Jamie Thingelstad

This is one of the oddest places I’ve had to deal with a hornets nest. 😬

Most terrifying thing about renting the RV? Taking it to the truck wash before returning it and navigating this shockingly small entry! Should have brought a helper. Only a few inches on every side. 😬

• Long drive home!
• Go through Mankato and have pizza at Dino’s Pizzeria!
• Arrive home 7:00pm. 2 hours to empty out RV, put stuff away, and clean out interior.
• Return the RV tomorrow morning!

Today is our final stretch with a 593 mile drive back to Minneapolis! We’ve had an awesome Yellowstone RV trip! 🙌

Weather: Cool morning. Feels like rain.

• Mt. Rushmore
• Crazy horse
• Chuck wagon dinner

Family selfie at Mt. Rushmore!

We pulled into the Palmer Gulch KOA last night and got setup. Checking it out this morning and this is easily the fanciest KOA I’ve seen. They say it’s one of the largest in the country.

Enjoyed a beautiful drive through the Shoshone National Forest today on our way from Jackson, WY to Mt. Rushmore in SD.

Weather: Rain! Cool! Rain stopped after first hour or so and then pleasant driving weather

• Breakfast at Persephone.
• Visit Teton Park visitor center, cool looking building.
• Drive to Mount Rushmore KOA.
• First two hours of drive really pretty!

We had delicious takeout burgers from Grazer’s in Newcastle, WY just before entering South Dakota!

Going to be covering over 470 miles today. Leaving Jackson, WY and checking in at Mt. Rushmore KOA tonight. We loved our time in the Tetons! 🛣

It was cloudy tonight but Wyoming Stargazing still got us out to see some cool stuff. Here is the moon tonight from Jackson, WY.

Weather: Clear and Sunny, Warm. Cloudy into the evening.

• Tyler and Mazie met and hung out with Nola and Sebastian.
• Rented bikes from Dornan’s and rode to Jenny Lake.
• Took Jenny Lake Boat and hiked to Hidden Falls.
• Waited in long line for an hour after hike to get boat back and stood with a group of annoying people from California.
• Waded in Jenny Lake to cool down.
• Got Ice Cream treats at gift store.
• Rode bikes back to Dornan’s with a heavy headwind.
• Attempted to stop at visitors center but they were closed.
• Went to Snake River Brewing for dinner.
• Astronomy evening with Wyoming Stargazing. Saw: Jupiter and 3 moons, Saturn and rings, moon, Moon closer, Vega, Arcturus, Mixar and Alco(part of Big Dipper) all three are double stars, ring nebula, Alberio (double Star), Hercules globular cluster, ISS, Owl cluster

Grand Tetons. Mt. Moran from Oxbow Bend.

Weather: cool in morning. Warm and pleasant rest of day.

• Got up at 5a to do wildlife tour with Bush Buck
  • Start at Teton village
  • Moose Wilson road tons of Elk
  • Loupin Meadow: Elk
  • Signal Mountain: Black Bear
  • Signal mt lodge coffee stop
  • oxbow bend Mt Moraine: Great Blue Heron with a chick
  • black tail ponds: mountain climbers
  • Moose Wilson road: Moose
• Met Kendra, David, Dawson for a walk. They brought pastries and beverages from Persephone. Walked the Snake River.
• Had snack in RV.
• drove to Downtown Jackson to explore stores and got Ice Cream at Jackson Drug and Chocolate at Cocolove.
• returned to campsite to maintain RV and get ready for rafting
• Whitewater rafting with Dave Hansen down the Snake River.
• got pizza and Handfire Pizza. It was delicious.

Afternoon ice cream from Jackson Drug in Jackson, WY.

Facial recognition doesn’t stand a chance with my pandemic vacation wear.

Bison in Yellowstone.