If you’ve been following along on our Instagram page, you’ve seen that we have been highlighting parts of our National Park hopping trip we took summer of 2020. Since my travel journal from that trip is buried somewhere back in Missouri and we are currently in Spain, I’m going to do my best to take you down memory lane.
You may be wondering what in the world we were doing or thinking taking a trip during the summer of 2020. We had lots of doubts and almost didn’t go but after watching park opening announcements, gathering information from our favorite travel companies, and feeling the huge itch to get out of our area, we decided to go for it about a week before we left. Honestly, this was probably the safest time to travel that we’ve experienced, just because there were so many precautions in place at the time. We carefully mapped out ways to avoid other people, packed many of our meals or got them to go, stayed in places where we would be secluded, and planned to be outside as much as possible. We might have gotten lucky, but we pulled it off without incident. #winning
Armed with our park pass, we flew directly to Vegas from Springfield on June 22 on Allegiant Air – an experience I don’t care to repeat often. Allegiant is fine for an hour or two but at three and a half on a cardboard seat, it was painful. This was our first long, mandatory masking experience. Coming from rural Missouri, we had previously encountered very few mandates this early into the pandemic and had mostly just stayed home. I didn’t mind the mask at all. Typically, my sinuses get really dried out when flying and this helped prevent that. Weird perk and a large reason why I have continued to do so since the mandate dropped. We got into Vegas super late, so we got our rental car quickly and crashed for the night at the closest Double Tree (which was kind of gross despite heightened cleaning measures) and headed for the hills in the morning.
We took off first thing in the morning after a quick run through the grocery store and headed towards Zion Mountain Ranch. There is nothing between Vegas and Zion – some scrub and a lot of dust. I take that back, we found one small town with a gas station, so we stopped quickly to gas up. Looking at the map now, there are a few other towns along the way, I just don’t remember them. We made Springdale and the South entrance to Zion National Park in the early afternoon. We drove through the park, winding our way up the mountain and stopping for a few photos. We planned to be back later so didn’t stay long. We made it to the other side of the park and out the East entrance within about a half hour. Just a couple miles down the road we pulled into Zion Mountain Ranch, our home for the next three days.
I can’t rave enough about Zion Mountain Ranch. We loved it! We had a private cabin overlooking the bison sanctuary complete with a kitchenette, a giant shower, soaking tub, king-sized bed, and extra room for yoga or whatever your heart desires. Mine desired morning yoga while Jason walked to the restaurant for coffee every morning. We hauled fruit, water, and protein shakes in for breakfast and sandwich fixings for lunch while we hiked but we had dinner each night at their on-site restaurant. The restaurant is phenomenal! They grow much of their own offerings and everything we had was amazing. Some of their gardens, horse pen, guard dogs (and puppies!), and chickens were located right on the main property along with a gift shop and a winding drive that made for a great evening walk. It was very quiet, laid back, and relaxing.
The next morning, we backtracked a couple of miles to Zion National Park’s Visitor Center to learn what trails were open. The Zion Canyon Road where most of the trails are located was closed to car traffic and the shuttle buses were not running while we were there. Trails off Zion Park Blvd were open, but parking was nearly impossible. So, we decided to hike the Watchman’s Trail since it started at the visitor center and we were already parked. We thought it would be an easy trail and were not really fully prepared to hike that day, so we made some dumb moves. The entire trail was uphill in the sun and it was 110 degrees. We ran out of water coming back down after pausing at the top in the only shade for too long trying to cool down. We somehow ended up back at the visitor’s center where Tasha realized she had heatstroke. After an hour plus in the shade, the facilities, and being doused with water inside and out we finally got in the car to head back to the ranch. And now, we know our limits in the desert. You know what we didn’t get? Sunburn! Win! All that’s to say, if ever you head into these parts, make sure to take plenty of water with you. Think you’re good? Grab some more. A big hat helps too to create some shade.
The following day we took a drive to Bryce Canyon National Park. Again, it was 110 degrees and so we opted for driving the loop road instead of hiking. Lesson learned the previous day. We admired the hoodoos from all the lookout points. We really wanted to go for a hike but between the altitude, heat, and events of the previous day, we decided to just admire the view from above. This means a return trip is in order.
We left the following day and headed North. We had originally planned to make it to Arches National Park on this trip as well, but given the heat, we decided to head for cooler weather instead. We drove through Salt Lake City but decided against stopping since traffic was really backed up and we were getting pressed for time. As soon as we were through the worst of it, we just pushed on, admiring the mountains all around us, and eventually made it to Idaho Falls, our stop for the night. We finally got a chance to stretch our legs once we were checked into our hotel. We took a stroll down the River Walk until we found a place to eat. I recall a giant plate of nachos but not the name of the restaurant, only that it was a local brewpub and very good. We planned to visit Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve the following morning but had to scrap that plan because a snowstorm was moving into the mountains and we had to get through the mountains on our way to Bozeman, our next overnight stop. We waved goodbye to the backside of the Tetons and headed North again.
Heading for Bozeman the next morning, we managed to beat most of the snow, only seeing a few flurries in Big Sky, MT while watching the roaring Gallatin River alongside the road. It’s wild, a 110-degree furnace to a 30-degree blizzard in a day, almost like Missouri. Haha! Before we made our stop in Bozeman for the night, we made a trip out to the airport to get a different car. They sent us out from Vegas in a car with terrible tires! We knew they wouldn’t hold up in Yellowstone or beyond. On this trip to Bozeman, we stayed with some friends at their summer townhouse in Bozeman. It was so nice to catch up with them over some fantastic steaks and learn a few things to take us through the next part of our journey. They’ve been coming to this part of the country every summer for most of their lives and know the rules. While this is one of the most beautiful parts of our country, there are lots of things that can easily kill you. Rules are important. We also had a chance to catch up with some of Jason’s family – his aunt and uncle live in Bozeman as well. See – it’s a good spot for us. We got breakfast with them the next day on their patio and were off to Yellowstone National Park.
We entered Yellowstone at the North entrance in Gardiner, MT. Due to recent flooding in the summer of 2022, this entrance to the park is currently cut off and closed until further notice as the road has washed out. Armed with a park map, we headed off into Yellowstone. We made our first stop at Fort Yellowstone and Mammoth Hot Springs. We got out and climbed to the top of the springs but didn’t spend much time there as it had started to rain. We got back into the car – our new Jeep – and headed down the Grand Loop Road towards the Paint Pots and Old Faithful. We bypassed Grand Prismatic and Firehole Spring because there was no parking available – a common problem. We told ourselves we would come back another day, but we didn’t after fighting traffic that first day. I don’t want to know what traffic looks like during a normal year! Yikes. Our last stop in Yellowstone for the day was Old Faithful, just in time to see the top blow. Spectacular! If you ever start to feel too big for your britches, just go stand on top of a supervolcano for a day, it will clear that right up.
Feeling rather humbled, we crossed the Continental Divide and headed for the South Entrance of Yellowstone. We crossed into Grand Teton National Park and drove the length in the dusk, leaving the highway and crossing the Snake River at Moose for a dirt road. We finally pulled into Teton Village after dark and unloaded into Snake River Lodge and Spa – this was the relaxing part of the trip, except the spa and restaurant were still closed so it turned into another adventure. No worries, we’re flexible!
We had three nights in Teton Village, so we took the morning to get acclimated to the area and then backtracked into Grand Teton National Park for some hiking, photo snapping, and history. First, we made the trek into Jackson to get some pants and long sleeve shirts. It was cloudy, rainy, and absolutely freezing. We were completely unprepared. Welcome to the mountains! We drove back out to Highway 191 and headed for Mormon Row for some pioneer history. You bet I got a photo of the most photographed lonely barn in America with the moody mountains in the background at the T.A. Moulton Homestead. We walked along the road admiring the buildings standing the test of time in that unforgiving climate for a while before heading back to the Jeep for another drive. I totally want to live in the pink house on the John Moulton Homestead! I could cut it as a pioneer rancher living in a pink house. 😄
We stopped again at Elk Ranch Flats for a hike through the sagebrush. It seemed like we walked forever and got nowhere. It’s such an enormous, open space. I can’t even imagine what the first pioneers were thinking when they decided to give it a go there. Back in the Jeep, we rounded the curve at the top of the park and started heading back south along Teton Park Road. We stopped a few times to eat our lunch, hike a little, and admire the view. The Tetons are absolutely spectacular; definitely my favorite national park so far.
We came back into Moose and stopped to visit the outside of the Chapel of Transfiguration, wandered through Menors Ferry Historic District, and down to the extremely fast-moving Snake River. The river was terrifying and you could walk right to the edge to see where the ferry was once pulled across. Nope, nope, nope – I backed out of there in a hurry. Enjoy the terrifying video! We stopped at the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitors Center for a quick look around and in typical me fashion, I walked out with a book – Staking Her Claim: Women Homesteading the West by Marcia Meredith Hensley. It was quite eye-opening even for someone who knows quite a bit about homesteading and the pioneers of America. I would like to think I have the strength, stubbornness, and audacity these women did to survive on their own in the wilderness but I’m not so sure. I might have to brush up on some of my skills. Give this one a read, you’ll learn a thing or two.
After a good long sleep, we rented some bikes to go for a ride the following day. We’re not exactly bike people, but we biked 17 miles to the Snake River and back, then decided to go horseback riding. I LOVE horseback riding. Jason hates it. So, we do it every few trips. Marriage. I recall this ride ending with a rainbow and no one fell off their horse, so it was a good day, no matter how sore our knees (or other parts) were or how much it ended up raining in the end so the mud was deeper than our hiking shoes. They required a hose. We’ve since upgraded to boots for this very reason. I also recall a particularly good apple strudel from this day. You can bet if it has apples or rhubarb, I’m ordering it and I’ll remember it.
We took the next day pretty slow and just went for a hike at Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve. I was terrified of running into a bear the entire hike and was making a ridiculous amount of noise kicking rocks and talking Jason’s ear off. They warned us at the visitor’s center that the bears can’t hear us because of the roaring river, so be aware and don’t catch them off guard. Super comforting! After this, it was time to pack up and get ready for our flight out of Jackson Hole Airport the following morning. That airport has to have the most spectacular view in the country! We left July 2nd and were home in time to watch the neighbor’s fireworks while the dogs hid in the barn.
This was a busy trip for us. We covered at least 1500 miles and experienced nearly every temperature summer can offer out West. We may not have spent a large amount of time at each park, but this sampler trip left us with ideas on where we would like to spend more time in the future. I’m thinking of working trips with hikes. We like those little change of scenery trips with hikes to break up the work day. Miraculously, no one got sick, our flights were uneventful, and our cars cooperated throughout the entire journey.
We would love to hear which National Parks you have been to and what you recommend doing at each of them. National Park trips are something we plan to continue to do in the future. We love how they’re educational but still get us outside exploring the wild places of the world, even if it’s just for some hiking in between work assignments. Nature is the ultimate medicine and a change of scenery can change your entire outlook on the world. Give it a try!
We’ll see you out there!
