Fun Family Travel Ideas – Idaho, Wyoming & Montana
We left Colorado a little under two weeks ago and we have already explored three more amazing (and beautiful) states…Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. If you’ve never considered taking an RV trip with your family, I may just convince you otherwise with this blog post. We didn’t think our trip could get any better…but each day it truly does!! The wildlife, the panoramic views, and the abundance of outdoor activities is incredible. Since we last checked in, we have explored so many wonderful parks and have checked many things off of our bucket list! Here is a recap of our most recent adventures:
BIG SPRINGS – IDAHO
We floated down Big Springs in Idaho and saw tons of trout, eagles and even a mama moose! It was quite the sight to see! Pauli’s parents joined us for a few days on our trip and this is one of the activities we got to do with them!
CRATERS OF THE MOON NATIONAL MONUMENT AND PRESERVE – IDAHO
A place that feels like no other…it’s the craziest landscape we have ever seen! No wonder it’s called “Craters of the Moon”…it truly feels as if we had just stepped onto the moon! The landscape was created by a handful of lava flows over time so our family calls it a “volcanic wonderland.” It’s a must-see if you’re ever in the area!
MESA FALLS – IDAHO
We decided to take a short family hike around Mesa Falls in Idaho. It was a very peaceful and scenic trail with the sound of rushing water off in the distance. Then once we reached the viewpoint of the falls, we were stunned by it’s beauty! Interesting Fact: The Upper and Lower Mesa Falls are the last prominent waterfalls on the Snake River unaffected by manmade influences.
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK
We had been itching to get to Yellowstone National Park for years and our dream finally came true! The fact that the kids got to come along and experience it with us was such a blessing! Seeing and experiencing new things through their eyes is so much fun! We saw geysers (of course, Old Faithful was a family favorite!), buffalo, elk, Mammoth Hot Springs, and the most incredible views! We know that we’ll be talking about our time in Yellowstone for years and years to come!
ST. ANTHONY SAND DUNES
This was a totally unexpected find…but I love how spontaneous it was! We were passing through Idaho on our way to Glacier National Park from Yellowstone National Park and came across 11,000 acres of sand dunes…how could we possibly pass that up?! So, we rented an ATV and rode the giant sand dunes in St. Anthony, Idaho! Sometimes the best and most memorable things during a trip are unplanned. 🙂
JACKSON HOLE AND GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK
The Grand Tetons were amazing. I feel like I repeat this over and over but the views were absolutely incredible everywhere we turned! Jenny Lake was a personal favorite. It helped that we also had perfect weather for exploring around Jackson Hole and the park! We are soaking up every minute with our kids on this trip. While hiking around, we’ve seen so many animals that we definitely would not see in Georgia! We kept saying to ourselves…this is Heaven on Earth!! If you haven’t been to Jackson Hole and Grand Teton National Park…do yourself (and your family) a favor and pack your bags and go! You will create the most amazing, unforgettable memories.
GLACIER NATIONAL PARK
We took a nice scenic drive on Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park. There was pretty much a gasp from someone in our car around every corner as we were all just amazed by the natural beauty of this park. Mara and Chip braved the frigid cold water and swam in McDonald Creek and had a blast! The rest of the crew took in all the gorgeous scenery and fresh air! Born and raised in Georgia, our kids have never seen or experienced nature like this before…and they absolutely loved it!
ESSENTIAL GEAR FOR OUR ADVENTURES OUT WEST
An unexpected but very essential tool for our adventures out west! There are so many different uses for a Bernzomatic torch on a road trip or camping adventure. You will want to throw the TS4000 Torch ($40) in your car because it’s compatible with green cylinders of camper fuel that is available literally everywhere! It easily screws right on. You can get campfires going, loosen anything that is rusty (especially on old campers), clean tools, sear steaks and light charcoal in seconds! There is also a continuous lock to keep the flame going. We also recommend the ST2200T Micro Torch ($25). This torch gives you better control and is great for roasting marsh-mellows for s’mores if there is no campfire. You can get both of these at your local Home Depot or Lowes.
We were so excited to try out the Ancheer Electric Bikes on our trip out west! Mac was especially excited and put together his bike all by himself! These bikes give you a little powered assist (especially on those big hills) and makes the most enjoyable bike rides. We have the 26″ Folding Electric Mountain Bike and Standard Electric Mountain Bike. These have a charging time of 4 hours which lets you bike for about 15 miles. These bikes have 2 working modes: E-bike and Assisted bicycle.
We love the Mac Ride Child Bike Seat, especially for our youngest! It allows JT to experience every ride like we do. We used to have a carrier placed on the back of our bikes to have the kids bike with us, but the weight distribution made it hard to balance and pedal. We really like how JT’s weight is in the center of the bike because it helps with balance and stability. Some of our favorite features include easy seat adjustment as our children grow and it’s ability to fold up for traveling.
With the varying altitudes and one outdoor activity after another, we knew that staying hydrated on our trip was super important. We wanted to make sure we were drinking the cleanest water possible from our RV faucets, so we added a main faucet filter to our faucets in order to improve our water quality in the RV. It filters the water fast and easy from our existing faucet and reduces up to 99% of 6 harmful contaminants including chlorine, lead and more. During the filtration process, no water is wasted and nothing is added to the water. We love the fact that it’s super easy to install and the filter lasts for 1,389 gallons or 6 months!
ADDITIONAL FAMILY FUN IDEAS AND PRODUCTS WE LOVE
SWURFER® SKYLINE SWING SUSPENSION SYSTEM
The kids absolutely love the Swurfer® Skyline Swing Suspension System! They simply go outside and enjoy their own personal swing set. This will definitely come in handy for when school is back in session and the kids need some stress-relief! It’s extremely smooth and a more fluid ride that will keep your kids using it for hours on end! The best part? You don’t even need a perfect overhead branch to hang the swing from! Set it up between two sturdy trees, and you can create a perfect hanging point to set up not just one…but up to several swings. The Skyline is compatible with any swing, it’s easy to adjust the height and it can hold up to 220 pounds! They also offer other awesome products like a flybar, pogo, and Swurfer® swing.
This pet bed has orthopedic foam which offers joint support and weight distribution. It has a removable cover and fits dogs up to 90 pounds. Right now, you can get a free pet bed and $200 off with a purchase of a Serta Hybrid Mattress.
QUIKLID GRAY PLASTIC BUCKET SCOOP / DUST PAN
Not just your average dust pan…this is a very simple gadget, but is extremely helpful! It saves you time and money over traditional dust pans. It can fit on a 5 gallon bucket and is super easy to attach and detach from your bucket. In seconds, it can transform your bucket into a cleanup tool. It’s made in the USA of heavy-duty HDPE, recyclable material.
You can follow more of our RV adventure on instagram (@WadeWorksCreative, @ChipWade, #WadesGoWest) and Facebook (@WadeWorksCreative and @ChipWadeDesign)
Don’t forget that you can also watch us LIVE on Fox & Friends on the weekend as we share our experience out west! Our next segment will be on 08/01/2020 airing LIVE from Mount Rushmore!
Watch this week’s Fox & Friends segment here (07/25/2020).
