July 6, 2025 | Day 17
Sunday, July 6, 2025 | Day 17
Afton, Wyoming
We said farewell to the Grand Tetons with a stop at the National Elk Refuge & Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center in Jackson Hole. Our drive south toward Afton, Wyoming was scenic and peaceful.
We will be visiting our friends Ty and Andrea while in Afton. Ty was Jonny’s junior high Spanish teacher and cross country coach in Tillamook, Oregon. Now Ty coaches track and teaches at Star Valley High School in Wyoming, where he grew up. It only seemed fitting that our first stop in Afton would be the high school track. Jonny and I both ran while the kids played in the long jump sand pit. My 5K felt incredibly hard and I chalked it up to the heat, until I realized it was only 75 degrees out. Afton is over 6,200 ft elevation, which explains why it felt so challenging. If it wasn’t for sprinklers cooling me off each lap, I probably would have quit running after a mile.
We feel like we are in heaven. Andrea and Ty are incredibly hospitable, and there is so much SPACE! The kids have been delighted to have room to run around and play with toys. It’s also been nice to do a bit of laundry and take a shower. Xiomara and Kaleo really love the van, but they frequently tell us they want to camp. In their minds, real camping is in a tent. They have both camped in a tent, but they were too little to remember. Tonight their dreams are finally coming true. Andrea set up a blackout tent for each of them in the guest room. Here’s to hoping the darkness will help the kids sleep in really late!
