Family Fun in Wyoming

Trying to find a place to go on vacation during a pandemic can be a little hard, especially with all of the limitations. My family wanted to find somewhere safe to go that offered a lot of outdoor activities and open space, so we decided to go to Jackson, Wyoming for our summer 2021 trip. It did not disappoint. It was a lot of fun and the amount of stuff to do was endless. We did everything from Yellowstone to grand rapids, to stargazing and everything in between. There is so much to see, and the town of Jackson has great shopping and restaurants as well. We were there for eight full days, and we stayed at the Rustic Inn Creekside Resort and Spa.

The Rustic Inn Creekside was a wonderful place to stay, and I would recommend it to anyone. My two kids and I started off in one of the double queen cabins and then a few days later moved over to the two-bedroom spa suite. Both were well worth the stay. The reason I moved up to the two-bedroom suite was because I had a full kitchen and living room. This way the rest of the family could come and hang out or eat dinner and play games as there were six of us in all. The resort has a great pool that my son spent every moment in when we weren’t off exploring the beautiful land of Wyoming. There are also places to lounge and enjoy a firepit where you can have smores and a walkway along a stream.

There are many outdoor activities to choose from during your stay in Jackson. The activities that we did as a family is stargazing, water rafting, scenic ride down the Snake River, fly fishing, Yellowstone Park, and the Wagon Wheel Dinner.

Stargazing was first on our agenda and it was a lot of fun! It was very interesting, and we were able to see so much. It’s amazing how much you can see when there are no city lights around you and how far the sea of stars goes. My brother, Ryan and son, Clayton got the most out of it and had many questions and could have stayed out all night learning about the stars and the universe. It was a lot of fun seeing how engaged they were.

Tip: If you plan on stargazing, be sure to plan for a late night and not plan anything too early the next morning. You will be out there way after midnight, but it is well worth it. My mom and I made the mistake and we had to be up really early for our day tour of Yellowstone National Park.

Yellowstone Park was next on the agenda, and we did go on a private full-day tour, and it was lovely. The first thing we saw was Grand Teton’s most famous bear, Number 399, and her four cubs. We weren’t close enough to get pictures, but it was a really neat experience. According to www.outdoorlife.com, she is seven feet tall, weighs 400 pounds, and has given birth to 16 cubs. Next on the agenda were Old Faithful and the Grand Prismatic Spring. The Grand Prismatic Spring is what made the Yellowstone tour for me. I absolutely loved walking on the walkways and seeing the steam and how the earth came to life from within these springs. Very mystical and magical. I would go back in a heartbeat! We saw a lot of wildlife including bison, elk, and bears. We visited the Lower Falls in Yellowstone Canyon and had a picnic lunch along the Yellowstone River. It was everything you could ask for.

The scenic float trip down the Snake River was next on our list of activities and it was nice to sit back and relax while soaking in everything around us. I loved seeing how the Snake River bends and moves through the land. We were able to see otters and eagles flying. It’s a great way to experience Wyoming and to get away from the busyness of everything going on and to disconnect. There are incredible views of the Tetons, and you pass through one of the best nesting areas for bald eagles.

The highlight of the trip would have to be the white water rafting on the Snake River. We all had a wonderful wild time, and our guide was amazing and took us for an unforgettable ride. The first part of June is when the river is at its highest because of the snow melting from the mountains making the river fast and a little choppier, making it an even more unforgettable experience. Luckily for us, no one from our raft fell out, but have heard it is a common occurrence, so be sure to listen to your guide and pay attention. I thought for sure my son, Clayton would fall out at some point because he is small, but he was working just as hard as everyone else, enjoying every minute of it!

The end of the trip was ended with the Wagon Wheel Dinner. Was it a little cheesy? Yes, but in the best way possible. The entertainment was great, we all had a lot of fun and the horses were the best part. You get to take a trip into the past and see what it was like when people were moving west to start a new way of life. You are driven in a wagon pulled by horses to the entertainment area, where you enjoy skits, music, and dinner. Then you are taken back the same way in the wagons. It was a great way to end the trip and gave us some great memories.

During our stay we ate at many great restaurants, shopped a lot, and spent way too much money, and also just enjoyed Jackson. Best of all we made some amazing memories to last a lifetime!

If you would like a more detailed description of the tour so that you can plan yours, please click on our Wyoming Tour Ebook for recommendations, where to eat, where to book activities and prices of everything. It also comes with tips on what to bring and how to pack.