Vacation

We had such a fun time on vacation. It was a great time to go to Yellowstone because it was not the busy season yet but there were still enough people to make it fun. We were able to get great deals on our hotels but make sure to save extra money for food. Our biggest expense while there was food. I will probably pack supplies for lunches next year and go out to dinner only. Most of the hotels had free breakfast anyway.

The first night we stayed in Lehi, Utah at my husbands request. Seems there was a Cabela's nearby and he had to go:) It was a normal city and only 1/2 hr. from Salt Lake. We accidentally got on the "wrong" freeway, the 80, but it was a good mistake. It lead us to the 89 which was our original destination and it didn't take any extra time in the end. The drive was BEAUTIFUL! It took us through some gorgeous country and big lakes.

The second night we stayed at The Togwotee Mountain Lodge in Moran, Wyoming. This was our favorite place to stay even though it was off the beaten path. We stayed in the lodge but next year we"ll stay in the cabins for a few days instead of just one. The lodge has a restaurant inside which was nice and they are updating their menu to include a kids menu and dessert, yum:) This lodge was just minutes from the Grand Teton National Park. We are definitely spending more time there next year. It was so gorgeous!!

The third and fourth night, we stayed in Cody, Wyoming. This was a pretty neat town with lots to do inside and out. There is a big museum, a shoot-out in the streets, a rodeo and lots more. We were able to see it all in two days. Next year we could get away with staying just one night if at all. You have to see it but probably only once.

The fourth night we stayed at the Canyon Village cabins in Yellowstone National Park. The location here was GREAT! The cabins were a little musty smelling but the location makes up for that. There is so much to see in the Canyon area of the park. Because it was early June the waterfalls were beautiful. The snow was still melting off the mountains so the water levels were high. There were lots of great places to fish here as well here. We'll probably stay here longer next year as well. We drove from the Canyon area down to Old Faithful and it was great to see in person. I wouldn't recommend staying at The Old Faithful Inn though because of all the people that come to look at it.

The fifth and sixth night, we stayed at the City Center Motel in West Yellowstone, Wyoming. This motel was very clean and the staff was so friendly. There was an adjacent restaurant called Gushers that had reasonably priced food that tasted great. This was my favorite town by far. It is like a big Julian. I wish I had had another day there to explore. It was 1/2 hr. from the Madison area of the park and and hour or so from Old Faithful. There is a Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center, an Imax theatre and lots of neat shops. Aaron was just glad there was a Dairy Queen:)

We stayed in Lehi again on the way home. It takes about 12 hours to get home from there so the last day of driving is the pits but you're so tired you don't care. The scenery is bleak off the 15, nothing but desert:(

I'm already planning for next year. Aaron says. "Next year? Let's recover from this year first!"