A few weeks ago, the podcast “Living L’Chaim” interviewed a rabbi from Lakewood who was lamenting materialism. He said that he once gave some teenagers a ride to the airport for winter break and overheard one tell the other, “Going to Florida is really dumb but you can’t stay in Lakewood for winter vacation.”
It is well known
that winter break has turned into head-to-Florida season. Now I am sure that
going to Florida can make sense and be a good choice in some instances. But
whenever I sense that something is becoming a fad, I become a little skeptical.
One thing is for sure: Whether summer, spring, fall, or winter, if you are
heading to the theme parks, you will be paying a lot for a man-made attraction.
Allow me to offer
an alternative destination idea: a national park. This past summer I made it
back to Yellowstone for a boy camping trip with my grandsons, using credit card
points to get there. I have been to Disneyworld and let me tell you – there is
no comparison. G-d wanted to make an amusement park and named it Yellowstone. It’s
not for this time of year – winter temperatures there can go down to zero
degrees – but it’s not too early to start planning for a great summer vacation.
Deep-Down Fires
Yellowstone is an
absolute wonder. The main attraction is the geysers. The most famous, of course,
is Old Faithful. Going off every 92 minutes, it is really beyond description.
You can almost hear the Almighty saying, “I bet you can’t do this trick!” The
water shoots up as high as 200 feet, and that water you see has been
underground for 500 years! Yes, it takes that long for the water to work its
way down to the deep-down fires, where it gets really hot. Like water in a pressure
cooker, it finally gets so hot it bursts upward. There are many, many other
geysers in the same area. In fact, half of the geysers in the world are in
Yellowstone. A map shows you where they are. Yellowstone also has a spectacular
lake and its own “grand canyon” with several waterfalls along the way. Hiking
along the canyon is a big attraction.
I bought a book in
the park called What Should I Do if I Have
One Day in Yellowstone? It goes through itineraries based on how many days
you have. Day one is the geysers. Day two is the Grand Canyon of the
Yellowstone. Day three would be driving to Mammoth hot springs in the northern
part of the park.
Lodging and Food
Yellowstone is a
very large park – bigger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined. It also
borders on another national park, called Grand Teton, famous for its mountain
range and lakes. Driving from spot to spot can easily take an hour. Speed
limits are 45 mph, and it is one lane in each direction. When wildlife appears,
everyone just stops their cars. We all want pictures of the bison. Between
these two parks, you can spend weeks. That means that you will need to pick a
place to stay and assume you will be driving during the day. Another option is
to stay at different parts of the park. Moving around seems too complicated for
me.
You certainly want
to stay inside the park. Otherwise, you will waste way too much time driving. Yellowstone
has hotels, including lodges, that are classics. There are also cabins. On this
trip, we camped in a tent. We had a great time, and it cost almost nothing. The
camping option is fantastic but requires a bit of camping experience. I would
not recommend it for first time campers. Before we went, we practiced packing
numerous times and managed to fit our tent, inflatable sleeping mats,
inflatable pillows, and down sleeping bags into one large suitcase.
We brought a
medium-sized suitcase that we called “the kitchen.” In it, we had everything we
needed for food prep. We also brought an ice chest with frozen soups and frozen,
vacuum-packed meat. Upon arrival, we went to a supermarket to buy everything we
did not bring.
How to Get There
Yellowstone is in
northern Wyoming. I used Southwest airlines points to fly to Salt Lake City,
Utah. It was a long drive to Jackson, Wyoming, the jump city to the parks. The
first night, we camped along the road at a cute campground. By the next morning,
we were entering Jackson. There is a much closer airport at Jackson Hole, in
Wyoming. If you can fly there, do so. It is a lot closer. Salt Lake City is a
drive of almost 300 miles to Jackson. Another option is to fly to Bozeman,
Montana on Southwest airlines. I have never done that, but it seems like an
excellent option. You would enter Yellowstone from the north entrance, which
would put you very close to Mammoth hot springs.
Yellowstone is an
experience all its own. You will be dazzled by this park. It is like a
religious pilgrimage to be there. Everyone is walking around in awe of the
place. Go to YouTube and watch the many travel videos to get an idea.
What about Winter Break?
So, if you don’t
go to Florida, what can you do on
winter break? Here are some tips for next year! We have gone to these places and
had a great time: Washington D.C. has tons of attractions. Certainly, the
Smithsonian museums are interesting to both children and adults. Another idea
is to head to New York City and its many attractions: Watch matzah being baked
in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Walk the old Lee Avenue and visit Flaum’s appetizing
store and Gottlieb’s restaurant. Both are classics. See the Lower Eastside and
the Tenement Museum. Chinatown leads to downtown Manhattan. From there, you can
do the Freedom Tower and the 9/11 Memorial in the rebuilt World Trade Center
complex. Or take the boat to the Statue of Liberty and climb to the top. All of
the above are classics and are considered excellent attractions.
Good luck with
your plans, whatever you choose.
Eli Pollock CPA can be reached at
elipollock2@yahoo.com
sidebar
Our Packing Plans
Even if you are
not camping, you will be traveling with food, and the following list will make
you well prepared.
Kitchen Suitcase Packing List
Although it looks
like a lot of things, all of the items below do not take up a lot of space.
·
Propane camping stove (Not allowed
on airplanes. Buy when you get there.)
·
Very small BBQ grill
·
Leather work gloves
·
Two small pots (meat and milk)
·
Milk frying pan for breakfast
·
Bug repellent and sunscreen: smallest
size possible
·
Dishwashing liquid/dish
scrubbies/gloves
·
Big baggy with matches
·
Salt, sugar, coffee, can opener,
peeler.
·
Baggy with meat metal cutlery. Additional
one for milk cutlery.
·
Matza and bread
·
Granola/Kind/Lara bars
·
Tuna cans
·
Gallon bag with disposable plates,
bowls, cutlery
·
Wood to start fire
·
Homemade cookies/cake
Ice Chest Packing List
·
Frozen soup
·
Frozen, vacuum-packed hamburgers,
hot dogs, and deli
·
Peanut butter and jelly, small jars
·
Frozen milk
·
Small cooking oil container
·
Small jar of mayo
What to Buy When You
Arrive
·
Water in gallon containers.
·
Charcoal/lighter fluid/propane
tanks
·
Milk/yogurt/eggs
·
Fruits and veggies
·
Canned fruit and veggies (easy pop
up)
·
Pickles
·
Ice (Must be bought every day for
your ice chest.)
·
Whatever else looks yummy. (This is
a vacation, so why not treat yourself to a few snacks?)
Large Suitcase
Packing List
Try to pack light.
It is not a fashion show!
·
A medicine bag with band-aids,
Advil, triple antiseptic cream, thermometer
·
Electronics (in your carry-on bag)
·
Two external battery packs to
charge your phone
·
A device that turns the cigarette
lighter into a regular electric plug
·
Camera, charger, and small tripod
·
Headlamps (better than flashlights)
and a battery recharger for the batteries
·
I bring a tiny dashcam
·
A cellphone holder for the rental
car. (It is very important that your cellphone stays steady; it is your
navigation tool.)
·
A sweater and jacket for
Yellowstone. It gets cold.
·
Toiletries (soap, toothpaste, etc.)
·
Miscellaneous: Small binoculars,
bathing suit, and towel
