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Big Sky
  • Erica Cromwell
  • Erica Cromwell

Big Sky

A 7-day adventure by Erica Read more
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  • Trip start
    March 12, 2026
    Erica CromwellBig SkyTraveler

    Grizzly and Wold Discovery Center

    March 13 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 39 °F

    While Dave hit the slopes for his last day of boarding Sue, David and I drove to West Yellowstone to check out the GWD. It was a small but really neat facility. The animals have indoor and outdoor access and large spaces to explore. The bears came from different areas of the country when they became too comfortable with humans and the only other option was to euthanize them. The wolves came from zoos and we learned that wild caught wolves cannot survive in captivity. We spent a few hours here and enjoyed a nice meal before heading home.Read more

  • Erica CromwellBig SkyTraveler

    Yellowstone National Park

    March 14 in the United States

    We were supposed to have a snowmobiling tour into Yellowstone National Park but it was cancelled due to lack of snow in the area. We found an alternative with Casanova tours and our guide, Jackson, was phenomenal. He was a fellow animal enthusiast and we had a lovely day finding all kinds of animals. We were very excited to find a moose right away since they are more rare in Yellowstone with only 170 remaining after the fire of 1988.

    The rest of the day was filled with bison, elk, bison, bald eagles, bison, coyotes, and more bald eagles, a red fox, big horned sheep, and pronghorns. We think we saw a juvenile golden eagle but since it wasn’t a mature adult it was hard to tell. Our guide said it would be rare for a bald eagle to be that large without showing white on its head yet. There were two bison carcasses that we hoped would attract wolves or a grizzly but they hadn’t found them yet. The coyotes and bald eagles had though and it was interesting to watch them start the process. The weather quickly took a turn for the worse and we were happy we packed lots of layers. The temperatures went from 40s to single digits quickly. The wind picked up heavily and it started to snow fiercely which was not in the forecast. This limited visibility but we still had a great time.

    Once back at the hotel we enjoyed the snowy views and dinner at the Montana Jacks restaurant on property.    Read more

  • Erica CromwellBig SkyTraveler

    To the top of Big Sky

    March 15 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 10 °F

    Our last day in Big Sky started cloudy and we really hoped to get some clear skies so we could take the gondola and tram up to the top of the mountain. There were some portions of the mountain open for “scenic” exploration without skis/snowboards and luckily after breakfast and slowly checking out of the hotel we saw some potential for views at the top. We made our way up which culminated at the top of Big Sky mountain, an elevation of 11,166 ft. That was a big change from our Florida elevation of 10 ft! The temperatures were in the single digits and the wind was fierce but the views between cloud bands was gorgeous. After our noses and fingers started to freeze we went back down to the midway point and relaxed at the Iglu, a structure made from snow and ice with a DJ inside. Once we made back down the mountain we headed to Bozeman for our yurt in the countryside.Read more

  • Erica CromwellBig SkyTraveler

    Yurt in the countryside

    March 15 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 27 °F

    Since we didn’t know what the weather conditions would be the morning of our flights from Bozeman back to Florida we decided to book an Airbnb closer to the airport. We found this adorable yurt with incredibly thoughtful touches about 30 minutes from the airport and hoped for great stargazing. This yurt was glamping to the max. An inside propane fire place kept the space cozy and warm, they had a full kitchen stocked with nice options such as local caramels and cookies, and a local caterer delivered our dinner and breakfast straight to the yurt. There was a deep soaking tub, a hot tub, and even the nicest bathrobes we’ve ever experienced. We enjoyed sunset from the hot tub but unfortunately the clouds moved in before much stargazing could occur. Overall it was an amazing experience and we would stay again in a heartbeat.Read more

    Trip end
    March 18, 2026