My boyfriend and I are planning to fly into SLC on the Saturday evening before Memorial Day and fly out of SLC the following Friday night or Saturday. We will rent a car and head to the Yellowstone area on Sunday morning.

We have never been to this area of the country before, and the main purpose is to visit Yellowstone, but we also want to know what else we should see or do in the area. As much as some say that a full week in YNP is not enough, we would like to mix it up a bit and don't necessarily need 5 full days in YNP. We are city folks We are considering not going to Yellowstone proper until Tuesday to avoid Memorial Day crowds as well.

We do not have lodging reservations yet, and I gather from the other forums that reservations might be challenging this late in the game (staying IN YNP is not important to us). Any advice on where to lodge outside of YNP (I'm seeing Gardiner and West Yellowstone mentioned a lot)?

Any advice on other sights to see? Even in SLC?

Also, we love little old school roadside motels and diners - kitsch is good!

Thanks for any advice!

Do you want to go up through Jackson and see the Grand Tetons or up I-15 to Idaho Falls and US 20 to West Yellowstone?
Either Jackson or West Yellowstone should be your Sunday night stop. Pack a good picnic lunch from a grocery store after your Monday (Memorial Day) breakfast. Spend as much time as you can in Yellowstone. I would only stay in Gardiner if I could not get lodging at Mammoth.
You may see some road construction between Norris and Mammoth.

This is how I find my kitsch (linked to Wyoming page.)

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/location/wy/all

And I'd recommend natural museum of utah especially since they have a special extreme mammal exhibit right now. Anything to do with the Mormons is probably worthwhile. I think all of my trips to that region have involved Mormons, fossils, and the great outdoors, actually.

For kitsch, go out the southeast entrance to Cody. There is lodging, gunfights in the street, nice museum etc.

I love Cody. The museums there are fantastic.

In SLC there is the Clark Planetarium, Temple Square. Great Salt Lake is best seen from Antelope Island, where you could spend half a day or a full day.
A nice scenic route will take you through Logan/Logan Canyon to Bear Lake. Get a raspberry shake.
Check on availability in the park for lodging, much much better to be right there as the roads in and out get long. But otherwise yes, West Yellowstone and Gardiner will be best.