30 May 2000 -- The REAL Memorial Day

Here is the parking lot of the Chico Hot Springs Lodge. As you can see, our red car (Dodge Durango, Dawn) is very lonely in the parking lot because everyone left after the weekend.

Here is Grace posing with some residents at Chico Hot Springs Lodge.

Here she is at the sign, all bundled up because it was only 45 degrees this morning.

Later... we went to the "ranch" and Aunt Susi read Grace a book:

Tonight Daddy celebrated his birthday at Chico Hot Springs Restaurant.

Here is our after dinner walk:

Here's a great shot of the lodge where our room is, at sunset:

31 May 2000

Grace wasn't feeling well this morning and she slept till 10:30 AM. We decided just to go to Livingston and see the shops on the main street, and go to the Sacajawea park and play on the swings and sliding boards.

Here is downtown Livingston:

Here is the Pizza shop where we had lunch:

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Here are scenes from the park:

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As you can see from our coats, that it was cool today. (About 45 degrees F for the high). Tomorrow we plan on actually going to Yellowstone! We'll see...

1 June 2000

It Snowed last night! The snow looked beautiful on the mountains -- sorry no photo.

We actually got to Yellowstone National Park today. We drove down to Mammoth (30 miles) where we stopped briefly, then drove 45 more miles to Old Faithful.

Here is Old Faithful and Grace: Grace was not impressed with "the fountain" as she called it.

We walked around the Old Faithful metroplex and grace found this duck that she liked so we bought it.

Then we drove back to Mammoth and ate dinner, then drove to Emigrant. That's it.

2 June 2000

That's Jeanne and Grace in front of Susi and Lindsay's house.

Today Jeanne and Susi went to Livingston while Lindsay and Ken went mountain bike riding.

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In the second photo, see Ken comming down a steep hill.

We went on an old stage coach toll road and came back on the old Northern Pacific Rail right-of-way. The stage coach route still had old "billboards" -- rocks actually -- with faint writing, like "Post-Cards at Moore's General Store". The railroad was the main way to the park (from Livingston to the North Entrance) until the 1940's. The track was torn up in the 1970's.

Later, we had dinner with Lindsay's parents in Livingston. Grace had to be walked around the block four or five times because it took so long at the restaurant. At Lindsay's parents house she was having a great time throwing out everyone's trash.

3 June 2000

Today, we went to West Yellowstone. This meant we had to go south from Emigrant, to the North Entrance of the park, go through Mammoth, go south through the park for about 40 miles, then west along the Madison River to the West Entrance. Then two hundred more feet to the city of West Yellowstone.

Here is a photo of the family at the West Entrance.

Here is Grace looking over the sign (with assistance from Mommy).

We ate lunch at a restaurant with an old train car that Grace loved!

We shopped a little then got back in the car and went north on 191 to Bozeman.

In Bozeman, We stopped at the mall. Outside the mall was a small pond that was very popular with the local doggies. Grace and Daddy watched the dogs fetch stuff that was thrown into the pond. Grace kept on saying "doggies again please."

Then, after dinner we drove back to Emigrant. The whole trip took about 9 hours and was about 300 miles long. (And we only stopped twice)

Grace likes Susi and Lindsay's dog, Frankie. Grace calls him "Shankie Dog". She also knows "Buffalo" and "elk"! Grace is finally settling in to her new environment. She calls Chico Lodge "Gracie's house". She even knows when we are on the right road. And when we go towards Susi and Lindsay's house she announces "Sushi's House!"