Every year we take a strictly no-work vacation. Except this year, this year we did not. Thanks, Covid.

Since all our trips were cancelled we’ve put a little money into our carport entertaining experience and it had already paid back in what it has done for both our mental health ten-fold. There is something about cozy blankets and being able to quickly make your own smores over a fire and then just switching off the fire, that feels very luxurious. Even if that luxury comes in the form of a less than $200 fire pit table from Sam’s Club.

Even though we chose not to do a vacation this year, I’ve noticed an influx in people exploring my personal favorite part of the United States — the west. I noticed people who normally sit on a beach somewhere trade in their swimsuits for hiking shoes and explore the mountains of Colorado and the trails of Yellowstone in Wyoming, and it makes my heart so happy for y’all.

I feel like you’re finally in on the little piece of heaven I’d held close to myself for my entire life.

If you’ve followed my posts for the last year, I talked about shooting my sister’s maternity session in Wyoming last fall and my family spent every summer of my childhood piled in a car headed to my aunt and uncle’s house in Lander, Wyoming for the 4th of July.

Wyoming holds some of my favorite memories of childhood and adulthood.

Daniel and I have attended Cheyenne Frontier Days multiple times in Cheyenne and Jackson Hole is where we honeymooned.

So last year during our family trip to my aunt’s in Wyoming, Dan and I headed out early one morning to see Yellowstone. A first for me, and a second for Daniel.

We actually did what my uncle viewed as impossible and saw the entire park in one day, before meeting up with my family at their campsite.

While Dan and I had an incredible day, it was an INTENSE feat to take on, and we both agreed next time we’re in Yellowstone we’ll probably go at it a little slower.

The images in this post are actually 90% Daniel’s work. Because I shoot so much for clients, when we go on vacation I struggle with even wanting to pick up my camera. This is something I’m planning on working towards this winter — shooting for fun. But I do love seeing him so free with a camera and his creativity grow and how excited he is about it all during vacation.

So even though I mention Yellowstone above, these images throughout this post are actually from many different locations in Wyoming, with only a few being in the National Park.

However, the bear and the buffalo was definitely Yellowstone. 😉

Enjoy!