My kids and I recently took a trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. I’d never been there and didn’t know what to expect.

I didn’t expect it to give me a renewed appreciation for the little things that make up most of what we call “love.”

I also didn’t expect it to completely take my breath away, every day. Now, the 8 am hot air balloon ride that put us level with the peaks of the Grand Tetons may have had something to do with it (set up by the Wyoming vacation experts at Jackson Hole Activities Company — highly recommend them. Ask for Steve). Or maybe it was the stunning scenery driving along the Snake River on US Hwy 89. Or maybe the whitewater rafting down said river. Or maybe …

Grand Tetons

… anyway, you probably get the idea. Seeing the overwhelmingly beautiful views, the diversity of nature, feeling the warm days and cool nights. It all added up.

One of my best memories was a late afternoon hike through Caribou-Targhee National Forest. My kids are teenagers, and we had a busy day already when I asked them, at 4 pm, if they’d like to go on a “short” hike to see a beautiful mountain lake I’d heard about.

Floating high in the Wyoming sky

Now, they know I love to hike and probably didn’t believe the “short” part. I was able to extract them out of our very comfortable Wyoming cabin (we stayed at the Rockin’ M Ranch Guest Ranch — 1st-class facilities, and Rob, expert fly fishing guide, makes you feel right at home).

They groused a bit, but were quickly overcome by the beauty around them, this time the Greys River. We reached a point were we couldn’t drive any further and started to walk. And walk. And walk. At least a couple miles. Matt got interested in a stream and fell behind. Sarah and I figured he would stay put, so we carried on. I kept offering to turn back, but she had become determined to see the lake, even more so than I at that point.

Finally, we reached the lake. It was small, but stunning. Crystal clear snow melt. The reflection of the towering pines shimmering on the glassy surface. My daughter and I enjoyed it for a moment, then started heading back since the sun was getting low over the mountain peaks.

We’d gone no more than a half-mile when Matt, who was wearing flip-flops of all things, came running up the hill. Sarah told him how beautiful the lake was and he insisted we go back. We were more than happy to oblige, so he could get the view we enjoyed.

For me, I was happy that two of the three people I love most in this world were with me, doing something as simple as walking in a forest, yet finding it to be one of the best experiences we’d ever had.

Moral to the story? None. None at all. Just one piece of advice: there are really beautiful places in this world. Go see them with your kids. Or your wife (mine was doing an Ironman in Coeur d’Alene and couldn’t be with us). Or take someone else you love. It’ll make a memory you’ll cherish forever.