(This post was written on August 24 on the way to Craters of the Moon. I had it all written and all that was left was to proofread and hit publish...but then I lost connection and am just now getting it back)
We arrived at the Grand Tetons on Sunday night amidst rain. The following two days also proved to be fairly rainy, however God did part the clouds at various moments and give us blue skies as a backdrop to the beautiful Grand Teton mountains.
In fact, it rained so much that the Tuesday afternoon trail riding reservations Randall, Maleah and I had made were canceled, much to our disappointment. Mom, Dad and Dominic were still able to go on their Snake River Scenic Float and enjoy a lovely afternoon relaxing. They had a wonderful guide and beautiful views of the Tetons.
On Monday, we drove a scenic route through the mountains, past Lake Jenny and near the mountain which the park is named after. Despite the clouds, it was beautiful and we saw quite a bit of wildlife including mule deer and elk. The one animal we've been especially eager to see, especially after all the Bear Aware signs hanging everywhere at all the parks we've been to, has continued to evade us. At one point, we drove past a long line of slow-moving vehicles, along with two ranger cars with lights flashing. We thought it was just traffic control since it was near Jenny Lake, but ironically found out later they were all watching a mama bear and her cub out in the meadow. Bummer!
We stopped at the rustic little Episcopal Chapel of the Transfiguration, which was constructed in 1925 to provide spiritual teaching for dude ranchers and tourists. It still hosts service every Sunday in the summer. In fact, President Jimmy Carter attended a service in 1978 and President Bill Clinton in 1995.
Monday night we were driving back from Jackson Lodge when a tree fell across the road right in front of us. Had it fallen just a few seconds later, we would have been right under it. Needless to say, that was an adventure. People started exiting their cars in the pouring rain to unblock the road and of course, Mom pulled out the camera.
One final note before we switch topics...who knows what this is?!?
No one in our family had ever seen a toilet like this until Maleah and I discovered it in one of the campground women's bathroom stalls. We were boggled by it, as was Mom when she saw it later. It looks part toilet, part urinal. As some of you may have seen, Mom posted it to Facebook in an attempt to discover it's use...and apparently it's a women's urinal! Who knew?!? I guess you really do learn something new every day - especially when traveling.
Nothing hugely eventful happened on Tuesday other than the cancellation of our trail ride and the blog survey I sent out to my subscribers. A huge thank you to everyone who participated and gave feedback! Some specific suggestions I received were to do a featured family member fom time to time, do a devotional on occasion, do more frequent posts, etc.. All in all however, feedback suggests subscribers are pleased with the content and context of the posts. So I guess I'll keep on keepin' on and incorporate specific suggestions as the opportunity arises.
On Wednesday we bid adieu to the Grand Tetons and drove to Jackson, WY, planning to do some shopping but ended up leaving town as quickly as we could after filling the gas tank and getting DQ ice cream - the last of our gift cards from our awesome Iowa realtor - Aimee! (And then there was the employee who picked his teeth while taking our order and then immediately began making our ice cream cones without washing his hands...let's just say it was gross and having bold parents comes in handy!) The town was way too busy and cramped for our liking, especially considering that we were driving a 32-foot RV, so we got out of there as quickly as possible.
After leaving Jackson, we stopped at the National Fish Hatchery, where a kind ranger gave us a short tour full of information on the Fine-spotted Cutthroat Trout they raise and release throughout the state. The littles boys enjoyed feeding the baby fish, while the older boys admired the large fish on display.
After this, we continued on to Alpine, WY and into Idaho Falls, ID, which was absolutely gorgeous! If any of you are ever traveling out this way, definitely drive this route with the goal of enjoying the scenery. I was trying to work on a novel that I have in progress while we were driving, but that didn't happen. Instead, I ended up staring out the window the entire time, computer open on my lap, fingers motionless on the keys. It was incredible! Winding canyon road through tree-lined mountains (hills?) traversed the Snake River. The glory of God was truly displayed during that hour-and-a-half drive. It brought to mind Psalm 8:3-4 "When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?" How amazing is it that the mighty God who created this vast earth and surrounding universe lovingly cares for each one of us, little though we may be?
En route from Alpine to Idaho Falls is Palisades Reservoir on the Snake River. This man-made body of water, simply sparkling in the early even sunlight, was lined with lovely beaches all around. Since it's BLM land (Bureau of Land Management), people are free to camp there. Quiet, peaceful, and remote, Mom and Dad thought lakeside would be a beautiful place for us to boondock for the night. That meant driving our 32-foot, six-ton RV down the muddy, rutted path to the beach area. Not surprisingly, while it would have been wonderful, we had to abandon the idea or risk sinking down in the mud and sending out an SOS for a tow to get us out of there. A quick photo and then we bounced our way back to the main road so we could drive on in to Idaho Falls, pick up groceries and find a parking lot to spend the night.
Thus ends the saga of Kram-A-Lot Inn's adventures in the Grand Tetons and surrounding areas. We've officially left Wyoming and are now currently pulling into Crater of the Moon National Park in Idaho to explore the so-called 'peculiar' topography in this area. After spending a couple days here, we'll head back to Montana to see Glacier National Park.
Until next time, God bless!
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