A Typical Day

A Typical RV Day: Yellowstone National Park

Monday – or is it Tuesday?

7:30 ish Wake up in Yellowstone National Park - Fishing Bridge Area RV park.

8 – 8:30 Breakfast in the RV. Cereal, corn muffins, coffee and juice

9:00 ish RV Elementary

School begins with Ms. Penelope Snodgrass sitting in for Mr. Higgenbottom who is busy digging through the basement compartment of the RV looking for warm clothes because it is cold here in Yellowstone. Mr. Higgenbottom also needs to attend to the backed up sewer issue, figure out why we are going through so much propane, and duct tape the roof after an unfortunate incident with a low hanging tree.

School starts with our usual quote of the day, which elder student hates and thinks is pointless and younger student hates because he has to write it down in his daily journal.

Today’s quote was from George Mathew Allen and reads: "People who live with many interests live not only longest but happiest."

Conversation ensued to discuss interests of said students which included the usual suspects of computer games, Lego, robotics, music, reading and world domination. Discussed why it is important to be well rounded with lots of interests.

We then went through the Junior Ranger packets to see what was required and make sure we took the necessary hikes, explored the habitats of moose, and understood the importance of geothermal hot springs. We have two days to fulfill the requirements, pass the quiz, take the oath, and get the patch!

Note: All US National Parks have the Junior Ranger program. It consists of an age appropriate packet or newspaper that the kids need to fill in, attend ranger talks, do some drawings and reflections. Each park has a unique patch that says Junior Ranger on it that the kids collect and sew on to their hoodies. Adults can do them to. Yes, I am after my Yellowstone Junior Ranger Patch as well!

10:30 Departure with Mr. Higgenbottom on bicycles to the Mud Volcano to make the 11 AM Ranger Talk

10:45 Find our Mud Volcano site is 7 miles away. Bike back to RV, unplug electric and water, bring in the slide in, lock bikes and head out like proverbial Bats out of Hell to make 11 am ranger talk.

11:02 Arrive at Mud Volcano

11 – 1:30 Ranger Talk and ramble through incredible geothermal mud pots, mud springs, Dragon’s Mouth churning pool of stinky sulfer water. Also touch on wildlife and indigenous tribes from area.

1:40 Drive back the 7 miles to Fishing Bridge Visitors Center.

2 – 2:45 Make lunch in RV and have picnic at visitor’s center overlooking Lake Yellowstone. Lunch: quesadillas, grapes, yoghurt.

3 – 4:30 Simon and Ms. Snodgrass continue school at Visitor Center - Music and Art.

Listen to headphones in Visitor Center of violin concerto written for Yellowstone and tell stories and draw pictures that were inspired by music.

Look at diorama of grizzly bears and draw their picture.

Read children’s book about the origin of the real Smokey the Bear.

Sit by lake are play the recorder. Or at least try.


3 – 4:30 Josh and Mr. Higgenbottom take the RV to continue school at Merry’s Bay, about 5 miles down the road where the blackberry can pick up a phone tower signal and then convert it to the internet on the computer so Josh can do some of his on line home schooling.

4:30 – 6:30 Fill up propane, do laundry.

6:30 – 7 Make dinner, boys ride bikes, play in woods, play with balls, read books, complain about how they don’t like living in an RV.

7 – 8:30 Wash dishes, shower.

8:30 – 9:30 Watch The Walton’s on TV in RV.

10 PM Good night John Boy