Road Trip: My Favorite Place on Earth

After one night of being cold camping we got up to nice weather and touring my favorite place! The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone!

I'm sure I've mentioned here and there, but I spend 2 summers working here in 2000 and 2002.  It was hard, but good and I have such great memories as well as some life long friends!

Family photo taken by Cory!

This is the Lower Falls and yes, right in front of the kids is a giant drop off into the canyon...

Boys being silly while Mama takes pictures...

What brothers do, sisters must copy.  This is Joy.

Seeing this by moonlight is also an amazing experience, just remember your flashlight for the trail as there aren't any street lights in Yellowstone!

Me and my crew!  Photo by Daddy.

This is the brink of the Upper Falls. (and yes, I have a hold of his belt loop with my other hand)  It was lunch time and starting to rain so we didn't take the short hike to the brink of Lower Falls.  Another time!

A little cave in the rock that all the kids found.

I think Noah was pretending to be a bear in the cave.

When we got back to camp it started hailing like crazy.  Since it's bear country we had all our food with us in the car anyway so we just ate lunch there.  Then a couple hours later it was lovely out again.  The campground amphitheater above is where we held many a Sunday Service...

This is the main Canyon Village area.  I worked in the first building on the left.  They've updated a few things, including the new signs pictured below, but for the most part it all looks the same.

Then we had a dinner, a former coworker and friend came to join us (he still works there after 14 seasons!) and at the end when the boys decided to go in the tent and get ready for bed it started hailing again.  Brian was off with Hope doing dishes so Joy, Dan, and I jumped in the van since our piddly tarp over the table was NOT cutting it.  After it was all said and done this is the pile of hail that we dumped off the end of the tarp.  It was still there the next morning.  Crazy schizophrenic weather.

So, after all that hail and rain our tent had a puddle under it which was soaking through and getting our bags wet.  We decided the next morning to pack it up and leave a day early.  Probably a good idea!