On the Road Again

The hubs and I got our car seriously packed up just in time to hit the road and kick off the start of Summer with a week of road tripping and camping in Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park.

We hit the road bright and early to take advantage of the long daylight this time of year, leaving San Diego around 5 a.m.  And we actually hauled it all the way up to Idaho.  Our goal was to get most of the driving out of the way on our first day, so that we could roll up to Yellowstone at a reasonable time on Day 2.  It was definitely a push to drive from San Diego to Idaho Falls (just 2 hours shy of Yellowstone), but for us it was so worth it.

the desert art outside of Las Vegas

Even with a lot of roadside stops to take pictures of the changing scenery, we made it to Idaho Falls by 8:30 p.m.  We quickly checked into the Snake River RV and Campsite, and Big Bob got us all set up.  Within 30 minutes we had our tent set up (thanks to our new handy dandy pop-up tent), the fire roaring, and beers cracked.  Just early enough to enjoy the end of Sunset before calling it an early night.

After a great nights sleep, we both woke up feeling refreshed and ready to get to Yellowstone.  Ever since our first out West trip to the Grand Canyon, we have had the big time National Park and camping itch.  Yellowstone has been on our list for years, and so we were really excited to get there.

it was a beautiful morning in Idaho Falls

We ended up making more stops than planned (we needed extra coffee), but we were still able to make it into the Park by 10:30.  We headed straight to our campground (Madison) to check in, grabbed a few extra bags of ice, and drove to our site to set up.

The campsite was beautiful – it was tucked right next to the Firehole River and the mountainside.  The air was beyond fresh, and we felt like we were being serenaded by the choir of birds living in the forest.

the view through the roof of our tent

After setting up and getting settled in, we decided to make a quick lunch at camp before heading out for a few afternoon activities.  And we always look forward to our simple camping lunches, PB & J.

After lunch we started driving towards the Old Faithful Visitor Center, but quickly got distracted.  First we stopped at the Junior Ranger Station to inquire about a few different swimming options.  Unfortunately only one was open at this time of year, but fortunately it was just a quick drive from where we were.  Since the weather was absolutely gorgeous (80°), we decided to head straight for a swim in the Firehole River.

The backdrop for this swimming spot is idyllic – the water was a bit on the chilly side for us Californians, but after we swam around for a little bit, we adjusted just fine.

It was beautiful to spend the afternoon just floating away in the river, watching the forest and meadows, and even a Bald Eagle fly above us.

After our swim, we continued on to our original destination, the Old Faithful Visitor Center (which honestly took us forever to get there).  We seemed to be stuck in some sort of traffic jam, which eventually we found out why. . .a herd of buffalo!  But for these cute guys, I would happily sit in a traffic jam any day.

Once we arrived at Old Faithful, we were happily greeted with an ice cream parlor, where we split a buffalo chip ice cream cone in honor of our sighting.

After a quick talk with the rangers about our plans for the week, we headed back to camp.  We poured a couple of glasses of champagne, and then set off for a walk along the river.  The scenery is breathtaking here in Yellowstone.  The river was sparkling, and the mountainside was an ombré of greens from all of the different trees.

Once we got back to our site, we got our fire started, and the Mr. got our appetizer started. . .campfire popcorn.  (Another camping favorite of ours.)

After sitting for a bit and enjoying the gorgeous sunny weather, we threw dinner on the fire.  Tonight’s menu was brats, corn and watermelon.

We happily enjoyed our grilled feast, changed into our jammies and then pulled our chairs real close around the fire to roast some marshmallows.

Faces shmeared with marshmallow and graham cracker bits, we both decided to (again) call it an early night.  It was a sunny and warm welcome to Yellowstone, and we both felt so blessed and grateful that this was just the start of another great adventure.