Yellowstone Trip

What is summer without camping in tents, cooking over fires and enjoying beautiful wilderness?  Well, its not summer at all for me.  So, my family decided to take a trip up to Yellowstone to do just that.  We haven't been there together as a family for years so I was really looking forward to this trip and I was so excited to show it to Justin and Kalea.  I love my family, they are some of the most awesome people I could ever ask for, and I love to spend time with them.

Unfortunately, Justin came down with the stomach flu right before we left, so he stayed home and spent the weekend in bed :(  But Kalea loved it and she did so good on her first camping trip at a mere 2 1/2 months old.  She is so awesome and leads such an exciting life!

We started out on Friday afternoon and drove the 3 1/2 hours to get to the Tetons, where we had planned on spending the first night.  I love the Tetons and once spent a week there hiking all around with one of my best friends.  Some of the most beautiful mountains I have ever been in!

We were a little nervous because we weren't able to make reservations for any campsites in the area and we got there kind of late, but luckily we found a spot in Colter Bay, right by Jackson Lake, and we had to set up our tents in the dark.  The next morning we walked down to Jackson Lake and it was so pretty!

 Jackson Lake

Thumbs up from Kalea!

Then we spent the rest of the day driving the loop around lower Yellowstone.  It's such a beautiful area with so many awesome sights to see:  Old Faithful, Midway Geyser, Firehole Falls, Gibbon Falls, Mud Volcano, Fishing Bridge, Lake Village and lots and lots of buffalo, and a deer!

 Keppler Cascades

 Me and Kalea at Old Faithful

 Lower Geyser Basin

 Chase and Ally on the boardwalk

 Firehole Falls

 ...with Grandma and Grandpa

 Gibbon Falls

That night, we had a campsite reserved at Bridge Bay and we made tasty tinfoil dinners.  We saw a coyote next to our campsite too! It got pretty cold at night but Kalea and I snuggled on our air mattress and we managed to stay pretty warm. 

 Chase and Ally chopping wood

 Kalea taking a nap

 The coyote we saw

 Isn't she adorable?

 Fishing Bridge

 Kalea has a little fuzzy rabbit that she loves to snuggle with

 Auntie Andria and Kalea at Mud Volcano

 Kalea sporting her new Yellowstone T-Shirt

 The fam minus Andria at Lower Falls

 Undine Falls

A bunch of Elk up by Mammoth  

We spent all Sunday driving around the upper Yellowstone Loop, seeing all the sights and beautiful wilderness!  Along the way we also saw a big black wolf, a huge bull moose, a lot more buffalo, a bunch of elk and some chipmunks and squirrels!

Then we headed back home and got there late Sunday night.  It was a really great trip and I was so glad we got to go.  Kalea was such a good baby and just loved looking around at everything!  She is so curious and loves to go on adventures, and she did so good camping!