Antelope Island Moonlight ride

This year we decided to do the Antelope Island moonlight ride. It was a Friday night and a full moon. We did not know how popular this ride was. We arrived around 9 in the evening waiting for the 10 p.m. ride. The sun had set and the moon rose as we prepared to get ready.

We stood in line looking at all the red tail lights of all the bike in front of us.

We made it a few miles and stopped because Maddie's bike was not shifting gears and we had a big hill to climb. I took a look at her bike and while doing that we heard this big sound of air as Skylar's bike tire went flat. We looked at all the red tail lights of the bikes heading up the hill but there was no repairing the flat.

The rest of us continued on while Skylar walked the bike back to the parking lot since there was no fixing it. The glow of the moon on the landscape was beautiful and the city lights across the lake shimmered on the water (what there was of water the lake was really low).  The two pictures below are without and with flash so you could see who was wearing the glow sticks.

We went a few more miles and then decided to turn around. Cindy and Maddie went over to the marina while I rode back to the parking lot and Skylar and I drove to the Marina to pick up Cindy and Maddie. While they were waiting for us a ghost ship which was beached on the sand, bell started to ring. They were the only ones around and it was around 1 a.m. which was kind of spooky. We finished our adventure and while it was not perfect it was fun.

Grandkid Sleep Over

On the 7th we had the grandkids for a sleep over. Cindy planned a lot of fun things for them to do. After they made their own dinner pizza rolls we went outside and played with the water ball. Payton made sure she got everyone wet.

After getting wet it was time to make "Exploding Chalk". The kids would pour a color into a baggie and then add corn starch and vinegar and mix it with their hands by squishing the baggie.

Once that was done then baking soda was placed in the bag and then step back because the bag pops and the color goes flowing down the sidewalk.

By the end of the baggies we had a colorful driveway. We played another game when it got dark of shooting heliopters into the sky that had LED lights on them. By the end of the evening Payton was pretty good at shooting it up in the air.

4th of July tradition

We start the holiday the night before with a picnic and fireworks in Logan. This year Nic made a rocket launcher which was the hit of the picnic. Everyone was making rockets, some good, some not so good. Everyone had a blast with it though.

After the picnic it was off to the stadium to watch the show.

With construction going on our normal parking area was blocked off so we parked in the parking structure. After the fireworks we walked back and had watermelon. The nice thing about the structure was the sprinklers were going along the side so we could lean over the wall and wash our hands.

The next day, the 4th, Cindy and I went down to Plain City to watch the parade. Uncle Archie and Sharon were the grand marshals of the parade this years.We learned some things about them that we didn't know as the drove past us.

We worked on the house, had an evening cook out and then went to Farr West to watch fireworks that night. It was a fun filled two days.

Yellowstone and Jackson Trip

We had planned a trip to Yellowstone at the end of June.This was a month earlier than normal when we go that direction but with the other things going on such as Girl's Camp, weddings, etc  this was the best time. Even then this had to have some planning because Maddie had to leave on Friday for a wedding and Nic and Shannon could not come up until Wednesday. Cameron and Cecelia could not come at all due to him not have time off yet from work. Anyway off we went, the first half with Maddie and Skylar. We found a campground outside of West Yellowstone and then went into the park in the afternoon. We saw the Firehole falls though the swimming hole had been closed.

After that it was off to Fountain Paint pots to see some of the thermal features there. The sky looked like it might rain as you can see in some of the pictures from that area.

Then it was off to the Old Faithful area. The picture here is of old and faithful. You decide which is which.

We set with all the other hundreds of people to watch it erupt. You always know when it is close because all the crowds gather. The pictures below show the sequence of it going off.

After Old Faithful we decided to have dinner at a picnic spot. At the same time a storm came in but the trees offered protection. After dinner we made our way back to Old Faithful and noticed these odd clouds at the rear of the storm.  It was around 8 when we passed Old Faithful again. At this time of the evening there were not a lot of people around.

We  then walked over to Grand geyser. It and a few others were all scheduled to go off near the same time. We had never seen Grand before so we choose to sit and wait between the 180 minute window they noticed for its eruption. We passed Castle geyser which was not doing much.

We passed hot springs with all their varied colors.

We came to the river bridge and looked out over all the clouds of steam created by the hot spots of this area. 

We then sat done in front of Grand and waited and swatted mosquitoes.

Not much was happening as we sat and waited with other people though Daisy and Riverside geysers were going off during our wait.

Then after about 40 minutes of waiting with no warning it went off. We were located in a spot that all the water started falling on us but before we moved we had to take a picture.

Once we moved to the other side we noticed that there were actually three different things going off at the same time.

We thought it ended and then it started up again.

Finally the 13 minute show was over. We took the long way back and saw a few other smaller geysers going off.

The next morning we were on the move. We packed up the trailer and then went back into Yellowstone. This time we went north of Madison. We stopped at Gibbon Falls.

We then came across a herd of buffalo. There were young ones that were running all over the place and some big bulls that were snorting and huffing.

We then went to Artist Paint Pots.

After looking at the mud pots we then saw an elk.

We stopped at Norris for lunch and to walk around and then it was east to Canyon to see the lower falls. What a beautiful sight. I never get tired of how dramatic it is.

From there we headed to Jackson and the Hoback River for our next camp and to meet Nic and Shannon who would be arriving that night.  When they did arrive we had dinner together though the potatoes were a failure in more ways than one. Usually I stay up and look at the night sky to see a shooting star and a satellite. This time everyone stayed up, even Payton and Connor. It was a great evening because there was no moon and the sky was brilliant with stars. We say a few shooting stars and a lot of satellites. It was a wonderful evening. Next morning it was off to the Tetons. On the way we saw some young mountain sheep.

We then made it to Jenny Lake and took the boat across the lake to go hiking.

The clouds were low over the mountains so we never really saw them completely.  The stream was flowing fast and high and made for some wonderful scenes. Even when you take a picture of someone taking a picture.

We then hiked to Hidden Falls which was roaring and sending mist into the air .

We started up to Inspiration Point and got to the halfway point. We took some pictures and then noticed the clouds getting darker in the canyon and felt we better head back to the boat.

We did not make it though and the rain and lighting started. This stopped any boat crossing and we waited in the rain getting wetter and wetter. We finally decided to do the two mile hike back to the parking area rather then stand and wait. The path was turning into small streams and mud holes. We had not even made it half way and the boats started to cross the lake again and we were still hiking in the rain. The rain stopped and while the sights were pretty it would have been more enjoyable to be on the boat.

It was late afternoon and we headed to the Bar J. At the Wilson turn-off  we saw a moose in the field. We then made it to the Bar J and got the closest seats we have ever had A-2. The kids rode on a wagon ride and we played games and then watched an enjoyable show. We love this routine.

 
Next day we had breakfast in between the showers. We then packed up and went into Jackson.

After walking around town we then went separate ways. Maddie and Skylar went home and we went on into Yellowstone with Shannon and Nic in the off and on rain. We stopped at Lewis Falls for some pictures.

It was then off to Old Faithful for the grandkids to see the geysers.

After Old Faithful we walked around the basin but we missed any other geysers going off. We did see a buffalo though.  

We then decided to find a camp ground rather than try to eat with a storm coming. On the way we saw a deer and then I saw a bear but no one else did because it ran off. We drove outside of West Yellowstone and found a campground called Rainbow Point. On the way there was on and off rain storms. As we were getting close to the campground in the rear view mirror was the largest rainbow I had ever seen. It lined up perfectly with the road.

The next day we went into the park again and visited the Artist Paint Pots.

We went to have lunch but a large storm rumbled in and we sat in our cars for a while. After the storm passed this lunch spot was flooded so we went to another called Sheepeaters Cliffs. Here the sun came out and Connor and Payton climbed the rock formations and Connor was even joined by a Marmot.

After our picnic lunch Cindy and I headed home while Nic and Shannon spent another day. On the way out of the park we saw another elk.