Idaho Fun!

After Yellowstone, we decided to check Idaho off Harper's list.
We headed to Island Park to make more memories!

There was time for relaxing in the hotel pool.

 
After several early mornings, the girls finally got to sleep in!

Harper is always a big fan of the hotel breakfast buffet!

Since we were in Idaho, we figured it was the perfect place
to enjoy one of Harper's favorite foods -- a baked potato.  

We found out that the Texaco near our hotel sells $1 baked potatoes
every day, so that became our lunch spot!

 After lunch, we went on a canoe float trip down the Henry’s Fork River.

It was absolutely beautiful.

The sky somehow seemed bluer, the mountains were breathtaking, the water was crystal clear, and the scenery was just incredible.

Our adventure included a couple of spots where the water was pretty shallow.  

Harper wasn't worried.  She stayed in the canoe while Ashley and I braved the cold water!

After our canoe adventure we rewarded ourselves with ice cream, 

and we even tried some local Huckleberry chocolates.

I don't even remember what Harper said that got us so tickled,
but we laughed a lot and made some great memories in Idaho!

More Yellowstone Memories!

 On our way to Montana, we had a layover in Las Vegas.  
We had just enough time to grab breakfast at the Chase Sapphire Lounge.

For our first night, we stayed in Gardiner, MT. Since major chains like Hilton or Marriott weren’t an option, we booked the Yellowstone Village Inn. We’re so used to unlocking hotel doors with a digital key on our phones that the check-in process threw us for a loop. This place was delightfully old-school. When the front desk clerk handed us a physical, plastic room key,
Harper stared at it in utter disbelief and exclaimed, "WHAT IS THAT???"
Honestly, I can't blame her—we don't even use a physical key for our own house anymore!

After our old-school night in Gardiner, our next hotel in West Yellowstone was
much more our speed.  We got back to the modern comforts we prefer, but the real highlight of the stay wasn't the digital keys -- it was the indoor pool.  Harper loved flying down the 100-foot waterslide!

The arcade was a fun spot too!

We were glad they had Uno, because we forgot to pack our game.

We checked out the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center.

It was nice to get an up-close look at the animals.
This center acts as a sanctuary for wildlife that can no longer survive in the wild.

Harper, watch out for that bear!

No matter where we travel, Harper is always on a mission to find a penny press machine.

The girls found the coziest seat in the gift shop!

Hands down, our absolute favorite meal of the entire trip was at Firehole BBQ Company in West Yellowstone. This spot was featured on Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, and it completely lived up to the hype! Ashley and I couldn’t get enough of their incredible pulled pork

and Harper was on cloud nine after ordering her ultimate favorite food: a massive loaded baked potato.

Yellowstone was so much fun. The miles were long, but the memories were the best!

Yellowstone National Park

 Recently, we visited Montana and Wyoming, spending a couple of days driving the figure-8 Grand Loop to check out Yellowstone National Park's famous geysers and canyons. 

We started at the Roosevelt Arch. 

It was very windy that day!

Next, we went to Mammoth Hot Springs.

Steam, stone, and absolute magic!

One of our favorite parts was driving through Lamar Valley.

Getting stuck in a "bison jam" is practically a rite of passage here.

There were bison everywhere and lots of babies too!

We also saw herds of elk

and even a bear!

We visited the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and saw a massive waterfall.

Standing at Artist Point, the roaring Lower Falls took our breath away.

Exploring Norris Geyser Basin felt like stepping onto another planet.

The winding boardwalks guided us past fields of hissing steam vents and boiling pools.

Everywhere we looked, the landscape was painted with an array of vibrant colors.

 

 

The clear, deep green water of Emerald Spring was one of our favorite sites.

Norris Geyser Basin was truly spectacular!

Other favorite sites included Gibbon Falls

and of course Old Faithful!

After we saw Old Faithful erupt, we drove to the Grand Prismatic Spring.

The colors were amazing!

Next, we saw a sign for Fairy Falls.
We had some extra time, so we decided to follow the trail.

What we didn't realize is that we just signed up for a SIX MILE hike!

We battled mosquitoes (they loved Harper) and treacherous trails and finally made it to Fairy Falls!

Before this trip, we weren't really sure if we would enjoy Yellowstone. On paper, it looked like a lot of driving between the sites. However, we were completely wrong—the views along the way made the time fly, and we ended up having the absolute best time!

It was such a beautiful place.

One day it even snowed (in June!)

We absolutely loved Yellowstone!