It was a slow start to the day, as Don and Bob made a run back down to Jackson to pick up an air filter for our truck. It's been blowing a lot of black smoke and I thing that the grandparents are getting tired of inhaling it all as they follow us! The kids finished up their Jr. Ranger books while we waited for them to return. Bob, Linda, and my mom weren't up for hiking today, so we took some scenic drives instead.
First was a trip up Signal Mountain Road. I believe that Linda may have been rethinking the decision to go for a drive when she saw all of the switchbacks and steep drop-offs from the side of the road, but the rest of us enjoyed it. The views of the Snake River and the Grand Tetons were tremendous.
We took the Jenny Lake Scenic Loop to the visitor center there so that Gavin and Gabriella could turn in their books and be awarded their fifth Jr. Ranger badges. The area around Jenny Lake was super busy. It is one of the few spots in the park with a cell signal, so there were people sitting all over playing with their phones.
After we grabbed a quick lunch, Don and I decided to go back up north on the River Road. There are signs at the beginning that say "4-Wheel Drive Required." Well, that's fine, because Don and Bob both have big-boy trucks.
 |
| It all began innocently enough... |
|
 |
| It was incredibly scenic. |
 |
| The road, uh, path, became increasingly more interesting - but doesn't Bob's new truck look impressive? |
 |
| An abandoned guest ranch that Don and I would love to take over! |
 |
| Snake River |
 |
| We weren't quite ready to take Gabriella rafting this year, but we're definitely looking forward to it soon! |
It ended up taking us about two hours to travel the length of the road. It was pretty bone-jarring, but Don and I had a blast and we only ended up with a couple of scratches on the truck's hips from the sagebrush. I think it was a great way to see that part of the park and a lot more fun than sticking to the main road.
We barely had time to drop Bernie off at the camper before we had to be at the Colter Bay marina to catch our boat for a dinner cruise on Jackson Lake.
 |
| Photo by Gavin |
The boat took us across the lake to Elk Island for a steak and trout dinner.The trout was fantastic! It is Gabriella's new favorite. The rest of the food was so-so, and they ran out of dessert. There were trails leading out into the island from the picnic area, so after we ate we wanted to try one out. The trail was extremely steep, so only Don, the kids, and I made the trek. It was a lovely view, but we had just made it to the top when the bell rang to tell us to re-board the boat. The cruise portion of the evening was definitely more successful than the island meal portion.
 |
| From the top of the trail |
 |
| From the top of the trail |
Don, the kids, and I were able to sit outside for the return trip to the marina. It was a beautiful evening. We did see some elk nosing around a campground on the shore.
Since the kids were disappointed that they missed out on dessert, we stopped at the store to buy some ice cream to enjoy back at the campground. Ice cream makes everyone feel better!
No comments:
Post a Comment