The Prize for the most Indecisive Traveller

[zanzibar138]

Wow you DID get inspired! Sounds like a great trip, and I'm with you - may as well cross at least one place off your bucket list

I will admit that PIO's TR was also the inspiration for us perhaps adding a few days in Arizona at the end of our trip. PIO - you are becoming dangerous!

I love all your accommodation options. You're right, it is MUCH better with pics And the room with the little cubby for DS is super cute!

Too bad about the DLH - I hope you still get to stay there for one night. It is something I'm hoping to do one day too. But at least at DLR there are plenty of nice, well-priced options to choose from in the immediate vicinity.

Also, please keep us updated about your progress with VRBO rental. As those are the same owners we are dealing with, I'll be very interested to hear how easy/hard they make things for you

 

[WanderlustNZ]

It is! It is!

And I'm just armchair cheering on the sidelines.

Thanks PIO.
I'm skipping around like a happy child at present, so it's nice to know there are people out there cheering on my happiness.
I find myself wanting to talk about my plans with friends, but seem to always be biting my tongue. Besides the fact that they probably won't understand, it also feels a bit like gloating (which is exactly what it's not).

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Sounds fantastic Wanderlust. Yellowstone is down on our "to do one day' list

Thanks Caroline. I'm feeling very excited.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

I still haven't figured out how to do multi-quotes, so my replies are in red.

Wow you DID get inspired! Sounds like a great trip, and I'm with you - may as well cross at least one place off your bucket list

Definitely. My bucket list is so long and never seems to get any shorter. I need to tick items off as often as possible if I'm going to squeeze everything into my lifetime.

I will admit that PIO's TR was also the inspiration for us perhaps adding a few days in Arizona at the end of our trip. PIO - you are becoming dangerous!

PIO has a lot to answer for

I love all your accommodation options. You're right, it is MUCH better with pics And the room with the little cubby for DS is super cute!

Thanks for the idea.

Too bad about the DLH - I hope you still get to stay there for one night. It is something I'm hoping to do one day too. But at least at DLR there are plenty of nice, well-priced options to choose from in the immediate vicinity.

To be honest I'm not too gutted. The whole feel of my trip has changed and it's no longer as much about Disney as it is scenery and nature. Before I felt like I needed to stay in the DLH to enhance the theme of my trip, but now I'd rather invest that money in other ways. The accommodation in Jackson, Wyoming is a tad expensive, but stunningly beautiful. I think if I'm going to splash out anywhere, I would like it to be here. The temperature is going to get very cold overnight and I have romanticised the whole option of returning to a cosy wooden lodge and sitting around our own private fireplace.
The new Disney part of our itinerary will hardly see us in our room, so I am thinking that staying across the road in one of the cheap hotels will suit us fine.

Also, please keep us updated about your progress with VRBO rental. As those are the same owners we are dealing with, I'll be very interested to hear how easy/hard they make things for you

Britta was awesome. There was a $100 cancellation fee, but I was aware of that when signing the contract. However, Britta said that if we ever decide to stay in one of her places in the future, to remind her of our cancellation and she'll knock $100 off the deposit. She even said that if I have family or friends book in the future, I can pass this discount on to them instead. I thought that was very honourable of her. She has lost time in the process of booking and cancelling my reservation, and is under no obligation to hold that money for a future booking. VRBO have already processed the return of the $200 and I should hopefully see it in my account soon.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

My exciting decision of the day was the tour I would like to do in Grand Teton National Park.

I wasn't sure about a tour over a self-drive, but now I'm convinced a tour is the way to go.

The tour guides know the little back, dirt roads to take in hunt of wildlife. Plus they use CB radio to keep in contact with other guides. If one sees a moose or bear etc, they radio this info to the others so they have a better chance of seeing the same animal. Lastly they have the professional spy scopes and vehicles made for touring. A lot of them have vans where you can open the roof and pop your head out the top to take pics if getting out of the vehicle is a bit dangerous.

So anyway, we will do a tour on the Sunday with a wildlife focus, and then on the Monday we will drive ourselves into GTNP on our way to Old Faithful, and this time we will spend more time photographing the mountain and lake scenery.

The wildlife tour I think I'm going to book is the full day one with the Teton Science School. The tours are run by biologists, so I'm hoping to learn a lot.

http://www.tetonscience.org/index.c...p&eventID=B88CD639-1422-0A0A-8C3B5F15F8BB124C

 

[zanzibar138]

I still haven't figured out how to do multi-quotes, so my replies are in red.

I completely agree with so many of the things you said.

I also get that when I'm talking to my friends about my travel. Generally now when I talk about it I am met with a sigh and a 'is there ever a time when you're NOT travelling???' But you know what? We've worked hard to get to where we are now. And unlike many of my friends, I don't spend money on clothes, shoes, hair, make-up, nails etc. It's just different priorities. We all understand here anyway and are thrilled to hear about your plans

I totally get the wishlist thing too! Mine is completely out of control In fact, that's why I refer to it as my wishlist rather than my bucket list. Because I know the chance of me doing everything on it is very slim! Up to 500 and counting (and I can think of many places I want to go/things I want to see that haven't been confirmed in writing yet ). As I always say... so much world, so little money (and time!)

I think that accommodation is definitely worth splurging on And agree that given the circumstances now, you should be perfectly happy offsite. Thrilled to hear that Britta was so good about your cancellation too and that everything seems to be working nicely there. It's very good of her to offer you that $100 off your next stay

 

[zanzibar138]

My exciting decision of the day was the tour I would like to do in Grand Teton National Park.

I wasn't sure about a tour over a self-drive, but now I'm convinced a tour is the way to go.

The tour guides know the little back, dirt roads to take in hunt of wildlife. Plus they use CB radio to keep in contact with other guides. If one sees a moose or bear etc, they radio this info to the others so they have a better chance of seeing the same animal. Lastly they have the professional spy scopes and vehicles made for touring. A lot of them have vans where you can open the roof and pop your head out the top to take pics if getting out of the vehicle is a bit dangerous.

So anyway, we will do a tour on the Sunday with a wildlife focus, and then on the Monday we will drive ourselves into GTNP on our way to Old Faithful, and this time we will spend more time photographing the mountain and lake scenery.

The wildlife tour I think I'm going to book is the full day one with the Teton Science School. The tours are run by biologists, so I'm hoping to learn a lot.

http://www.tetonscience.org/index.c...p&eventID=B88CD639-1422-0A0A-8C3B5F15F8BB124C

Wow sounds awesome! Sounds a lot like our safaris in Africa

 

[PrincessInOz]

Wow you DID get inspired! Sounds like a great trip, and I'm with you - may as well cross at least one place off your bucket list

I will admit that PIO's TR was also the inspiration for us perhaps adding a few days in Arizona at the end of our trip. PIO - you are becoming dangerous!

I love all your accommodation options. You're right, it is MUCH better with pics And the room with the little cubby for DS is super cute!

Too bad about the DLH - I hope you still get to stay there for one night. It is something I'm hoping to do one day too. But at least at DLR there are plenty of nice, well-priced options to choose from in the immediate vicinity.

Also, please keep us updated about your progress with VRBO rental. As those are the same owners we are dealing with, I'll be very interested to hear how easy/hard they make things for you

I'm being blamed! Again?

I really should ask for commission fees from US Tourism.

My exciting decision of the day was the tour I would like to do in Grand Teton National Park.

I wasn't sure about a tour over a self-drive, but now I'm convinced a tour is the way to go.

The tour guides know the little back, dirt roads to take in hunt of wildlife. Plus they use CB radio to keep in contact with other guides. If one sees a moose or bear etc, they radio this info to the others so they have a better chance of seeing the same animal. Lastly they have the professional spy scopes and vehicles made for touring. A lot of them have vans where you can open the roof and pop your head out the top to take pics if getting out of the vehicle is a bit dangerous.

So anyway, we will do a tour on the Sunday with a wildlife focus, and then on the Monday we will drive ourselves into GTNP on our way to Old Faithful, and this time we will spend more time photographing the mountain and lake scenery.

The wildlife tour I think I'm going to book is the full day one with the Teton Science School. The tours are run by biologists, so I'm hoping to learn a lot.

http://www.tetonscience.org/index.c...p&eventID=B88CD639-1422-0A0A-8C3B5F15F8BB124C

That wildlife tour sounds awesome. Looks like a great touring day.

Enjoy the tours. I think you're doing the right thing. After our tours with the Navajo through the Four Corners area, I'm on the fence. It really does depend on how good the guide is and if they are forthcoming with information.

 

[zanzibar138]

I really should ask for commission fees from US Tourism.

 

[WAMUMOF4]

Can I recommend the home wood suites in Jackson hole they have a fireplace not that we needed it in August lol but it was there and they have a dinner mon-Thursday not sure what days you would be there but it was so nice to arrive after driving all day and have dinner and a swim in the pool It is a lovely town and sounds like a great trip

 

[WanderlustNZ]

I completely agree with so many of the things you said. I also get that when I'm talking to my friends about my travel. Generally now when I talk about it I am met with a sigh and a 'is there ever a time when you're NOT travelling???' But you know what? We've worked hard to get to where we are now. And unlike many of my friends, I don't spend money on clothes, shoes, hair, make-up, nails etc. It's just different priorities. We all understand here anyway and are thrilled to hear about your plans

I totally get the wishlist thing too! Mine is completely out of control In fact, that's why I refer to it as my wishlist rather than my bucket list. Because I know the chance of me doing everything on it is very slim! Up to 500 and counting (and I can think of many places I want to go/things I want to see that haven't been confirmed in writing yet ). As I always say... so much world, so little money (and time!)

I think that accommodation is definitely worth splurging on And agree that given the circumstances now, you should be perfectly happy offsite. Thrilled to hear that Britta was so good about your cancellation too and that everything seems to be working nicely there. It's very good of her to offer you that $100 off your next stay

My friends are the same. Most of them have much nicer homes, cars and clothes than I do, and unlike many of them, I haven't mortgaged myself to the eyeballs. Yet they always seem shocked to discover I booked 'another' trip. I am more than happy to discuss their latest house purchase or home renovations with them, and if they ever come to me with travel questions, I get so excited to help them. But if I talk more than a few minutes about my own travel plans and experiences, their eyes start to glaze over. Even the people I'm traveling with don't seem overly interested. I don't get it? How could anyone not find it exciting talking about travel

My wishlist is pretty much everywhere in the world. Perhaps with the exception of places like Somalia. So I try to only focus on my top 10 bucket list as that seems more achievable. The problem is that as soon as one place get's ticked off, it's replaced by another.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

I'm being blamed! Again? I really should ask for commission fees from US Tourism. That wildlife tour sounds awesome. Looks like a great touring day. Enjoy the tours. I think you're doing the right thing. After our tours with the Navajo through the Four Corners area, I'm on the fence. It really does depend on how good the guide is and if they are forthcoming with information.

I know what you mean. A guide can make or break a tour.

This particular company gets amazing reviews on Trip Advisor so I'm hoping the odds are in my favour.

The worst guides I think are the ones who constantly drop hints about tips. On the topic of which, what do people usually tip for a day tour? Does a percentage still apply when the tour is quite expensive?

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Wow sounds awesome! Sounds a lot like our safaris in Africa

I guess in a way it's kind of similar to a wildlife journey in Africa. The animals and landscape are quite different, but the objective is the same. I wonder if there is a 'big 5' in Yellowstone?

My own personal big 5 are a bear, a wolf (or would be happy with the slightly less elusive coyote), a moose, a bison, and at least one smaller creature (e.g beaver, badger, otter). I know that bison are pretty much the only one one I'm guaranteed to see of those 5, but I'll remain hopeful.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Can I recommend the home wood suites in Jackson hole they have a fireplace not that we needed it in August lol but it was there and they have a dinner mon-Thursday not sure what days you would be there but it was so nice to arrive after driving all day and have dinner and a swim in the pool It is a lovely town and sounds like a great trip

Thanks for the tip. I'll look it up

 

[PrincessInOz]

My friends are the same. Most of them have much nicer homes, cars and clothes than I do, and unlike many of them, I haven't mortgaged myself to the eyeballs. Yet they always seem shocked to discover I booked 'another' trip. I am more than happy to discuss their latest house purchase or home renovations with them, and if they ever come to me with travel questions, I get so excited to help them. But if I talk more than a few minutes about my own travel plans and experiences, their eyes start to glaze over. Even the people I'm traveling with don't seem overly interested. I don't get it? How could anyone not find it exciting talking about travel

My wishlist is pretty much everywhere in the world. Perhaps with the exception of places like Somalia. So I try to only focus on my top 10 bucket list as that seems more achievable. The problem is that as soon as one place get's ticked off, it's replaced by another.

You're amongst friends here. I experience the same thing at home in 3D life.

 

[zanzibar138]

My friends are the same. Most of them have much nicer homes, cars and clothes than I do, and unlike many of them, I haven't mortgaged myself to the eyeballs. Yet they always seem shocked to discover I booked 'another' trip. I am more than happy to discuss their latest house purchase or home renovations with them, and if they ever come to me with travel questions, I get so excited to help them. But if I talk more than a few minutes about my own travel plans and experiences, their eyes start to glaze over. Even the people I'm traveling with don't seem overly interested. I don't get it? How could anyone not find it exciting talking about travel

My wishlist is pretty much everywhere in the world. Perhaps with the exception of places like Somalia. So I try to only focus on my top 10 bucket list as that seems more achievable. The problem is that as soon as one place get's ticked off, it's replaced by another.

My MIL even glazes over when we're talking about HER travel plans (they are going to Europe this year). I just get into far too much detail for her. Their plans are basically to book the first few nights where they get off the plane, then wing it from there

My wishlist actually includes places like Somalia and Iraq too! I figure one day they might be safe enough to visit, and if that day ever comes, I'll have my travel plans ready to go

The main idea behind mine is that whenever I see something I'm interested in, I add it to the list, which is sorted by continent, country, state/region, then city/park. Whenever we start planning our next trip, I can just go to the list and see what's there for that area

I guess in a way it's kind of similar to a wildlife journey in Africa. The animals and landscape are quite different, but the objective is the same. I wonder if there is a 'big 5' in Yellowstone?

My own personal big 5 are a bear, a wolf (or would be happy with the slightly less elusive coyote), a moose, a bison, and at least one smaller creature (e.g beaver, badger, otter). I know that bison are pretty much the only one one I'm guaranteed to see of those 5, but I'll remain hopeful.

I love your big 5! We saw wolves at the alpine zoo in Austria, but I'd love to see them in the wild.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Knowing that for our 3 nights inside Yellowstone, my MIL, DH, DS, and myself are all going to be sleeping together in some fairly cosy (i.e. small) rooms, I decided that we would need something considerably more spacious for our nights in Jackson Hole - ideally, a place where DH and I could sleep in a separate room.

I love my MIL heaps and travel with her often. In fact, she’s the only person on this planet, besides DH and DS, that I’m happy to travel with as often as I do. But a holiday where you are spending every second of the day together, can wear on even the most patient person’s nerves. Embarrasingly, it is usually me who is the first to get annoyed by some silly little thing that, in retrospect, really wasn’t a big a deal. So I’ve decided that it’s better to take steps to avoid this happening in the first place.

The problem is that Jackson Hotels are generally pretty expensive, and 2-room places are extra expensive. I also, as you know, have my heart set on a fireplace. For all these reasons, I was so excited today when I found a discount coupon that brought my top choice hotel just within budget.

It’s called the Grand View Lodge and we have booked a ‘studio’ apartment. I’ve put studio in inverted commas as it’s one of the more spacious studios I’ve ever come across.

2 bathrooms (one with a Jacuzzi bath), a kitchenette, a washer and dryer, a balcony, a separate bedroom, a lounge with a pull down murphy bed, and the all-important fireplace.

Photos below are not my own. They are from the hotels website:
http://www.grandviewjacksonhole.com/lodging/grandview_suite/

The only pics I could find of the living room are on Trip Advisor.

Lodge buildings


Bedroom


Floorplan

 

[zanzibar138]

Looks great! Yay for discount codes

You do better than me, I would never be able to share a hotel room with my MIL I can share with my own parents, but because DH is with us on our upcoming trip too, I've only booked 2 bedroom places, or if there are none available, 2 separate rooms. Luckily though, the places we're going are pretty cheap

 

[Kachina]

Have fun at Yellowstone, that's really a wonderful time to visit. You will thank yourself a billion times over for letting someone else do the driving. A ton of time can be wasted driving around that park.

While Yellowstone is a place everyone should visit at least once in their life, my hands down favorite park in the world is Glacier NP. It's wilder and more raw than Yellowstone, and typically the hikes aren't crowded at all. It's a wonderful place to go to get away. I hope a few of the folks who loved trips to Yellowstone will consider a trip to Glacier NP. Would post a few amazing shots of Going to the Sun road, but my too few post count will probably prohibit it.

Will be looking for your trip report for pictures!

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Looks great! Yay for discount codes

You do better than me, I would never be able to share a hotel room with my MIL I can share with my own parents, but because DH is with us on our upcoming trip too, I've only booked 2 bedroom places, or if there are none available, 2 separate rooms. Luckily though, the places we're going are pretty cheap

Yeah, it's always a bit of a dilemma travelling with a single person as it can be a struggle to find options that will work on both a social and financial level.
If my MIL had a partner who could share the room costs with her, I'd definitely book her her own room. Unfortunately hotel rates aren't kind to single people. The other option is to put my son in the room with her and pay half of her room, but then we're paying for my son as if he's an adult, when usually he's free (or very cheap).
We've pretty much come to the agreement that whatever I book, she'll pay about a third of the bill. If I can get a good deal on a 2 bedroom place, it works out well for all of us, but it does require a lot of research.

I really can't complain though as I get along with her like a friend and she's amazing with my son. At least once a holiday she will shoo DH and I out the door and tell us to go on a 'date' while she looks after DS.