We spent 2 days and nights in Yellowstone NP — the first one at the relaxed Mammoth Hot Springs campground (near the Montana border) and last night we stayed at the crazily crowded Grant Village campground (where we all had luxurious showers!)

After we somehow managed to explain to Quinn that this kind of “park” is not the kind that has playground equipment in it (and I still don’t know why this is — the park has nearly everything else), it took a little while for him to warm up to Yellowstone.

He thought that the terraces were ok, but he liked the mud pots and steam vents much better. Quinn especially liked the idea that there is a super volcano underneath the heart of the park. He honestly would’ve preferred to see actual lava, but he still got a huge kick out of the geysers. Waiting for Old Faithful (to spew its water and steam) tested his patience quite a bit, but it made such an impression on Quinn that later that evening he crafted a bedtime story that featured geysers.

This morning we took in the serenely beautiful setting of Yellowstone Lake — Quinn happily played along the shoreline for quite awhile. Then we headed south for the scenic drive through Grand Teton National Park. Even though it is not the first time that Witt and I have been through here, the amazing vistas of the Tetons never disappoint.

We made a brief stop in Jackson Hole, spending a couple of hours at a park with free public WiFi and a playground – the two ingredients we need to allow Witt and I to pay bills and catch up on email while keeping Quinn entertained at the same time. After stocking up on a few days’ worth of food and a tank of diesel, we went to the Snake River Brewery for dinner and beers.

After dinner we drove over Teton pass and found a campsite just on the other side in Idaho.

We’ve heard good things about the Craters of the Moon National Monument, so the plan is to head there tomorrow.

More pictures…