Day four was all about Yellowstone National Park. It would be easy to spend a week or more exploring all the natural beauty in Yellowstone, but we had to cram as much as possible into one day as we’ll be leaving WY tomorrow. The main priority for the day was seeing Old Faithful erupt. That one is a bucket list item!
We left the ranch in Jackson around 9:00 am to start the 80’ish mile long drive to Yellowstone. Even though the distance was only 80 miles, it still took about two and a half hours to make the drive because it is through scenic byways. It took us through the Grand Teton mountains first before entering the Yellowstone National Park. Since we had to go through both parks, I was extra thankful for the 4th Grader Park Passes! We’ll talk about these in a separate post, but know that they saved us $50+ today.
Once we were in the park, there were tons of pull off areas to see wildlife, creeks, waterfalls, and mountains. As we were driving through the park, the kids were on the lookout for bears and elk. Unfortunately, we never saw either of them, but we did see an entire herd of bison and a family of deer (not the same kind of deer in TN, much bigger)!
When we finally made it to the Old Faithful section of Yellowstone, we ran into a problem I hadn’t thought about…parking! Even though they have several large parking lots in this area, we couldn’t find a parking spot anywhere. We drove around for a good 20 minutes searching for a spot. Thankfully, as soon as Old Faithful erupted, people rushed back to their cars. We ended up getting a front row parking spot after that. However, since Old Faithful had just erupted, we had a good 90+ minutes before the next eruption. That gave us plenty of time to grab some lunch at the snack bar, check in at the ranger station, and start the kids’ Junior Ranger Program. About 20 minutes before the predicted eruption, we went to scout out a spot to watch the eruption. While most of the front and center spots were already taken, we were able to find a great spot on the side viewing area. We had a perfect view of the eruption that lasted approximately 9 minutes. I’m so glad we got the chance to see the eruption in person. Pictures and videos just do not do it justice!
After checking out a few more geysers and finishing the kids’ Junior Ranger Program, we decided to start our trip back to Jackson. We took our time stopping at several of the waterfall areas in the park as well as some of the historic sites between Yellowstone and Jackson. We even found a historic site named the Cunningham Cabin. The original homestead cabin from the 1800’s was still standing in a field with an incredible view of the mountains. The kids couldn’t believe that people actually lived in houses like that.
By this time, my traveling companions were getting hungry. We decided to drive into downtown Jackson Hole to find some dinner. The downtown area was even better than I thought it would be. It really looks like an old west town. They even have a horse drawn stagecoach that you can ride around town! Oh, and the police still ride horseback around town too! Paili loved this part of the day! After spending a little more time exploring the town, we found Big Hole BBQ for dinner. The service wasn’t the best, but their pork and brisket sliders made up for it.
Here are a few of tips for visiting Yellowstone that we learned today:
1. Plot out your day ahead of time – know which areas are on your “must see list”
2. Make sure you pack warm layers, sunscreen, and bug spray – the temperatures can vary throughout the day and from different elevations
3. Bring water and snacks or picnic supplies – food is expensive in the park and the lines are REALLY long
4. Build in extra time to stop and explore the many pull off / overlook areas – you never know what you might see
5. Make sure you have a full tank of gas – there are options for gas within the park, but again the lines were very long
6. Plan on being “unplugged” – Cell service is spotty at best within the park. This can make it difficult to contact family or traveling companions if you get separated.
Do yourself a favor and add Yellowstone to your bucket list. You won’t be disappointed!
