Summer Vacation (Last Post, I promise)

Back in Park City, we had a few things left we wanted to do besides relaxing by the pool, having drinks on the deck after the kids went to bed, and basically just relaxing some more. :)  

When we were at Olympic Park the first time, there was a ropes/obstacle course that the kids kind of wanted to do.  They weren't 100% sure they really wanted to do it because it was really high, so we told them to think about it while we were in Yellowstone and we could do it when we got back if they wanted to. 

Jack was totally on board and woke up that morning all ready to go! Kate was FREAKED out! 

BUT, I'm proud to say they both rocked it.  Jack hardly ever showed a bit of fear and it was crazy seeing my tiny five year old way up high holding onto ropes to help him make these huge steps.  Kate did so good! She was terrified most of the time, but she conquered her fear.  At the end was a big zip line back to the start and they both said that was their favorite part.  

Kate was having second thoughts at this point. 

This was the one time he got nervous. The last two steps were farther away from each other, and the ropes were harder to reach, so he had to do some stretching on that one. 

 

They made it!! We were so, so proud of them for doing it! 

The rest of our time in Park City was spent shopping downtown, relaxing at the condo, eating out, swimming, sitting on the deck, a day of hiking (Jack hated every minute of it), and just enjoying each other. 

A boy and his giant bowl of rice at the sushi restaurant. 

Doing a little shopping. 

Kate and I took a late night walk. 

No one was quite ready for the week to be over with.  Back to reality. Back to St. Louis heat and getting ready for school to start. 

GREAT vacation!!!

Yellowstone (Part 3)

On our last day in Yellowstone, we had a full agenda... we needed to see a bear. Two bears would be icing on the cake.  We caught a glimpse of one on our first day, but it was walking away right as we got out, and I don't think Jack actually saw it.  We saw every other type of wildlife so far, but the kids were wanting a bear.  

We figured we'd get up REALLY early, go hit a couple "bear hot spots", do a few other spots we wanted to check out, then head to the Tetons.  

We threw the kids in the car in their pajamas, along with our suitcases and headed out.  A telltale sign for wildlife in a national park is when you see a bunch of cars pulled off on the side of the road.  It was super foggy that morning, but about fifteen minutes into our drive, we spotted a bunch of headlights.  We, of course, pulled over, and sure enough we spotted two cubs and a mama bear peeking their heads out of the long grass.  It was hard to see through the fog, but we caught a few glimpses of them walking around.

After awhile, it looked as though they were walking farther away and they were getting harder to see.  

So, we carried on and went to a few more areas we wanted to see, also spotting some wildlife along the way.  

An hour or so later, we decided to head back to where we saw the bears, just in case. The fog had lifted and as we got closer, the area was PACKED with cars and people walking all around.  There was a ranger there, too (always a good sign that you're getting a good wildlife spotting).  We were kinda far back in the line of cars, so Kate and I got out and walked up a little closer.  Mark made his way up to us and just as he did, the ranger started telling everyone to get back in their vehicles. It was looking like the bears were going to try to cross the road.  

They seemed a little fearful of everyone, but the ranger wanted them to be able to cross. He then stopped all traffic, and guess what?? We were right at the front of the line! He came up to our car and said, "Looks like you're about to get a good show."  The kids could hardly stand it.  Once the cars stopped and the people weren't running all around, the ranger started "calling" the bears and they ended up crossing right in front of our car.  It was just what the kids wanted to see and it was awesome.  

Yay! We saw up close bears in Yellowstone and the kids were beyond thrilled! 

We headed on to the Tetons for just a couple hours.  Absolutely gorgeous! We stopped at a little pull off so the kids could get dressed and brush their teeth "camping style" (bottle of water, spitting in the grass... they thought that was pretty cool... it's the little things, right?).

Kate decided this was a good time to do some yoga and meditation, apparently. Ha! 

After a few stops in the Tetons, we headed back to luxury (and cell phone service... woo hoo!) in Park City.  

I feel bad even saying it because there are a lot of people in the world that won't ever get a chance to visit Yellowstone, but we were a little done with the cabin sleeping (small, uncomfortable beds) and not a bit of cell service. We were ready to be back with the "Heavenly Beds" (for real, that's what they are called at the resort), wi-fi, the pool, and much better food selections.  

Yellowstone is amazing, though, and I would go back in a heartbeat!!