Trip Planning: The Perfect Family Trip 2016!

[tragusa3]

Hello to all my friends here that have shared in our first, "The Perfect Family Trip". At the time, we thought that may be a one time shot. We are terribly excited to say that we have had a permanent change in our work that will allow us to have repeat after repeat!

Here's the link to the first trip. Trip Report: The Perfect Family Trip

I remember several commenting that the word "perfect" was inappropriate and not synonymous with road trips. Since our first lived up to the word in every way, keeping it in my thread title seemed fitting.

I look forward to having all your input and help in planning our Summer 2016. Reservations are key to us having a stress free trip, so we need to get an itinerary put together soon!

Here's our initial thoughts: Leave SC around June 7th, 2016 and have 6 weeks with a possible 7th if it is needed.

-Badlands
-Hot Springs
-Wind Cave
-Custer SP
-Mt. Rushmore
-Little Big Horn
-Yellowstone
-Tetons
-Glacier (optional...might be too far out for us?)

Looks like about 4500 miles round trip for us. We did 6,000 last summer and were fine with it.

I haven't researched enough to know how much time at each park yet. I'm thinking that Yellowstone is the cornerstone of the trip and deserves about 10 days. If Glacier works in, I think a large block there too, being that it's so far.

Planning with you guys was so much fun, let's start throwing out ideas, suggestions and comments!

[jalichty]

The Buffalo museum actually is five or six museums in one building and is fantastic. However, it's a bit of a trip from GTNP to get there as you have to go through YNP to the east entrance over Sylvan Pass. Depending on where you stay in YNP, it's not too bad a trip but it's not just a hop, skip and a jump to get there. However, it will well worth it. Groceries and gas are less expensive in Jackson, Cody or anywhere else outside the parks then they are inside the parks. Having said that, if we run low while at Colter Bay, the general store there is pretty well stocked and their prices are "reasonable" for the location. Just don't stock up for the rest of the trip while in there. If you want to pics, just pm me and with your email and I'll get some over to you.

[tragusa3]

Thanks for the help on grocery stores. It looks like a mid week day trip to Cody for Walmart and the museum is in order.

BTW, I did replace my truck tires in preparation of the trip. Went with the Michelin Defender LTX M/S in the "E" load range. I've been on two camping trips with them and can appreciate the move from P to LT tires. The ride is stiffer and feels more stable.

Lichty, it would be fun to meet up. I'll PM you.

[jalichty]

Bump!!!

[2gypsies1]

If you're coming in from the south, just outside the town of Jackson to the south is a huge Smiths on the west side of the highway and Albertson's on the east side. There may be more since we've been there. If you're staying in the Tetons, it would be an easy drive to re-stock and get fuel at a cheaper price and poke around in the town of Jackson. Then before you head into Yellowstone make another trip to re-stock. West Yellowstone would be the most convenient for milk, bread, etc. There are two small stores for those.

It will be a interesting report on your traveling without a schedule as you did before. Have a good trip. Be safe!

[j3ff9ack]

tragusa3 wrote:

Anyway, I'll post some last minute questions here:

We are planning to buy groceries at the last cheap grocery store before we get to the Tetons. We'll have 14 days total at the Tetons and Yellowstone, but can't hold that many groceries at once. I see a Walmart 1.5 hours to the east of Fishing Bridge. We could take a half day to drive out and restock? Is that drive worthy of some site seeing too? To those that have been, how would you handle 14 days of groceries? I'm too cheap to buy them all at the park stores.

The Walmart east of FB is the one in Cody and it's a gorgeous drive from FB to Cody - looks like a spaghetti Western movie set with red rock formations and the Shoshone River running through the valley. Cody has several great features including the Buffalo Bill Cody dam and the three museums in the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. You probably don't have time to do much in Cody, but Google it and see if there is something besides groceries that justifies your trip.

As others have mentioned, there are reasonable supermarkets in Jackson. West Yellowstone has stores, but they aren't much cheaper than ones in the park.

14 days of groceries requires a big refrigerator/freezer with two or three big (60 qt or bigger) coolers and good planning, but it can be done. Based on your other trip report, I think you have the ability to plan the grocery issue and make it work.

[jalichty]

tragusa3, sounds like a great trip. I would take exception to the post about seeing Grand Teton in one day. Sure, you can drive by the Tetons and take a look, but there is so much more in GTNP. Jackson Lake, (Colter Bay Campground) is a great place to park your RV, if you are dry-camping, and then the fun begins. You can hike around part of the lake, come back to the Marina and take a cruise, lunch or dinner if you like, and get right up to the base of Mt. Moran rating about 6,000 feet straight up. Then go over to Jenny Lake, hike to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point or take a cruise boat over there. Then to the Moose entrance and Craing Thomas Visitor Center and then go over to Gros Ventre and get back to Slide Lake, site of one of the largest landslides in the whole USA. Then back to Moose Entrance and over the the Laurence Rockefeller Reserve, the newest part of GTNP, and a great, easy hike to Phelps Lake, the site of the Rockefeller Compound prior to being given to the GTNP and at least 30 building were razed and taken out. You can see Death Canyon from the lake as well. While you are doing this, you can also drive around and go over to Two Ocean Lake just a ways from the South Entrance to GTNP, there's also wilderness around there as well. All this time will also have you driving around and sightseeing, looking for wildlife. It's wonder when you do spot some. By the way, we will probably be at Colter Bay the first week in June, around the 10th of July for a week or so and then in August. We usually go up to the Lake around the 5th or 6th of July and stay for a week, celebrating our anniversary on the 10th with pizza and beer on the deck at Leek's Marina Pizza. One of the best spots in the world to finish up the day. We have, at times, simply hopped in our boat at Colter Bay, run down to Leeks, tie up the boat at the docks and walked up to the pizza place and had a great time. If you are planning on staying at Colter Bay Campground, the best time to get there to get your choice of spots would be between 9:30 and 11:00 am as the checkout time is 11:00 and a lot of people are trying to get to someplace else so they leave pretty early. Hope you have a great trip, and if you are in GTNP around the time we are, would love to meet you and your family. Send me a PM and I'll send you some pictures to wet your appetite for GTNP.

[CloudDriver]

There is a WalMart in Cody, which is probably the one you are referring to. There is also a WalMart in Riverton and a nice Safeway aat the north end of Lander. There are also two small grocery stores in West Yellowstone and another small one in the town of Gardiner at the North entrance.

There are two large supermarkets at the southern end of the town of Jackson near Grand Teton NP, an Albertsons and a Smiths. The least expensive gas in the area is also at the southern end of Jackson.

No need to buy groceries inside the Parks.

BTW, we are heading out in a week or so for Grand Teton & Yellowstone. We don't do a fixed schedule, so have never have made reservations in the past. We have no reservations this time either.

[tragusa3]

Getting excited! Less than a month until we take off!

We've been doing little things to the trailer over the last few months. This weekend we are going through all of the storage areas and purging out weight. I know we can take out 3-400 pounds that we use for local trips but don't need to travel across the country with.

As far as planning, we've planned far less for this trip than the 2014 trip. We only have reservations for Yellowstone and Glacier. The rest will be freestyle. Not sure why I didn't plan the same? Maybe something inside didn't want the commitment to schedule that we had on the last trip.

Anyway, I'll post some last minute questions here:

We are planning to buy groceries at the last cheap grocery store before we get to the Tetons. We'll have 14 days total at the Tetons and Yellowstone, but can't hold that many groceries at once. I see a Walmart 1.5 hours to the east of Fishing Bridge. We could take a half day to drive out and restock? Is that drive worthy of some site seeing too? To those that have been, how would you handle 14 days of groceries? I'm too cheap to buy them all at the park stores.

[EcoBullet]

I know you don't need any help in getting stoked for the trip, but if you want a preview of some of the sights, check out Jack Bell Photography on Facebook. He is an awesome photographer that lives near Glacier NP. Jack Bell on Facebook

[tragusa3]

Went ahead and made the reservations at St. Mary's for 7 nights. They were down to about 6 sites left that would fit me.

[tragusa3]

Hello folks! I spent this morning getting to know Glacier NP a little better. I'm thinking now that we will make our stay a little shorter. Seven nights. Also thinking of staying in one place (as suggested by someone earlier) instead of a little on the west and a little on the east.

Seeing as how you can't take the Going to the Sun road with a trailer, I don't see the value in driving up the west side and then going around the park to the east side. How much time does the drive around take?

Considering St. Mary's campground in the park and making a day trip to the west side.

[EcoBullet]

tragusa3 wrote:
Eco, do you think they'll take $80 and let me use them just for the trip? That would be nice!

:h Sure! :B

[tragusa3]

Eco, do you think they'll take $80 and let me use them just for the trip? That would be nice!

[tragusa3]

EcoBullet, I like your logic! I'll use your thinking to make myself better and my thinking to put guilt on the rest of the family. 😉

Thanks for the tip on Ash Falls. Our reservations at Yellowstone are going to keep us on the move for our trip west, but we should have spare time on the trip back east. I'll look it up on a map and see if it fits in!

[hhornig]

I just came across your thread and had to add my two cents. Have you ever heard of Ash Falls. It is an active fossil dig near Royal Nebraska. Ash Falls was created by the eruption of Yellowstone and the ash suffocated a lot of animals at a water hole there. It is very educational and it gives you an interesting insight into the power of the volcano that lies beneath Yellowstone.

The route to Ash Falls is not too much out of the way and you can camp at Neligh City Park which is pretty close. Last time I was there camping fees were $12 for full hookup with free WiFi.