Jess had seen an article in the December 2016 Southwest Magazine on her Christmas flight suggesting Jackson Wyoming as a fantastic place to see the solar eclipse happening on August 21, 2017. Jess had taken a photo of the entry to remember it. Flash forward to May, 2017. While hanging out with friends Zach and Dana, the subject of the solar eclipse came up and Jessica mentioned the article. The group thought a road trip through Yellowstone sounded like an amazing idea. Since it was late in the game – August is peak tourist season for Yellowstone, and eclipse enthusiasts had been planning their trips years in advance – we initially considered driving an RV through the park because we didn’t think we could get hotel reservations. But after some quick research, we discovered that nice RVs are super expensive, and the entire RV rental process is a pain. Plus none of us had driven an RV before, and it would be impossible to find parking at the major sites, so we would have also had to rent a car. Ugh. No thanks! So the group scrambled to get hotels – limited availability required a different hotel for almost every night, secure a rental car, plot a driving course to maximize the short amount of time they had, and book dinner reservations.
Since this is a road trip, we’ve decided to document the details on a day to day basis. Enjoy!
Day 0.5:
Flight out of DCA on Jet Blue with a layover in Orlando, which was weird. DCA is an awesome airport, with short security lines, and good food options (although seating is limited). We’re fans of Jet Blue, because they have lots of leg space. Jess used miles for her ticket. We decided that since the flight was over dinner time, we would order ALL the snack boxes. Why? Because we got a 50% discount with our JetBlue credit card. They were all pretty tasty, actually. The service was slow, particularly our drinks. But at least they provide pretty good in flight snacks and entertainment.
The hotel for the night was the Hilton Salt Lak City Center. Conveniently located about 15 minutes from the airport and directly in the heart of town, the hotel had nice common areas and fast and efficient service. We got an automatic upgrade to a ridiculously large bedroom with separate living room, which was kind of pointless given the short stay. The executive lounge had a nice view, but the food and beverage options for breakfast were just okay. The hotel was surprisingly expensive at $305 before tax for the night, but we had a $100 off certificate that we’d gotten in Vegas for going to the timeshare presentation. Saaaa-wheat!
Day 1:
We got a leisurely start before a 300 mile road trip from Salt Lake City to just outside West Yellowstone. We woke up, visited Squatter’s Pub and Brewery, which was a convenient one block walk from our hotel and had delicious local beers that we consumed at 11am. Because vacation! We then ventured approximately a mile from our hotel to Temple Square, the home of the Mormon church. The Temple is impressive, and the grounds are beautifully manicured. I do wish they’d allow you inside the Temple to see the grandiose interior. Since they don’t, we had to settle for a diorama.
We hit the road around 1pm. We stopped to buy beer and wine, and grabbed sandwiches at Great Harvest Bread Co. on the outskirts of the city. The sandwiches were outstanding! I’d definitely go again.
We drove for just under 200 miles before stopping at a real gem – The Idaho Potato Museum – in Blackfoot Idaho. For $4 per adult, you can see the world’s largest potato crisp, a potato(e?!) signed by Dan Quayle, and learn all sorts of great facts that relate to potatoes. Jess’ favorite: the original Mr. Potato Head toy was just appendages and accessories that you put on REAL potatoes. They only started producing the body when parents complained about rotten potatoes around the house. Devin’s favorite: Idaho does not produce potatoes all over. In fact, almost 50% of Idaho potatoes are grown in the bottom southeast corner of the state, and no potatoes are grown in the Northern portion (the entire handle). Blackfoot, you will be surprised to learn, is in this fertile potato region!
Leaving the potato museum was sad, but we continued on to the next exciting stop 30 miles away: WALMART! Woooo! Just kidding. It was a normal Walmart, but we needed to buy some snacks and supplies. Water, chips, nuts, peanut butter, a wine opener, ice, cups. You know, the important stuff. Jess had cleverly brought a collapsible cooler in her carry on, but the group added a Styrofoam cooler for a whopping $2.50, as well. More on the Styrofoam cooler on eclipse day!
Back on the road, the group put another 100 miles down and the flat Idaho landscape turned into forests and mountains. We crossed into the state of Montana, and just a few miles later we arrived at our second night hotel: Yellowstone Under Canvas. Glamping! And it did not disappoint. Thanks to the combination of peak season/eclipse travel, one night cost a painful $434 before tax (for comparison, you could snag a tent with one day’s booking notice exactly a week later – so still a Friday night in peak season – for $194). The resort did give us an auto-upgrade a few weeks out because they apparently overbooked the type of room we had picked.
Cost aside, we absolutely will use this company again in this and other locations. The check-in tent had sitting areas, a fireplace, and all-day provided fresh coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. The outdoor common area featured fireplaces, tables, camp games (cornhole, horseshoes, and a volleyball court), and bathrooms with showers for tents that didn’t include bathroom facilities. Our tent was super cute, with a cozy bed, a siting area with chairs and a sofa-bed, and a cool wood pellet stove (other rooms have wood burning fireplaces). We didn’t even get to take advantage of the freestanding bathtub or shower, but the room had a flush toilet and full bathroom, and the water warmed quickly. Our tent also had a separate tepee with cots and sleeping bags, so this would be a really cool place for a big family to stay. Apparently a week or two before, there had been a moose right next to our tent! But, alas, we didn’t see him while there.
In addition to the campground (glampground?), the area has a lodge and a restaurant. We walked over to the restaurant – Bar N Ranch – without many expectations, but it turned out to be pretty tasty. The log cabin décor featured a variety of taxidermied animals, as you should expect of a western restaurant. If you don’t, it’s because you haven’t been to enough rustic western restaurants. They had a decent beer, wine, and cocktail list with fairly reasonable prices (at least compared to DC). The food was expensive, but excellent quality. Jessica had espresso encrusted elk, Devin had a 12 oz. ribeye, and Zana shared a buffalo tenderloin. Everyone tried everything, and the clear least favorite was the elk. The espresso overpowered the natural flavor of the meat. But all items were well-prepared, and considering the location it definitely deserved 4 or 5 stars. We caught a golf cart back to our tent, as it was now very dark. Spoiler: there are no street lights at this glamping resort!
We made great use of the tepee after dinner by dragging the cots and sleeping bags out into the open, cuddling into them, and looking at the amazing dark sky stars. The Milky Way was stunning, and you could see lots of shooting stars!
After three states, more than 300 miles, and thousands of stars, it was time for sleep.
Day 2:
The stove gradually ran out of fuel in the middle of the night, and the cabin settled to a pleasant temperature that is perfect for snuggling under the covers (well, for Devin and Jess – not so much for Zana, who prefer a warmer environment) Jess was up at dawn. Literally, 15 minutes before sunrise, which was at 6:30. She walked the short 30 yards to the river to watch the sunrise with a cup of coffee from the reception tent. Dana was up not too much later. The pellet stove required an employee to light it, so Jess and Dana went to reception to get someone. They also indulged in coffee around the inside fire, and had a very pleasant chat with another camper. By 8am, the boys were up and moving, and we repacked for another day on the road.
As the group drove to the first stop, breakfast, a moose crossed the road directly in front of them just after leaving camp! A moose! Pretty great way to start the road trip. The first stop out of the park was for breakfast at Ernie’s in West Yellowstone. We grabbed some breakfast burritos and sandwiches, which were a good option for eating while driving. And then we were finally in Yellowstone! The real deal!
Zach is a veteran, so we got in for free, which was pretty cool. Normally, it’s $25 per car per day, or you can buy a year pass for $50. We entered from the West Gate, and turned right on the Grand Loop. Yellowstone has a single two lane road running in an oval, with parking and trails running off it, and a road across the middle of the Grand Loop as a shortcut. Our first day in the park was dedicated to the Southern half of the Grand Loop. We had planned stops at the Lower or Midway Geyser basin, Old Faithful, West Thumb Geyser Basin, and the Yellowstone Lake (and the Lake Hotel).
Without delving into every minute of the incredible beauty that is Yellowstone, it’s worth noting that we missed one of the must see items on the southern part of the Grand Loop, which is the Grand Prismatic pool at the Midway Geyser basin. However we stopped at all sorts of neat geysers and paint pots, and got to watch stupid tourists touch the hot and chemically dangerous water. Super!
In addition to a gorgeous drive, and some early and easy buffalo sightings, Devin’s favorite stop was the art store near Old Faithful. The photography of Yellowstone featured in the shop is just surreally beautiful. Jessica’s favorite stop was the Yellowstone Lake Hotel. She can’t wait to go back and stay there, and enjoy a glass of bubbly while reading a book in the sun in the large portrait windows overlooking the lake. We definitely want to come back and stay at the Old Faithful Inn, which is just a super cool lodge overlooking Yellowstone’s most famous attraction!
After a morning of adventuring, we grabbed lunch at the Yellowstone Lake Hotel’s deli. There’s also a restaurant, which was closed by the time we got there, a general grocery with a little restaurant, and the Lake Lodge restaurant. But the deli was pretty delicious, with ridiculously large sandwiches! Devin’s only complaint is that they were out of bison chili. Wah waaaaaah!
From lunch, we headed to our hotel, which was 2 miles outside of the East gate. The road wound along the edge of the lake, through scenic marshlands, and steep mountain cliffs. We saw a buffalo right near the road, and stopped to snap some pictures as he wandered off the road through a flowery meadow. The drive to the gate was about 45 minutes.
Our third hotel, for two nights, was a cabin at Pahaska Tepee. It was not nearly as luxurious as our glamping stay. The location actually has a national historic registered site, because it contains the original hunting lodge of William “Buffalo Bill” Cody. While a bit dated, the cabin was cozy. Each of the two double beds took up almost exactly 1/4th of the space in the room, and there wasn’t much else other than a small bathroom. Everyone at this rural little location was very friendly. The room was $200 per night, and there was no vacancy. Just another solar eclipse effect.
We had dinner at the restaurant on the property. It’s nothing to write about, but there’s literally nothing else in the area. The service was friendly, and the bar offerings were fine. But don’t expect a gourmet experience!
After drinking on the patio on a beautiful Wyoming evening (State 4 of our trip!), we headed to bed.
Day 3:
Our Sunday drive was dedicated to the Northern portion of the Grand Loop. We got a later than desired start, and didn’t get into the park until around 10am. The Northern Loop is much longer, and involved about 5 hours of planned driving through six highlight stops. Those were: Hayden Valley; Tower Falls; Lamar Valley; Mammoth Hot Springs; Norris Geyser; then back across the center shortcut of the loop to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.
It didn’t take long for us to run into a buffalo. He was literally cruising down the road. And from there it only got more amazing. Hayden and Lamar valleys are glorious open spaces full of exciting game – large buffalo herds, pronghorn, and elk. We’d also heard rumors of predators in the Valleys, but didn’t see any ourselves. One of Jess’ favorite features of the day was the Dragon’s Breathe cauldron in Hayden Valley, which rhythmically breathed the smoky growling steam of an angry beast. Devin’s favorite feature was the last stop – the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, with its massive green waterfall and colorful formations highlighted by the golden hour light (aka dusk).
It’s worth noting that the drive was, in many portions, breathtakingly beautiful. We were all impressed with the variety of rock formations and terrain – it was a constantly changing, challenging, engaging environment.
For lunch we stopped at the Canyon Village. While there’s a big grocery/souvenir store (complete with local beer options!), and lots of other restaurant options from fine dining to grab and go cafeteria food, we grabbed a seat at the adorably touristy old-timey diner. It has counter-top service and bar stools. Look – don’t expect park food to knock your socks off. But the food was fine. Edible. We had the elk burgers. They were fine. Not mind blowing. But they were big and filling and fueled the day’s explorations. Don’t get the salad!
After making our way completely around the loop we’d planned, and stopping for sunset at the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, we headed to the Lake Lodge for dinner. We had to drive back through the Hayden Valley to get there, and on the way got caught up in some horrendous non-moving traffic. The reason? A buffalo jam! A herd of buffalo was working its way across the highway, stopping and standing in between cars, walking on the road, and generally doing whatever the heck they wanted because they’re massive. Lots of big guys and some adorable little red dawgs (buffalo babies). There was actually a ranger driving back and forth herding the buffalo off the road with his truck. But they just kept coming! Eventually there were enough breaks that we could get through to the other side of the herd after an hour plus of sitting. But it was a pretty cool experience.
Once we got to the Lake Hotel it was around 8pm. The wait to get into the Dining Room was 45 minutes. Which was good, because we all had some errands to run. We needed supplies (i.e., coffee!) for our break of dawn driving, Zach had to submit a paper online, and Devin needed to…wait at the bar and have a beer? Jess and Dana went to the grocery store next door. Zach walked to the Lake Lodge (different from the Lake Hotel), where high speed wifi was available for a price. Just as Zach got back, our table was ready! The setting was beautiful, and the menu looked promising. The food and drink list were okay, but overpriced. Jess ordered lamb, and while it was tasty, it was definitely under-cooked and had to be sent back to the grill. Dana ordered the salmon, which was pretty good. Devin ordered a bison steak, which was fine. Again, don’t have crazy high expectations for the quality of park food.
The end result of the cascading delays of the day was that we drove the steep and windy road to the East Gate in the deep dark of night. Lucky for us, a playful fox was chasing bugs on the road in our headlights! (No foxes were harmed in the making of this blog entry, and our adorable foxy friend survived the night, because we didn’t see any remains in our early morning drive on the same road).
We had our second night at our little Pahaska Tepee cabin. Since we arrived home so late, and had to get up SO early, we crashed hard.
Day 4:
Eclipse day! There will be a separate entry for the actual eclipse experience, so this is just going to cover the logistics.
Jess had gotten some good tips in the weeks leading up to the eclipse. The two most important: (1) Expect traffic; (2) Have a specific location in totality planned, and have a backup plan (in case of overcrowding, inclement weather, etc.). Jess had mapped totality, and picked out a few locations between the Snake River and the Vert Grose river. Totality was going to pass directly over the Jackson airport (above the Hertz car rental location). Just past the Jackson airport, there was a road that ran along the Vert Grose river, and that was where Jess thought they should go. From the hotel, it was 120 miles, but she anticipated it would take at least 2.5 hours, if not 3 or 4 if traffic was bad. The eclipse started at 10:18am, with totality just after 11:30.
We got up at the crack of dawn to hit the road. Literally before dawn. We left our hotel and hit the East Gate by 5:24. We needed to get around the lake, past the Lake Hotel, and past the West Thumb basin onto the main road before 6:32am – the time of sunrise. Jess figured if we didn’t, we would be stuck in massive traffic because there is exactly one road out of Yellowstone through the South Gate to Jackson. And eveeeeryone was going to be on it. We accomplished our timing goal, and while we were in a steady stream of traffic through the South Gate until the Grand Tetons, the traffic moved at a constant pace around the speed limit of 45 mph. Which wasn’t terrible.
Driving in the growing light, we saw a few deer on the side of the road, and a PORCUPINE!!!! He was just walking on the road. Jess was thrilled. She loooves porcupines.
The drive is humbling and stunning. The Tetons in the sunrise are absolutely beautiful – the picturesque and quintessential Western landscape. As we got into the last 60 miles of our drive, all of the turnouts were near full, with rangers stationed to cut off the areas once they were full. We started to get nervous.
We reached the outskirts of Jackson around 8am. As we neared, the traffic leaving town was growing. We reached the airport, and could see that the road we planned to park on already had lots of cars and rangers controlling the flow of traffic. But we needed to grab some food and use the restroom before getting ready to sit for a few hours. We drove another 5 miles to the nearest gas station, seeing more turnouts that we could use if our little road was closed when we returned, although these places wouldn't be perfect and wouldn't be directly in the center-line of totality. But they would have sufficed!
We got back to the little road around 8:15, and found that it was still open! Victory! We drove about two miles down the road, and parked with about 2 hours to spare before our eclipse experience!
Fast forward to trip post-eclipse (see our other entry on the eclipse)!
It took us about an hour and a half to get from the eclipse location to our hotel in Jackson. We arrived just in time for afternoon check in. We stayed at the Miller Park Lodge. We were extremely lucky to get this hotel just a few weeks before the eclipse, although it was a steep $400 for the night. But it was walking distance to all the adorable things Jackson, WY has to offer, so it was perfect!
We headed over to Made, which is a local gem selling all sorts of neat Jackson souvenirs and crafts. It’s definitely worth a stop if you want to buy things for family and friends. Devin and Jess grabbed a quick pick-me-up at Jackson Hole Roasters, after the early morning, mostly because Cowboy Coffee was overflowing with people! We wandered through some of the stores, and stopped in for a snack and happy hour drinks at Town Square Tavern. The outdoor seating offered great people watching above the town square, with lovely mountain views, although the food, drinks, and service all left something to be desired. From happy hour, we headed to dinner at The Gun Barrel Steak and Game House. The western décor of taxidermied animals perfectly complimented the meat-heavy menu. Seriously, vegetarians, skip this place!
After dinner, the weather was just too inviting not to wander the town a little. We popped into a few more shops, and admired some of the stunning local art and photography for sale. Jackson is a great little town, and definitely worth more time on another visit.
Day 5:
We needed to be back in Salt Lake City in time for Zana’s 5:30 pm flight. With a drive that was set to take slightly more than 5 hours without stops, we needed to hit the road before noon, or we’d be cutting it close.
Before leaving Jackson, we headed to the restaurant at the Amangani hotel for breakfast with a view. This hotel is absolutely stunning in every way, and we were all struck with tremendous jealousy that we hadn’t been able to stay at the Amangani. The hotel overlooks a beautiful valley that featured a herd of grazing cattle, with a glorious background of the Grand Tetons. The interior of the hotel was like a spa, with soothing music and aromatherapy. The balcony of the hotel overlooked the infinity pool, which shared the same gorgeous valley views. The breakfast was delicious, with reasonable and not overly filling portions. When we come back to Jackson, we’re definitely going to try to stay here!
After wandering the grounds of the Amangani, we hit the road. The mountains and green valleys of Jackson settled into long, flat, empty miles of sage-brush filled drive. The western landscape is beautiful in its own way, and if you haven’t experience a drive on those open roads, it’s definitely something you should do. As we passed from Wyoming into Utah, it became clear that we were racing a monsoon into Salt Lake City. Black clouds and lightning covered the horizon. Western monsoons are one of Jess’ favorite features of summer in the Rockies.
Devin and Jess dropped Zana at the SLC airport with almost exactly an hour before their flight. Perfect timing!
Since their flight wasn’t until after 10pm, Devin and Jess decided to do just a little more adventuring in Salt Lake City. The first stop was Uinta, to sample a few more local beers. The brewery is less than a 15 minute drive from the airport, and would have been a really great place to spend a few hours with friends on a nice day. The food wasn’t exactly impressive, but there was a nice range of unique beers to choose from.
From the brewery, we headed into the city to explore the Utah State Capitol Complex. To our pleasant surprise, there was free parking around the Capitol! The landscaping and art around the Capitol is a cool mix of western elements with more traditional style construction. We would have spent longer exploring, but the storm that had been chasing us was finally catching up, and it started to rain just as we walked around the last side of the building. We snapped a few artistic shots, then dodged the rain drops on our way back to the car.
We once again drove away from the storm, and decided to make just one final stop before the airport. The stop you have to make when you visit Salt Lake City: The Salt Lake State Park. We caught the lake at sunset, with a cloudy sky overhead and lightning on the horizon. It was warm, and windy, and beautiful. But a bit buggy as we stood above the shores. We only spent about ten minutes at the lake, near the marina, before jumping in the car to get out of the weather.
We drove the ten minutes back from the lake to the airport. Salt Lake City is so easy and accessible! We dropped the rental car; the lot was a short walk to the terminal (no shuttle required). We flew through the short security line, and parked at the Vino Volo to have snacks and drinks and burn a bit of time before our red eye flight home.
We had upgraded to more space seats on Jet Blue, so at least we could stretch out and try to get a few zzz’s. They didn’t come easily. We landed on time at around 5:15am, and waited for our next flight at 6:30am. The Orlando airport is a sleepy place in the wee hours of the morning, and anything that is open (Starbucks) has a long line. Our flight to DCA was on time, and we both fell asleep immediately on the short hop back to DC. We landed, booked it to a cab, and we were home within 10 minutes! A quick shower, and then we both went to work at our normal time, as if there was nothing different about this Wednesday than any other!