With yesterday’s travel fiasco behind us, we packed up in no time—mainly because most of our belongings were already waiting for us in Bozeman. The weather had taken a turn for the worse; it wasn’t just raining—it was downright cold, making it feel like winter was closing in. Determined not to repeat the chaos of yesterday, we arrived at the airport early, giving ourselves more than enough time to breeze through security, which was thankfully much calmer today. We even had time to grab a proper breakfast inside the terminal.
As the plane lifted off toward Bozeman, a wave of relief and excitement washed over us, finally, we were back on track and ready to continue our adventure. Bozeman is one of three main airports providing access to Yellowstone National Park. Compared to the alternatives—Jackson Hole and West Yellowstone—Bozeman is the more practical choice. The other two typically involve two connecting flights and can take up the better part of a day, not to mention they tend to be significantly more expensive.
We touched down in Bozeman just after midday local time, and it felt great to be back in Big Sky Country after more than a decade. I’m not usually one to praise airports, but Bozeman is a clear exception. With its stunning architecture and warm, log cabin-inspired timber design, it creates an immediate sense of welcome. The skies were clear, and we were thrilled to finally be on our way to Yellowstone National Park.
We had a bit of a delay at the airport sorting out our luggage, which had been held overnight since our missed flight. Once we tracked it down, we joined the queue to pick up our rental car—another small wait before we could finally hit the road. Kerri got her first real experience driving on the "right" (or as she joked, the wrong) side of the road, which made for some fun commentary. Before leaving Bozeman, we swung by a supermarket to stock up on essentials and grab some lunch.
Then it was off on the scenic hour-and-a-half drive toward the gateway village of Gardiner and the North Entrance of Yellowstone National Park.
Montana earns its nickname “Big Sky Country” for good reason—the vast open plains stretch endlessly beneath a sweeping blue sky. As we headed south, the landscape shifted dramatically, giving way to striking, snow-capped mountain ranges.
We finally arrived in Gardiner—24 hours later than originally planned. Our itinerary had us staying in the village the night before, which would have given us the full day to explore the northern reaches of Yellowstone en route to Canyon Village. Unfortunately, with the delay, we are left with just a few hours to squeeze in a couple of quick stops before needing to reach our hotel before nightfall.
