I am being "forced" to take a road trip. Need my iPhone repaired, completely wrecked, and all Texas stores are closed. Fortunately Colorado and New Mexico have open stores. Can't wait the mailing time for Apple to fix it that way.

So for this last minute trip I don't have any specific expectations but wife and two girls (5 and 7) are coming.

We have some road time to figure it out so I'm starting here with any recs. Leaving from Houston.

I can go to Albuquerque (Apple Store) and then keep going from there; Grand Canyon, Moab, Yellowstone? Or I can go to Denver (Apple Store) and go off from there to Cody, East Yellowstone.

Thoughts on best direction and then we will have plenty of time to fill in the blanks?

Get on the Apple Store app/website and set up an appointment at a store along the way. Probably all the same on locaiton.

Decided to go Albuquerque to Moab to Jackson Hole. That's all we have so far.

Any must do or interesting things / excursions, even including Cowboy towns (remember 5 and 7 yo girls)?

Pretty cool excuse for a trip these days.

If going up to yellowstone check out the yellowstone post on the first page. (Also some information for the Tetons) Cody, wyoming jad rodeos. I dont know if they are still going on with COVID. Thermopolis, wyoming has a dinosaur museum and dig site and hot springs if you like that sort of thing.

Dr.Rumack said:

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This is the weirdest reason for a road trip I think I've ever heard.

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That's why I said, "forced'. Plot twist, couldn't get an appointment in Albuquerque so just going to have them express mail me a new phone to Jackson, WY. Heading out from Abilene this morning.

Thinking about skirting around the west side of Colorado rather than the direct route but it's an extra 4 hours. Moab looks cool, but hot! so maybe hit on the way back if we are up for it.

Is there anything worth going the slow route through the west side of Colorado or go straight to Teton's? We can take an extra day or two on the west side of Colorado. Brought camping stuff just in case we found a nice spot to camp for 1 night here and there, but not looking to do a ton of camping. Any old unique towns we should visit or points of interest?

FlyFisher09 said:

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For what you're going to spend hauling your family halfway across the country with a week or more of hotel rooms, could you not just like...buy a new phone?

I can't tell whether this is serious.

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We've been kicking the idea around all summer but yeah...

1. phone with hairline crack fell in pool
2. phone stopped working
3. looked for Apple store and they were all closed in Texas (have Apple Care)
4. thought about "traveling"
5. ?????
6. profit

I actually just got back from a similar road trip. I would actually suggest going up through eastern CO and spending a night or two in Cody. Really cool town. Not much virus craziness. Nightly rodeo still going on. Just a lot of fun. Go into Yellowstone through Cody and drive the lower loop. Then down to Tetons and spend however long you want. Then head home either direction. We came back through Moab. Really fun trip.

New Mexico and their governor are a mess right now. If you stay overnight you COULD POSSIBLY be forced to quarantine for 14 days.

Go the E Colorado route or at minimum cross at Texline and go thru Raton and Trinidad

Strolled into this thread ready to give actual Yellowstone road trip tips, but here's this instead:

https://www.apple.com/retail/storelist/

So I'm in Durango. Got in at 9:30 and practically everything is closed.

Struck out In Albuquerque at the Apple Store. Got there 15 mins prior to close with no one in store. Turned away as the appointment wasn't available to book. "But there is no one in the store", the wife said. Apple employee stood ground with 3 "security guards" nearby. She asked for the manager but was told she was talking to the manager.

Scatter-shooting:

Back to Durango, so Steamworks was opened and very good.

The mountain train is closed Sunday and Monday so would have to stay until Tuesday to ride it

Will go to a mine tour in Silverton

Thinking about the National Monument quarry in Utah on way to Jackson WY

Prior to Durango, in Aztec, got pulled over for 61 in a 45. Cop and 5yo connected on her watching Spirit on iPad and his daughter. Between the kids and wife I got a verbal warning. Cop showed off by giving them police badge stickers. Win!

country said:

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I actually just got back from a similar road trip. I would actually suggest going up through eastern CO and spending a night or two in Cody. Really cool town. Not much virus craziness. Nightly rodeo still going on. Just a lot of fun. Go into Yellowstone through Cody and drive the lower loop. Then down to Tetons and spend however long you want. Then head home either direction. We came back through Moab. Really fun trip.

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On the return trip, would you go Moab or Cody?

Premium said:

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country said:

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I actually just got back from a similar road trip. I would actually suggest going up through eastern CO and spending a night or two in Cody. Really cool town. Not much virus craziness. Nightly rodeo still going on. Just a lot of fun. Go into Yellowstone through Cody and drive the lower loop. Then down to Tetons and spend however long you want. Then head home either direction. We came back through Moab. Really fun trip.

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On the return trip, would you go Moab or Cody?

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Arches National Monument in Moab is worth the trip. The arches are pretty spectacular

Grab breakfast of lunch at Moab Diner

If you make the trek the way I suggest, you will be down in Jackson area after hitting Yellowstone. I would not go back to Cody at that point. I headed to Moab and did Arches and Canyonlands before moving onto Texas. It was a lot of fun.

When you're in Jackson, get up one morning before sunrise and head to Schwabacher Landing Trailhead and watch the sunrise hit the Tetons. One of the best views I've ever seen! May want to make a test drive the afternoon before because it's a gravel road. When you get there, walk about 300' and you'll have a super clear view of the Tetons. This is the same place where all the quintessential shots of the Tetons are taken.

Does anyone know about any dispersed camping inside the Tetons not too far from Jackson?

Will be there in the morning and hoping to find either first come first served camping or dispersed.

So far:

TravelAg2004 said:

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When you're in Jackson, get up one morning before sunrise and head to Schwabacher Landing Trailhead and watch the sunrise hit the Tetons. One of the best views I've ever seen! May want to make a test drive the afternoon before because it's a gravel road. When you get there, walk about 300' and you'll have a super clear view of the Tetons. This is the same place where all the quintessential shots of the Tetons are taken.

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Thank you for the tip.

Made it to Tetons.

Have fun! Love the pictures. One thing I forgot to mention......I paid $10 and downloaded an app called GyPSy Guide that had commentary for the Grande Tetons and Yellowstone. It is a GPS based guide so when you hit points along the road the commentary kicks in. I thought it was extremely well done and we learned a lot. We also pulled over at a lot of places we wouldn't have without it. Just a suggestion.

So Jenny Lake suits our travel needs since it's always first come first serve. There are about 50 sites and we found out yesterday about 17 were set to check out today.

So we got in line at 11PM last night to check in and thought we would be first. We were 8th. So good enough. By 4am there were 4 cars behind us and by 7am there were probably 20-30 behind us. It's packed. These sites, everywhere, usually last 5-6 hours longer than they are at this time on a regular year.

Good news is we are on track. Bad news is there was at least 1 bear getting into stuff in the camp and then it, or a second one, walked by the first car in line at 6:30am. They are trying to trap it and they may not let anyone in or they may say you can go in but do not unpack if we have to make you leave.

Thanks for the tip

So we got a site for 3 nights and then we will head to Yellowstone.

We have been on the road for about a month now and are currently in Granby, Co. Trying to plan out the next few week up towards the Tetons and it is crazy how booked everything is.

Left Tetons and made it to Yellowstone today. Did Old Faithful and I think the Black Sands Basin. Made it to a VRBO in West Yellowstone after camping for 6 nights - partly out of want, necessity and cost; we wanted to camp, but then it was pay $300 per night for a Motel 8 or $32 to be inside the park.

We had enough camping though so found one of the last rentals here for 3 nights.

Look at the website "Roadside America"

https://www.roadsideamerica.com/

You can find some really cool stops.

On the way to Moab, stopped at Antelope Island in Salt Lake. Hotter than anything and the beach was literally a mile from the road with some thick sand and steep hill. I asked the kids are they sure they want to walk that and swim with flies and shrimp (someone coming out told us that).

Tons of flies. Water was neat that I could float so easily. Was cool but would not recommend unless you're already here.

The kids were literally crying when we left, not because we were leaving but because we were still there (flies swarming).