A summer more than half gone. My summer's planned adventures almost all played out. The big one is still out their looming. Making me nervous the more media outlets and social media types hype and push The Great American Eclipse.
After our walk up Beacon Hill when the Green Line broke, Lewis finally realized that his grand plans of hiking Grand Teton were probably a little ambitious for our motley crew. We do have to plan out our days and our adventures. Lewis wants to try fly fishing. I have so many picture aspirations that I'm sure to be disappointed. I'm trying to temper my expectations in that area. Now is not a good time for me to even be dreaming about lenses and I'm nervous about renting one (though I may still do that - I have to figure it out). I have two cameras that are up to the task, but bringing both seems daunting and unnecessary. Is it worth it to rent the lens that I need for a few hundred dollars? Or just make do with what I have and be happy with what I get?
Sometimes you go on trips that you just know are once in a lifetime. And this is one. I have been blessed to have a few of these.
Our tent is purchased and in residence. So are the sleep mats. Lew's ridiculous fly fishing rod that he bought is here too. Remember, it's not a light saber.
But it's his dream trip after all so allowances are made.
The rental car is booked. The camp site is booked.
These are images from Flickr and the internet. But they give you an idea of where I'm going.
Everything in that area is like 60mi apart. From our Grand Teton campsite to the South Entrance of Yellowstone is 26 miles. But Yellowstone is a massive place. It's 60 mi to Old Faithful.
After our walk up Beacon Hill when the Green Line broke, Lewis finally realized that his grand plans of hiking Grand Teton were probably a little ambitious for our motley crew. We do have to plan out our days and our adventures. Lewis wants to try fly fishing. I have so many picture aspirations that I'm sure to be disappointed. I'm trying to temper my expectations in that area. Now is not a good time for me to even be dreaming about lenses and I'm nervous about renting one (though I may still do that - I have to figure it out). I have two cameras that are up to the task, but bringing both seems daunting and unnecessary. Is it worth it to rent the lens that I need for a few hundred dollars? Or just make do with what I have and be happy with what I get?
Sometimes you go on trips that you just know are once in a lifetime. And this is one. I have been blessed to have a few of these.
Our tent is purchased and in residence. So are the sleep mats. Lew's ridiculous fly fishing rod that he bought is here too. Remember, it's not a light saber.
But it's his dream trip after all so allowances are made.
The rental car is booked. The camp site is booked.
These are images from Flickr and the internet. But they give you an idea of where I'm going.
Everything in that area is like 60mi apart. From our Grand Teton campsite to the South Entrance of Yellowstone is 26 miles. But Yellowstone is a massive place. It's 60 mi to Old Faithful.
I'm amazed by the star photography. And this is where my expectations are going to have to be dimmed. The chances of me being up at yellowstone in the middle of the night are slim to none. With three kids and hiking I'll be in my rack by sundown I'd bet. Not to mention there is no guarantee of sleep on these adventures. Last time we took Julia camping she slept four hours and was a disaster the next day.
I fully expect some of that. Which is part of the reason we opted to try the permanent Tent that we're renting from Grand Teton instead of camping straight away. We'll be at that campsite until the weekend when we move out of the national parks to Driggs. Which is within the totality as well. And hopefully won't have the draw of millions of people.
Grand Teton is expecting 3 million people inside it's walls.
The first day of school is the day of the eclipse. And we're missing it because as I have said this has been on Lew's calendar for years. And it's once in a lifetime. An eclipse like this hasn't been in the states in 99 years. A total eclipse hasn't been in the states in 79 years. The next one is in 7 years (and passes through Dallas - don't think I didn't point that out) but it's not the same for some reason some science type would need to explain.
So. Point being.
After the totality passes we have to book it home. And the millions of people that are probably trying to do the same are indicating traffic is likely to be a disaster.
As I said I'm trying not to think about it. Because stress. I'm making lists. I have many lists. But there are so many things that you can't account for.
And I have told Lewis that he has to promise me that no one is going to get hurt by a bear or else I'm really rethinking the entire premise. Julia is bite sized for these brown bears.
Ugh. I can't think about it. This is the other benefit of the cabin tent. It's in a more populated region that hopefully the bears frequent less. And hopefully it'll be too warm for them? I don't know. I'd like for us to see one. From about 5 football fields away (10?) with binoculars and a telephoto lens. And maybe us being high on a cliff.
I have pinned a bunch of animal worksheets and stat sheets and information to make it educational fun. (ha!)
We were talking about in the car and G says ... "Everyone in this car is excited about the trip except one person ..." And he points at me. Oh I'm excited. I can't wait to see this part of the country that I've never been too.
But yup the mom in my is nervous for all the work (and danger) ahead.
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