Flash back to early on in my relationship with Ben and my first encounter with his parents. We decided to take his parents on a day trip to Mount Rainier since it was their first time in the area. During our drive, we had a discussion about the possibility of encountering a bear during our visit. I was very confident we would NOT run into a bear as we were going were fairly popular spots that wildlife tended to avoid. 

Well, as you can tell from the title of this post, we did indeed find a bear on that trip. 

As I drove us down the Mountain, leaving the Paradise Inn area, in the middle of the road was a large black bear. I pulled the car over to allow everyone to get some looks and pictures. But to my surprise, EVERYONE GOT OUT OF CAR – Ben and his parents. Let me repeat that: BEN AND HIS BOTH PARENTS GOT OUT OF THE CAR TO SEE A BLACK BEAR. 

As I sat in the car (completely mortified and uncertain what to do in this scenario), other park visitors pulled out and stared. I am not sure what they were watching: the black bear or the crazy family outside of their car to see the bear. 

Finally after a few minutes, the entire family got back in the car and we proceeded on as if nothing happened. Now, years later, I still bring up this event to my in-laws and question their common sense.

Actual Advice:

Looking for actual/good advice if you encounter a black bear? Check out this post form the US National Parks Service