Happy Tuesday! 👋

Many of you have probably sent your kids back to school in the last week or so. Ours head back next week!

Here in Iowa, we don't start school until after the Iowa State Fair ends, so we're soaking up this last little bit of summer before we're officially back to school, sports, activities, and all the craziness that comes with it. 😅

But if you're anything like me, even when life gets busy, vacation is never too far from my mind.

I'm still looking back at all the incredible memories we made on our trips this summer...while already dreaming about where we might go next summer. 😂

And one trip I can't stop thinking about is Yellowstone.

I've spent the last few weeks sharing little pieces of our Yellowstone road trip with you, but there's one question I haven't really answered yet...

How in the world did we actually explore Yellowstone in just TWO days with four kids?! 🤣

Before our trip, figuring out our Yellowstone itinerary was probably the part I stressed about the most.

Yellowstone is HUGE.

There are so many things to see, drive times are longer than they look on a map, and I knew trying to cram too much into each day would be a recipe for disaster.

But somehow...

We covered almost the entire Yellowstone loop in two days.

And the boys were absolute rockstars.

Would I take more time if we had it? Absolutely.

But if you're trying to fit Yellowstone into a larger family road trip like we were, I want you to know that two days can still give you an incredible Yellowstone experience.

So today, I thought I'd give you a little sneak peek at exactly how we did it. 👇

🦬 DAY 1: East Entrance + Yellowstone Lake + Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

We spent the night before in Cody, Wyoming, which meant our Yellowstone adventure actually started before we even reached the park.

If you read last week's email, you already know how much I loved the drive from Cody to Yellowstone. 😉

After a few stops along the way, we entered Yellowstone through the East Entrance around 10:50 a.m.

From there, our day included:

📍 Lake Butte Overlook
📍 Fishing Village & Fishing Bridge
📍 LeHardy's Rapids
📍 Mud Volcano
📍 Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Then we headed to Canyon Lodge & Cabins, where we were staying right inside Yellowstone.

And I have to say, staying inside the park made a HUGE difference for us.

At the end of a full day of exploring, we didn't have another hour or two of driving just to get back to our hotel.

We were already there. 🙌

🌋 DAY 2: Our BIG Yellowstone day

This was definitely our ambitious day. 😂

We set out to cover the other side of the Yellowstone loop, including some of the places everyone pictures when they think of Yellowstone.

Our stops included:

📍 Mammoth Hot Springs
📍 Norris Geyser Basin
📍 Grand Prismatic Spring
📍 Old Faithful
📍 West Thumb Geyser Basin

Yes.

We did all of that with four kids. 🤣

And honestly?

It worked.

Was everyone happily skipping along the boardwalks every second of the day?

Absolutely not. 😂

But we kept moving, took breaks when we needed them, had plenty of snacks, and didn't feel like we had to turn every single stop into a huge experience.

And that leads me to one of the biggest things I learned in Yellowstone...

You don't have to do EVERYTHING at every stop.

Sometimes you walk the whole boardwalk.

Sometimes you see the main attraction and move on.

Sometimes everyone needs a bathroom, a snack (or ice cream), and ten minutes to reset before getting back in the van.

It all counts.

And with a park as big as Yellowstone, I think giving yourself permission to experience it that way makes the whole trip feel so much more doable.

💛 So...is 2 days actually enough for Yellowstone?

This is probably the question I'd want answered if I were planning this trip.

And my answer is...

Yes. But I'd take more time if you have it.

Yellowstone is one of those places where you could easily spend several days and still leave with things you didn't get to see.

But sometimes two days is what fits.

Maybe Yellowstone is part of a bigger road trip.

Maybe you only have so many vacation days.

Maybe your family simply isn't going to spend five days exploring one national park.

I don't want you to look at a two-day window and think...

"Well, I guess Yellowstone isn't doable for us."

Because it absolutely can be.

You just need a realistic plan, some flexibility...

and maybe a van full of snacks. 🤣

👀 The FULL itinerary is coming!

I'm putting the finishing touches on my 2 Days in Yellowstone with Kids guide, and I'm sharing so much more than a list of stops.

I'm walking you through how each day actually unfolded, how long we spent at different places, what worked for our family of six, where we stayed, how we planned our route, and the things I'd want another mom to know before trying to tackle Yellowstone in two days.

I'll share it with you as soon as it's live!

Until then, here's what I hope you take away from our experience:

Don't let the size of Yellowstone intimidate you.

You don't need the perfect itinerary.

You don't necessarily need a week.

And you definitely don't need cooperative children every minute of the day. 😂

You need a plan that works for YOUR family and enough flexibility to change it when you need to.

Because doable beats perfect.

And two imperfect, incredible days in Yellowstone are a whole lot better than waiting for the "perfect" trip someday. 💛

Stay tuned for more packing tips, behind-the-scenes travel hacks, and inspiration to make your trips feel doable and fun. I’m all about helping you make family travel as smooth as possible, so you can create memories without the headache.

Thanks for being part of the Travel Tuesday community, and I can’t wait to connect again soon!💕

✨ Planning your own family adventure?

My Ultimate Family Itinerary Planner is the exact planning system I use for every family vacation, including Yellowstone.

It's where I organize our accommodations, transportation, reservations, must-do activities, restaurants, daily itineraries, packing, and travel budget so I can figure out the logistics before we leave.

Because having a plan doesn't mean scheduling every minute.

For me, it's actually the opposite.

Having a plan gives us the freedom to let go of the plan when something better comes along.

May you LOVE your adventure!

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