I used the rising sun this morning to backlight Old Faithful for an interesting series of photos. When the kids woke up we enjoyed a breakfast buffet at the Old Faithful Inn, the largest wood log structure in the world. We departed for the Mid Geyser Basin and hiked the Fairy Falls Trail and then bushwacked to the top of a hill for optimal views of the Grand Prismatic Spring. 99.9% of visitors to the spring see it from the ground level perspective of the boardwalk which simply does not offer the right vantage point for appreciating this feature, one of the most dramatic in the park. Our final destination within Yellowstone is the Fountain Paint Pot trail where we are entertained by the bubbling and spewing mud cauldrons.

By early afternoon we begin our return to Jackson Hole by way of the Grand Teton National Park. We make several stops along the way including Lake Jackson, Jenny Lake and a horse ranch which we use as a backdrop for another family portrait (and gymnastic apparatus for Nico.

Upon arrival in Jackson we indulged in a Mexican dinner at the Merry Piglets, a restaurant that Jeanine and I had discovered on our last visit. With full and happy bellies we relaxed around the pool, played cards, and the boys learned a camp drumming activity from Maya which proved to be highly entertaining for all involved.

This vacation has had something for everyone. Jeanine has long dreamed of going to a dude ranch and this was certainly the highlight of our adventure. I really wanted to do some family camping and introduce the children to the wonders of Yellowstone. The kids say that is has been one of our best family vacations and they all were fully engaged in the experience. My only hope is that we will be able to continue to vacation as a family after Kyle leaves for college this fall.