Vacation coming soon. Where to go close to here?

[jaijai]

Originally Posted by jwest09

I would go to Ketchum. Ski season will be over, and hotel prices will be lower during slack.

Yeah, why travel 8 hours when you can get to Ketchum / Sun Valley in less than 3?
The money you'll save on gas can go toward lodging which will be very reasonable during slack.
You can find a good room for not much over $100 during slack.
Even better, you can find a reasonable vacation rental as many town-houses and condos are sitting empty during off-season.
The town is nice and quiet now and will be for a couple of more months.
There are excellent restaurants, good bars, incredible natural beauty, great hiking / walking, ice skating, maybe fishing? friendly people who will very happily welcome you (and your money ) during slack.
You can drive up to Galena Summit and over into Stanley Basin.
It's not the very most beautiful time of year as the snow in the valley is gone and it will still be brown but the entire Wood River Valley is beautiful during any time of year.

[skidaho]

I agree that it's a great time of year to visit Yellowstone Park. However you should check the road reports before making any plans. The first seasonal road openings were not until earlier today, April 20th, and only for a few roads. The South Entrance to the park via Grand Teton National Park will not open until May 11th. The Tower to Canyon section of the road is not scheduled to open until May 25th. Beartooth Pass normally doesn't open until about Memorial Day. All of those road closures will severely limit your loop opportunities. That might be a big reason why the park is so uncrowded this time of year.