Thursday, July 16, 2009

grand teton national park

We recently took a camping trip to our favorite spot in the world...Grand Teton National Park.  I thought I'd share a few highlights, and pictures.  I have been made aware that it is no longer possible to enlarge photos that I upload by clicking on them for some reason. I apologize, it must be my new computer. I'll upload them in Large format this time, hopefully that will be a little better.We left for our trip on Thursday.  We wanted to leave at 10.  We finally left at 12.  We crossed the Idaho border, and shortly thereafter blew a tire on our tent trailer.  Luckily we were about a mile from a rest stop. (At this point I need to share a bit of traveling advice: rest stops are nice to stop at.  Don't think of the rest stops of 15 years ago, today's rest stops are the best places to stop while traveling.)  SO, Brandon dropped me, the kids and our lunch off at the rest stop while he took care of the tire.  In about an hour he returned for us, and we were back on the road.  I didn't take any pictures that day, but took plenty on the other days.  I am posting so many that I decided to let the pictures do most of the talking.  Here's what we did for the rest of the trip:skipped stones in String Lake.

Odie held his shorts up so they wouldn't get wet.

Brandon lost the lens to his favorite sunglasses.

I think String Lake was Lucy's favorite part of the trip.

Odie got a dirty face.

Brandon made the old standby, dutch oven Lasagna.  He is a dutch oven master.

enjoyed the view from atop Signal Mountain.

Saw TONS of wild flowers.  This silver Lupine was everywhere. It was my favorite.

We had never been to Mormon Row before.  Angie b, I was wishing you were here, SO many beautiful old barns, fences, houses, etc.  You HAVE to go there.  

saw buffalo.  I get nervous about being this close to the wildlife.

saw stink pots.  Odie got out of the van at one and said "Mom, I 'tinky"...he thought he had a poopy diaper!


waited for Old Faithful.


saw some beautiful pools.

ate dutch oven Mississippi Mud Cake for my birthday.  (I told you Brandon was a master)

made "kick-the-can" ice cream (also for my b-day)

Phoebe made Coconutty Curry Chicken with couscous and veggies foil dinners. Yum!

A view of Mt. Owen from Jenny Lake.
 
took a boat ride across Jenny Lake.

 One night in the trailer I had this conversation with Odie (who didn't want to go to sleep):
Odie:  Mom, where are we?
Me:  in the trailer
Odie:  No, we're on our trip.  It's a hiking one.
me:  ok
Odie:  Mom, where are we?
me: on our trip
Odie: oh we are?
me: yep
Odie:  Mom, where are we?
me:  at the grand tetons
Odie: Oh, the grand tetons?  I knowed that word!
me:  yep
Odie:  Dad, did you get in the "hower"?
Brandon: (he was half asleep)  mmmhmmm.
Odie:  Oh, did you 'wallow a bug like mom did?
Brandon:  nope
Odie: Mom, did you have a bug in you froat?
me:  ya.
Odie: ooooo,  yucky, huh mom.  Mom, where are we?
me: Go to sleep, Odie.  

He was so cute.  It was crazy to think that Lucy was his age when we went there last time, and that he will be so much bigger when we go again.  

I promise I didn't upload every single picture I took on the trip.  I was cracking myself up as I kept adding more and more to the post.  I thought about breaking it up into a few different posts, but I knew I probably wouldn't ever get to doing more than just one.  So enjoy...