Day Twenty Four - Farewell Bend State Park to Yellowstone

​Brogden and I argue most of the night. Around 5:00 am, I realized he and my blanket are soaked. George gets us wipes and him a change of clothes. Baby is still not happy with me or George. At 9:00, I wake up with him on me. Thankful for an hour of sleep. Tiny starts screaming outside the tent. George checks on her and finds three bite/sting marks. Show it to a ranger and asked if there were any insects we needed to worry about. None and Tiny seems to be okay. ​

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Last of the oatmeal for breakfast. Need more. Always more oatmeal. After eating, showers were on the menu. I took four children and left George to break camp. 

The Groundhog Day feeling of setting up camp and breaking down camp is starting to get to me. I have my moment. George says I am moody. I come back with the fact that I am still postpartum and he is asking a lot of me. 

Get moving so all the flies will leave the car. When George looked up the travel time to Yellowstone the night before it was five hours.  This morning it is seven hours.  Time of day matters people.  And you know we are going to stop.  A lot.  Like tons of stops. Stop at a Love's for fuel. See? Leave with bananas for the girls. Take the Oregon and Idaho state line pictures. Oregon crossing was in the wee hours of the morning when I was the only one awake.

Lunch at the Idaho rest stop. We are good at getting nowhere quickly. Yellowstone is still like 7 hours away and it is 3:15 pm. We are also going back in time zones now. George and I picked up Thai and Mexican at two trailers across the street from fuel stop. Girls had their second banana and a grilled cheese. I use the paper plates to press the sandwiches to prevent from having to get out the utensil box. Girls now realize they are in control of blanket picnics and they have another.

  Uneventful drive with views of crops and cattle.  Bubble created more artwork.

Pocatello, ID brought a Walmart stop for dinner and supplies before Yellowstone. George took the girls in and left baby and I to hang out in the car. I needed the quiet and Brogden needed the time out of his seat. ​

Family picked up dinner at Costa Vida. Looked amazing. Checked online for me. I could have lettuce, black beans, pinto beans, and non-grilled corn chips. My traveling body does not need more beans for the sake of everyone in the car. I know McDonald's nuggets are safe and quick so I settle for those. Begrudgingly. 
 
Listen to more of Travels with Charley and the girls drift off to sleep. George forgot an oil filter in Pocatello, stops at the Rexburg Walmart for one. I thought everyone was asleep but I heard a tiny voice from Tiny ask for a movie so I gave her my phone while we waited. 

11:45 pm MST. Pull through the gates of Yellowstone. Plan is to drive through the first campground and see if it is full like the signs say. Each reflector makes my heart skip. What if it is a bear's eyes or another animal? 

Drive into Madison Campground and come back out. It is huge and not going to look after passing three signs that say FULL. Back into town to find a room. One king for $369. George refuses to pay that for a few hours of sleep. An hour back from where we came from and still nothing. Well, there are motels and inns but none are manned overnight. Bubble gave her opinion and said to sleep in the suburban. We pull over at the Montana state line and all get comfy. Surprisingly comfortable. And sleep. At 3:15 am. 

Steps taken: 6,315
Miles driven: 589.3