Like many of you, I had been at home, mostly, during the past 2 years due to the Pandemic, and I was getting “cabin fever”. I had planned and canceled many trips during the course of the past few years but as I finally began to see the light at the end of the tunnel, I knew it was time to take a REAL vacation soon!!

With overseas still being out of the question for me, I looked for vacation spots in the US. Having been to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons in the Fall a few years ago, I had heard that the best time to really experience that area was in the winter. Being a huge fan of snow and winter, and having friends who weren’t, I decided to look into my options of going it alone. I guess I shouldn’t say “alone”, I guess I mean “solo”. I have never taken a tour group and I’ve never traveled alone, so this was a huge leap for me, but an exciting one. After lots of research, I landed on one company that seemed to focus on National Park tours and they were also small groups – Austin Adventures. They seemed to have the itinerary that I was looking for along with the small number of people and guides that I would be comfortable with, so many months ago I put down my deposit and looked forward to my new adventure that would take place in Wyoming and Montana in late February.

While these beautiful photos depict only a glimpse of what we saw while in Yellowstone over the course of a few days, you can see why this was an unforgettable adventure!! We actually began our trip by individually flying into Montana and starting out with a meet and greet, followed up by a trip to the town museum and planetarium and then lunch at a local brewery. After that, our guides drove us to a small town in Wyoming, on the edge of one of the entrances to Yellowstone National Park, where we stayed for the next 3 nights. During those first 3 days, we ate and drank in really fun spots, or had a packed lunch while cross country skiing. Our days and nights were filled with a variety of things to do and see and our group of 11 guests and 2 guides was just perfect. Austin Adventures offers family trips as well, but I opted out for “adult-only” and our group was great fun. It took a while for me to get used to the fact that everything was preplanned but after a day or two, I really enjoyed being picked up in the morning at a scheduled time, all equipment for the day had been procured, all meals were scheduled and reserved, and all I had to do was to show up. With the guides doing the driving and the narrating, it allowed all of us to take in the gorgeous scenery as we slowly made our way through the park each day, and I never tired of seeing the majestic Bison wandering along the roadside or sometime in the road itself.

After spending a few days in the National Park, we then moved on to the last half of our trip in Montana, at 320 Ranch. While our first hotel had beautiful views from our rooms of the river and mountains and was in a small town, this ranch was just outside of town and offered a real Western feeling with individual cabins and a sleigh ride before dinner one night, including a stop for snacks and beverages by an outdoor firepit. The restaurant on site was fantastic and our day trips from here included more snowshoeing and town exploring of Big Sky. While most of the meals were fabulous, one really stood out to me for its uniqueness – Chico Hot Springs Resort and Spa in Pray, Montana. We had dinner there after a long day of cross country skiing and after dinner, wine, and a flaming orange dessert, we soaked in the large natural hot springs that were attached to the restaurant and bar – just the perfect ending to a long day outside!

Another fun western-themed restaurant/ranch that we had lunch at was the Lone Mountain Ranch in Big Sky. Such a beautiful setting with horses and trails everywhere and wonderful food and ambiance.

This vacation is just what I needed after a long time at home. Everything was planned in advance and included in the price. Our two guides were fun and knowledgeable and really enjoyed what they do. The 10 other people who were on the trip with me ranged from 40 to 81 and all had their own interesting stories to tell. Traveling for me isn’t only seeing the sights and sounds of a new place, but maybe more importantly meeting new people and experiencing new things. I truly enjoyed the total experience with all of its varied activities and restaurants, as well as everyone I met, and had a chance to get to know a bit better by being on this small group vacation.

If you want to see more of my photos of this trip, I’m on Instagram, FB, and Twitter. After landing in Seattle from Montana and this trip, I had just a few hours to grab something to eat and drink, meet up with a friend of mine and start a new vacation to New Mexico. That post will be coming soon so stay tuned…