We did this a couple years ago, and it was THE BEST vacation we've ever taken. It WAS a lot of driving, and it wasn't a cheap trip. Notes on how we did it:
- Our first thought was to rent an RV, but when we looked at the cost for summer rentals, we changed our minds in a hurry -- even before we added in the cost of gas. My husband admitted later he was glad that he didn't have to drive the RV through downtown Denver.
- We waited 'til our kids were 13 and 15, and I'm glad. This was the "sweet spot" between being old enough to endure 5-6 hours in the car and being busy with summer jobs.
- We planned every minute, the idea being to see as many sites as possible in not-quite 3 weeks. I made a big notebook with maps, hotel ressies, etc. -- and we never once got lost or made any major mistakes. The whole trip was smooth sailing. Let me see if I can say it from memory -- I'm sure they're not in the proper order:
Flew into Vegas
Zion National Park
Antelope Canyon
____ Dam -- not Hoover, but the second biggest dam
Grand Canyon National Park
Mesa Verde National Park
4 points
Denver, CO: US Mint, CO Rockies baseball, best bookstore EVER, kids went to a rock concert
Arches National Park
Archeological site where they're digging up mammouths
Custer State Park
Wind Cave National Park
Mt. Rushmore National Park: went back to see the night program
Rodeo in Cody, WY
Yellowstone
West Yellowstone: Theater, Wolf and Grizzly Habitat
Grand Tetons
Salt Lake City: water park . . . I know we did more here
Vegas:
- We never planned two marathon-drives back-to-back. That would've just been too much.
- We opted to stay in hotels. We had about 3 years of lead time on the trip, and my husband purposefully chose his business-travel hotels to maximize his bonus stays. Aside from those free stays, we went mostly with Priceline hotels. I'm glad we went that direction: We moved pretty much every day, and setting up camp would have made a huge dent in our time. Also, if you're camping, you have to account for car-space for sleeping bags, pillows, and mattress pads -- we would've had to "move up a size" in our car rental, and that would've required more gas. By skipping camping, we increased the number of places we visited. In one week, if you're camping with kids, realistically, you should limit yourself to 2 parks.
- The most expensive overnights were our in-the-parks cabins. They were a splurge, but in Yellowstone and Grand Tetons they were the best option. We did enjoy them.
- Staying in hotels gave us hot showers (with towels we didn't have to wash), air conditioning and comfortable beds. Most of the hotels included free breakfast, which was both convenient and a money-saver.
- We're on the east coast, so we flew to Vegas and rented a small SUV. Because we rented a million years in advance, our rental was really cheap -- like $450 for 3 weeks. I'm not quite sure how we scored that smoking hot deal.
- We bought the America the Beautiful pass (is that the right name?) at our first national park stop. This gave us free entry into all the other national parks; we even used it the next summer in Puerto Rico -- it was the very last week it was valid! And since two people's names can be on the pass, I lent it to a friend who used it for her family's vacation. Do not buy until you are physically at the first park; your year begins on the day you purchase the pass. You should look up the cost of entry for the parks you plan to attend; it may or may not be a good deal for you.
- Food was a big line item for us, especially with two teenagers. I thought I was being smart by saving up my credit card rewards points and cashing them in for chain restaurant gift cards. Surprise: Unlike here at home, they don't have an Olive Garden or a Sonny's BBQ on every corner out in national parks land. I brought most of those free restaurant cards home.
- We landed in Vegas late at night, and our first stop the next morning was Walmart, where we purchased a cheap cooler . . . and filled it with sandwich fixings, yogurt, fruit and drinks of all sorts. This was a monumental money-saver (AND a time saver). We also bought a cheap knife and cutting board. We typically ate one meal a day (plus snacks) out of the cooler. In the summer heat, drinks may've been the biggest single saver. When we returned to Vegas, we abandoned the cooler in our last hotel. I hope some staff member took it home and made use of it. We also had a cardboard box, which held bread, chips, and peanut butter. When we stopped by the roadside for a picnic, we just needed to take out the cardboard box and the cooler.
- We each packed a rolling carry-on bag with 5 outfits, and we washed clothes every couple days. If I had it to do again, I'd have everyone pack in a small duffle bag ... and I'd have a large plastic tub in the back of the SUV for dirty clothes.
- We packed mostly shorts ... but we each packed one pair of jeans and a pair of hiking boots. We debated jackets but (foolishly) decided they wouldn't be needed in July. That's how I came to purchase $50 sweatshirts for everyone inside Yellowstone. The temperature was down in the 40s, and it was that or stay in the room all day.
- We did lots of hikes (free), but we also splurged on some great programs here and there, which were well worth the cost. Some that deserve special shout-outs: 1) The Buffalo Safari in Custer State Park; Custer, SD. Our guide took us to places tourists aren't really allowed to go, and he told us so much about buffalo and how they manage them in the park -- definitely a highlight of our trip. 2) Two ranger-led tours to the cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde National Park. You can't go without a guide, and we were fascinated that people actually lived /thrived in these places. 3) A Cirque show in Vegas; we loved every second of it, and my youngest probably talked about that show every day for two years. 4) Antelope Canyon -- you've seen pictures, I promise you! It's more incredibly in person -- otherworldly even.
- Our kids were less enthusiastic about the hikes and historical sites, so we interspersed LOTS of teen-friendly activities -- like a water park and a rock concert in Denver. And some of the most fun things turned out to be unexpected; for example, we were at the Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim for July 4, and all the emergency vehicles hosted a parade -- a parade that shot water guns at the spectators! They provided water guns (blaster type) to the kids, and it was an hour-long free-for-all. My kids claimed it was one of the highlights of the trip for them.
- We planned 2-3 days in Vegas at the end of our trip, thinking we'd enjoy lounging by the pools and relaxing before flying home. It turned out to be 117 degrees, and we couldn't even get a spot in the pools! It was the least fun of our trip.
It was an absolutely wonderful trip, and I'd love to do it again, hopefully at a more leisurely pace after we're retired.
