laurieb_nyny

I have summed up our 18 day/17 night adventure below. At the end, I have included the cities we stayed in, some notable hotels & restaurants, and the special events. The food along the way was pretty standard & we did eat at 4 of the entertainment venues. I will break it down into a few different posts (geographically). Enjoy & feel free to reply with any specific questions.

WYOMING:

Laramie:
Wyoming Territorial Prison SHS/Horse Barn Exhibit Hall

Casper:
National Historic Trails Interpretive Center
Rails To Trails sculptures (throughout town)

Guernsey:
Oregon Trail Ruts SHS
Register Cliff SHS

Fort Laramie:
Fort Laramie NHS

Cody:
Bighorn Mountain Loop
Bighorn Canyon NRA
Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range
Medicine Wheel
Shell Canyon Falls

Buffalo Bill Historical Center

Old Trail Town/Museum of the Old West

YELLOWSTONE NP:

FISHING BRIDGE/LAKE YELLOWSTONE/BRIDGE BAY:
Fishing Bridge VC (Historic bird specimens)
Lake Yellowstone
Mud Volcano Trail
Hayden Valley

CANYON:
Canyon VC
Dunraven Pass/Mt Washburn
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone Day Hikes:
Uncle Toms Trail; Artist Point; Lookout Point, Red Rock Point; Inspiration Point

TOWER/ROOSEVELT:
Tower Ranger Station
Roosevelt National Historic District
Calcite Springs

MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS:
Albright VC (History Museum & “Challenge of Yellowstone” movie)
Fort Yellowstone
Lower Terrace Loop
Liberty Cap
Roosevelt Arch
Upper Terrace Loop
Roaring Mountain

NORRIS:
Museum of the NP Ranger
Norris Geyser Basin Museum
Artist Paint Pots
Monument Geyser Basin
Norris Geyser Basin
Porcelain Basin
Gibbon Falls

OLD FAITHFUL:
Old Faithful VC (“Yellowstone: a Symphony of Fire & Water” movie)
OF Geyser
Firehole River
Midway Geyser Basin
Lower Geyser Basin
Fountain Paint Pot Trail
Black Sand Trail
Biscuit Basin Trail
Old Faithful Inn

MADISON:
Madison Information Station

GRANT VILLAGE/W THUMB:
Grant Village VC (“Yellowstone: “Ten Years After Fire” -- movies & exhibits on the 1988 fires

W Thumb Ranger Station (Exhibits on YNP winters)

Jackson:
Stagecoach ride
Town Square/Antler Arches/Shoot-out

GRAND TETON NP
Teton Park Rd
Moose VC (endangered species exhibits/relief model)
Menors Ferry Historic District/Chapel of the Transfiguration
Jenny Lake Shuttle (Inspiration Point & Hidden Falls)
Jenny Lake VC (geology exhibits)
Signal Mt Rd to the Summit
Oxbow Bend
Antelope Flats Rd/Moulton Barn/Bison

Dubois:
Tie Hack Memorial
National Bighorn Sheep Center

Pinedale:
Museum of the Mountain Man

SOUTH DAKOTA:

Custer:
Wind Cave NP
Heritage Village
Custer SP
Jewel Cave NM
Crazy Horse Memorial/Cultural Center

Keystone:
Mt Rushmore NM
Lincoln-Borglum Museum
Sculptors Studio
Presidential Trail
Rushmore Borglum Story/Borglum Historical Center

Rapid City:
Mt Rushmore Gold Factory tour
Journey Museum

Wall:
Wall Drug
Wounded Knee Museum
National Grasslands VC

Interior:
Minuteman Missile NHS
Badlands NP

Deadwood:
Old Style Saloon #10
Historic Hotels: Fairmont, Bullock, Franklin
4 Aces Gunslingers Show
Days of ’76 Museum
Adams Museum
Mt Moriah Cemetery
Tatanka: Story of the Bison Sculpture & Educational Center
Old Deadwood Set
Eagle Bar/Original Saloon #10
Deadwood History & Information Center
Celebrity Hotel Hollywood Memorabilia & Car Museum
Midnight Star Casino/Kevin Costner Museum

Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway

Devils Tower NM

MONTANA:

Crow Agency:
Little Bighorn Battlefield NM

Pompeys Pillar:
Pompeys Pillar NM (see William Clark's signature here)

Billings:
Western Heritage Museum

Chief Joseph Scenic Byway

Beartooth Hwy

West Yellowstone:
Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center

Madison River Canyon Earthquake Area:
National Forest Service Earthquake Lake VC
Memorial Boulder

Virginia City/Nevada City (ghost towns)

Deer Lodge:
Grant-Kohrs Ranch NHS

IDAHO:
Salmon:
Sacajawea Interpretive Center/Nature & Historic Trail

UTAH:

Park City:
Olympic Park (Self-Guided Tour & Museum)

Salt Lake City:
Olympic Cauldron Park/Rice Eccles Stadium/Hoberman Arch

This Is The Place Heritage Park & VC

Museum of Church History & Art

Kennecott Copper Bingham Canyon Mine VC

SPECIAL EVENTS:

CUSTER:
Heritage Village Dinner & Singing Cowboys Show
Crazy Horse Laser Light Show

KEYSTONE:
Pitchfork Fondue Dinner & Show
Mt Rushmore Lighting Ceremony

RAPID CITY:
Circle B Chuckwagon Supper & Western Show

DEADWOOD:
Shooting of Wild Bill Hickok
Trial of Jack McCall

DEVIL’S TOWER:
Climbing Lessons through Devils Tower Lodge

CODY:
Night Rodeo

W Yellowstone:
IMAX Movie (Lewis & Clark)

GRAND TETON NP:
Guided Sailboat Tour on Jackson Lake

SALT LAKE CITY:
Mormon Tabernacle Choir Performance

The cities we actually stayed in were Casper, Hulett, Sheridan, Cody, & Jackson (in WY); Custer, Keystone, Rapid City, & Deadwood (in SD); Gardiner, W Yellowstone, & Deer Lodge (in MT); & Salt Lake City. The motels were mostly average for what we paid; here are the standouts:

Miners Motel, Keystone, SD

Terrace Hotel at First Gold Hotel, Deadwood, SD

Super 8 Motel, Gardiner, MT

Days Inn, W Yellowstone, MT

Shilo Inn, Salt Lake City, UT

Some notable restaurants: Botticellis (Casper, WY); Ole Spaghetti House (Sheridan, WY); Three Bear Restaurant & Timberline Café (W Yellowstone); Bubbas Barbeque (Jackson, WY); Lion House Pantry Restaurant (Brigham Young’s House & Museum) (Salt Lake City)

happytourist

We're headed up that way next week. We've seen many of the things on your list but there's always more to see. You really covered a lot! I especially appreciated your motel and restaurant list.

Neil_Oz

Thanks for posting. We hope to be in the same part of the country in about a year's time and we're in (very preliminary) planning mode.

Two questions: firstly, as a non-American I couldn't figure out most of the abbreviations - NHS (National Historical Site?) and NP (National Park) yes, but I'd be grateful if you expand the others.

Secondly, you seem to have covered an awful lot of ground in 18 days - did you feel rushed? And had you wanted to slow the pace what if anything seems sacrificable with the benefit of hindsight?

laurieb_nyny

Hi Happy & thanks for your post -- what have you done in the area that I may have missed? Have a great time on your trip.

Hi Neil -- SHS (state historic site); NRA (national recreation area); VC (visitor center); SP (state park); NM (national memorial or monument).

I don't think we rushed through it or missed anything that wasn't on our "secondary" list anyway. I normally plan the itinerary to include sites/museums that are repetitive in theme throughout the trip. So if they are in the original itinerary & we skip one we can always do one of the others later on.

The trip also would have seemed "fuller" if there was more hiking involved -- our longest round trip hike was only 2 miles. I think we moved at a steady pace but the days were long. We also drive to the next destination the night before so that we wake up there & start the day's activities immediately.

Good luck with your trip planning!

Link

Hi and thanks for all the great info. Laurieb nyny we are planning a similar trip, hope you are still reading these posts, I need to pick some brains.
We have 18 nights(still subject to change,FF miles on hold for 14 days) in Sept 06. Arrive in Salt Lake City( 2nights at the Shilo). Now my first decision. Should we just head east on Rt. 80 to Cheyenne OR is it do-able to head south east and try to see the Canyonland & Arches NP via Rt 70 thru Denver and then north to the Black Hills( Mt. Rushmore, Badland etc) Deadwood & Devils Tower. Which way to go?
Has anyone been to the Dinosaur National Museum near Venal? Is it a worthwhile stop?

I have read that the Bear Tooth hwy is a must see. What is the best way to get to it from Sheridan. Is the most scenic part of the hwy(212) south of Red Lodge? Going North thru Billing looks out of the way (although it is interstate driving) Help!!

Ultimately we get to Yellowstone and see it all, and then Grand Teton,2 nights enough here? and back to SLC and home to NY. Looking forward to hearing from any travellers who can help me in making our trip a once in a liftime adventure. Cheryl

RedRock

To get to the Bear Tooth Highway and the Top of the World from Sheridan WY go north to US-14 (Ranchester), when the road splits at Burgess Jct take US-14A to Lovell WY. This route is one that is missed by most travelers, but it is well worth the effort. Just west of Lovell US-310 north to Bridger Mt, south on MT-72 to MT-308 and Red Lodge. There you are on US-212.

I have taken this route several times on the way to YS via NE entrance. If you are up for a mile and a half hike once you are on US-14A you can stop and see the "Medicine Wheel" on top of the mountain. If time permits the Dinosaur NM near Vernl UT is worth a few hours stop if you like that sort of thing. Our grandson loved the place since he was into Dinosaurs.

Link

Red Rock, Thanks for the directions, and we are planning to see Medicine Wheel. About how long should the drive take from Sheridan to the north entrance of YNP and to our stop for the night at Mamouth Hot Springs Hotel in the park, not counting our stops? Thanks again, Cheryl

RedRock

From Sheridan to Mammoth and the north entrance, will take a good solid all day. The trip is close to 300 miles. The going will be slow and you will not be able to get in a hurry due to the roads, all are two lane mountain. Also keep in mind you will be driving over half way across the state of WY. Get an erly start, there will be many stops you will want to make, after all this is why you are making the trip. If time permits you may want to consider staying overnight in Red Lodge and making the BearTooth and on to the Yellowstone via the NE entrance your second days journey.