Yosemite was such a success I am thinking of a trip to Yellowstone, where I have never been, as well as Boise Idaho, one of my few remaining state capitals--all again sans car. I don't want to start with the Empire Builder (!) but it looks like I can take the Zephyr to SLC, book a hotel for a night or two (hotels are pretty reasonable in SLC), and then take a bus called the Salt Lake Express to Jackson, from which there are tour buses to Yellowstone and Grand Teton parks. Hotels in Jackson are pricey though! I had hoped to spend 4 nights but may have to opt for just 3. The Salt Lake Express can then take me to Boise, where I can spend a couple of nights and then book through Amtrak to take the Greyhound back to SLC and then the Zephyr etc home. I would use points for much of this trip, so train fares would be reasonable. . . .
I have questions about buses, Jackson and Boise, though:
1. Has anyone ever taken the bus to/from Boise from SLC? The train station does not seem to be open so I'd need to stash luggage at hotels both ways, I think . . . but are there other options? I have been to SLC before so don't need to see the sights.
2. If I just stay in Jackson 3 nights and take bus tours to the parks, I won't see that much of the Jackson itself. Will I be missing a lot?
3. Any specific recs on restaurants and things to do in either Jackson or Boise? I believe the Boise hotel has a free local shuttle but in Jackson I'll just be "downtown."
4.From Boise, there also seem to be bus shuttles to Sun Valley, but that would involve more $$ and time. Am I missing a lot by not going there? (Remember, I won't have a car).
Thank you!
Posted by Mike Smith (Member # 447) on :
There is a rudimentary hotel in northern Yellowstone that is very reasonable, but I do not know about the tours from that hotel.
Don't forget the near-midnight arrival in SLC from the east. The 4-week average for arrival of #5 into SLC is 46 minutes late which isn't bad to be fair. In that period it ranged from 47 minutes early to 282 minutes late (3:45am), with 119/165/180 late the next three worst.
Anyway, point being, check there will be taxis waiting! I remember waiting at Cincinnati for 2 hours for a taxi.
Hotel shuttle pick-up?
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
I was in Salt Lake City this past April (I seem to like Salt; as I thought Salzburg to be, save the Gypsies panhandling that they can do nothing about, a Disneyland city) and I really enjoy it there. Although I stayed at this Marriott, and highly recommend it, I realize you are just passing through. The closest major brand to the train/bus station is a Hilton Homewood Suites adjacent to the former Rio Grande station.
It doesn't sound as if you are doing more than an overnight, but if not the case, and even considering I'm not really into "shoppertainment", the City Creek Center is something to behold. When there is LDS Church $$$, behind a project, it's "nothing but the best". Even if I'm not about to adopt their faith, I have nothing but respect for the positive impact they have made upon Utah.
There are some now-independent hotels about town that were first built for the '02 Games . Even though I avoid independents like the plague, because of their relative "newness" they just might be OK. One even has an outside glassed elevator.
If you like SLC, then guess what; believe it or not, you and I are actually on the same page about something.
Posted by sojourner (Member # 3134) on :
Thanksm, everyone. Mike, I could not get to the Yellowstone property without a car so have to stay in Jackson. There are bus tours from there. Does anyone have any info on Jackson or Boise?
Posted by RRRICH (Member # 1418) on :
Sojourner -- Once you arrive in Yellowstone, there may be park busses which regularly go to Jackson and the Tetons.
Posted by TwinStarRocket (Member # 2142) on :
I have been to both Jackson and Sun Valley skiing a couple of decades ago, but I always had a car.
Aside from the Antler Arches and the bar made of silver dollars, I don't recall much in the town of Jackson that was really interesting. Prices are high. I think proximity to great scenery and Old West atmosphere are the big draws.
Sun Valley (actually the town of Ketchum) was a hangout for Ernest Hemingway and movie stars of the thirties. The fine restaurants and shops in town were mostly upscale and definitely worth a visit. I also enjoyed all the photos from the past scattered around town. They included Clark Gable, Gary Cooper, Lucille Ball and many others, frequent visitors who probably came by train. It is a pedestrian (but not car) friendly town with free buses and concentrated into a small area.
The link Richard provided to the SLC-Jackson bus would be much more scenic than the SLC-Boise bus if you could do that one way.
My only experience with Boise was picking up an airport rental car to Sun Valley. It seemed like a pleasant clean town.
Posted by sojourner (Member # 3134) on :
Sorry, I meant to say, I have to stay in JACKSON, not Boise, in my previous post (have now fixed it). I have to stay in Jackson because that is where bus takes me (from SLC, though there is another called Salt Lake Express I may take) and then from where bus tours go into Yellowstone (and Grand Teton).
I'd love to see Ketchum too. Problem is, without a car it still means 2 nights in Boise (pricey) as I'm traveling by bus. The bus to Boise gets in too late to catch the one and only bus to Ketchum on the same day--it leaves 3:30PM. And the bus back leaves 8 or 8:30AM, again the one and only. No point going at 3:30 and coming back next day, so I'd have to stay 2 nights in Ketchum too. That's cheaper than Boise, but I'd still have to do the 2 nights in Boise! (and I do have to visit the capitol of course)
Posted by yukon11 (Member # 2997) on :
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Gilbert B Norman: [QB] I was in Salt Lake City this past April (I seem to like Salt; as I thought Salzburg to be, save the Gypsies panhandling that they can do nothing about, a Disneyland city) and I really enjoy it there.
************************** Mr. Norman,
I'm trying to remember... did you take the FrontRunner light rail (Provo to Ogden) when you were in Utah (maybe it was TRAX)? If so, were there any rumors about the FrontRunner extending into southern Idaho, perhaps Pocatello?
Speaking of Pocatello, Idaho, does anyone recall if there was any sort of shuttle bus between Pocatello and Yellowstone Park when the Amtrak Pioneer was still up and running? Perhaps not as, if memory serves, it got into Pocatello quite late at night or very early in the morning.
Richard
Posted by palmland (Member # 4344) on :
In the days when the railroads tried to attract visitors to Yellowstone, both the UP and NP had connecting services. The UP connection was via rail from Idaho Falls to West Yellowstone (with through sleepers). The NP was via 90 min.bus ride from Livingston, MT to the Gardiner,WY park entrance.
In today's world, it's about 4.5 hours to Jackson Hole from SLC, another 2.5 to Yellowstone NP, and another 5 to Shelby, Mt (closest EB stop to Yellowstone and not far from Glacier NP). Shouldn't Amtrak be working with a bus company to coordinate service between those points and the CZ and EB during the summer season. Of course the trains would have to be on time for that to work!
Posted by yukon11 (Member # 2997) on :
In addition to the UP and NP passenger trains, as listed by Mr. Palmland:
Chicago & Northwestern to Lander, Wyoming. Then an "autobus" to the south entrance of Yellowstone.
CB&Q to Cody, WY and the east entrance.
Chicago, Milwaukee, & St. Paul to Gallatin Gateway, then shuttle to west entrance.
Richard
PS - Sojourner, if you stay in Jackson, WY, please let us know your impressions of Jackson. I lived in WY from '67-69' and we used to drive up to Jackson Hole for skiing. I really liked Jackson back then. However, a friend of mine stayed there a few years ago. She said the town was really commercialized and no longer a quaint, "old west" town.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Richard, UTA Frontrunner presently runs "four a day" North of Ogden to Pleasant View or about five miles. That involves operation on UP rails so a number of UTA Conductors and Engineers are Rules Qualified on that portion of the UP.
I think that an extension of service to Brigham City is under discussion. However if there is to be any frequency of service UTA had best be prepared to build their own ROW.
Here is a summary of Frontrunner dreams - or at least those of a Wiki author:
Future extensions are envisioned that would eventually encompass over 135 miles (217 km) along the Wasatch Front, providing service as far north as Brigham City and as far south as Nephi.[39] UTA has specific plans to extend the FrontRunner further south to Payson and has owned the needed railway right-of-way for several years. However, one of the major reasons for not including this further extension in the construction of the FrontRunner South is that a flying junction will have to be built just southeast of the Provo Station to allow the FrontRunner to cross over the Union Pacific tracks in that immediate area. The location of the station in Brigham City will likely be on the existing railway right-of-way near the no-longer-used Brigham City Depot at 900 West Forest Street, with an additional station in Willard just east of I-15 at about 750 North.[40] The location of the station in Springville is anticipated to be approximately 1500 West and 450 South. Heading south from that area it will connect with the UTA owned railway right-of-way (the Tintic Branch).[Note 6] The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) has announced that accommodations for a FrontRunner station just west of I-15 are included in the overall plans for a new interchange at Spanish Fork Center Street. The location of the station in Payson is anticipated to be just west of I-15 at about 800 South.[41] As with all existing FrontRunner and TRAX stations, all future extensions of the FrontRunner will be integrated with UTA's bus system
My ride this past April was to Provo and return.
Posted by palmland (Member # 4344) on :
Richard- thanks for mentioning the Milwaukee as having Yellowstone service. An old OGR shows service to be a 30 min bus ride from Three Forks, MT to Gallatin Gateway. It may be a gateway but still some 75 miles from west Yellowstone. As you may well know the park is very large and that could still be near the park. We camped there for 5 days 6 years ago and didn't begin to see it all.
But, the Olympian Hiawatha would have been a great way to get there. A bedroom on its beautiful Skytop observation- lounge -sleeper would be great. One of those cars, Coffee Creek, is now under restoration by Ed Ellis' Iowa Pacific.
Posted by DonNadeau (Member # 61606) on :
This perhaps is an option to consider.
I've never booked with Amtrak Vacations, but know that they do lots of non escorted tours. Perhaps they might modify the following itinerary to your needs. Note that it includes a transfer directly to Yellowstone to and from Salt Lake City. Amtrak may be able to lengthen the time of stay in Yellowstone and offer a Jackson option.
Again, I have never booked with them. This is not a recommendation.
There has been some suggestion of a new loop from Victor, ID to West Yellowstone to Jackson and then back to Victor. I don't know if anything has ever come of it: