yellowstone in the spring

So we customarily hit up Yellowstone in late summer. Some would call it early fall. And we also like to make an occasional dead of winter trip. Way back in February, we reserved our dates for this August. This isn't as crazy as it sounds - you literally have to reserve many months out if you want to stay in the park.

A few weeks later, however, I realized (with dread, believe me) that Annabelle would be starting kindergarten in August, and the Yellowstone trip was going to get the kabosh. So we decided to try Yellowstone in the spring. After all, we've tried it in every other season.

I could just stop right now and let the photos do the talking, but ohmygoodness. You must go to Yellowstone in the spring. It's beautiful. Yellowstone is always beautiful, but spring is mighty magic there. And the animals. Oh the animals. We saw seven bears (some with babies), millions of bison (many babies), scads of geese (also with babies), a jackrabbit, a handful of elk, and so on and so on. It's sooooooooo green, and although you run the risk of some rain and a little chill in the air, it's so worth it. 

If you've ever contemplated a trip to Yellowstone, might I suggest that you go...now? :)

I debated breaking this up into a few posts. But when I say I'll do that, I never do. So ready, set, biggest photo dump in the history of ever. 

get-a-way

One of the best things about living in Utah is our proximity to mountains. In just ten minutes, we can escape all the noise and beeps and buzzes and find ourselves winding up a mountain trail. 

A few nights ago, we tried out the White Pine Trail up Little Cottonwood Canyon. Of course, with little legs, we don't make it very far, but no matter. This particular trail is beautiful and you can see out over the valley. The birds were chirping, there were butterflies popping about, the river trickled back and forth over the trail. We even saw a moose lumbering about below us. And the smell. The perfect blend of pine and soil and clear air.

Just the best.

capitol reef

Back in April, we took a rather impromptu trip to Capitol Reef National Park. Capitol Reef is kind of in the middle of nowhere, but Jess had some work to do next to the middle of nowhere, so we made a road trip out of it. 

Capitol Reef is stunning. Some of the most beautiful mountains and rock formations we've ever seen. Of note particularly is the Waterpocket Fold, North America's largest monocline, or giant fold in the earth. It's a mere 65 million years old, this fold, and is in part what pushed the earth's crust around to form and reveal the unique and unusual rock formations.

Capitol Reef is also home to the old Mormon settlement, Fruita. The pioneers planted scads of fruit trees there - thus - Fruita. 

This here is their tiny tiny school house that housed up to 26 children!

And one more thing - petroglyphs. These petroglyphs are so old that no one is entirely sure who made them or how old they are. 

I like to think that they aren't really that life changing. I like to think that their kids were bored. And they were drawing pictures. And I mean that. My kids do it almost all day sometimes - they just have the benefit of notebooks and paper. Who's to say that prehistoric babies didn't like to draw? And what in the heck else was there to do back then? Besides slay a wildebeest. Throw rocks. Not get eaten by T-Rex.

All in all, we were in huge fans of Capitol Reef National Park. It's kind of out of the way, but so totally worth it. 

Photo by Annabelle.

Photo by Annabelle.

Photo by Annabelle.