At the badlands we were meeting friends so Zach and I decided to play a little trick. Zach would dress as me (Zoe) ,I would dress as him. When they saw us they noticed almost immediately who was who because Zachary was holding a basketball. Then I went to get changed out of boy clothes. I thought boys clothes were WAY too hot. After that we all played putt putt. Maya got a hole in one. I lost. The last hole sucks up your ball. Zach and Joe didn’t put their balls in the last hole, so they played anther round of putt-putt. The next day we were getting ready to go on a hike. The Jacobs rode in the RV with us. The hike was fun but very hot. About halfway through the hike I wanted to go back. I was so hot. There was a really tall and shakey ladder. There was shade at the top of the ladder because we were on top of the hills. I found a tiny pocket of shade and snuck in there to try to cool off. After sitting in the shade for little while I wanted to go back and so did Maya so the girls went back. The boys finished the hike. When we got back to the RV I ate 5 popsicles. Then we went to lunch at the Wagon Wheel. The Wagon Wheel was a small restaurant. It was about the same size as the RV. There were lottery games inside. There was only one thing we could do on a machine in there. It was a big juke box. The first song we chose was the Wagon Wheel because it was also the name of the restaurant! I played a song my brother really doesn’t like. It is called “Shake it Off.” I had cheese pizza for lunch. I ate 4 pieces! It was surprisingly good. Next we drove through the Badlands to Wall Drug. I thought the Badlands were beautiful and really cool. Wall Drug was a huge store. If I would have known it was so big I would have worn tennis shoes instead of flip flops. I got a delicious donut there. I also played some games and if you won tickets then you got a discount on stuff you buy from the store. I used the discount to get a mood ring. We had dinner with the Jacobs and Maya and I watched a show called Full House. We had a great day with our friends!
By,Zoe

I never wrote about the junior ranger program so I will tell you about it. The junior ranger program is at national parks. You get a book of activities to do you must complete at least 4 activities.  If you complete them properly  you get a badge , and sometimes a patch. I Love the junior ranger program! They are all different some even have different groups.

When we went to Page we took a boat tour and a tour through the slot canyons( one on each day).  On the first day we took a tour through the slot canyons.  Our tour guide’s name was Nate. He knew all the perfect places for pictures.  He also knew a bunch of names for formations.  The first canyon’s name was antelope canyon.  The pictures were majestic.  I got to take a few it was pretty dark at some spots I will say.  One looked like George Washington, one looked like batman,  and many more!  I took one with no sky but a little light it was awsome!  When we came back it was muck busier.  When we went back we just rushed.  The next Canyon’s name was rattlesnake canyon. It had lots of ladders.  I liked it!  It’s named that because of how twisty it is.  There really aren’t  any rattlesnakes in there but we did see a dead salamander.  It was directly under a ladder.  Then we went to baby rattlesnake canyon witch had a ton of cow pies( cow poop).  Then we got back in and went to owl canyon.   At the beginning there was a golf club which I picked up.  Then Nate told me it was to push rattlesnakes away.  A little ways up we saw 2 black and grey owls tucked away.  It took me the longest to find them.  Then just around the corner there was a white one in the wide open.  At the dead end there was a raven.  Then we went back.  Then we went back and went to the pool.  It was freezing.  Later we saw another pool which had a hot tub we ended up going but the hot tub was only 98.8 the heated pool was 98.7.  Then we took a shower and went to bed.
The next day I had 2 pancakes then got ready for 7 hours on lake Powell.  We got picked up in a jeep witch was towing a boat us kids sat in the boat.  It was a jet boat.  At first we drove around the main part of the lake then we went to a beach.  We stopped at the beach to play.  The sand vas very soft but every once in a while you would step on a burr (not very soft).  I made a sand base then threw sand balls at it to destroy it.  With the sand that was in where the base was I built up the base.  Once I got bored of that I got a snack then went back on the boat.  We drove around for about an hour and went into Navajo Canyon.  The rocks were colored different colors because of the high water marks.  The rocks on both sides were straight up walls. When we were going to lunch we saw a bunch   of houseboats.  They looked like luxurious houses on water with hot tubs on the tops and slides 5-10 feet off the water.  At lunch the chef came out and I gift a French dip.  It was juicy and delicious!  After lunch we had just gotten on the boat when it started raining.  We went back inside and waited out the storm.  Once the storm was over we went out went to another beach.  At that beach there were overhangs over the water made of sandstone.  There were a lot of skipping stones.  I really liked that because I like skipping!  My record of skipping there was 8.  I went up onto the stone and didn’t touch the sand so it looked like I was on unexplored land.  Once wee left weren’t into another canyon which they called Antelope Canyon (not the one we hiked in).  We saw 2 people on the edge of an overhang that was 10-20 feet high.  When we circled back one of them was getting out of the water. We guessed that he jumped.  On our way back I made up stories that Navajos were going to come out throwing spears at us and screaming “aye aye aye” which didn’t happen. :(.   When we got back we watched the NHL game Lightning vs Rangers the Lightning won.  Then we roasted marshmallows and went to bed.

By, Zach

, made it!  We are at the train station going in.  We are in the dome part.  We ended up playing top trumps almost the whole time.  I was the best of course.  So we got on a bus and went to the first stop.  My mom HATES THE EDGE.  So I held her hand.  Every once and a while I would go to to the edge then Logan tripped coming out of the bathroom.  Gee he needs help.  So after that we went to the next stop.  It was the same thing.  Then we looked around and got back in we went to the dropoff and everyone else got out but not us he took us to our mini hotel room.  We had to call for a rollaway which I got.  So then we went and got our junior ranger book and came back and worked on them.  Then we went to the best dinner ever el tover.  I got a fish that was there special.  Then I got ice cream in a margarita glass.  I turned it into a margarita.  Then we went to the SMALLEST ROOM EVER.  We watched TV then went to bed.  The next morning we woke up at roughly 4:15.  I woke up at 4:40 I was debating going or not going, I went.  We walked.  It was freezing.  There were like 10 people there.  I think 4 were spreading ashes.  It was quite butiful!  The clouds made it even better.  Then we went to TRY to eat breakfast.  But of course was’t open. So we played a few games. Then we ate.  I had sausage, bacon, bread and jam, and fruit.  I loved it then we looked out at the views.  Then we killed time like me and dad, and Zoe did a trail.  Then we did a fossil ranger program.  Then my dad and I went to get the luggage.  Then we went back to el tover for lunch. I got a French dip.  It made my mouth water.  When we went out just like all but one day it was raining.  Then we got on the train back.  We did the same stuff as last time.  We did go into a different car though and saw a prairie dog.  We got there and there was a huge line to get out when we did we went to a few places to try and find my lost water bottle.  We didn’t find it.

I woke up halfway into the drive to pick up Nana and Papa.  I couldn’t wait when I heard we were going to an all vegan bakery!  We met up with my nana and papa at the bakery!  I got 3 cupcakes, 2 double chocolate chip, 2 donuts, 2 cinnamon rolls, 1 rootbeer float, 1 parfait, and 1 chocolate chip cookie.  I got my own box o I also got a brownie.  I ate the whole brownie before we got into the RV.  O did I say NOT to tell my MOM.  Then we were off.  Then we drove for almost ever.  When we got there me and my brother went to the metal slide and put water on it.  We were sliding down it I fell first.  Logan fell right on his butt.  Then I threw the ball with my papa and dad.  After we watched the hockey game and ate the best dinner ever……………………… steak with no grill marks!  Then we finished watching and went to bed.

Yesterday we were in a mad rush to get my nana and papa to the airport.  We drove for a little then went to the weirdest place ever it smelled like a cigarette butt and was the most hippie style place.  Lucklie for me I brought my own food.  The food looked ok.  When we rushed out it was there it was histarical.  I got 1 of my nana’s cookies.  We got them the there in time.  Then right when we left we saw a pronghorn.  Then we went to Devils tower for a few min and we got our Jr ranger books.  We started them in the RV.  When we arrived we went to the playground for a while then we went back.  We set up a fire and a kid asked if he could help we said sure.  He was 8.  The fire was a success.  We burnt a bunch of marshmellos I burned 6 at a time.  Then we went back took a shower and went to bed.  Then today me and zo hiked up rocks as high as we could.  Then we went to Crazy Horse.  All four heads of Mt Rushmore could fit in it!  It still isn’t finished.  Then we went to Mt Rushmore.  It was cooler than I thought it would be. We finished the jr ranger and got the badge.  And now were underway to badlands.  

PS I look like Zoe LOL.

We made a quick stop at the grocery store and Wendy’s then off to the Devil’s Tower KOA.  Originally supposed to go to Hill City but that was WAYYY too aggressive.  Looked like a sweet location and lots of fun stuff to do.  Community bonfire, hayride and a showing of Encounters of something movie that was filmed there.  And there is a pool which is nice because it is finally hot!  We decided to run up and check out the tower and we lucked out and got the Jr. ranger books too.  Kids loved the prairie dogs at the base.  I called the KOA to figure out timing on the movie & hayride so we wouldn’t miss them.  Turns out they aren’t doing either one right now for various bs reasons.  At least we didn’t have to rush back… When we got there to check in we discovered a lovely playground.  Kids had fun there while we got settled.

   
       
   Here was the view from the windshield 

  
Not too shabby…

I went to ask what time community bonfire started and they said they didn’t start them yet but we could buy wood and start it in the community pit.  😝 j and I were planning to cook foil packs in the fire for dinner so we got one started.  People from the site next to us joined and we had a fun evening.  Kids made s’mores then roasted all kids of extra marshmallows just for fun.  

   
  

 

Devil’s Tower was a fun stop!  We chalked it up to being a quick stop by and take a pic, but the rocks to scramble on were too enticing for our kiddos.   Zachary and Zoe climbed as high as they were allowed. Lojo did some climbing but came down when he heard the rattle of a rattlesnake (for real).  Here are some pics

   
 

It’s like Where’s Waldo!

Thanks to lack of wifi/cell coverage combined with general lack of knowledge about the amount of time it takes to get to Gillette we were sitting at lunch in this charming lodge in Wyoming when we realized we needed to pack up our food and run!  Even with that crafty move my dad is still driving like a bat out of hell to get there.  Jason is watching his phone and telling him each minute he shaves off of the time.  😁😁😁 oops!

   
     

We arrived at 4:24 for the 5:00 flight. AACK!  Run Nana & Papa RUN!

   
 

They made it!  AND they can even check bags.  People our west are very kind.  My mom was happy to be able to come back and take her liquids 🙂

   

 

 

We left the “big yellow turd” behind and headed toward Greybull through Yellowstone.  Stopped at the Artist’s Paintpot.  It was not nearly as cool as some of the other places we went but there was a beautiful view of snow capped mountains.  From there we were headed to the Fishing Village but got slowed dramatically by a herd of bison that travelled down the road for miles blocking traffic both ways!  We started out about 12 cars back but we were blocked by bison when other cars went by so we were right behind them for about 1/2 hour.  Everyone was totally entertained.

   
     Glad we weren’t in a hurry, though!  We stopped at a visitor center for kids to do a scavenger hunt since we couldn’t make any ranger talks.  
Learned lots about volcanoes and fault lines 😜.  Lunch at the Lake Yellowstone was great, the view was lovely AND Jason got his most impressive souvenir..

  
The drive to Greybull was serpentine to say the least.  As we were getting out of the park we were lamenting the lack of wildlife when we saw people on the side of the road.  We pulled off to see and there were moose!  A mom and baby.  😊 luckily they didn’t bolt when we released the air brake.

   
 We had a fun stay at the Greybull KOA.  We arrived yesterday around 5 and once we were settled my mom and I rode bikes to the grocery store to get dinner.  We were slightly limited in our options, but we had a propane grill so we got the best steaks we could get our hands on.  We ended up with sirloin steaks wrapped in bacon (a whopping $10.99/lb)!  We also got stuff for loaded baked potatoes.  Interesting that a pound of local bacon was more than 2 steaks but we went with it.  When we got back Zoe & Lojo were in the hot tub (supposed to be in our site but we couldn’t fit so we moved but still has access) and Zachary was playing horseshoes with my dad.  We had a lovely dinner on the patio (minus the difficulties consuming the steaks 😜).  Zoe: “Uh… Mom… I can’t actually chew my steak up”  hahaha We all had similar experiences.  The bacon, however, was AWESOME!