• Roosevelt and Lamar Valley

    The day between our two nights in Canyon Village, our only plan set in stone was an Old West Dinner Cookout in Roosevelt, so we decided we would all meet up around 10 am and spend the time before dinner exploring the sights from Canyons to Lamar Valley and a little north of Roosevelt.  We started our day by heading to the general store for Tillamook yogurt (the huckleberry yogurt was really great) and a few other food items. The…

  • Yellowstone National Park South Entrance to Canyons

    After our breakfast cruise, we packed up our rooms and checked out of the Tetons to head to Yellowstone. The weather changed on us, and I was suddenly thankful I’d packed two umbrellas and ponchos as well as warm jackets. The rivers were swollen to levels that my dad had never seen. We didn’t let the weather get us down … just a little wet. With six hours between check-out from Jackson Lake Lodge and check-in at Canyons Lodge, and…

  • Summer Garden Refresh in Central NC for mid-July

    We had a massive rain event at the end of last week, and I had to clean up the garden. In clearing out carrots that were ready to be pulled and trimming back snapped tomatillo vines, I found there was room to add some more crops in the garden. The following table was adapted from NCSU CES “Central North Carolina Planting Calendar for Annual Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs” for July 15. I have added more beans, carrots, cucumbers and squash.…

  • Elk Island Colter Bay Breakfast Cruise

    The second morning we woke up in the Tetons, we scooted out the door for an adventure out of Colter Bay, titled “Jackson Lake Scenic Breakfast Cruise“, Dee Dee’s treat. I shot the picture below as we waited for the group to gather. I love the contrast of the warm color of the sea kayaks against the cool water and an mountains. There were two boats to transport our small crowd. Captain Ron took us on his boat “Rondezvous” to…

  • Death Canyon Hike and the Mangy Moose

    After the horseback ride, we waffled back and forth over which hike we should do. A friend had told Joe that Death Canyon Patrol Cabin hike was beautiful, but it was close to 8 miles with a lot of elevation change. So he had found a “meh” trail. I don’t even remember the name of it, but it was south of the park and looked easy. (Side note: Joe is a hiker. He’s like a frigging mountain goat when he…

  • Horseback Riding Along Pacific Creek in the Tetons

    The first morning in the Tetons we drove out to Swift Creek Outfitters along Pacific Creek just east of Jackson Lake Lodge. Because they maintain over 100 horses, reservations were not required and we were able to drive up and have no wait to register and hit the trail. We did the 1 Hour Cowboy Creek Crossing Riding, and we all ended up a little wet, some more than others. Dee Dee’s horse stopped at the final crossing to splash…