The Prize for the most Indecisive Traveller

[WanderlustNZ]

Have fun at Yellowstone, that's really a wonderful time to visit. You will thank yourself a billion times over for letting someone else do the driving. A ton of time can be wasted driving around that park.

While Yellowstone is a place everyone should visit at least once in their life, my hands down favorite park in the world is Glacier NP. It's wilder and more raw than Yellowstone, and typically the hikes aren't crowded at all. It's a wonderful place to go to get away. I hope a few of the folks who loved trips to Yellowstone will consider a trip to Glacier NP. Would post a few amazing shots of Going to the Sun road, but my too few post count will probably prohibit it.

Will be looking for your trip report for pictures!

Welcome Kachina and thanks for your input. If you have any advice to share about Yellowstone, I'd love to hear it. Have you travelled at that time, and if so, how was the weather?

Glacier NP sounds amazing. Oh no, it looks like I might have another place to add to my bucket list.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Welcome Kachina and thanks for your input. If you have any advice to share about Yellowstone, I'd love to hear it. Have you travelled at that time, and if so, how was the weather?

Glacier NP sounds amazing. Oh no, it looks like I might have another place to add to my bucket list.

We drove from the Canadian Rockies through Glacier NP towards Yellowstone. It is a beautiful place; as is all the amazing wilderness areas up this part of the world. I'd love to spend 3 months in a Winnebago or equivalent (over summer) up here.

It. was. cold. at Glacier NP when we were there. But the scenery was stunning.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

I just googled Glacier NP and it looks stunning. Canadian scenery always reminds me a but if of places I love in NZ, with that particular park reminding me of Fiordland and some of the glacial areas of the West Coast.
I can never get enough of lake and mountain scenery and in some ways I'm more excited about the Jackson/Grand Teton area than Yellowstone. I will definitely make the time to visit Canada one day. It's about number 5 on my present bucket list.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

We drove from the Canadian Rockies through Glacier NP towards Yellowstone. It is a beautiful place; as is all the amazing wilderness areas up this part of the world. I'd love to spend 3 months in a Winnebago or equivalent (over summer) up here. It. was. cold. at Glacier NP when we were there. But the scenery was stunning.

The trip you did sounds awesome, as does the one you want to do.
I've never done the whole campervan style of holiday, but I'm always tempted to try it every time we travel down to the South Island. The problem is that here is NZ it rarely works out to be the cheapest option. Plus they're slow and a bit cumbersome on our steep, windy roads. I'm going to have to try it one day though as, if nothing else, it'll be memorable.

 

[Tashinwdw]

So far the changes to your holiday sound fantastic, I love the accommodations you have picked and really enjoyed looking at the pics. We were hoping to do Yellowstone this trip but its not happening, will just have to keep it on the list for next time. It just worked out too expensive for this trip with a family of 6. So its on the bucket list for when the kids are a little older and either don't come along or can pay for it themselves I have made note of the accommodations so that I can add them to my folder (I have travel folders of places I find and things I want to do)

Also I don't think the kids would be as excited to go do national parks as much as me so we have compromised and doing some day trips from Las Vegas to death valley and zion national park. If I can push it then we will do bryce canyon (which I have been to before and loved it) or glen Canyon. I would really love to do monument valley as well but that will have to be another time too. We didnt get to Grand Canyon last holiday (I have done it many years ago though) so its a must on our next trip. I want to do the sky bridge and we plan on doing a helicopter ride.

I also have the same problems with family and friends not interested in holiday research and plans. Sometimes even DH's eyes start to glaze over. Is there something wrong with us????? I love getting on here and reading what others are doing, what suggestions you all make and getting ideas that just increase my list of 'things to see and do' list. I even love hearing about my friends holiday plans and ask them so many questions, sometimes I get the feeling they are not even excited about their upcoming holiday.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

I also have the same problems with family and friends not interested in holiday research and plans. Sometimes even DH's eyes start to glaze over. Is there something wrong with us????? I love getting on here and reading what others are doing, what suggestions you all make and getting ideas that just increase my list of 'things to see and do' list. I even love hearing about my friends holiday plans and ask them so many questions, sometimes I get the feeling they are not even excited about their upcoming holiday.

Lol, I do sometimes wonder if there's something wrong with me. There must be other people in my 3D world like me, I just haven't found them yet. Travel is definitely an addiction and I think I'd go into some serious withdrawal symptoms if for some reason I had to stop travelling altogether.

I also know what you mean about people not seeming that excited about their own trips. Just recently I had a friend ask me some questions about her upcoming trip to the States. I was so excited, I suggested we meet up for a 'planning' day and I could give her all the help she needed. Only once we met up, she didn't seem to have much interest in all at discussing travel. I kept trying to steer the conversation back towards her trip, but began to fell like a bit of a freak after a while so gave up.

 

[zanzibar138]

So far the changes to your holiday sound fantastic, I love the accommodations you have picked and really enjoyed looking at the pics. We were hoping to do Yellowstone this trip but its not happening, will just have to keep it on the list for next time. It just worked out too expensive for this trip with a family of 6. So its on the bucket list for when the kids are a little older and either don't come along or can pay for it themselves I have made note of the accommodations so that I can add them to my folder (I have travel folders of places I find and things I want to do)

Also I don't think the kids would be as excited to go do national parks as much as me so we have compromised and doing some day trips from Las Vegas to death valley and zion national park. If I can push it then we will do bryce canyon (which I have been to before and loved it) or glen Canyon. I would really love to do monument valley as well but that will have to be another time too. We didnt get to Grand Canyon last holiday (I have done it many years ago though) so its a must on our next trip. I want to do the sky bridge and we plan on doing a helicopter ride.

I also have the same problems with family and friends not interested in holiday research and plans. Sometimes even DH's eyes start to glaze over. Is there something wrong with us????? I love getting on here and reading what others are doing, what suggestions you all make and getting ideas that just increase my list of 'things to see and do' list. I even love hearing about my friends holiday plans and ask them so many questions, sometimes I get the feeling they are not even excited about their upcoming holiday.

Totally jealous! Death Valley is pretty high on my wishlist Wasn't too keen to go there in the height of summer though I hope you will be writing a TR

 

[WanderlustNZ]

I hope you will be writing a TR

What she said.

 

[Tashinwdw]

Totally jealous! Death Valley is pretty high on my wishlist Wasn't too keen to go there in the height of summer though I hope you will be writing a TR

The last time we were in Las Vegas it was the middle of September and it was horribly hot then, going the end of August this year and even though it will be hot I am hoping that as it will be at the beginning of our trip and and not the end then the children will be less grumpy and hopefully we will all enjoy it.

There is nothing worse than being stuck in a car with 4 kids that keep snarking at one another (dont even know if that is a word, but its what I use to describe when the kids are making little snide comments just to start a fight or upset the other and it goes on and on and on). It doesnt make it worse that I am also tired, hot and bothered and stressing because I want everyone to be calm as DH suffers anxiety and this trip was a HUGE step for him, so I didnt want him to get stressed so was extra sensitive with everything the kids did while he was trying to drive. The funny thing was, in the end, I was stressed to the max, the kids were all cranky with each other and with me for getting cross all the time and DH was just chilling, driving the car, totally relaxed and enjoying his holiday.

As for a trip report, as you can see from the above post and probably others I have written, I ramble a bit so dont think I would make anyone suffer through one of my trip reports. I did start to do one for my last holiday, but as you can imagine the ramblings went on and on. I just couldnt do it

 

[gogo65]

Double post

 

[gogo65]

Wanderlust your plans really sound fantastic, loving all the photos of the accommodation. I look forward to reading your trip report and I'll see if I can tempt my DH with another trip to the USA, he doesn't love Disney,but loves travelling the countryside, I think the only way I will get him back to the US is to do a similar sort of road trip, through the national parks etc, we have done a road trip once through the west coast, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Bryce Canyon etc and he really enjoyed it, of course we would have to have a quick stopover in Disney somewhere

The last time we were in Las Vegas it was the middle of September and it was horribly hot then, going the end of August this year and even though it will be hot I am hoping that as it will be at the beginning of our trip and and not the end then the children will be less grumpy and hopefully we will all enjoy it.

There is nothing worse than being stuck in a car with 4 kids that keep snarking at one another (dont even know if that is a word, but its what I use to describe when the kids are making little snide comments just to start a fight or upset the other and it goes on and on and on). It doesnt make it worse that I am also tired, hot and bothered and stressing because I want everyone to be calm as DH suffers anxiety and this trip was a HUGE step for him, so I didnt want him to get stressed so was extra sensitive with everything the kids did while he was trying to drive. The funny thing was, in the end, I was stressed to the max, the kids were all cranky with each other and with me for getting cross all the time and DH was just chilling, driving the car, totally relaxed and enjoying his holiday.

As for a trip report, as you can see from the above post and probably others I have written, I ramble a bit so dont think I would make anyone suffer through one of my trip reports. I did start to do one for my last holiday, but as you can imagine the ramblings went on and on. I just couldnt do it

Tash I'm so glad my kids have grown up, don't you just love it when one starts snarking at the other....not
I'm wondering about trip reports my self, reading back on my pre trip report, it is a jumbled mess, and I also ramble, while others are just so eloquent English was not my favourite subject so goodness knows why I even try

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Wanderlust your plans really sound fantastic, loving all the photos of the accommodation. I look forward to reading your trip report and I'll see if I can tempt my DH with another trip to the USA, he doesn't love Disney,but loves travelling the countryside, I think the only way I will get him back to the US is to do a similar sort of road trip, through the national parks etc, we have done a road trip once through the west coast, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Bryce Canyon etc and he really enjoyed it, of course we would have to have a quick stopover in Disney somewhere .

My DH is the same. He'd much prefer to explore interesting towns and unique cultures than a theme park, and to be honest, I think I would too. I fell in love with Disney on our last trip and will happily fit a visit in whenever I'm given the opportunity. Plus I would jump at the chance to cruise again with them. But I'm far too much of a curious soul to spend the rest of my life making Disney a priority the way I did with my last trip.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

The last time we were in Las Vegas it was the middle of September and it was horribly hot then, going the end of August this year and even though it will be hot I am hoping that as it will be at the beginning of our trip and and not the end then the children will be less grumpy and hopefully we will all enjoy it.

There is nothing worse than being stuck in a car with 4 kids that keep snarking at one another (dont even know if that is a word, but its what I use to describe when the kids are making little snide comments just to start a fight or upset the other and it goes on and on and on). It doesnt make it worse that I am also tired, hot and bothered and stressing because I want everyone to be calm as DH suffers anxiety and this trip was a HUGE step for him, so I didnt want him to get stressed so was extra sensitive with everything the kids did while he was trying to drive. The funny thing was, in the end, I was stressed to the max, the kids were all cranky with each other and with me for getting cross all the time and DH was just chilling, driving the car, totally relaxed and enjoying his holiday.

As for a trip report, as you can see from the above post and probably others I have written, I ramble a bit so dont think I would make anyone suffer through one of my trip reports. I did start to do one for my last holiday, but as you can imagine the ramblings went on and on. I just couldnt do it

I hate those holiday moments when you become so worried about everyone else that you realise you're forgetting to have fun yourself. I don't think it's just the side-effect of grumpy kids, but the side-effect of being an obsessive planner. When you put your heart and soul into the planning, it can feel a bit personal when things don't go according to plan.

 

[zanzibar138]

My DH is the same. He'd much prefer to explore interesting towns and unique cultures than a theme park, and to be honest, I think I would too. I fell in love with Disney on our last trip and will happily fit a visit in whenever I'm given the opportunity. Plus I would jump at the chance to cruise again with them. But I'm far too much of a curious soul to spend the rest of my life making Disney a priority the way I did with my last trip.

I just had to 'like' this post I'm a bit the same. Thrilled to spend time at Disney, but not happy to make it the sole purpose of our trip.

I can't help but think about the people who make annual trips to WDW, and how much they are missing out on by just going to the same place all the time! (Or even people who keep going back to Bali/Phuket). But, each to their own...

 

[WanderlustNZ]

I just had to 'like' this post I'm a bit the same. Thrilled to spend time at Disney, but not happy to make it the sole purpose of our trip. I can't help but think about the people who make annual trips to WDW, and how much they are missing out on by just going to the same place all the time! (Or even people who keep going back to Bali/Phuket). But, each to their own...

I agree. There was a guy on my Fantasy Cruise who did the same Galley Tour as me. He was a walking, talking advertisement for Disney wearing all DVC clothing (even a cap despite being inside). He had a platinum cruiser lanyard around his neck, and he took every tiny chance possible to slip into the conversation how many Disney vacations he had done. He was even a little bit arrogant and boastful about it. Almost as if he was of higher status to us mere mortals who had only cruised with them once or twice. The funny thing is that it wasn't jealousy DH and I felt, but pity. He was happy, and I know our pity was pretty misguided, but afterwards DH commented how much he would hate it if his world was that 'small'. But, like you say, each to their own.

 

[Tashinwdw]

Definitely agree, we are doing Disney again this year because we felt we did not get to see and do everything we wanted and we know it will be our last main disney trip even though we are DVC members. I have always wanted to travel and now that DH is able to get on a plane I dont want the adventures to stop. There are so many places I want to see now. DH is adamant our next trip in 2015 will be somewhere in Australia so I am hoping Europe in 2016. Of course if disney falls into the trip somewhere then its an added bonus.

As much as I do love disney, I dont think I could do it every year like some do. Maybe if money was not an option I would do it every year as well as other places, but alas, money is an option and its really expensive for a WDW holiday. I find it hard to justify the money on a holiday already done when there is so much out there yet to do.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Definitely agree, we are doing Disney again this year because we felt we did not get to see and do everything we wanted and we know it will be our last main disney trip even though we are DVC members. I have always wanted to travel and now that DH is able to get on a plane I dont want the adventures to stop. There are so many places I want to see now. DH is adamant our next trip in 2015 will be somewhere in Australia so I am hoping Europe in 2016. Of course if disney falls into the trip somewhere then its an added bonus. As much as I do love disney, I dont think I could do it every year like some do. Maybe if money was not an option I would do it every year as well as other places, but alas, money is an option and its really expensive for a WDW holiday. I find it hard to justify the money on a holiday already done when there is so much out there yet to do.

We all need to win the lottery so we can travel all over the world conveniently scheduling 'detours' past DisneyWorld.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

There are at least 5 different routes you can take from Salt Lake City airport to Jackson and all of them take approx. 5 1/2 hours.

I have lost a few hours of my life googling all the cities and towns on the various routes to decide which one we will take. I have to say that Google maps is a wonderful invention. I particularly love the way you can take cyber-walks down main streets to get a bit of a feel for an area.

Anyway, after a few cyberwalks, I decided on what in generally considered to be the most scenic route - the one via Logan, Bear Lake, and Montpelier.

Logan is about 2 hours from SLC and it's where I have booked our first night in the area. I figure we'll get into SLC airport around lunchtime or early afternoon, and a 2 hour drive will give us a nice introduction to driving in America. We will drive the remaining 3-4 hours the next morning and get into Jackson early afternoon.

Logan is a small city that looks like a lovely place to stay, particularly in the autumn when the trees are changing colour. It's surrounded by beautiful mountains, the main street has charming-looking shops, and there are some lovely temples and buildings in the area. It is also considered to be a very safe and low-crime city by US standards. The other thing that sold me on this location is the shopping. We need to buy a cheap chilly bin/cooler box/esky/whatever else these things are called, as well as some food supplies for our journey into the parks. There is a Walmart in Logan which will hopefully help with this. There is also a Hobby Lobby and my MIL is a huge fan of crafts.

The cherry on the top is that the accommodation in the area is very cheap. I booked this morning at the Best Western Weston Inn. I know Best Westerns aren't generally the most exciting hotels, but this one looks nice and gets good reviews on Trip Advisor.

Because of a special that put almost all of the rooms under US$100 p/n, I was able to afford 2 rooms, both mini-suites. My husband and I have a mini-suite with a king bed, double spa bath and a fireplace. My son and mother-in-law will share a mini-suite with a king bed, sofa bed, and single spa bath. They may also have a fireplace, but the description of their room was a little bit unclear.
I thought the two rooms were a bargain at US$207 total. This rate includes taxes, wifi, parking and even a full buffet breakfast.

Anyway, time for pics.

All photos are from the hotel website
http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwes...ston-Inn/Hotel-Overview.do?propertyCode=45043

The Hotel


The fireplace room I have booked for DH and I


An indoor pool if we feel like a swim.


The next job: pay off the credit card

 

[Tashinwdw]

Wanderlust, that hotel does look nice, I love the fireplace room - very romantic.
considering some of the dives I have stayed in, I think you have a bargain for the price.

I have a friend who grew up in Logan and they way she described it, it always sounded very picturesque. The LDS Logan temple is very pretty up on the hill and looks stunning at night. I sure your stay in that town will be good. Am jealous of the hobby lobby shopping. I cant wait to check out Michaels over there.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Wanderlust, that hotel does look nice, I love the fireplace room - very romantic. considering some of the dives I have stayed in, I think you have a bargain for the price. I have a friend who grew up in Logan and they way she described it, it always sounded very picturesque. The LDS Logan temple is very pretty up on the hill and looks stunning at night. I sure your stay in that town will be good. Am jealous of the hobby lobby shopping. I cant wait to check out Michaels over there.

Awesome, thanks for giving me the heads-up on another craft retailer. I just googled Michaels and there is one within a short walk of Hobby Lobby. Both are open until about 8 or 9 in the evening, so my MIL will be in her element.

I'm pleased that you've heard good things about Logan. While one can google for hours, firsthand feedback is always much better.