Will 20 mos. old be to young for Yellowstone?

skipro3 wrote:

20 months old...almost terrible twos. How will they handle a drive to/from Yellowstone? The 20 month old won't remember the trip much.

The operative word is ALMOST. Henry was a sweetheart the whole time, including the car trip. Lots of breaks where we played in local parks in small towns along the way. He thought we were on a nation-wide playground tour; every stop had a playground we could unwind at. Ha!

No, he won't remember this trip, but he will see those photos and be wanting to go again when he's older. If we limited vacations to only when a child starts to remember, your looking at 5+ years of pretty boring life.

We took our kids from the start on our outdoor adventures. From taking a crib and setting up in a tent to now with our grand kids in a 'well appointed' RV.

Some folks here point out the safety aspect at Yellowstone in particular. I would think it would go without saying to NOT let a toddler down on the ground near a bubbling hot spring. He goes from car seat to back pack or stroller where he is strapped in, or limit to just looking from the car, or even not partaking of those sights this trip. Nothing says you HAVE to go to the more adventurous locations. Save those for future years. Yellowstone and other NP's are not a once in a lifetime trip. At least they shouldn't be. I know I've gone at least 7 or 8 times in my life, starting as a small child with my folks and now as an old man with my grand kids.

I loved your photos and I couldn't have said it any better. My sons are now 40 and 41 and we never let their age stop us from hiking or camping. They have fond memories of the photos and when they were old enough to remember.