{Spoiler Alert: I love to travel, and I love my husband. And together, they make life magical}

For those of you who may not know me well, I have to preface this post by saying that my husband and I do not by any means fit the typical mold of what married life is supposed to look like. Yes, we have a house, two dogs, cook and eat dinner together, work normal-ish jobs, and are all mushy, gushy in-love with each other. However, within the almost three years we’ve been married, we have moved a total of 6 times, have sold 3 houses and 5 vehicles, and have lived in three different states. Long story short, we just love beginning new adventures, picking everything up and starting fresh. It’s kind of our jam.

We were fortunate enough to be able to spend the month of August in South Dakota visiting Jon’s parents and helping them prepare for his sister’s wedding. And because our 3-year Anniversary was fast approaching (September 22), we decided to take advantage of our time out there to travel. Over seven days, we visited some of the most beautiful sights that Wyoming has to offer. I’ll be sharing links to all the parks, museums, and lodging information for our entire trip, so don’t miss out on a fantastically easy way to plan a trip of your own!

>> If you would like to view the entire gallery of our trip, you can visit this link! <<

I couldn’t have asked for a better tour guide, either. As a kid, Jon had taken a couple family road trips to the mid-west. Everywhere we went, he was always telling me to watch out for this, look for that, you’ve gotta experience this! We had a total blast, and I am so super glad I got to share it all with him.

LODGING

Typically, most people plan trips in advance, months in advance. Folks, if you want to be staying INSIDE Yellowstone National Park, start planning at least 6 months to a year in advance. Not kidding. It was SO difficult finding lodging for this trip. Because like most of our travels, they’re spontaneous. I had exactly one month to get our lodging in place. I was literally on the phone with Yellowstone for a week straight asking about cancellations. In the end, we found some super excellent places to stay. I was able to snag a one-night stay inside Yellowstone National Park. =) But with a little searching, I found some great alternatives!

DEVIL’S TOWER | CODY, WY

Our first day, we wound up taking a slight detour on our way to Cody, Wyoming so that we could visit Devil’s Tower. This amazing sight is not only beautiful, but it is the very first National Monument. After parking, you’re just a short walk away from being at the base of this tourist attraction. If you’re feeling really adventurous, perhaps you’d like to tackle climbing it! That’s right, rock climbing enthusiasts spend the entire day climbing the face of this massive structure. And at over 800ft high, I can imagine your arms, legs, and pretty much every muscle in your body will be screaming by the time you’ve reached the top.

That brings us to Cody. Oh, how I LOVED Cody. It’s a huge tourist town with plenty to do, so make sure you plan a couple days for sightseeing. We spent two of our three evenings at the Cody Stampede Night Rodeo, which was, by far, the highlight of our stay there. With food and live entertainment, it’s a definite must-see! We found a cute, pet-friendly Bed & Breakfast for our first night and stayed the remaining two nights at this amazing cluster of cabins that made you feel right at home with update-to-date amenities, continental breakfast each morning, and within walking distance to the Night Rodeo! You’ll also want to check out The Buffalo Bill Museum and all the local shops. We found the locals’ favorite coffee shop and gave them quite a bit of business while we were there. So get your cowboy boots on and go out and enjoy the small but lively town of Cody, WY! {SEE ALL LINKS BELOW}

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

Note: Plan to spend at least 3 days in Yellowstone. We did it in three, and I don’t think we could have cut it any shorter. There’s so much to see. And if you go at the peak of tourist season like we did, be prepared to deal with traffic and walking through crowds at certain locations. Obviously Old Faithful will be one of those locations.

If you’re looking to catch a glimpse of wildlife, go out at dawn or dusk, and be patient! We finally realized on our last night in Yellowstone the secret to seeing a grizzly bear: Head to Hayden Valley around 7pm, STOP if you see a bunch of people. Plain and simple. Where there is a crowd of people, especially those with those long lenses sitting in their lawn chairs camping out. That’s kind of a sure sign.

If you’re looking to get out of the park to save some money, consider West Yellowstone, MT. There are plenty of restaurants, an IMAX theatre, and even a Grizzly and Wolf Museum for the kiddos. If you’re looking to stay inside the park, check out Yellowstone Lake Lodge. It’s a cheaper alternative to it’s sister, the Lake Hotel, and the accommodations are surprisingly updated. They have a beautiful cafeteria that’s open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and not to mention the beautiful rocking chair views of Yellowstone Lake. If you’re looking for a classier meal with a casual dress code, I would HIGHLY recommend making reservations at the Lake Hotel Dining Room and having yourself the Buffalo Tenderloin with garlic mashed potatoes. To DIE for! {SEE LINKS BELOW}

GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK

Up last on our trip out west was the oh so beautiful, Grand Teton National Park. As with any adventure, it wouldn’t be a Mowery vacation if we didn’t make friends. We picked up these three employees of Yellowstone on their day trip hitchhike to Jackson Hole. That just so happened to be our next stop, so we picked them up and did the tourist thing with them for the day. Voila, new friends!

The Tetons are splendid. Their picturesque whitecaps reflecting on the lakes below are truly a sight to behold. God did not spare a single ounce of creativity when he made this place.

Jackson Hole, WY is another great tourist town of the mid-west. Once inside, you can see why this wealthy community is a hot spot for many actors and well-to-dos. I suggest snagging a tasty smoothy from the Healthy Being Juicery while you’re there. It’s a refreshing, all-natural pick me up on a hot day walking the streets of Jackson Hole (in the summer, of course).

Just a short, 20-minute drive from Jackson Hole, you’ll arrive at the Teton Village, best known for it’s skiing attractions in the winter. If you’re hungry, be sure to research their “Grand” array of dining options. We had the best Thai of our lives at Teton Thai! Grand Teton National Park is well-known for it’s moose population. Unlike a lot of larger animals, you can spot these massive creatures at almost anytime of the day. We spotted our first moose at the bridge in Moose, WY (go figure) where it was cooling off in the stream below in the middle of the day. Again, you can’t miss seeing something great. If there’s something to see, there WILL be a crowd. Later that same day, Jon and I set out moose hunting in the evening. Low and behold, on the other side of the bridge, I spotted one about 100 yards out as we were passing over. We got a private showing that night as we hiked back the wooded trail to get a closer view.

Visiting Wyoming should definitely be on top of your to-do list as far as traveling in the United States goes. It’s surely an experience like none other. Experience the great outdoors and all the beauty of the nature and wildlife surrounding it. {SEE LINKS BELOW}

I know it was long, but thanks for reading! Be sure to check back for more traveling to-do’s! While you’re at it, leave your contact info in the box provided below, and/or to the right, and receive emails when the blog is updated. You’ll always stay “in the loop.”

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