4 Wheels 4 Girls

After having a quick lunch we went to go and see Old Faithful erupt. When we got there there were a ton of people. Old Faithful just started as we came. First not that much water came and the all of a sudden it blasted up so high that it looked like it went up to the clouds!!

Old Faithful

Mommy asked us if we saw Daddy and we didn’t. We looked everywhere. When Old Faithful stopped Daddy walked up. Where were you we all asked??? He said that he went the wrong way so he missed it so we told him about how cool it was.

After that Mommy, Daddy, and Ana went to go on a walk while me and Stella and Greta went to go find some answers to our junior ranger packets . We did not find any answers and went outside and ran into Daddy. We helped him fill up the water bottles and waited for Mommy and Ana to come. Daddy got a text from Mommy that said they were at the RV. I had a really fun time watching Old Faithful! It was so so fun!!!

July 30th, we stopped at a pond in Yellowstone National Park. Dad said that we were on the Continental Divide. Which we were, because I spotted a sign. As Dad always does, he told us about how the water on the Continental Divide goes to both oceans, the Pacific and the Atlantic. And he said this spot on the continental divide was extra special, because the pond itself rested on the divide and drained to both sides!

On the continental divide once again

When we stepped out of the RV, I saw a beautiful pond filled with lily pads. I saw the lily pads and went back inside to grab my camera, and my fairy doll that I made, Lily. I took lots of pictures of her, and I even got a really good one. But I couldn’t reach a lily pad to put Lily on so I just took a picture of her next to them. Dad got a picture of me taking a picture of Lily, and that’s the picture here.

Taking a picture of Lily in the lily pads

Lily on the lily pads!

I had fun at that rest stop. If we could turn around and go back, I would!

And here is a picture of Daisy in the daisies!

After helping daddy with the RV we went to go find the pool. We walked all over and did not find it. At last there it was. It was so so so so HOT!!!!! We me Stella and Ana all took forever to get in. Finily I went under then Stella I think and then Ana. It was cold and then warmed up and we got used to it. We played follow the leader and swam around. After follow the leader we played dolphin and Stella would touch the letters I would tell her to say. It felt good and I thought of swim team in Iowa and how we missed it. After a while we got out because it got so cold. By the way it was July 29 and we were in Jackson Hole!!!!

July 28th, we went to a ranger talk. It was about a mystery animal that we didn’t know about until we got there. It was about wolves! The ranger was really nice, and she let us touch everything on the display table. There was a coyote skin and a wolf skin with the skull still in it, and you could touch the claws and the teeth and everything. We sat down on the amphitheater and the ranger began her talk.

My favorite part that she told us is that you can tell everything by tracking. You can tell if it’s a female or male, or if it’s pregnant or not, and if it was running or walking. You can even tell if it was stalking something, and if it was stalking, you can tell what it is stalking! The ranger said that once, when she was out tracking with her boss, when they had been out there a while, suddenly her boss said, “I think you have to use the bathroom now.” And the ranger said, “Well, how do you know!” And the boss said, “Well, I was tracking you!” I thought that was really cool.

We had fun at the ranger talk.

Grand Teton National Park

July 28th, we entered Jackson Hole. We were all looking forward to it because in a book that we read, the main characters were from there. So when we came in, the first thing I saw was the square. There were five entrances to the square and they were all bridges made out of elk antlers. It was amazing. The town was filled with stores and people. There wasn’t much to it, but it was cool!

Coming over Teton Pass into Jackson

Square ice cream?
Yes.
Like, shaped like a square?
Yes. Square ice cream.

July 28th, I spotted a sign. It said World Famous Square Ice Cream! Square ice cream, huh? It was hard to believe. To my surprise, Dad said, “Hey, girls, I’m gonna go check it out. You coming?”. And we all screamed, “YES!!!” So we went inside to check it out. Once we were inside, we went up to the counter. I was like, whoa! I’m going to eat square ice cream! It was cool to see the lady scoop up the biggest chunk of ice cream in a cake cone I’d ever had with a square scooper. I got huckleberry, and so did Dad. Jean didn’t get anything, which I thought she was crazy for. Ellie and Ana both got moose tracks, and Greta got licorice. She said, “It tastes slightly like nail polish remover, but I like it.” Which Dad cracked up at.

We ate our ice cream as we drove along to our next destination.

Enjoying square ice cream on a hot day in Swan Valley, ID

After leaving the campground on July 28, we went to Craters Of The Moon National Monument. When we got there we went to go on a tour [ranger-led hike]. We got everything ready for the walk. When we got there me and Daddy went to the restrooms. We had to keep going back to [the RV] get stuff. After that we started our hike.

We all liked her [the ranger] from the start. She taught us about the explorers. We were in the back so we did not hear that much of what she was saying. We learned about a’a and pahoehoe [both are types of lava formations]. It [pahoehoe] looks like pooh to me but it also looks like rope. A’a is sharp and when you walk on it hurts so you say a’a . We saw a lot of [lava tube] caves on the way. We looked for bats, at least I did.

Inside a lava tube cave

Daddy says lava tube caves are formed when lava is flowing along the ground like a river and the sides cool off and harden like a straw around the lava. The tube gets longer and longer, and after the lava is done flowing, a long cave is left.

When we got to the cave we got out our flashlights and started walking though the cave. It was not cold as I thought it would be. We saw small birds darting here and there. We heard pigeons cowing. It was so so dark in one part. After that the tour ended. We went by ourself [through the rest of the cave]. It was so cool because we came into a cave that had passages on either side. The ceiling was really sharp and I bumped my head into it. It hurt so badly. After that we got out and started following the cairns [along the trail]. We saw a ton of blue in the rocks. It was so pretty. After that we reached the RV and went to the visitor center to get our badges!!

Walking on the moon (actually pahoehoe).

july 26 we went to a koa!!! wonnse we got there daddy told us to get are swimsutses on we were going swiming i hade to do my craters of the moon jurer ranger pcket. i feneshest my pacet so i puote on my swimsuote and went swiming. after we swam for alitle bet we went to the are rv and had a some dener.

The next moining we were planing to go a nineoclock But we wock up to late. So then we stade another nite. So then me and Ellie went out to play. Then we ask if we gould cold go to the pool. In then we jumped in the pool. Then we swam for a little bit. Then we got out and then we are wome towels around our seveles. Alitellader Greta and Stalla ask if we Gould pool a gene. Are peters sede yes so we went to the pool and swam for alittel bit . In then we got out the pool and drid off the we back to the RV to have luck. In then we ask a gene in gese what are peters sada? Yes we Gould go to the pool I was so. I went side and I did a cartwheel. In we went to pool and swam for alittle bit. Then we out and got and went back to the RV:)!

Stella is hanging out next to the RV at the campground

[Editor’s translation: ]
July 26, we went to a KOA!!! It was in Arco, Idaho. Once we got there, Daddy told us to get our swimsuits on. We were going swimming! I had to do my Craters of the Moon junior ranger packet first. I finished my packet so I put on my swimsuit and went swiming. After we swam for a little bit we went to our RV and had some dinner.

The next morning we were planning to go to a nine o’clock ranger program, but we woke up too late. We decided to stay another night at the campground. So then me and Ellie went out to play. Then we asked if we could go to the pool. And then we jumped in the pool. Then we swam for a little bit. Then we got out and then we wrapped our warm towels around ourselves. A little later Greta and Stella asked if we could go to the pool again. Our parents said yes so we went to the pool and swam for a little bit. And then we got out the pool and dried off, then we went back to the RV to have lunch. Then we asked again, and guess what our parents said? Yes we could go to the pool! I was so happy. I went outside and I did a cartwheel. We went to the pool and swam for a little bit. Then we got out and went back to the RV! 🙂

After a long drive we came to a stop and rested for the night. On July 26th, when I woke up the first thing I saw was a STATUE OF A AWESOME HORSE AND RIDER!!!!!!!!! Cool! Daddy asked do you want a picture? Sure. Why not. I was so happy because we were going to go horseback riding soon, in Yellowstone!!! After that we hopped in the RV and started our long drive though the desert.

Statue at the rodeo arena in Burlington, OR

July 25th, I was suddenly awoken and rushed out the door and out into what was supposed to be a parking lot but was complete whiteness. I could barely even tell where Dad and my sisters were! I finally spotted them and ran to catch up. Where on Earth were we going? I asked where the visitor center was, and I didn’t get an answer, but two seconds later, I almost ran in to the building. All of us were freezing until we finally we were in the visitor center. We were walking in a cloud!

Can you see Mt. Rainier behind us? Neither could we.

From the visitor center, we couldn’t see anything because of the fog. But once we got a little down the mountain, it was clear and I could see Mount Rainier. I found out that Mount Rainier is a giant volcano. I also learned that when the volcano erupts, sometimes something called a lahar. A lahar is when the volcano erupts when there is a ton of ice on top, so the lava melts the ice and it turns it into lava-y water and mud. All that weight pushes everything out of the way which sends all the trees, rocks, and rubble down with it. When that happens, it can spread all the way down to Seattle, which is about 60 miles away from Mount Rainier. Mount Rainier was pretty cool!

Checking out a waterfall on the way down Mt. Rainier