Category Archives: Vacations

July 1, 2017 · 1:07 am

Yellowstone Lake, Lake Village Day Hikes, Mud Volcanoes

Day 6! And boy did it start off cold! 37 degrees.

It’s boating and hiking day.

Our first stop is to Tower Fall. We had planned on hiking around this waterfall, but the trail was closed. So, we took a few pictures and then headed on down to Lake Village/Bay Bridge where we decided to take the chartered boat around the lake. The lake has 120 miles of shoreline and is the largest body of water in the park. We learned all kinds of interesting facts, one being there used to be a zoo on Stevenson Island. For lunch we stopped at the Lake Village Lodge and there we picked our two hikes: Elephant Back and Storm Pass.

Elephant Back – this is a 3.5 mile round trip hike that is considered moderately strenuous. It climbs over 800 feet and we felt like we were going straight up. We were thankful for our BoyScout who packed us all a water, and we were even more thankful for the view. It was beautiful.

Storm Point – this is a 2.3 mile round trip hike and is considered easy. Here you pass through open meadow, Indian Pond, Lake Yellowstone shoreline, and Storm Point forest. I think all these photos speak for themselves.

Our last stop of the day was the mud volcanoes. A .6 mile loop trail that passes by some of the smelliest gas filled sulphur springs.

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Filed under Jackson Hole/Yellowstone 2017, Project Life 2017, Vacations

June 30, 2017 · 12:27 am

Mammoth Hot Springs, Bozeman Montana, and West Yellowstone

Day 5!

Today, we decided to head north. For our morning hike we went to Tower Fall. There’s a tenth of a mile overlook to the falls, or a 1-mile round trip hike to the base of the falls and back up. Of course we hiked to the bottom.

Next, we drove up to Mammoth Hot Springs. There is a hiking observation deck around them, but the parking lot was full, so we drove through the driving path to see the springs.

For the rest of the day, we decided to drive through southern Montana, over to Bozeman for lunch. We stopped at a pizza place, and White Dog Brewery. As we have a no electronic rule when driving through National Parks, the kids were pumped for screen time. We picked up a few six packs and then drove south ninety miles through Gallatin National Forest to get to West Yellowstone.

In West Yellowstone, we stopped at a ropes course for the kids to stretch their legs and play, we drove to Idaho to check another state off their list, and we ate bison burgers at the Slippery Otter Pub.

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June 29, 2017 · 12:00 am

Off To Yellowstone We Go!!!

Day 4! And we’re on our way…

Today, we leave Jackson Hole and head to Yellowstone National Park. On our way we grab some bagels and fruit, stop back in Teton National Park to drive up next to the Teton’s and visit the Chapel of the Transfiguration. We were told that this little chapel has the most gorgeous view, and they were not wrong. It is a log cabin, built in 1925 and is owned and operated by St. John’s Episcopal Church in Jackson. We stopped for a small hike to see Jackson Lake, and then we headed north.

Our first stop in Yellowstone was to see Old Faithful. It’s here we watched the famous geyser and had lunch. Next, we drove to Midway Geyser Basin and walked the board walk to see the Grand Prismatic Spring, the largest spring in the park. And lastly, we drove west until we hit the edge of the park and then back east to Canyon Village to check into our hotel. The scenery was beautiful and it was the perfect day for a drive.

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June 28, 2017 · 1:56 am

Teton Village

Day 3! Today we headed over to Teton Village, also known as Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. One of the must things to do in JH is to ride the tram to the top of the mountain – 10,400 feet, to get a 360 degree view. At the top of the mountain there is a shack, and there you can grab waffles and a beer. We decide to do this first. Quickly we get onto the tram, up we go and it just gets colder and colder. Right about the time we reach the top, a cloud moves in from the west and with it comes incredibly strong winds, hail, and a lightning storm. The tram won’t run in the weather so everyone is forced into the shack. This cloud was so thick, we could barely see from one end of the deck to the other. Everyone packs into the shack, and we are shoulder to shoulder. We finally get our waffles and since there’s no where to move to, we sit down on the floor. The lightning is CRAZY! After about an hour the cloud lifts a little and we make a mad dash to the tram. You can see in the photo on our way down the cloud hovering at the top.

After this, we explored the property and rode the open ski lift up and down the mountain. Not just once, but over and over. Also, the boys bungee trampolined, and we took another lift to the top of Rendezvous Mountain. At the drop off there is a restaurant with outdoor seating for the stunning view. We grabbed some snacks, while the boys ran up and down finding snowballs to pelt at Andy.

We rode the open ski lift a few more times and then decided to call it a day. Back in town, we ate some amazing barbecue at Hole BBQ and crashed for the night.

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June 26, 2017 · 1:04 pm

Whitewater Rafting the Snake River…

Day two of our Westward journey. Rise and shine we started with breakfast at Bubba’s BBQ next to the hotel and then we hopped into the car to go for a drive.

Right outside of Jackson is The Grand Teton National Park. We stopped at the visitor center and then drove through the south end of the park ending at Lake Jackson. The drive was beautiful and we saw deer and bison.

Our big adventure of the day was our whitewater rafting trip. Our bus driver drove us thirty-five minutes southwest outside of Jackson where we met our guide Tom and loaded in. Although it’s 80 degrees outside, the water was 52 so everyone was put in wetsuits. The water was cold, the canyon gorgeous, and the class 3’s were more fun than any other we’ve been on. We had 10-foot waves, it was crazy.

For dinner we ate Mexican, and Matty and I wandered into the town square for some shopping, the street shootout, and some ice cream.

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Filed under Fun Outings, Jackson Hole/Yellowstone 2017, National Parks and Monuments, Project Life 2017, Vacations

June 26, 2017 · 1:34 am

Jackson Hole Here We Come

Off and away we go to day one of our summer vacation. Flight from Tampa- Denver – to Jackson Hole, WY, we rented a car and headed to downtown Jackson. We walked around the square, stopped by the Snake River Brewery, checked into our hotel – The Jackson Hole Lodge, and had dinner at The Million Dollar Cowboy Bar Steakhouse. Perfect end to our day…

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August 31, 2013 · 7:35 pm

London – August 31, 2013

It is our last day in London, and it is Andy’s only full day. Instead of trying to pack it in with a bunch of things, we decided to take it easy. After breakfast we walked one block over to the start of the ‘Oldest Tour in London’ double decker bus ride. We hopped onto the yellow line and spent the next two hours listening to the guide tell us all kinds of interesting facts about the city. Except for a few of the smaller borough’s, the yellow line pretty much passes it all. The weather was just amazing, we couldn’t have asked for a better day.

Once we got to the end of the tour, we walked over to Westminster Abbey to get a good look at this famous church. From coronations to weddings and funerals, not much has passed by in this town that didn’t occur here.

This is the side door where Kate entered for her wedding.

For lunch we decided to hop in a cab and head out to Notting Hill. We walked through Holland Park and part of Chelsea before we decided on eating at The Mitre. Andy and I thought that this church at the top of Notting Hill was really beautiful.

So the famous place to go in Notting Hill is the Portobello Road Market. It is the world’s largest antiques market with over 1,000 dealers selling every kind of antique and collectible. It is considered one of London’s best-loved landmarks which contains the most extensive selection of antiques in Britain. So, what did we buy you ask….an original stamped map of the West Indies from 1840. It came out of an Edinburgh atlas. Andy loves maps, so this is a perfect addition to our home. It is remarkable condition and all of the maps in this shop come with a letter of authenticity. We love it!

For dinner we went to OXO Tower on the south bank of the Thames river. It was the best meal of the three days and a great way to end the trip.

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June 24, 2013 · 2:35 pm

OBX 4 – Currituck Lighthouse

Our last stop in the Outer Banks was to the Currituck Lighthouse. We drove through Duck, NC into Corolla Village.

This red-brick lighthouse towers above the northern Outer Banks landscape and visitors can climb the winding staircase, 214 steps in all, to the top of the lighthouse for a panoramic view of Currituck Sound, the Atlantic Ocean and the Currituck Outer Banks.

The Currituck Beach Lighthouse is known as a first order lighthouse, which means it has the largest of seven Fresnel lens sizes. With a 20-second flash cycle (on for 3 seconds, off for 17 seconds), the light can be seen for 18 nautical miles. The distinctive sequence enables the lighthouse not only to warn mariners but also to help identify their locations. Like the other lighthouses on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, this one still serves as an aid to navigation. The beacon comes on automatically every evening at dusk and ceases at dawn.

To distinguish the Currituck Beach Lighthouse from other regional lighthouses, its exterior was left unpainted and gives today’s visitor a sense of the multitude of bricks used to form the structure. The Currituck Beach Lighthouse was the last major brick lighthouse built on the Outer Banks.

Lighthouse Facts

Number of steps: 214

Height to focal plane of lens: 158 feet

Height to top of roof: 162 feet

Number of bricks: approximately one million

Thickness of wall at base: 5 feet 8 inches

Thickness of wall at parapet: 3 feet

Position: 34 miles south of the Cape Henry Lighthouse (VA), 32 1/2 miles north-northwest of Bodie Island Lighthouse Coast Survey

Chart: 36° 22’36″ N latitude, 75° 49’51″ W longitude.

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Tagged as Lighthouses, North Carolina, Summer, Vacation

June 24, 2013 · 2:35 pm

OBX 3 – Wright Bros Memorial

After we left the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse we drove north into Nag’s Head. Since Mr. Dan is a pilot and talks about flying his planes to the boys and Pixar is releasing a movie called Airplanes this summer, I thought that it would be fun for the boys to learn a little about the first flight ever taken.

A 60-foot (18 m) granite monument, dedicated in 1932, is perched atop 90-foot-tall (27 m) Kill Devil Hill, commemorating the achievement of the Wright brothers. They conducted many of their glider tests on the massive shifting dune that was later stabilized to form Kill Devil Hill. Inscribed in capital letters along the base of the memorial tower is the phrase “In commemoration of the conquest of the air by the brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright conceived by genius achieved by dauntless resolution and unconquerable faith.” Atop the tower is a marine beacon, similar to one found in a lighthouse.

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Tagged as National Parks, Outdoor fun, Summer, Vacation

June 24, 2013 · 2:34 pm

OBX 2 – Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

Rise and Shine! The sun is out and the weather couldn’t be more beautiful. Today we continue our exploration of the Outer Banks. The lighthouse wasn’t open just yet so we checked out of the motel and headed south to the town of Hatteras. It’s the furthest point you can drive, from here you take a ferry over to Ocracoke. There is a lighthouse here and I was sad that we were going to miss it. The boys and I stopped at a café, grabbed a few lattes, a smoothie, a few breakfast pastries and headed back to visit the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.

Here’s a little more history about the lighthouses from the OBX. The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse protects one of the most hazardous sections of the Atlantic Coast. Offshore of Cape Hatteras, the Gulf Stream collides with the Virginia Drift, a branch of the Labrador Current from Canada. This current forces southbound ships into a dangerous twelve-mile long sandbar called Diamond Shoals. Hundreds and possibly thousands of shipwrecks in this area have given it the reputation as the “Graveyard of the Atlantic”. The lighthouse is 210 foot height makes it the tallest brick lighthouse structure in the United States and 29th in the world. The National Park Service acquired ownership of the lighthouse when it was abandoned in 1935. In 1950, when the structure was again found safe for use, new lighting equipment was installed. Now the Coast Guard owns and operates the navigational equipment, while the National Park Service maintains the tower as a historic structure. 1,250,000 bricks were used in construction of the lighthouse and it is 248 steps to the top.

In 1999, the Cape Hatteras lighthouse had to be moved from its original location at the edge of the ocean to safer ground 2,870 feet (870 m) inland. Due to erosion of the shore, the lighthouse was just 120 feet from the ocean’s edge and was in imminent danger. The Cape Hatteras Light House Station Relocation Project became known as “The Move of the Millennium.” It is the tallest masonry structure ever moved (200 feet tall and weighing 5,000 tons). The boys and I walked out to the original location, it was very close to the water and the Park Ranger told us that the lighthouse would not have survived Hurricane Sandy.