HOWDY!

 Friday, July 29, 2022

The weekend is finally here!  This morning was a "free" morning until the welcome party this evening.   Everyone planned a variety of activities.

We ended up going to Teton Village to take the aerial tram to the top of Rendevous Mountain.  The tram is actually a ski lift that holds 100 skiers and transports them in the winter.  During the summer, the tram is for sightseers like us! 

There is a 4,000 ft. elevation gain to the top at almost 11,000 ft!  It takes about 12 minutes to get to the top where there are amazing views of the Tetons, and Jackson Hole.  It was also fun to see the ski trails and bike trails on the mountains and the snow making machines posted along the way.

Oh, and we also met up with Jim's niece Nicole and family who are here from Florida for another wedding!  What a small world it is.

We then got ready for the Welcome Party...and what a welcome it was! One of the first things that greeted us was Sloshies!  Howdy!  Passion Fruit Margarita, Pina Colada and Huckleberry Lemonade were the flavors of the day.  Yummy!

The theme of the party was a Wild West Cocktail Party, and it was fun to see all of the different outfits.

  There are 40 people from my immediate family here for the wedding, from all different parts of the country.  They arrived by planes, trains (Chicago to Salt Lake City) and automobiles, (and of course an rv!).

Here's a picture of all of the cousins with the beautiful bride and groom.

And we captured a Christmas Card picture of the family too!

We almost wore out our welcome at the welcome party.   In addition to the great sloshies, there was good food and wonderful desserts.   There were lawn games, great music and a caricature artist who kept everyone entertained.  We were able to meet several of Brooke's family and Mark's friends.

Our sister Susie who wasn't able to come due to a detached retina, joined us virtually.

We left with a "welcome box" filled with mountain snacks and also liquid IV (to help with sloshie headaches??)

It was a perfect welcome on a perfect night and a perfect launch for the weekend!  

Just as we arrived home, it poured down rain--perfect timing!

Snake River and Sloshies!

 Thursday, July 28, 2022

We got an early start with breakfast at Dornan's Chuckwagon.  It's a famous spot right across from the visitor center in Teton National Park.  Nothing better than breakfast with a beautiful view!

A prarie dog was ready to join us for breakfast!

It was another day of scenic sights, this time from the water, as we rafted down the Snake River.  The views were stunning! 

A few from our group tested the water before we launched.  The water was shallow, but moving swiftly, and very rocky on the bottom.  It wasn't icy cold, since it was so shallow.

Our guide explained the rafts move much quicker in the spring with the snow melt from the mountain.  Our 10 mile trip took about two hours today.  He said the trip only takes about an hour in the spring due to the fast moving water!  Each raft had about 12 people, and we sat around the perimeter of the boat.  The bride and groom provided a cooler and snacks for each raft, and everyone loaded up with sunscreen and had cameras ready. 

There were 7 rafts in our group, but once we launched, there was never another raft in sight.  Our guide Shawn did a great job pointing out the mountains, the features along the shoreline, as well as wildlife along the way.

The wildlife inside the raft was pretty calm, in spite of the empty coolers at the end of the trip!  There was also a lot of snacking going on!

Shawn pointed out the glacial terraces along the bank of the river.  These terraces are formed by melting glaciers eroding the rocks.

There aren't enough superlatives to describe the views of the mountains. 

We saw several bald eagles, but the most exciting sighting was the huge bull moose, chomping on the foliage at the side of the river.  It's amazing how big it was.  Zoom in to see the antlers!

Afterwards we went back to Dornan's for a buffalo burger and for a famous Jackson Hole Sloshie!   I've been looking for a sloshie all week.   A sloshie is a frozen drink, made with fresh squeezed juice, corn syrup and a generous helping of vodka!  They make them in the big machines like Icees.  Today's flavor was Teton Lemonade (Cranberry)  and Greyhound (Grapefruit).  Can't wait to try tomorrow's flavor.  This adds a whole new meaning to getting sloshed!

Taking it Easy!

 Wednesday, July 27, 2022

We took it easy today and enjoyed a great breakfast at Nora's, a local rustic (and good) cafe and then took a drive over the Teton Pass.  This road is at 6,000+ ft elevation, and is the mountain pass that connects Jackson Hole to Idaho.  We had been warned not to take the motorhome across the pass but wanted to check it out by car to see what it was like.   It is a steep, curvy and scary road, but offers some beautiful views!  At one turnout you could see the entire valley of Jackson Hole, and explains why they call it Jackson Hole!  

It looks like this motorhome didn't get the memo about the dangerous road!  I wonder what his brakes looked like when he was done? 

A lot more family members arrived today, and we tracked their progress throughout the day.  The final group gets in tomorrow.

We attended a Kickoff Country Concert hosted by the bride and groom as a welcome for out of town guests.  It was part of the county fair going on, and a fun way to get the guests "in the spirit".  On the way, we spotted this interesting fence reinforced with ski tips!  How appropriate for ski country in Wyoming.

The cousins really enjoyed being part of the action at the concert, and dressed the part!

The Bride and Groom, Brooke and Mark, were great hosts greeting each guest and providing a fun activity for the night.

Majestic Mountains, Magnificent Falls and Memorable Moments!!

 Tuesday, July 26, 2022

We ventured into Teton National Park today, and it was our first "up close" glimpse of the Tetons.  They truely are majestic and the most beautiful mountains we've ever seen.   

Although every drive around here is scenic, we took the scenic drive around Jenny Lake, and it didn't disappoint.  

We saw some interesting sights along the way...cross country skiers in the summer!  They had short skis with wheels on them, and were trekking down the bike path!

Upon recommendation from a friend, we took the Jenny Lake trail to Hidden Falls, another magnificent sight.  We were lucky to get a parking spot at the trailhead!

  The trail was rocky, and steep in some places, but beautiful. It was different than other hikes we've done, as it was shaded by cedars and aspens, along with the shadow of the mountains.   You could smell the cedar as we walked along.

The water in Jenny Lake was 62 degrees and crystal clear.   We saw a fish go after a snake in the water...that was wild!  I didn't react quick enough to capture the excitement.

There were huckleberries along the trail (bears love them!)  

Several people brought bags to collect the berries.  We didn't opt for a taste...just took pictures.  Note the huckleberries along the side of the trail.    Luckily we didn't see any bears munching on the huckleberries, although someone we talked to said she had seen a bear on the trail.  Thank goodness we were headed in the opposite direction.   We realized that we forgot to bring our bear spray with us.  (We also forgot the bug spray and binoculars--they are now on our checklist.)  

After about 3 miles, we were close to the falls.  We knew, because as we got closer, you could hear the roar of the rushing water.  At the turn of the trail, the falls apeared, pouring over the rocks.  What a magnificent sight!

It was a perfect day and a perfect hike.   I know our bones will be sore tomorrow.  

Later in the day we added more memorable moments to our trip.  Both kids and families arrived in Jackson Hole today!   Cousins Ben, Cora and Tay were so happy to see each other.  Tom and Heather and Jennifer and Kurtis were able to catch up.  We aren't able to get everyone together very often, so this is very special and fills my heart!  

Nephew Mark, the groom, (responsible for getting everyone to show up at his wedding) also joined us. Can't wait to see what new memories are created in the days to come! 

Jacks down in Jackson Hole!

 Monday July 25, 2022

This morning we woke up to a brisk morning temperature of 52 degrees to make our way to Jackson Hole.  The drive was beautiful, as we watched the landscape change from rolling hills to rocky cliffs to pine covered mountains.  

At some points, it reminded us of being in Alaska, especially when we had to stop for a one-lane road! 

It was funny to see the snowmobile parking sign!

We finally arrived in Jackson Hole.  The name Jackson Hole refers to an entire valley in the northwest corner of Wyoming.  It was named after an 1820's fur trapper Davey Jackson.  

We made it to the Fireside Resort, a combination of cute cozy cabins and motorhome spots.  We put our jacks down and settled in for the week. Our campsite has a beautiful view of the mountains.   It is completely full...there is a "no vacancy" sign at the office.

Late in the day, we went into the town of Jackson to check out the area and find a place to have dinner.   The town has a western flair, with wooden boardwalks around town square, framed by antler arches at each corner.  

There are narrow streets filled with shops, and you can see the ski slopes on the hills that surround the city.  Now I want to come back and take this same picture with snow covering the ski runs.  The pictures just don't do it justice.

I said hello to a friendly buffalo, and then went to dinner and ordered a buffalo burger and Old Faithful Ale!

A Lincoln Monument in Wyoming?

 Saturday, Sunday - July 23-24 - Nebraska and Wyoming

The drive on Saturday and Sunday was filled with extremes--from 101 degree temps on Saturday to 62 on Sunday!  Although the landscape was mostly flat and rolling, we noticed a gradual climb in elevation--from 3300 ft to 8600 ft!  And, we finally entered Wyoming!

We saw a lot of windmills along the way, taking advantage of the gusty winds across the countryside.  Jim had his hands full keeping the motorhome between the lines!

I learned a few things today:

1. The world headquarters for Cabela's (sporting goods store) is in Sidney, Nebraska.  This huge watertower sits next to the biggest Cabela's store I've ever seen, right off I-80.

2. Wyoming has interesting rest stops.   There was a path to an archeological dig at one of the stops.  The dig was closed, so I didn't take the path to see it, but what an interesting place to put an attraction.

3. The idea of a cross-country road came from Carl Fisher, an automobile entrepreneur and one of the principal investors who built the Indianapolis Motor Speedway!   The Lincoln Highway was America's first automobile road across America. The Highway spanned 3389 miles from Times Square to the Golden Gate Bridge, and was named in honor of Abraham Lincoln.  The Lincoln Highway was modified over the years, and evolved into I-80, as the primary coast-to-coast route. We've been travelling I-80, the last two days.   At the highest point along the highway, 8600 ft, there is a 48 ft. tall Lincoln Monument which is pretty impressive!  It was erected to commemorate Lincoln's 150th birthday and marks the high point of the highway.   It sits in a rest area! Who would have thought there'd be a Lincoln monument in Wyoming?

We certainly knew we had hit the highest point when we started down the other side...steep grades...lots of brake lights.   

We arrived at the Rawlins WY KOA in time to watch the NASCAR race.  We are sitting with doors and windows open, enjoying a nice cool breeze and trying to adjust to the time change.  (We went to bed at 7pm last night!)