Yellowstone: Day One

So, it was my intention to blog each night on our trip after Hunter went down for the night but I am going to have to say that I experienced one of those new mom eye-openers: absolute exhaustion at the end of each day to the point that even having to think and write a coherent sentence seemed impossible.  So, here's hoping that Joe and I can re-create the trip now that we have been home for 24 hours!

Saturday, June 18

 I can honestly say that the idea of flying with a nine month old was a bit overwhelming for me because I knew that I had no control over what type of flier Hunter was going to be.  Our flight was at 11:20, so we got to the airport nice and early to try and minimize the stress of travel.  Since Joe and I are both proficient travelers as individuals we tend to cut it a bit short when it comes to making our planes, but we knew that with the addition of our little man we didn't need to start the trip off with any additional stress so I am quite proud to say that we planned our arrival time to the airport well.  Once we got to the airport, we had plenty of time to let Hunter crawl around and get out some additional energy.  

It was right around his lunchtime so we fed him some snacks and all seemed to be going well.  About ten minutes before boarding we learned that the plane we were suppose to go on was having some mechanical issues with its air conditioning and they weren't sure how long it was going to take to fix it.  I will say this added a little bit of stress because Hunter had not yet taken his nap for the morning and was starting to get a bit fussy.  However, not even ten minutes later they came on the PA system again and announced that we would be changing planes but would need to move from terminal B to terminal A for our new plane.  Fine by me if it meant that we would be boarding a plane sooner than later.  We quickly walked over to our new gate and had just enough time to change his diaper, feed him a bit more lunch, and then board the plane bound for Jackson, Wyoming. 

Once on board, Hunter played a bit and was ready to nurse right about the time we were pulling back from the gate.  Since, he had yet to nap he quickly fell asleep and slept for all but 45 minutes of the 2 and 1/2 hour flight.  Once he woke up, he watched a couple of the shows we had downloaded (Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Agent Oso...two of his favorite shows) and ate a few puffs for snacks. As we descended into Jackson, I was amazed by how great the flight had gone and was optimistic about the week ahead.

The Jackson airport is small and we actually used the aft exit to deplane which I hadn't done since I was kid at the Fresno airport.  Once inside, Joe went to grab the rental car while I waited on the bags with Hunter.  Joe returned with the rental (a burgundy Tahoe) and Hunter and I waited in the car so he could move around a bit while Joe gathered our bags.



Once we were all loaded up we began what was going to become our main activity on the trip....driving....as we headed to Jackson Lake Lodge for our first night.  It was about 45 minutes from the airport and Hunter was definitely not in the mood to be confined in his car seat!  We made it to the hotel and were able to walk around for about an hour before he was ready for dinner.  We went to the old fashioned soda fountain style restaurant and had a decent dinner before heading back to the room for the night.  I will say we were both a bit surprised by the accommodations based on the cost.  It was a small, very old room that had NO T.V.!  While I know we were out in the wilderness and should enjoy the sounds of nature, when you are traveling with a nine month old that goes down at 7:30 for the night, which was 6:30 Wyoming time, it makes for a LONG night.  Luckily, Joe had downloaded the movie Hall Pass before we left so we had something to watch to pass the time before we were ready for bed.  Hunter slept well in a new place waking up at his usual time, 5:00 Texas time, which was an early 4:00 AM start in Wyoming.

Dear Hunter,
You amazed Mommy and Daddy with how well you traveled on your first plane trip.  You are truly a go with the flow type of kid which is great in this family.  I know you will not remember this first family trip but we promise to take lots of pictures (which is something we have generally not been very good at doing in our lives) and hopefully we will capture some of the best memories for you to read through this blog in the years to come.  We love you!