. It was a bit of a long drive (approximately 1.5 hours). Along the way we saw some bears just off the road that slowed traffic down. But we were able to see a bear which the kids loved.

We did part of the Mammoth Hot Springs hike and I think everyone was tired as it was a long day but the springs were beautiful. The springs and rock formations were unique. Also, the village of Mammoth is where the park rangers stay and there were lots of wildlife.

It was our last full day in the Yellowstone area and there were no group plans. I know my blog/posts get very factual at times but I do love our family vacations and all the time we spend together. It’s great to see the kids grow. I woke up the last morning and there was Harvey sitting and enjoying his breakfast that he made by himself. It wasn’t much but he did it on his own.

Since there were no group plans our family decided to head into Yellowstone for some more hiking. On the way to our hike, Hanna saw a picnic area and a Bison enjoying his lunch so we pulled off and had lunch with him. Yes, I am not zooming in on my iPhone, and we were probably a little too close but the pictures were too good to pass up. Also, there was a picnic bench right next to us and I told the kids they could only eat facing the bison and if he came I would flip over the picnic table to stop him and we would be fine. Hah!

Our family decided to do one last hike so after some research we went to Mystic Falls, Fair Creek, and Little Firehole Loop. I think I have said this already but this could have been my favorite hike. Not necessarily because of the views or the difficulty but it was just with our family and the kids did so well as it was a 4 mile hike with an 800-900 elevation gain. I was proud of the kids as they wanted to climb to the top and not stop. If you do the full loop and not just to the falls, when you got to the fork in the road, we went right up the mountain to get the most difficult part out of the way. At one point there was a sage grouse along the trail that was wounded. Harvey and I stumbled across him first and Harvey loved seeing him on the trail. He was in the middle of the trail so Harvey went first and almost pet him. I then went and right as I got near him the thing started chasing me and trying to peck me…I will admit I don’t like birds and it scared me. I was completely fine but that didn’t give much comfort to the 3 girls behind me. Lyd and Charlotte started going through the trees and Hanna was doing some kinda dance around the grouse. All in all everyone was fine and added some great stories for the kids escaping the sage grouse. We then came up to Mystic Falls from the high side and it was beautiful. Again, I think the kids enjoyed it as we went all the way around while many took the short route. I was proud of them…

Beautiful Mystic Falls.

Since we had such a good time on our last hike and the kids felt great, we decided to do Grand Prismatic Hot Spring hike. Earlier in the week, we were right next to Grand Prismatic but you are so close you can’t physically see the whole springs. I am glad we did that hike but also being at the overlook was amazing. It was a 2 mile hike but I thought completely worth the time and effort.

We then headed back to West Yellowstone to do some shopping for souvenirs for the kids. Along the way, we were the 3rd car to see the bison crossing the river so I quickly pulled over and got some videos. This time I knew I was waaaaay too close but there was another guy right next to me and I knew I was much faster than him so I figured I was fine. It amazing seeing them cross the river and continue down their path.

Our last night in Idaho falls the kids hosted a talent show. It was a great night of dancing, singing and magic but have to say I think Uncle D won the night with his magic tricks…

The boys and girls each stayed in 15 person bunk rooms and Logan and Harvey’s room looked great, granted only 2 people, but the girls I think were preparing us for when they go to college. It was a mess! The next morning we wanted to hit the road early as we were driving to Mount Rushmore. I think Lyd stayed up too late and just being on the go for the past 2 weeks she was tired and exhausted so a long road trip was perfect…On the way out of the park on the north entrance we made sure to stop by the Yellowstone National Park entrance.

On our way out of the park we went through Lamar Valley. I have to say I was a little cautious if we should drive through the valley and then bear tooth highway (below) as it added a few hours to our drive. Normally 100% okay adding hours to take the scenic route but this was 100% worth the extra time. In the valley there were hundreds maybe thousands of bison migrating and making their way to there new location. It was beautiful.

We then took Bear Tooth Highway that got to almost 11,000 feet elevation. Lyd wasn’t feeling the best so felt terrible for her but the views were absolutely amazing. The road was very curvy but again it was very very scenic. At one point we pulled off the road and it was early June and there were lots of kids in the back of a truck that brought them from the base of the mountain to the top so they could ski down. If you don’t mind twists and turns would highly recommend the scenic route.

After a long road trip through Montana and South Dakota, we made it to Kemp’s Kamp as it was 10-15 minutes from Mount Rushmore. It was a great cabin and the kids loved the rustic nature and out in the woods but we got in around 9 and out around 8 so it was a quick night.

The next day we headed to Mount Rushmore. It was amazing and indeed incredible what was created but it was man made and after 2 weeks in Utah and Idaho with all of God’s creation we were done and wanted to get home. We spent a little time here but the kids did appreciate the views. I did tell the kids that if we wanted to get all the state license plates this could be our last chance. When we left Iowa we had a list of all 50 states and we had them all except Delaware so the kids weren’t too happy to see them join the state of the 1st in the state of the union.

We weren’t originally planning on stopping at Wall Drug but we were hungry so we stopped for brunch and showed the kids the drug store in the middle of nowhere.

We then went to our last, 8th for the trip, Bad Lands National Park. Again, it was beautiful but after seeing all the national parks in Utah, Grand Tetons, and Yellowstone and partly due to us just wanting to be home and the temperature being 90+ I think we all just wanted to get home. We did enjoy the views, prairie dogs and nature rock formations but we did just do the highlights.

After Badlands, we traveled straight back home with limited stops. Overall the kids did absolutely amazing. Some states from the past 2 weeks: 8 National Parks, 2 National Monuments, 4,641 miles, 88 hours and 43 minutes (51 hours before our battery died), every license plate minus Delaware and so many memories, smiles and a trip we as a family will never forget.