We just got back from the most perfect honeymoon. We spent about 10ish days traveling out west to Jackson Hole, Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone and Salt Lake City. Stay tuned for posts from each stop with more details and a whole lot more pictures. And keep reading here for an overview of our trip itinerary and some preview pics!
Day 1 & 1/2
We flew into Salt Lake City, on a direct flight from FLL, got our rental car and headed straight to our hotel to catch some Zzzz. The original plan was to get an early start on Friday and drive up to Jackson, Wyoming. Instead, we decided not to rush (honeymoons are for relaxing, right?). So we found a cute breakfast place called Pig & a Jelly Jar and ate probably the only things on the menu without any pig in it. After that, we unfortunately spent an unplanned 3 hours in a verizon store, but atleast I now have a phone that works. And then we started our five hour drive through the mountains and probably thousands of farms. We supposedly took the scenic route, but I was so sick from the elevation change that it was hard to appreciate the views.
We got to the Snow King Resort, where the front desk agent suggested deep breaths to get used to the elevation. I somehow managed to eat a little dinner at the restaurant where we were staying. And then went right to bed to sleep off the headache.
Day 2
We went back to the Hayden Post restaurant at our hotel for breakfast and after eating chocolate chip pancakes, I felt like a normal person and was ready to really start our vacation. Besides our flights, hotels, and car, the only thing we booked ahead of time for our trip was Jon’s tee time. So our first stop was at Jackson Hole Golf & Tennis Club. I’m so happy I decided to join him. Mostly because we got to spend a beautiful day outside together with the mountains as a backdrop, but also because I got to drive the golf cart.
We spent the rest of the day exploring the town of Jackson. There’s a bunch of unique bars and shops all around the town square. And we even caught the Town Square Shootout. The show itself is pretty silly, but I appreciated the disclaimer in the beginning that they don’t promote gun violence.
Day 3
We put our hiking clothes on, bought some bear spray, and made our way into Grand Teton National Park. Then took the boat across Jenny Lake (saved us about 7 miles) and hiked up to Hidden Falls and then continued up to Inspiration Point. We kept stopping for pictures on the way up thinking each spot was as pretty as it was going to get. Until we got to the top. Oh my goodness, next level beautiful!
We had a late lunch at Dornan’s right outside the entrance of GTNP, relaxed at our hotel for the rest of the afternoon and then went back into town for dinner. It was so nice to be on our own schedule.
Day 4
There was still so much to see in Grand Tetons and we were staying outside of Yellowstone that night, so we drove through the parks and made so many amazing stops along the way. So thankful for our cashier at the outdoor store who pulled up the map on his register computer and showed us the best route. We stopped at Mormon Row, Oxbow Bend, Jackson Lake Lodge (the BEST mountain views), and then before we knew it, we were driving into Yellowstone.
This Florida girl is used to flat roads, not going up and down mountains and on the side of cliffs, so we got out at the first stop we found to stretch our legs and switch drivers. They had a sign posted that the next Old Faithful eruption was within the next 45 mins and was about a half hour drive away. It was already about 7pm so we were able to see one of the most popular Yellowstone attractions without the major crowds.
That night was our one and only night of glamping! We obviously didn’t expect it to be 30 degrees in the middle of June when we booked this. And even though we froze (our wood burning stove went out in the middle of the night), it was such a cool experience.
Melanie: Flannel Shirt –J.Crew Factory (similar) / Jeans – J.Crew Factory / Backpack
Jon: Flannel Shirt (similar) / Flannel lined chinos – J.Crew Factory / Camera
Day 5
We stayed in our tent until we absolutely had to check out and then drove over to the west entrance of the park and quickly discovered the crowds we had heard so much about. Once we got into Yellowstone, we sat in traffic for about two hours til we finally found the hold up – a huge group of bison somewhat close to the side of the road. This was our first major wildlife sighting and I remember saying it made the traffic totally worth it. We got off the road at the next pullout to snap some pictures (from a distance). Then, we also saw a couple of elk and a fox while we were driving.
We checked everything in the Northwest part of the park off our list this day. We stopped at Norris Geyser Basin. The geysers are pretty to look at but less than pretty to smell. Then continued up to Mammoth Hot Springs, with construction and more traffic on the way (added about a half hour each way of drive time). We had a later than planned lunch and then walked over to check out the hot springs. There’s some pretty interesting science behind why things look as cool as they do. The white isn’t snow, but millions of microorganisms (thermophilic bacteria).
There were a bunch of lady elks and baby elks just hanging out super close to the hotels and houses in this area. One of the park rangers made sure to keep us at a safe distance as someone had to be airlifted to the hospital after an elk charged at them the week before we were there. He told us she had gotten in between a mom and her babies without realizing it.
On our way back towards the West Yellowstone entrance we found.. more traffic. Jon suggested I get out of the car and see what the hold up was. And since I’m not a quitter, I walked for an hour and a half with just my camera. All of a sudden there was a huge herd of bison walking down the street towards me! I snapped as many pictures as I could until I got scared and actually got into a stranger’s car. They were coming on both sides of the road, weaving in and out of cars. Thankfully, these were nice and local strangers and they waited til the bison were a safe distance away (25 yards) and let me out of their car. I followed at a safe distance behind them to get back to my husband.
Day 6
After the long hours of sitting in traffic and spending way too much time in the car, we decided to take a break from Yellowstone. We mostly just took the time to appreciate and relax in our amazing cabin in Idaho. We made a mini trip into the town of West Yellowstone (just outside the park) for food and souvenirs. Such a necessary day of naps and couch time. This day made me so happy that we planned our own trip and were on our own schedule. Sometimes you just need to take a break and refresh.
Day 7
After our day off, we were ready to cross some more stops off our Yellowstone list. We made breakfast at home – having a kitchen in our cabin was the greatest thing. And then drove to the park. Getting there at 9am is worlds better than 10:30! We managed to see all of the most beautiful places this day. First stop was Grand Prismatic. This is one of the most popular spots at YNP, for good reason. The colors are unbelievable. And thanks to a sorority sister who took a similar trip the week before us, we knew to visit Fairy Falls. This short hike gets you to the best overlook of Grand Prismatic.
After lunch we went to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. First, we took the short but steep trail to the Lower Falls. You stand right next to where the waterfall starts and where the water comes rushing down. The views and pictures from this spot look so beautifully fake. We then drove over to Artist Point to get the view of the canyon from the South end. We could point out the spot where we had just been standing. This is one of the most iconic and photographed places in Yellowstone.
Day 8
Our last day in Yellowstone National Park. And unfortunately we woke up to a cold and rainy day. Til we were told that the rain brings out the animals. We were staying west of the park and had already visited every major spot on the west side and in the middle. I had heard that the Lamar Valley on the Northeast end of the park was the best place for spotting wildlife. After driving through my first ever snowfall (!!!) in the mountains we went on a drive searching for moose and bears. This seemed like a long drive on the map so we picked a landmark to be our turnaround point. But, when we got there a ranger said to keep going because we were in Moose Country. We ended up leaving through the northeast entrance and into town but unfortunately never spotted any moose.
We did see a million more bison. But at this point we were jaded from how close we got a few days before – (“oh its just more bison”). And we got some pictures of antelope and what we were told at the time was a bald eagle. Looking back at the pictures, we now realize it was probably an osprey.
We made one more stop at the Petrified Tree – which is actually a pretty disappointing tree stump. After our hours long animal hunt car ride we needed to stretch our legs a little more and went on the Lost Lake hiking trail, just passed the tree. We got to the top of the hill and were about to turn around because we didn’t really know where we were going. I saw the family ahead of us pointing and we quickly went to see what they were pointing at. There was a black bear and three cubs! This moment was both exciting and terrifying. As we were walking back down the trail a fox started walking with us. We were still in panic mode from being so close to bears and were terrified of this cute little fox too.
Shirt – Madewell (on sale) / Jeans – J.Crew Factory / Boots – Sam Edelman
Day 9
The drive back to Salt Lake City is so much better through Idaho. Besides the lack of mountains, this route takes you right by the Idaho Potato Museum. We were probably way more excited about this than we should have been. You get a discount on admission for being a AAA member and it was SO informative! Did you know there are 17 ingredients in McDonalds fries? AND they give ‘free taters to out of staters’ aka dehydrated hash browns. We obviously had to make our way to the cafe for a baked Idaho potato and even tried potato ice cream. AND let’s talk about attention to detail. They have a contraption out front for your phone to get the perfect photo with the giant potato and your souvenirs come in a potato sack! Of course we needed the shot glass that looks like a little potato.
We eventually made our way back to SLC and checked in to the beautiful Kimpton Hotel Monaco. After a little nap, we headed down to the wine hour at our hotel. And then walked to a restaurant close by for dinner. The last thing we wanted was to get back into the car.
Day 10
On our last day of our perfect honeymoon, we slept in and eventually made our way downstairs for brunch at Bambara, the restaurant in our hotel. We asked for the latest checkout possible. And then watched the golf tournament on TV til we had to leave the hotel. We eventually made our way out to explore SLC. Fun fact – almost everything is closed on Sundays in Salt Lake City. So don’t do what I did and misplace your sunglasses. H&M will not be open to sell you a cheap replacement.
We walked to the two blocks to temple square and then to the library to see an art exhibit. And then we found a shitty sports bar (the only restaurant that was open) to watch some more golf. I love researching locations on Instagram. Especially day of to see what’s going on where I’m visiting. I discovered the Hall of Breakfast and somehow managed to talk Jon into going. Similar to the Museum of Ice Cream, but without the long lines every time you want to take a picture. We then rushed to a quick Mexican dinner at Red Iguana (recommended by so many). And then headed straight to the airport for our red eye back home.
…and then practically straight to work the next morning.
I’m sure its hard to believe that I still have more to share, but check out more detailed posts (with way more pictures) from each stop of our trip:
Part 2: Grand Teton National Park
this country is so beautiful and I am glad you had such a great time. this is something you will remember the rest of your lives. I love you both. Love Dad (Stanton).