Day 13

Finally back in a place where we have a solid internet connection. No surprisingly the internet is mighty slow in Jackson and pretty much non-existent in Yellowstone!
Our first day in Jackson was fun though we did meet some good resistance to the idea of a hike in Teton National Park. We really need to get them in to the Green Mountains more often.
We stopped in the Visitors Center to get maps and stickers for the Thule. Rosie checked out the elk herd in the Center:

After much weeping and gnashing of teeth we drove up to String Lake and did the 3 mile walk, always on alert for bears!

 The sign says "Be bear aware!" The signs were everywhere, but we didn't see any signs of bears.

No hike is complete without a chocolate break.

String Lake is pretty and pretty cold!

Afterwards we wet back to Jackson and had bagels at Pearl Street Bagels where our friend Amanda Richard met her husband Greg Fluet on her first day living in Jackson, 18 years ago! More on them later in the blogs. We relaxed by the pool where everyone else was French and one of the kids got in big trouble and, shockingly, I understood a lot of the yelling. Poor kid!

Then off to see the traditional Western shoot-out in the Town Square. Cheesy, but fun with lots of smelly black powder caps being fired and people dying dramatically. 

We shopped around for a bit and found a fabulous 4 foot bear statue for Carrie's birthday but he didn't fit in the Thule so we had to leave him there. Also, he weighed about 400 pounds. 

Rosie got a new hat:

Max, much to his dismay, did not get a pocket knife for reasons that he cannot understand ("I would be really careful Mom and I wouldn't stab the girls!"). I also said no to the shiny purple cowboy boots for Rosie. Emma reserved her shopping money for the Mall of America. A tired day for everyone (too many late nights) but it all worked out in the end!