Travelling through six states of the United States in 16 days seems like a daunting task, but in practice it is not so bad. You do spend some time in the car every day, but it's all manageable. You still have plenty of time left to relax or take a dip in the pool.
We start our road trip in Salt Lake City (Utah)
Flight from Amsterdam to Salt Lake City v.v. with KLM
On 12 July 2024, we took a KLM flight direct to Salt Lake City in the United States. I already booked the flight in September 2023, so the fare is still reasonably affordable. Now the price is about EUR 1,150 per person. This includes Economy Comfort seats and suitcases on both flights. Even with KLM, you now have to pay for this separately.
Car rental Ford Edge from Alamo via Sunny Cars
When we go to the United States, we don't take any risk. We want to be as fully insured as possible. Sunny Cars is an excellent choice. All insurances are included in the price and you don't have to buy anything extra at the counter. When we rent a car in Europe, I think Sunny Cars is really too expensive, because we don't want to be insured for everything there. And you don't have an option other than fully insured with Sunny Cars. We pay EUR 1,350 for a Ford Edge for 16 days in the summer holidays.
The Alamo counter is easy to find, in a modern new hall where all the car rental companies are located. It doesn't take long before we are walking from the counter to pick out a Ford Edge or similar ourselves. There is a whole row of cars with a key in them and you can choose which one you want. This is not common in Europe and therefore fun now.
Stay at Best Western Cottontree Inn
A 15-minute drive north, Best Western Cottontree inn, on Interstate 15, is a fine overnight hotel. Breakfast is included, but it's not much more than an egg and a biscuit. That's why we go to our favourite breakfast restaurant Denny's. You can find those all along the highways and in slightly larger towns. They have great breakfasts for not too much money. And the breakfasts have great names too, like 'Moons over my hammy' or 'Grand Slam Slugger.
On the road to Yellowstone National Park
We leave Salt Lake City heading north. It is about a 5.5-hour drive to West Yellowstone, the village on the west side of Yellowstone NP.
We first cross the Idaho border.
And later the Montana border.
We start our roadtrip early, so we arrive in West Yellowstone around noon. It's a funny little town. Truly American. We have lunch at Outpost Restaurant. There is a salad buffet, which suits us just fine.
Access to all National Parks for 1 year with the America the beautiful annual pass
All national parks in the United States require an entrance fee. If you visit several parks within 1 year, it is best to buy an America the beautiful card for USD 80. This will save you a lot of money. The parks all have different entrance fees. Yellowstone costs USD 35 for a car with 4 people. So if you visit more than 2 parks, you already have the card out of pocket. The card is by name, though. So you do have to show your passport every time in addition to the card.
These are the entrance fees of the National Parks we visited this holiday:
- Yellowstone NP USD 35
- Teton NP USD 35
- Capitol Reef NP USD 20
- Bryce Canyon NP USD 35
- Zion NP USD 35
Yellowstone is awesome
Here are a few photos of this beautiful park.
Yellowstone National Park is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating and iconic natural parks in the world. Stretching across the states of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, the park is a true natural wonder. From dramatic geysers to vast forests, and from diverse wildlife to impressive volcanic landscapes, it's all here.
It is the very first national park in the world, officially established on 1 March 1872 by President Ulysses S. Grant, with the aim of protecting its beautiful nature and unique geological formations. This laid the foundation for the global concept of national parks.
Yellowstone is famous for its geysers, of which there are more than 500! That is more than half of all geysers on earth. The most famous of these is undoubtedly Old Faithful, which gets its name from its predictable eruptions. Old Faithful spouts up to 30 metres high every 90 minutes and attracts millions of visitors every year.
Besides geysers, Yellowstone is also home to some of the most colourful hot springs in the world. Grand Prismatic Spring, the largest hot spring in the United States and the third largest in the world, is a spectacular natural phenomenon. With its bright rings of blue, green, yellow, orange and red, it almost looks like it's straight out of a painting. These colours are caused by micro-organisms living in the hot, mineral waters.
Yellowstone is a true paradise for animal lovers. The park is home to a wide range of wildlife, including bison, moose, grizzly bears, black bears, wolves, and coyotes.
Besides geysers and hot springs, Yellowstone is also home to some spectacular waterfalls. Lower Falls, at almost 94 metres high, is twice as high as the famous Niagara Falls and offers breathtaking views. The waterfall is located in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, a dramatically carved gorge that forms an iconic image of the park with its yellow and red hues.
Stay at Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel & Cabins
This hotel is located in Yellowstone N.P. in a cute little town near the Mammoth Hot Springs. A very rustic setting with a beautiful hotel. We slept in a cabin, which I booked almost a year in advance. The hotels in the national parks get booked up pretty quickly, so you have to get there early. You can't book them through Booking.com, but through Yellowstone's official site. There is a small shop and a restaurant for dinner and breakfast, where we ate very well.
An overnight stay in a cabin costs about USD 250 per night.
Stay in Old Faithful Lodge
Sleeping within walking distance of Yellowstone's most famous geyser. What more could you want? The Old Faithful spews hot water into the air every 90 minutes. So if you're staying here, you can watch it multiple times. With several more geysers in the background, it makes a very special view.
I also booked this cabin almost a year in advance from Yellowstone's official site and it costs about USD 250 per night.
Grand Teton tough and beautiful
Grand Teton National Park, located in northwestern Wyoming, is known for its dramatic mountain peaks, crystal clear lakes, and lush valleys. The iconic Teton Mountains are undoubtedly the park's most striking feature. The jagged peaks, the highest of which is Grand Teton at 4,199 metres, rise abruptly from the surrounding plains. What makes these mountains so special is that without foothills or lower hills, they shoot up directly from the valley, making for a spectacular sight.
Jenny Lake is one of the most popular spots in Grand Teton National Park. Located at the foot of the Tetons, this beautiful glacial lake offers numerous recreational activities, such as boating, fishing, and kayaking. A popular activity is the ferry that takes you across the lake, from where you can hike to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point - two of the most popular viewpoints in the park.
The park is home to an impressive diversity of animals, including grizzly bears, black bears, moose, wapiti (aka American red deer), pronghorns (antelope-like animals), and even wolves.
Besides Jenny Lake, Grand Teton has a number of other scenic lakes and rivers, such as Jackson Lake and Snake River. Jackson Lake is the largest lake in the park and is perfect for recreation such as boating, fishing and canoeing. Snake River is popular for rafting and trout fishing.
Stay in Virginian Lodge in Jackson
In the cute and cosy town of Jackson lies the Virginian Lodge. A nice hotel with a swimming pool in the middle. There are also nice seating areas where marshmellows are handed out at night and you can sit by campfires. We did our favourite American game there: corn hole.
There is a restaurant at the hotel where you can only go for breakfast. For dinner, you can find restaurants within walking distance, but there are also plenty of restaurants in downtown Jackson.
A room costs about USD 300, but then you are in the nicest hotel in Jackson.
Raft trip on Snake River with Lewis & Clark
After a bus ride of about 40 minutes, we arrived at Snake River. The boats were already ready for the wonderful raft trip with spectacular rapids. The scenery is beautiful and the water wonderfully fresh. We were in the front of the boat, which made everything even more spectacular.
Lewis & Clark organised it very well. The booking was quick and clear and the communication afterwards was good. A day beforehand, I received a reminder with what time to be where and what to bring. Bringing a camera or phone was not advised, but I did it anyway. Fortunately, I had bought a seal bag, as it was necessary. The raft trip was more spectacular than we expected.
We were about 10 people plus the guide in a boat. You also had to paddle along if you were not in the middle. All in all, the outing took over 3 hours and cost about USD 80 per person.
Jackson is a cosy little town
Many people use the name Jackson Hole and Jackson interchangeably, but there is a difference! Jackson Hole is the entire valley stretching some 80 kilometres, while Jackson is the largest city within the valley. The town of Jackson is known for its authentic "Old West" look, complete with wooden pavements, saloons and the famous Elk Antler Arch in the town square.
We cross 3 states on our way to Park City
Stay at Club Wyndham in Park City
Park City, a beautifully landscaped ski resort
Once a humble mining village, Park City is today known for its world-famous ski resorts, luxury accommodations, and the annual Sundance Film Festival.
We drive further south towards Capitol Reef NP
Stay at Capitol Reef Resort in Torrey
Capitol Reef National Park
Amid Utah's red rock deserts lies a lesser-known but breathtaking national park: Capitol Reef National Park. This park offers a unique combination of dramatic rock formations, colourful gorges, and historical sites.
Grand Staircase Escalante and Petrified Forest State Park
Grand Staircase Escalante NM is a wilderness full of deep canyons, colourful rock formations, mysterious slot canyons and ancient fossils. Named after the huge "staircase" of geological terraces that dominate the landscape, the monument is also known for its spectacular slot canyons. These are narrow and often deep gorges carved by water erosion.
The highlight of Petrified Forest State Park is, of course, the petrified wood. Millions of years ago, this area was covered by giant jungles and rivers. Volcanic activity and the resulting deposition of minerals slowly turned fallen trees into stone. This process, known as petrification, resulted in colourful fossil tree trunks that are now scattered around the park. The petrified wood in this park often contains vibrant hues of red, orange, yellow and purple, caused by various minerals such as iron and manganese.
Stay at BW Plus Ruby's Inn Bryce Canyon
Bryce Canyon National Park
We drive to Lake Powell near Page, Arizona
We pontoon on Lake Powell
Stay at Lake Powell Resort
We hike through Lower Antelope Canyon with Kens Tours
Zion National Park
We end our road trip in hot and crowded Las Vegas
Las Vegas is quite a special city. You just have to have been there once. It is one big amusement park for adults and gambling addicts. Because everywhere you look you see slot machines. If you walk through the lobby of a hotel, you have to walk through a large number of slot machines first. They've done it cleverly though, because if you walk down the Strip and you have to cross the road, you can enter a hotel and then cross the road via a bridge. There you come back into another hotel. So you don't have to cross the busy road and you can cool off in the air conditioning.
In summer, Las Vegas is bloody hot. You have to be able to stand that. I personally found it a bit too hot at 43 degrees. It doesn't really cool down at night either. You just don't have the sun's radiation. During the day, Las Vegas doesn't look very special, but at night the city comes alive. Then everything is beautifully lit and you see special people trying to attract the attention of tourists in all sorts of ways. By doing tricks, or walking around dressed up, or driving down the Strip at breakneck speed in special cars.
There are mega-many hotels, all of which look well-kept and luxurious. We were in MGM Grand ourselves, but we also walked through Caesars Palace. Very big that is, with several restaurants and an impressive shopping mall.
Personally, I think 1 night experiencing the Strip in Las Vegas is enough. It's too crowded and too hot. That's why we went to see David Copperfield the other night. That was fantastic. I had ordered the tickets a few weeks before leaving in the Netherlands, which was a good idea. I don't have any photos of it, because taking photos was strictly forbidden. But it is definitely recommended, should you be in Las Vegas sometime.
And of course we dine at our favourite restaurant
The Cheesecake Factory at Ceasars Palace mall.
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