Inspiring travel stories, tips, and guides from a couple exploring the world one destination at a time.
Yellowstone National Park is home to one of the largest populations of grizzly bears in the United States. These majestic creatures play an important role in the park’s ecosystem, and are a must see attraction for visitors.
Last Updated: July 18, 2026
Lamar Valley from West Yellowstone is over a two-hour drive one way — but every mile of it rewards you with geothermal wonders, wildlife encounters, and sweeping fall scenery. In the past we’ve stayed in Gardiner at the north entrance, which puts Lamar Valley much closer. Along the way, Norris Geyser Basin, Terrace Spring, Beryl Spring, Gibbon Falls, and Mammoth Hot Springs all make excellent stops. Yellowstone National Park — established in 1872 as America’s first national park — never fails to astonish us, and autumn is one of the most magical times to visit.
Last Updated: July 17, 2026
West Yellowstone in the fall is typically less crowded than summer and a wonderful time to see fall foliage and Yellowstone’s many attractions. The risk is cold weather and snow — and we had both on this trip. Because of COVID, international travel was largely off the table in 2020, so many people were exploring domestically instead, and there were more visitors than usual for the season. The animals were getting ready for winter, putting on their coats and building up reserves, and the elk rut was in full and dramatic swing along the Madison River.
Last Updated: July 17, 2026
Grand Teton National Park is in northwestern Wyoming, just south of Yellowstone National Park, established in 1929 and covering approximately 310,000 acres of some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in North America. We hadn’t been here in over ten years, and were looking forward to reuniting with the striking Teton Range — though wildfire smoke from blazes across the West would test our patience, nearly obscuring the peaks on some days. From Thayne, Wyoming it was a two-hour drive north along the Snake River corridor.
Last Updated: May 25, 2026
We spent a full week in Gardiner, Montana, at the north entrance to Yellowstone National Park. It was the perfect base — a short drive to the entrance gate, and each morning we were greeted by elk and pronghorn antelope right along the road. We explored the park on multiple days, covering the Lamar Valley, Mammoth Hot Springs, Norris Geyser Basin, the Madison River corridor, and more thermal features than we could fit into one visit.
Last Updated: May 25, 2026
From the Bighorn Mountains, we headed west to Cody, Wyoming — the eastern gateway to Yellowstone and one of the most historically rich small towns in the American West. It rained for much of our stay, but that didn’t slow us down. We spent a half-day at the extraordinary Buffalo Bill Center of the West, made a full day trip into Yellowstone through the dramatic east entrance, and enjoyed every bite of the local homemade food.
