Summer Road Trips in the West

I’m excited to have Alyssa Craig here again guest posting for me.  I was out of town this last week  and am grateful to come home and have a guest post for you today while I catch up on the laundry!  We just had our own road trip in the west this last week. We were in Bear Lake Idaho/Utah for 4 days and had an amazing time.  Now I’m going to have to add a few of these other places to our families travel bucket list (we have one)!  Yellowstone is the next place we want to visit!

Summer Road Trips in the West by Alyssa Craig

Summer brings with it the desire, as well as the opportunity, to hit the road and explore somewhere away from home. If you live on the west side of the United States, you have access to beautiful scenery, exciting activities, and delicious places to eat not found anywhere else in the country. The best part is that each of these locations is only a road trip away. So pile your friends or family in the car and set off to one of these five five recommended locations locations for adventure and fun.

Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park

If you want to immerse yourself in nature, Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park, located in Wyoming and Idaho, offers many opportunities to enjoy the outdoors and experience breathtaking sites.

Things to Do

• sightseeing tour
• fishing
• climbing
• water activities: river floating, boating, kayaking, lake cruises, canoeing
• horseback riding
• backpacking
• hiking
• camping
• biking

Must See Attractions

• Old Faithful
• Geothermals
• Roosevelt Arch
• Norris Geyser Basin Museum
• Fort Yellowstone
• Fishing Bridge Museum
• Mystic Falls
• Mammoth Hot Springs
• 42-mile scenic loop drive
• Jenny Lake Trail: Hidden Falls hike
• Grand Teton National Park Visitors Center

Places to Eat

• Lake Yellowstone Hotel
• Old Faithful Inn (reservations required for dinner…sometimes a year in advance!)
• Obsidian Dining Room in the Old Faithful Snow Lodge (reservations required for dinner)
• Mammoth Hot Springs Dining Room (Sunday breakfast buffet)

Denver

For a mix of city attractions and mountain adventures, the “Mile High City” just might be your perfect summer getaway.

Things to Do

• hiking
• mountain biking
• shopping
• entertainment
• athletic events

Must See Attractions

• Mount Evans: provides beautiful view as well as a variety of mountain wildlife.
• Museum of Nature and Science
• Denver Center for the Performing Arts
• Denver Botanic Gardens: one of the largest botanical gardens in the U.S. at 23 acres.
• Kirkland Museum of Fine and Decorative Art
• Denver Art Museum
• Coors Field – home of the Colorado Rockies baseball club: see a game or take a tour.
• Denver Zoo
• Larimer Square: a historic district, enjoy shopping and live bands or comedians.
• 16th Street Mall: a free shuttle bus helps you get to the many places to shop and eat.
• United States Mint: one of six facilities. Free, guided tours are available through reservations.

Places to Eat

• The Kitchen Denver
• Rioja (Mediterranean-themed eatery)
• TAG
• Euclid Hall
• Spuntino
• Potager
• Cold and Gray
• Mountain Ranch Club at Coors Field

San Diego

If you would like to go a little farther south where the temperature is always just right, check out San Diego, California.

Must See Attractions

• Balboa Park: includes the San Diego Zoo, Botanical Gardens, the Museum of Man, the Museum of Natural History, and the San Diego Museum of Art
• Mission Beach: a popular location to catch some rays
• Coronado Beach: this beach will have fewer sunbathers and calmer waves
• San Diego Zoo and Safari Park
• Cabrillo National Monument: built in honor of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo who was the first European explorer to navigate the California coast
• USS Midway Museum
• SeaWorld San Diego
• Sunset Cliffs Natural Park
• Gaslamp Quarter National Historic District
• Seaport Village

Places to Eat

• Snooze
• Isabel’s Cantina
• Baleen at Paradise Point Resort
• Tender Greens
• The Fish Market
• George’s at the Cove
• Searsucker
• Bistro Sixty
• Bread & Cie

Yosemite National Park

Also located in California, Yosemite offers another opportunity for enjoying the beauties of nature.

Things to Do

• hike
• watch for meteor showers (some accommodations even provide an astronomer and telescope!)
• guided moonlight hike
• rafting
• arts and crafts at the Yosemite Arts Center
• ride an open-air tram to see all the highlights
• ziplining

Must See Attractions

• Yosemite Falls
• Half Dome: the park’s most popular rock formation
• Tuolumne Meadows
• El Capitan: great for rock climbing
• Yosemite Valley
• Lembert Dome
• Tunnel View
• Cathedral Peak
• Bridalveil Falls
• Glacier Point
• Vernal Falls
• Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias: one of Earth’s largest and oldest living things

Places to Eat

• Ahwanee Hotel
• Mountain Room Restaurant
• Degnan’s Deli
• Curry Village Pizza Patio
• Village Grill

Northern California

California makes a third appearance on our list with the northern part of the state offering varied scenery and high class excursions, fitting any taste.

Must See Attractions

• Point Reyes National Seashore – 10 miles north of San Francisco
• Wine Country: world renowned locations including the beautiful Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley, Alexander Valley, and Dry Creek Valley
• spas – get pampered
• hiking in Napa Valley and Sonoma County
• art collections at wineries
• Armstrong Redwood Preserve (Sonoma County)
• UC Berkeley Botanical garden (Berkeley)
• UC Davis Arboretum (Davis)
• The Ferry Building – ferry, indoor food market
• Lake Tahoe and Emerald Bay
• Museums: de Young, MOMA, Legion of Honor, Asian Art Museum, California Academy of Sciences and Exploratorium

Places to Eat

• Catelli’s (Geyserville)
• All Season Bistro (Calistoga)
• The Girl and the Fig (Sonoma)
• Oenotri
• Tarla Grill
• ZuZu and Grace’s Table (downtown Napa)
• Ca’ Momi Enoteca
• Pica Pica
• Oxbow Public Market

No matter which of these beautiful locations you choose to visit this summer, you now have a great list of activities and good eatery options to help you enjoy your summer road trips in the west!

Thank you so much for sharing these fun Summer Road Trips in the West Alyssa!  I can’t wait to visit some of these places!!

For other post about travel read, 

FREE PRINTABLE ROAD TRIP TRAVEL GAMES + 10 WAYS TO KEEP YOUR KIDS ENTERTAINED WHILE TRAVELING

IDEAS FOR SPENDING YOUR SUMMERTIME ON THE WATER