The Lee Family: 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!