Boating at Pine View Dam

During our trip, Dave got in touch with a good friend from high school, who offered to take us boating at Pine View Dam.  Growing up, Dave and I have lots of good memories playing, swimming, boating, and camping at Pine View, so we were excited to take our girls. 

Also the girls had NEVER been boating before, so we were grateful that they would finally have the opportunity to go out on a boat.  Fortunately, our friends, the Suttlemyres, were very patient and considerate of our novice abilities.  They attached a raft and pulled the kids around as well as gave the girls the chance to try and water ski.

It was a little rainy that day but we all had a good time, especially the girls.  It was also really nice to meet Adam's family.  It had been over 10 years since we last saw him.  His kids were really cute and so nice to our girls.  We hope that someday they can come to Chicago and visit us.

I should also mention that Adam took us to see the grave of another high school friend, Ray Stoffers.  Ray died when we were at Notre Dame and this was the first time we were able to visit his grave.  I really appreciate that Adam thought of taking us there.

Yellowstone National Park

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK---God's Country, a beautiful and breathtaking place.  We were so lucky to be able to spend three days there.

Now that we no longer live in the Mountain West and our kids are official Midwesterners, going to Yellowstone is more than an annual summer camping trip---it's a BIG FREAKIN' deal!!  (I don't usually use the word freakin' but I am trying to make a point!)

Everytime we go to Utah, we talk about taking the girls to Yellowstone, but we just never seem to have time to do it.  However, this year because of our extended stay, we made it happen.  Or I should say Dave's parents made it happen.  They took time off to drive up with us, serve as our unofficial guides of the park and even hosted us in their time share condo in West Yellowstone.  Dave's parents go to Yellowstone every year, so they know what they are doing.  We couldn't have had better guides.  We had such a wonderful time and were awed by natural beauty.  I know it is an experience we will never forget.

The condo property was brand new and very nice.  The girls loved the pool and the playground.

 

On our first day, we saw American bison and their new babies almost as soon as we entered the park.  We also saw a bear but it was so far away, that even with binoculars it wasn't much more than a moving brown dot.  We then went to Madison campground for a ranger show.  The topic that evening was astronomy so we learned all about constellations and even got to see the International Space Station as it moved across the sky.  After the show, everyone went to the parking lot and looked at the stars through big, powerful telescopes.  We saw Saturn and it's rings.  It was very fun.

 

It was also very cold.  In the evenings the temperatures dropped into the 30s.  Thank goodness we weren't camping.  During the day, the temps. were in the 60s, a little cool but comfortable with a sweatshirt.

Our second day, was the geothermal day.  We spent the morning at Midway Geyser Basin, looking at all sorts of hot pots.  Our favorite was the Grand Prismatic Spring.


Paige and Grandma



After, we headed over to Old Faithful, saw the eruption, and walked the trail to see all the geysers.  We started renaming all the geysers, coming up with some of our own names.  We also went into the Old Faithful lodge and had an ice cream on the balcony. 

We ended the day at the new Old Faithful visitor center.  It is really nice, the exhibits helped explain to us what causes all the geysers, mudpots, springs, etc. 


Old Faithful erupting




 It was at the visitor center that the girls picked up their materials to earn the Junior Ranger badge.  I can't say enough about this program.  The girls were basically given a workbook to complete while in the park.  It included questions about different sites, required you to go to a ranger show, document the animals you saw, and map your travel.  If you complete the requirements you get sworn in as a junior ranger and receive a patch.  Let's just say my girls LOVED this.  Okay they were totally obsessed.  Everything revolved around finishing the workbook.  There were a couple time we had to tell them to "chill out" and threaten to take their papers away as they became so concerned about finishing.

working to become a Junior Ranger

Yellowstone Junior Ranger homework

On day three, we drove a big loop and went to Canyon and Grant.  This was definitely the day of breathtaking beauty.  Even the girls were in awe over the waterfalls, lakes and canyons.  As for animals we saw osprey in their nests, a coyote, elk, deer, and a huge black wolf eating an elk carcass!

I'll just let the pictures do the talking.

Yellowstone Canyon

falls

 



We stopped for lunch at cute little diner in Canyon and then went on to see the mud pots--Mud Volcano, the Black Cauldron, and Dragon's Breath.

Dragon's Breath

Mud Volcano

 

Another fun activity on our trip was to find license plates from as many of the states as possible.  We did pretty well, finding 47 of 50 states.  We even found Hawaii and Alaska!  The missing states were Mississippi, Delaware, and Maine.
By the time we stopped in Grant, the girls had finished their Junior Park Ranger requirements!  They had to report to an actual park ranger who checked their materials, asked them questions, and signed their workbook.  Then they were sworn in as junior rangers, promising to preserve and protect Yellowstone and all nature and wildlife.



Swearing in as Park Rangers

A Stop in Rexburg

Of our siblings, the only one who wouldn't be in Utah during the time we were was Dave's sister Kelley.  She lives in Rexburg with her husband David, 4 darling children, a cat named Cookie, 5+ goats, and a bunch of chickens (hope I'm not leaving anything out.)  She definitely has her hands full and considering they already took their summer vacation, it really was easier for us to drive up and visit her than for them to come to Utah.

We stopped in Rexburg on our way to Yellowstone.  Conveniently on the way and a perfect place to stop for lunch.  Of course, it was so nice to see Kelley and her kids that it was kind of sad to have to leave and get back on the road so soon; we only stayed for a few hours.

Kelley, is a girl after my own heart.  She loves food, cooking, gardening---and she is very good at it as well!  As we arrived in Rexburg, she recommended that we meet her and the kids at Big Jud's for lunch.  Ah, Big Jud's...it's a hole in the wall diner in the middle of nowhere, literally right out of Diner's, Drive-In and Dives.  Dave used his GPS to find the restaurant and let's just say that both and Dave and I thought our GPS was broken because as we followed it's directions we were pretty sure, "that there isn't going to be any kind of restaurant out here."  However, we forgot we weren't in Chicago anymore, because yes there can be a little restaurant in the most unexpected of places!



The Smith and Gee kids waiting for lunch



Big Jud's is a place known for it's HUGE hamburgers.  See that monstrosity I have been served.  That is a mushroom and swiss bacon burger.  I had to eat it with a fork...I mean there is now way I was getting my mouth around that thing.  I might have broken my arm just trying to lift it. 

So you're wondering was it good?  Oh yeah!  It was good!   Just what you want from a juicy homemade burger.  They also come with fresh cut fries that are so delicious that even though you are sick-full from trying to eat your hamburger you just can't stop yourself from eating the fries.

So Big Jud's was a big hit with our crew.  However, the best part of the meal was that I got to sit next to the adorable baby Bronson.  He is about 7 months old.  I love babies at this age.  I just couldn't keep my hands off of him, even his diaper blow-out couldn't deter me (okay, I was in such baby heaven I didn't even notice.)

After lunch, we went over to Kelley's house to visit, let the kids play, and basically try to recover from the beef bombs we had just gleefullly eaten.  First off, we took an agricultural tour.  The goats, chickens, and pasture are pretty novel to my girls.  The goats had recently given birth so it was pretty fun to see all the babies frolicking around.

Paige disappeared with her cousin Nikki to play and Dave played dinosaurs with Josh, while Ashley got some "baby" time too.  And Kelley, treated us all to some Paradise Bakery donuts...it doesn't matter how full you are, there is always room for donuts!

Before we knew it, it was time to go, but I am so glad that we got to visit the Gees.  Kelley has a wonderful life in Rexburg and some of the most beautiful kids you'll ever see.  I will always have the memory of her girls running carefree through the pasture with their long blond hair blowing in the wind.  Hopefully, when their kids are little older and ready to travel they will come and stay with us in Chicago.

p.s. a few days later on the way home we again stopped in Rexburg but we didn't get to see Kelley as she had other committments, however she did recommend that we stop at the Hawaiian shaved ice shack and have a "Frog in a Blender."  Again, she was right on that one.  Frog in Blender is my new favorite snow cone flavor!  Yummmy

This Is the Place

This Is the Place Monument

I've heard lots of good reviews about This Is the Place Heritage Park in Salt Lake City and we had actually never been there, so I wanted to make sure that we checked it out while we were in Utah.  We ended up going with Dave's parents and his brother Scott and Scott's wife, Katie. 

Breakfast at Market Street Grill, SLC

I enjoyed the park and am glad that we went, but looking back I feel a little bad about dragging Scott and Katie there---not exactly what a young married couple would consider loads of fun--unless they like elementary school field trips!  They were good sports!



In addition to the This Is the Place monument, the foundation that runs the park has established a whole pioneer village with activities and characters in dress.  It is somewhat like a small Nauvoo.  We rode a train around the grounds, toured some buildings and let the kids ride a pony.  It was also a very hot day so we stopped at the "General Store" for a snow cone.  I tell you snow cones are the THING in Utah. 


Train ride with Grandpa, Paige and Aunt Katie



Dave sitting in Brigham Young's reclining chair,
our guide insisted he sit in it.



Waiting for a pony ride



Playing pioneer children's games with Grandpa



Sheep





I love a fun-filled vacation but just as important are the opportunities to learn.  We have taken the girls to a number of places this year to experience "living history."  I am so grateful to stand in preserved places, recall events, and answer my daughter's questions.  What great memories we've made learning together.