Yellowstone Trip Report

For Memorial Day Weekend, we drove up to Yellowstone. I love that place and we have been wanting to take Noah there for a long time. So we left Friday afternoon and stayed at a hotel in Dubios, WY, to get some sleep before entering the park the next morning.

Once we got into the park, we had planned on camping, but it actually snowed that weekend so we stayed in the Old Faithful Inn. I highly recommend it!!! We only got a room there because of a cancellation... they normally book up way in advance.

Old Faithful Inn:

At the hotel restaurant:

Snow on the road to Yellowstone!

On our first day in the park, we saw Yellowstone Lake, Old Faithful (of course), and a bunch more of the geysers and thermal features. It was pretty cold, but we did a little hiking and then checked into our hotel. I think we saw Old Faithful erupt like six times while we were there because of where we stayed. It was awesome!

Old Faithful!Dan and Noah walking through steam from one of the thermal features in the park.The next day, we explored the west side of the park loop drive all the way up to Mammoth Springs. It was cold, but beautiful. Noah liked the mud pots best, I think. We also saw moose and tons of buffalo, of course. Noah completed their Junior Ranger program and got a patch!
Noah, Junior Ranger Our last day in the park was Monday and we mostly just explored the geyser basin near the hotel because we had a long drive back. On the way out, we drove through Teton National Park. I love that place and definitely want to spend some time there in the near future. So glad it's only 7 hours away!

Sad News

A man died on the Manitou Incline on Sunday. It looks like he had a heart attack. Click here for the link to the story. The Incline is a trail that a lot of people training for mountain races use for training runs. It is in the same area as the Barr Trail and actually intersects the Barr at one point. I ran a little of it when I was there on Thursday and it is TOUGH!!! At least he died doing something he loved, but how sad!

UPDATED: Just found this update online.

Little Hiker Guy

I always knew Noah would make me proud in a million different ways, but I think I am the most proud of our first hiking adventure without the backpack carrier he usually rides in. Look at my little hiker!

We went to the Devil's Head Trail on Sunday. We go there a lot because it is under an hour from our house. And I love how you climb from the aspen forest through the evergreens and up to the rocks where the fire lookout tower is. Noah was a champ, but Dan and I (mostly Dan) ended up carrying him on our shoulders for probably 1/2 the hike. Considering it is over 3 miles round trup with 1000 feet of elevation gain, I think he did pretty well. Nevertheless, we will be bringing the carrier next time... just in case.

Randi and Sophie's Visit

Last week, my friend Randi came to visit us from Phoenix with her daughter, Sophie. I am happy to say that Noah and Sophie totally hit it off. Randi is a friend from my wild days in college so it was really a trip to watch our kids playing together. And it was really cool.

They got in at 11:30 or something on Friday night. I was so excited to see her and Sophie that I really had no trouble staying awake. The next morning, we all slept in (as much as you can with 2 kids around) and then we went to the outlets so Randi could check out the Coach store. Neither one of us bought anything, but it was fun anyway.

That afternoon we went to Garden of the Gods down by Colorado Springs. Randi had never been to Colorado before and I think she was in awe of how green everything was. Here are some pics from the hike we took down there. It was a short one because of the rain that kept moving in and out, but that was probably the perfect length for Noah and Sophie anyway.

Sophie and Noah:Noah:Randi and I with the kids:Randi and I:
That night we went to the Rio for dinner (the Rio with the ridiculously strong "Limit 3" Margaritas). That was fun and Randi and I both got crocked.

On Sunday, we went to Idaho Springs and Mount Evans. We were planning on stopping at Red Rocks on the way back, but it was pouring rain. Here are some pictures from Mount Evans. We couldn't get all the way to the top because there was a massive snowstorm up there.

Noah hiking near the Mount Goliath Area: Dan and I: Randi and Sophie at nearly 13,000 feet in the snowstorm:

After our trip up Mount Evans, we had dinner at Tommyknocker Brewery. I love that place and I hadn't been there in a long time, so it was nice to have an excuse to go.

The next day was Memorial Day, and we went downtown to the Denver Fine Arts Festival. It was a great festival, but once again, it was pouring rain. We're in a drought and it has to rain constantly when Randi comes, right? Anyway, Randi said the rain was a nice change from hot, dry Phoenix. After a soggy attempt at the festival, we had brinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. I know, cliche, right? But Randi had never been to one.

All in all, it was a fun visit. I can't wait to take Noah and Dan to Phoenix to visit Randi. Not in the summer though. December would be a good time!

Bryce Canyon Pictures: Part 1

After our stay at Zion, we drove straight to Bryce Canyon National Park. This is one of my favorite places I have ever been fortunate to see. The first time I saw the canyon, I thought it looked like some kind of fairyland with the dusting of white snow sitting on the red hoodoos and green trees. (There is a trail there called the Fairyland trail, so I am not the only person to ever have that impression.) Noah really liked it there and he was a trooper of a hiker. He said hi to pretty much everyone we passed on the trail and everyone thought he was so cute and friendly. Here are some pictures from the canyon hikes we took.

Dan and Noah hiking in the canyon:

Bryce Canyon:Noah pointing to a bird in a tree:

Dan and Noah:King of the mountain:Noah and I hiking:We saw a ton of deer in the canyon:More pictures to come!