Yellowstone Vacation 2008

Riding the rapids of the Gallatin River!

McKenna in the rear holding on for dear life!

Karen Zunkowski, Bowen and Eric middle to add strength and force! Hannah & Lauren Zunkowski in the front, leading the way! Louie the guide wearing the pink helmet to add a bit of style!

Caitlin & Courtney rowing in the rear, well making an honest attempt! Katlyn Zunkowski & Lexi (Court's friend) middle wearing a smile!Jennifer & Ed Zunkowski up front because we are awesome at leading (well if one of us could learn to count, we would be awesome)! Also Jim, the raft guide showing his serious rafting guide skills! What a bunch of big "CHEESERS!"

The trip to Island Park, ID, Yellowstone and Montana last week proved to be an adventure filled with fun, thrills, beautiful scenery, and a bit of relaxation (well, not much).

We rented a cabin with our family friends, the Zunkowski family. The cabin was in Island Park, ID. It was a nice cabin that slept all 12 of us and included a hot tub (the kids liked that amenity). It was a bit of a drive to get there but worth it. The area was beautiful and had lots of lakes for fishing. With all the "expert" fishermen casting, only Bowen was able to get a bite. He caught a nice sized Rainbow Trout, of which he did not want to touch or eat afterwards. I guess all the other so-called "experts" should take a fishing lesson from him!

Yellowstone was lots of fun, we traveled the whole interior of the park. We saw Old Faithful, lots of geysers and mud volcanoes. There were plenty of buffalo and lots to see. It was also a good time.

We also traveled to Montana, near Bozeman to take a river rafting trip down the Gallatin River. How exciting and great! All of us but the under age 10 kids, i.e., Bowen and McKenna Zunkowski were able to experience what they call the "Mad Mile." It was a little mad and it did not feel like a mile, I wanted it to last longer. Bowen was a bit grumpy and quiet, he was nervous, I think, until he got on the raft in the water. Then he was loving it, he did not want to get off of the raft for the Mad Mile, he wanted to continue, however, he had a great time and thought it was awesome! Hannah was so excited until the raft guide instilled trauma and fear with his "people have drowned and died" speech. But her raft guide made her a lead rower in the front of the raft and once she concentrated and began working at manuvering the raft, she had a great time and now wants to do it again. She giggled and squealed and was a great "rower." She was not even afraid when the raft hit a rapid and she flew into the air towards the water. She thought it was great! I thought it was great that her father was behind her and able to grab ahold of her life jacket to keep her on the raft and avoid the water. The teenaged girls screamed and screamed and laughed and laughed. Courtney now has ambitions to be a "Raft Guide." What a great career! Play on the water the entire summer!

We stopped at BearWorld in Idaho on the way home and saw lots of bears. This thrilled Bowen and Eric. Then after a bit of car trouble, we made it home and the journey ended. Now we are all back to work and back to laundry and dishes, soccer practice and drill team and cheer and back to life. But, it was a nice escape, even if it was for only a short period of time.

We Love You!!