It was a vacation like no other!  I posted the itinerary here.

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On Tuesday September 8, LB and I headed west.

We took a flight out of Jacksonville, Florida to Austin, Texas; Then from Austin to Salt Lake City, Utah.Once we landed in Utah, we collected our rental car and drove to Idaho Falls to spend our first night and recuperate for the upcoming journey.Before I move on to day 2, I have to mention dinner because we typically only have one real meal a day while on vacation.  And so, if left up to me, I will look for a Mexican restaurant, which is what happened late Tuesday night.  I found only one nearby in Idaho Falls.  Don Alberto Mexican Food was a small, empty establishment with one visible employee, and a delicious, although unconventional, fajita dinner.

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On Wednesday September 9 we set out early and headed for Jackson Hole, Grand Teton & South Yellowstone.

We stopped for photos at the famous elk antler arches in the Jackson, Wyoming Town Square.

Then we grabbed a “black eye” coffee near the Jackson Town Square, made another quick purchase in the general store,

then headed north out of Jackson to Grand Teton National Park.These mountains are amazing.We stopped at Jenny Lake overlook for a selfie.Then traveled on to Yellowstone via the south entrance.  We headed toward Old Faithful to see the 3:14 PM  eruption.  I’m not able to post the video on this site, but LB took a selfie that I posted in my most recent Friday Favorites (here).

Afterward we traveled around the sulfur-scented side of Yellowstone to see a variety of sites.

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And when we were completely exhausted, we headed toward the west entrance/exit to find our hotel and dinner.  But, alas, there were Elk in the road and the traffic stopped until he and his people moved.

We spent the night in Montana, just outside of Yellowstone Park at the Holiday Inn West Yellowstone.Dinner at The Branch [which was right next door] was excellent.

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On Thursday September 10 we headed back to Yellowstone National Park, Cody WY, & Bighorn

We got an early start and headed toward Canyon Village to the South Rim Drive. We parked at Artist Point to view the falls and then the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

and we met this little guy

We rolled through Hayden Valley and admired the bison herds as recommended in our itinerary, then up the scenic Sylvan Pass toward the East Entrance.

🦬 I posted a video on TikTok 🦬

At around 1 pm, we arrived in Cody, WY  where we enjoyed a sit-down lunch at Rooster’s Cafe on Sheridan Avenue.  This was my favorite meal of the week.  I included photos and info in my most recent Friday Favorites (here).

After our energy was renewed, we made the Bighorn Mountain Climb across the Bighorn Basin and up into the pines of the Bighorn National Forest via Burgess Junction.

These pictures do not do it justice.

We stopped in Sheridan, Wyoming for the evening and enjoyed a WalMart salad for dinner.

Not kidding.  Its how we roll.

🤣

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On Friday, September 11 we drove to Devils Tower.

What an awesome and magnificent creation.

Once we arrived, we hiked the Tower Trail loop around Devils Tower with minimal discomfort.  It is a 1.6 mile loop with a butt-burning incline.

When we were leaving we met this little guy.

Fun fact: the Devils Tower National Monument is famously featured in the iconic movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind which showcases the Devil’s Tower as the location for the climax of the story.

👽

Being adequately sweaty from our hike, we left Devils Tower and headed into the Black Hills of South Dakota toward DEADWOOD.  This was not part of the itinerary, but it was something that I wanted to do because I used to LOVE the HBO series.  Our visit was an item [that I’ve now crossed off] on my Bucket-list.

We spent the night in South Dakota at Hampton Inn & Suites Rapid City  and enjoyed dinner at Texas Roadhouse.

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On Saturday September 12, we set out to see Mount Rushmore & the Crazy Horse Memorial.

I’m going to say something controversial: I didn’t see any black hills in the Black Hills of South Dakota.  That’s okay.  I didn’t see the whole place, so I’m not accusing or complaining, just sharing what I observed.

Saturday was really the last sightseeing day of our trip and I while I enjoyed ALL of the sights, there was something awe-inspiring about Mount Rushmore.

I think this was my favorite

When we arrived, we took one of many selfie photos.  In this one, we are laughing because a lady nearby asked her companion “who are those 4 presidents?”

The President’s Trail is an easy hike that takes you up the base of the mountain, providing opportunity for views from all sides.  We took a LOT of photos.

Then we stood in the Artist’s studio and listened to a park employee’s presentation called the Sculpture’s Studio Talk.

The speaker said that the original plan for Mount Rushmore was to include a collection of western heroes, but the artist wanted to make Rushmore a place to stand for the whole country, so he chose 4 Presidents: Washington to represent the foundation of our country; Jefferson to represent the expansion of our country; Lincoln to represent the preservation of our country; and Roosevelt to represent the development and conservation of our country.

Also, we met this little guy…

Then we took a short journey to the Crazy Horse Memorial.

If you aren’t familiar with Crazy Horse, the story of the Battle of Little Bighorn can be read here.

If you don’t already know, the artist who began this sculpture died without completing the vision.  His family continues to work to completion, but I can’t see this happening in my lifetime.

You can read about the death of Crazy Horse here …not sure which story is accurate.

Afterward, we drove through Sturgis, then on to Nebraska.  Dinner was my pick again and I chose Olé.

We spent the night at Hampton Inn & Suites Scottsbluff .

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On Sunday September 13, we Headed Home

Travel from Scottsbluff, Nebraska to Denver international airport to Jacksonville, Florida.

What a day.

It was a 3 hour drive from Nebraska to the airport in Colorado .

Then our 3:45 flight was delayed until 5:13.  So we did what anyone would do… we went shopping and then found a restaurant.

The nachos were excellent!

Our plane finally departed and we arrived home around 11:30 PM EST.  Safe and sound!

SO blessed and happy to be here!

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Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

This is an LB/AI generated itinerary to fast-track through National Parks in the West and Midwest regions of the United States.

Try to keep up…

Day 1

Tuesday Sep 8: Headed West

✈️

JAX>AUS then AUS>SLC

Route: Head east out of Salt Lake City International Airport to merge onto I-15 North. Stay on I-15 North across the Utah-Idaho state line, driving past Pocatello directly into Idaho Falls. Take Exit 116 for I-15 Business North/West Sunnyside Road toward Whitewater Drive.

Night 1 Destination: 7:00 PM arrival at Home2 Suites by Hilton Idaho Falls. 1160 Whitewater Drive, Idaho Falls, ID

Day 2

🦌⛰️🌲

Wednesday Sep 9: Jackson Hole, Grand Teton & South Yellowstone

Departure: 7AM (Essential early start to beat entrance lines)

Route 1: Take US-26 East out of Idaho Falls through Swan Valley, transitioning onto WY-22 East over Teton Pass into Jackson Hole.

Stop 1:  8:45 AM Jackson Town Square, WY. Quick stop for photos at the antler arches and a bathroom break. Do not plan a sit-down meal or a long shopping excursion here. Park quickly near the Jackson Town Square, take your photo under the famous elk antler arches, grab a coffee to go, and head out.

Route 2:  Drive north out of Jackson on US-191 North / US-89 North directly into Grand Teton National Park.

Stop briefly at Jenny Lake Overlook for mountain vistas. Skip the time-consuming Jenny Lake shuttle boat. Instead, drive the scenic loop and stop strictly at the Jenny Lake Overlook and the Oxbow Bend Overlook for world-class photos of the peaks reflecting on the water without hiking delays.

Stop 2:  10:45A  Grand Teton National Park – Jenny Lake

Take pictures of the iconic Teton Range reflection at Jenny Lake.

11:15 AM – Enter Yellowstone via South Entrance: Drive past the lake.

11:45 AM – West Thumb Geyser Basin: Stretch your legs on the short lakeside boardwalk loop. This lakeside geyser basin sits right inside the South Entrance. It takes just 20 minutes to walk the short boardwalk, offering brilliant hydrothermal pools framed directly against the massive backdrop of Yellowstone Lake.

12:30 PM – Traverse Craig Pass to Old Faithful: Arrive at the park’s busiest hub.

1:00 PM to 3:30 PM – Old Faithful & Lunch: Watch the eruption, walk a small portion of the Upper Geyser Basin boardwalk if time permits, and eat lunch.

3:30 PM – Drive North to West Yellowstone: Head past the Madison Junction, keeping an eye out for elk along the Madison River.

4:30 PM – Check-In at Holiday Inn West Yellowstone: Cleanly arrived with plenty of afternoon energy left to unpack and explore the gateway town.

Night 2 Destination: 5:30 PM arrival at Holiday Inn West Yellowstone 315 Yellowstone Ave, West Yellowstone, MT

 

Day 3

🦬🌲⛰️

Thursday Sep 10: Yellowstone National Park, Cody WY, & Bighorn

7:30 AM – Depart West Yellowstone: Head east past Madison Junction straight toward Canyon Village. Upon reaching Canyon Village, drive straight down to the South Rim Drive. Park immediately at Artist Point to view the Lower Falls. Do not attempt the canyon basin stairs or long trail networks; keep your stop to 40 minutes maximum to guard your timeline.

8:45 AM – Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone: Capture your photos from the main overlooks at Artist Point and Upper Falls.

9:45 AM – Roll Through Hayden Valley: Keep your vehicle moving steadily south through the valley floor to admire the bison herds.

10:15 AM – Pivot East toward Sylvan Pass: Turn away from the lake and head up the scenic Sylvan Pass toward the East Entrance.

12:00 PM – Arrive in Cody, WY: Fuel up the car and enjoy a sit-down lunch downtown along Sheridan Avenue.

1:30 PM – The Bighorn Mountain Climb: Drive east on US-14 across the Bighorn Basin and ascend up into the dense pines of the Bighorn National Forest via Burgess Junction.

Night 3 Stop:  Check-In at Hampton Inn Sheridan 980 Sibley Circle, Sheridan, Wyoming

 

Day 4

😈⛰️🤠

Friday Sep 11 : Devils Tower to the Black Hills

Route: Leave Sheridan → Devils Tower National Monument → Rapid City… Gives you ample time to hike the Tower Trail loop around Devils Tower without looking at your watch.  Leave Devils Tower and take US-14 to I-90 crossing into South Dakota.

*Drive past Spearfish and Sturgis toward DEADWOOD

Night 4 Stop: Hampton Inn & Suites Rapid City  825 Eglin St. Rapid City, SD

 

Day 5

🐴⛰️🇺🇸

Saturday Sep 12: Crazy Horse & Mount Rushmore

Route: from Hampton Inn & Suites Rapid City → Crazy Horse Memorial → Mount Rushmore National Memorial → Hampton Inn Scottsbluff, NE. Drive Time: ~3 hours (193 miles). Benefit: Cut down from an impossible schedule to a relaxed exploration of the two massive mountain carvings before an easy late-afternoon cruise down to Nebraska.Night 5 Stop: Hampton Inn & Suites Scottsbluff

Night 5 Stop: Hampton Inn & Suites Scottsbluff 301 West Highway 26 Scottsbluff, NE

 

Day 6

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Sunday Sep 13: Headed Home

“Travel from Scottsbluff, Nebraska to Denver international airport ARRIVE NLT 130PM

Hotel Target Departure Time: 8:00 AM

Exact Route: Head south out of Scottsbluff on NE-71 South, crossing into Colorado where the highway becomes CO-71 South. Turn west onto CO-14 West into Sterling, then merge onto I-76 West toward Denver. Take Exit 12 for E-470 South directly into the airport loop.

Trip Conclusion: 11:00 AM arrival at Denver International Airport DEN>JAX

arrive at LB&K’s

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