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Day 4 – Idaho 2025 // Beartooth Highway, Red Lodge, Cody

Isaac Church — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 03:30:58 +0000

Today, we woke up early in Cooke City, went wildlife watching in the Larmar Valley, and then journeyed over the Beartooth Pass towards Red Lodge, MT and eventually down to Cody, WY.

Wildlife Watching

We woke up well before sunrise, threw on some warm clothes, and drove west into the national park to do some early morning wildlife watching. As we passed through Yellowstone’s not-yet-manned NW entrance booth, we saw a very large black bear scurry across the road in the dark. It scared us half to death, but I think it also scared the bear just as badly. We didn’t have much luck seeing any more wildlife in the Lamar Valley (maybe just another black bear or two and the usual elk and bison), but it was a beautiful sunrise and nice to be out in the crisp morning air. After a final stop at Warm Creek Picnic Area, we decided to head back to the ranch for breakfast.

Lamar Valley Sunrise

Warm Creek

We were almost back to Cooke City, in its tiny sister town called Silver Gate, MT, when I spotted a cow moose eating right by the side of the road in some bushes. We turned the car around, headed back, and were able to find her again, despite being well-camoflauged. Parking by the side of the road, we were able to watch her for almost 20 minutes before she disappeared deeper in the woods. I only managed to get one good photo because she was so deep in the brush, but I’m very pleased we got to have such a great view for so long.

Moose - Silver Gate, WY

Breakfast

Back at Skyline Guest Ranch, we settled in for some breakfast. They make breakfast to order for all their guests (granted, there aren’t very many), and today we enjoyed a goblet of fresh fruit, orange slices, homemade coffee cake, and and egg scramble with cheese and ham, plus orange juice, coffee, and milk. All the food was delicious, and we also grabbed some more of the leftover cookies from the day before.

Skyline Guest Ranch

After breakfast, Dad sat on the porch while I took a shower and called home. While he was sitting out there (without his phone of course), another large moose came trotting through the front yard right in front of him! We loaded up the car, said goodbye to the owners, the horses, and the peaceful setting, and hit the road again.

Skyline Guest Ranch

Cooke City, MT

We loved our time staying at the ranch. The hospitality is great, and the food is amazing. They just published a cookbook, and we ordered a copy as soon as it became available.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Beartooth Highway

Starting the traverse east, we continued on US-212, also known as the Beartooth Highway. In 2021, on our first trip to the Yellowstone area, we drove this highway, but returned back west to the park. This time, we decided we’d continue on east and south to Cody, WY, one of the gateway towns we haven’t visited yet.

Waterfalls

First, before the highway reaches its higher elevations, we stopped at a set of waterfalls and did a couple short hikes to get a closer look. First came Crazy Creek Falls, and then Lake Creek Falls.

Crazy Creek Falls

Lake Creek Falls

Yellowstone Overlook

We stopped at the Yellowstone Overlook, which has a view of (you guessed it!) Yellowstone’s eastern boundary in the distance. The sharp peak you can see is often mistaken for “The Bear’s Tooth”, like the name of the highway, but it is actually called Index Peak.

Yellowstone Overlook

Index Peak

Yellowstone Overlook

Clay Butte Lookout

Next, we turned off the main highway and drove up a 2.6 mile one-way road called Clay Butte Lookout Road. This leads to a fire tower the has panoramic views of the Beartooth Butte, Beartooth Lake, and the Beartooth-Absoroka Wilderness. The lake and butte you see in the pictures below is Beartooth Lake, the same lake that we’ll be at the shoreline of soon. It was a long, bumpy drive up to the stop, but since we had a Jeep and plenty of time, I’m glad we tackled it.

Clay Butte Lookout

Beartooth Falls

The next stop, just to the side of the road, is an overlook for Beartooth Falls. The last time we came through here, they were completely redoing the road, and there were long constructions delays that also prevented you from stopping to see the view or the waterfalls. Thankfully, the road project is now complete, and we got to actually enjoy the sights from a very large roadside pullout.

Beartooth Falls Overlook

Beartooth Lake // Island Lakes

As I mentioned before, we pulled down by the shore of Beartooth Lake, which is framed by the reddish-colored Beartooth Butte.

Beartooth Lake

The next road is for Island Lakes Campground, which was mostly closed for the season. The view from the top is very nice, though. After a quick pull-in at the Top of the World Store, we were back on our way to the top of the plateau.

Island Lakes

Beartooth Plateau

At the top of the pass, we stopped at the vista point and some of the surrounding pullouts to take in the spectacular views. We saw pikas scurrying along the ground, and various raptors circling overhead. The alpine lakes were glistening in the fall sunlight. Can you spot the pika in the photos below?

Beartooth Pass Vista

Pika

Beartooth Pass Vista

Just below the pass, there’s a spot were you have a brief view of the actual “Bear’s Tooth”.

Bear's Tooth

Rock Creek Vista Point

At the east side of the pass, before the road drops sharply down a series of switchbacks, there’s one last vista point that overlooks the Rock Creek Valley. Dad and I walked out to the point, and enjoyed the views of the fall colors lining the mountainsides below. It’s easy to see why this mountain pass was barely used for most of its existence…it’s so rugged and remote, there’s not much of any reason early inhabitants/settlers would have ever thought it was worth the risk to cross.

Rock Creek Vista

Piccola Cucina Ox Pasture

Finally at the bottom of the valley, we continued into Red Lodge, MT, where we eagerly hurried to our lunch reservation at Piccola Cucina Ox Pasture. This is a very intentional repeat from our previous trip, as it is the best Italian meal we’ve ever had in the United States.

This time didn’t disappoint either. We got a variety of things to split: bread service with tomato oil, caesar salad, lasagna Bolognese, and cacio e pepe, which they flambéed tableside in a wheel of Pecorino Romano cheese. Everything was phenomenal, and left us exceptionally full and satisfied. The homemade pasta had the perfect al dente chew, and all the ingredients are simply world-class. It’s not at all what you’d expect in a tiny town in Montana, but we’ll keep coming back every time we’re in the area.

Piccola Cucina Ox Pasture

Picola Cucina Ox Pasture

Red Lodge, MT

Simply put, one of the best Italian meals you’ll ever have.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Downtown Red Lodge

After lunch, we desperately needed to walk around to let our food settle, so we browsed around downtown for a while. We unfortunately hadn’t been able to hold dessert at lunch, but we did eventually pick up a small Wilcoxson’s huckleberry ice cream sandwich to split at Montana Candy Emporium, an old-fashioned candy barrel similar to Mast General Store. We also went in Cattail Bakery to pick up a couple of baked goods for future breakfasts and snacks.

Montana Candy Emporium

Wapiti + Pahaska Tepee

We continued south into Wyoming, arriving in Cody and heading to their Walmart to pick up a few more supplies we were lacking, namely laundry detergent. After checking into our Airbnb, we decided to drive part of the way in the east entrance road to Yellowstone (unexplored territory for us) to get the lay of the land before we re-entered the park that way tomorrow. A series of tunnels brings the road alongside the Buffalo Bill Reservoir, with ragged cliffs and gulches on all sides.

Cody, WY

About 20-30 minutes down the road, we came across a small crowd watching something up on the hillside. It turned out to be a huge, blubbery grizzly bear. He was a giant. He was sitting down eating berries or something up on the hillside. I never managed to get a clear view, and as soon as he got into the open, he started lumbering down the hillside towards us, so we all had to scramble for the safety of our vehicles. So, enjoy some blurry pictures of the biggest bear we saw the whole trip.

Grizzly Bear - Pahaska Tepee, WY

Less than a mile up the road, we saw another smaller female grizzly on the opposite side of the road, right on the edge of the North Fork of the Shoshone River. We parked, and from behind the guardrail on the bridge above, watched her swim across the river and eventually disappear into the woods.

Grizzly Bear - North Fork Shoshone River

Bigg Chill + Wind Chill

Back in downtown Cody, we walked the streets for a while, going into various stores, and the famous Irma Hotel. Most restaurants are closed on Sunday, so we struggled to find a place to eat that didn’t have a preposterous wait time. So, we ended up just getting a couple cups of ice cream at Bigg Chill for our “dinner”. We both got white chocolate huckleberry and “Choco Noir”; both were very good.

After dinner, we drove down by the river to the Paul Stock Nature Trail in hopes of getting a quick sunset hike. However, the wind had picked up so much that we couldn’t even hold onto our hats. Plus, it had become cold exceptionally fast, and we were very underdressed for it. So, we snapped a quick picture, and headed back to our Airbnb to do a load of laundry and then head to bed.

Bigg Chill

Paul Stock Nature Trail

Bigg Chill

Cody, WY

Good rotating ice cream flavors. Homemade quality and friendly service.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Wrapping Up

Back at the Airbnb, we reworked our itinerary (due to the museum timetable change), and after making our final time calculations and solidifying a breakfast plan, we headed off to bed.

Video

Here’s a video from today’s adventures.

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “a tie between the moose in Silver Gate and the grizzly crossing the river”.

The best thing I ate today was… “cacio e pepe”.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “the moose running across the front yard at Skyline Guest Ranch”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the Italian meal and coffee cake for breakfast”.

Conclusion

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Tomorrow we’ll head back into Yellowstone via the east entrance road, rejoining the Grand Loop Road by Yellowstone Lake and Fishing Bridge.

– Isaac & Jerry

The post Day 4 – Idaho 2025 // Beartooth Highway, Red Lodge, Cody appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.

Day 3 – Idaho 2025 // Blacktail Plateau, Canyon, Lamar Valley

Isaac Church — Sun, 21 Sep 2025 03:30:21 +0000

Today, we got up and moving over an hour before sunrise. We headed across the river and up the hill to “downtown” Gardiner, where we stopped at Bears Brew, a coffee food truck conveniently open before the crack of dawn. We filled up our mugs, and then headed into the park, still via the old service road because of the 2022 floods.

Grand Loop Road Sunrise

Blacktail Plateau Sunrise

The sunrise was just starting to show some color as we headed east on the Grand Loop Road towards Blacktail Plateau, a one-way gravel loop that climbs the plateau and offers some true solitude. Our plan was to drive to the top and find a spot to watch the sunrise, and then enjoy some leftover pastries for breakfast.

Grand Loop Road Sunrise

Blacktail Plateau

As we climbed, we were greeted by a couple of lone bison, but otherwise had the entire plateau all to ourselves. We didn’t see any other wildlife, but did enjoy one of the most peaceful (and one of the most beautiful) sunrises I’ve ever seen. It was dead quiet, and you couldn’t hear anything but the wind.

Blacktail Plateau

We stopped near the crest of the plateau and enjoyed some pastries for breakfast. Climbing up a sizable hill, we were able to see even more of the surrounding landscape as the sun covered the hills in golden light.

Blacktail Plateau

We continued down the backside of the plateau, stopping once again to split the pimento cheese and bacon scone from Wild Crumb Bakery.

Blacktail Plateau

During our descent, we spotted a black bear digging for food on the hillside, and watched her for a while.

Blacktail Plateau

Black Bear Spotting

Soon, we rejoined the main loop road, and headed back west to see a few more sights we’d never visited on prior trips. We hadn’t been back on the pavement long at all, when we saw another black bear in the middle of the road!

Black Bear near Blacktail Deer Creek

He started coming down the hillside right towards us, forcing us to scurry back to the Jeep to stay a safe distance away. It was a pretty amazing site to see one walk right by our car!

Wraith Falls

After a quick pit stop at the Lava Creek Picnic Area, we decided it was time to go for a short hike to Wraith Falls. The trail is a little less than a mile round trip, and leads to a 79-foot waterfall. It was a nice, easy hike, and definitely worth the quick side trip.

Lava Creek Trail

Wraith Falls

Calcite Springs Overlook

Backtracking east again, we turned at Tower-Roosevelt junction and headed south towards the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. At Calcite Springs Overlook (a repeat from our last trip), we saw yet another black bear by the side of the road, along with some bighorn sheep. While we were stopped, we walked up to the overlook platform to see the springs and the lower end of the Grand Canyon.

Bighorn Sheep at Calcite Springs Overlook

Black Bear at Calcite Springs Overlook

Calcite Springs Overlook

Yellowstone National Park

Dunraven Pass

Climbing up the Dunraven Pass towards Mount Washburn, we stopped to take in the view of the valley below. We could hear a wolf pack howling, but couldn’t see any of them; we only saw some bison in the valley below.

Dunraven Pass

Silver Cord Cascade

Now at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, we decided to do yet another hike we’d never done before, but first we saw a quick view of the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone.

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Near Inspiration Point, we parked along the side of the road at the Glacial Boulder Trailhead and joined the Seven Mile Hole Trail. It is indeed close to a seven mile trail that descends over 1,000′ to the Yellowstone River, but we had no intent of going that far. We simply wanted to go to the overlook for Silver Cord Cascade, a waterfall that leaves the Ribbon Lake area and then cascades down the side of the canyon into the Yellowstone River.

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Silver Cord Cascade - Seven Mile Hole Trail

The overlook for the cascade was about 1.5 miles down the trail, which was “no elevation gain”, but turned out to have quite a lot of up-and-down for a trail that simply followed the rim of the canyon. We actually initially missed the overlook for the cascade, walking right past it since it’s so slender and has low water flow this time of year. Since we had radios, I went up the trail a ways to make sure there wasn’t a more obvious overlook, and then we soon realized our mistake.

Silver Cord Cascade - Seven Mile Hole Trail

By this time, we were tired, thirsty, and hungry, especially after hiking around 4 rather hilly miles. Back at the car, we refilled our waters, and headed straight for Canyon Village to seek out some lunch. We grabbed a burger and a grilled chicken sandwich at the lunch counter, and ate outside on a picnic table.

Lunch at Canyon Village

Lamar Valley

We headed north back across the Dunraven Pass, and turned east at the junction headed towards the Lamar Valley. Out in the valley, we enjoyed the sweeping views of the river winding through the valley, and got to witness several bison rutting by the side of the road.

Construction over the Yellowstone River

Lamar Valley

At the eastern end of the valley near Warm Creek, we saw yet another black bear by the water, and also saw an osprey in its nest. Somewhere in the photo of the mountainside below, there are also some mountain goats that are really difficult to spot.

Osprey

Lamar Valley

Barronette Peak Overlook

Skyline Guest Ranch

Arriving in Cooke City just outside the northwest entrance station, we headed to our lodging for the night, Skyline Guest Ranch. I found this little bed and breakfast online, and thought it looked like an amazing place to stay. They offered guided horseback tours, and operate a fully functioning ranch and snowmobile tour business in this tiny corner of Montana. As we checked in, we were greeted by warm chocolate chip sea salt cookies, and very friendly staff.

Skyline Guest Ranch

We settled into our room in the lodge, FaceTimed home, grabbed another couple cookies (since none of the other guests were eating them), and headed back out.

Cooke City

Back in “downtown” Cooke City, we needed to kill some time before our dinner restaurant of choice opened, so we headed in Yellowstone Trading Post, which has a small wildlife museum in half of the store, and a very nice gift shop in the other half.

Yellowstone Trading Post

Soon it was time for dinner, and we headed into the Beartooth Cafe for a much-needed meal and time off our feet. We split a bison ribeye, Idaho Red Trout, a salad with huckleberry vinaigrette, and a cup of chili. The ribeye was a little disappointing (under-seasoned and a little overcooked), but the trout made up for it.

Beartooth Cafe

Cooke City, MT

This place really gets a star because it’s one of the only truly good restaurants a very long distance in any direction. Also, the trout is incredible.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Lamar Valley - Slough Creek

After dinner, we drove back into the Lamar Valley, where we saw a ton of wildlife, including black and grizzly bears, pronghorn, elk, bison, coyotes, and more. It was an amazing sight. We spent most of our time wildlife watching at Slough Creek, where we saw several bears on the hillside, in the meadows, and drinking out of the river.

Lamar Valley

Bedtime

Once it was finally dark, we drove back to Cooke City to the guest ranch, watched some football in the lobby with a older couple visiting from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and then headed to bed.

Cooke City, MT

Video

Here’s a video from today’s adventures.

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “sunrise on Blacktail Plateau”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the pimento cheese bacon scone and the Idaho Red Trout”.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “the bear running down the road towards us”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the sea salt chocolate chip cookie and the trout”.

Conclusion

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Tomorrow, we’ll head further east into the Beartooth-Absaroka Range, and then south to Cody, WY. I’m hoping for some good Italian food along the way.

– Isaac & Jerry

The post Day 3 – Idaho 2025 // Blacktail Plateau, Canyon, Lamar Valley appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.

Day 2 – Idaho 2025 // Big Sky, West Yellowstone

Isaac Church — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 03:30:10 +0000

Today, we departed Bozeman and took a roundabout route south into Yellowstone National Park.

Coffee

Starting early as promised, we left our hotel around 06:00, and drove over to Treeline Coffee Roasters for some caffeine and a raspberry scone. The coffee was fantastic, and we actually picked up two bags to either brew on this trip or take back home with us. We each ate about a quarter of the scone, saving room for better things to come.

Treeline Coffee Roasters

Bozeman, MT

Quality, well-crafted coffee and a fun place to hang out. The pastries are good, but Wild Crumb next door is the real star.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Pastries

Conveniently, the bakery we’d planned to try was right next door, and opened 30 minutes later than the coffee shop. It’s amazing how well Dad and I can coordinate logistics when baked goods are involved. Wild Crumb Bakery has been on my list since our first trip out to Bozeman, and I’m glad we finally got to visit this round. As you might expect (unless you’re a new-timer to the blog), we got a variety box to go, and had to restrain ourselves from buying one of everything. I’ll go through the specifics later when we get around to actually eating some.

Wild Crumb Bakery

wild Crumb Bakery

Bozeman, MT

This might be the new reigning bakery champion from all the ones we’ve visited. At worst, it’s in our top 3. You absolutely must try their huckleberry and pimento cheese scones (along with almost everything else on the menu).

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Donuts

Next, we drove to Granny’s Gourmet Donuts near Montana State’s Campus. It’s a cash-only establishment that is a favorite with locals and students. It was decorated in a vintage style that reminded me of a Daylight Donuts crossed with an old Pizza Hut or Village Inn (with the glass chandeliers and checkered tablecloths). The staff asked us what we were doing today once we left Bozeman, and I tried to explain the roundabout path we were going to take into Yellowstone, telling them we expected to head to Big Sky and then Gardiner. “But those are the opposite direction!”, they cried. “Yes, that’s how we roll,” we responded.

We got our variety box of donuts (lemon creme, Bavarian cream, glazed cake, glazed yeast, raspberry filled, and a maple log), wrapped up our rather hilarious conversation with the operator, and headed on our way in the wrong direction.

Granny's Gourmet Donuts

At this point, you might be asking yourself, “Isaac/Jerry, why on earth are you buying enough pastries to feed an army?”. Or, you might not be asking that, and you may have just resigned yourself to the fact that we just do things like that sometimes. There is a good answer, though: we are stocking up on breakfast and snacks for several days, because we expect there to be almost no quick breakfast food available in the part of Wyoming we will be in.

Granny's Gourmet Donuts

Bozeman, MT

Good donuts, great atmosphere. We would definitely come back if we’re in the area.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Big Sky

Cutting southwest from Bozeman, we began down US-191 towards Big Sky, MT. We had no great reason for coming this way, other than we’ve never been through here and have heard it’s very pretty. After a quick bathroom break and less than an hour on the road, we rolled into town and once again had a few errands to run before seeing any sights.

Outside Bozeman, MT

First, we stopped at a bear spray vending machine at the Chamber of Commerce and picked up our reserved bear spray canisters (we could return these later at a different location, thanks to the convenient rental network). Then, we popped in Caliber Coffee Roasters to refill our mugs before starting our first outdoor adventure of the trip.

Ousel Falls

Driving to the outskirts of town, we started a hike to Ousel Falls, a 1.7 mile round trip trail that descends into a canyon, follows the river, overlooks a beautiful waterfall and then returns.

Ousel Falls Trail

While this hike had some moderate elevation change both directions, it was a brisk morning, and really perfect weather for a chilly morning hike. We didn’t see many people at all, and both agreed it was worth the effort.

Ousel Falls Trail

Back at the car, we dug into our pastries and donuts…so I guess it’s time for me to give the rundown. We got a huckleberry scone, a pimento cheese bacon scone, a ham and Gruyère croissant, a pistachio plum danish, a coconut macaroon, and a morning bun. If memory serves me right, we ate the huckleberry scone, the pistachio plum danish, and the macaroon at this stop, plus a few donuts. We were famished from the hike, but regardless all the pastries and donuts were incredible…especially the huckleberry scone.

Wild Crumb Bakery

While in the parking lot, we overheard a rather humorous encounter with a lady whose dog refused to “guard the door” while she used the public restroom…and then she publicly shamed the dog for running off and trying to mooch pastries off of us instead.

Earthquake Lake

We continued south towards the west entrance of Yellowstone, but turned west on US-287 towards Hebgen Lake and “Quake Lake”, once again going the opposite direction of the day’s final destination. Several people have recommended to me that we visit Earthquake Lake, the site of a 1959 7.2 magnitude earthquake that killed 28 and formed a brand new lake. The disaster required the US Army Corps of Engineers to intervene to prevent further flooding catastrophe, as the ensuing landslides completely backed up the Madison River.

Gallatin Valley

Earthquake Lake

Unfortunately, the visitor center was closed for the season, even though we checked their website before venturing this far out of the way. We did get a great view of the landslide, the dead trees sticking up out of the lake, and the destroyed homes still visible some six decades later. I’ve included a USDA video below if you’d like to learn more about the disaster.

West Yellowstone

By this time, we’d been on the road a while and were craving some real (non-sweet) food, so we headed back to a Mexican school bus restaurant, Las Palmitas, that we visited on our first trip to Yellowstone in 2021. We split a carnitas quesadilla with some sides, which was just enough to tide us over. After a quick pit stop for gas, we were on our way.

Las Palmitas

Las Palmitas/La Jungla

West Yellowstone, MT

Great, non-fussy Mexican food served from an old school bus…what more could you want?

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Artists' Paintpots

After waiting in the short line at the entrance station, and placing our bets of when we’d see our first bison (spoiler: it wasn’t long) we followed the Madison River until we hit the Grand Loop Road, turning north. We soon stopped at Artists’ Paintpots, mostly to stretch our legs, and because Dad didn’t think he had seen them before (we think Faith and I did the hike on our own).

Bison in the road

Artist Paintpots

View from Artist Paintpots

The trail is a “lollipop” loop that climbs a 100’+ hill, providing a sweeping view of the geyser basin and the surrounding mountains. It was a nice hike, and satisfied any geothermal itch we might have had for Yellowstone.

Sheepeater Cliffs

Continuing north, we pulled into another roadside stop we’d previously missed. Sheepeater Cliffs is a rock formation that runs along the Gardiner River. We walked up the river and saw the columnar basalt, which went back farther than the eye could see. Then, it was back on the road again.

Sheepeater Cliffs

Rustic Falls

We made a quick roadside stop at the Golden Gate to see Rustic Falls.

Rustic Falls

Mammoth Hot Springs

Soon we arrived at Mammoth Hot Springs, which we’ve visited several time before. We intended to skip it, but then saw that a herd of elk was positioned on the terraces of the springs, so we decided to stop and take a quick picture. Since we hadn’t been before, we also dropped in the Mammoth visitor center. As we descended out of the park to Gardiner, we also saw a pronghorn perched on a hilltop by the side of the road.

Elk at Mammoth Hot Springs

Liberty Cap

Pronghorn

Wonderland Cafe

We decided to check into our motel and then eat an early dinner. After a delayed check-in at our lodging, we headed to Wonderland Cafe & Lodge for dinner, and were one of their first customers when they opened their doors for the evening.

Chili

Bison ravioli

We split a bowl of their wild game chili (locally sourced bison and elk, jalepeño cornbread, maple-infused mascarpone, roasted jalepeños, and a dash of powdered sugar), and an order of the bison ravioli (Pappardelle Pasta Company bison-filled ravioli, roasted red & yellow tomatoes, red onion, light cream sauce, and shaved parmesan). Both were outstanding, and they were kind enough to split the portions into multiple plates for us.

Wonderland Cafe & Lodge

Gardiner, MT

A great place to visit, proven by the fact that we’ve probably been 4-5 times in 3 trips to Gardiner. Their breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all delicious. It’s definitely the best restaurant in Gardiner.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Paradise Valley

After dinner, we decided to drive north up the Paradise Valley to enjoy the stunning scenery, and kill time before out next planned activity, which was a bit time-sensitive. We drove north up the East River Road beside the Yellowstone River, crossed back over near Pray, MT, and headed back south down US-89 after stopping to top off the tank.

Paradise Valley

Bear Watching

Ok, before I start this section, let me provide a little disclaimer/explanation. Several years ago, thanks to the insight of some locals and frequent visitors, I learned about a “semi-secret” grizzly bear watching spot outside Yellowstone’s park boundaries that is still on public land. Due to the sensitive nature of the area, and because we wouldn’t want just anyone barging into this spot hoping for a selfie, I won’t be sharing the location…just that it’s outside the park boundaries and we did not break any laws/rules by going there.

That said…we headed to a very off-the-beaten-path spot with the hopes of seeing a grizzly bear or two. I mean, it was the type of road where you thought the wheels might fall off the car before you actually made it. We really didn’t know what to expect, other than that we knew there was a type of root in the ground out there that bears would come dig up around sunset almost every day.

Turns out, “grizzly bear or two” was a major understatement. We saw NINETEEN grizzly bears, most of them all at the same time. It was one of the most incredible sights I’d ever seen. At least 5-7 were cubs, and the rest were adults. The craziest part is that there were also elk and cows, some of them very close to the bears, and none of them seemed to mind (there’s a photo somewhere below with all three animals in frame).

Ok, I’ll stop yapping now and actually post some pictures…

Bears

An elk, a cow, and a grizzly bear

Bears

A Mother Grizzly with Her Three Cubs

While out surrounded by bears, we also saw a gorgeous sunset.

Paradise Valley

Sunset

On our way back to Gardiner, we also saw another handful of bears I wasn’t able to photograph because it was far too dark. We got back to the hotel, showered, and headed to bed, ready for another very early start tomorrow.

Video

Here’s a video from today’s adventures.

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “all the grizzly bears outside Yellowstone”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the huckleberry scone”.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “a cow, and elk, and a grizzly standing right next to each other”.

The best thing I ate today was… “bison ravioli and the huckleberry scone”.

Conclusion

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Tomorrow, we will explore the north side of Yellowstone, including the Lamar Valley and the Cooke City-Silver Gate area. If time allows, we might venture down to the Canyon area.

– Isaac & Jerry

Ousel Falls Trail

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Intro, Day 1 – Idaho 2025 // Travel, Bozeman

Isaac Church — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 03:59:26 +0000

Welcome back — after over a year-long hiatus, we’re back on the road again, headed out west. I’ll give you a little trip background below, and then jump right in with the good stuff.

Background

As you might have guessed, this story, like many great stories, starts with Appalachian State football. A couple years ago, we found out through a conversation with an administrator in the ASU Athletic Department that we’d be playing a two game series with the Boise State Broncos. Naturally, we immediately blocked off the surrounding weeks on our calendars.

Faith’s grandmother lives in Idaho, which added to the trip’s potential. Originally, there was talk of some of Faith’s family, both of my parents, our kids, etc. making the trip together. Or, we would travel our separate ways out there, rendezvousing in southern Idaho a couple days before the game. Unfortunately, this plan fell through due to various circumstances (I’ll spare you the details), and slowly but surely the guest list dwindled.

Eventually, we decided that Dad and I would make the trip out west, meeting up with some of our friends along the way. Mom opted out of this trip, wanting to take a break from traveling. A large chunk of Faith’s family is taking a beach trip while we are gone, so Faith, Walker, and Ivey will be on that trip along with a host of their nieces, nephews, cousins, brothers, sisters, and who knows who else.

Oxbow Bend

Sunset - Lamar Valley

Dad and I are going to revisit a few places, and also see a few completely new destinations. We’re starting in Bozeman, driving through Yellowstone, the Tetons, southern Idaho, northern Nevada, and then flying back out of Utah. We’re excited to be back out west during the fabulous fall season!

Cars, Planes, & Automobiles

Last night, after I got the kids to bed, I headed down the mountain to Granite Falls. Mom volunteered to drop Dad and I off at the airport, so we left Granite around 06:00, arrived at the CLT airport around 07:15, and migrated through the whole airport process. Our flight departed CLT at 09:20, and after 4 hours and 33 minutes in the air, we landed in Montana at the Bozeman airport. We picked up our rental car (a Jeep Grand Cherokee) from Alamo, and headed for downtown Bozeman.

Downtown Bozeman + Food

In downtown, we found a parking space, and began walking down Main Street. First, we made our way to Five on Black, a Brazilian lunch counter known for quick, nutritious bowls and pão de queijo, their Brazilian cheese bread (see my Brazil blog for more info). Unfortunately, this late in the day, they were out of many of their most popular dishes. Even more unfortunately, I forgot to order the cheese bread, and the line was so long we didn’t go back through. Nevertheless, the bowl we ordered to split was excellent. It had tilapia with mango barbecue sauce, coconut roasted sweet potato, brown rice, cilantro, and lime wedges.

Five on Black

Bozeman, MT

Good, quick food – with a selection you don’t find in many places. It’s like local fast-casual Brazilian Chipotle or Cava.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Main Street + Coffee

Back on the street, we perused a few more shops in downtown, including Schnee’s, a toy store, a couple bookshops, the Bozeman Community Food Co-Op, a few leather goods stores, and some cowboy apparel shops.

Schnee's

Bozeman Community Food Co-Op

Schnee's

Soon, we stopped for coffee at Rockford Coffee. I got an Ethiopian pour over, and Dad got a Nicaraguan Americano. Both were good, and a nice pick-me-up after a long flight. They had a nice looking selection of pastries too, but we had our sights set on other sweets.

Rockford Coffee

Dessert

We walked back towards the eastern end of the shopping district and got some ice cream at Sweet Peaks, a Montana-based small chain that we visited during our trip to Montana in 2021. We got four flavors and split them: “Into the Woods”, which is pine-infused ice cream with granola and orange essence; huckleberry; “Wüstner Honey Cinnamon”; and “River Float”, which has Dutch-oven-style cornbread with extra honey and butter and a fruity swirl of forest berry jam. All the flavors were excellent, and we were hard-pressed to pick a favorite – but the “River Float” was truly unique and exceptional. Dad said it was probably the best ice cream he’d ever had.

Sweet Peaks Ice Cream

Downtown Bozeman

Sweet Peaks Ice Cream

Bozeman, MT

Amazing traditional and creative flavors, fresh ingredients, and friendly service. Everything you’d ever want in an ice cream shop!

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Murdoch's Home & Ranch Supply

We left downtown and decided to kill some time and run some errands before it was time to check into our lodging for the evening. First, we went to Murdoch’s Home & Ranch Supply, a western chain we’d heard about but never visited. It’s kind of like a Tractor Supply or Rural King on steroids, but with a large clothing and housewares section, and really a good bit of anything and everything you’d ever need or want. It was a fascinating place to walk around, and we managed to kill over an hour wandering the aisles.

Murdoch's Home & Ranch Supply

After Murdoch’s, we headed down the road to Walmart and Safeway to pick up some supplies. We got all the essentials you need for a western trip: snacks, a disposable cooler, water, and cleaning wipes…but forgot laundry detergent.

Sapphire Motel

By now it was finally time to check into our lodging, the Sapphire Motel just north of downtown. This is an old motor lodge that has been nicely renovated with a retro theme. We checked into our hotel, FaceTimed the family back home, resituated our luggage, and relaxed for a while.

Sapphire Motel

Montana Ale Works

We had a dinner reservation at Montana Ale Works for later in the evening, but I decided to call over and see if they had any super-early openings so we could eat and head to bed early. Sure enough, they did, so we headed on over to the restaurant for dinner. Montana Ale Works is situated in a historic Northern Pacific freight building, and is a beautiful, rustic restaurant that has the honor of being Bozeman’s most decorated establishment.

Montana Ale Works

We started with an appetizer of bison potstickers with mango-garlic chili sauce, and then split two entrees: the “Montana Meatloaf” with local bacon-wrapped pork, beef & Idaho Kootenai bison, mashers, and caramelized onion gravy; and the “Monarch Elk Burger” with North American elk, melted Gruyère, tomato jam, arugula, and truffled porcini aioli.

Montana Ale Works

Everything was phenomenal, down to the veggies that came with the meatloaf. We loved the meal, and saw many other things on the menu we’d love to try one day.

Montana Ale Works

Bozeman, MT

Amazing atmosphere, finely crafted menu items, and great service. This is one of our favorites we’ve visited for western food.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Sightseeing + Ice Cream

After dinner, we drove through Montana State University’s campus to see the sights (they have a duck pond similar to App’s!), and then stopped at Genuine Ice Cream Co. to split a couple of small cups. Genuine was once in downtown, and we visited their old location on a previous trip to Bozeman. For the day’s second round of ice cream, we once again got four flavors to split: huckleberry, salted caramel cookie dough, chocolate orange, and honey cornbread. All were fantastic, but perhaps a small step below Sweet Peaks from earlier. Although, we both agreed Genuine’s huckleberry might’ve been slightly better.

Montana State University

Genuine Ice Cream Co.

Bozeman, MT Mural

Genuine Ice Cream Co.

Bozeman, MT

Very good, very creamy ice cream. Great flavor selection. If Sweet Peaks wasn’t right down the road, this would probably be a 3-star establishment.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Early To Bed, Early To Rise

We headed back to the Sapphire, and settled in for the night, ready to get an early start in the morning. We’ve committed to stay mostly on eastern time, so you’ll see a lot of early nights and early mornings from us on this trip (we hope).

Sapphire Motel

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “Murdoch’s Home & Ranch Supply”.

The best thing I ate today was… “a tie between Sweet Peaks Ice Cream and the meatloaf”.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “Murdoch’s Home & Ranch Supply”.

The best thing I ate today was… “bison potsticker and cornbread ice cream”.

Conclusion

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Tomorrow we’ll be driving south into Yellowstone, but we’ll be taking a new [to us] route into the park. It’ll be a roundabout way—shocker—to get to our final destination, but I’m hoping we’ll see some great scenery along the way.

– Isaac & Jerry

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Day 14 – Church Trip 2023 // Bozeman, Travel Home

Isaac Church — Sun, 01 Oct 2023 02:00:00 +0000

It’s finally time to head home. At last, after two weeks on the road, we’re driving to the airport in Bozeman, MT to fly back to North Carolina.

This morning, we woke up long before sunrise, packed up all our belongings at our cabins in Mammoth, and started the drive north towards Bozeman, bidding farewell to Yellowstone. It was another cold, frosty morning, so at least we didn’t get too hot while loading the car. We were treated by hearing one last round of elk bugles as we put our bags in the car.

Mammoth Cabins

Gardiner, MT

One More Moose

I didn’t really plan for much excitement on our drive north. In fact, I’d already packed up all my camera gear and hiking equipment, including most of my warm clothes, as I figured I wouldn’t need any of those things on the flights home. As we drove north on US-89 through Emigrant, MT, I spotted a large animal grazing in the marshes right off the side of the road. It was another bull moose!

Moose

Moose - Emigrant, MT

After watching him for a while, I decided to quickly unpack my camera gear, which was thoroughly buried in my carry-on, wrapped up in clothes for padding. If I didn’t, I knew I would regret it later. The moose ate his breakfast for a while, and after taking some photos, we decided to move on so we wouldn’t be late for our flight.

Moose - Emigrant, MT

We ran into a local photographer who had been following that particular moose for a while. He had been there about 30 minutes before us, and said there were two moose then – the bull and a cow. He showed us a great shot he’d taken of then two of them frolicking in the water.

Moose - Photo by Yellowstone Wild

Driving

The drive north through the Paradise Valley was gorgeous. With the Absoroka Range to the east, the Gallatin Rangeto the west, and the Yellowstone River in the valley, it’s about as picturesque of a drive as one could imagine. The sun reflected on the mountaintops, and sent rays shining through the cloud cover. I wish I’d been able to capture the beauty of the drive, but it was difficult from the back of a moving car.

Paradise Valley

Livingston Community Bakery

Soon, we arrived in Livingston, MT, a small town that was originally a hub for the Northern Pacific Railway. It has a classic western downtown, and is quite larger than I expected. The town has seen some revitalization recently, and has lots of interesting dining and shopping options. I’d love to visit again sometime.

We stopped at Livingston Community Bakery to get some pastries for breakfast. Between all of us, we got a couple of donuts (sugar and maple), an orange cinnamon roll, a chocolate croissant, and a ham and cheese croissant. All were very good, but we didn’t have much time to enjoy them because we were in a hurry to get to the airport.

Livingston Community Bakery

Livingston, MT

A small bakery with a surprising selection of baked goods. Worth a visit!

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Ghost Town Coffee Roasters

Now on I-90, we drove east through the Bozeman Pass towards Bozeman, MT. This was another gorgoeus stretch of road that I wasn’t able to document well. We stopped at Ghost Town Coffee Roasters for one final caffeine boost before we got on our flight. I was very impressed with the coffee shop – and once again I wish we could’ve spent more time here.

Ghost Town Coffee Roasters

Bozeman, MT

A quality coffee shop with well-curated menu items.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport

We arrived at the airport, where Dad dropped everyone and all the luggage off at the front door, and then returned the rental car while I wrangled everyone and everything else inside. The BZN airport was very crowded, but we managed to get through security on time. I still maintain that it’s one of the nicest airports I’ve ever been in.

Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport

I would’ve loved to have spent some time in downtown Bozeman, but American had changed our flight’s departure from ~14:00 to ~10:30, so we had to forego revisiting. After a short, but smooth flight, we landed at DFW for a layover before our final leg home.

Lunch // DFW

At the Dallas-Fort Worth airport, we roamed the halls in search of some brisket, but there was a disappointing absence, especially for a major Texas airport. We wound up getting some burgers, fries, and milkshakes from Shake Shack in lieu of barbecue – a tasty substitute, although not very healthy. This was my first time in the Dallas airport; I thought it was fairly easy to navigate, but it seemed in need of renovation in spots.

Sunset at DFW

Home

After about a 3 hour layover, we boarded our flight back to CLT. App was playing football at UL Monroe this evening; the game kicked off just as our flight took off, so I reluctantly paid for in-flight WiFi so I could stream the radio broadcast. We landed in CLT fairly late, rounded up our luggage, took the shuttle to get our car, and started the drive back to Granite Falls. We got settled in the car just in time to hear App kick a game-winning field goal to beat the Warhawks as time expired.

Flying into CLT

Video

Here’s a brief video from today.

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “the bull moose”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the ham and cheese croissant”.

Faith

The best thing I saw today was… “the bull moose”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the chocolate croissant and the burger from Shake Shack”.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “the bull moose”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the orange cinnamon roll”.

Amy

The best thing I saw today was… “the bull moose”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the burger from Shake Shack”.

Final Thoughts

I thought we’d each share our final impressions from the trip.

Most Surprising

Isaac – “seeing the last moose on the way to the airport; Rocky Mountain exceeded my expectations; Mount Blue Sky; how different the road from Tower-Roosevelt to Canyon was from the rest of Yellowstone”

Faith – “the number of moose we saw over the whole trip”

Jerry – “How good the coffee was at Vail Coffee Roasters (our third choice for the day), seeing all the elk outside the buildings in Mammoth”

Amy – “I ordered my first cup of coffee ever!”

Most Disappointing/Underwhelming

Isaac – “The days we couldn’t find food. Overall, this was not a good food trip, but not being able to find anywhere to eat in some places was shocking.”

Faith – “Not being able to get all the way to the waterfalls at McCullogh Gulch. Our meal at Old Faithful Inn was not nearly as good as you’d think it would be.”

Jerry – “The buffet at Old Faithful Inn was terrible.”

Amy – “I hope I never have to use another pit toilet as long as I live. My worst memory is getting altitude sick.”

Things Worth Doing a Second Time

Isaac – Mount Blue Sky

Faith – Blacktail Plateau Drive, Mount Blue Sky

Jerry – “Summit Lakes and Chicago Lakes are worth going back to.”

Amy – “I’d love to go back to Rocky Mountain National Park. Everything about it was beautiful.”

Things To Do Differently

Isaac – “Overall, I would definitely do Mount Blue Sky over Pike’s Peak. I’d also spend more time in the Snowy Range. I wish we’d picked out more hikes to do in advance.”

Faith – “Plan hiking times better with Walker’s schedule, and pack less stuff.”

Jerry – “Don’t sleep in a full sized bed.”

Amy – “Not eat at the BBQ food truck in Silver Gate.”

Rocky Mountain National Park Favorites

Isaac – sunrise at Sprague Lake, hiking

Faith – Moose in Grand Lake, sunrise at Sprague Lake,

Jerry – seeing the moose cross the road in front of us near Grand Lake

Amy – the elk crossing at night, and hearing the elk bugle

Grand Teton National Park Favorites

Isaac – hiking to Hidden Falls, String Lake

Faith – kayaking on Jenny Lake

Jerry – Jenny Lake Boat Tour, watching Walker while Faith and Isaac hiked

Amy – Jenny Lake Boat Tour, picnic dinner, watching Walker while Faith and Isaac hiked

Yellowstone National Park Favorites

Isaac – “My favorites were the frosty morning in the Hayden Valley, sunset in the Lamar Valley and at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, seeing wolves twice, and Undine Falls.”

Faith – Blacktail Plateau Drive

Jerry – “My favorites were the bison stampede in the Lamar Valley and Blacktail Plateau Drive.”

Amy – “As we drove through the Lamar Valley on the final evening, it was like seeing Yellowstone going down for the winter. There was snow the following week. I loved hearing the live music in the Old Faithful Inn lobby. I’ll never forget the bison galloping towards us in the Lamar Valley, and having to run back to the car as I heard them coming behind me.

Best Food

Faith – “All the good coffee we had, wild game chili at Wonderland Cafe, sorbet at Josh and John’s”

Isaac – [in no particular order] – Bindle Coffee, wild game chili at Wonderland Cafe, Persephone Bakery, Josh & John’s ice cream and ice cream in Breckenridge, breakfast bagel from Yellowstone Perk

Jerry – “Pastries from Bindle Coffee, especially the plum-vanilla thing. Dutch Bros was much better than I expected. Breakfast at Persephone was very good. Josh & John’s ice cream was some of the best I’ve ever had.”

Amy – “the beef stroganoff at Rock Inn Mountain Tavern, coffee from Vail coffee, and maple nut ice cream from Breckenridge”

Best Lodging

Faith – “staying in the cabins in Mammoth”

Isaac – the cabin in Island Park, and townhome by the river in Estes Park

Jerry – “the place by the Big Thompson River in Estes Park”

Amy – “I liked the townhome in Estes Park, but my absolute favorite was the cabin in Mammoth. I loved that.”

Conclusion

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Stay tuned for a few more trips coming very soon! Thanks for following along with our travels.

– Isaac & Co.

The post Day 14 – Church Trip 2023 // Bozeman, Travel Home appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.

Intro – Church Trip 2023

Isaac Church — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 16:30:00 +0000

We’re back! Sorry the blog has largely been absent this year…we’ve been busy with a newborn, and thus haven’t really traveled (or had much free time at all, for that matter). After our semi-involuntary hiatus, we’re back on the road/in the air for another Church Family adventure.

Soon, we’re heading back out to the Rocky Mountains for the third time in three years! We’re very excited for the trip, and can’t wait to share about our travels. As you might have suspected, there’s a football game involved. App is playing at the University of Wyoming, so we’ll be attending the game, and we also hope to make at least a few innings of a Rockies game.

War Memorial Stadium

Coors Field

The original plan was to visit South Dakota (Black Hills and Mount Rushmore, Badlands, Wind Cave, etc.), drive to the game in Laramie, and then head northwest to Yellowstone. However, we again ran into rental car availability and pricing issues (see also: Church Trip 2021), so we decided to fly into Denver, where we could rent a minivan for our travels. After exploring Colorado, we’ll head up to the football game, and then continue to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone.

Updates

First, some life updates. Our son Walker was born this spring, so it’s been an exciting (and sleepless) time for everyone. FYI, our blog won’t include pictures of him, or really any other information, for that matter. All the tech giants spy on us adults enough as it is, so we don’t need to feed them an advertising profile for our little ones on top of that. If you want to meet him (or see pictures), text me, or better yet, come visit sometime!

Dad and I are both recovering well from our winter surgeries, and are starting to get back to business as usual. We’ve even managed to play golf a few times.

Sunset Dinner

In August, some friends graciously gifted Faith and me a sunset dinner atop Beech Mountain, since they made reservations but were unable to attend. The evening, hosted by Chef Will Young, started around 17:30 with a chairlift ride to the 5,506′ summit, followed by appetizers, salad, entrées, and dessert.

Chairlift ride

5,506'

The appetizers served were: various charcuterie; smoked trout, crab, and spinach dip on grilled crostini; and various fruits and vegetables. The curry pickled cauliflower and trout dip were our favorites.

Appetizers

During a break, we were treated to a rather entertaining doorbell camera video of our babysitters entertaining Walker.

Appetizers

The Babysitter

The salad was mixed greens with strawberries, glazed apples, goat cheese, and various praline nuts with a zesty apple cider vinaigrette.

View

Salad

View

We enjoyed watching several does and a large buck while we ate. Between courses, we were able to roam around the mountaintop, taking in the splendid mountain views.

Buck

View

The main course was grilled spinalis (the best part of the ribeye), risotto with roasted red peppers and local mushrooms, and asparagus wrapped in provolone and prosciutto.

Main course

For dessert, we enjoyed a homemade sugar cookie and three types of homemade ice cream: chocolate, strawberry, and butter pecan.

Dessert

There was a splendid sunset that evening – one of the best I’ve seen in the High Country. After dinner, we rode the shuttle back down the mountain to our car. I’d definitely return sometime – it’s a great place for a special dinner.

Sunset

Sunset Dinner at 5,506'

Beech Mountain, NC

A great place to spend a special evening! It was nice to roam around the mountaintop between courses. The setting is very casual and relaxed, but the food is top-notch. The combination of setting, service, and food ears this dinner a star. Note: reservations are required.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Sunset dinner

Trip Preview

That brings me to the purpose of this post: our latest trip is fast approaching. We’re headed out to the Rocky Mountains to visit four states, watch a football game, see some wildlife, eat some good food, hike, and relax. We’ll be in Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana, and will visit three national parks: Rocky Mountain, Grand Teton, and Yellowstone. We’ve visited Yellowstone and Grand Teton before – click here for a link to that blog. We also visited Colorado Springs in 2022 – click here for that blog. We’ll also visit Wyoming’s Snowy and Wind River Ranges, and some of north-central Colorado.

Grand Teton National Park

Yellowstone National Park

Pike's Peak Summit

Pike National Forest

By the way, when I say “we”, I mean Isaac, Faith, Jerry, Amy, and Walker. While some destinations will be repeats for us, we’re excited to have more time to explore places we missed (or had to skirt over) last time, to visit the parks in a different season, and to see things a second time! Neither Dad nor Mom has been to Colorado, so we’re going to take them to some places Faith and I visited last summer. We’re excited about visiting in the fall, which brings cooler weather, more wildlife activity, the elk and bison ruts, and colorful fall foliage – especially Colorado’s famous aspens.

Conclusion

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– Isaac & Co.

Pike's Peak

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Day 1 – Travel, Jackson Hole // Church Trip 2021

Isaac Church — Tue, 29 Jun 2021 12:00:00 +0000

The day has finally arrived…today we flew from Charlotte to Salt Lake City, then to Jackson Hole to begin our grand adventure.

Travel

Last night, Faith and I traveled down the mountain, and we all departed Granite Falls this morning around 06:00. The car ride to Charlotte gave me plenty of time to feel grateful that I altered our original travel plan, which involved a flight that departed CLT at 06:00. Even though 06:00 was early, at least we didn’t have to get up at 03:00.

After dropping our car at Park N Go, we successfully navigated the Charlotte airport and boarded our flight to Salt Lake City, UT. In the back of my mind, I was contemplating the benefits of our new itinerary, since we now had a direct flight instead of a hefty layover in Minneapolis.

Travel Tips

For anyone who might care, here are three travel tips:

I highly recommend Park N Go instead of airport long-term parking. It’s about half the price and far more convenient. They will pick you up at your car, help with your luggage, and then drop you off right at the airport door.
If you fly semi-frequently, get the TSA Pre-Check certification. I’ve never waited more than 5 minutes to go through a security line, and they will sometimes add the TSA clearance to other members of your party, even if they don’t have their certification. I think it’s $85 for 3 years, and worth every penny even if you only fly once a year. The Global Entry program is also great if you frequently travel internationally.
If you’re planning on flying in this post-pandemic era, make sure you arrive at the airport extra early. TSA lines are unpredictable, and most of the restaurants are understaffed, so plan on waiting even longer if you’re planning on grabbing food at the airport.

CLT Airport

Rocky Mountains from the plane

Flying into SLC

Great Salt Lake

During our descent into Salt Lake City, we had some great views of the surrounding landscapes, including the Great Salt Lake, and a bunch of other things that I don’t know the specifics of.

Nourishment

After checking out our rental car (a Volkswagen Atlas) from the airport, we made a quick pit stop at Trader Joe’s (the greatest of all snack-selling stores) near downtown Salt Lake City to grab some snacks for the rest of our trip. By this point, we were all pretty hungry for lunch. The airline cookies/pretzels were long gone, and our stomachs were starting to rumble.

Since it was the first day of vacation, I saw little need to be health-conscious. Enter Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. I’d seen an episode that featured Burger Bar in a medium-sized town called Roy, UT. They’re famous for homemade buns, extra-crispy fries, onion rings, fresh-ground meat, rotating exotic game burgers, and “fry sauce”. We were originally planning on trying In-N-Out, but decided it’d be hard to pass up Burger Bar.

Burger Bar - Roy, UT

Guy didn’t steer us wrong. We all got a “Big Cheese Ben”, a cheeseburger simply dressed with lettuce, pickles, and fry sauce. The food was excellent, and it was a neat to eat at a family-owned drive-in. The onion rings and fries were especially good, and the “fry sauce” (which I think is a mixture of ketchup and mayo) was a good compliment to the meat. The homemade buns were the best part by far.

Driving

We continued north on I-15, and finally turned east in Brigham City, UT to continue NE on US-89 through Logan, UT (home of the Utah State University Aggies). After making a quick pit stop at the Logan Walmart to grab some supplies and stretch our legs, we ventured on.

From campus, the road travels up the Logan Canyon and finally emerges at Bear Lake, which straddles the UT/ID border.

Logan Canyon

Our rental car - Volkswagen Atlas

U.S. Route 89

US-89, also known as the “National Parks Highway”, runs ~550mi from Arizona all the way north to Montana/Canada border, running through Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming along the way. The northern and southern sections are connected by the roads in Yellowstone National Park. It links 7 national parks and 14 additional NPS areas across these 5 states. National Geographic has donned it the “No. 1 Driver’s Drive in the world”.

Bear Lake

The Bear Lake Overlook offered a stunning view of the enormous lake, plus bits and pieces of Garden City and the other towns surrounding the lake. We all couldn’t get over how massive it was; it’s impossible to capture the magnitude of it in a photo.

Bear Lake

From Bear Lake, we passed north through Idaho, then turned east and entered Wyoming, heading across the Salt River Pass. An hour and a half later, we arrived in Afton, WY.

Shumway Farms // Afton, WY

It’s amazing what one can find on the Internet. For instance, I learned that a tiny town in Wyoming (population < 2,000) has a farm/creamery that’s rated as producing the best ice cream in the state. Shumway Farms is a sixth-generation-family-owned dairy farm and creamery located in Afton, WY. We stopped for some ice cream, and enjoyed observing the various farm animals while we ate. We tried the following flavors: Bear Lake Berry Patch (raspberry and white chocolate), Midnight Magic (dark chocolate raspberry), Holstein Supreme (coconut, fudge, and almonds), Dry Creek Berry (huckleberry), and Oreo Latte (coffee ice cream with Oreos and fudge). All were excellent. The dairy also sold raw milk and chocolate milk, cheese, cheese curds, eggs, meat, and more. I wish we could’ve sampled them all, but our stomachs limited us.

Shumway Farms - Afton, WY

Ice cream at Shumway Farms

Shumway Farms

Afton, WY

Whoever ranked it some of the best ice cream in the state wasn’t wrong.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Just north of the farm, downtown Afton has the world’s largest elkhorn arch. We stopped to take a quick picture, and then continued north on US-89 to Jackson, WY and Grand Teton National Park. Below/right, note how many bugs are splattered across our windshield.

World's Largest Elkhorn Arch - Afton, WY

Traveling to Jackson

Jackson or Jackson Hole?

I’ve always wondered the difference… Turns out, they’re almost the same thing. Jackson, WY is the municipality, while “Jackson Hole” refers to the broader area or the ski basin (including the town of Jackson). The surrounding mountains make it appear as if the area is in a “hole”.

Grand Teton National Park

We drove into the town of Jackson, WY, but opted not to stop because it was extremely crowded and we were running short on time. Instead, we drove past the town into Grand Teton National Park, immediately heading to Mormon Row Historic District to watch the sunset and snap some pictures.

Grand Teton National Park

Lupine - Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton National Park

Mormon Row - Grand Teton National Park

Victor

Lodging prices are outrageous in Jackson Hole, so we opted to rent an Airbnb townhome about 30 minutes away in Idaho. After we’d gotten our fill of views from the park, we crossed the state line via the 8,431′ Teton Pass into the small community of Victor, ID (population ~2,200). The sunset along the way was marvelous. We arrived exhausted at our Airbnb around 23:00, and immediately crashed into bed.

Leaving Grand Teton National Park

Driving over the Teton Pass

The Best Things We Saw Today

The SVP–inspired fan-favorite section is back!

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “Bear Lake”.

The best thing I ate today was… “huckleberry ice cream from Shumway Farms”.

Faith

The best thing I saw today was… “the Grand Tetons”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the onion rings at Burger Bar”.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “Bear Lake”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the hamburger bun from Burger Bar and the coconut fudge ice cream from Shumway Farms”.

Amy

The best thing I saw today was… “Bear Lake”.

The best thing I ate today was… “huckleberry ice cream from the farm”.

Conclusion

Blog posts for day 2 and on will almost certainly be delinquent because (1) our internet connections have been horrendous, (2) I have a gazillion photos to sort through, and (3) we’ve been taking advantage of every ounce of available daylight. We’ve seen a ton of great stuff, and I want to have it all in order before I share.

Tomorrow, we’ll explore Grand Teton National Park and then head up to Yellowstone.

Thanks for reading! Click here to subscribe to our email notifications.

– Isaac, Faith, Jerry, and Amy

The post Day 1 – Travel, Jackson Hole // Church Trip 2021 appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.

Introduction – Church Trip 2021

Isaac Church — Mon, 28 Jun 2021 12:00:00 +0000

Itinerary // Notes

Well, it’s almost time to hit the road. It seems like an eternity since we’ve been able to travel, and part of me can’t believe we’re about board a plane for the great American West. Travel is bound to look a lot different, but we’ll deal with the difficulties as we come to them. Here’s one last quick update before we take off:

Our semi-final itinerary looks something like this:

During parts of this trip, we’ll likely be without [quality] internet access for days at a time, so I’ll probably blog on a time-delay. Plus, that gives me more time to edit photos, write, etc…putting out quality content is a rather time-consuming process, I’ve learned. Staying up late to finish posts was more achievable when I was used to pulling all-nighters in college, but those days are long departed. So, if you don’t hear from us for a few days, don’t panic; I’ll get around to sending updates eventually.

Grand Teton National Park

Glacier National Park

Special Segments

Grinnel Glacier Trail

Every trip, I write a few specialty “segments” to keep track of interesting things. This trip, I’m going to try to include the following:

Email Update

I’m now sending my email updates through Mailchimp, so the “from” address might have a Mailchimp domain name (previously was from postmaster@mail.isaactchurch.com). If you’re not getting emails (I sent out a Trip Preview notice at the beginning of June), check your spam folder, and let me know if it continues to be an issue.

If you have any questions or issues, you can send me an email at isaactchurch@gmail.com.

Conclusion // Subscribe

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– Isaac, Faith, Jerry, and Amy

Trail of the Cedars, Glacier National Park

Siyeh Pass, Glacier National Park

Garden Wall, Glacier National Park

Image Credits

All images are licensed under the Creative Commons licensing system.

The post Introduction – Church Trip 2021 appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.