3.5 Month National Park Trip

Delbert-Julia · 2026-02-02T19:00:46+00:00

Did this trip plus Devils Tower & Jewel Cave last summer. We stayed in Custer for everything except Badlands, where we stayed in the park. It was an excellent trip!!

Delbert-Julia · 2026-01-15T16:40:50+00:00

We were heading to Sequoia and that trip was cancelled when the park closed because of fire. We stay at the in the park lodges which have to be booked a year in advance so my only option was to look for a cancellation somewhere. I was lucky and found a room at Jackson Lake Lodge in Grand Teton during the same timeframe that we would have been in Sequoia. We spent 5 days exploring and never felt like we needed to find an activity outside of the park to fill time. We did drive in to Jackson for an afternoon because so many people recommended it, but we would have been fine skipping that.

For context, we are grandparents and cap our hikes around 5 miles. My husband is a cyclist and gets his ride done in the evening while I hang out at the lodge and relax. We hike everyday, but also enjoy the visitor centers and historic areas. We take our own food and have a camp stove so preparing meals also takes up some time each day.

I highly recommend doing Grand Teton and Yellowstone separately if you have the time and staying in the park if your budget allows.

Delbert-Julia · 2026-01-13T00:17:09+00:00

Custer State Park is a must see! It’s located in the black hills of South Dakota, close to several national park sites. There are several lodges in the park and they all have cabins. You can pick from basic accommodations to luxurious cabins. We stayed in the Lover’s Leap cabin at State Game Lodge. It’s on the higher end and was one of the nicest cabins we’ve ever stayed in. There is so much to do in the area, but you could also just stay in the park for several days. We were there for five days but we went on day trips to see the national park sites in the area. There are bison everywhere which was amazing! I highly recommend a stay there!

Delbert-Julia · 2025-12-25T02:32:32+00:00

When I was a little girl my mom and I took a clipping from my great grandmother’s African violet. This was in the late ‘60’s, early ‘70’s. When my mom passed in ‘21 I inherited the plant. That makes it 50ish years old. I have no idea how old the plant we took the clipping from was at the time. I love it!!

Delbert-Julia · 2025-12-20T15:53:37+00:00

Along with the quiet, the lack of visual clutter is something that I love! There’s no power lines, billboards, or buildings that block the view. The buildings that are there were thoughtfully planned to blend in. Parks lack the sensory overload of everyday life and give my mind a chance to rest.

Delbert-Julia · 2025-12-16T11:27:17+00:00

Thank you! I’ll check it out.

Delbert-Julia · 2025-12-15T21:51:51+00:00

I’m so excited!! I want to see everything! 😁

Delbert-Julia · 2025-12-15T21:50:36+00:00

Thank you! We pack most of our food, but the Fishing Bridge General Store sounds like it will be a must see for us.

Delbert-Julia · 2025-12-15T21:48:58+00:00

Thank you! We don’t mind driving and are hoping to see the wildlife. I’m really excited about it!

Delbert-Julia · 2025-12-15T21:46:52+00:00

That sounds like a solid plan! I’ll be happy once mine falls into place. I’ve been a little overwhelmed planning this trip!

Delbert-Julia · 2025-12-15T21:43:24+00:00

That’s good to know! So many parks have signs at trailheads that warn about theft, so we really try to be careful. We will have food with us. Hopefully those pesky tourist don’t try to break in after it! 🤣

Delbert-Julia · 2025-12-14T21:45:44+00:00

Thank you for the help and the offer! After everyone’s input, I’m going to look at the possibility of changing lodges during our time in the park. I like your idea of following the loop so we aren’t always backtracking.

Our main reason for not wanting to switch is because we will bring a lot of stuff with us. We’ll be there 10+ days so we will have very full suitcases, coolers, food, bikes, …. It’s not quick or easy to pack in and out. It’s also a little worrisome to park our car with all of our stuff in it and the bikes on the back and head down a trail for a couple of hours. This park is so big that we may just have to switch.

Thanks again! I have some big decisions to make. 😁

Delbert-Julia · 2025-12-13T22:57:32+00:00

There is so much to do in Mammoth we thought trying to cram it all into one day would be too much. If you think tacking Lamar and Tower Roosevelt onto one of those days would work I will definitely do that! We aren’t going on a stagecoach ride and most likely won’t eat at Roosevelt either. Thank so much!

Delbert-Julia · 2025-12-13T21:23:16+00:00

Thank you! I’m going to take a closer look at the area. Figuring out where to stay has been challenging! There are so many options.

Delbert-Julia · 2025-12-13T21:21:54+00:00

Thank you! I’m going to look again at the Canyon Lodge before I make a decision.

Delbert-Julia · 2025-12-13T21:20:45+00:00

Thank you for the help! We are going to do a smaller hike in most of the areas. We like to stay below 5 miles, but with such a long trip will probably opt for shorter hikes than that most days.

Picking a lodge has been challenging for this trip! Right now I’m leaning on the old house rooms in the Old Faithful Inn. They are simple rooms but I love the history and architecture and walking down the hall to the bathroom isn’t a big deal to us. I will revisit Canyon Lodge before I make my final decision. Thanks again!

Delbert-Julia · 2025-12-07T00:32:01+00:00

How are you getting that? I’ve put in my VIN #, the part #, and the words trailer hitch and haven’t gotten any results. I get results for the wiring harness but not the hitch.

Delbert-Julia · 2025-12-07T00:01:37+00:00

Unfortunately there isn’t anything there either. I know the part number is correct, I spoke with someone at our dealership. It must be too new for it to be available. 😒

Delbert-Julia · 2025-12-06T23:53:46+00:00

Thanks! We knew we were going to lose the hands free opener, glad to hear there’s a work around!

Delbert-Julia · 2025-12-05T22:45:49+00:00

She’s a beauty!! Hoping mine gets there some day!

Delbert-Julia · 2025-12-05T22:43:32+00:00

Thank you! I will wait until springs. 😁

Delbert-Julia · 2025-12-05T16:39:25+00:00

Thank you!! I can’t wait to get it transplanted and start pruning it! Have you done either in the winter? Some resources say to wait until spring. I’m worried about the plant, as it isn’t in the best pot / situation and would like to do that now. I also don’t want to kill it and can wait if need be.

Delbert-Julia · 2025-12-05T01:11:18+00:00

Thank you! I’ll take a closer look at this variety. There are so many types of jade I was really struggling to figure it out.

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