Days 7 and 8: The Grand Tetons

The purpose of a finale is the culmination of a show or performance that showcases the greatest aspects of the entire act. As we planned our family vacation, we truly felt that Yellowstone was going to be our Grand Finale. We added a couple of days in the Tetons because we knew they were closely located; they were almost an afterthought in the planning.

We were wrong. Behold our Grand Finale!

The Tetons were an amazing place. I know that if Jackson Hole, the town on the outskirts of the Grand Tetons, were to have a Biotech company, Chris would move us there in a moment.

We began our journey to the Tetons by finding a campsite. (We never make reservations!) Here came the LOL moment of the day. Chris was so worried about finding a campsite. When we stopped at one site to check availability, I got the materials and as I was approaching the van to get back in, Chris was literally pulling away from the curb. I laughed and told him to stop. It was like a Nascar pit stop, and he was trying to beat the guy behind us out of the pit! We did find a campsite shortly after. . .

We were only able to hike one time at the Tetons. The kids were wearing down, but we tricked them into a 4 mile hike by letting them throw rocks along the way.

One of my favorite moments of the trip came in the Grand Tetons as well. We decided to relax with a two hour Scenic Float trip down the Snake River, which runs through the park. The Snake River is actually the subject of a famous Ansel Adams picture of the Grand Tetons. Anyways, I was tentative about the trip because I knew my boys were young and two hours can be a long time. They did fantastic. They asked questions and looked for animals. When the river guide asked the group questions about the names of the Teton peaks, Andrew proudly knew almost all of them from reading a book about the Tetons.

After our serene float trip, we toured Jackson Hole a little. In a hilarious misadventure, Chris and I temporarily lost each other as I herded the three boys through a crowded town. Ultimately, we met up at the local microbrewery for a yummy lunch and some awesome beer samples. We drove back to the Tetons for our final evening.

The final evening at the Tetons we allowed the boys one last chance to participate in their favorite part of the trip: throwing rocks! They can proudly boast throwing rocks at some of the West's most beautiful places.

The regal peaks of the Tetons served as an appropriate finale to an amazing vacation.

Tomorrow: One final vacation picture post. I will be showcasing the animals we saw.