OT: Hey, HI Cock,

[uscg1984]

Hi Cock, we'll be in your neck of the woods the weekend of September 13-16 when we visit Glacier (staying in Columbia Falls). Yes, I realize that's when the Gamecocks play Alabama, but that's the way the calendar worked out. I only get one shot at the Going To The Sun Road this year and it's that weekend.

Since there is only one Chick Fil A in the state of Montana and I cannot bear to be within a few miles of a CFA and not partake, on the evening of the 13th, we'll almost certainly eat at Chick-Fil- A in Kalispell. If you would like to eat chicken with other Gamecock fans that night, let me know and we can try to meet up. Think of it as a pre-Alabama pep rally in which the Montana members of Gamecock Nation get together and eat our own mascot.

And since this is the internet, I feel compelled to promise I am not a serial killer. And even if I was, my wife and 12 year old son will be with me, so I'll be on my best behavior.

 

[Freddie.B.Cocky]

Hi Cock, we'll be in your neck of the woods the weekend of September 13-16 when we visit Glacier (staying in Columbia Falls). Yes, I realize that's when the Gamecocks play Alabama, but that's the way the calendar worked out. I only get one shot at the Going To The Sun Road this year and it's that weekend.

Since there is only one Chick Fil A in the state of Montana and I cannot bear to be within a few miles of a CFA and not partake, on the evening of the 13th, we'll almost certainly eat at Chick-Fil- A in Kalispell. If you would like to eat chicken with other Gamecock fans that night, let me know and we can try to meet up. Think of it as a pre-Alabama pep rally in which the Montana members of Gamecock Nation get together and eat our own mascot.

And since this is the internet, I feel compelled to promise I am not a serial killer. And even if I was, my wife and 12 year old son will be with me, so I'll be on my best behavior.

I stayed in Kalispell when I visited the Glacier National Park. I wish I had stayed in Whitefish, but heck I didn't even ride into Whitefish. I am still kicking myself for that.

 

[uscg1984]

I stayed in Kalispell when I visited the Glacier National Park. I wish I had stayed in Whitefish, but heck I didn't even ride into Whitefish. I am still kicking myself for that.

Sounds to me like a good reason to plan another trip.

 

[uscg1984]

Actually, we've adjusted our plans and moved the trip up to Labor Day weekend. So, we'll actually be in Kallispel Friday Aug. 30th.

 

[HI Cock]

Actually, we've adjusted our plans and moved the trip up to Labor Day weekend. So, we'll actually be in Kallispel Friday Aug. 30th.

Thanks for the message. I take my kids to Yellowstone every year for Labor Day - to "celebrate" the beginning of the new school year. If you haven't been to Whitefish, it's worth a drive through town. We'll have to plan a MT Gamecock get together sometime. Golf would be great. Have you played Iron Works yet?

 

[uscg1984]

Thanks for the message. I take my kids to Yellowstone every year for Labor Day - to "celebrate" the beginning of the new school year. If you haven't been to Whitefish, it's worth a drive through town. We'll have to plan a MT Gamecock get together sometime. Golf would be great. Have you played Iron Works yet?

No, I haven't but would like to at some point. I used to play quite a bit in SC but have only played a handful of times over the past 10 years.

 

[Freddie.B.Cocky]

Let me ask both of you guys this question. When you guys visit Yellowstone for a two or three day trip where do you stay (relative to lodging)? When we were there in 2013 we stayed inside the park but we were there for a whole week. Just wondering when I go back to Yellowstone for a few days (when I'm visiting other parts of Wyoming and Montana) where is a good place to stay outside of the park?

 

[uscg1984]

Let me ask both of you guys this question. When you guys visit Yellowstone for a two or three day trip where do you stay (relative to lodging)? When we were there in 2013 we stayed inside the park but we were there for a whole week. Just wondering when I go back to Yellowstone for a few days (when I'm visiting other parts of Wyoming and Montana) where is a good place to stay outside of the park?

Other than camping, I have never stayed inside the park. More power to you if you can afford it, but I can't justify a $300 - $450 price tag for a very basic and rustic room inside one of the park lodges. Rooms in Jackson Hole and Cody are not cheap, but for about half the price of lodging in the park, you can get a modern hotel room with A/C and a TV. Both of those towns are about an hour from their respective park entrances, but the drive in both cases is spectacular. Gardiner, MT and West Yellowstone, MT are smaller gateway cities to the park, but they are RIGHT THERE at the park entrances and have a good number of lodging options. I've never stayed in Red Lodge, MT but that is another option. It's about 69 miles from the Northeast entrance via the Beartooth Highway, but that drive may take you 4 hours because you're going to want to stop ever 1/4 mile to take pictures.

Now that we live here, we just pull our camper down to a very nice Idaho State park about 12 miles west of West Yellowstone, MT. The park is spacious with a lot of elbow room between RV spots, right on a beautiful lake at the base of the mountains, has very nice amenities with full hook-ups, and costs about $34 a night. RV spots inside Yellowstone are packed like sardines, have generally substandard amenities, and are $89 per night.

 

[uscg1984]

One other tip if anybody is thinking about renting one of those small class-C motor homes to go to Yellowstone. If you do it, go ahead and rent a little car too. Every time we go down there, we see a lot of the rental motor homes from CruiseAmerica, El Monte RV, and other RV rental companies out of Bozeman, Salt Lake, Idaho Falls, etc. We usually see these motor homes stuck in lines trying to find parking spaces at the various parking lots within the park. They are not the easiest things to maneuver inside a tight parking lot. Additionally, how aggravating must it be to have to unhook all your utilities, pack up, and leave your camping site every morning only to have to set it all up again when you get back later that night tired from your day in the park. Rent a little car in the same town you rent the RV and have someone else from your party drive the car, following the motor home to the camp site. Set up the motor home once and leave it for the entire stay. Drive the car around Yellowstone instead and you'll move faster, park easier, and generally have a more stress-free time for about $40 per day or less in car rental fees.

 

[Freddie.B.Cocky]

Other than camping, I have never stayed inside the park. More power to you if you can afford it, but I can't justify a $300 - $450 price tag for a very basic and rustic room inside one of the park lodges. Rooms in Jackson Hole and Cody are not cheap, but for about half the price of lodging in the park, you can get a modern hotel room with A/C and a TV. Both of those towns are about an hour from their respective park entrances, but the drive in both cases is spectacular. Gardiner, MT and West Yellowstone, MT are smaller gateway cities to the park, but they are RIGHT THERE at the park entrances and have a good number of lodging options. I've never stayed in Red Lodge, MT but that is another option. I's about 69 miles from the Northeast entrance via the Beartooth Highway, but that drive may take you 4 hours because you're going to want to stop ever 1/4 mile to take pictures.

Now that we live here, we just pull our camper down to a very nice Idaho State park about 12 miles west of West Yellowstone, MT. The park is spacious with a lot of elbow room between RV spots, right on a beautiful lake at the base of the mountains, has very nice amenities with full hook-ups, and costs about $34 a night. RV spots inside Yellowstone are packed like sardines, have generally substandard amenities, and are $89 per night.

I stayed inside the park once in 2013 - for 5 days I think it was but when I visit Yellowstone again it will be just for a couple days. That's why I wanted something outside the park. Even if you stay inside the park and were willing to pay those prices one would have to book way in advance if you were going to stay during the peak time. We visited after Labor Day, I think I mentioned that above but haven't read the entire thread recently. LOL! But the next time I visit may be during the peak period and I was just wondering if there were any reasonable places to stay outside the park. And yes I know we would have to drive probably 50 miles but I'm like you I don't want to pay $350 a night either.

When we visited Yellowstone right after Labor Day we also spend a couple of days in Jackson Hole and rooms were at least $250 a night in Jackson Hole. Before we left home someone suggested that when we visit Jackson Hole to stay in Driggs Id. So we drove to Driggs and stayed in a nice clean room for about $70 per night. Plus, it was a beautiful drive from Jackson Hole to Driggs which only took about 30 minutes as I recall.