Once
upon a time, our family took a vacation...we lovingly call it the
"Carr Family EPIC Summer Vacation 2012". And it was an ambitious
idea...but we are ambitious vacation people...we saw some truly
remarkable things and had some amazing experiences. I always wonder in
my old age which memories will linger, what memories will be the
strongest...I hope I never forget these wonderful moments with the
people I love most! But just in case...I'll finish the blog about our
vacation.
DAY ONE
We
drove to Ogden, Utah and visited the enormous dinosaur park. It was
big...it was impressive...it was SO hot. We loved it but might try it
again when we don't feel like we are being fried alive. I think we spent
a majority of the time doing what dramatic people do...pretending we
are being eaten alive by plastic dinosaurs. We may have overdone it now
that I'm looking at all the pictures...
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| One of my favorite pictures from the day...the kids pretending to look in their guide books to find out what this delicious little speciman of dinosaur is called...he really is adorable. |
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| In you have not discovered the sheer joy of writing on windows with dry erase markers then I MUST insist you try it on your next vacation. Hours upon hours of entertainment...and wipes off with a paper towel. The kids drew and named their very own species of dinosaur after visiting the museum...so fun. |
After the dinosaur museum, we headed to Jim and Chellae's apartment in Idaho Falls. There was a pool, a delicious BBQ out by the pool, and a fun, fun sleepover with cousins. My children were in heaven...and when people asked them what the best thing they did on vacation was, this night won hands down. Nothing in the world like water, food, and family!
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DAY 2:
We left Idaho Falls with Chellae and her kids and headed to Yellowstone National Park for a day of romping and frolicking in nature's greatest playground!
We spent a couple of hours enjoying the waterfall and "swimming" hole at Firehole Falls and river. It was beautiful...the kids loved the water...especially Baby!
We saw geysers and hot pots and hot pools and all manner of amazing natural wonders...
but we ended the day at Old Faithful...I loved that while the entire summer crowd of tourists were ohhing and ahhing over the geyser spouting hot water hundreds of feet into the air, Baby was earnestly discovering his own toes. They were fascinating...he literally could not take his eyes off of them...even to see a geyser.
but we ended the day at Old Faithful...I loved that while the entire summer crowd of tourists were ohhing and ahhing over the geyser spouting hot water hundreds of feet into the air, Baby was earnestly discovering his own toes. They were fascinating...he literally could not take his eyes off of them...even to see a geyser.
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| We came in through West Yellowstone but left out the east entrance to continue our epic journey to the Old West. It was a magical time of day...I couldn't believe how completely and utterly beautiful and breathtaking it all was. And to top off an amazing day, we saw a big bear eating his dinner on the side of the road!!!!! A bear sighting...it was unbelievable...all my Yellowstone dreams coming true! |
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| Going into Yellowstone... |
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| Leaving at the end of a very busy, wonderful day! |
That night we stayed in a fabulous family run motel about 30 minutes outside of Cody, WY. I continue to embrace my quest to find the quirky, home grown motels of America...they are SO much more interesting than your run of the mill chain franchise. And when we woke up the next morning, look what we found teetering on the edge of the mountain above us...
DAY 3:
We headed into Cody, WY for a nutritious McDonald's breakfast and a fun morning exploring the awesome Buffalo Bill Historical Center!
Next, a drive to Devil's Tower. We had appropriately prepared our children for this experience by watching "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" as a family. It really was quite stunning and impressive!
It was evening when we arrived and hiking around the base of this mammoth natural wonder was really a reverent and beautiful experience. I didn't realize that Devil's Tower is a very spiritual and religious place for many Native Americans...it has been for hundreds of years and continues to be so today. There were prayer shawls and ribbons adorning many of the trees and visitors are asked to respect the sacred nature of the place by staying on the trails. I really felt a special presence there. I don't know quite how to explain it but I felt connected to the people and spirit of the place. It was beautiful to look out over the valley and to see a glimpse of this country as it appeared many, many years ago. This trip helped me better understand the Native Americans and their painful history. Seeing this land a little tiny bit through their eyes and then knowing what would happen was heartbreaking. They truly were stewards of the natural world around them...they had a reverence and depth of understanding regarding the earth that we have become so desensitized to in our modern day and age. There were moments of silence and beauty that took my breath away. This world is so alive and so beautiful!
DAY 4:
One of the most unexpected parts of our trip to this part of the country was the exodus of motorcycle enthusiasts making their annual mecca trip to Sturgis, South Dakota where they do ??????? for a week! (I really don't know what they do in this tiny town for a week...but we were traveling the week leading up to this grand event...everywhere we went were hordes of motorcycle lovin' people.)
We had spent the night in Rapid City, SD and so bright and early we headed to Jewel National Cave for a morning of deep cave exploration. It started with a very long elevator ride to the center of the earth...
It was an amazing experience in a place I had never been (or heard of) before our epic family vacation. We loved it!
Following our journey to the center of the earth, we headed toward Mount Rushmore via Custer State Park...the scenic route. At one point of our scenic drive, we came across a very friendly group of wild burros. Naturally we had to stop and explore the landscape and pay our respects to the wildlife. Baby and I were holding a quick diaper changing session out of the back of our mini van when we suddenly found ourselves surrounded by a group of very friendly, very curious burros who were anxiously sniffing my rear end and the baby's dirty diaper. There is photographic evidence but it does not flatter my rear end nor the appalling lack of manners of the wild prairie burro so we are going to refrain from a public posting. The older kids were afraid the burros wanted to eat the baby...I was afraid they just wanted to get high on the dirty diaper. Chris was trying desperately to "shoo" them away but they weren't having any of that. It made for a tense few moments...no one ever talks about what to do if you are being aggressively sniffed by a pack of mules. Luckily, we survived and left without any permanent scars...emotional or physical.
DAY 5:
We left Rapid City and headed to Sylvan Lake in Custer State Park for a little rest and relaxation before tackling the next part of our epic vacation. You may remember this little gem of a place from National Treasure 2...it was SUCH a beautiful place and fun way to spend a day.
After playing at the lake for several hours, we headed down toward Casper, WY with a side trip to Fort Laramie. Being an avid fan of American history, I knew what a critical role this fort had played in the development of the West...and I was anxious to see it for myself. It did not disappoint. We arrived late in the day so we explored and took ourselves on a "self-guided" tour...it was amazing...until the end when the park ranger mentioned the enormous bull snake he had just seen slithering through the grass...then it was time to get back in the car and leave. While I am completely intrigued and fascinated by the history of the Old West, there is a good reason why I am a tourist and was not selected to be an actual "player" in the real story...I don't like snakes...or fish...or slimy lake bottoms.
We did not eat dinner one single night before 10:00 p.m. So after Fort Laramie, the kids asked if they could have a meal where they sat in an actual chair instead of being thrown a hamburger in the back seat. We headed for Casper, WY and a Pizza Hut...it wasn't before 10:00 p.m. but it did involve a table with real chairs and silverware. I fear it was the highlight of the trip for certain members of the family.
DAY 6:
The next morning we set out for Independence Rock and Martin's Cove. It was an exciting, overwhelming, humbling day.
Independence Rock is most famous for the names inscribed on its face—the names and dates of people who passed by this place in search of a new life in the frontier.
Named for a fur trader’s Fourth of July celebration, this huge rock became the most famous and anticipated of all trail landmarks. Here the trail met the cool, clean and clear Sweetwater River that would lead it to South Pass. The emigrants paused to inscribe their names on the “Great Register of the Desert” while they rested themselves and their livestock. They observed the national Independence Day (no matter the actual date) and congratulated themselves on reaching the perceived mid-point in their journey.
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| you don't find local attractions like this in the backyard of your EconoLodges...click here if you are interested in the reading the story behind this architectural wonder. |
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| One of my favorite pictures...they said it was their "Native American" pose since every picture they saw of an Indian had them standing just like this. |
Next, a drive to Devil's Tower. We had appropriately prepared our children for this experience by watching "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" as a family. It really was quite stunning and impressive!
DAY 4:
One of the most unexpected parts of our trip to this part of the country was the exodus of motorcycle enthusiasts making their annual mecca trip to Sturgis, South Dakota where they do ??????? for a week! (I really don't know what they do in this tiny town for a week...but we were traveling the week leading up to this grand event...everywhere we went were hordes of motorcycle lovin' people.)
We had spent the night in Rapid City, SD and so bright and early we headed to Jewel National Cave for a morning of deep cave exploration. It started with a very long elevator ride to the center of the earth...
Following our journey to the center of the earth, we headed toward Mount Rushmore via Custer State Park...the scenic route. At one point of our scenic drive, we came across a very friendly group of wild burros. Naturally we had to stop and explore the landscape and pay our respects to the wildlife. Baby and I were holding a quick diaper changing session out of the back of our mini van when we suddenly found ourselves surrounded by a group of very friendly, very curious burros who were anxiously sniffing my rear end and the baby's dirty diaper. There is photographic evidence but it does not flatter my rear end nor the appalling lack of manners of the wild prairie burro so we are going to refrain from a public posting. The older kids were afraid the burros wanted to eat the baby...I was afraid they just wanted to get high on the dirty diaper. Chris was trying desperately to "shoo" them away but they weren't having any of that. It made for a tense few moments...no one ever talks about what to do if you are being aggressively sniffed by a pack of mules. Luckily, we survived and left without any permanent scars...emotional or physical.
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| We also saw a herd of buffalo...we didn't stop this time. We had learned our lesson from the mules. |
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| This was pretty much how I rode through the countryside all day...like a dog with my head hanging out the window trying to take in all the sights, smells, and sounds. |
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| The park winds on hair pin turns and roads through rock tunnels and over wooden bridges until you suddenly find yourself looking at Mount Rushmore framed by stone. It is breathtaking. |
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| We made it...Mount Rushmore! A bucket list item checked off the list. It really was magnificent and very impressive! |
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| We stayed for the evening program where at the end they light up the monument...it was very patriotic and inspiring! I love the United States of America! We definitely know how to "go big"! |
We left Rapid City and headed to Sylvan Lake in Custer State Park for a little rest and relaxation before tackling the next part of our epic vacation. You may remember this little gem of a place from National Treasure 2...it was SUCH a beautiful place and fun way to spend a day.
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| Chris and the kids splashed and played in the lake...due to some squeamish fears of fish and water moccasins and slimy lake bottoms, I opted for the beach and a little wading...WITH my flip flops on. |
After playing at the lake for several hours, we headed down toward Casper, WY with a side trip to Fort Laramie. Being an avid fan of American history, I knew what a critical role this fort had played in the development of the West...and I was anxious to see it for myself. It did not disappoint. We arrived late in the day so we explored and took ourselves on a "self-guided" tour...it was amazing...until the end when the park ranger mentioned the enormous bull snake he had just seen slithering through the grass...then it was time to get back in the car and leave. While I am completely intrigued and fascinated by the history of the Old West, there is a good reason why I am a tourist and was not selected to be an actual "player" in the real story...I don't like snakes...or fish...or slimy lake bottoms.
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| And don't you fret for one second...there was lots of acting and drama and film making going on...this was HB's costume for one of the scenes...I'm not sure if this was the mother visiting her son in jail part or the innocent pioneer woman about to be attacked by a wild west inmate who has been thrown in jail for wild drunkenness... |
We did not eat dinner one single night before 10:00 p.m. So after Fort Laramie, the kids asked if they could have a meal where they sat in an actual chair instead of being thrown a hamburger in the back seat. We headed for Casper, WY and a Pizza Hut...it wasn't before 10:00 p.m. but it did involve a table with real chairs and silverware. I fear it was the highlight of the trip for certain members of the family.
DAY 6:
The next morning we set out for Independence Rock and Martin's Cove. It was an exciting, overwhelming, humbling day.
Independence Rock is most famous for the names inscribed on its face—the names and dates of people who passed by this place in search of a new life in the frontier.
Named for a fur trader’s Fourth of July celebration, this huge rock became the most famous and anticipated of all trail landmarks. Here the trail met the cool, clean and clear Sweetwater River that would lead it to South Pass. The emigrants paused to inscribe their names on the “Great Register of the Desert” while they rested themselves and their livestock. They observed the national Independence Day (no matter the actual date) and congratulated themselves on reaching the perceived mid-point in their journey.
It was the names carved in stone here that caused
Father Peter J. DeSmet to appropriately name this place “The Register of
the Desert” in 1840.
(excerpt taken from www.ultimatewyoming.com)
Just a few miles up the road from Independence Rock is Martin's Cove. As we drove that day, the kids watched the movie "17 Miracles" in an effort to give them a framework and appreciation for the sacred place they were about to see. Most visitors who come to Martin's Cove take a handcart and set out on the trail to explore this area...I was overwhelmed at the prospect of doing that with 4 children who had already spent a day hiking and walking...they offered to have a sister missionary take us out on a type of 4-wheeler instead. I have never been so grateful for anything in my whole life!
When we reached the actual location of Martin's Cove, the sister missionary driving us explained that she couldn't take us back to the cove. President Hinckley had dedicated this spot and asked that it be a place of reverence and reflection. It would require some significant walking to there and back to see this place...it was the end of the day. It was hot and there was little to no shade along the trail. But Chris and I sat for only a second before we asked the kids to climb out of the 4-wheeler and make the trip with us. We just felt in our very bones that this was important...Matthew had the hardest time and was really upset at being asked to do this. We had only walked a few feet when we stopped and decided to offer a prayer that Heavenly Father would not only give us the physical strength to walk but would help us to feel in our hearts and souls the importance of what had happened here. I desperately wanted my children to gain something important from this experience...I knew they needed this. I don't know which child needed what but I knew each of them had a need that would occur in their lives that this memory could help them find strength and courage. We had ancestors that walked this trail and were part of the company that sacrificed and suffered here. That prayer helped our little family make the journey to the cove.
I carried my baby most of the way. He fell asleep and was heavy and hot but I wanted to understand a little bit about what it was like to walk and care for the ones you love. My ancestor Eliza Briggs carried her little baby sister along this trail...I thought a great deal about her while I walked. One of the missionaries told us about the family who bought this parcel of land in the late 1800's. The father of the family often described a very real presence and reverence that he felt any time he was in the area of Martin's Cove. When he heard of the events and sacrifices that had occurred there, he made a vow on behalf of his family that the area would never be plowed...just used for grazing. And to this day, that vow has been sacredly honored and kept by the family. They were not members of the church but held great respect for those that traveled on that hallow ground.
https://www.lds.org/ensign/1997/08/remembering-the-rescue?lang=eng
Visiting Martin's Cove was a highlight of the trip for me. It wasn't because there was much to see... it was just rugged Wyoming landscape...but because of what happened there. I am very much a part of the suffering that happened there. I am a product of sacrifice and faith and a testimony of Jesus Christ rooted so deeply in the hearts of those that came before me that they were willing to sacrifice all they had, their very lives if necessary, to defend that testimony and be found obedient in whatsoever the Lord commanded them.
This is my time, my chapter. What legacy will I leave? What will my life say about who I was and what I was willing to stand for? Martin's Cove helped me better understand who I am and what I want to be. "Voices from the dust"...
We drove home to Utah that night with our hearts full. It was a vacation to be treasured and remembered. Thank you sweet family for 6 days of fabulous memories. Let's do it again real soon...
"An elderly man arose and said 'I ask you to stop this criticism. You are discussing a matter you know nothing about. Cold historic facts....give no proper interpretation of the questions involved. Mistake to send the handcart company out so late in the season? Yes. But I was in that company and my wife...too. We suffered beyond anything you can imagine and many died of exposure and starvation, but we became acquainted with God in our extremities.
"'I have pulled my handcart when I was so weak and weary from illness and lack of food that I could hardly put one foot in front of the other.I have looked ahead and seen a patch of sand or a hill slope and I have said, I can go that far and then I must give up, for I cannot pull the load through it....I have gone onto that sand and when I reached it, the cart began pushing me. I have looked back many times to see who was pushing my cart, but my eyes saw no one. I knew then that the angels of God were there.
"'Was I sorry that I chose to come by handcart? No. Neither then or any minute of my life since. The price we paid to become acquainted with God was a privilege to pay, and I am thankful that I was privileged to come in the Martin Handcart Company.'" Elder Robert L. Backman, "Faith in Every Footstep" Ensign, Jan 1997, 7
