Summer Vacation?

As soon as school was out, we packed up the car, packed it some more and then headed to Yellowstone. Zuzu, Grani Gecko and I took the boys on a 2,200 mile expedition to see one of the great wonders of the world (at least in my opinion). It's a beautiful, awe-inspiring, ever-changing place.

The ever-changing part we certainly experienced. While it was chilly on the day of our arrival, it didn't seem unusually so. The next morning, it started snowing. The wind starting blowing. Then it snowed some more. Did I mention it was 27 degrees with a high of 31? The wind was the kind that takes your breath away and sucks out whatever oxygen you might have in your lungs. The 7,000 foot elevation doesn't help much either. Then, on the day we left, it was 70.

While it wasn't the trip we imagined, it was certainly an experience. I'm glad we got to see Yellowstone in the snow, even if most of our viewing was from the warmth of the heated seats in the car. The following are a few of my favorite shots. Should you be interested in the other 600 or so pictures I took, let me know and I'll send them your way. Here's the short (really!) version:

We picked up GG and headed east from Redmond to Idaho. There was a surprising amount of beautiful scenery.

The boys were kind enough to pose for me at Craters of Moon in Idaho. This was the best of six or seven shots. Why can they not both look at me at the same time?

Finally, made it to Yellowstone! Strange things live in the water there, giving it lots of pretty colors and stinky smells.

The boys, thanks to Grandpa's tackle box setup prior to departure, both gave fishing a try. The gusting wind made for some difficult casting, but Ben really mastered it. Ry enjoyed throwing things.

After 12 hours in the car and a couple of side trips, the boys were just tuckered out. So cute when they sleep ...

And so begins the snowstorm ...

Ry was not pleased with all of the layers leaving the car required ...

It was hard to imagine anyone swimming here in the near future.

Bad day to be a bison.

Anyone seen the road?

This is not an advertisement for Dutch Bros. Ry was excited to catch some snowflakes in his cup, which also doubled as a trail mix dispenser. He only ate the M&Ms as you can tell from his chin.

Baby bison are so cute - like little furry baby cows.

Stand back! Here comes the next Junior Ranger!

Auntie D hails from a beautiful state. The sky really is bigger in Montana. Maybe it was happiness at seeing some blue sky, but the scenery was breathtaking.