Yellowstone and Grand Teton

Wow! What a trip we had out west! A trip we were supposed to take at the end of May but due to the park being closed (thanks, Covid), we pushed to July with our fingers crossed that we would be able to go. I won't lie, we were a bit anxious leading up to our departure day. So many unknowns with airport and airplane safety and how crowded the parks might be. I felt like if I wavered at all, that James was ready to pull the plug! But we got off and were so so glad that we went.  The parks were crowded, but we figured out early on that the crowds don't like to hike. They just like to drive to the major tourist attractions. So we got a LOT of steps in and saw so many amazing sights. 

We flew in to Bozeman, MT, rented a car and drove to Gardiner to enter the park. 

First stop, the Roosevelt Arch. 

If you look closely, you can spot some big horn sheep! 

Next stop was Mammoth Hot Springs. 

Fun fact about Canary Spring ... just a few weeks after we saw it, it went dormant. It now looks totally different and totally fascinates us. 

Terrible fire in downtown Gardiner

We stayed at the Dreamcatcher Tipi Village our first night and it did NOT disappoint. It was so fun! The Tipi was super nice with comfy beds and plenty of space, the bathrooms were super luxurious and they provided a fire in the evening with smores kids and adult beverages. It was so fun to sit around and visit with other families and enjoy the Montana weather. Wish we could have stayed another night or two. 

Day two we worked our way down the west side of the park. 

Artist Paintpots

Grand Prismatic

Fairy Falls

Imperial Geyer

This was one of my favorite places we hiked. We had the place all to ourselves and the geyser erupted every couple of minutes. It was beautiful! 

Old Faithful in the late afternoon

A drive down Firehole Canyon Drive was beautiful. We wanted to swim but the swimming area was closed. 

Ended the day in the "hot tub" outside the grand prismatic ... where the hot water overflows into the river/stream. I'm not sure it's encouraged to get in, but we saw others doing it earlier in the day so we went for it. 

Started day three with a morning eruption of Old Faithful

West Thumb Geyser Basin was one of our favorite sights. Stunningly beautiful springs, right on the lake. 

Even a few out IN the lake ...

Closed out day three in Grand Teton

Our cabin was super cool. 100 years old and originally where Jackson Lake is now. Picked up and moved when they created the lake back in the 30's. The kids had their own room so we enjoyed having a bit of privacy for two nights. 

We loved swimming in String Lake. 

Day four we took a boat across Jenny Lake and spent the morning hiking. 

We hunted for bears the whole time we were there and this is the only one we saw. Spotted this grizzly on the side of the road just before dark. It was a bit too close for comfort! 

Day five and six we headed back into Yellowstone to work our way up the east side of the park. This is the part of the trip where we saw the most wildlife! 

Photos really don't do this place justice. It was seriously the most beautiful sight I've ever laid eyes on. Absolutely spectacular. 

We hiked the south rim loop trail and were SO glad we did the whole loop. It was another one of our favorite hikes. We were away from the crowds, and got to see a little of everything. After seeing the stunning views of the canyon, we saw some thermal areas and a muddpot and then passed a beautiful lake, and then ended in a meadow. When we popped up over the ridge into the meadow, we saw two bison in fairly close range. It was the best of all Yellowstone has to offer in one four mile loop! 

After some recharging at our cabin during the heat of the day, we got back out to visit Pelican bay. The kids swam and it was memorable ... 

Day six on the north rim.

Lamar River swimming

Lamar Valley! So. Many. Bison. Not pictured ... we did see two black wolves in the Lamar Valley as well as some prong horn deer. But never saw another bear or moose. 

Our cabin in Silvergate, MT was super cute! We loved having a kitchen so we could have a real breakfast in the mornings. 

Our last day we spent with my uncle Roger doing around on a side-by-side above Cooke City where there used to be gold mines. It was the perfect way to close out our trip! 

We panned for gold and found some!!

The wildflowers were beautiful and the views were spectacular. It was the most beautiful day!