Left Boulder at 12:30 pm.
North on 25 to Cheyenne, WY.
80 West to 287 North. Terrain is beautiful--ranging from flat, high prairie to dark red sandstone cliffs and cathedral like bluffs just south of Dubois.
287 was nearly deserted, which was good. This is a two-lane highway with frequent passing opportunities, but even a little bit of traffic could make it dangerous.
Into Grand Tetons National Park we met snow--not on the roadways, but plenty on the ground and covering the trees. Caribou are numerous and wander in packs across the road--they are as big as moose.
This drive was longer than we expected--11 hours (from Boulder to West Yellowstone) with few stops. Be cautious traveling through Tetons and Yellowstone--speed limits are no more than 45 mph and cops are rigid, even at night.
A good place to grab a restaurant meal would be Dubois, WY--very quaint, obviously caters to travelers looking to soak themselves in rustic and woodsy. All the buildings have a very western, hewn log look without being cheap looking.
Best Western - Weston Inn in West Yellowstone, MT just blocks from the west entrance to Yellowstone (closest to Old Faithful). Three Best Westerns as soon as you drive into town all within a couple blocks. We checked prices--two others were markedly higher and not sure why.
We're spending $119 per night at the BW-Weston, with pets, deluxe free continental breakfast, free wireless, coffemaker, frig and microwave--very clean and non-smoking! The bargain of the three.
Current gas prices you'll find between Boulder Colorado and Yellowstone/Tetons in Wyoming.
- Gas prices just north of Boulder: $3.87
- Lander, WY- $4.14
- Dubois, WY- $3.99
- West Yellowstone, MT- $4.19
Just amazing on the prices. However, I'm skeptical about how many people have actually been turned off to road travel. Tetons was quite busy with travelers even at dusk--most with license plates from quite a distance away. Hard core travelers are still investing.
1 comment:
"even at night" - I definitely used to wonder why they were so rigid at night until I started almost hitting buffalo on the road at night and had friends have their cars totaled by elk or by deer. The longer you live in these parts, the more you realize that the speed limit is there not because the road couldn't be driven at higher speeds but because it's crazy under the animal conditions. Highway 191, running north of West Yellowstone is the deadliest road in Montana - you'll see crosses everywhere along the side of the road. And, yet, people won't slow down - and deaths keep happening.
So, yeah, it's good you let people know that it's impossible to make good time through the parks - even at night.
Thanks for sharing your experiences,
Jim
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