I’ve wanted to go to Grand Teton for years and I finally got the chance to go with my mom and my sister. A girls’ trip! My mom came up with the idea a few months back but she wasn’t sure how expensive it would be, so she asked me for help planning it. As the resident travel expert in the family (whose ego also knows no bounds), I was happy to oblige. Here’s the breakdown of how we got there:
- My mom opened a Chase Sapphire Preferred card to get the 60k point bonus. We used those points to rent a car for the week (saved: approximately $2k). I also had her open up a United Airlines card to get the initial points offer of 50k points for her flight (saved: approximately $1k). Unfortunately this only covered the flight to Jackson Hole so she did have to purchase her return flight: $350 or something.
- I opened up a Marriott Bonvoy Card to get the initial points offer of 100k points. We used this to book 2 nights in Yellowstone at the Marriott Springhill Suites (saved: approximately $1k). I also opened up an Alaska Airlines card to get the initial points offer of (I think) 50k points. I used this for my return flight. Sadly, it did not cover my flight there and I booked that through American Airlines for $413.
- My sister did not open up any cards because she has no chill, so she had to purchase her roundtrip ticket for approximately $700.
- Our points only covered the Yellowstone Hotel, so we had to pay for the hotel in Jackson Hole. We stayed at the Mountain Modern Motel and it cost us about $1800 total.
Total costs for 3 flights, hotels, and a car: $3263.
Amount saved: $4000.
We’re off to a great start, despite my sister’s dedication to being a spendthrift. But here we are looking cute at the sign.
ANYWAYS. Here’s the itinerary.
Day 0
Day 0 was supposed to be Day 1 but it was a grand disaster. We were supposed to all arrive in Jackson Hole by around 4pm and then drive to Yellowstone to explore the geysers. Tragically my mom’s flight was delayed for FIVE HOURS so she didn’t arrive until 9pm. My sister and I sat in the Jackson Hole airport for 8 hours waiting for her to arrive thanks to the mercy of our corporate overlords. I ate an outrageously expensive tuna wrap and a security guard came to check on us to see if we were stranded in the airport or waiting for someone to arrive. We were off to an alarmingly slow start. We drove to Yellowstone in the dark and didn’t get to see any of the scenery!
Day 1
Here are the spots we hit on Day 1:
- Breakfast at the hotel (Marriott Springhill Suites)
- Morning Sightseeing:
- Midway Geyser Basin
- The Grand Prismatic Spring
- Chromatic Pool
- Old Faithful Geyser
- Afternoon Hike:
- Grand Canyon of Yellowstone – also called the South Rim hike to Artist Point (~2.5 miles)
- Dinner: also at the hotel (not a lot was open)
Things were finally starting to look up. We woke up to an unbearably dreary day but we were determined to make the best of it! Luckily, my mom was far more prepared than the rest of us. She came armed with rain coats and umbrellas. I was prepared to simply suffer for the views. Look at her, dazzling in her blue jacket and brand new hiking boots.
We drove around for hours looking at all the wildlife. I’ve been to a lot of national parks but Yellowstone is the best wildlife viewing I’ve ever experienced. There really are bison, elk, and bears around every turn.
Day 2
Here is the spot we hit on Day 2:
- Breakfast: Marriott Springhill Suites
- Jenny Lake hike (7.2 miles)
- Dinner: Local ($$$$ – steakhouse in Jackson Hole)
We didn’t stay in Yellowstone for long because we only had 6 days and my mom wanted to spend the majority of it in Grand Teton. Yellowstone was a little side trip I dreamed up because it’s so close who could resist a quick drive to chase the bison around?! Please do not actually do this – you might die and I take no responsibility for that. #touronsofyellowstone is real.
Day 2 is the first day we get a real hike in. This is according to me, the lady of the group who thinks that it isn’t a real hike unless you have to crawl up a mountain and reconsider all your life choices on the way up. Tragically, neither my mother nor my sister ascribes to this religion and they told me to shut up.
The Jenny Lake hike took all day but it has some of the most awe inspiring views I’ve ever seen in person.
Aww what a couple of cuties ;). And then there was me. I’m obviously the funniest person here.
For dinner, we accidentally chose a WILDLY expensive restaurant called Local. It’s a steakhouse that looks like a normal restaurant, so you’re tricked into thinking it isn’t going to cost you your firstborn child. My mother doesn’t know what it means when the waitress reads you the specials at this sort of locale, but apparently it means that your dinner is going to cost you an arm, a leg, and three toes off your remaining foot. However, the steak was pretty good. I will grudgingly admit this.
Day 3
Here are the spots we hit on Day 3:
- Breakfast: Mountain Modern Motel
- String Lake Trail (~4 miles)
- Dinner: Hand Fired Pizza ($$ – a scrumptious pizza joint)
Day 3 kicked off to a very strong start. I stayed in bed and ate my breakfast lying down and using my chest as a plate. Upon discovering (being told) this was not what it means to have decorum, I took my revenge on everyone by planning another hike up a mountain for us all. We headed out to String Lake for our next adventure! Grand Teton is actually a rather small park compared to many national parks in the U.S., so most of the popular hikes are very close to one another and wind around the grouping of lakes at the foot of Grand Teton and the adjacent mountains.
String Lake Loop is around 4 miles long. The first half of it is mostly flat and winds around the lake across from the mountain range. Then you’ll cross over into the second half of the hike, which is on the side of the lake closest to the mountain. You’ll see stunning views of the plains and the rolling hills in the distance. We also had the great fortune of seeing a bear! And because we are smart people, we did not try to pet it. I am now faced with the reality of returning to work on Monday, so I wish I had reconsidered that choice.
We didn’t do this, but there were a lot of people out on the lake in kayaks and canoes exploring the lake. Canoeing is available on days where the park rangers check the water temperature and it’s above 50 degrees, so if you’re there on a warm day this is a great option for an afternoon activity.
For dinner, we stopped by a local pizza joint called Hand Fired Pizza. This was monumentally better than the steak dinner we had the night before and it was less than half the price. They have so many different kinds of pizza (even an elote pizza) and the cocktails are delicious.
Day 4
Here are the spots we hit:
- Breakfast: The Bunnery ($$)
- Taggart Lake Loop (~4 miles)
- Dinner: Persephone ($$)
It’s Day 4 now people. The participants in my itinerary were growing weary and strangely tired of my antics. However, since I’m the one who planned this trip they would be lost without me and that means I can act however I want. And what I wanted was to go to The Bunnery and scarf down an embarrassing amount of biscuits and gravy.
The Bunnery is a delightful local diner in Jackson Hole that serves a truly quality breakfast. The portion sizes are excellent, the coffee is tasty, and the service is immaculate. They also have a little bakery in the front where you can purchase huckleberry pie. I was unaware of this before traveling to Jackson Hole, but apparently this is the huckleberry capital of the universe. Seriously. They are everywhere.
This was the last day my mom allowed me to take everyone on a hike that turned out to be a slow slog toward an asthma attack. Regardless, I had a great time. I selected the Taggart Lake Loop on Day 4, which is only about 4 miles. It’s a circular loop and depending on which way you choose to go, you’ll either hike up a mountain first or you’ll see the lake first. I strongly recommend taking the route that goes up the mountain first. It’s the longer leg of the trail, but who wants to hike up a mountain after you’ve already seen what you came to see? Not me.
It started raining on the way back so we stopped by our next food destination. Persephone is an adorable little bakery and coffee shop in Jackson Hole that ended up having some of the best food we tasted during our entire trip. I highly recommend this spot. I split a tuna sandwich with my mom and my sister had this salad with carrots and some sort of creamy dressing that I’ll never be able to replicate but will always remember fondly. The inside of the bakery is cheery and it makes for an excellent afternoon snack.
Day 5
Here are the spots we hit on Day 5:
- Breakfast: Mountain Modern Motel (we are creatures of habit)
- Scenic Drive Day:
- Chapel of the Transfiguration
- Teton Glacier Point
- Schwabacher Landing
- Snake River Overlook
- Moulton Barns
- Dinner: Hand Fired Pizza (I repeat – creatures of habit)
I was not kidding when I said everyone had had enough of me. We decided to make Day 5 a scenic drive day. I was a bit bummed that we didn’t all collectively decide to expire on a mountainside “stroll” but the views were definitely worth it and, if I’m being honest, I wasn’t too keen on hiking after consuming my bodyweight in bread for breakfast. But I decided to complain that everyone was lazier than me rather than admit this.
“Gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss.”
– George Washington (probably)
The drive took most of the day, and it was definitely worth it. The views were phenomenal.
Day 6
It’s the final day of our journey and these ladies are sickka me. We are exhausted. We look like the human embodiment of biscuits and gravy. I ate 7 pieces of pizza last night. We are clawing our way to the finish line of this itinerary that I created with the goal of getting in better shape and that I immediately gave up on after taking one look at all the restaurants in town.
Here are the spots we hit on Day 6:
- Breakfast: I bought bag of Doritos from a General Store and ate them out of my backpack.
- Jackson Lake & Summit Mountain
- National Museum of Wildlife
- Dinner: Jackson Drug Original Soda Fountain ($$ – burgers)
I had one final hike prepared for our last day in Grand Teton: the Signal Mountain Loop (~4 miles). Unfortunately, no one was up for our ultimate grand adventure, so I made the best of things by purchasing a family sized bag of Doritos, draping my backpack in front of me, and scarfing down half the bag while I pondered what we could possibly do that day. I do still recommend this hike and I’m relying on AllTrails to steer me right. It’s very hilly, which means there are some great opportunities for landscape photos.
Hope sprang when I spotted a boat rental facility on Jackson Lake so I marched us down to the waterfront and asked what the hourly cost was. I was informed that there were no canoes available – only kayaks. While this was not a problem for me, I was astounded to discover that my mother and sister refused to step foot in a kayak. Another plan thwarted. My scrupulous itinerary was falling apart before my very eyes.
I did finally discover a little traveled trail along Jackson Lake that wound around the waterfront and while we did have a wonderful time taking photos of the water, this did not stop me from periodically declaring that we were only on that trail (which resembled a deer path more than a hiking trail) because two-thirds of our group were dirty cowards.
This hike did not take long to complete and we headed back to Jackson Hole. On the way back to town, my sister spotted the National Museum of Wildlife and we decided to take a detour to explore it. I am normally not much of a museum person (why read standing up when you can read laying down), but the National Museum of Wildlife truly exceeded my expectations. There is also a very neat room inside that houses two telescopes you can use to inspect the mountains in the distance!
There you have it. We emerged from this trip with my itinerary partially intact, but we all had a fantastic time. I wish I could stay in Grand Teton forever, but I googled it and apparently it’s really difficult to become a park ranger.
