My family is planning a trip from alabama out west to include the grand tetons, yellowstone and glacier. Does anyone have any suggestions on things we should consider in our itinerary? We will have 4 teenagers with us so we would like to include some things that would make the trip memorable for them as well. Any suggestions on a route, campground recommendations or places of interest would be appreciated.
Lets see.....I went last year to Yellowstone for a week(wish it was longer) but the two teens of our traveling companions probably wished it was a shorter trip. I can comment on a few things the kids did like:
Go whitewater rafting one day
Check out The Boiling River and the other swimming location in YSNP
Go to an all inclusive Rodeo(including horseback ride, dinner and Rodeo)
Jackson Hole in the Tetons is always good to walk around even for teens
It seemed our teens couldnt pull their heads out of their I-pods enough to care about seeing any wildlife(how sad)....Im sure others will have plenty of suggestions aside from all the usual tourist places in each area. Have a Great Trip....
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Some places I remember from the past that are a bit out of the ordinary.
Cody, WY - I think this is the place where they have the rodeo every night. Plus good rafting there. Very cowboyish.
Also, not sure of your budget, but you may hit some big cities and some of the attractions with them, such as 6 flags, or a water park. Also many of the out of the way places have 4x4 rentals &/or tours.
Thermopolis, WY - One of my all time favorites as a kid. Hot springs that feed into a few pools. It's not fancy, but great fun as a younger kid. The older ones could get a bit bored unless there are others there.
I'm sure they have guides around the Grands T's, you could probably arrange a hike and maybe a rock climbing session that's not too much.
You don't mention Colorado, but if you are going that route, plenty of tourist things that would keep teens occupied. Cave of the Winds, Cog railway up pike peak, Coors plan in Golden, etc. etc.
jsparkscougar wrote: .... What kind of clothes should we pack for Yellowstone and Glacier in late June and early July? Will it be warm or cold?
We've been camping (initally tent and now pup) for 30 years and have done those 3 parks multiple times. Just back to Tetons last year for a full 3 weeks.
Clothing --- unfortunately, you have to be prepared for 3 season. We had a number of days in the 90 degree range (remember heat wave last year?), but some nights went down to the 40's. You're in mountain areas, with portions of desert. Temps can easily change 40+ degrees. The most packing we do for our hiking trips is for clothing. It can even snow (and everyone who has camped in these areas for awhile has seen July snow). Won't stick --- but will get cold even if it was 90 degrees 3 days earlier.
You just don't know. I always admonish people that the biggest problem I've seen for the years, with tourists, is not to prepare for all conditions that WILL happen in these western, mountain, regions.
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Does anyone have tips on how to pack clothes for all these temperatures? We will be traveling in a fifth wheel... it has normal storage. Any suggestions on how or what you packed in yours would be great.
Take passports and go on up into Canada...part of Glacier is in Canada. That's where we saw a black bear and her cubs up in a tree and a lot of other animals. There are also great hiking opportunities in Glacier.
jsparkscougar - pingpong has an excellent suggestion about adding Waterton to your travels, it borders Glacier NP. Just bring your passports and do not bring any guns. Check the forum on Canada/Alaska in this net. Multilayer clothing is probably the best way to cope with the wide ranging temperatures that you may encounter. Rather than packing heavy winter clothes, take along some sweaters, sweatshirts, light jacket, windbreaker, caps, etc. that can be added or taken off as the temperature warms up or turns cold. Some of this extra clothing can probably be stored in your TV in heavy duty plastic bags or something that can be stuffed behind seats or in tight places. Would advise taking jackets that are rain resistant if possible since you might encounter rainy weather. Have a good trip, you will enjoy Teddy Roosevelt NP a lot!
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