3000+ miles. 2 weeks on the road. 3 National Parks. 3 Hotels. 5 States. 7 Camping Days. Tons of memories.
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Laura and I first did a shortened version of this trip in March 2002. We were dating at the time and she had break in school. I drove up from Burns, Oregon to pick her up in Spokane, Washington. Our loyal lab Duff accompanied us on the journey where he enjoyed the backseat to himself. We mostly stayed in motels but also did snow camping. Since Glacier, Yellowstone, and Teton have most of the roads closed in the winter, we explored by snowshoeing. The parks were sparse with people which allowed us to move around easily. The 6 day trip was fantastic and left us wanting more. That time is now.
Of course, we may just do it again in a few years. These national parks are just that awesome!
Day 12 & 13: I’ll keep this post short because we basically drove for the last two days. We didn’t plan on it when we left Grand Teton but it was the right choice when we left Boise. We left Grand Teton National Park by 6:45am and arrived in Boise around 2:30pm. The first thing …
![Moose, Bike Riding, and Killer Views of Grand Teton National Park [Video]](http://www.brettandlaura.com/wp-content/themes/TheTravelTheme/includes/timthumb.php?src=http://www.brettandlaura.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_4659.jpg&h=200&w=200&zc=1)
Day 11: Autumn slept great so we leisurely rolled out of the tent, ate breakfast, and prepared for the day. It would be our second and last day of our short visit to Grand Teton National Park. We decided a nice morning bike ride through the valley, followed by a ranger program, and hike along …
Day 10: Up and out of Yellowstone National Park bright and early. We had a campsite to claim in Grand Teton National Park and it was 4th of July weekend. Unlike Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks, there are no reservable campsites in Grand Teton. We decided to go big and for the most popular campground …
Day 9: Today we would drive less and hike more. We spent a lot of time in the car yesterday, but it’s just how Yellowstone is set up. Today we would only drive about 15 minutes from our campsite and find nearby hikes. We drove along Yellowstone River and stopped at Mud Volcano. The area …
Day 8: Up and at ‘em Autumn told us with a loud wail at 5am. No one was ready to get up, especially the rest of the campground. Laura and Autumn were up a lot the night before so rather than fight this 5am wake-up call, I loaded her in the car and went for …
Day 7: We said our good-byes to Scottie and his family and made our to Yellowstone National Park. Our route took us through Cody, Wyoming which seemed like a nice town. I don’t know much about Buffalo Bill but he’s big around these parts. There is a huge museum in Cody that is all about …
![“Mom, I think I’m allergic to the sun!” [Video]](http://www.brettandlaura.com/wp-content/themes/TheTravelTheme/includes/timthumb.php?src=http://www.brettandlaura.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_4065.jpg&h=200&w=200&zc=1)
Day 6: “Mom, I think I’m allergic to the sun!” This is becoming a common phrase from Ethan. We have experienced a lot of sun this past week, which apparently has caused Ethan some difficulty, but we do think he’s being a bit extreme when he says he’s allergic. We tell him to drink more …
Day 5: When you have to go, you have to go. Eastern Montana offers plenty of wide open spaces and solitude. Unfortunately, this also includes few or no rest areas for bathroom breaks. So when a child says he needs to go, then you pull over and go. We’re getting use to the quick pull …
Day 4: Ethan received his first Junior Park Ranger badge today. He didn’t know what to expect when we handed in his packet to the ranger. But upon receiving the badge, he proudly displays it on a shirt or jacket…whatever his outer garment is. We’re proud of our little guy. We packed up camp and …
Day 3: The night was chilly and Autumn a bit restless, but our first of nine camping nights went well. I cooked up some delicious mountain pancakes before we headed to the Apgar Visitor Center. At the center we inquired about trail conditions and those appropriate for kids. Ethan picked up a pre-reader Junior Ranger …