Marie asked others if they were interested and soon was seeking reservations for their family (David, Marie, Chris & Jonathan), our family (Ray and Mary), Tom's family (Tom, Kathie, Joyce, Ted, and Alex) and Linda's family (Linda, Bruce, Todd and Sean). Marie made reservations at Flagg Ranch (just between the 2 National Parks) for the first week in August. Barbara (our other daughter), Matt, her husband, and their young children, Dylan, Jaime, and Grace were unable to come.
Photo of Chis and David on the boat ride across Jenny Lake with the Teton's in the background
When David's cousin, Larry Parsons, heard of the plans, he said his family would like to join us there for a few days and made reservations for him and his wife Patty and daughters, Amanda and Laura. (Their other daughter, Jenny had something else going and couldn't make it.) I told my sister, Neta, of our plans and she said she and Stan would be there and try to get her daughters, Kelly and Becky to come. Kelly brought her baby son, Mark, and Becky came from Texas. Kelly's husband, Doug, was "out to sea" with the US Navy and unable to make it.
My brother, Bob and his wife, Erdeena, decided they would make reservations and bring Bertha, Erdeena's mother, and try to get their daughter Patty Ann's family to come also. Patty and Steve said OK and brought their kids, Tony, Chris, Molly and Annick.
That's how the "Parsons' Reunion of 1998" came about. Tom's older children, Joyce and Ted decided they would like to come to Colorado for a few days before and after the Reunion, so they flew from Newark, NJ to Denver and we picked them up the Monday before our Wyoming stay and returned them the Tuesday after. Mary and I enjoyed spending some extra time with them.
Flagg Ranch consisted of a lodge with restaurant/gas station/gift shop/grocery store as main building, a horse corral, a laundry building and a small ranger information building.
They had about 100 cabin sleeping units and 100 tent/RV camp sites. Our group stayed in 9 of the cabin units, grouped together at one end of the area.
At breakfast the day after arrival we planned some organized activities, trying to get at least one memorable event in each day. In between we played Frisbee, badmitton, volleyball, board games or card games. Joyce stayed in our cabin and it was the center of the board and card games throughout the week. The older children went for a splash raft ride (water was low so it couldn't be called white water.)
Some adults and kids went on a
hike around Jenny lake, on to Hidden Falls, and Inspiration Point
then took the boat back across the lake.
On Monday, the kids that didn't go on the splash ride went on a horseback ride. Some of the other members of our group went to the top of the Teton ski lift for a view from above and saw hang gliders sailing in the skies. The mountain scenery was spectacular. Others went on hikes or played games at Flagg Ranch. Some went to Jackson to shop. At 4 pm we filled 2 large rafts with 17 people for a scenic 2-hr. float trip down the Snake river. Wildlife was scarce but we did see a large beaver in the water and a bald eagle on the very top of a tree at the river's edge. Afterwards some went to the marina for pizza.
Photo of Tom and Kathie at Hidden Falls.
Tuesday, a trip to Old Faithful Geyser was scheduled with a return to Flagg Ranch and on to Box K Ranch Covered Wagon Cookout, near Moran Junction, for a big steak dinner with a Cowboy guitar player as entertainer. Road construction and other events (bear, deer, buffalo, elk or moose sightings) delayed some returning from Yellowstone but everybody made it in time for the covered wagon ride and cookout. Wednesday, part of the group packed up and headed home. Bob's car headed back to Loveland, Colorado. Larry's van headed back to Boise, Idaho. Steve and Patty were on their way back to Sanoma, California. After saying good byes, the Sharps went into Jackson with Joyce helping as baby sitter. The Alpine slide and minature golf were worked into the schedule before dinner. It was rodeo night in Jackson, so the rest of us met them at Bubba's for spare ribs then on to the rodeo nearby.
Photo at the Chuck Wagon Steak Cook Out. Stan took the picture. In the Wagon (from left): Laura (blond hair behind post) Molly, Anick, Chris, Sean, Ted (looking back) Todd, Joyce, Jonathan.
Group Standing in Front of Wagon: Patty (with Erdeena and Bertha standing in front of her), Chris, Linda, Bruce, Marie, David, Bob, Patty, Steve, Mary, Larry, Toni. Kneeling In front: Tom, Kathie, Neta, Becky, Ray.
The rodeo had bull riding, roping, barrel races, bronco busting, and even a calf ribbon pulling for the kids in the audience (Todd and Sean gave it a try.).
Thursday morning, David and Tom took Todd, Sean, Chris, and Jonathan fishing with a guide in a boat on Jackson Lake out of Colter Bay Dock. The Sharps went to Jackson Lake Lodge for lunch. The rest of the group met the fishermen for lunch and helped eat the 3 nice fish (2 lake trout and 1 cut-throat trout) that the boys caught. Linda had brought along a camp stove, so Kathie and Linda fried the fish at a picnic site next to the lake while the kids splashed in the water.
Friday we went back to Yellowstone Falls for picnicking and hiking, animal seeking, and geyser looking. Some people hiked in the Falls area while others enjoyed playing games at the picnic site. Tom's family was in my van and we checked out the waterfalls then headed on north to Mamouth Hot Springs. We even went across the border into Montana so that I could say I had been in all states, except Alaska. We saw several groups of elk on the way. Heading back to our cabins, we stopped at the Old Faithful area, had dinner and let Joyce and Ted hike the boardwalk for a look at Morning Glory Pool.
Saturday, the group remaining packed up and headed home. Linda & Bruce headed out for the long drive back to Mesa, Arizona. Stan & Neta headed back to Portland, Oregon planning to drop Kelly and Becky at the Idaho Falls airport. Becky going back to finish her internship at Galveston, Texas and Kelly and little Mark back to San Diego, California. Then Mary, Joyce, Ted & I headed for Vernal, Utah and a visit to Dinosaur National Park on the way back to Loveland, Colorado. David and Tom's family were left behind to go to Jackson airport to catch the plane back to New York City and Coopersburg, Pennsylvania. A great time was had by all!! Thanks again to David and Marie for getting this impromptu "reunion" started and making it possible!!