Grand Teton and Bear World Trip

A few weeks before school was about to start for the kids Derek all the sudden felt the urgency to go on a STAT family vacation.  He argued that our kids were starting real school where we couldn't just take off whenever we wanted any more and that we hadn't gone a single family vacation all summer.  That was true mostly because every option he presented involved hiking or walking on uneven ground which was not such a great idea with my knee.  But my knee seems to be getting better and better and I had been given the clearance to hike with a big ol' brace so I agreed to his last minute idea for a trip to Grand Teton National Park and Bear World (actually Bear World was my idea because it didn't involve hiking just sitting in a car).

We took off on a Wednesday after work and drove to Rexburg, Idaho to stay in a Marriot where we had free points.  The kids were so excited when we got there that they were excitedly running and jumping all over the room.  Just minutes after we had arrived we got a call from the front desk saying that the people below us had complained about the noise (WHOOPS!).  Finally, we settled everyone down and got them to bed despite the excitement of staying in a hotel.  There were two queen sized beds and a pull out couch bed.  Camden slept with me, Liv slept with Dad, and Carter was content to have the pull out couch bed all to himself.

Thursday morning we got up, had breakfast at the hotel, then swam in the pool.  (We were the only crazies swimming at 9am).  Then, we got ready and drove to Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  It was a 2-2.5 hour drive there from Rexburg so not exactly convenient, but forth it for the free hotel.  When we arrived in Jackson Hole, we stopped at their central park and had a little picnic lunch.  The boys pretended that the rounded wooden fence was a horse/train they were riding.
 Actually, at one point we had the whole family straddling the fence I'm sure that was quite the sight, but we were having fun.  We got the classic picture in front of the antler arches.

Then we headed to Grand Teton National Park where we hiked around Jenny Lake which was a 2.8 miles trek.

 I was amazed at how well my knee held up and how well the kids hiked.  Liv actually loved to hike fast, so for a good portion of the hike Derek sprinted ahead with her and I stayed back at a more leisurely pace with the boys.

 Then, we rode the boat one way back to the trail head instead of hiking back.  Kids thought that was fun.

 Then, we went to Teton Village to ride the gondola to the top of the mountain.  It was free after 4 pm.  I didn't factor into the equation that both Derek and Camden are quite afraid of heights.  Derek sat straight backed and unmoving for the entire ride without once even taking in the view.  Camden freaked out and screamed for the first little until he sorta got used to idea and realized it was safe and then he relaxed a little.  Liv sorta played off Camden and Dad.  Carter was the only one who calming sat in the gondola enjoying the gorgeous view.  You can see the hesitancy in Camden's face in this picture.
Then, we let the kids walk in the river at the bottom and play at a little playground.  We had dinner down then and then headed back to the hotel for the second round of swimming for the day.

Friday morning same routine: breakfast, swimming, and then we checked out and headed to Grand Teton again.   We started out at the visitors center where we got all the kids their own national parks passport and they each stamped it with a Grand Teton stamp.  We had another picnic lunch.  Then, we went to Taggart Lake.  The kids were slightly less excited about this hike I think still tired from the the previous days hike plus it was early afternoon when we started which is generally our rest time at home.  But nonetheless, I was impressed with how well they did.  This hike was longer 3.2 miles round trip.  Camden at one point took a break to play in the dirt.

 I had to make up a story about fairies while we were hiking to keep them entertained.  This is a picture of the "fairy forest" as we termed it along the hike.

When we finally got to the lake, the kids were thrilled to play in the lake.   The lake is at the base of the Teton Mountain range and very picturesque. 
  And of course none of them headed our warning to just go in up to their knees.
After finishing the hike, we drove back to Jackson Hole and I got to ride with each of the kids down their alpine slide because Derek had no real desire to ride the chair lift up with his feet dangling so high up.  It was fun and we all enjoyed it.  Then, we drove to Idaho Falls to stay with our good friends Chris and Ashley Dixon.

Saturday morning Chris and Derek went golfing and Ashley and I stayed back at the house with the kids and just let them play.  I think by this point my kids were tuckered out from all the hiking and adventure and were thrilled to just stay somewhere and play with toys.  When the boys got back, we hit up Bear World.

Boy that was a neat experience.  You drive you car through this area where there are loads of bear walking right up to and in front of your car.  I loved watching the bears wrestling with each other, or swimming in the lake, the kids all got a kick out of a bear scratching it bum on a log.  There were also Elk, bison, moose, deer.  Then, they have a little petting area.
Camden was in love with this baby deer.

You could also see all the baby bears and watch people bottle feeding them.  They had a few fun kids rides.
 After the rides we all actually drove through the bear park again just because it was so cool.  Then, we went back to Chris and Ashley's and ordered pizza.  After that we took all the kids to see the Falls and stroll along the river.  They have these neat themed benches scattered all along the way.  This one was a rattlesnake and the kids were all pretending they were scared.
 I tried to get the kids to take a family picture by the falls.  None of them were too into that.

 Then, Ashley and Chris took us to Reed's Dairy which not only had awesome ice cream but a bunch of free farm animals out back behind the store that you could pet.  Baby cows, pigs, sheep, donkeys, miniature horses, chickens.  The kids loved this place.

Sunday morning, we went to sacrament meeting with Chris and Ashley and then we were on our way home.  We stopped in Brigham City on the way and let the kids play at a park while we ate lunch.
 I hit up the dollar store and target before the trip began and packed a bunch of "surprises" that I could dole out throughout the trip as our kids grew tired of driving (we did a lot of driving).  The kids loved this.  Our next trip we have planned is down to Arizona to visit Grandma Nadine.  Camden asked the other night if when we go to Grandma Nadine's I'm going to have surprises again--I hope they remember more from these trips than just the car surprises.