We headed out on our first true road trip this summer, covering over 3,200 miles in ten days and loving every minute! We used the Roadtrippers app to plan this trip. It was easy to use and provided helpful information throughout the trip. We went north on the way out and south on the way home. The itinerary included:
- Badlands National Park, Under Canvas Mount Rushmore, Black Hills
- Cody, Wyoming-The Chamberlin Inn, Cody Steakhouse and Cody Stampede Rodeo
- Yellowstone National Park-Old Faithful and the geyser basin, bear and bison sighting
- Grand Teton National Park-Jenny Lake Lodge, Taggart Lake Hike
- Jackson Hole, Wyoming-Teton Village
- Beaver Creek, Colorado-Park Hyatt Beaver Creek
- Colorado Springs-Garden of the Gods, Cloud Camp at The Broadmoor
After a long drive and spending our first night in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, we headed west. Badlands National Park was our first taste of the vastness and fantastic views of the wild west. We almost didn’t take the time to drive through the park, stopping for a short walk/hike, but we were very glad we did.
Our next stop was Under Canvas Mount Rushmore. Under Canvas is billed as a luxury glamping experience and it did not disappoint. Shortly after our visit, Travel + Leisure named Under Canvas Mount Rushmore as the 3rd best resort in the continental United States. We are not campers but I can definitely work with glamping in the future. The resort is set in the Black Hills with a view of Mount Rushmore from the communal deck. It consists of safari-inspired canvas tents with bathrooms, showers, and a wood-stove in each tent. Accommodations are luxurious and befitting a glamping experience. The reception tent and dining area is gorgeous and well-laid out.
From Mount Rushmore we headed to Cody, Wyoming. The drive through the Black Hills was beautiful. We arrived in Cody a little too early to check into our hotel. We decided to have a drink (ok maybe two) at the famed Buffalo Bill’s Irma Hotel. Buffalo Bill built the hotel in 1902. It’s an old-school classic. Our hotel, The Chamberlin Inn, is number one on Tripadvisor. Unfortunately, we did not have the greatest experience and would not return.
We started our evening with dinner at the Cody Steakhouse. I loved this place. The service was really good. They were hustling! The wine was a great price and the steaks were the best of the trip. They also serve the steaks with a veggie trio of broccoli, carrot soufflé, and red cabbage. As an avid veggie fan, I was in heaven. I wish I had a pic!
After dinner, it was rodeo time. The Cody Rodeo runs every night in the summer, but this was July 4th weekend so it was the special Stampede Rodeo. The tickets were very reasonable, I think around $30/person. It was a unique (for us), fun entertainment experience.
The next morning was July 4th. We left before dawn to get to Yellowstone before the crowds. Unfortunately this meant missing Rip from Yellowstone (um, I mean Cole Hauser) as the Master of Ceremonies for the Cody Rodeo 4th of July Parade. Maybe next time!
The week we were preparing to leave for this trip, Yellowstone was still partially closed due to the devastating floods in June. Entry was limited and based on license plates and even or odd days. Based on this we were not going to be able to get into the park, but right before we left the restrictions were lifted and we were able to go. We headed straight for Old Faithful and the geyser basin. Our timing was pretty good and we were able to walk around the geysers before waiting for about 30 minutes for Old Faithful to erupt. All of the geysers are fascinating and Old Faithful did not disappoint!
We also had bear and bison sightings in Yellowstone. What appeared to be a black bear and a brown bear were running along the side of the road together. Please excuse the video quality. The bison was crossing a bridge so cars lined up on either side to watch and wait.
We headed from Yellowstone, straight into Grand Teton National Park. Neither of us was prepared for the beauty of The Grand Tetons…simply magnificent. We spent the remainder of the day exploring the park before heading to our stay at Jenny Lake Lodge. The pictures don’t do justice to the beauty of this area.
Jenny Lake Lodge is situated within Grand Teton National Park. It consists of historic luxury cabins, with a five course dinner and breakfast included in the pricey price. Horseback riding, biking, hiking and other activities are offered. Some cabins have a peek-a-boo view of The Grand Tetons and the lodge has a lovely view. We enjoyed our stay, but for the price were a tad disappointed in the dinner. it was “fancy”, but was not as tasty as we had anticipated. Breakfast the next day was a yummy start and needed fortification for our morning hike.
Before leaving the park and heading to Jackson Hole we set off on a 3 (ish) mile hike to Taggart Lake. The hike is listed as an “easy” hike. It was definitely doable for us, but not exactly easy. It was, however, gloriously beautiful and worth the effort.
After leaving the park we headed to Jackson Hole, stopping at Teton Village to ride the gondola to the top of the mountain. This was fun but we both agreed this was not worth the $50 per person price tag. We had a yummy lunch at a Thai place in Teton Village and a delish, casual dinner at Cutty’s Bar and Grill in Jackson Hole. No pics but with cheesesteak and pizza you can’t go wrong. The next morning we took off for Colorado. Wyoming was beautiful and we would love to return!
We left Wyoming and made a bee-line for Beaver Creek Resort, Colorado, about 15 miles east of Vail. This was the only spot on the trip where we slept in the same place for two nights. We stayed at the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek. It sits in Beaver Creek Resort at the base of Beaver Creek Mountain and offers ski/in and out services in the winter. We found this to be a lovely, luxurious resort. Our room was well appointed and clean. We spent our time hanging by the pool, shopping in Beaver Creek Village, and chilling. The winter ice rink is turned into a grassy turf in summer with comfy seating, yard games and live music. It’s surrounded by restaurants and shops and is a great place to relax and people watch. We don’t have any pics of the resort or the room, but we did have a great charcuterie board at the pool and enjoyed a leisure shop and walk along the creek, see below.
After bidding farewell to Beaver Creek, we had a “short” four hour or so drive to Colorado Springs and The Broadmoor Hotel. On our way we stopped at Garden of the Gods. After coming from Grand Teton National Park, we were slightly underwhelmed by the red rock formations. We were also a little short on time so we chose to drive through the park without stopping to get out and take a closer look.
Next stop, The Broadmoor Hotel. We were actually staying at “Cloud Camp” at The Broadmoor. The Broadmoor’s founder, Spencer Penrose, had a lodge at the Cloud Camp site where he brought his friends to imbibe during The Prohibition. Cloud Camp is an all-inclusive hideaway that sits 3000 feet above The Broadmoor with unobstructed views of Pike’s Peak. After checking in at The Broadmoor we grabbed some coffee and window-shopped until it was time to head up the mountain.
We enjoyed a harrowing ride to Cloud Camp in a 12 passenger van, declining an offer to ride donkeys partway up. Let me just say, I would have been less terrified on a donkey. The road was mostly unpaved, twisty, sandy with 500 feet drop offs and my palms were sweating. When we had to drive past the other 12 passenger van on it’s way back down the mountain, I almost asked if I could get out!
Upon arrival we made our way to the lodge to check-in. Cloud Camp is an all-inclusive experience featuring a multi-course dinner. The lodge and surrounding cabins are found in a breathtaking setting surrounded by 360 degree views. In the lodge you find huge fireplaces, a soaring ceiling and expansive decks. With the high altitude, climbing the few steps to the lodge was a breathtaking chore, and we earned the welcome drink that was offered.
After enjoying our beverage and a warm cookie, we were escorted to our cabin. It had two bedrooms, a bathroom, and living room. There was a hot tub to enjoy with an amazing view.
We dropped our bags off in the cabin and headed back to the lodge. We sat in on a cooking demonstration from the chef, hoping to get a snack out of it. Instead, we watched the chef sear and sauteé a chicken breast. It looked delicious when she finished, but alas, no tasting.
After the cooking demo, the weather was beautiful so we sat on the deck and enjoyed a few pre-dinner cocktails. We played gin rummy, took pictures of one of the many hummingbirds along the deck and enjoyed several hors d’œvres presented by the wait staff. It was so relaxing.
Dinner was delicious with fantastic service. We ate and drank way too much and had a great time on our last night in the Wild west.
This was our first true road trip and definitely will not be our last!
You do such a great description of your adventures it seems like we’re there. So glad you enjoyed your “ road trip”.
Aww, thanks!