We packed a lunch and got into the van, not sure what to expect. We had been to many national parks before but this one was different. We were ready for a day of hiking, a picnic and Jr. Ranger badges.
That is not what we got. Most people speak highly of Yellowstone National Park, but we had a different experience. It was under construction while we were there and it was more crowded than a busy day at Disneyland.
They had a makeshift parking lot and shuttles that would take you where you wanted to go. We weren’t prepared for the chaos or the crowds, so we missed out on any great hikes. By the time you park your car, walk to the shuttle stop, ride to the trailhead, hike, then back om the shuttle to the stop, and back to the car the kids would be ready for a meltdown. Instead of all that we opted for the close nature walks.
As I mentioned, we packed a lunch. Some national parks do have cafes or places to eat, like this one did, but we usually opt out and bring our own food. We have been to a lot of parks and they almost always have picnic tables or benches near a parking area where you can enjoy a picnic lunch.
That’s where Yellowstone let us down. I’m sure it’s not always as bad as it was during our visit but with the construction and lack of parking, it was a mess. We could have packed our cooler of food about a mile to a picnic table, eaten, then walked the cooler back to the car. Instead we opted for a parking lot picnic.
The parking lot was an area where they had cleared some trees in the forest. It was mostly dirt on the ground, with some small patches of grass and mud with several downed trees and sticks. It was very dusty with cars driving through all the dirt.
We found a small area away from the cars and spread out our picnic blanket. We had 6 people that each sat around the blanket and we put the baby in the middle while we ate our lunch. Aside from all the dust, it was the most enjoyable thing we did in Yellowstone. We were out of the crowds and noise and it was the only place in the park where we could sit down and relax and just enjoy our time together.
We will go back to Yellowstone someday and I guarantee we will have a very different experience. It just wasn’t our day, but on the bright side, we had a nice picnic thanks to our picnic blanket that we didn’t even plan to bring, it just happened to be in the car.
Without it we would have either been standing holding the baby, getting filthy in the dirt, or eating in the car. That is why we always just keep it in the car.
It has come in handy so many times. Especially with the baby. At the beach we could let him down without getting sand in his eyes and mouth and we’ve had many picnics all across the country.
We have two different styles. One is smaller without a waterproof barrier. We don’t use that one often. The other is large enough for our entire family of 7 to sit on, is easy to wipe clean, keeps us dry on wet grass and folds easy for storage and has a carrying strap.
When we first got it, we weren’t sure how much we’d actually use it but we have definitely gotten our moneys worth. It has been a picnic blanket, a beach blanket, we’ve made forts out of it, used it as a blanket, and it’s even doubled as a yoga mat. It’s held up great and we expect many more year of use.
