Winter 2026 ideas

From San Jose

From Oakland

DMV Santa Teresa driving test route

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1Ve8cQA-OV0xdGgNA3zwDGb-pRoI&hl=en_US&ll=37.229954599999985%2C-121.77832930000001&z=15

Ideas for using IHG hotels free nights

Many IHG hotel nights are unavailable. Ideas to use the 5 night sign-up offer up to 60k points each.

Redwoods + Oregon Coast + Portland

1. Holiday inn express, Eureka
2. Holidan Inn Express, Klamath (Redwood national & state parks)
3. Holiday Inn Express, Seaside, OR
4. Kimpton, Portland

Yosemite + Tahoe

1. Holiday Inn Express, Oakhurst
2. Holiday Inn, Tahoe Ridge Resort, South Lake Tahoe
3. Holiday Inn Express, South Lake Tahoe

Central Coast + Santa Barbara + San Diego

1. Kimpton Mirador Pacific Row
2. Holiday Inn Express, Monterey
3. Holiday Inn Express, Atascadero
4. Kimpton, Santa Barbara
5. Intercontinental, San Diego

Other ideas

1. Holiday Inn, Napa
2. Hotel Indigo, Napa
3. Holiday Inn, Santa Rosa
4. Holiday Inn, Suisun City near Fairfield, Jelly Bean factory
5. Holiday Inn, Sacramento (3 choices)
6. Crowne Plaza, Ventura
7. Holiday Inn, Ventura
8. Holiday Inn, Paso Robles
9. Holiday Inn, Carpinteria (near Santa Barbara)
10. Holiday Inn, Santa Cruz
11. Holiday Inn, Visalia (near Sequoia & Kings Canyon)
12. Holiday Inn, Pismo Beach
13. Palm Springs
1. Kimpton
2. Riviera
3. Holiday Inn, Rancho Mirage or Palm Desert
14. San Diego
1. InterContinental
2. Indigo
3. Holiday Inn (Del Mar, Downtown, La Jolla, Oceanside)
15. LA
1. Indigo
2. InterContinental
3. Kimpton (Hollywood, Wilshire, Beverly Hills, W Hollywood)
16. Holiday Inn, Bakersfield
17. Holiday Inn, Fresno

College tours:

1. Berkeley: Holiday Inn
2. Davis: Holiday Inn
3. LA: 
1. Kimpton Palomar Beverley Hills
2. Holiday Inn Santa Monica
4. San Diego
1. Holiday Inn Sorento Valley
2. Holiday Inn La Jolla
5. Irvine
1. Staybridge Suites
2. Holiday Inn Newport Beach
6. Riverside
1. Holiday Inn Express San Bernardino – Colton
2. Holiday Inn Express & Suites Moreno Valley – Riverside
7. Santa Cruz
1. Holiday Inn Express & Suites Santa Cruz
8. Merced
1. Holiday Inn Express & Suites Merced
9. San Francisco
1. Kimpton Hotel Enso
2. Holiday Inn San Francisco–Golden Gateway
3. InterContinental San Francisco

Bozeman Yellowstone Teton summer 2026

Tuesday, June 2:

Fly  to  Bozeman. Shop groceries. Drive to Idaho Park near West Yellowstone. Stay.

Wednesday, June 3: 

• Norris Geyser Basin
• Beryl Spring
• Artists Paintpots
• Back Basin
• Emerald Spring
• Steamboat Geyser
• Cistern Spring
• Echinus Geyser
• Porkchop Geyser
• Pearl Geyser
• Palpitator Spring
• Monarch Geysers
• Porcelain Basin
• Crackling Lake
• Pinwheel Geyser
• Whirligig Geyser
• Hurricane Vent
• Porcelain Springs
• Museum of the National Park ranger
• Small log cabin
• movie
• Gibbon Falls
• Madison Picnic Area (bison & elk)
• Fountain paint pot
• Midway Geyser
• Grand Prismatic Spring Basin

Stay in Idaho Park

Thursday, June 4:

• Upper Geyser Basin
• Morning Glory Pool
• Old Faithful Geyser
• Geyser Hill
• Old Faithful Visitor Education center
• Old Faithful Inn
• mezzanine
• Biscuit Basin
• Mystic falls
• Biscuit Basin overlook
• Black Sand Basin
• Yellowstone tribal heritage center

Stay in Idaho Park

Friday, June 5:

• Lake Yellowstone
• Bridge Bay
• Natural Bridge
• Boat tour
• Lakeshore walk at storm point
• West Thumb Geyser Basin
• Boardwalk with backdrop of Absaroka mountains

Stay in Idaho Park

Saturday, June 6:

• Nez Perce National Historic Trail
• Hike
• Fairy Falls
• Grand Prismatic overlook
• Firehole lake drive
• Great Fountain Geyser
• White Dome Geyser
• Firehole Lake
• Firehole Falls

Stay in Idaho Park

Sunday, June 7:

Check out of West Yellowstone.

• Mud volcano
• Hayden valley
• Grand Canyon of Yellowstone
• Upper Falls
• Hike
• Artist Point
• Lower Falls

Stay in Emigrant near Gardiner

Monday, June 8:

• Roosevelt Arch
• Albright visitor center
• Mammoth Hot Springs
• Lamar valley
• Dunraven Pass

Stay in Emigrant

Tuesday, June 9:

Check out of Emigrant.

Drive.

Stay in Victor, ID near Jackson.

Wednesday, June 10:

• Lewis Falls
• Grand Teton
• Jackson Lake
• Colter Bay
• Hike
• Heron Pond
• Swan Lake
• Kayak or Canoe
• Snake river overlook
• Mormon row
• Oxbow Bend
• Signal mountain

Stay in Victor.

Thursday, June 11:

• Craig Thomas Discovery & Visitor Center
• Jenny lake
• Discovery trail
• Hike
• Hidden falls
• Inspiration Point
• Teton Park road
• Mount Moran
• Teton Glacier
• Hike
• Bradley Lake
• Teton Lake

Friday, June 12:

Check out of Victor.

Drive to Bozeman.

Stay in Bozeman.

Saturday, June 13:

Check out of Bozeman.

Museum of the Rockies: large dinosaur collection.

Return rental car. Fly out.

Hotel summary:

June 2-7: West Yellowstone

June 7-10: Gardiner

June 10-12: Jackson (or within Teton if we can get it)

June 12-13: Bozeman

Seattle Yellowstone summer 2026

Proposal 1: Yellowstone+Glacier+Washington

June 2: Arrive in Seattle

June 3: Start road trip. Drive to near Craters of the Moon. Stay.

June 4: Craters of the Moon. Drive to near Grand Teton. Stay.

June 5: Grand Teton. Drive to near Yellowstone. Stay.

June 6: Yellowstone.

June 7: Yellowstone.

June 8: Drive to near Glacier

June 9: Glacier 

June 10: Drive to near Mt. Rainier

June 11: Mt. Rainier. Drive to near Olympic.

June 12: Olympic. Drive to near Cascades.

June 13: Cascades. Drive to Seattle.

June 14: Fly back

Proposal 2: Yellowstone+Washington:

June 2: Arrive in Seattle

June 3: Start road trip. Drive to near Craters of the Moon. Stay.

June 4: Craters of the Moon. Drive to near Grand Teton. Stay.

June 5: Grand Teton.

June 6: Grand Teton. Drive to near Yellowstone. Stay.

June 7: Yellowstone.

June 8: Yellowstone.

June 9: Yellowstone.

June 10: Drive to near Mt. Rainier

June 11: Mt. Rainier. Drive to near Olympic. 

June 12: Olympic. Drive to near Cascades.

June 13: Cascades. Drive to Seattle.

June 14: Fly back

Proposal 3: Yellowstone extended

June 2: Arrive in Seattle. Pick up vehicle.

June 3: Start road trip. Drive to West Yellowstone. Stops at Snoqualmie Pass / Keechelus Lake Viewpoint, picnic tables at Lake Easton State Park, Spokane Riverfront Park, Coeur d’Alene Lake Boardwalk, Higgins Avenue / Downtown Missoula. Stay in West Yellowstone.

June 4: Yellowstone. Stay in West Yellowstone.

June 5: Yellowstone. Stay in West Yellowstone.

June 6: Yellowstone. Stay in West Yellowstone.

June 7: Yellowstone. Drive to near Grand Teton. Stay in Jackson.

June 8: Grand Teton. Stay in Jackson.

June 9: Grand Teton. Drive to near Craters of the moon.

June 10: Craters of the moon. Stay nearby.

June 11: Drive to near Mt.Rainier. En-route Hagerman Fossil Beds NM, Minidoka NHS.

June 12: Mt.Rainier

June 13: Drive to Seattle.

June 14: Fly back

Proposal 4: Yellowstone + daily stops

June 2: Arrive in Seattle. Pick up vehicle.

June 3: Start road trip. Drive to Coeur D'Alene. Stops at Lake Roosevelt NRA, Snoqualmie Pass / Keechelus Lake Viewpoint, picnic tables at Lake Easton State Park, Spokane Riverfront Park, Coeur d’Alene Lake. 

June 4: Drive to Yellowstone via West Yellowstone. Stop Boardwalk, Higgins Avenue / Downtown Missoula. En-route stop at Grant Kohrs Ranch NHS or Big Hole NB. Stay in West Yellowstone.

June 5: Yellowstone. Stay in West Yellowstone.

June 6: Yellowstone. Stay in West Yellowstone.

June 7: Yellowstone. Drive to near Grand Teton. Stay in Jackson.

June 8: Grand Teton. Stay in Jackson.

June 9: Grand Teton. Drive to near Craters of the moon.

June 10: Craters of the moon. Stay nearby.

June 11: Drive to near Pendleton. En-route Hagerman Fossil Beds NM, Minidoka NHS.

June 12: Drive to near Mt.Rainier. En-route Whitman mission NHS, Manhattan Project NHP-Hanford.

June 13: Mt. Rainier. Drive to Seattle.

June 14: Fly back