For the first week of public school in our area we went on vacation. There are several things I enjoy about doing something special for the traditional first day of school. First, the girls thought it was funny that they were standing outside packing the car for a trip to Yellowstone at the same time the buses were going by on our street. They didn't figure in that they had already been back to doing school for a few weeks, they just enjoyed the irony of vacationing the first week some of their friends were heading back to school.
Second, even though we were in two different major National Parks, we were there at the end of the tourist season. There was very little traffic, and about 1/4 the crowds compared to the five other times I have visited Yellowstone.
Third, our cabin was discounted half price because of the week we chose to go. If we had went the week prior, it would have been full price. Our cabin in Grand Teton was the same price as usual.
I've been to Yellowstone several times, but this was the first time for everyone else in the family. I enjoyed this trip more than any of the others I've been on, though. Watching the girls discover all that Yellowstone has to offer and enjoying themselves so much that they had a hard time choosing what was their favorite site and animal was a joy for me.
Besides enjoying the hot springs, mud pots, geysers, wildlife and overall beauty of Yellowstone, our girls participated in the Junior Ranger Programs. They were able to attend Ranger programs with less than 10 kids in them with no waiting. Hermoine's requirements were harder than Ramona's because they are based on age level. But, they both earned two great patches for their Scout Uniforms. Of course, you don't need to be a Scout to do these programs and once you've completed the requirements you can choose between the patch or a pin-on badge. This is the packet for Grand Teton and this is the one for Yellowstone.
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