Summer Vacation Day 6: Jenny Lake

We had big plans to get up early and drive into Teton National Park so we could hike around Jenny Lake and make our way to the hidden waterfall, however that didn't exactly happen. I woke up at 7am and snuck out of our room, grabbed a cup of coffee and headed to the courtyard to write in my journal. I'm not normally a journal writer, but I love to write every day when we travel. It was in the 50s and actually a bit chilly - it felt amazing! I enjoyed sitting outside until 8:30am when I returned to our room to get everyone up! The girls enjoyed blueberry muffins that we actually picked up from the store yesterday and then we loaded up for Jenny Lake, a 40-minute drive even though it's only about 20 miles. We ended up taking Moose Road, which we soon learned is basically the back road into Teton National Park. There was only one other car on the road and it felt like we were out there totally on our own. It's such gorgeous landscape and we actually saw a bear! It was small and looked young, but it walked across the street and into the trees as if we weren't even there. It was pretty cool!

We arrived at Jenny Lake and it was crazy crowded already! We ended up parking on the street pretty far away from the overly full parking lot and walked in to the entrance. It sort of felt like we were going to an amusement park. There were so many people there, many of whom did not exactly look like hiking was something they were interested or capable of doing. Originally we planned to hike the 3 miles around Jenny Lake and make our way to see the waterfall, but before we left Teton Village the girls make a horseback riding appointment for 3pm, so we were on limited time. Since we got such a late start, we decided to take the ferry across the lake and hike the mile to the waterfall and then walk back to the entrance, about 3 additional miles. We waited briefly for the ferry and we couldn't believe how clear the lake water and how perfect the weather was! It was a perfectly sunny and clear day that was equally comfortable while wearing a short sleeve shirt or long sleeve! The ferry trop across the lake was spectacular and so amazingly beautiful it doesn't even feel real. It would really be incredible if we'd arrived at Jenny Lake first thing in the morning so we'd be around a lot less people.

We got off the ferry and walked up the very-clearly marked path toward the waterfall. From the beginning the path and view was beautiful and also a very easy walk. It was very crowded as we got closer to the waterfall and about half of the hikers wore masks. We took a few pictures by the river and then we made it to the waterfall which was really an amazing amount of water and just so powerful and incredible. It was impressive! We took a few pictures and enjoyed the view and then started to he'd back to the trailhead that led to Inspiration Point. As we headed that way, the girls found a huge rock avalanche area and just started to climb. CK and I sat at the bottom with the sound of the waterfall and just enjoyed watching the girls climb and have fun. They ended up making it about 3/4 of the way up and we could hardly even see them! The best part was that it was totally free of other people, although other kids did see them climbing and wanted to join in. They soon realized coming down is much harder than it is to go up, but they made their way down. They said the views were incredible and they were actually overlooking Inspiration Point. We wished one of us would have send a phone with them so they could take pictures, but we didn't realize that they would make it so far up. What a fun and totally unique experience.

Once they returned to the bottom, we asked what they wanted to do - head up to Inspiration Point or head back to the ferry and go back to get ready for the trail ride. They decided that we should head back to the ferry to take it back over to the main entrance so we wouldn't be late for our ride. The hike down to the ferry point was equally amazing and we had the entire trail to ourselves somehow. We ran across an adorable chipmunk that Olivia named "Marisa" because it was such a showboat and literally posed for us. It was so cute! We took approximately 20 pictures of our cute little "Marisa" chipmunk. We loaded onto the ferry and headed back over to the entrance. Once we arrived it was unbelievable how many people were there waiting to get on the ferry! It literally felt like we were at Disneyland! We headed to our car and headed back to our hotel. The cars were literally parked for miles beyond even where we were! It was crazy and apparently there are less people visiting this summer than in years past. I can't even imagine how busy it could potentially be in a regular year! It's so amazingly beautiful and incredible. It honestly doesn't feel real because it's so stunning. Such a fun morning!


Sitting outside reading and enjoying the amazing weather and view.

Possibly the only moose we'll actually see....

Just such a beautiful view!

A bear! It walked across the street in front of us like it owned the place!

We finally made it to Jenny Lake!

The snow-covered mountains are always in the background and so majestic.

Enjoying the amazingly clear water and perfect weather.

Us gals are ready for a little hiking!

The water is SO clear!

Covid family portrait while we take the boat to the far side of Jenny Lake.

Leaving the dock...so pretty.

Olivia and me.

Gorgeous!!

Our first view of the water coming from the waterfall we were heading toward.

Love the force of the water.

Olivia

Just an amazing amount of water! So beautiful and peaceful.

CK and me by the waterfall.

The girls by the amazing waterfall!

The girls are WHY up there!

Our little billy goats showing us where they had hiked!

Girls by the river.

Hiking through the forest.

Just amazing!

Heading back toward the boat after our hike.

Happy girls after a fun hike.

The cute little chipmunk who loved to pose for us.

Girls!

Heading back by boat after the waterfall.

Going to miss this incredible view.

Summer Vacation Day 5: Fourth of July

We woke up at 7:30am, with Sofia getting up as reluctantly as usual and we all got ready to go rafting! Due to the Covid situation, the hotel only offers cups of coffee and brown bags that include a muffin, fruit cup and a Kind bar. The Kind bar they had was coconut-almond and I packed the four bars away expecting that they would be a good snack during our rafting trip. Thinking back on our rafting trip two years ago in Santa Fe, I remembered how hungry we got and how long our day was, so I wanted to be sure we had a big breakfast before we got started. So, we went next door to the Alpenhof Bistro, where they had croissant sandwiches. They apparently were out of croissant sandwiches, so we ordered other breakfast and told them we had 30 minutes before we had to leave to meet up with friends to go rafting. Unfortunately, it became clear that we weren't going to be eating breakfast or ever getting a decent cup of coffee. Instead, we left without having anything to eat! It was so frustrating. But, thankfully we had the Kind bars and the girls and I each had one to have a bit of energy. It was super frustrating but also a very good lesson that life happens and how we respond to those things matter.

We met Dave, Karina and their four kiddos at the most precious house in a neighborhood about 15 minutes from our hotel. Dave and Karina rented the house from a couple who use it as a vacation home and it was very cute and cozy and in a great location. That morning, Dave saw a female moose walking and eating grass just 30 feet away while having coffee! We loaded up in our two cars and headed into Jackson Hole to Lewis and Clark Expeditions. All the kids were given wet suits and we were all given wetsuit booties, since the water is very cold. Sofia and Olivia didn't want to wear their wetsuits, but I knew Olivia would freeze, so I was able to convince her to wear hers over her swim shirt so it didn't make her itch. Sofia only wore her wetsuit booties, but she is generally warm so she would likely be fine. We loaded onto the Lewis and Clark bus with four other groups and drove to the Snake River about a 30-minute drive away. We had to wear masks the entire time we were on the bus.

We arrived at the drop-in point on the Snake River and went to the bathroom one last time before we took a group photo and then loaded onto our river raft. Our guide's name was Joe and he was a great guide and a lot of fun. He was originally from Chicago and came out to Jackson Hole to be a ski instructor and then ended up staying for the summer and becoming a rafting guide. He never went back and it's been 6 years. However, it's unbelievably expensive to live in the area, so he actually lived out of his car for a bit and now has a tiny little place with his girlfriend who is also from out of town. He was an entertaining instructor and also great at giving us a fun ride down the Snake River. The river water was really moving and we made our way quickly down the river. We also went through several class 2 and 3 rapids. Not only was it a lot of fun, but it was a spectacularly beautiful trip down the river! I sat in the front for about half of the ride and got absolutely soaked! I switched with Sofia about halfway through and then she got soaked a few times! The water was between 50-55 degrees, so it was pretty shocking but also such a beautiful and sunny day that it felt fine after a few minutes. CK jumped into the water, as did Sonya and Annalise! They are CRAZY!

The trip took about 2 hours and was so much fun! We had a great time and it was one of the highlights of our trip. The girls loved it and I was surprised that Sofia didn't jump into the water with Sonya and Annalise! For the first time ever, she was actually COLD for a change. We unloaded from our raft and thanked Joe for an absolutely great trip down the river! We rode the bus back down into town and asked where we could get a great sandwich. They directed us to Creekside Market, where we had a fabulous turkey club on croissant as well as an adult slushie that was pretty amazing. The market was so cute too and we loaded up on lots of "necessities" like Oreos, pretzels, etc. I was absolutely starving and I think its as the best sandwich I've had in ages! We drove back to Teton Village and CK took the girls over to do the bungee jumping while I read and took a nap. It was pure luxury and the girls were excited to enjoy the bungee jumping which they have wanted to do since we arrived.

We all showered and headed to Dave and Karina's at 7pm for a 4th of July BBQ before the fireworks. The kids has a great time playing together, it was so cute! We had burgers, corn, salad, grilled asparagus, baked beans, coleslaw and it was all so delicious! We ended the day with a 4th of July cake that was really pretty and good. After our delicious meal, we all headed back to Teton Village for the 10pm fireworks. We parked and found a great spot on the grass right next to our hotel. The fireworks started and they were right above us! It was amazing! The echo of the fireworks off the mountain was so cool! The fireworks show lasted about 20 minutes, which was perfect because we had two very tired little girls. We said our goodbyes to Dave, Karina and their sweet kids and headed upstairs and went to bed. It was such a fantastic 4th of July!

Ready to go rafting and stay Covid-free!

Even the views while we drive are amazing!

Loaded on the bus for our rafting trip!

Ready to head down the Snake River and have fun!

On the water!

So much fun and such great pictures!

Happy 4th of July flowers!

Dave and CK grilling up our dinner!

Getting everything ready for a fun 4th of July BBQ.

Selfie with Olivia

Most of the gang!

What is 4th of July without a BBQ?!

Happy Birthday, America!

The moon as we drove back to Teton Village for fireworks.

Ready to watch the fireworks show!

Happy 4th of July!

What a fun night with great people!