This is the view looking off the back patio of the lodge. The views of the mountains were gorgeous with the lake in front of them. Jackson Lake is the largest lake in the park.
This photo was taken in the lobby of the lodge, and is the closest we ever got to a grizzly (thankfully!). Amelia and John got a kick out of how large the bear was in relation to them.
Wednesday night we enjoyed happy hour in the crisp mountain air at mom and dad's RV site. We played Skipbo on the picnic table while having a drink and tried to keep Amelia and John from touching every button/lever inside the RV. You would think after a dozen visits to the RV that this would no longer be a problem.
Since we returned from Wyoming John has asked me when he and Amelia will be allowed to "go camping" with grandma and grandpop. I told him that they might consider it when he can learn to keep his hands to himself in the RV so that he doesn't drive his grandfather nuts touching things.
John is wearing handcuffs from his wild west outlaw kit he selected as a souvenir in Jackson. A good way to keep John's hands from touching RV devices is to lock them up in cuffs!
Later that evening mom and dad took us for pizza at Leek's Pizzeria. You can't see the lake and mountains here because of the angle and the trees, but let's just say that we had a gorgeous view while dining on the outdoor deck eating our delicious pizza!
Thursday was another day of outdoor adventures. With wonderful weather like this, how can you not help but want to be outside all day?
We began our day at the Colter Bay marina where we embarked on a scenic cruise of Jackson Lake. The cruise was a 1 1/2 hour narrated tour, during which our guide shared many interesting facts about the park and surrounding area. 
The views from the boat were stunning, of course, and in these photos you can see just how still the lake was. I finally got a "mountains reflecting in the water" shot like the ones my parents have posted from their summer adventures!
After the lake cruise and a lovely picnic lunch outside at the RV, we headed back to the marina. My parents had graciously volunteered to take Amelia and John for the afternoon so that Scott and I could enjoy activities that weren't as kid-oriented. We rented a kayak!
That's us in the kayak below with the mountains in the background (great shot - thanks mom!). How much more perfect could the scenery be?
This was my view from the front of the kayak. The lake was not as calm as it was earlier in the day, particularly in the channel as motor boats entered and exited the marina on their way out to the main body of Jackson lake.
And this is a shot of Scott paddling carefully in the back. Because it was impossible to turn around properly, I held the camera up over my shoulder and snapped randomly. Not a bad shot, if I can say so myself!
And just as we were getting into the groove of paddling the kayak, I completely freaked out (screamed!) when a large brown object flapped in the still water just ahead of our position on the lake. The first thought that went through my mind was "alligator", though I know it is completely ridiculous since there are no alligators in the lake.
Know what it was? It took us a few more "flaps" to figure out that the brown object that had scared me to death was the tail of an otter! We floated quietly near the edge of the lake and discovered a group of otters fishing and resting nearby. In the photo below you can see four otters, three of which are perched on a log submerged in the water.
Once I had calmed down we enjoyed watching the otters swim for fish. You can see the curved angle of the fish in the mouth of the otter below towards the left.
Later that evening we enjoyed a cookout back at the RV site. Mom and dad's neighbors, Dick and Sherry, joined us for a lovely dinner of grilled hamburgers and fresh corn on the cob. Notice that Scott is wearing fleece while dad and Dick (Wyoming "natives", at least for the summer in my dad's case) are wearing warmer weather clothing. The temperature was probably in the 50s or 60s at dusk, a far cry from our 100+ degree evenings in Texas!
The kids enjoyed roasting marshmallows for smores after dinner. Sherry gave them enormous and very fat marshmallows for their treats!
We had extra marshmallows so after making smores, each child was allowed to burn one in the fire. John was especially excited to watch his marshmallow burn in the bright orange flame!
Part of the trail ran alongside a creek. Of course all of the water in the creek and lake is melted snow from the mountains above.
During our hike we saw this marmot as well as a few chipmunks.
About half way through the hike we arrived at the lake. The sign states that the elevation of the lake is 6,902 feet. 
We stopped at the lake for water and snacks. At this point the kids were starting to complain about how long we had been hiking and how tired and hungry they were, but the rest helped to give them some energy for the rest of the trip back to the trailhead.
The views of the lake and mountains were beautiful. Notice the large rock on the bottom right below. Our family will be out on the rock in the next photo.
After the hike we enjoyed a picnic lunch in the park and then drove south towards Teton Village. The kids were allowed to choose our afternoon activity, where the selections included whitewater rafting or horseback riding. Guess what they selected?
Horses it was! Of course "horse happy" Amelia pushed hard for the horses and her brother agreed. Amelia is posing here with my horse, Silverado.
Scott rode on "Big Al".
John's horse was "Molasses".
We were part of a group of 11 riders and two guides, on a one-hour trail ride. We started off from the horse corral in Teton Village and headed towards the hills.
Much to my surprise, we headed up the hills and into the woods. We walked the horses in a single-file line up and down narrow switchbacks in the woods. It was interesting to experience how my horse handled his footing on the steep and rocky trail, and the elevation provided for some beautiful views of the valley below.
Amelia's horse was "Wax".
After the horseback ride we rode the Bridger gondola from Teton village to a restaurant at the top of one of the mountains. The gondola ride is free, and of course we were more than ready to treat ourselves to cold beverages after such a busy day.
The patio deck was packed less than a half hour after the start of happy hour. What a popular place! 
Scott and I were interested in taking the gondola up to enjoy the view, but we were pleasantly surprised to discover that fresh Snake River draught beer was only $2.50 a pint during happy hour! What an amazing value, especially considering the view and free gondola ride. Of course what is ironic is that the kids' drinks cost more than our beer. The view from the patio deck (9,900 feet) was incredible!
John is so proud to have a locker!
Amelia let me take a photo of her outside next to her locker, but photos inside the classroom were off-limits ("It's too embarassing mom!". Sigh.)
The best part of the morning for me was listening to Amelia and John interact about what their first day would be like. John was full of questions for his sister about his schedule, and Amelia was more than happy to fill him in on when his lunch period would be, when he would have recess, etc. It was cute to listen to Amelia talk to him in such a loving, protective manner as they are their breakfast and were contemplating the day ahead. 
And when we arrived at school Amelia insisted on walking John to his class (I trailed them, letting her lead the way), and then she showed him how to put his backpack and lunch in his locker, and then how to locate his marked seat in the classroom. I enjoyed watching them and was very proud that they got along so well and were in sync this morning. No first day of school tears for me (those happy/sad tears fell on John's last day of preschool last week). I was just proud of my big kids today!
Monday was the only day we had cloud cover and showers while we were in JH, which ended up not being a bad thing for our family bike ride. The clouds may have made for some less than spectacular photos, but the sprinkles never detracted from our bike ride.
We biked 9 miles south out of Teton Village towards the small town of Wilson, where we stopped at a nice picnic area for lunch. The lunch spot was located in a marshy area, where we were fortunate to enjoy spectacular views and had a nice picnic area all to ourselves. It was so peaceful to be outdoors enjoying the fresh air and good exercise as a family during our vacation. In both of the photos below you can see the kids' bikes attached to the adult bikes in the tandem style.
We purchased lunch provisions from the Pearl Street Market in Jackson (a cute organic market down the street from our hotel in town), and I quickly became absolutely in love with my sandwich. I had a veggie wrap, which was filled with lettuce, sprouts, tomato, avocado, roasted red peppers, hummus, and dressing. Completely to die for!
Scott and the kids enjoyed their sandwiches too, and we all ate fresh apples and granola bars as well. Good fuel for a long bike ride! Before we left the lunch area I wanted to take some photos. This was the first shot I got of John, with the helmet covering his head (the wrong way, of course). Love my boy.
We rode into the town of Wilson and found the elementary school. Here is a shot of the Wilson kids in front of the Wilson Elementary school!
Once we turned around to head back, the clouds and the storms intensified. The wind was blowing something fierce on the way back to Teton Village, which made the journey more difficult for Scott and me. We figured that the tandem piece weighed about 25 pounds, plus the kids' body weight was extra on the back. So even if each kid was pedalling (which they were from time to time, more often than not in John's case, who was my riding partner), Scott and I still had 90 and 70 pounds respectively, on the back of our bikes. It was a little challenging to have the kids on the back, in terms of balancing the weight with the extra load. 
