National Park Road Trip!
I just returned from the longest road trip I've ever been on! 10 days exploring our beautiful country with 2 of my best friends.
4 states, 3 national parks, over 2,000 miles on the road, 7 hikes, 208 thousand steps, 40+ hours of country music, dozens of wildlife spottings (no bears), way too many protein bars, and memories to last a lifetime.
Check out the Vlog that we made for the trip below!
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
We started off our trip in Coeur d'Alene (which is way too hard to spell). It was about a 6-hour drive from Seattle, and it was such a cool city! We went on a morning run along the North Idaho Centennial Trail, explored Tubbs Hill Park, and checked out the marina with the world's longest floating boardwalk.
Whitefish, Montana
We left Coeur d'Alene and drove 4 hours to Whitefish, Montana! We made sure to stop at the truck stop in St Regis for the delicious Huckleberry Shakes. SO good. Once in Whitefish, we checked into the Grouse Mountain Lodge, where we stayed for the next 3 nights. Whitefish was a very cool town with so much to offer. We checked out Whitefish Lake, got beers and lunch at Bonsai Brewing Project, ate incredible elk sliders at Tupelo Grille, and watched the sunset on a parking garage rooftop.
Glacier National Park
We spent 2 full days at Glacier National Park, which tops the list for favorite national park I've been to. Driving along "Going to the sun road" was mesmerizing and one of the most beautiful views I've ever seen. We went on 3 hikes to Avalanche Lake, Hidden Lake, and Fish Lake. We also got lunch at Lake McDonald Lodge. Glacier National Park was AWESOME.
Jackson Hole, Wyoming
After an amazing time in Whitefish and Glacier National Park, we embarked on the 8.5 hour drive to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We were hit with a surprise snowstorm along the way (which we definitely did not plan for), but it made the scenery even more beautiful. We had some delicious food in Jackson. Our favorite restaurants were Hand Fire Pizza, Snake River Brewery, Hatch Mexican Restaurant, and Persephone Bakery.
Grand Teton National Park
The Grand Tetons were absolutely stunning. We went on a very snowy hike around Jenny Lake (almost a 10-mile loop) and soaked in the views from Inspiration Point. We also took a chilly boat ride across the lake.
The next day, we took the gondola to the top of Jackson Hole Mountain and hiked the Cirque Lake Trail to the summit (10,500 feet). It was a tough hike, but so worth it.
Yellowstone National Park
We spent a full day in Yellowstone checking out all the famous spots: Old Faithful, the Grand Prismatic Spring, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Hayden Valley Overlook, West Thumb Geyser Basin, and more. I was amazed by the incredibly diverse scenery at Yellowstone. We even came within a few feet of hundreds of grazing bison!
Boise, Idaho
Our last stop of the trip was in Boise, Idaho. We liked it so much, we decided to stay an extra night! We went to District Coffee, Tupelo Honey, TenBarrell Brewery, and Bitter Creek Brewery. We also went on a Bike Ride around the city and explored Camel Back Park. I'm a huge fan of Boise!
