Last week, we described the first half of our Jackson Hole biking odyssey with three small kids in tow. Equipped with two bikes, a bike seat, a trailer, lots of snacks, and a keen sense of optimism, we embarked from Jackson to Teton Village and back again. When we left off the tale, we'd just arrived at Teton Village to give the kids a chance to rest from all the resting they'd been doing in the bike trailer.
After about half an hour of repose, it was time to get back on the road. The stubborn little cloud that had hung out in front of the sun all morning had finally fled, leaving the sky clear and the weather warm. Honestly, we couldn't have gotten better weather if we'd sacrificed some of our snacks to a sun god.
And speaking of divine intervention, all three girls were still—miraculously—having a good time. If you missed the first half of the story, our girls are aged five, three, and one: not exactly ages to be taken on outdoor adventures lightly. If the trip was still ongoing, I'd be hesitant to describe just how amenable they had been up to this point for fear of invoking a massive jinx, but with the trip a week or two in the past, I can say they were great. Our younger two even spent a good portion of the return journey slumped over, fast asleep in the trailer. I'd have pointed out all the scenery they were missing, but there was no need. Let the kids sleep.
(There was a one moment there at the end, when our youngest, Georgie, started wailing from within the trailer. We pulled over to see what was wrong; turns out her little bike helmet had slid over her face, leaving her blind. I'd wail, too.)
This brings me to the first the final two lessons we learned on the trip.
LESSON 5: Enjoy the Journey
When my wife and I did this sans kids back in 2019, it took us maybe two and a half hours total. With kids, that time doubled. And that's perfectly okay. Because we weren't out to set a speed record. We were out to have fun with our kids in the outdoors and prove (to ourselves as much as anyone else) that we could still go out and do adventurous things even with kids. And that's what we did.
LESSON 6: Treat Yourself
After we returned to Hoback Sports, turned in our rental bike and trailer, and stuffed our remaining bike back in our Honda Passport, it was time to grab some food. And after biking thirty miles with three kids, it was time to treat ourselves. So we grabbed burgers at Jackson Drug just off Town Square, which proved a fantastic choice for replenishing spent calories. (Loved the Cattleman's Burger!)
All in all, not a bad day.
Now, I'm not one to gloss over the little bumps in the road. We're not influencers who present carefully curated images of well-behaved kids for the world to see. Our kids have their fair share of tantrums, hair-pulling, crying, and righteous indignation that a sibling is playing with a toy they haven't thought about in ages. But for this one afternoon, things worked out.
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This post is brought to you by Flat Creek Inn. If you want a Jackson Hole biking adventure of your own, with kids or without, we're the perfect place to stay. We're located right across the road from the multi-use trail by the Elk Refuge. From there, you can go south toward town or north toward Grand Teton National Park.
