Yellowstone - Day 5

On Sunday, day 5, we woke up very early (5am) to drive to Lamar Valley to view the wildlife.  It is a 60-90 minute drive from Madison to Lamar Valley, and we wanted to be there early to hopefully see the wolves.  We did end up seeing a wolf, along with lots of pronghorn and bison.  It was a gorgeous drive and so nice to experience it without crowds.  It was well worth getting up early for!

We drove back to the Roosevelt Lodge to change into shorts (it was warming up) and we took a stagecoach ride.  Then we had lunch at the Roosevelt Lodge.  We drove back toward Canyon with stops at Tower Fall and Washburn trail head.  We debated hiking Washburn, but decided it was too warm and sunny for a mid-day hike.  On our way to Canyon, we saw a grizzly bear cub in a meadow just off the road.  We stopped to snap a couple of pictures.

 

grizzly cub fan club

We drove back to our campsite for snacks and drinks, then changed into bathing suits to swim in the Madison River. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grand Tetons - Day 6

On Monday, day 6, we packed up our camp at Madison and drove to the Grand Tetons.

We had reservations at the Colter Bay RV Park, but after seeing the site (it was small, too sunny, and we couldn't have a camp fire) we decided to camp at the Colter Bay Campground next door.  We set up camp, had lunch, and made a trip to the Colter Bay General Store for ice cream.

We had reservations for a Dinner Wagon Ride and had to check in at 4:15. 

 

 

 

This was a fun ride to a beautiful spot with gorgeous views and a yummy steak dinner.

 

 

 

We got back from the dinner ride about 8:00pm and decided to explore Jackson Lake beach.

Jackson Lake

We heard that early morning or dusk are great times to spot moose, so we went on a moose hunt at Pilgrim Creek, a spot that our dinner wagon driver suggested.  We didn't see any moose, but it was beautiful.

Grand Tetons - Day 7

On Tuesday, day 7, we took an early morning boat ride across Jenny Lake.  We hiked past Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point, into Cascade Canyon, and were rewarded with spectacular scenery.

Hidden Falls

 

Meg at Inspiration Point

hiking further up and further in

 

 

 

 

The water was icy cold, but it felt great.

On our hike back to the boat dock we saw a bull moose!  He crossed the trail in front of us and quickly disappeared into the forest.  We had a late lunch at the Pioneer Grill at Jackson Lake Lodge.  It tasted great!  We went back to Colter Bay for showers and ice cream, and had dinner at our campsite that night.

Jackson Hole - Day 8

Fourth of July Parade in Jackson

We spent the fourth of July in Jackson, enjoying the parade, the alpine slide at Snow King, and swimming at the indoor Teton/Jackson pool.

 

 

Many of the restaurants we wanted to try were closed for private fourth of July parties and events.  Next time we want to go to Cafe Genevieve or e-Leaven, based on recommendations from friends.
After dinner we stopped for some groceries at Albertson's, which had a great selection of deli/to-go food.  On our drive back to Colter Bay, we saw a mama moose with her baby in the sage brush flats off the side of the road.

 

Grand Tetons - Day 9

On Thursday, day 9, we had breakfast at our campsite and then rented kayaks at Colter Bay.  

We kayaked to an island and had a picnic lunch.

The views were spectacular!

When we got back to Colter Bay it was raining and it continued to rain the rest of the day.  We spent the afternoon at a ranger program and did a little shopping at the visitor center.  We had dinner at Leek's Pizza, which was a very popular spot about 1 mile north of our campground.

Grand Tetons - Day 10

On day 10 we packed up our campsite and started driving home.  Good-bye to spot I-176

Before we left, the girls were sworn in as Junior Rangers for the Grand Tetons.

We had such a fabulous time and made so many wonderful memories!!

 My advice on items to bring to either/both parks: 

Bear Spray

Bug Spray

Layers (it was cool in the evenings/mornings and warm during the day)

Binoculars (the girls had their own pair too)

Bike helmets (we brought the girls’ helmets because we planned to rent bikes)  You can rent bike helmets if you don't want to bring your own.

More tips:

We found that the park is almost empty early in the mornings and in the evenings.  It is well worth staying inside the park so that you can enjoy things during these "off-peak" times.
You also can avoid the crowds by getting off the beaten path and going on a hike.  When we went on our Wraith Falls hike, we saw 1 other family the entire time.  We had just come from the Mammoth Hot Springs area, which was swarming with people.

We also enjoyed these books:
National Park Guide
Yellowstone Day Hikes
Yellowstone Flowers and Trees Guide
Yellowstone Wildlife Guide


The girls enjoyed these:
Yellowstone National Parks
Who Pooped in the Park?
Gingerbread Tracks & Pine Needle Pasta