Wait, It's Not Over Yet (or Testing the Waters in the Tetons)

So do you remember last year when we had that mega-huge family reunion in The Tetons and Yellowstone? It's something that I will not forget anytime soon. Well part of the reason we had such a big shindig was because Wood thought that it would be his last year to sample the lakes. Through some slight of hand and some maneuvering (that man can do anything!), he still has funding for his research. So that means the Millers are out in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem with water bottles and taking samples of various lakes. Yay!

It rained on the drive to Jackson Hole. Rachel looking through the sunroof.

We arrived a couple of days later than Wood and Susan, Derek and Laura, and Trent and Caroline(who left the morning we arrived). I guess that it was really cold and it was rainy in Jackson Hole and The Tetons but they managed to get a few hikes in. By the time that we arrived Sunday evening, the weather had cleared up a little bit. Sunday was the last game of the NBA finals between the Heat and the Mavs so most were content with getting some pizzas and watching the game in our hotel room. Susan took Laura and me to a nice restaurant in town called Sweetwater. The food was delicious and the company even better! After dinner, Brad, Derek, Laura and I walked to the town square where the kids played some night games while the adults discussed various episodes of The X Files. All in all, it was a good evening in Jackson Hole.

Emma having a confab with Mark.

Although the weather was a bit unsettled, we did manage to get in some hikes and sampling in a couple of days.

At the Rockefeller Preserve.

Sampling Two Ocean Lake

Watching Grampa sample the inlet at Two Ocean Lake

String Lake

Of course, there was plenty of time to goof around.

We spent much more time than usual in the Great Room at Jackson Lake Lodge. It was relaxing reading, listening to music and playing with various electronic gadgets. We also had our traditional pizza at Leeks Marina. We usually really like the food there but this time, the pizza was good but the Teton Bread (which is there version of cheese and garlic bread) was a little much.

See those lumpy white things? No, it's not mozzarella cheese, it is chopped cloves of garlic. That piece that Laura is holding had probably the equivalent of 5 or six cloves of garlic on it. When she took it up to show the person behind, the counter, she wouldn't even look at the bread. Laura's theory is that she didn't want to look at it because it was so horrible. My theory is that she probably was a vampire.

The next day, Derek and his family went home and we stayed on in the Tetons and hiked around Jenny Lake. The good thing about the weather being so cool and rainy is that there were minimal mosquitoes. Someone please tell me of any good or useful thing a mosquito can do, I dare you.

Along with the beautiful hikes in the park, driving around is just as relaxing and beautiful.

Okay, I admit it, this drive wasn't all that relaxing for me.

 Good thing Grampa was there to take over if things got out of control. He was much more calm with Caleb driving than I was when Rachel first started driving (and she has a permit).

That evening, we drove to Yellowstone and stayed in the cabins at Canyon.