Cartwrights Go West Day 3 - Summer 2014

6/23/2014

We weren't quite 2 hours into our venture into Grand Tetons National Park when Ian declared the trip a total loss. We hadn't seen any wildlife yet, and according to him we weren't going to. The words had barely left his mouth when we drove upon a gathering of cars stopped along the side of a park road. "There's a moose out there behind those bushes," a man told us as we got out to see what was going on. Just as we looked where he was pointing, a large creature emerged for his new fan club.

We scrambled for a position to see it. Katie started snapping pictures. Elliott was looking through his binoculars. And the man who originally pointed the beast out grabbed Ian and lifted him as high as he could to make sure he got a glimpse - almost like he'd heard Ian's dire predictions moments earlier.

From there, it turned out to be a big wildlife day. Mr. Moose, followed by a herd of bison, wolf pups, ground squirrels, and antelopes. Ian's spirits were lifted, but only briefly. Since Ian bought a stuffed river otter our first morning here, he's become obsessed with sighting the living, breathing version of his new sleeping partner. As a result, he and Katie have been studying local guide books and maps trying to find a location that gives us the best chance to spot one of these playful river friends. Hopefully today.

Wish us luck. When Ian gets something in his head, it doesn't disappear easily. I have no desire for the next two weeks of our vacation to turn into a river otter hunt, so happy hunting to us today.