We are back in America and it is good to be home. The signs are in English, and we are no longer beholden to crazy bus schedules because we have a car. We spent a week visiting with family then preparing for our camping trip. We multitasked that week and had a bout of bronchitis too. All better now.

Road trip route:

The road out to Wyoming is dramatically beautiful and the speed limit is 80. We slept in Twin Falls, Idaho to break up the drive and to allow us early arrival to snatch up a space at Jenny Lake campground. The rugged mountain peaks took my breath away, but I think the pioneers naming this place must have been pretty lonely.

We found a quiet, secluded site in the back of the campground. It was a half-mile walk each way to the bathroom, and the ranger stopped by and told us this was a local bear’s favorite site. He warned us, “If you here a noise outside your tent at night, whatever you do, don’t come out.” Great. I’m already terrified of being eaten by a bear and now I’m sharing a campsite with a bear.

I can tell you that I did NOT sleep the next two nights. I heard a grunting noise just outside the tent and I knew it was a bear licking the moisture off our rainfly and getting ready to slash the tent and eat us. I lay awake shaking in terror and gripping a heavy metal bottle to defend us from the imminent attack.

On our hikes we spotted six bears: two tiny cubs climbing a tree, two cubs wrestling in the brush, and two potential grizzlies at a great distance. We also saw moose without antlers.

The hikes were lovely and we enjoyed our two days in the Park. Next stop: Yellowstone.