- Joined
- Jan 21, 2020
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- Location
- Spring Branch, TX.
- Vehicle(s)
- 2021 Bronco
- Your Bronco Model
- Badlands
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- #1
We did a lot in a short period of time but was absolutely worth it!
Day 1- Drive to Lubbock, Texas:
Didn’t really take any pictures (for those that have driven up to Lubbock, you aren’t missing much lol). Only picture I grabbed was of Goatey leading the way!
Day 2- Drive to Colorado Springs, Colorado (with stop in Pikes Peak):
Stopped and had lunch at a rest stop that faced the Sierra Grande Volcano in New Mexico
I had been to Pikes Peak as a kid but this was the first time for me to drive up it. You can definitely tell the elevation was affecting the Bronco as it felt a little more sluggish and in need of oxygen (I did as well lol).
Coming down was a bit eerie as clouds rolled in and made visibility difficult.
Day 3- Drive to Moran, Wyoming:
Hit 27K on our way up to Moran.
We decided to stay just outside Yellowstone on a Ranch that had cabins, wagons, and teepees (we chose a wagon). We were nestled in a valley that had amazing views but one thing that was a surprise to me was the mosquitos. Always thought Texas had mosquitos until I got to Wyoming lol.
View out the wagon
Day 4- Drive to Gardiner, Montana (with stops all through Yellowstone):
The morning was breathtaking and was a great way to start our day.
Since we were coming in from the south, we went through Grand Teton National Forrest first.
Getting there early meant no line at the entrance of Yellowstone.
The West Thumb Geyser Basin was our first stop inside the park.
From there we headed to Old Faithful. We parked out front of the main gift shop was pleasantly surprised with this little guy left in my window. If you are own the forum, THANK YOU!!!
I’m not really big on crowds and packing in like a sardine so we watched Old Faithful from a little further back.
We stopped in the Midway Geyser Basin so that we could get a glimpse of Grand Prismatic Spring. We opted to take the Fairy Falls Trail so that we could get a more birds eye view.
Firehole Falls
Gibbons Falls
Lower Falls
Osprey Nest
Bison
Few random shots in the park
We were trying to make it at the end to Mammoth Hot Springs but we simply ran out of time. Had I known the severity of the road construction going on in the park (I’m sure due to the flooding last year), we would have spent one more day at the park. I would say we spent close 5-6 hours in the car inside the park (including both drive time between each sites and the stops at construction zones).
Day 5- Drive Rapid City, South Dakota (with stops at Battle of Little Big Horn & Devil’s Tower):
I didn’t get any good pictures as I was driving but the drive from Gardiner to Livingston (aka Paradise Valley) was amazing. It was by far my favorite section we drove.
From there we headed over to the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument.
Our last stop before the hotel was Devil’s Tower which is just a cool rock formation.
Day 6- Stayed in Rapid City (ventured out to Mt. Rushmore, Badlands, & Minuteman Missile Site):
Got up early and hit Mount Rushmore before it got crowded.
Did a quick detour for the kids to a nearby Dinosaur “Museum”.
This little guy’s face made me laugh.
We then headed over to the Badlands National Park
Headed up Sheep Mountain Rd. which had some nice shots. It had rained the day before so the “high clearance vehicle” section was pretty muddy and rutted. I just kept it in 4H, took my time, and it was no problem for the Bronco. Views up top were great and the best part was we were the only vehicle in the high clearance section.
Our day was winding down so we made one at the Minuteman Missile Site Museum as it was outside the NE entrance. Site closes at 3PM so plan accordingly.
Day 7- Stayed in Rapid City (ventured out to the South Dakota Air & Space Museum):
Went to the Air and Space Museum in the morning. We didn’t realize the inside portion of the museum was closed indefinitely but we were able to walk around the grounds and looked at all the plains they had on display. From there we headed back to the hotel which had an indoor waterpark attached. Pretty much spent the day there letting the kids play so that we could recharge for our journey back home.
Day 8- Drive to Liberal, Kansas:
Drive seemed to take forever as most of the roads we were on in Nebraska and Kansas were 65MPH
Day 9- Drive back home:
Woke up to a beautiful sunrise and hit the road back home.
Hit 29,000 miles
I did end up with a total of 3 chips in the windshield with the last one coming on the last day. It was also the one that would form a crack.
A few notes/tips:
Day 1- Drive to Lubbock, Texas:
Didn’t really take any pictures (for those that have driven up to Lubbock, you aren’t missing much lol). Only picture I grabbed was of Goatey leading the way!
Day 2- Drive to Colorado Springs, Colorado (with stop in Pikes Peak):
Stopped and had lunch at a rest stop that faced the Sierra Grande Volcano in New Mexico
I had been to Pikes Peak as a kid but this was the first time for me to drive up it. You can definitely tell the elevation was affecting the Bronco as it felt a little more sluggish and in need of oxygen (I did as well lol).
Coming down was a bit eerie as clouds rolled in and made visibility difficult.
Day 3- Drive to Moran, Wyoming:
Hit 27K on our way up to Moran.
We decided to stay just outside Yellowstone on a Ranch that had cabins, wagons, and teepees (we chose a wagon). We were nestled in a valley that had amazing views but one thing that was a surprise to me was the mosquitos. Always thought Texas had mosquitos until I got to Wyoming lol.
View out the wagon
Day 4- Drive to Gardiner, Montana (with stops all through Yellowstone):
The morning was breathtaking and was a great way to start our day.
Since we were coming in from the south, we went through Grand Teton National Forrest first.
Getting there early meant no line at the entrance of Yellowstone.
The West Thumb Geyser Basin was our first stop inside the park.
From there we headed to Old Faithful. We parked out front of the main gift shop was pleasantly surprised with this little guy left in my window. If you are own the forum, THANK YOU!!!
I’m not really big on crowds and packing in like a sardine so we watched Old Faithful from a little further back.
We stopped in the Midway Geyser Basin so that we could get a glimpse of Grand Prismatic Spring. We opted to take the Fairy Falls Trail so that we could get a more birds eye view.
Firehole Falls
Gibbons Falls
Lower Falls
Osprey Nest
Bison
Few random shots in the park
We were trying to make it at the end to Mammoth Hot Springs but we simply ran out of time. Had I known the severity of the road construction going on in the park (I’m sure due to the flooding last year), we would have spent one more day at the park. I would say we spent close 5-6 hours in the car inside the park (including both drive time between each sites and the stops at construction zones).
Day 5- Drive Rapid City, South Dakota (with stops at Battle of Little Big Horn & Devil’s Tower):
I didn’t get any good pictures as I was driving but the drive from Gardiner to Livingston (aka Paradise Valley) was amazing. It was by far my favorite section we drove.
From there we headed over to the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument.
Our last stop before the hotel was Devil’s Tower which is just a cool rock formation.
Day 6- Stayed in Rapid City (ventured out to Mt. Rushmore, Badlands, & Minuteman Missile Site):
Got up early and hit Mount Rushmore before it got crowded.
Did a quick detour for the kids to a nearby Dinosaur “Museum”.
This little guy’s face made me laugh.
We then headed over to the Badlands National Park
Headed up Sheep Mountain Rd. which had some nice shots. It had rained the day before so the “high clearance vehicle” section was pretty muddy and rutted. I just kept it in 4H, took my time, and it was no problem for the Bronco. Views up top were great and the best part was we were the only vehicle in the high clearance section.
Our day was winding down so we made one at the Minuteman Missile Site Museum as it was outside the NE entrance. Site closes at 3PM so plan accordingly.
Day 7- Stayed in Rapid City (ventured out to the South Dakota Air & Space Museum):
Went to the Air and Space Museum in the morning. We didn’t realize the inside portion of the museum was closed indefinitely but we were able to walk around the grounds and looked at all the plains they had on display. From there we headed back to the hotel which had an indoor waterpark attached. Pretty much spent the day there letting the kids play so that we could recharge for our journey back home.
Day 8- Drive to Liberal, Kansas:
Drive seemed to take forever as most of the roads we were on in Nebraska and Kansas were 65MPH
Day 9- Drive back home:
Woke up to a beautiful sunrise and hit the road back home.
Hit 29,000 miles
I did end up with a total of 3 chips in the windshield with the last one coming on the last day. It was also the one that would form a crack.
A few notes/tips:
- Pack some Off spray if you go in the summer to Yellowstone. We did and ended up using almost the entire can as the mosquitos were horrible up there.
- Plan to be in Yellowstone for a couple days. We tried to squeeze as much as we could in one day and it wasn’t enough. The road construction that is currently going on there I was not expecting took up a good amount of time.
- For those with kids (or are kids at heart), get a National Park Passport. Our oldest son got one last year when we went to the Grand Canyon and we filled up the Rocky Mountain section with this trip.
- Get a National Parks Pass. Each park seemed to be around 30-35 per car so the pass quickly paid for itself. Only one exception is at Mount Rushmore. There you have to pay for parking which is $10.
- If you do find yourself going to the Minuteman Museum in South Dakota, also make time to go to the Delta-09 Missile Silo. We didn’t get there in time as it closes at 3PM but is definitely worth the stop.
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