Wyoming Trip 2013 Part One - road tripping east to Granite Creek, Wyoming

our drive east goes straight across the state of nevada. it is a drive we are well accustomed to, but not one that ever gets easier, shorter or more interesting. winnemucca seemed to lack any decent picnic spots so we made sandwiches on a bench outside Attitudes Hair Salon and The Pig BBQ, an activity that received many strange looks and a few dry comments like, where's mine? after taking the town by storm, we blithely traveled on.

pit stop in elko for gas and brake light check. the tent trailer had some brake lights rigged on that never quite worked right, and joey had to do hand signals out the window for turns. remember those? i think they're kind of cute and quaint. point is, we were a pretty ragtag caravan.

from elko we made it all the way north to twin falls idaho where we spent the first night. lucy fell asleep in the car and slept through the transition to the motel bed, which is amazing for her. and served as the start of the surprising weaning process that occurred on this trip, something i never thought would happen.

next morning, traillering up....

just in case you are wondering how we did traveling in a car for long days with a 12 month old baby...it actually went very well! i saved some of her special toys for a few weeks before the trip so they would seem "new" to her, and i also did buy her one actual new toy, the kitty ragdoll below, and brought some doll clothes for it, an activity that keeps lucy engaged for quite some time. darin sat in the backseat with her a lot, while pops rode up front with me, and she does very well with daddy's attention. he would read to her, make up little games to play with her, and go through the activities in two quiet books left over from my own chidhood.

we drove along the snake river, crossed through the agricultural area of southern idaho and on up into the mountains where things suddenly take a turn for the beautiful. we took the swan valley highway over a gorgeous mountain pass an on into wyoming.

and everything is huckleberry flavored from here on out.

in the late afternoon we bumped our way down a nine mile dirt road and arrived at Granite Creek campground in the Bridger Teton National Forest. 

it was the purest breath of fresh air to get out, stretch, and take in the spectacular view of jagged mountains, singing stream, tall pines, and wide open space as far as the eye could see. PURE HEAVEN.

and we were just in time to meet matt, amy and the kids on their way back from a creekdip.

oey had had the luck of uncovering a nice big old bone, thus completing his caveman ensemble.

we settled in to our little home in paradise.  

joey wins the award for coolest sweatshirts ever. that's the grand prize for having compulsive thrifters for a wife and a sister.

bright wild mornings. perfect place to read and have a cup of coffee.

the kids found a stump with a rugged checkerboard carved atop. they made great use of this rustic toy, with pinecones and stones for pieces, and oey took all his meals there.

less than a mile walk up this heavenly country road are the hot springs that were built into a pool by the CCC in 1933. 

the water was probably 90 degrees or so. after a warm walk, emily and i didn't really go in much, being pregnant and hot, but the rest of the family enjoyed a nice relaxing dip. especially pops, who swam laps and thoroughly enjoyed himself.

at amy's insistence i did join in with a nice wee float. so glad i did!

for the sake of balance, we stopped by the creek on the way home for icy cold refreshment.

we spent the evening in the beautiful and bustling western town of jackson, wyoming.

it's kind of a resort town with upscale art galleries, outfitters, and souvenir shops. but it also has good old west charm with saloons and elk antlers.

we couldn't resist some old fashioned treats at the candy store.

and wooden sidewalks.

bella was lucy's constant escort. lucy looks stone-faced but that's only cause she's blissed out. she loves riding in the stroller. 

after lots of walking we had a delicious meal at the Snake River Brewery. the boys tried various beers and we all hogged out pretty well. 

emily's cute nails perfectly offset the homemade wood fired pretzel with whole grain mustard. 

we went to sleep with that way-out-west tiredness that accompanies perfectly a sky full of effervescent stars. your bones seem to spark and hiss in your skin as you drift off under a sky like that, cooling. both nights out there at granite creek we layered up and slept right cozy, especially lucy right in between us in our tent, her favorite place to sleep, no matter the cold mountain air. with woodsmoke in our pajamas and the taste of s'mores still on our tongues.

back tomorrow with more of our journey into the Tetons!