In the seven years we’ve had kids in school, we’ve never actually gone out of town for fall break (or spring break for that matter!)- and this was finally our year! We decided to go explore Yellowstone! Hudson is in 4th grade so he gets a national parks pass. And since we were going to be in the area, we decided to add on a visit to Jackson Hole and Grand Teton National Park. We hoped our itinerary wouldn’t be too much, or that our destinations would be too crowded (since these parks can get so packed during peak tourist season) and that the weather would still be pleasant. I’m happy to report it was a success on all accounts!
We left Thursday for Jackson Hole- which I haven’t visited since I was 11 and Ben and the kids had never been! I was surprised how much we loved it- the charm of the town and the absolute stunning beauty of nature surrounding us! The drive was incredible with fall leaves in full color. We went straight to Jenny Lake and spent almost an hour playing on the lake shore- skipping rocks, throwing rocks, building towers of rocks. The sun was shining, no one else was around, the Tetons were magnificent and the fall leaves were brilliant. It was the happiest, most peaceful little memory!
After our time in the park, we headed back into Jackson Hole for dinner and some more exploring the town. I made us get a family picture at the iconic antler arch, which weirdly Ben had never seen or heard of, and seemed doubtful but I promised him it’s a thing.
Our first day was such a success! There were a few toddler meltdowns in the car, but otherwise it was so smooth! I felt energized and encouraged that this trip was going to be awesome! (Spoiler alert- it was!)
The next morning we took off for Yellowstone! When we initially planned the trip, in my mind I thought we’d been there pretty recently. But upon further thought I realized it’s been 6 years since we’d been! I was pregnant with Davis last time! We spent two days exploring all the hot pots, geysers and waterfalls. It was so beautiful in the park and the crowds were incredibly low. We really hit the jackpot!
Davis was not into the stinky smell of the hot pots- the big kids were fascinated by them!
To make our road trip smoother, I planned for awards for each day. One award to the kid who kept their seat in the car the cleanest (this worked so well- we had a very organized car the whole trip without any nagging from us!). One award to the kid with the best attitude all day (Each boy won this once- and we had really great attitudes all around!) And then they could all win the “no whining” award for any kid who did ZERO whining all day. I had treats for each award and this system went incredibly well. The boys were so excited to find out who won each night!
Our hotel in West Yellowstone was definitely older. “Rustic” as Hudson would later claim. But it was clean and totally worked for us. It had an indoor pool and hot tub that we used both afternoons we were there. We had fun eating out at restaurants every night (a real rarity for our kids who totally loved it). And of course, wherever we go Ben always likes to find the best ice cream shops.
Davis loved ordering root beer everywhere we went. “Black rootbeer” as he always calls it. This night as he was drinking he was saying “I LOVE kid caffeine!”
This trip was such a fun time as a family! We had so much great quality time with the kids and actually came home feeling calm and just a normal amount of exhausted, which was a big win for us as parents! Our kids are such great little travelers- they love every part of the adventure, from hotels, to restaurants, to animals and scenery and historical significance. I love traveling with this little crew!
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