Adventure in The Tetons
Okay, Demory had the rafting part covered, but there was so much more to our time in Grand Teton National Park! On that first day, besides taking my girls on an epic river adventure, we also had time to explore Jackson, WY. We started the morning at Persephone Café, the absolute cutest spot, perfectly situated by a little park where the kids could run around while we enjoyed breakfast.
Afterward, we wandered through Jackson Town Square, where the kids were equally amazed by the iconic arches of antlers and the wall of western hats, both pure Wyoming magic.
Aaron and Sayer headed out to FINALLY buy that sweet boy some fishing gear and it was time for our rafting adventure. Watching the girls wriggle into their wetsuits had the whole group laughing out loud, and on the bus ride to the put-in, they blasted some awesome ‘80s pump-up music. I couldn’t help thinking how badass the kids must have felt.
It’s funny, this season of life, being the mom in her 40s who’s no longer the center of the story, but the lucky witness. Watching them become braver, cooler, and more themselves is the real adventure.
Aaron, Sayer, and Sully had a blast on Sayer’s first fishing adventure. They found a cute, secluded spot on Flat Creek, south of Jackson, and spent the afternoon practicing casting, and even using Sayer’s very first “wiggly, squiggly” nightcrawlers. At one point, Sayer grew concerned that they had only bought twelve worms, because he was determined to catch more than twelve fish! Ah, the eternal optimism of childhood. In the end, Sayer’s deep sweetness meant that only one worm was used, while the other eleven were happily released back into the wild. All in all, it was a fabulous afternoon in the sun!
After our awesome day, we headed back to the campground and guess who surprised us?! My baby bro, John, and my precious niece, Mina! It’s been so special having them spend so much time with us this year, sharing campfires, hikes, and alllll the snacks! It honestly means the world to me that they keep showing up, knowing exactly what they’re getting into with our chaos, and still choosing to come back. My takeaway: they must really like us!
We spent a day exploring Jenny Lake, where we took the ferry across and hiked up to Hidden Falls. By this point in our trip, we’d been spoiled by the quiet of the shoulder season, having whole spots to ourselves, so it was a shock to find the area actually buzzing with people. We even waited over an hour for the ferry ride back!
The next day, we set out on a beautiful hike to Taggart Lake, where we finally spotted a big bull moose! We found the perfect picnic spot on a giant rock, this time fully stocked with seriously heavy snacks (I wasn’t messing around after being caught unprepared the day before). The kids had fun wading along the shore, and Aaron even braved an ice-cold plunge in the lake. Oh! And I discovered the missing piece to Sayer actually hiking…he requires dragon-theme audio books playing into his little ears and suddenly he will walk for miles!
Earlier in the trip, we added a second paddleboard to our little fleet and finally took her out for her maiden voyage at Colter Bay. It was extra fun because John brought his too so the whole crew could pile onto the three boards and paddle out to the islands in the lake. We lingered there, soaking in the beauty of the sunset, until we realized it was about to get real cold real quick after the sun went down!
We had an absolute blast exploring Grand Teton National Park with John and Mina! Between the moose sightings, the paddleboards, and all the snacks, it couldn’t have been better. Can’t wait for round three when we take on the big national parks in Utah!
