Dear Taylor and Kailee,
We are so excited that you are going to spend some time with us this summer. Take a look at some of the pictures above. They were taken at Glacier National Park in the last two years when Kris and James and Robin and Jon had their turn to camp with us. It will give you an idea of what you can expect to see. Now it is your turn to explore this beautiful park.

We will be waiting for you at the airport in Spokane, Washington, on Sunday, July 20th at 2:29 in the afternoon. We will go to the motorhome  for a little while then go grocery shopping to stock up on your favorite foods (cereal, soft drinks, and a few snacks). We will all go to bed early because we start traveling towards Glacier the next day. It will take us two days to get to our campground at Glacier and we will stay overnight in a campground that is by a river in the town of Libby.  It is a nice place. We will build a camp fire and have s'mores as a treat.

Quiz
1.  What state is Glacier National Park in? 
2.  What states will we go through to get there?
3.  Do you know the name of the animals in the picture above. We usually see them there way up high in the mountains. 

We will stay just outside of the national park at a very nice campground (West Glacier Campground). We will have campfires some nights but each day we will drive into the park and do some exploring. We will go to the Ranger programs some evenings and take lots of hikes. You will earn your Junior Ranger badge by learning about the park. It is a fun way to learn. 

After you earn your Junior Ranger badge we will treat you to a fun afternoon at the maze/mini golf place just down the road. I’ll bet Grandpa would treat us to pizza and ice cream too. That sounds like fun.

We leave Glacier on Monday, July 28th to travel to Yellowstone National Park. It will take us two days to get there and we will stay at a campground on the one night we are traveling. Shortly before we get to the park we will make a quick stop to visit the Earthquake Visitor Center to learn about a horrible earthquake that happened near Yellowstone many years ago. Yellowstone is a very special place. You will see lots of wild animals there; they are all over the place. You will also see lots of interesting sights like the picture to the right shows.

Quiz 

4.  What states is Yellowstone National Park in? (It is in more than one state). 
5.  How many states will we go through to get there?
6.  Glacier national park is pretty and a fun place to visit but Yellowstone is famous for several reasons. Can you name one?

While camped at Yellowstone we will be right in the park and we will stay in the park the whole time. We won’t be close to any towns but there are places to buy souvenirs and treats. We will be right across the street from the evening campfire programs and during the day we will go on some of the ranger walks. There is a lot to do in Yellowstone to earn your Junior Ranger badge but we will help you.

We leave Yellowstone on Saturday, August 3 to head back to Spokane so you can catch your plane home. Again it will be a two day trip and we will stop somewhere along the way to camp for the night. 

Are you getting excited?

The next step to get ready for your vacation is to think about the things you need to bring with you. I am enclosing a list. Please, please, follow it carefully. We don’t have room for a lot of extra stuff, and since we have helped grandchildren get ready for their trips five other times please trust us; we know what you need. For example when I say you need a jacket, I mean it. Look at the snow in the first pictures. Or just ask Erika and Mary if they froze at the campfire programs in Yellowstone because they didn’t have jackets. Think in terms of layers and you will be comfortable. Because we are going to be up in the mountains at high elevations it gets cold at night---really cold.

1 suitcase (as small as possible) and 1 carry on bag.

In the suitcase 
7 pair of underwear
5 pair of socks
2-3 long pants (one or two pair of jeans and one lighter weight pair of pants)
1 warm sweatshirt
4 short sleeved tee shirts
1 sweater or long sleeved tee shirt
4 pair of shorts
1 pair pajamas or a nightgown (or whatever you sleep in)
1 medium weight jacket (or a light jacket and another sweatshirt).
Sturdy shoes for hiking (tennis shoes are okay)
1 pair sandals, flip flops or something easy to slip on and off
A baseball cap or some kind of hat

In the carry on bag

1 or 2 books to read on the plane.
A list of addresses for family and friends so you can send post cards.
Hair brush/comb
Tooth brush
Gum/snack
Wallet
1 or 2 disposable cameras

Please Do Not Bring
Towels 
Lotions 
Toothpaste
Shampoo/conditioner
(you can use our stuff)

I will have journal books ready for you when you arrive and you will get to write in them every evening before bedtime so you can remember all that you did and all that you saw. I will take videos and lots of pictures and when you go back home you will have lots to share with everyone.