We were all feeling a bit exhausted and needed a slower paced day. Thankfully, on our itinerary was a day trip to Grand Teton National Park and it was a perfect laid back experience!
Day 8 Recap
Day 7 Recap – Part 2
Today was pretty epic, hence the two part recap. As we were going back through photos, we were questioning whether the photos from our Upper & Lower Falls hike were actually this morning. It felt like another day entirely!
After visiting Norris Geyser Basin, we made our way on some seriously questionable roads for an RV to be traversing. However, Doug navigated with finesse and ease.
The original plan was to visit Mammoth Hot Springs but apparently everyone else in the park also had that plan. We quickly pivoted our plan when we spotted a perfect pull off where we could set up Harvey (the RV) and have a nice picnic lunch. The breeze was perfect and there were no other humans around to annoy us. Check out the views below… they definitely did not suck!
After lunch, we were driving back towards our campground to see what we could see. We stumbled into a traffic jam in Hayden Valley… Wyoming-style. 🦬 It almost seemed as if the bison had a well cultivated plan to annoy the dumb humans invading their space. When one bison would clear the road, another would slowly saunter onto the road to assume the role. And let me tell you, these bison could not possibly care any less about being in the way. It was awesome!
We found a parking spot and hopped out so we could fully appreciate what our eyes were seeing through the windows of the RV. I’m so glad we did. There were hundreds of bison grazing in a field – It was incredible. The sights, the sounds, even the smells!
We continued meandering back towards our campsite and found a lovely quiet spot along the river to park, have dinner and relax.
As we reflected back on the day, we all realized the unplanned portion of the day – the unexpected, if you will – was our favorite and most memorable! There is most definitely a lesson to be learned in this moment. As much as we attempt to plan the course of our lives, ultimately we are not in control. God already has a plan for us. When we yield to his plan and set aside our egos we are usually unbelievably blessed by the opportunities presented to us.
Mount Rushmore
The first part of the day was extremely difficult. The drive was bumpy, there was nothing but fields for a view, and it was a steady 104 degrees the entire day. Our family even got into a small fight. The drive was 11 and a half hours long, so you could only imagine how bored we all were. My sister was constantly complaining, my mom was always hot, and I read through an entire novel. But once we finally started to see mountains, things started to look up. The weather cooled off, the scenery was beautiful, and everyone was in a better mood. Things only got better when we got to Mount Rushmore. It was such an interesting place. There were flags from all US States and Territories hanging in a row and there was a gorgeous view of the mountains and of course: Mount Rushmore. It was a lot smaller than we all thought but it was still amazing. The park ranger said that Mount Rushmore is one of the greatest art pieces in the country, and I couldn’t agree more. Once we were done looking around, we sat in an amphitheater in front of the mountain. They played a movie explaining the history of Mount Rushmore and why they chose the four people carved into it. After the video, the National Anthem played and Mount Rushmore was lit up with bright white lights. It was a spectacular showcase of the mountain itself, and of the America that the four presidents dreamed of.
Yellowstone Day 2
Today was another really easy day for the most part.
For the first half of the day, we went to see a lot of iconic Yellowstone places.
We got up early to see Old Faithful. My dad didn’t realize how early it was erupting, so we had to rush over. It was so worth the early wake up. It shot up over 40 feet into the air and kept shooting off for 3 minutes.
After Old Faithful, we drove over to the Grand Prismatic Spring. After some difficulties with parking the RV, we walked on the boardwalk surrounding the spring. I was a little disappointed because we went so early and the fog hadn’t cleared off the spring yet. So we couldn’t see a thing. So instead, we hiked a 1.6 mile trail up a mountain to an overlook. By the time we got up there, the fog had cleared and we had a gorgeous view of the spring. We also stopped at a few other hot springs on the way down.
Our last adventure at Yellowstone was completely unplanned. We were driving by a river when my mom suggested that we go wading. We all thought it was a great idea. The water was actually really warm because it was coming from the thermal hot springs. We stayed there for a while before getting out and driving again.
We stopped at a really nice campground. We had water, electric, and plumbing. We saw that there was a small town within biking distance and decided to check it out. There were a ton of nice stores and restaurants. After shopping for a little while, we ate delicious pizza at a small place in town.
I liked how today was spontaneous and relaxed like yesterday was. However, tomorrow is a lot of driving so it won’t be nearly as fun.
Grand Tetons
Today was even more fun than yesterday. My dad started the day by saying: “Today is going to be a little different. We don’t really have a plan today so we’re just going to be winging it.” And honestly, it turned out great. We drove around in our RV for a little while before we found an amazing picture spot. The mountains were so perfect that they didn’t even look real. And there were these little bushes in the field below that smelled like Christmas trees.
Our other stop was a place called Jenny’s Lake. The water was crystal clear and you could see all the little fish swimming around.
We took a boat to the other side of the lake and started to hike to the top of a peak called ‘Inspiration Point.’ My mom and sister decided to drop out halfway through, but my dad and I continued all the way to the top. The view was amazing! You could see the whole lake off of the edge of the cliff and behind you, you could see a gorgeous waterfall.
On the way back down, there was even more beautiful scenery. We walked along a quickly flowing creek and even made friends with a bold little chipmunk. (He didn’t bite us, he just wanted our granola bars.) And by the time both of us got back over to the other side of the lake, we were exhausted. So, we decided to take the rest of the day off and watch Harry Potter movies.
Day 7 Recap – Part 1
We have been traveling for one week as of today!!!
❤️🇺🇸❤️🛣❤️🇺🇸❤️
On Day 7, we woke up on our tiny postage stamp of a “campsite”. It was a rough night, but the adventures of the day quickly erased the memory of our unfortunate campground choice!
Here is a quick bit of unsolicited advice & a mini-rant… If you are traveling with a camper any bigger than a pop-up, do not stay at Bridge Bay Campground in Yellowstone. It was a nightmare! The sites are essentially tiny paved pull-offs from the camp road. Our RV is only 12 feet wide, when fully extended, and we could not open the slide when parked there. Long story short, we adjusted our plans for the following nights in the park and were very pleased with our campsite at the lovely Grant Village Campground in Yellowstone. It gets two enthusiastic thumbs up 👍🏼 👍🏼
Back to the good stuff, which basically started at 7am and did not end until bedtime. After leaving Bridge Bay and driving along the foggy roads of Yellowstone, not even 5 minutes outside the campground, we encountered our first bison!! 🦬
It was epic and made Doug’s heart so happy. Spotting a bison in the wild was on his bucket list. Little did we know that this lone bison would not even come close to being the highlight of our day… but I’ll get to that in a bit!
Our first stop of the day was at The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone – visiting both the Upper and Lower Falls. The weather was perfection and the hike was super family-friendly. The trail was mostly paved and almost entirely flat. We arrived before 8am and there were only a few other hikers out there with us. By 11am when we finished, the parking lot was packed. Doug gets kudos for making the call to get up and get going!
The second stop of the day stunk. No really, it smelled horrible. 🤢 But as long as we remembered to breathe through our mouths, we could make it work! Surprisingly, when we arrived at Norris Geyser Basin we had no trouble at all finding parking, despite having our 31 foot RV.
The sights and sounds of this place are incredibly difficult to describe. We were discussing it as a family during our hike around the loops of the basin. A few of the ways we would try to describe it are:
• water boiling on the stove just before it is time for you to drop the pasta in
• the sound of a generator unsuccessfully trying to start up
• a steam train chugging hard to get up a mountain, but without the clickety-clack on the rails
The other amazing thing about this place was the naturally occurring colors. The greens and blues were something not even Crayola would be able to replicate! The photos I’ve shared below have not been retouched by a filter or any other means. The complexity in the unique combination of science and art can only explained in one word – God.
As we were leaving and processing what we had just witnessed, Doug made a comment and I pondered it for a moment before responding out loud. He said, “The interesting thing about Yellowstone is the beauty is not in the mountains, but in the valleys.” Of course, he was referring to the physical valleys and such things as the waterfalls and geysers. The intention behind his comment was merely a comparison of the East Coast mountain ranges along the Appalachian Trail to the vastly different appeal of Yellowstone. However, my mind quickly went to scripture.
From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”
Psalm 61:2 (NIV)
We often find ourselves praising God when things are going well. However, when things seem bleak and we’re in a proverbial valley of life, that is when we are forced to stop relying on ourselves and instead turn to God. It is in the valley that we are able to see the beauty of our relationship with Him. The mountains are an obvious thing of beauty, but what if we also viewed the valleys as a beautiful opportunity, as well.
Day 5 Recap
Last night we were supposed to stay at another Harvest Host, however there was a bit of confusion regarding our Walmart grocery pickup time. So we ended up staying, for the first time ever, in a Walmart parking lot! It wasn’t glamorous but it did allow us to get our restock when it was ready and then take off super early because we had many miles to cover!
Our travels today took us from Wisconsin, through Minnesota and finally into South Dakota. We also crossed another time zone, which really has us all messed up!
You could see forever…
We took a quick pit stop and wandered around near The Badlands. This particular stop was labeled as an “overlook”… as someone accustomed to the grand views at the overlooks in Shenandoah National Park, this was a bit underwhelming. However, there was an understated beauty to behold in the vastness of the area.
I’ve certainly heard people speak of this phenomenon referred to as “dry heat”. However, I don’t think one can truly appreciate what it feels like unless you experience it. As a lifetime East Coast girl, I must say I prefer the dry heat of the mid-West. The only to effectively describe it would be to imagine you are standing in front of a dryer vent but will a box fan blowing directly on you. Interesting feeling, to say the least.
As we were driving through the area of South Dakota near the Badlands, the temperature reached 106 degrees. If you weren’t already aware, it is only possible to cool down an RV down 20 degrees below the outside temperature. If you just did the math in your head, yea… it wasn’t great. And remember when I mentioned that Mama doesn’t do well in the heat. Well, let’s just say I was very eagerly awaiting our evening stop!
Our final sight-seeing destination for the day was at Mount Rushmore, South Dakota!
We intentionally timed our travels so we would arrive at sunset and be able to experience the Sculpture Illumination in the evening. I would highly recommend anyone else planning a visit to do the same. Everything was perfect – you could see the monument in daylight, snap fabulous photos as the sun sets behind the monument, the temperatures are cooler and you also get to enjoy the very moving evening ceremony!
The ceremony consisted of a 20 minute video about our country’s history and how the monument was built. At the end of the video, there was a dramatic lighting of the monument, followed by the entire audience singing the Star Bangled Banner together. Regardless of your political views, it was a moment when you could tangibly feel the immense pride associated with being an American. As a perfect ending to the evening, the Park Ranger invited all service members, past & present and families of fallen service members to the front of the amphitheater for the retiring of the colors. The crowd then erupted into a passionate and heartfelt round of applause thanking them for their service to our country! 🇺🇸
Day 4 Recap
After two super fun days in Ohio, we had to begin the long journey to our next major destination – Yellowstone National Park! Doug pulled out of our campsite before any of us were even out of bed yet – the benefit of having a Class A, I suppose. When your husband thrives in the morning, he can motivate and start making forward progress without having to disturb his sleeping beauties 😴. We may have made it through Indiana before the girls even exited their bunks!
The plan for the day was to drive, then drive some more and finally drive a bit more – eleven hours in total. We drove into a gorgeous sunrise, which us something I am not accustomed to enjoying mainly because… it’s early. I worked all day in my “mobile office” being chauffeured by my handsome hubby! 🥰 Admittedly, I missed one meeting and was late to another, though. Traveling through different time zones is very disorienting!
When we got annoyed with the girls having too much screen time and not enough QT with the fam, we had a little family “meeting” and everyone pledged to adjust their attitudes (yes, even Mom & Dad!) and then board games commenced! RV travel is just the best!
and quaint state welcome sign!
This might be one of the friendliest states in the country.
We arrived to Wisconsin in record time, so we decided to stop by a local dairy to experience some of what the state is known for! The Sassy Cow did not disappoint. It was a gorgeous establishment and the employees were just lovely. We got to watch milk get bottled, eat amazing homemade ice cream, sample fresh flavored milk and relax beside the corn fields blowing in the wind. It was everything I ever envisioned Wisconsin to be!
The day of driving culminated in a stop to have dinner at the home of one of my coworkers in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. They were amazing hosts and we enjoyed a delicious, 100% Wisconsin based meal and great conversation! The kids had a blast playing video games and giggling the night away. We particularly enjoyed Donny sharing some super yummy, Wisconsin-made, adult beverages with us!
Day 3 Recap
Ah yes, Day 3… another day of what we expected would be humoring Livi by doing something she added to the trip agenda. Once again, we were happily proven wrong!
The night before, we checked into the lovely Cross Creek RV Park just outside of Columbus, Ohio. We were greeted by super friendly staff and immediately felt welcome. The sites were decently spaced apart and we were fortunate enough to not have neighbors on either side of us, which is always nice!
Our adventure for the day was spending time at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Living so close to DC, we often go to the zoo there, which is pretty great. However, we quickly realized how it pales in comparison to the Columbus Zoo. Incredible does not even begin to describe it. If you have kids, or even if you don’t, it is a must-see at some point in your life.
appreciated their sense of humor at the zoo.
Our strategy for the tackling the day included an early morning prep session with Livi where we delicately explained how we may not be able to see all the things. As you may or may not know, the zoo is quite expansive and it was going to hit 90 degrees. And as you also may or may not know, Mama doesn’t do well in the heat. So there were many contributing factors at play.
Unsolicited Parenting Tip: Always set expectations low, so if you end up being able to do more, you become a hero. We’ve learned the hard way many times that over promising and under delivering never ends well for anyone in that particular scenario.
We started exploring the zoo in the first air conditioned building we could find after entering the zoo… the sea lion exhibit. These adorable creatures are always a favorite of mine! According to a zoo volunteers, the 360 degree tank where they live is the only one of its kind in the US. It cost a meager 40 million dollars to build, and quite frankly I’d have to say it was worth every penny. Check out the video we took… you can see the sea lions playing above us, as well as seeing one swimming below where we were walking. It was so cool!
And the rest of the day was one amazing encounter after another. Just when we thought we had seen the coolest thing, another amazing exhibit was literally right around the corner!
It was amazing to watch them from this angle, especially when they placed their enormous paws on the glass.
We left hot & exhausted, but also educated and encouraged to respect the Earth and all of the resources God has provided for us to enjoy.
Yellowstone Day 1
Yellowstone might be one of my favorite national parks. The scenery is gorgeous, the rangers are all really nice, and there is no lack of amazing wildlife.
We got up really early in the morning to go see the Upper and Lower Falls of the Yellowstone river. When we first got to the Upper Falls, we could barely see it through all the fog. But when we came back around after seeing the Lower Falls, we could see it clearly. The Lower Falls were gorgeous as well. There was a giant rock wall behind it and pine trees surrounding the area around it. We even saw a rainbow!
After we left the waterfalls, we took a hike around many beautiful hot springs and geysers. The hot springs were all different shades of blue and most of them were crystal clear. The geysers didn’t shoot as high as I thought they would, but they were still cool. For the most part, they were just bubbling pools of water that shot up six feet every few minutes. The downside of the hot springs and the geysers is that they both smelled like eggs that had sat out in the sun for too long.
On the drive back to our campsite, we noticed a ton of people standing on a hill overlooking a field. So, we pulled over to see what they were looking at. Turns out, there was a giant herd of bison! We watched them for a really long time. We saw how the males would roll around and kick up the dirt in order to try and impress all the girls. We also saw a few of the younger ones running around and playing. Once we started driving away, one of the really big ones walked into the road and stood there for at least 15 minutes. We couldn’t do anything but wait for it to move.
After our adventures, we went to a few gift shops and went back to our campsite.
#4SweetsAdventure 