YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

Take binoculars!!! Ask questions everywhere you go!! Clerks, waitresses, strangers, etc. They may know where there's a bear digging roots or just walking around. Most people that work there love to tell visitor's things to see. If you see a group of cars stopped, ask the people stopped why? What looks like a black speck in the distance, with a scope or good binoculars you will probably see a bear. If a group of buffalo come walking nonchalantly down the road, pull over and keep your hands in the car even if it is tempting to reach out and feel their hair or head as they walk by so close they may brush your rear view mirror. If you drive in from the south (Jackson Hole) you will see the beautiful Grand Teton's on route. If you can time it so you get to Jackson Lake Lodge in the evening before dark. Go inside to the bar area & in front of their big windows you can stand outside and watch the moose below coming out of the willows. If a nice easy float trip down the Snake River, close by sounds good to you. You might want to make a reservation there before you leave or now at the Coulter Bay cabins to spend the night. That is where you met your guide the next morning for a spectacular trip seeing animals in the morning which is the best time to see them. The guide on the boat will be telling you things to see while in the Yellowstone area. I do not recommend going between July 4th & August 20 when school is out. When the crowds start coming in the bears head for the high country and you will be lucky to see a bear. If you have kids think of the education they would get that they wouldn't get in school that week and they can make it up easy. Don't tell the teacher I said so.
If you know when you will be there making reservations for a place to stay in the park is never too early. 1-866-439-7375 or http://www.travelyellowstone.com/ for the lastest park information. When you stop at the entrance of Yellowstone National Park and pay the entrance fee they will hand you a paper "Yellowstone Today" read it! Please do not go to the left to famous Old Faithful, save that till last. Turn to the right stopping at Grant Village to see the wonderful Museum about the famous fire at Yellowstone in 95? If you have children ages 5-12 buy a Jr. Ranger activity paper while you are at Grant Village $3 . It will keep the kids busy finding things instead of complaining like, "When we gonna see a bear", etc. I know what it's like, we have 4 children we took on trips when they were young. I'm not sure of the date but while you are there & I hope the restaurant still sells Huckleberry Shakes you must have one. The berries grow wild in the area and a favorite of the bears. If they don't have them there when you leave. At Jackson drive Hy. 22 West across the Teton's to see the mountains from the other side. You would never know they are the same mountains. At the little old town of Victoria over there the old drug store still has the soda fountain bar and you can "belly up" to the bar and have a delicious Huckleberry Shake. I hope the owner still fries & sells those delicious hamburgers he grills on the side walk in front of their building at noon, with a table full of condiments you fill your burger with yourself. I think it was $2 but of course you have to remember that was 10 years ago his price may have gone up. There are campgrounds all over the park you can park your RV a day or two or camp in a tent. I'll warn you though it can snow 1" on your tent July 12th (unusual) but anything can happen at Yellowstone. Just ask my grandkids. They will never forget that camp out coming up from hot Kansas. Another visitor from Topeka must have been surprised too because she came home and it was published in the Topeka Capital Journal paper. I've got to go fix breakfast now so I'll talk more about Yellowstone and where you might want to stay tomorrow. Jeanette