After a long flight from the UK, it was so refreshing to collect the car without the usual ‘hard sell’ at the desk, thanks to Little America’s all inclusive car hire package. Less than 2 hours later, Luke’s thoughtful planning, had us checking into the charming Romantic Riversong Inn, with its beautiful setting beside the Big Thompson river and deer and elk wandering through the grounds. A perfect location for exploring the nearby Rocky Mountains National Park. We were pleasantly surprised to find that the reserved timed entry permit meant that there were no queues at the entry station, allowing us to make full use of our time there. We also used the free park and ride system to the Bear Lake Trailhead as parking was limited and it was so easy to use.
After thoroughly exploring the area, it was time to move on to Mount Rushmore. As we were leaving early, our hosts sent us on our way with a wonderful packed breakfast for the journey. We drove across miles of Wyoming’s prairies with the occasional ‘nodding donkey’ pumping oil to the surface by the roadside. After stopping at a local diner in Cheyenne for lunch, we soon arrived at Under Canvas, Mount Rushmore, our luxurious canvas home for the next 3 nights. We have done a lot of camping in our lifetime but this was on a whole new level! As the evening was chilly, we soon had the fire lit and were very warm and cosy. The view of the night sky was just beautiful from the observation deck and our first view of Mt. Rushmore illuminated in the distance. The Needles Highway was a real highlight of this area as was the Custer State Park with its huge herd of buffalo, which actually crossed the road in front of our car, causing us to wait for some time until they had all crossed! Another highlight!
Soon it was time to leave the most glamorous tent we have ever seen and head for Cody. The K3 Guest Ranch was our absolute favourite, our hosts Jerry and his wife Betty were so welcoming and Ed, their trusty ranch hand cooked the best cowboy breakfasts ever! Everything here was perfect - the amazing western themed room, the fantastic views, swapping travel stories round the campfire in the evening and the hilarious breakfast times with Jerry, Betty and Ed telling us all stories of bygone days here in Cody! We really didn’t want to leave! We explored Cody’s Old Trail Town, another highlight as we were able to walk through the same door into Butch Cassidy’s cabin!
Next it was onto Yellowstone National Park via Chief Joseph’s scenic byway and the Bear Tooth highway, so we could see as much as possible en route to the 320 Guest Ranch at Gallatin Gateway. When we arrived it was just in time to see the horses being brought down. A lovely sight. Our log cabin had everything we needed, a fridge, microwave, kettle and even a barbecue outside! We explored Yellowstone and it’s many and varied geysers, our particular favourite was the stunning Grand Prismatic. We were also lucky enough to see a coyote stalking its prey and even managed to capture it on camera.
From here we drove on south through the majestic Grand Tetons passing the most jaw dropping scenery to the wonderful Moose Creek Ranch with its huge variety of accommodation. We were very comfortable in our lodge room, close to the lovely lounge with its roaring log fire where we had breakfast every morning. Campfires were lit every evening in case we wanted s’mores! One of the highlights of this area for us were the stunning Upper Mesa Falls with its beautiful rainbows! Another ‘must do’ here is to hire electric bikes and cycle into Victor for a famous Huckleberry milkshake at the Emporium, then cycle up the Teton pass for fabulous views.
It was soon time to set off for Salt Lake City, where we checked into the quaint Ellerbeck Mansion, ideally positioned for a walk to the famous Tabernacle. Our room was so elegant, I felt I should have packed a dress!
After just one night, we were off heading for the stunning scenery of Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point. We were checked into the Sunflower Hill Inn in Moab, by our very welcoming host, John. We had the Apple Cellar, which was such a lovely room, so cool (it was 34° outside) and we had our own little patio in the shade - absolutely delightful. Every day the beautiful Mule deer wandered through the garden nibbling the flowers as they wandered past. We loved it here too! We finished our time in Moab with a day spent exploring the Arches National Park, absolutely amazing! Luckily we had booked an early entry permit before it got too hot, so we could hike safely.
We set off to our last stop on our adventure, passing the ghost town of Cisco on our way. We soon arrived at the Minturn Inn at Minturn, back in Colorado. This small inn was very cosy and in the mornings you could smell the freshly cooked croissants and danish pastries ready for breakfast! We explored the famous ski areas of Jackson, Vail and Aspen but were quite happy to return to the inn and sit on the front porch and just watch the world go by in this lovely little town, before heading back to the airport for our flight back to the UK.
Highlights: The wildlife, amazing scenery, hiking, cycling, the quirky and diverse accommodation, the local people.
Points for improvement: The Romantic Riversong Inn gave no choice for breakfast (not even toast was available). We did mention this to them.
This has been an amazing trip for which we will be eternally grateful to you all.
Thank you
Questions? Speak to one of our specialists by phone Mon - Sat 9am until 6pm. You can discuss your travel plans in detail where and when it suits you, also in the evenings and on weekends on a no obligation basis.
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