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Western US honeymoon

futureMrsMayhlefutureMrsMayhle member
5 Love Its Name Dropper First Anniversary First Comment
in Honeymoon Discussions
I think we have decided to spend our honeymoon in the western US. We live in Fl and are at the beach all the time so a change of scenery would be nice. We were thinking of visiting Yellowstone as well as Mt Rushmore. Looking to stay for one week maybe half and half in each place. Any ideas on the best way to do this? Where should we fly into? Other places we should visit near by?
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Re: Western US honeymoon

  • CMGragainCMGragain member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    You left out a very important piece of information.  What time of year are you traveling?  Yellowstone isn't very accessible for much of the year.
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  • futureMrsMayhlefutureMrsMayhle member
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    edited September 2014
    We are planning on leaving April 26- and returning May 3! Or we are also thinking of waiting til Summer since I will have the summer off. However we would really like to see some snow (being Floridians and all ) :)
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  • SBminiSBmini member
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    I haven't been to Yellowstone but I do know that the weather there is very temperamental. The time you want to go night time temps will still be in the teens but day time temps will be in the 40s- which means lots of ice. Yes, there will probably be snow this time of year and with that snow will come a lot of difficulties in seeing the park. For example, most of the park's roads are closed until late April and that is during a normal year. If they get a lot of snow, that could easily extend into June or later. here's some info on the park in winter: http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/winterser.htm http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/parkroads.htm It I may- the time you are looking to visit is perfect for a lot of other western parks that will have much better accessibility. Like Yosemite, Grand Canyon and Zion. I've been to half of the nation's parks so I'm happy to help make some suggestions if you'd like to look at alternatives.
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  • CMGragainCMGragain member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    edited September 2014
    futureMrsMayhle said:
    We are planning on leaving April 26- and returning May 3! Or we are also thinking of waiting til Summer since I will have the summer off. However we would really like to see some snow (being Floridians and all ) :)
    Snow will not be a problem.  Most of the roads in Yellowstone are closed that time of year.  When we went in late May,  there was still 8 feet of snow blocking a few roads in the southern part of the park.  This is also mating season, and you may not be allowed in some areas because of this.  I would wait until Memorial Day.  Today some of the roads are already closed for the winter season.  http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/ocd_locale.htm
    If your FI is in to guns, he will want to spend the day at the Buffalo Bill museum in Cody, WY, just east of the park.  There are lots of places to stay in Cody.  Staying inside the park is expensive, and not luxurious.  (Bathroom down the hall.)  You should spend one night in the historic Old Faithful Inn,  In the daytime, it is mobbed with tourists from all over the world, but at night, it is magical.  I also enjoyed staying at the nostalgic Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel.  It reminded me of church camp.  There were herds of buffalo wandering around the hotel at night.
    Some of the other hotels are overpriced, IMHO.  All the hotels and restaurants are managed by an outside firm, and prices are sky high!
    If you drive to Jackson, WY, you will drive through Grand Tetons National Park, which adjoins Yellowstone.  Jackson is a fantastic, if pricey tourist town.  It has an airport.  It is also a ski mecca in winter.
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  • futureMrsMayhlefutureMrsMayhle member
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    Thanks for all the information. Looks like it isn't the best place to go at the end of April. So many choices.
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  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] member
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    For Mt. Rushmore you'll want to stay in Rapid City, SD. It is beautiful, but honestly, the monument is about as much as there is to do there. Plus, the path around the monument takes about 15 minutes to walk around, and the visitor centers will only last you an extra hour or two. There is the unfinished Crazy Horse monument nearby. I have some family in Rapid, and I am just glad to have them to hang around with because it's typically a trip where not much goes on. . . I would say that for a honeymoon I would maybe just head to Yellowstone and skip South Dakota. Or you can start in Rapid City, but I would only plan on being there for a day or two maximum. I promise you'll be able to see all the stuff worth seeing. Then make sure you have enough stuff to do on your long drive to your next location.

    Maybe think about northern California? They have the amazing and awe-inspiring redwood forest, and Yosemite national park is also beautiful. The weather will be nicer, and it's definitely not the beach.

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  • ShesSoColdShesSoCold mod
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    Unless you plan to drive, honestly, I would skip Mount Rushmore. H and I road tripped to Glacier National Park in Montana from Chicago a few years ago and swung through SD on our way home. We were able to do Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, a few scenic drives, a cave tour, dick around looking at buffalo and prairie dogs and drive through the Badlands in one day. IMHO, it was great to do, but I wouldn't make that my entire destination. 

    I've never been to Yellowstone (we had planned on it for the honeymoon but cancelled) but I second PPs regarding the time of year and weather. H and I went to Glacier in mid April and SO MUCH of the park was closed. We had NO idea how much we missed until we went back the following year. Even at the end of June there was still a lot of snow and some of the trails weren't open yet. I have a picture of me in a t-shirt in front of like a 10 foot snow wall.

    But if you do decide to honeymoon in the summer, I've heard Yellowstone is amazing. Hotels are crazy expensive and you'll want to book ASAP. 

    Clearly I can't stop talking about it, but I'd also recommend Glacier NP in norther Montana. Lots to do, breathtakingly beautiful and although it's busy, it's not nearly as busy as Yellowstone. There's lots to do in the areas surrounding also. H and I have been there a few times and plan to move. Feel free to PM me if you want more info. 

    Good luck!! My H and I are doing the opposite - going to the FL Keys in February to get the hell away from all the snow!! 
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