WEST YELLOWSTONE!!!!!

Once again, we went on our (turning out to be) annual trip to West Yellowstone! And, once again we had the time of our lives!! Our only drawback was Kati couldn't get the time off from work....we missed her a ton!!! But next year we are planning to schedule things better so we don't leave anyone out.....well that's the plan anyway!

We left Monday morning on our Ford Focus trip! Ha ha ha...we took our Ford Focus and Grandma Bahr's Focus

...4 people in each car (girl car and boy car hahaha) and it was actually perfect! Well.....until the last day, I will get to that later....

We had a great drive...one time we hit a bit of road construction in Idaho...but actually not too bad!

We, of course, stayed at the KOA outside West Yellowstone...our favorite place....we always get a Camping Kabin...sleeps 4 (and has a heater)
while the boys (Trevor, Rob and Max) slept in a tent next to us. It was a bit disconcerting this year since as soon as we checked in we were told..."THERE HAD BEEN A BEAR SITING IN THE CAMPGROUND" ummm....yeah, very aware this is bear country, but there has never been a siting before when we were there...YIKES!! She was sited monday and tuesday...probably more, (they were a little secretive about wednesday).....it was a Grissly and her cub and they apparently come into camp around 5am...JUST WHEN I NEED TO GO POTTY!!! We were somewhat close to the bathrooms, but ya never want to meet up with a mama bear while having a full bladder!!!!! Nice thing is everynight, all night, they had "Bear Patrol" out driving around the camp...hahaha...RARRRRR! Anyway, we never saw this cute little pair....THANK HEAVENS!

Grandma Bahr stayed at the Madison motel....(she wasn't much for KOA
camping especially with our little mascot....hey, she's 82!!! I think she would attack them with her cane!!!LOL)
Of course, got grandma settled then off to dinner at the 3Bears Restaurant...not my favorite dinner place, but it was ok...then it was the Playmill!!! Seven Brides for Seven Brothers!!! FABULOUS!!! What can I say!!....Then it was home to the kabin and tent and slumber land! (and no bear)Tuesday we went into Yellowstone....saw Old Faithful and shopped around....sadly we didn't see many animals this year! Boooo...I really love the animals...it's just funny, whenever there is an animal close to the road EVERYBODY stops, jumps out of cars to take pictures etc....crazy tourists hahaha!




We spent sometime in Yellowstone, then Kristi, Grandma, Max and I bought some groceries and spent the evening watching Max shows in grandma's room while the rest went to the Playmill to see The Foreigner....which, in fact, was another Fantastic Production!!!! Then again, home and off to slumber land with no Grissly in site, haha thank Heavens! Wednesday off into the Park again.. of course in the other direction...saw some fantastic falls, some animals and lots of ROAD CONSTRUCTION!!! Blaaaaa! It's everywhere even in Yellowstone!!! Then back to the KOA to rent some 6 seated bike thing....we drove this around all over and had a blast! Of course we looked a bit crazy, but so what.....we had a great time!





Grandma spent this time in her room with some needed rest time...thank heavens for her motel room. Then it was off to the Gusher Pizza place...This is a place we always hit during our stay...but, this time, not so good.....let's just say the customer service was BAD BAD BAD!!! Did I mention it was BAD!!! No more comment, just dissappointed in our Gusher experience this time around....Boooooo!!! Then walked the streets of West Yellowstone in and out of shops! I love to do the tourist shopping thing...makes the trip complete LOL!

After...we again ended our day with a Playmill experience of epic porportion!! Beauty and the Beast! FABULOUS, FANTASTIC, OUT OF THIS WORLD, STUNNING performance! I just love the Playmill (and of course their signature homemade Heidi Fudge! Fudge every night yummmmmm)! Grandma back to the Madison, us back to the KOA....another night to tempt the fate of the Grissly! Ewwwwww! Had a wonderful nights sleep...no Grissly siting at our kabin...yeah! But, even with our most perfect, fun, wonderful West Yellowstone experience....we ended with our Schroeder curse! Anytime we go on vacation....something happens to put a little damper on such a fun time. We thought we had overpowered this curse..maybe found a way to have a vacation without it...but, alas, no....it happened, the Schroeder curse!!!....we woke up to a FLAT TIRE!!!
(our tires were in pretty bad shape, but we thought we were ok for a while..hehehe..guess our first mistake was "thinking" hehehe)Well...the guys put on that little dinky tiny tire thing that comes with cars now days....ya know, the ones that look like your car has a peg leg driving down the street....and of course, you can't drive very fast due to the special needs of this little tire...so people get mad and start passing and you think they are being stupid because they almost cause accidents.etc etc....UGH!! Hahaha...and....since there really isn't any place to buy tires until Idaho Falls....that is where we went...to Walmart at Idaho Falls...hahaha...(couldn't find a Discount Tire)...oh well, anyway....new tires and it was off for home...dropped Kristi off in Logan, Trevor, Staci and Max in Ogden and Grandma in Taylorsville....we are now HOME!!!! Tired of course, but a good tired....I love WEST YELLOWSTONE and spending time with my family!!!