By Caroline:

Monday on our way out of Yellowstone, we stopped to eat lunch at a gift shop and restaurant. It was raining pretty hard with sleet mixed in. After we ate lunch it had cleared up so we decided to drive up the road a mile and swim in the hot springs that Dad knew about. When we got there, we took a short hike up to a river bank but it was too deep to cross and the hot springs were on the other side. We were wearing shorts and t-shirts with no bathing suits or anything, so we hiked back to the RV and changed. Once we had our bathing suits on, we walked back to the riverbank and found a good spot to cross. Once we got across, we went one way, but the hot spring was the other way, so we got lost. But, we followed the creek up until we could see steam. Once we got to the hot spring, there was another couple there. I think we scared them off. We jumped right in to the hot spring. There were two hot springs, one was piping hot and the other was just right. It was like Goldilocks – just right! We found the perfect spot and kicked back and relaxed. Dad only stayed in for a couple of minutes, but us girls didn’t want to leave. But we soon had to as there were gathering storm clouds. When we stepped out of the water it was a sudden burst of icy air. We jumped in our clothes and got ready to hike back. We had to find the spot where we had crossed the first time. By the time we found it, it was starting to drizzle. By the time we crossed, it was pouring down rain! We ran back to the RV and we were drenched from head to toe. Plus, we were freezing. I think my toes could have fallen off. We put on warmer clothes and warmed up before we drove off. But, it was well worth being cold and we added another adventure to our list. 

Thursday morning we woke up early to get our riding boots on! We drove out to a beautiful gravel road that went on 8 miles. We saw a deer or two and then we got to the stables. We checked in and hopped on our horses. Mom’s horse was Antonio, my horse was Rocket, Josie’s was T-Rex and Dad’s was Buster. Our guide told us the basic rules but I didn’t pay attention much since I have taken lessons for years. Then we were off. The first couple of minutes was smooth riding. We ran into mud here and there but it wasn’t too bad. Then my horse had a sudden urge to scratch himself. We were walking along and then he backed up into a tree and almost killed the poor thing. I couldn’t get him to stop and he kept doing it for about 5 minutes. After a minute, I stopped trying and just started laughing. I finally got him moving. We went a little ways and then he did it again. The guide had to come over and help me because I was too busy laughing. Luckily that was the last time he had an itch! 

After about 10 minutes it started getting rocky and we were going up the mountain. The whole time I was thinking to myself the horses that I ride at home would never be able to do this. We were going through mud and rocks. It was steep. By the time we got to the top of the mountain, there were loads of pictures to be taken. It was a beautiful view. We could see the Tetons all around us. Then it was time to start heading back down the mountain. I wanted to get in the back and let Dad pass me so I could slow down and then catch back up in a canter. But Rocket did not like that idea and decided to take off instead. Once we got down the mountain, it opened up into a beautiful valley of flowers. My horse loved to eat grass and he would stop for a couple minutes and then right as Dad was about to catch up on Buster, Rocket would take off in a canter and give me that magnificent feeling of riding that I love so much! He did that a couple of times and he also jumped a couple of creeks. Then our guide stopped us and asked us if we want to bushwhack. We all said yes right away. We started going a little ways back up the mountain to get back to the stables. When we got there, we dismounted and then ran to the RV to get some apples. We fed them to Buster, T-Rex, Antonio and Rocket. Then it was time to leave. Once we got back in the RV, we all agreed that it was not just a normal trail ride, it was one of our amazing adventures!

Hi this is me Josie. This is the funny Dave story.we were getting a private tour of Yellowstone.  And the person who did the tour his name was…Dave.  He liked the word illegal.  One time we were looking at a big waterfall.  Then I looked aside and saw a chipmunk! I got close to it then he said don’t touch that! You must stay 25 yards away from chipmunks. I would of said if i back up 25 yards I would fall of this cliff but I didn’t. I backed up 10 steps I counted. But thats not all, he took us to Old Faithful now I know why they call it Old Faithful you have to have faith if its going to pop up or not. And he took us to a bunch of cool places. And that is the funny Dave story.  

I woke up thinking about Dad and how much he would like this trip. I realize that over the years I have not been with him often for Father’s Day. Camp always was in June so most Father’s Days were celebrated with a card. And this year, I didn’t even get a card out. Sorry, Dad! I have thought about him a lot. He loves driving through this great country of ours and he would love this trip! 

Tracks and Trails, the RV travel agency that booked our trip, set up a private tour for us through Yellowstone Guides. Dave, our guide, met us at 9:00 and he was to be with us the whole day, lunch included! It was a nice Father’s Day for Hubert because he got a break from driving and could sit back and really enjoy. Dave was from TN but had been in Yellowstone for 30 years. He was very knowledgeable about the area and the history. He told us everything about the formation of Yellowstone – the volcanic activity, the caldera, the rocks, the topography, the vegetation and the wildlife. In one sense, it was fantastic, I learned so much. In another sense, it was way over my head! And the girls were pretty bored. And when he talked about the future eruption of the Yellowstone volcano and a pending nuclear winter, Caroline was a little scared!

From Madison campground, we went south towards Old Faithful. First we stopped at the lower geyser basin and saw geysers and paint pots. It was really cool and so other worldly! Then we headed to Old Faithful. Along the way, he would pull over and give us extra information about the area and took us to a few geysers that are off the tourist radar. He explained the formation of the geysers and the coloration of the thermal waters.

When we got to Old Faithful, tons of people were gathered so we knew that it was almost time. We hurried over and within 10 minutes, she blew. It was beautiful and very cool. But, it was a little anti-climatic too. I guess something that is so famous and part of our country’s  lure should be spectacular. And it was, it is just everything else we saw was just as spectacular. It felt like seeing the Mona Lisa for the first time – really, all that hype over that small painting!

We went into the Old Faithful Lodge which was really cool. A huge log cabin lodge built in 1902. Dave pointed out that if it had been built in the Appalachians, it would have been long gone to moisture and termites. Then we got back in the van and went over the Continental Divide, twice, towards Yellowstone Lake. We stopped at West Thumb for a picnic lunch. It was cold and very windy, so we had our picnic in the woods instead of on the lake front. We then stopped at the Yellowstone Lake Lodge which is even older than the Old Faithful Lodge. It was very pretty with a gorgeous view. As we left the lake area, we drove up along the Yellowstone river. We stopped at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and hiked a 2 mile hike to see the lower and upper falls. It was truly amazing. The coloration of the canyon and the power of the water. It was breathtaking! 

By this time, it was close to 5:00, so we started heading back to Madison. Along the way, we stopped and saw 2 bull elks, a black bear and some bison. The girls love seeing the animals (more than learning about rock formations!). We made one last stop at Gibbon Falls before being dropped off at our RV door! It was a great day!

The girls and I took a shower (using the generator – woohoo!) and Hubert made a campfire. We made hobo bags with chicken, potatoes and veggies over the fire and finished our dinner with s’mores. After a game or two of Uno, we called it a night and slept well! 

As much as I looked at the weather before I left, you would think we would be prepared. However, packing for cold weather when it is 85 degrees outside is hard. We packed way too many shorts and t-shirts and not enough warm clothes. So, we have had to wear the same clothes multiple times and layer! Plus, we have made a few extra necessary purchases: two blankets, one fleece, and long underwear for me!

The weather has been crazy. It was 80 and sunny in Billings. Once we got on the road, it changed dramatically. We have experienced snow, sleet, sunshine, wind, rain and temperatures ranging 40 degrees – all in the same day. With this range of weather, we have certainly been glad we had an RV. We have always loved to tent camp, but have felt sorry for the tent campers this week. We certainly are loving the RV life!!!

Speaking of the RV, we have learned a lot. It is a Winnebago named Minnie Winnie. So, we call it Minnie Winnie Mouse! Early in Yellowstone, we heard a lady from the North Dakota area say, “Win-na-bay-gah” so we have been using her accent every time we talk about our rolling home. Josie changed it a little so she says, “want-a-bagel?”

Each day we have learned more about how to handle the RV. The man at the rental place gave us a quick run through of the mechanics behind it, but we barely retained any of it. There is a manual, but Hubert and I have read it 10 times now and still don’t understand it much. So, we have learned by just trying something and crossing our fingers that we are not about to explode the RV! But, we are getting more confident.

The first day at Hunter’s Peak, we did not try anything. There were no hookups and we were relieved. We used the oven by lighting the pilot light as it ran on propane. That was successful! The next morning when it was 30 degrees in the RV, we turned on the generator for 10 minutes to heat up some water and make coffee. We felt triumphant! At the Madison campground where we stayed 2 nights, we began to be a little more adventurous. We turned on the generator and used the water pump so we could shower. It was amazing!! We became sold on this camper life! Yet, looming over us was the dreaded first time at the “dump station”. As much as we read the manual about how to handle the “dump,” we were very nervous.

As we were leaving Madison, we drove through the dump station. Josie was ready with her gloves on as she wanted it to be her job. Hubert did not wear his gloves and was sorry later. There was a family from Australia next to us at the station and I asked for help. They were so kind to comply. They promptly told Hubert that he needed gloves (but it was a little late)! Then they guided us through it. They were in the States for a three and half month journey. It was grandparents with their 11 year old grandson. They were so kind and interesting. It is amazing where you can strike up friendships; who knew even at a dump station! Well, we made our dump and then filled up with water. However, the water level on our tank never rose. Finally, Hubert figured out that he did not have the water turned on! It went much quicker once we did! But we realized that the “gray” water did not dump right as our gauge told us it was 2/3 full. We had no clue what went wrong but there was a long line of RVs behind us so we decided to just go forward. 

When we arrived at Colter Bay Campground in the Grand Tetons, we were nervous as it was a full hook up campground. At the check-in, we asked the lady about where a dump station was so we could dump the gray water. She said there was no need as we had our own “dump” station at our site. Who knew!! She also helped us understand that the newer RVs have an extra button to pump out the gray water. We have a prime site here on Jackson Lake overlooking the Teton Mountains. It is beautiful and Hubert and I quickly felt confident with the hook-up arrangement. We dumped the gray water and set everything else up! We feel confident and accomplished, like we can do anything! This morning, we even turned on the heat for 30 minutes (but it smelled like propane so we couldn’t endure long and we still have a nagging worry that we might explode!)

This is certainly an adventure! A trip of a lifetime! One that will forever be in our memories. I have thought of both grandparents daily. I think of MeMe and PaPa and how they loved camping out West. I have great memories camping with them. And nightly, we play Uno which reminds me of Grandmama and Pop! These moments are making the trip. As amazing as the scenery and locations are that we are going to, it is the small moments that we will remember! I feel blessed indeed!

After falling asleep with the windows down and the river sounds in our dreams, we woke up FREEZING! It was in the 30s and we were not prepared. We quickly got dressed, started the generator to make some coffee and hot chocolate and then said goodbye to the river site.

We headed towards Cooke City, MT which is at the Northeast gate of Yellowstone. It was snowing there and they had snow during the night. We stopped at a coffee shop for some coffee, local culture and hopefully some wi-fi to post. There was no wi-fi, but we got the local culture for sure. A little rough living in those mountains, for sure.

Then we hit the gates of Yellowstone! Again, the girls sat up front for the best viewing possible. Within minutes, Caroline had spotted a lone bison. Within 10 minutes, we had seen herds of bison. They were in the street, on the side, everywhere!! We couldn’t stop laughing and searching! It was so amazing!! We saw mule deer and at one point, there were tons of cars pulled over. Once we found a large enough spot to pull over the RV, we pulled over and ran down to the gathering crowd. There we saw a black bear sow and her three baby cubs. They were adorable. We took tons of pictures and then took a short hike over a river cliff. It was gorgeous and so massive. Then we went to the Tower area. The girls fixed us lunch as Hubert was driving! At the Tower area, we went to the visitor’s center and bought a fun gifts. Then we hiked the Tower trail. It was straight down the cliff to the river. Once at the river, we played around, skipped rocks and soaked in the glory of the day!

However, the hike back up was a little tiring! But, we made it and then hopped back in the RV for more! We went down towards the Norris area. On the way, we saw more Bison and then noticed more cars pulled over around Beaver Lake. We pulled over and grabbed our cameras and binoculars. We were amazed when we got to see what everyone else saw – a Mama Grizzly and two cubs! We stared at them for a long time in amazement. It is crazy, but you never get tired of looking at them (except Josie, she said she was getting bored of the bears!). We took some great pictures and then back in the RV!

We headed up to Mammoth Hot Springs and saw the amazing hot springs and thermal spots at mammoth. It looked like another planet; so very different from anything we have ever seen. I think that is the thing that has been so amazing about Yellowstone. It is so different than anything we have ever seen. Plus, the terrain kept changing. We would be next to a forest, then drive into a plain, then on a cliff face, then a river valley, then a thermal hot spot, then a boulder field, then a swampy area. You couldn’t stop looking because the scenery was sure to change.

Finally around 5:30, we headed towards our campsite which was about 30 minutes away. On the way, we saw two more grizzlies and a huge elk (which we thought was a moose for awhile!). We checked in to the campground at Madison. It was nice (no hookups still) but very large and different from the remote site at Hunter’s Peak. We ate a taco dinner and then walked around. Once you got past the RVs, there was a beautiful river flowing behind the park where people were fishing and you felt a million miles away! We went to sleep exhausted but a little wiser: we closed all the windows and brought out the extra blankets which we had bought at the store that day. We were prepared. Sleep came fast! What a day!

Wow, this has been a trip of a lifetime. We picked up our RV on Friday and hit the Walmart! After an hour of shopping and then unpacking in the parking lot, we were ready for our adventure. After a driving lunch and an ice cream in the cute town of Red Lodge, we drove towards the Beartooth Scenic Highway which would take us over the pass and into Yellowstone.

I truly have never seen mountains like I saw on the pass. Hubert drove and the girls and I sat in the front seat with our mouths on the floor. We had never seen anything so beautiful. The sides of the road were stacked high with snow and we went above the tree line. At the top, is a ski lift where the Olympic skiers practice in the summer. I felt like we were in the Swiss Alps. It was more beautiful than we ever imagined!! A drive like that certainly puts things in perspective, we are so small compared to God’s Glory!

The drive was long, but we never got tired of it. We stopped often and enjoyed each view. We never stopped looking in amazement. The girls never once looked at an IPod or played a game. Around 6:00, we pulled into our first campsite at Hunter’s Peak. It was a small (only 6 sites) campsite on a gorgeous river. It was a rustic site, so no hookups (which was fine with us as we had no clue how to handle). We hiked around, explored our site and cooked our dinner of chicken, mac and cheese and salad. It was getting cold so we ate in the RV. Sitting at the table brought back wonderful memories of camping with my grandparents. It was so homey and peaceful. The river flowing next to us and the sound of nature around us. We fell asleep happy and ready for our adventure to begin.

By Josie: I am so excited. Today we pick up the RV. And all we have to buy is groceries. And yesterday, well, I’ll tell you about it. First we had a delicious breakfast. Second we went to check out the RV and a few more. One even had bunk beds. Third we went to Custer’s last stand. On the way there me and my sister took turns with the binoculars. We saw lots of cows and horses. Next we went to painted caves. We saw stories that cave men painted. We saw a lady at the caves and she was an anthropologist. She knew a lot about rocks and caves. Then we went swimming and we were the only ones there. Then we went to a really good restaurant named Rex. On the way back my Dad took a wrong turn and I was very glad because it was AWESOME. We climbed tall rocks and took pictures. When I climbed a tall rock I could see almost everything. Now I wonder what we are going to do today!