Cents & Adventure

Our trip began on July 3rd after work. We loaded up the box truck, got the kids in their jammies, and drove late into the night. James pulled into a truck stop in Idaho around 10 or 11 PM, where we tucked the kids into bed and snuggled in ourselves. It was so nice to wake up refreshed the next morning. The kids aren’t used to long daytime drives, so it was a little tough at first, but they were champions.

In West Yellowstone, Charlee helped James unload the Subaru and then rode along with me to get us checked into the RV park. After lunch, we biked to the visitor center for Junior Ranger books, then headed to the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center. We watched bears break into coolers and tents, saw wolves, and the kids loved the fish and water play. Dawson went down early, but Charlee stayed up late to watch the fireworks from her bunk bed window—she fell asleep mid-show. The heater ran all night and kept us perfectly warm.

Saturday we started bright and early to beat traffic into the park. We watched Old Faithful erupt, wandered the boardwalks with bison nearby, and had little dance parties along the way. James and I admired the beautiful lodge architecture while we waited out a quick rainstorm. At Grand Prismatic Spring, the kids splashed in puddles before Charlee proudly turned in her completed Junior Ranger book. Ice cream was a must after that—while Dawson was getting a diaper change, Charlee ordered her own cone.

Later, we stopped at a waterfall overlook where Charlee called the steep stairs “sketchy,” making everyone laugh. At the Artist Paint Pots, a storm cloud hovered overhead but we still explored. Charlee loved the “farting holes” and trails, while Dawson just grinned happily at everything outdoors. On the way back, James pointed out a low-flying airplane and asked Charlee if she saw it. She gasped “Woooowwww!”—then admitted she didn’t actually see it. That night we squeezed in a little bike ride before saying goodbye to friends.

The next morning, we found a diner for breakfast, then began the long 7-hour drive home in heavy traffic. We broke it up with a stop to stretch out of the box truck—picking raspberries, baking cookies, and even sneaking in a bath—before finally wrapping up our adventure.