The Ultimate Vacation: Part 1 (Wyoming)

When asked how our vacation was, we find ourselves saying over and over that it was our best vacation ever! 

We've been home a week now, and running full speed ahead it seems but as I sit and look back over the 860 pictures from our trip I have to agree that it was our best vacation yet!

And to be honest, it was my ultimate vacation destination, or destination(s) in our case.  If you could pick all my most favorite places and put them into one trip, this trip was it!  The only thing I would have changed about our whole vacation is the fact that I would spend way more time at each place and with all the people we love. 

We traveled 4300 miles and spent over 83 hours in the car and we all survived to tell about it in the end!  I'm pretty impressed with how well our kids did considering this was our first big road trip.

We traveled from Minot through Montana and down through Yellowstone National Park.  We stayed a couple days at my Aunt and Uncle's cabin near the Tetons and then headed to Grandma and Papa's house in Vegas for a couple days.  From there my mom came with us to Disneyland and we enjoyed a couple fun filled days at the Parks.  We headed down to Oceanside where we met back up with Papa and enjoyed a train ride down the coast to San Diego.  From there we headed back up to Rancho Cucamonga for my cousins wedding and enjoyed an afternoon with my family.  Then it was back down to San Diego to spend a few days with the Mudd family who came back up to Oceanside with us on our last day with them.  We finished off our trip with a couple days on the beach and enjoyed the company of my cousin and her daughter and some much needed time as a family.  The last few days of our trip were a bit brutal as we drove to my parents house from San Diego, that was the easy part, packed up the van and headed out for 2 twelve hour + days in the car to get us home by Sunday night. 

We managed to pack a lot in on our 2 and a half week trip but it truly was the best trip ever.  The kids enjoyed every minute and made the most out of their time at each place we stopped.  They enjoyed being with everyone they saw and all of them had a blast at the beach playing in the ocean.  Our time spent with our family was so special, more than words can express and it only makes it that much harder to come home and be reminded of how far away we are from everyone.

There were a lot of sections to our trip so I'll break it up over a few different posts.  The first part of our trip was at my Aunt and Uncle's cabin in Wyoming!

We left in the middle of the night and headed for our first stop on our vacation: the Cabin in Wyoming near the Tetons.  Don't ask me how it possibly could be that so many years have passed since I was last at my Uncle and Aunt's Cabin, honestly one of my most favorite places on this earth, and that this was the first time my husband was getting to spend some time there, but life is just passing too quickly.  We couldn't pass up the opportunity to take a few 'down days' together as a family before the craziness of our trip really began and I got to give the family a feel for life at the cabin.  All I can say is we'll be heading back soon! 

Since we were coming from the North we were able to drive through Yellowstone National Park on our way to the Cabin.  It was a first for Nate and the kids and we made a point to stop and watch Old Faithful, which isn't so faithful anymore, and had lunch before we continued on to the cabin. 

waiting, waiting, waiting...

Old Faithful finally blew and just in time before the rain came!

We loaded back in the car and headed towards the Cabin!

After far too many years I finally made it back to this dirt road that takes you to the cabin.

We made it!!

Relaxing after our long drive.

The next morning we enjoyed a walk checking out the other summer cabins nearby.

We had to make a stop at the neighbors swing!  The kids loved it!

After our walk we got ready and headed into Jackson to check out the town square, we drove to String Lake at the foot of the Tetons to see the beautiful mountains since they were covered with rain clouds the day we drove through and to let kids get their feet wet.  After a short time there we headed over to the Bar J Chuckwagon Dinner Show, which I love and I knew everyone else would enjoy it as well!

Finally getting to see the beauty of the Tetons!  (First time for Nate and the kids)

Walking around at string lake, our time was super short but at least the kids got to get their toes wet.

This picture may make you think she's upset but she was actually crazy excited and squealing at the top of her lungs about the water.

It was real hazy by the Tetons thanks to all the fires near-by, but still beautiful.

The kids had such a blast down in the water!

 



At the Bar J Chuckwagon Dinner and Show!

We took a little horse drawn wagon ride that the kids loved!

Getting ready for dinner and the show!

 Our last day we spent relaxing at the cabin, enjoying the falls and hot springs pool near the cabin and then packing up to be ready to head out at midnight for Grandma and Papa's house.  Like I said, a short but sweet time up at the cabin!

Hiking down to the falls.

We enjoyed the beginning of some Fall colors.

Then we headed up to the Hot Springs Pool.

Talk about an amazing place!  The weather was super warm which made the naturally warm hot springs pool feel pretty hot but we enjoyed our time swimming together.

Enjoying our last evening on the deck before we call it an early bed time to be ready to leave at midnight.  We couldn't have asked for more beautiful weather while we were there and just enough time to get a feel for summer life at the cabin!