Plan Your Visits to Glacier & Yellowstone National Parks
Making it happen!
Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks are two bucket list hot spots that top every outdoor enthusiast’s list. These really are amazing family trip locations that give everything needed for real quality time. Nature abounds, the earth is alive, and it is never more abundant than in these remote locations where the ecosystem is protected and respected. As a visitor, it is an experience unlike any other. As a mom, being able to share this with my grown kids was a different type of satisfaction, and seeing my boys in awe of creation filled my soul to overflowing. I'm going to help you plan the best things to do and make an itinerary that fits your needs in this blog.
Combining two huge megaparks like Glacier and Yellowstone can seem crazy to some. They are hours apart, and both span huge territory. Both packed with wonders to explore. Every time I’d ask for help planning, “I’d like to make them into one trip” I was met with backlash. How many times have the comments were “it can’t be done” or “don’t do it that way”… I had to wonder if those people understand my vacation needs and style? Well for me, it made the most sense to split a week and combine both of these AMAZING locations in one trip, as the hardest thing for me to budget for is time and plane tickets, and if I need a rental car I might as well get the most bang for my buck. So, I made a plan – and this itinerary was perfect for us. Again, I have to balance time and expense with the activity level of our travel style.
If the budget allows and your calendar permits, spend a week in both, you'll never run out of things to do. But I'm here to tell you, you can have a great adventure in one week seeing the best of both Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks.
If you are a determined traveler who wants to explore, see the sights and hit all the hot spots to fill your bucket list joy, then save this for future reference. I will share our itinerary details as well as any additional considerations. We discovered things along the way, like how it works as opposed to how they read on the paper. This is everything I would have wanted to know!
Prior to Glacier, Angelique of Whole Image Wellness and I hosted our second annual Yoga & Art Retreat, Majestic Montana. We took fourteen people to a lodge in Noxon Montana for a refreshing experience to this serene location in the Cabinet Mountains. We offered the Glacier Extension to retreat guests with the help of Go Farther Travel who planned the wonderful adventure we had. The day prior to our first Glacier expedition, we had some logistics of some guests leaving, and others arriving. We stopped at Kalispell airport, which was a small and easy to access spot. We spent some time in Kalispell eating and shopping and getting checked into our lodge for the next several days.
Kalispell Airport - was a breeze, the car rentals here and close gates were all excellent!
Kalispell Eating - Much of this mountain town closes from 2 - 4, we found out the hard way.
Backslope Brewing was open and packed! They were unable to seat a group of 14. Also, rude.
We walked across the street to Mudman Hamburger Shop where the food was fresh, delicious, and their mission is well documented around the dining area. Good choice for us!
Kalispell had everything we needed. We stopped at REI for hiking poles, a local grocery shop to stock up, and some from our party ran to Costco/ Target for specific items.
Glacier National Park:
If you want to enjoy wilderness with few social constructs, this is the park for you. Over one million acres of wild meadows in wooded forest, towering peaks and ginormous sweeping views with sparkling waters, and cascading waterfalls that you really have to see to believe. It's one of the most beautiful places I've seen with my own eyes in all of our travels, and my boys all said it's their favorite experience to date.
Traffic/ crowds: Everything I read said get there early! This is great advice as the longer you wait to get in and park, the harder it becomes to navigate through. You’ll have traffic trying to park, catching the shuttle, and on the busier trails; however, you can also be in very remote locations not far from the main attractions very quickly. We found some quiet trails right off the main trailheads and felt like we had the place to ourselves on more than one occasion. Early = before 7 am or 6 am for the best beat the crowd start.
Going to the Sun Road – 52 miles of scenic roadway through a portion of Glacier National Park that showcases the colors and beauty of the park. Drive along the mountain side on this narrow, curvy path getting up close and personal with many of the unique features of the park. OR park and catch a shuttle that will stop at many of the main stops around the park, allowing hop on hop off access at several locations. This road is the main connector to many of the park's highlights.
Shuttle System:
*All Shuttles go to Logan's Pass.
*Some are express and only stop at specific stops.
*Some shuttles only travel Agpar - Logan and back.
*Some shuttles only travel Logan - St. Mary Visitor Center and back.
You may not think you need this info if you're planning to drive. When driving, parking in the places you would like to stop may be difficult/ time consuming (In June - July)
As we entered prior to 6 am, and shuttles start at 8, we planned to get to Logans Pass to park the van and catch the shuttle the rest of the way. Tip: Driving from Avalanche Creek to Logan's Pass is not for the faint of heart! The switchbacks, edges of cliffs, and rock walls so close can be daunting, if you get motion sick, this may be a good time for some Bonine.
Going to the Sun Road MUST be at least one day of your park itinerary. Our goal was to drive the length of the road from the West side to the East, and back. We determined it best to park our rental van at Logan’s Pass and catch the shuttle. However, a few factors had us reconsider this plan. Time did not allow for us to get to the St. Mary's Visitor Center. We made it as far as mile marker 40: Sunrift Gorge and Waterfalls, which was the best outcome given the timing and situation. There are three waterfalls accessible from this point: Baring Falls, Virginia Falls, and Saint Mary Falls via short hike from Sunrift Gorge. There was a lot of lost time waiting for shuttles, however, stopping to enjoy the beauty that surrounded up can't really be counted as lost time!
Considerations impacting our day:
1: The shuttle service suffered from not enough staff, and therefore not enough shuttles for the high volume of a Sunday in July. I'm not sure how often this is the case, but I'd ask on the day of your visit just to have a good idea of the frequency of shuttles.
2: We planned to make it to Logan’s Pass by 8 am, with two prior stops to Lake McDonnald for sunrise and then Avalanche Creek Trail. While on the trail, we found the additional hike up to Avalanche Lake, (adding 4 additional miles out and back) the which was worth every minute of beauty and discovery, however we didn’t get back down to the van until 11:00 am. We reassessed after talking to a ranger about the possibility of Logan’s lot being filled and not finding a parking spot right away.
3: The reality is with a 16-passenger van, and a great spot at Avalanche to stay in, the Going to the Sun Road can be a very tight squeeze through people driving, sightseeing, hiking, and all of the geological landscape, including a tunnel – and the afterthought is: I’m glad I didn’t drive! This meant one shuttle to Logan, and another shuttle onwards to the next stops. The shuttle was slow and full this day so it also meant breaking our large party into two groups. However, it worked out better than expected even with these alterations to our plan.
Your Hiking bag:
Bring:
~Water (there are refillable stations but bring more than you think you need. Elevation requires hydration!
~Layers of clothes including a bathing suit!
~An ice pack for cold items, lunch and snacks for keeping your energy along the busy day and when you burn more calories, you need more food.
~Bear Spray, yes, it's good to have and unless you need it you won't need it, but I can't recommend it enough.
~A hiking pole, many of the hikes are not on flat ground, this is especially helpful.
~ May want: sunscreen, bug spray, sun hat, sunglasses, a good plan!
Day 1 Glacier National Park:
**Miles are not noted in the park, set your odometer when you enter the west side.
** The park reservation system is in place to ensure overcrowding is minimal. There is no fun to be had when the volume of people overtakes the sheer parking spaces available. The park now uses a system to reserve your spot. The fact that they need this system shows the sheer magnitude of people coming to see the beauty of Glacier!
Vehicles entering prior to 6 am do not need a reservation.
Our recommended stops, and at a minimum don’t miss:
Sunrise at Lake McDonnald – Mile Marker 11
*The turn off to the Lake McDonnald Lodge comes without warning, we had to U-Turn and go back to it. Luckily the road was empty!
*While the sun came up at 6 am and we were there! We are from the East Coast where a sunrise has a different look to it. However, the illumination of rocks and water, then mountain and lake was a stunning wash of colors to witness.
*We were at this stop from 6:00 am – 6:40 am. We took photos, checked out the lodge and used the restrooms here.
** Check your sunrise time and add in travel to ensure you are here for this.
Avalanche Creek and Trail of Cedars – Mile 16
Where Avalanche Creek meets Going-to-the-Sun Road, you’ll find the Trail of the Cedars, a short (half-mile) wheelchair-accessible loop. Parking spaces here are limited, which is more reason to start early! We lucked out and kept that spot all day. Trail of the Cedars is not a challenging hike; it’s really a scenic walk past some of Glacier’s most impressive trees, the farthest east that they live. Reminiscent of the Pacific Northwest, some of the trees are 50 years old and over 7 feet in diameter. From here we found the trail head up to Avalanche Lake. We decided to venture up.
The Avalanche Lake trail is not as easy, and an additional 2.4 miles to the Lake. With participants of many ages (19 – 70) and levels of comfort (very athletic to the opposite) we all enjoyed this hike very much. We stopped to breathe or admire the view as many times as needed and didn’t try to rush it. It does climb up over 700 feet in elevation, but it’s also not a very steep incline so it’s doable. Along the way, there are bathrooms/ outhouse style. There’s also the creek, rapids, and rocks that split the water running and massive cedar trees. As we reached the top where the lake came into view, it was close to 8 am and the sun was just clearing over the tops of the mountains in the most majestic lighting. Now that's a sunrise! Purples and light blues harmonized, and the quiet water brightened. We sat on rocks facing the sunrise, and bees seemed to hover just around peacefully. My kids joked about feeling like jedis.
It wasn’t long after arriving my boys and another friend decided to go back to the creek for a cold plunge. As they took off down the trail I yelled, “wait I want to take photos” and myself and the guy’s wife both made a beeline after them. They were faster but they did wait for us to get there before jumping off the side of the cliff into the very cold but clear beautiful water. The man who jumped cold plunges daily, so this was a regular practice for him in a new place. He was directing my boys how to get the most out of the experience and navigating the safety of it all. They stayed in the water for three minutes and came out shivering. We had not prepared so there were no towels for drying, but I did have some shirts tied around my waist to share. Also, the dry heat of the day was warming them quickly and we found a not shade place along the trail to get some direct sun!
While waiting for the rest of our group to come back down we saw a big, beautiful doe, and spoke to a very helpful park ranger. We decided to leave the van parked and catch the shuttle to Logan, and onward.
Logan Pass – Mile 32 Is a hub, there’s lots to do in this one spot!!
This is the last stop headed East for large vehicles over 21 feet long or 8 feet wide. While my van was within that clearance range. I was not comfortable driving that vehicle on that road past Avalanche Creek 😊 If you are claustrophobic or in a rental you're not familiar with, consider parking sooner.
Yay! You’ve finally made it! Situated on the Continental Divide, Logan Pass is one of Glacier’s most famous spots. At 6646 feet, it’s the highest point on Going-to-the-Sun Road, and the 360° views here are incredible. On the rocky mountain tops surrounding the parking lot, we spotted some big horn sheep just being lazy in the clearings. We used restrooms, refilled water bottles, and visited the souvenir shop. It’s a small but good store with some nice gifts and a good selection of shirts/ collectables.
From here we stopped at the Continental divide marker, which is by the shuttle stop.
We also peeked at two hikes that begin here: the trail to Hidden Lake and the Highline Trail.
While we didn’t take advantage of either of these very scenic hikes, we did look at the trail heads, and then waited to catch the shuttle east.
We Would have hopped off at these stops/ miles markers had shuttles on this day not been so far and few in-between:
Mile 34: East Side Tunnel
Mile 37: Jackson Glacier
Shuttle Stops and the 3 Waterfalls:
If you are visiting on a day where the shuttles are running at their full capacity, you could hop off at Siyah (Mile 41) then hit Barring Falls, hiking to Saint Mary’s Falls which will be a one-mile walk, and Virginia Falls another 1.7 Miles. Leaving however, the closest shuttle stop will be at Saint Mary’s to return. We did not do this and missed Barring Falls. If you see all 3 Falls in this way it would be 4 miles to Virginia Falls and apx. 2.4 miles back to Saint Mary’s Falls shuttle stop. On the day we were traveling, we had to use Sunrift Gorge adding an extra mile. Still satisfied!
Sunrift Gorge – Mile 40
Good thing we were paying attention, I asked the driver (who said it was his third day on the job) if this was where the waterfalls were and he said no, then quickly said, oh it is. So off we went!
From Sunrift Gorge Barring Falls are one way, and the other two sets of falls are the opposite direction. We set off towards St. Mary’s, which is said to 1.6 miles from the shuttle stop.
Spoiler Alert: If you are hot from your hike, St. Mary's is a three-tiered waterfall that plunges 35 ft into a churning pool of glacier water below. Many people chose to jump in at this spot, experiencing the refreshing water adding a little adventure in their day.
A bridge crosses right in front of the falls. The stunning view of all three level falls can take a few minutes to fully appreciate, so find a rock to sit and absorb the view. If this is as far as you are walking, take in the mist then return the way you came.
Virginia Falls OR Return to shuttle if you don't want to keep hiking: Continuing along the trail will lead to Virginia Falls, which is 1.7 miles beyond St. Mary’s Falls. In our information it was listed at 1.7 round trip. Please note this is an out and back trail, so you will walk 1.7 miles there, and additionally back through St. Mary’s as well. The path starts to climb and narrow as you enter a dense, lush forest. There are several small of waterfalls along this route, however Virginia Falls is the 50-foot climax at the end of this trail. All the smaller falls are photogenic and give great views of Little Chief Mountain behind them. We saw people having picnics and also in the water along these falls.
Arriving at Virgina Falls you’ll cross a narrow wooden plank to the viewing area where you’ll see the cascading water, slate rock slabs, and the clearing of the falls. The mist shooting off the rocks here is so refreshingly powerful. We didn’t stay long as our timing was way off and we were running out of snacks, so getting hungry. We admired, then pivoted walking the 3.2 miles back to the Sunrift Gorge stop to wait for the next shuttle. This was sadly an hour long wait, we were wondering if a shuttle would come at all. Shuttles were scheduled to stop running at 7 pm, and I’d specifically said I didn’t want to be on the last shuttle out. I was.
In the hour we waited for the shuttle we scanned the landscapes for bears or other wildlife. We played I spy. We looked at different wildflowers. We even explored the ridge across the shuttle stop briefly seeing what that view might look like. A few shuttles came going the opposite direction, and they called in our number and location. It just took forever. So, we sat and waited.
Finally, we caught a shuttle back to Logan, then another on to our van at Avalanche. While taking the shuttle to Avalanche our half group was split into two smaller groups, but we both saw a bear crossing the road in the same spot!
We never made it all the way to the end of the Going to the Sun Road, and we didn’t get to stop off at Jackson or Heaven’s Peak at the tunnel. These are still worthy stops along the way if your timing allows.
BEAR! Crossing Going to the Sun Road, as taken by my son Joshua from the shuttle.
West Glacier food stop:
Day 1 of Glacier ended with very hungry people, and we didn’t make it far before stopping to eat. Pulling out of the park into the small town of West Glacier, is a strip of shops including Glacier National Pizza, and Going to the Sun Mini Golf. I will say, the pizza (took time) was good! This is a hub where everyone was trying to get food and drinks prior to everything closing at 9 pm. When we pulled in at 8 it was so packed we had to go to parking overflow to secure a spot. Outdoor picnic tables dot the courtyard and it's a beautiful place to sit. There were barely any tables, and we felt lucky to grab tables. Leaving close to 9 we were practically the only people left!
As we finished eating, we mapped out the next day's plan and grabbed some lunch items from the convenience shop which was extremely expensive! If you have kids, and want to do some mini golfing, or you have a place to stay by here, by all means take advantage of the proximity to the park.
I suggest Kalispell or White Fish as the preferred downtown with all you need for your fun visiting this area! We grabbed convenience items here as the time and drive back to Whitefish was still a way, but if you are watching your budget, plan a grocery run for lunch foods.
READY FOR DAY 2!
Day 2 Glacier National Park Expedition :
Go Farther Travel prebooked our reservations today on Two Medicine Lake. They really helped with all the itinerary building providing an app of great info as well as helping me talk through our plans.
Vehicle Reservations are not required to enter the Two Medicine Entrance of the Park, and Tour Reservations at Two Medicine Lake will not include Vehicle Reservations to the GTSR Corridor. You do need to show a copy of your Reservation Confirmation on entering the park on the East side.
Entering from the East side, for Two Medicine Lake without vehicle reservation pass meant driving around the south edge of the park and two-hours of drive time. This was okay as we were prepared to stop along the way or arrive early to admire the scenery. Our boat ride was scheduled for 1:00, and it was suggested we check in by 12:15.
Initially we considered renting kayaks or paddle boards on the lake.
Upon arrival they cancelled all small vessel activity, due to the white caps on the water.
That was okay for me as I was surprised by how windy it was!
It was a chilly windy morning and we had decided to take refuge in the Camp Store/ Gift Shop. Inside they had a deli counter which made hot breakfast sandwiches, and I was able to get a hot bowl of potato soup. I also purchased huckleberry yogurt (I’d never tried this and thought it sounded delicious) and come to think of it I have no idea what ever happened to it! It disappeared into our car cooler and I never ate it. This gift shop was by far our favorite of all the ones we stopped in. With better pricing and a great variety choices, we stocked up on some art, stickers, post cards, tee-shirts, even some jackets. We were worried about being out on the water on the chilly day and definitely bundled up!
Short Hikes at Two Medicine:
An easy quarter-mile hike to Running Eagle Falls is a popular, and another favorite recommended by the ranger was Paradise Point (.6 mile). By taking the South Shore Trail, which takes you by several cool points you can go as far or return as early as you'd like. The Astor Point Viewpoint is 1.9 miles with an elevation of 670 feet! You can also reach Two Medicine Pass from the trail. This was a busy trail and we did not hike for long before returning for our boat ride.
We boarded the hundred-year-old historic wooden boat,"Sinopah", and our guide Olivia was very informative. The boat ride was excellent. All the chill and wind we were worried about was for nothing as the boat is fully covered, windowed, and you get none of the elements! Once you get going you can go stand outside on the hull in small groups for scenery or photos. Olivia shared about the Black Foot tribe and history of the lake, including how it got its name. Our ride was smooth despite a windy day. Any seats not reserved they give away 10 minutes before leaving. We arrived sooner than necessary and were first in line, as a large group we wanted to be sure we stayed together, and this was not a problem as our reservations were good.
Be sure to dress in layers again, with a hiking bag for all the things you may want including bear spray and more water/ snacks than you think you will need.
Embarking on the guided hike to Twin Falls was a highlight. Olivia explained how bear spray works and having this demonstration was helpful. We’d been carrying two cans with us the entire trip (one in the front and another at the back of the line) and she ended the talk saying they haven’t seen a bear on this trail in years. We were about to change that!
This Twin Falls hike is fairly easy compared to others in Glacier. This narrated leisurely hike is 1.8 miles round trip, through beautiful trails of wildflowers and crossing planks that bridge the brooks below. We learned about some of the native plant life, as well as how to spot fresh huckleberries, so we had quite a few to eat along the way. She spoke about sap scars on trees, and the colors of the rocks in the brooks.
Twin Falls was a great place for a hardboiled egg and granola bar. We sat on the logs and took in the view breathing the fresh forest air.
Returning, we were told to be in line a bit early for the 3:15 shuttle, as the line fills up and the last 5:15 shuttle is two hours away.
BEAR! We were on our way back to the boat when a friend and I were taking photos of some of the beautiful wildflowers, and she spotted a baby black bear in the brush. We heard it before we saw it, however my initial view was limited. She gasped “a bear” which stopped us both in our tracks. We realized in that moment how far we were from bear spray and our crew. We started to move quickly, and I saw him lumber off away from us. We were happy we didn’t see mom! From up behind us our tour guide walked excited to have also seen the baby bear, and having bear spray if needed. We told the people we passed on the trail to be aware of their surroundings not knowing where mama bear was. (No photo, we and bear were moving too fast!)
A blessing in disguise:
We were in line for the 3:15 boat, and there were more people waiting than seats. Olivia confirmed they’d send a boat right back for us, which would be about 30 minutes. For the next 30 minutes we had the Two Medicine Lake to ourselves, the serene beauty and peace just like medicine to our souls.
My advice: Stay longer than you need to.
Miss the boat! This may have been our favorite time in all of Glacier just playing in the cold shallow rocky water with the sun shining and no one anywhere around but us.
*Twin Falls can also be hiked (one way) from the parking lot and is a 3.5-mile beautiful hike, with 75 feet elevation. In the worst-case scenario, if we didn't want to wait for the boat, it would have been a nice walk back to the parking lot.
We were ready with our back packs full of all we could need to make this day smooth. We also carried: bug spray, sunscreen, a portable neck fan, water shoes, a dry towel, and wet wipes :-)
After and amazing time, as we were returning to White Fish, we stopped off at Goat Lick.
Pit Stop - Goat Lick
This viewpoint is easier to find when headed west. Driving west on 2, the turn off will be on the left and the bridge you’ll be viewing is on the right. The beautiful views of the bridge are breath taking and the canyon here is deep. The goats like to gather and get iron by licking the base of the bridge. While we were here, they were building a wooden viewpoint to climb and watch from a better viewpoint. We climbed up and saw a bunch of goats living their best life.
Fun stop!
Dinner
On this night we stopped on the way back in the town of White Fish and ate at The Last Chair Kitchen and Bar. This was a great experience although we had to wait util they could seat us. I recommend making reservations ahead of time! Good food, and fun vibe.
Day 2 was ending and we headed back to our Ski Lodge in Sunrise Ridge in Whitefish feeling really good. We'd had two amazingly successful days in Glacier, seeing different parts and experiencing how the climate and atmosphere are different on either side of the Continental Drift.
The next day for me would be helping get our friends from the Majestic Montana Retreat to the airport and saying goodbye to a wonderful group of travelers to continue on to Yellowstone with just my three boys, and a smaller rental car.
Many Glacier Thoughts:
If time allowed on this third day, we would have explored Many Glacier.
If your agenda allows I recommend your third day be spent here. We missed Many Glacier, which I was hoping to experience.
Many Glacier has one of the densest bear populations in the contiguous United States. Many Glacier is located on the east side of Glacier National Park. It is to the north of St. Mary Lake and roughly between the Continental Divide and Lake Sherburne. Set at the end of the Many Glacier Road, this remote area is accessible from the Blackfeet Reservation. From St. Mary Village, it’s a 9-mile drive north to the tiny town of Babb, then a 12-mile drive west to Many Glacier.
The Continental Divide separates Many Glacier from the Going-to-the-Sun Road, but there are a few (very challenging) longer hiking trails that connect both of these places.
Grinnell Glacier is a popular hiking trail which starts on the Many Glacier side- hike to Grinnell Glacier from the boat dock at the head of Lake Josephine, combined with a roundtrip boat tour. This makes your hike significantly shorter, but it’s still 3.6 miles one-way—a 7.2-mile roundtrip hike.
Glacier Reservations: From July 1 through September 8, 2024, between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m., each vehicle entering the Many Glacier Valley will need an advance reservation. Reservations are good for one day. However, if you have other reservations or bookings, such as for lodging, camping, or boat tours, you do not need a vehicle reservation to enter the Many Glacier Valley.
Note that the vehicle reservations for Many Glacier are separate from other reservations you may need for other areas in Glacier National Park, such as the Going-to-the-Sun Road, North Fork, and Two Medicine.
Sad to go: On this rainy July Tuesday morning my task was returning the Majestic Montana Mobile (as our rental van lovingly was referred to) and picking up a vehicle to take my family on to Yellowstone National Park. The participants of our Amazing Majestic Montana Retreat and Extension were all safely returned to the airport, and I made our route to the next exciting stop on our journey: Bozeman. I greatly enjoyed partnering with Angelique and Whole Image Wellness to plan and execute this great retreat. Her sister, Rochelle Flynn was behind the planning of our extension. Go Farther Travel really helped us in all things Whitefish and Glacier. They shared info about the shuttle and restaurants as well as park itinerary suggestions.
While my third day was spent handling business and traveling between, your third day with an early start could include another awesome experience as you feel appropriate! Goal to be in our new stop for the night before dark, which is around 9 pm in July.
Goodbye Glacier, Hello Yellowstone
And a day of travel in between.
Estimate for 6 hours of driving along US 87 and enjoying the beauty of the hills along the way!
Staying in Bozeman - Just for the fun of it.
Why stay in Bozeman MT?
There are closer towns to Yellowstone than Bozeman, and depending on your itinerary/ entrance point to the park this may or may not be the most practical place to spend a little time along the way. Bozeman sits about an hour and a half from both the north and west entrances. We chose this town because my son who loved the show Yellowstone, wanted to have some experience in the area and this college town is known for an attractive vibe and dining scene. I firmly believe in letting all the participants help build the itinerary for all to enjoy an experience.
There are lots of lodging options in Bozeman, and it’s more upscale than the other options closer to the parks, which seem to be a bit worn in my personal experience and research. The outdoor recreation opportunities in Bozeman include rock-climbing, white-water rafting and fly fishing. So, if you’d like an additional adventure, this is a good area to keep the adrenaline flowing. Art galleries and local history are also hot here, creating a vibe of appreciation of the whole northern Montana hippy cowboy style flair.
We ate at the Backcountry Burger Bar. The food and service were excellent. We walked around the downtown after finding parking easy and enjoying our walk through. We did some window shopping and store browsing. The area has grown recently but still has a small-town home feeling to it. Yes, we did take the time to chalk the walk.
The towns of Gardiner, Cody, and West Yellowstone are much closer to the park entrances, and also reflect that in their seasonal pricing! I accepted paying more for more, rather than proximity on this night, plus it made sense for our drive-in plan wanting to see Bear Tooth Pass.
For us, the best way to spend more time in the park and less time driving was to sleep in a couple different locations. Our first night in Bozeman was great, and the next two nights we stayed in West Yellowstone.
Staying in West Yellowstone:
This is a great place for families with younger kids, as is Cody. Clearly the whole town is here to spend time in the National Park, and as a spill over some people enjoy the local offerings. This is the town closest to the more centrally located sights inside of Yellowstone. Its a fun little base! I liked the art and option for some indoor options, like an IMAX movie theatre and museum. If we had more time I would have like to check out the Grizzley and Wolf Discovery Center.
All in a couple blocks find more than 20 places to eat, with a choice of saloons, pizza , cafes, bbq, bakery, and a book store. There are two grocery stores. About 30 minutes from town is a real-life ghost town preserved from the late 1800s, left over from the gold rush Flor more on that look up Virginia & Navada City.
Comparably, Bozeman is for the older hipster crowd. West Yellowstone is more for the family with young kid vibe. Cody seemed to be more for the rodeo and those wanting the less busy day, as Cody is pretty far from most of the park's biggest highlights. In reflection, one night here to see all points on the east would make sense.
Pros: 2 minutes from the park entrance, as well as gas, grocery, restaurants, and other activities. Comfy beds, hot water with good shower pressure. Staff were courteous and professional. Amenities include Indoor Heated Pool and Jacuzzi, Wi-Fi and Complimentary Continental Breakfast. Rooms had fridge and microwave. We refilled our cooler with ice and took it back in the jeep with us for our day trips into the park.
Cons: Outdated style. Rooms a bit small and cramped,
Yellowstone:
The First National Park established in 1872, this mega park has over 2 million acres of land. But not just any land! Geothermal features make this park unlike any other place. Geysers, Springs, mountains, lakes, waterfalls, and wildlife create the environment here that is a truly unique experience. This park feels much like the wilderness has been tamed just enough to appreciate in a well-planned design with as little disruption to the natural habitats as possible. By making boardwalks and creating lots of pull-off viewpoints, people are encouraged to be a part of the natural beauty of Yellowstone’s allure.
Yellowstone Stops:
Put all your stops in your gps of choice before entering the park. You will lose service.
Our Day 1 Itinerary route had some roadwork. We’d intended to drive through Gardiner and on to the Roosevelt Arch, entering from the Northwest. Road work helped us decide to reroute and take the bear tooth highway. This is definitely the scenic route and added several hours to our drive, but also took us on an incredible ride through the mountain tops. Bolded below are each of our Day 1 experiences.
Beartooth Pass: 10,947 feet above sea level this road is built to awe the driver. If you’re driving into the Northeast entrance of Yellowstone, you may be coming through the most scenic drive, along highway 212 aka the Beartooth Highway. Featuring breathtaking views of the Absaroka and Beartooth Mountains, you’ll pass alpine plateaus, sparkly lakes, forested valleys, waterfalls, wildlife, and great hilly curvy roads opening to new scenic perspective at every turn. We like some scenic roads. In July, the colors here witnessed while making the morning drive in were dramatic display of pure vibrancy! Worth the extra time. I greatly enjoyed the drive, even cutting over into the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway which we were routed to due to construction. This will lead you straight to Lamar Valley. If you want to drive through with no back tracking, this is a great route to come through. 5/5 and I’d do it again.
Lamar Valley: (plan 2 hours) Coming here from Bear Tooth Highway we were ready to see some bison. The first lone bison we spotted was just a few minutes in to the ride and we pulled over, giving far more than the recommended space, and taking photos from a respectful distance. I had no idea a few miles up the road they’d be walking into oncoming traffic, crossing roads and just grazing so close! We also saw Antelope here. (By day two we’d have a bison jam and wait to see what the cause of traffic was only to say, “oooh just another bison”) Bison are found here in the highest population of the United States and have two separate herds. The bison of Lamar Valley and Hayden Valley are all the descendants of about two dozen bison taking refuge in the parks back in the 1960’s. Now there are estimated to be between 3000 – 6000 living freely in the park. It's great to see them all in action, or in rest mode.
Mammoth Hot Spring: (plan 2 hours) 1.75 miles of boardwalk trails branch into several directions to allow for seeing the terraces and springs that all create this unique space. This being our first “real” stop we just climbed in amazement having no idea what we were expecting. The entire Mammoth Hot Spring village was here to paint us a picture of a community ready for everything. The park headquarters are located here as well as medical clinic, gas station and post office. Food? Yes. Drinks? Yes. My boys actually ran and got bison dogs while I was getting the hiking bag organized.
We parked pretty close to the beginning of the boardwalk trails. In our climb up, we stopped to see Minerva Spring and Terrace, Jupiter and Mound Terraces, Palette Springs and Cleopatra Spring and Terrace. Each stop was really surreal as we were taking in the logistics of what we were seeing. When we made it to the top (I was out of breath) and excited to see the Mammoth Hot Spring. There are a couple hundred wooden stairs, and I wasn’t mentally prepared! I still didn’t quite understand what I was looking at. I was trying to wrap my mind around the plumbing and the bacteria mats are close but the spring is pretty distant from the viewpoint. In retrospect: glad we did this stop first, as its one of the less exciting of the big points to see.
At Mammoth: The upper terrace is a route you can drive along seeing Orange Spring Mound, Aphrodite Terrace and Angel Terrace. This connects to the lower loop (where we parked and walked up on the trails). Algae living in the warm water pools gives the travertine the many shades of red, brown, orange, and green which surround the water.
The volcanic heat source of the spring remains a mystery. Researchers can, however, clearly see the plumbing which is all on display here. Travertine terraces on the surface level lead way to limestone deposits. Over two tons of hot water from a spring flow into Mammoth each day. This area has been thermally active for several thousand years. Recently due to some earthquakes the shifting caused the Minerva terrace to stop running. We are waiting to see how this impacts the system as a whole. This was more work than we had expected on our first stop!
Grand Canyon of Yellowstone: (Depending on your viewpoints, 1 hour) The canyon is 20 miles long, more than 1000 feet deep, and 1500 – 4000 feet wide! Scientists continue to develop theories about this stunning land feature. We took the South Rim drive to both Upper and Lower Falls viewpoints, enjoying the views from Artist’s Point. These quick stops and fast walks to viewpoints were what we needed at this point in our day. Artist’s Point was especially favorited!
Artist Point Overlook : (30 minutes) This overlook is close to the parking lot, and directly across from the falls, giving a beautiful perspective of the waterfall in the valley. Beautiful and powerful this stop is worth the entire trip. Each time we stopped we said, “if this was all we came to see we’d be satisfied”. This trip kept getting better!
There is a 2.6-mile trail here starting at the overlook and going to the Point Sublime Overlook.
Why the fancy name? Artist Thomas Moran did a painting of Yellowstone in this area which helped convince Congress to set aside Yellowstone as a National Park!
Chocolate Pots Springs: (30 minutes) This was just a random pull off. I saw some cars pulled over and pointing into the woods and thought I should check out what they could see. (I imagined it was a bear.) Come to find this hot spring bubbling over on the other side of the river. And there was someone down there in the water. My boys promptly hopped the wall and descended to check it out. I tried to follow along, but was not wearing shoes for the occasion and was starting a slip and slide which I didn’t think would end well. While I climbed back up and over to watch for bears and photograph their adventure from afar, they managed to explore the hot spring on the side of the road. This was unmarked and not labeled. I later researched in a Facebook Group leading me to find the name of the place.
Beryl Spring: (20 minutes) This was another sudden pull over as I was stunned by the amount of steam rising. Having no idea what it was, we really came face to face (very close) with our first big geothermal feature of the day. Resembling a tea kettle boiling, the sheer magnitude of water bubbling out was really cool! We watched in awe as the vent just kept blowing and steam continued shooting into the sky. Classified as a super pool this is part of the Gibbon Geyser Basin, but right on the side of the road. Parking was easy as evening was approaching and at this point we practically had the park to ourselves.
On to West Yellowstone – where we would settle into our home for the next couple days, at Yellowstone Lodge. We were ready to make some great dinner arrangements.
We ate at The Three Bears which we found less than satisfying. Our server was great even as we returned the salmon, switching it out for a burger to be safe. My son who went with the alfredo (raved about in the online reviews) was not impressed, saying it was a bit dry. I had the tuna poke bowl, which I probably should have known better than to try in the middle of Montana, and it wasn't bad but it came with some crab meat which didn't smell right to me.
Honestly, I recommend another dinner spot, there are several choices.
Yellowstone Day 2:
More Yellowstone Exploring – Today’s stops:
Entered Park for sunrise and watched the morning fog dissipating around the rising geysers. This was a really cool thing to witness. This park is dramatically different based on time of day.
Check this site to see when the eruptions are expected, accurate within + or - 13 minutes.
Old Faithful – (apx 1. 25 hour depending on eruption times) by lodge, parking was pretty easy first thing in the morning. I had to ask the ranger where to park to be close, there was hardly anyone there and a wide-open parking lot! We walked into the lodge where it was nice to use clean bathrooms and then went out to wait for Old Faithful to go up! Then we climbed a short hike up to the Observation point to watch a second eruption, followed by the Geyser Basin Trail.
*Plan to Do ALL of this at this stop.
*Park closer to the lodge if possible.
*Old Faithful erupts every 60 to 110 minutes. If there is a short eruption, the time between eruptions is also shorter.
*Eruptions last between 1.5 and 5 minutes. The water will shoot between 106 and 184 feet, on average 130 feet high.
*Get there early? Good, just enjoy the view. This place gets REALLY crowded after 8 am!
Old Faithful – Observation Point
(apx. 1.25 hour, depending on the eruption time) After watching once from the regular viewing area, walk the 1.1 mile hike up to the Observation viewpoint. On our walk up we stopped prior to the actual top, finding a nice spot to sit and view from the rocks. While we waited quite a while, it was worth the wait from the new higher perspective.
Upper Geyser Basin Trail – (1 hour) Coming back down from Observation trail, we saw the boardwalks through the trees to the Upper Geyser Basin Trail. I wasn’t planning on this, but seeing the steam vents rising against the light of the sun was too inviting. I couldn’t believe we could walk through that active of an area! Within 1 square mile there are over 150 geothermal features. While Old Faithful is the main star of the show, these create a whole compound of rich opportunities to discover how the science of Yellowstone really works.
From the Upper Geiser Basin trail is a 3-mile trail to where the Biscuit Basin begins. However, due to Biscuit Basin exploding in July 2024 this is currently closed. Visitors can still hike Mystic Trails or the trail back to the basin, however Biscuit Basin itself is currently closed and blocked off to visitors for safety concerns. If the 6-mile round trip is hiked, there is a nice break away from the crowds as the majority of the visitors stay closer to the main attraction. We did not go this whole route as we had other places on our wish list and we were just in explore and enjoy mode.
Grand Prismatic Spring – (1.5 hours) This was my next bucket list spot. And WOW. First let me say it was about 11:30 when we were pulling up to the parking area after our morning by the Old Faithful action. This is later than I’d expected, but it was a Sunday, and now packed. The cars lined both sides of the street for a mile from the entrance. I was faced with a dilemma. Abandon my plan and have to come back later for it, or stick to the plan and save later for later. I decided it was worth it to park and make it happen. We literally parked a mile down the road from the parking lot and walked. It was HOT! We grabbed extra water, applied sunscreen, and shed our top layer to be ready for the heat of the day. We crossed the little bridge over Firehole River seeing the hot water running down the side of the bank in hot lava style!
Why is Grand Prismatic such a must see? The largest hot spring in the US, and 3rd largest in the world, this is a sight to see!
Water temperature: 160 degrees F.
160 feet deep
Discharges water at 560 gallons of water per minute
370 feet in diameter, this spring is larger than a football field!
The springs sits close to a few others including Excelsior Geyser. Which used to erupt but now lies dormant. This one was really steamy, and we saw a steam cyclone spiraling upwards.
Both Grand Prismatic and Excelsior Springs emit a hot steam from the surface of their waters and draw a lot of attention for their dramatic visual appearance. The other two springs here are Opal Pool and Turquoise Pool which are along the board walk and each amazing in their own right. Deep colors of turquoise waters, surrounded by rings of varying color and veins in the surrounding earth showing the water marks beneath the surface. This is exquisite to see in person, and photos just don’t seem to capture how alive and vibrant the Grand Prismatic is.
The Midway Geyser Basin contains a boardwalk that will take you to viewing points of Grand Prismatic Spring. The boardwalk is a one-way 0.8 mile loop that goes along one edge of the Grand Prismatic Hot Spring and to several other nearby much smaller springs.
Back to West Yellowstone to eat our lunch/ leftovers (or eat lunch in a picnic location and continue on with the itinerary)
Because it’s been a whirlwind of a trip, and I wanted us in the park for sunrise, I promised my crew we could leave for lunch, eat our leftovers, and take a nap. So, I held up my end of the bargain. No one wants to hike with hangry, cranky adult boys. I’d prefer the bears to that!
Once we were all refreshed, we went back in planning to hike to Fairy Falls, and either make the ride over to Hayden Valley or spend some time at West Thumb. We stayed so long in our Fairy Falls Hike that we were driving out in the dark.
Grand Prismatic Spring Overview Point– Overview Point: (.5 hour) This half mile hike from the parking lot is also on the way to Fairy Falls.
For this hike climbing 105 feet, I did bring my hiking poles. It was not a difficult trail. This was a busier more crowded section of the park than others. I saw the recommendation for spikes on your elbows to be able to get a good view or a photo.
Fairy Falls Hike – (2 - 3 hours) 4.8 miles round trip. Mostly a flat walk on the wooded dirt trail into the pine forest. Not the most scenic walk, it’s mostly a remote path through brush. However, we saw huge deer going and returning, close to the trail and not at all worried about us being there. Starting this walk around 5:30, we rarely saw anyone else and were quite sure we were the only people out there. Crazy how crowded it was at Grand Prismatic Overview and how solitary it was on the trail a few feet away!
We kept our bear spray ready, and never needed it. Every once in a while, we would pass other hikers who were always encouraging. We continued our hike and found the beautiful creek and falls. 200 feet high water fall which was just a stunning work of art that we had to ourselves for about 30 minutes.
Quite possibly our favorite Yellowstone hike: Fairy Falls!
One of the cool things was to really get from the trail to the water fall there are a ton of downed trees and brush that need to be climbed over and under creating a bit of an obstacle course. The falls are in view but all of this immediate tree debris is suddenly in the path and you quickly figure your way through ready to put your feet in the cool water and feel the mist of the falls.
I watched the chipmunks playing in the rocks by me and found a big tree to sit on while my boys climbed around to the waterfall side. It was great to take in the serenity for the forest, for rest. I would have stayed longer but it was clear the light was leaving the sky, and I didn’t want to hike out in the dark. In July it doesn’t get dark until after 9 pm, but I knew we had about an hour hike ahead. Coming, I used my hiking poles. Leaving, I wrapped them up so I could move faster without them! As we left new visitors arrived and I was happy they would be able to have the place to themselves as we did. So refreshing!
While we didn’t have time for any other stops today, I was fulfilled, my cup was overflowing. Great talks with my boys along the trails and a beautiful interaction in nature was all I had really needed.
The orange sky was creating the most beautiful silhouette of mountains all around us on the drive out. On this day, we experienced both sunrise and sun set inside of Yellowstone. It was a magical day filled with good things.
Day 3 Yellowstone and on to Grand Teton:
This morning we check out of Yellowstone Lodge, pack our cooler and bags well and head to the next stop. We are sleeping tonight in Utah, south of Jacksonhole, and North of Salt Lake City Utah.
First stop: West Thumb Lake and Geyser Basin – Along the shores of Yellowstone Lake, this is a large geyser basin which includes Potts Basin was quite a place to start our day. Hot boiling springs and pools where some of water is like mud, others like clay, and then there's the hot springs which bubble and pour. The pathways of hot water into the lake are phenomenal. The colors are deep and long, reflecting time. Here you’ll find two boardwalks that weave around the basins, walk along the lake, and lead you back to the other side of the parking lot. Seeing the pools and springs so close in proximity and yet so unique with their own size, shape, color, and features, makes it that much more rewarding for exploring. When you reach Black Pool and see the light aquamarine color with steam flowing off the top it’s a moment of heaven on earth. How was all of this created? It’s mind blowing!
I watched an otter in the water swimming here. I couldn't get a good photo but loved seeing fish and birds enjoying the water.
Itinerary Choices to Make:
From here we had two choices, as we still had Hayden Valley, the only unchecked box of our list. Known for wildlife spotting, it was the last big point we had not yet seen. We could drive the 40 minutes north, (which would be very scenic along the Yellowstone River but add 40 more minutes south to travel) or we could continue south on 191 toward Jenny Lake. A lot of factors played into the decision (mainly time of day) we made in the car to say goodbye to Yellowstone, and head to Grand Tetons! So southbound we went.
I strongly encourage that driving along 20 and the Grand Loop Road on the Eastern side of the loop is a worthy route and should not be missed. We spent 2.5 days in Yellowstone and it was not ultimately enough for ALL of the wish list items to be seen. I am glad that at each stop we spent the time we did and fully enjoyed every experience during our stay.
The drive south is a scenic delight where the Teton mountain range comes closer and closer into your view, until finally you can reach out and touch them!
Grand Teton: This mountain range in the Rocky Mountains runs 40 miles north and south separating Wyoming and Idaho. In the valley, Jackson Hole is the old west town bordering the National Park. With an upscale vibe it creates space for those who appreciate art, resort life, and dude ranches all at once. We drove through and agree that it is filled with charm. Definitely a place where you could spend some money and have good time! It hurt my heart a little to drive by the National Museum of Wildlife Art. I’d intended to stop, but as this time we were driving 4 hours to Utah where our very inexpensive and good hotel were located. Again, not wanting to drive in the pitch dark (light until 9 pm) I felt it best to prioritize our stops along the way.
There is no Ranger booth between Grand Teton and Yellowstone. You can drive straight from Yellowstone through the 7 miles of Wyoming and directly into grand Teton without showing your pass or paying. There is a place on the side of the road to take a picture with the National Park sign for Grand Teton, however that's the only indication you've arrived. The connecting road, the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway (apparently John D. did some conservation work) is a bridge between two ecosystems as you can feel the difference in the air and land from Yellowstone to Grand Teton.
Jenny Lake was our destination. The mirrored reflection of mountains in the water is surreal. While cars were lined up for miles, parking all along the road, I opted to stick the course and found decent parking right by the visitor center. YAY! This is the hub of a few different trails and those who just want to come and float in the lake.
I wore my bathing suit on the hike fully intending to jump into the falls at the end, it’s not that kind of falls. There are however many places for swimming and getting wet along the way.
Hidden Falls Hike (3 hours) 4.9-mile round trip hike, or you can take a boat across the lake to the Hidden Falls, one or both ways. This hike is labeled as moderate. I don’t know why I had read or thought it was “easy”, it is not. We did see some families hiking along the way. We were all dragging through this one. Possibly because of the very hot dry weather (many said the day was unusually hot) or because it was the end of our trip with many hikes already. As we were continuing, passersby would say “you’re almost there, just half a mile” for at least a mile and a half lol, and not to mention many of them were sweating too. We passed a woman who we asked, “how much farther” and she replied, “to what” which made us all giggle. Yes, the waterfall is a main attraction, however “Inspiration Point” is just .5 passed the Falls. The last .5 of a mile to the falls was the hardest part. I kept thinking surely we were there. There are beautiful scenes all along this walk reminding you why you're on it.
When we left the car I’d said “we won’t need bear spray” based on the crowd. However, while walking the trail people passing us were saying they’d seen a bear ahead of us. We never saw a bear, but I’d like to emphasize the importance of having bear spray! Gladly, my boys had grabbed it anyway, and we had both cans. I do wish we had grabbed more water than we did!
This beautiful 100-foot waterfall was hidden in the way that you don’t see it until you are right up on it! The trail there hugs the lake on one side but takes you up and through rock crevices, narrow rock ways, wooded forest, and past Moose Lake. Really there are so many good parts of this hike. I encourage not rushing it, and just enjoying the views along the way! The waterfall itself was very crowded. We dipped our feet into the rocky water and felt the really cold refreshing feeling sweep over us.
THE Boat ride SHUTTLE
Beginning the return hike, expected now to be 2.45 miles back, I was already trying to imagine how this would go. Seeing the sign for shuttle .3 miles I stood there for a moment and considered our options. Luckily, as it turns out, you can ride the shuttle round trip or one way. If you decide to ride it returning, there is a system where you pay when you get off the shuttle. Prices are $20 per person round trip or $12 one way. I was never happier to pay $12.00 for the four of us. We waited about 6 shuttles, (almost an hour), shuttles come frequently. AND while waiting they refilled our water bottles with a large water cooler.
FLOAT in the LAKE – If nothing else when you come to Jenny Lake, have your dip or float in the lake.
We had been driving across the country with floats from our original stop in Spokane Walmart where we purchased some floats. It was time to blow them up and get them wet.
Recommendations after experiencing the beauty:
If you are not up for this long/ moderate hike, I’d suggest taking the shuttle there, then hiking back. I think this is the most time effective and experience rich way to go. If you do take the shuttle there and back, just know the walk to and from the shuttle on the falls side is steep, however short and worth it!
We heated up our pizza from the cooler on the front of the car allowing the sun to do it’s thing. My middle son had also made chicken wraps which came in very handy right at this very moment. We ate, and got ready for the ride to our last hotel of the journey.
Onward and Out!
Well, it’s hard to leave, but also the last day of any trip feels like the last day.
From here we ventured on to sleep in Evanstown Utah to be ready for our flights the next day out of Salt Lake City.
We found economically appealing rooms at the Comfort Inn.
We had great plans of some stops in SLC before dropping off our car at 10 am, but we returned items to Walmart, and slept in a little, then gave away our bear spray, car cooler and other items, meaning there was no time left for play! The Quality Inn was a good choice, with free breakfast an oversized rooms.
If only….
With one more day in either the East side of Yellowstone, or even the West Yellowstone, I think I could have wrapped off our trip with a bow having more time for Hayden Valley (best to see in the early morning light or evening) and impacting our trip by more time on the Grand Teton experience which felt hurried. Budget and Time were our constraints, and I made this trip absolutely incredible working with what I had.
The For Real Tips
I see it presented that if you can't spend days here, don't bother. Not true. ANY time is better than NO time. Each activity in these parks is a lifelong memory. Don't rush or make yourself crazy to check every item on the list, once you are in the process, go with the flow and enjoy each stop like it's the only one!
** A well packed hiking bag is worth it's weight in gold. Have the things with you
** Hiking Poles - Used much more in Glacier and Grand Teton, than Yellowstone
** Layers of clothes are a must. Your lightest layer can be summer wear and heaviest layer wind/ rain resistant, and a few in-between
**Hiking shoes. I'd never actually worn these, and I was so glad I had them! Good grips/ boots will help on the trails.
** Plan for early mornings and late evenings, you won't want to leave
**Have more water than you think you need
**Portable charger is helpful!
**Have an idea of your Must-Sees just in case you have to adjust your day
**Bring good snacks!
**Have bear spray and know how to use it
**Bonine for motion sickness, if this is a possibility for you
**Download your maps and program GPS before you get to the parks, you will lose signal!
** My oldest says: Bring a hammock there are great trees and while you're waiting for the shuttles you can be lounging in there.
Things to remember when traveling...
~Wherever your travels take you, be sure to keep your presence in the moment.
~Enjoy where you are at
~Learn to be present in the moment
~When traveling with others, prepare them for the detail that will be helpful
~Be a little flexible with people and their navigation of time.
~Let go of things you can't control.
~Remember to put your people above things, and cherish the memories
~Do things that will make you proud of yourself when you remember the scenario
~Live more, in abundance and walk in your own footsteps
~Have a plan, it saves you time, but don't be married to it
~If you are a fun person, all you do will be fun, if you are boring, you'll find everything boring
~Go see the places, you may leave them but they will never leave you!
This specific trip began as an extension of our Majestic Montana Retreat, learn more about that here.
Budgeting:
In a world of inflation gone wild, I started with time. Once I carved out the amount of time I was comfortable being away from work and home I asked how money much will I need to have? What will my expenses look like? We saved for a year to make this trip happen and I justified the expense as it was to celebrate my youngest graduating high school and my oldest turning 30. That's a big deal for a mom! We plan our hotels and rental car costs first. These are increasing and I have little control over the prices but will not lower my standards for where we will sleep. Then I figure out our food budget. I usually stay in a place with free breakfast, then we have lunches from our well-planned cooler we travel with, and we eat out somewhere good for dinner.
I specialize in helping families spend more time enjoying their quality time together and less time having to figure it all out. My four children have been my test subjects of how to plan a great family adventure for many years and now that my youngest is 19, many of my travels are work related, or grandma related! As time has changed, I've evolved but I still LOVE TO TRAVEL, explore, wander, visit, discover, learn and love. Where there is nature, I find my happy place. I use the term single not to emphasize my status but to signify that if I can manage some family fun on a limited teacher's salary with four children, anyone can do it. I am very intentional in how I spend my time and earnings. I plan, research and typically seek out budget friendly ways to enjoy my time, but will occasionally splurge for the right reasons :-)
Happy Travels!!
Thank you for visiting my site and please feel free to comment your tips and favorites as well.
Mz. Savvy
A note from the editor:
The information in this article was accurate when published but may change without notice. Confirm details when planning your trip. I hope this makes it easier for your planning process.
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I enjoyed reading your itinerary and love that you were able to create these memories with your family. The time limits that you spent at each spot is very helpful as I plan my own trip out by days. Thanks so much.