Anonymous wrote:+1 on Yellowstone, and don't overlook flying into Cody and driving through Yellowstone and Grand Tetons to Jackson Hole (and leaving from there). Cody has a great museum of the West and a rodeo and is much more representative of the "real" Wyoming than Jackson is. We also went to Therompolis, which has a cool water park fed by hot springs; there is a former WW2 internment camp nearby that might be interesting for teenagers.

This is a good suggestion for a "western" feel + the restaurants/accommodations you seek.

Denver+Glenwood+moab is a bit odd = Moab has amazing scenery and is very red rock. Glenwood is small with a very crowded mineral pool - I would get out of Denver and stay in Vail (yes seriously) instead as it is less expensive in summer and in the mountains with great beginner hikes plus great restaurants + accomodations. You can take the gondola to the top of the mountain and hike and then enjoy a great meal - same with Jackson, WY and other mountain villages.

You could also look at Durango, CO which has a fun western vibe turning (turned, like boulder) into hipster area with lots of restaurants.

National park accomodations - not luxe accommodations but interesting with imho Yellowstone (Old Faithful Inn) and Yosemite being really interesting. You won't have many restaurant options IN national parks but staying IN the national parks is crucial to enjoyment and getting out and seeing sights before crowds arrive.

Anonymous wrote:For Spring Break this year, we flew into Phoenix, drove to Sedona, then Grand Canyon, then Page, then Zion, and then Vegas. The weather was perfect, the kids (15 & 12) loved the trip, and we balanced some nicer/splurge hotels/dinners, with more basic stuff in some areas.

If your kid hasn't been out west yet, I think they would likely be impressed with any location. But the summer weather would lean more towards the Yellowstone/Grand Teton option.

Could you post more about your itinerary? Where you stayed and spent your days? I am hoping to plan a similar trip!

Anonymous wrote:+1 on Yellowstone, and don't overlook flying into Cody and driving through Yellowstone and Grand Tetons to Jackson Hole (and leaving from there). Cody has a great museum of the West and a rodeo and is much more representative of the "real" Wyoming than Jackson is. We also went to Therompolis, which has a cool water park fed by hot springs; there is a former WW2 internment camp nearby that might be interesting for teenagers.

Have they reopened the road coming in from that side?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are in the very preliminary stages of planning a summer 2027 vacation and would love some input.

Travelers will be two parents and one almost-16-year-old.

We've narrowed our ideas to:

* Denver → Glenwood Springs → Moab
* Grand Canyon → Zion
* Yellowstone → Grand Teton
* Yosemite

At this point, we don't strongly favor one over another. We know all of these involve some logistical challenges, airport proximity and a fair amount of driving.

What we're looking for is an adventure: beautiful scenery, immersion in nature, and the chance to experience the West, new to us.

One caveat: while we love the outdoors, we also appreciate comfortable lodging and access to decent food options. We don't need luxury, but we're not looking to rough it either.

For those who have done any of these trips, which would you choose and why? Any pros, cons, or things we're overlooking?

We're also very open to other Western US suggestions that might fit these parameters.

Really depends on time of year-
Denver is best in summer. Road won’t be open in spring through RMNP, but Moab can be very hot in summer. I think this is more driving than you might want. If going in spring, I’d do Moab there, but fly in via ABQ and add Mesa Verde and Santa Fe. Summer- I’d do Denver, RMNP and add one other

Not to be a downer, but I really dislike Yellowstone in summer. Did it once in my 20s two decades ago and will only go outside of summer. Yosemite is very similar. If your kid is out of school in early June, it might not be so bad.

You also might consider Seattle/Mt. Rainier/Olympic NP. Weather is great if coming from DMV. Or head down to Crater Lake

Custer State Park and the Badlands in South Dakota are other great options, but watch out for the dates of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pp here. Yellowstone and GT are stunning and not doable over spring break (too cold, too far). You can also stay in nice places in both areas. Great food in Jackson WY. (I did this trip a few summers ago).

Yosemite is totally overrun with tourists. I would skip this until they bring back timed entry.

We went to Zion/ Bryce over spring break and it was perfect. (We did GC + Sedona over winter break another year).

What lodging for YS/GT would you recommend?

We visited Grand Tetons NP from a base in Jackson Hole (ski condo rental). We relocated to Gardiner, Montona to visit Yellowstone. Gardiner is just across a bridge from the north entrance of Yellowstone. We rented another place there. It was nice to have a kitchen, wifi, grocery stores, restaurants etc.

+1 on Yellowstone, and don't overlook flying into Cody and driving through Yellowstone and Grand Tetons to Jackson Hole (and leaving from there). Cody has a great museum of the West and a rodeo and is much more representative of the "real" Wyoming than Jackson is. We also went to Therompolis, which has a cool water park fed by hot springs; there is a former WW2 internment camp nearby that might be interesting for teenagers.

Yellowstone and Grand Tetons.

Yosemite is overrated.

What about a dude ranch?

Anonymous wrote:We are in the very preliminary stages of planning a summer 2027 vacation and would love some input.

Travelers will be two parents and one almost-16-year-old.

We've narrowed our ideas to:

* Denver → Glenwood Springs → Moab
* Grand Canyon → Zion
* Yellowstone → Grand Teton
* Yosemite

At this point, we don't strongly favor one over another. We know all of these involve some logistical challenges, airport proximity and a fair amount of driving.

What we're looking for is an adventure: beautiful scenery, immersion in nature, and the chance to experience the West, new to us.

One caveat: while we love the outdoors, we also appreciate comfortable lodging and access to decent food options. We don't need luxury, but we're not looking to rough it either.

For those who have done any of these trips, which would you choose and why? Any pros, cons, or things we're overlooking?

We're also very open to other Western US suggestions that might fit these parameters.

Really depends on time of year-
Denver is best in summer. Road won’t be open in spring through RMNP, but Moab can be very hot in summer. I think this is more driving than you might want. If going in spring, I’d do Moab there, but fly in via ABQ and add Mesa Verde and Santa Fe. Summer- I’d do Denver, RMNP and add one other

Not to be a downer, but I really dislike Yellowstone in summer. Did it once in my 20s two decades ago and will only go outside of summer. Yosemite is very similar. If your kid is out of school in early June, it might not be so bad.

You also might consider Seattle/Mt. Rainier/Olympic NP. Weather is great if coming from DMV. Or head down to Crater Lake

Anonymous wrote:Yellowstone / Grand Teton for cooler weather.
GC + Zion will be very hot. Personally I would do that over spring break.

+1

Depends on when OP wants to travel.

I love Moab, Zion snd Grand Canyon but would never go there in the summer.

In summer is absolutely pick Grand Teton

I’m another vote for Yellowstone/grand Tetons. Spend about half the time in Jackson/Tetons and about half the time in Yellowstone. If you can, stay within the park for Yellowstone .Most of the lodging is solidly good, but your staying in the park for convenience, to cut down on driving, and be there when it’s not crowded, not for the food. My family LOVES geysers, but I’ve heard other people are meh after seeing one or two. If you’re interested in geysers, try and spend 2 nights in the old faithful area. This gives you a full day for walking around and trying to time geysers. Plus, you’re around when it’s not crowded. If you have the time, spend another 2 nights in another part of the park where you’re closer to wildlife viewing spots.

One option is to fly into Salt Lake City. If you’re in the dc area, there are reasonably priced direct flights and you get to see another landscape.

Ageee Yellowstone and Tetons are great. We stayed at the Rustic Inn for a few nights and did one night in Yellowstone. So much to do and lots of nice, but expensive, restaurants.

Another option would be a rafting trip- we did four nights on the Rogue River in Oregon and you can stay in hotels each night. Start in Bend, which has great food and lots to do.

We’ve done all of these except Zion. I think Yellowstone GT is best unless you really want to combine Yosemite with some other things like SF and Monterrey.

We stayed at a bunch of different places and they were all nice— snow king, old faithful inn, a place in Teton village, and canyon lodge, all fine.