Happyversary

Friday June 25th marked Cody and mine's two-year anniversary. Amidst the craziest of school, having projects due Monday, tests on Tuesday etc we still found time to celebrate our love.
We split the activities into two days, since Cody has classes until 3 on Fridays and the main activity he planned was going to take all day.

Friday, after classes, we headed down to Idaho Falls where a new Panda Express had opened. I cannot tell you how good that panda tasted. I felt like I had transported back to Washington to good familiar Chinese food. But the interesting thing about Idaho is that anytime anything partly major comes to town EVERYONE has to get a piece of it. I have never been inside a more packed restaurant. There was a huge long line that snaked around the tables and booths and tons and tons of food coming out nice and fresh. I'm pretty sure there was one guy that was just in charge of orange chicken and another just in charge of chow mien. After dinner (and the real reason we were in IF) was to go see Toy Story 3 in 3D. I could not have been more happy with the third movie... except for that monkey. As always the Toy Story people delivered an excellent balance of the Toy Story we first grew to know and love and more creativity and amazing animation than I could've thought. I'm still sketchy about everything being in 3D but I will always see computer animated movies in it. It is simply stunning what they can do now.

The next morning Cody told me to be ready by 8:30 in the morning to set off for our surprise adventure. Nothing starts an adventure off right than McDonald's. So of course we had to stop and get some breakfast. Honestly if there wasn't food involved right away I might not have been motivated enough to wake up.

Where were we heading exactly? Why no other than Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

The trip was so amazing and so much fun and a much needed break from routine. The drive was a treat in itself. It was countryside of Idaho and some Wyoming that felt like I was headed back to Washington. There was trees and mountain passes and having the sun beaming on us didn't hurt either.

Once we got into town we headed right for Teton National Park. Cody knew where he wanted to take me so I just got to enjoy the scenario and spot a couple of antelopes on the way. Inside the park we went to Hidden Falls at Jenny Lake.



You can take a ferry across or just one way so we chose to take the hike around the lake and then ferry back across. I'm glad we didn't cop out of a gorgeous hike.



It really was such a northwest-feeling treat to be back around trees and trails and water and most of all friendly out-doors people! I have always loved that when you're out hiking or just outdoors everyone is instant friends with you. Everyone you meet on a trail always gives you a big smile and hello. The fall was gorgeous. It was a giant cascading waterfall that just led into rapid after rapid down the mountain. It was especially nice of the waterfall to coat us with a nice mist after taking the long hot walk up to it. Definitely worth it. Definitely want to go back.

looking back on the ferry

After leaving the park we wanted to walk around Jackson just to see the cute little town and some of its stores. But first we needed to eat, which was apparently too much to ask for at 2:30 because all the restaurants don't even open until 5:30. Luckily we found a tavern and got to eat yummy cowboy burgers (BBQ sauce and onion rings on the burger) out on the terrace overlooking the square. The only crappy part was that was right when America was playing their last world cup game and every so often there would be exclamations coming from everybody inside and from the bar across the street also. So I had to make periodical visits in and see what all the commotion was about.

Don't be too excited Cody..

cool archway in the town square made up of antlers

We couldn't have asked for a more gorgeous day. And I couldn't ask for a better person to share it with.