Day 17 - Road Trip 2015

Yes, we stayed in WINSLOW, ARIZONA last night!  

Road Trip Song 
Take it Easy 
By The Eagles

We took some cute pictures "standin' on the corner" before we headed out of town.  

26 BAR RANCH

Do you know who the famous owner was?

JOHN WAYNE

We stopped by to see it today.  No tours.  It is a working Hereford ranch that is now owned by the Hopi Indians. We did not tell the kids where we were going but when we turned onto 26 Bar Road I asked Sterling if he knew who owned the 26 Bar Ranch and in 1 second flat he said John Wayne!  😃 He was disappointed that The Hopi Indians have not done more with it.  Me too!  

Then we turned and headed East!!! Home bound!  It is bittersweet. 

Everyone is ready EXCEPT me!!!  😩 

The kids miss Nana, PawPaw, Bexar, Winston, Eddie and all Gattis animals A LOT!
Dan & I do too!  

Maybe we can just load them all in the car and just keep driving!!! 😃

With all of the travel points checked off and "nothing to see"... bust out the electronics!!!  

The kids got a lot of time on their electronics today...they were excited!  
There have been VERY little electronics on this trip and it is great!

Tomorrow will be pretty exciting...but a major family dispute just might take place!  

We got a call that our new lawn mower is in and we can pick it up tomorrow before 3pm.   

Everybody in this car wants to be the first one to use it! 😍

I'll keep you posted!!!

ROAD TRIP SONG OF THE DAY
Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road
By Louden Wainwright III

Finally for Carson & Kenedy - they LOVE this song
We encountered the dead skunk right outside of Eagar, New Mexico - close to the 26 Bar Ranch. 
If you have never heard this song PLEASE look it up!
It is hilarious!!!

Day 17 - Road Trip 2015

Day 16 - Road Trip 2015

THE GRAND CANYON

We stayed in Beaver, Utah last night and just loved our little hotel and the restaurant.  

The Best Western Plus & Crazy Cow Cafe!  

The ladies there were so nice and just great to visit with!  

A very nice and pleasant stay in a very small place in Utah :)

Found a Subway for lunch somewhere between Utah & Arizona.  

Kenedy scored her last Inside Out bag! She collected them all on this road trip :) Disgust was the last one! Order of collection All characters, Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger and then Disgust :)  

This old German car was at the Subway too.  The driver came out and saw me taking pictures.  He shared with me that he is a journalist from Germany and is driving the car AROUND THE WORLD!  That makes "road trip" take on a whole new meaning!  He has a dash camera on the front that is filming the whole thing.  He will do a show when he returns to Germany.  The lady that owns the car was there too ...  riding in a very nice minivan!  HAHA!  

We became "that tourist family" today.  We stopped on the side of the road at a "cool looking cave" and got suckered into a tourist trap.  Got some really cute glow in the dark pictures though!  HA!  The girls loved it! Took about 15 min and we were on the road again...

We picked Grand Canyon Village (South Rim) as our sight seeing spot.   It is just amazing!  

God's perfect work! We would like to come back and do the overnight hike down to the bottom!  

Stay a night on the Colorado River in The Grand Canyon...that would be awesome!  

We saw some elk and a rabbit :)

Flagstaff is just gorgeous!  All of those pine trees reminded me of home...like Tyler, Texas home not Georgetown, Texas home!  HAHA!  I miss pine trees :)

Then we spotted the sign, laughed and said we have to stop! 😍

SIZZLER

Right there off the highway!  We all loved it!  Our kids will be watching for the next chance to stop!   Ha!  Kenedy could not get enough to of the "all you can eat" bar 😆

Now we are bedded down in a town for the night that you know of ... one not far from Flagstaff❓

ROAD TRIP SONG OF THE DAY
??
***IT GOES WITH THE TOWN WE ARE STAYING IN***
CAN YOU GUESS??? 

Day 16 - Road Trip 2015

Day 15 - Road Trip 2015

ALPINE SLIDE

GREAT SALT LAKE 

TRAVEL 

We did a little shopping this morning.  Jackson Hole has THE BEST toy store we have ever been to!  Teton Toys is amazing!  The kids went 4 times while we were in town!  Hit Starbucks ... which is strategically placed right next to Teton Toys! HAHA!
Then headed to the Alpine Slide!
It was great!  They are building a mountain coaster right next to it!
We will certainly give it a try next year!

We took in a lot more untouched areas of Wyoming, Idaho and Utah driving today!  Dan & I both considered it a blessing to see and know that people have not taken over everything!!!  🙏 We drove hundreds of miles seeing God's creations...and no other cars!
We saw a badger too!!
Backed up to get a better look...he was NOT happy.  He was really big and turned around and glared at us several times as he was making his get away.  He might have charged if we had been on foot!! 

We ate lunch in Soda Springs, Idaho.
Cute little town!  

We saw a lot of cattle country (with cows currently occupying).  Dan and I both noticed the same differences in land management.  Like those who are good stewards and those who over graze!  This happens back home too. The open range is really neat...no fences! 

THE GREAT SALT LAKE

We got to see The Great Salt Lake!   Another amazing touch of God's hand!  It really is neat to read about it.  We read as much as we could when we had service.  We saw really cool salt deposits and LOTS of dead birds! Yikes!

With Dan's weather knowledge from being a pilot, he noticed and pointed out something really cool to us!  It is called virga. It is when the rain is falling from the clouds but it evaporates before it hits the ground.  It was really awesome to watch!  We drove for just a little bit just watching and then a rainbow formed.  Whoa!!  Yes, I got a picture 😃

I have really neglected talking about all of the wonderful people we have met.  I do apologize.  Of course, we have met some really nice people from all over.   We sat by a couple at lunch yesterday in Jackson Hole from Fredricksburg, Texas!! ❤️

It was a good travel day!
 

ROAD TRIP SONG OF THE DAY
ROAD TRIP
BY GARY P NUNN

 

Day 15 - Road Trip 2015

Day 14 - Road Trip 2015

SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS

JACKSON HOLE PLAYHOUSE

Our kids have always had a fondness for shows but tonight they I think they really got a taste of the best and are hooked!!

It just does not come any better than this play at this spot :)

I saw Seven Brides for Seven Brothers here on this stage 20 years ago with my Aunt Benny & Uncle Sam.  I was hooked too :)

It will be really hard to leave tomorrow.  The kids have loved being here (Dan & I too) and we really are already planning our trip back. There are 2 other things we did here on my trip 20 years ago that the kids want to do as well...so we will be back!!!

We spent the day walking around town.  Ate good food, enjoyed all the shops (especially the outfitter), art galleries, stage coach ride etc... Even got to swim before dinner and the show!

Another great day on the road!

Only four days left...we are not ready for it to end!

ROAD TRIP SONG OF THE DAY

WONDERFUL WONDERFUL DAY

BY MILLY PONTIPEE

Day 14 - Road Trip 2015

Day 13 - Road Trip 2015

YELLOWSTONE 

NATIONAL PARK

The kids enjoyed one more nice & cool morning playing in front of our cabin in Cody, Wyoming.  We had a WONDERFUL breakfast at The Irma Hotel!

We will miss Cody, Wyoming!

We headed West and took in a few more sights named after Buffalo Bill Cody.  We have just about finished the circle of all of the places that Buffalo Bill built, owned, and brought to life.  Even his final resting place in Golden, Colorado.  He was a remarkable and fascinating man.  The Buffalo Bill Dam was really neat and not something that was on our radar.  

That is about the time "No Service" hit our phones and we did not get service again until we came out of The Grand Tetons National Park and headed into Jackson Hole, Wyoming!  

Pretty awesome! 

WOW!  

NOT SURE THERE ARE WORDS TO DESCRIBE YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK!

God really did show off on the day he formed this place.  We entered thru the East Gate and took the North Loop around and came out the south gate to Jackson Hole.  We spent almost all day in the park!  We took in just about every inch...but we need way more time to feel fully satisfied!  

OLD FAITHFUL GEYSER

We literally drove up and parked, walked up and found our spots, waited about 15 min and BOOM she went off!!  WHOA...Totally amazing! We had ice cream at the Historic Old Faithful Inn.  Our plan would be to go back and stay there for a week or more!!!

Then as if Yellowstone wasn't enough.  
We drive out and what do we see...

THE GRAND TETONS!!!  

Really the most amazing mountains ever!

A plane was flying in and brought back good memories from when I was in Jackson Hole...20 years ago!  Boy has it grown!!!

Checked into our hotel and walked around a bit.  Found a little Mexican food for dinner and we are calling it a night!

We saw a lot of buffalo today. 
BUT
We REALLY want to see a bear! :)

Day 13 - Road Trip 2015

 

Day 12 - Road Trip 2015

BUFFALO BILL CENTER OF THE WEST

This is by far the BEST museum on the planet!  Seriously...the most amazing museum ever!  

If all museums were as interactive and engaging as this museum they would all be full of happy kids every day!!!  It holds a wealth of knowledge that really requires more than one day but we did it all ... today!  Whoa! None of our kids ever asked to leave!  Not even once!   It was hunger that took over my body and I finally said time to go.  Yes, we could have eaten there (food looked great) but then I knew we would never leave!!! Haha!!  We still had more to do in Cody 😃

Walked Main Street, ate a great late lunch, shopped, swimming then RODEO time!!!

CODY STAMPEDE RODEO

THE RODEO CAPITAL OF THE WORLD

CODY, WYOMING

There is nothing better than a rodeo for this family...except one in the mountains and outside!!!

It was decided that this was the best one yet for our family 😃

Favorite event of the night was the bull riding.  The clowns really got to do their job tonight and what a fun time it was!  The girls got to sit on Mongo the Bull.  Sterling rode a mechanical bull.  All 3 did the calf scramble.  Kenedy got her picture with the clowns!  One of them is from Salado, Texas! LOADS and LOADS OF FUN!!!

Thankfully our Godkids reminded us that today was National Ice Cream Sunday!
Thank you Barrett, Bella & Marshall 
Left the rodeo and had ice cream on the way back to our cabin! Yummy!

ROAD TRIP SONG OF THE DAY

RHINESTONE COWBOY

BY GLEN CAMPBELL

Day 12 - Road Trip 2015

Day 12 # 2 - Road Trip 2015

Day 11 - Road Trip 2015

BARTLETT RANCH

WYOMING

We were blessed with the amazing opportunity to spend time with Woody Bartlett at his Wyoming ranch today. 80,000 acres!!!

Yes, I typed it right...80,000 acres!!!

Alabama Ranch is 5000 acres and Texas Ranch is 1100.

WOW!  

Bob is Dr. Bartlett's 11 week old puppy!

The kids wanted to bring the puppy home :)

We saw lots of great horses and some of them will love to live in Jonah, Texas with the Gattis Family :)

If you have some time read about Dr. Bartlett

www.bartlettranch.com

You will understand why this is such a special opportunity.

What his website does not mention is that at the new Equine Center at TAMU you will find inside The Bartlett Recognition Hall.  We are very thankful for his contributions to TAMU...He is an Auburn grad :)

We left there and had lunch in 

Chugwater, Wyoming at The Soda Fountain!

It was GREAT!!!

Made our way to Cody, Wyoming.  

Hit the local Pizzaria and are calling it a day!

I think we will all dream about horses tonight! 

Day 11 - Road Trip 2015