Whenever we set off for a new destination, we always try to keep our travel days reasonable in length, usually 250 miles max per day, so we aren’t arriving exhausted. Poor decisions can be made if we don’t eat properly or push the mileage, which we learned early on in our travels.
For this stretch, we knew we would be adding some mileage by avoiding Teton Pass coming from Wyoming to Idaho, and we also needed to run a few errands in Idaho Falls, which made for a longer day. Heading south out of Jackson, WY we minimized the percentage grade passes we traveled over and had the pleasure of seeing the similarly jagged mountain tops within the Caribou-Targhee National Forest and drive along the Palisades Reservoir, which is fed by the Snake River. This area is equally breathtaking compared to Grand Tetons National Park, so it could be a great option as something more low-key for you to enjoy in this part of the country. ⛰🏕
Errands in Idaho Falls were completed successfully and we were on our way to Diamond P Grassroots Bison farm in McCammon, ID. We knew that this Harvest Host offered wagon rides to see bison and also had bison meat for sale, but what we didn’t know was that Jenny and Rob would be amazing hosts. Jenny was so welcoming and engaging from the very beginning of our stay, sharing her stories about how they ended up running a bison farm. 🦬
Jenny starts out each wagon ride with an introduction and series of educational pieces about bison, the myths and realities surrounding them and oodles of personal stories about their own experiences with their bison herd. She even taught us how to feed them, shared which bison to watch out for that are a bit more aggressive about getting snacks, and off we went.
I thought we would be seeing the bison from afar, but instead we were surrounded by them. Furthermore, Jenny shared that they were in the midst of mating season, so we had the privilege of seeing all of the drama that comes with this time of year. Many of the bison were very excited to get treats and we had a spectacular time observing them and hearing more stories from Jenny. The whole experience was way more interactive than I ever imagined and was by far our best experience thus far through Harvest Hosts. 😍
If you are traveling through this part of Idaho and need a place to camp, I highly recommend staying here for a night. Jenny and Rob have taken the “host” part of Harvest Hosts to the next level. And the views from their property were grand…watching the storms roll in early the next morning also gave us the heads up we needed to hurry up and get off the hilltop before they reached us. ⛈
So what’s next? We have reached our next week-long stay at Bruneau Dunes State Park and I will be sharing more soon.
Highways and Honeybees 
Wow! After all the warnings about getting too close to bison in the national parks, it’s hard to imagine being allowed to feed them by hand! (Of course, the difference being that these bison are on a farm and probably used to interacting with people.) That must have been so cool!
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We were high up on a wagon, so I think that makes a big difference. I didn’t expect that either though, to be honest.
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