Wednesday, October 15, 2008


10-15-08

Another morning of waking up in a comfortable, warm bed of a motel. For some reason it just isn’t the same as spending the night in a sleeping bag inside of what has been our home for quite some time now; our beloved tents. Oh how I miss camping and cannot wait to get out of these stale, cubic motel rooms. On the other hand, I am very thankful to be able to take showers and should not be complaining.
Anyway, we headed down to the parking lot early this morning for a meal of powdered eggs left over from the backcountry, delicious sautéed vegetables, and hash browns. Derek was also kind enough to run to the gas station next door and bring back amazing pumpkin spice cappuccinos for Emilie and I. After cleaning the kitchen up, we climbed the stairs back up to our rooms for an hour or so of homework time and another pumpkin spice cappuccino. We definitely weren’t going to fall asleep while doing homework this time.
Around noon the group reconvened for a quick lunch before heading out to the Jackson Hole Visitor’s Center. It was definitely one of the most interpretive and educational visitor centers we have been to, and it incorporated a variety of learning styles for the array of individuals who stop by. There was everything from water floor panels to paintings done by local artists. Also included in the visitor center were sculptures, artifacts, a movie theater that played a documentary of Jackson Hole and The Grand Tetons, useful and interesting information on every wall, in addition to a book where visitors could pledge their signature to preserve The Grand Teton National Park. This particular visitor center also had an extensive gift shop full of wonderful books and other learning material, as well as an area designated for purchasing permits. Although, my favorite part of the center was the gigantic windows, allowing visitors to see a lovely view of the Grand Tetons.
Once we made our way back to the motel, we were given more time to catch up on homework. Before I knew it, it was time for dinner in the parking lot again where we debriefed our simple but productive day. I then decided to call a friend whom I met in Alaska this summer and was very happy to hear from them. Soon it was off to bed for some shut eye in order to rest up for our big day at the Teton Science School tomorrow.



Courtney Mullin

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