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>6. Assuming we stay in cabins in two separate locations in Yellowstone, which areas make the most sense? From the reading I've done so far, I'm leaning toward Old Faithful Snow Lodge and Canyon Lodge cabins, as they seem far enough apart to give a meaningful change of scenery but also well-located to major attractions, but as with the lodging in Jackson already mentioned, I am very much open to suggestions.

I HIGHLY recommend Canyon. It is centrally located within the park, is at a higher elevation (so you can avoid the heat that you left behind in Tennessee - I'm from Texas and we go to the mountains each summer for the same reason), and we found it relatively uncrowded, especially compared to the Old Faithful area. It is situated in a lodgepole pine forest, so even in the heat of the day, there's shade to get under. We stayed there before and would do so again. Its central location is really important - no part of the park is a real haul from Canyon.

If you were to follow my recommendation and fly into Jackson, after spending some time in GTNP, you could stay at Canyon for 6 nights and stay at Old Faithful on your last night in Wyoming. I would recommend splurging on your last night and getting a geyserside room (called "premium west-wing hotel rooms") in the Old Faithful Inn (not Lodge, not Snow Lodge). If you can't afford that freight, you might split the cost with your in-laws and get a room with 2 queen beds - it's only for one night! It's really pretty cool to sit on your bed at 10:00 or 11:00 PM and watch Old Faithful go off before you climb in the sack before heading home.

>7. How about food? I'm only really concerned about this for the Yellowstone leg. Are the cafeterias and restaurants decent? Are there reasonable options for us to go the "stick it in a cooler" route?

The cafeterias are quite decent. We ate in the Canyon cafeteria most mornings for breakfast, ate a picnic lunch, and usually ate in one of the nicer restaurants for dinner. They might be a little on the pricey side, but the food is pretty good. The only complaint that I heard was that it tended toward the bland side, but we're from East Texas (almost in Louisiana), so we routinely eat Tex-Mex and Cajun food. Midwesterners will have no problems with the cafeterias/restaurants.

You'll want to eat at least once in the Old Faithful Inn dining room. If walls could talk, oh, the stories they would tell. And everyone in my party agreed that was one of the best meals that we've ever had (but your mileage may vary).

Insider tip: Yellowstone is trying to eliminate the lake trout. It is a non-native invasive species that eats the smaller and endangered Yellowstone cutthroat trout. The NPS employs a commercial fisherman to troll Yellowstone Lake and catch as many lake trout as he can. So if you catch a lake trout, park regulations prohibit you from catching and releasing. Instead, take the fish to any restaurant in the park. They will clean it and cook it for you for free - you only pay for your side dishes and drinks. Just something to know if you're at all interested in fishing. (Verify that this is still correct when you get there.)

There are also "grab & go" lines in the cafeterias and in the general stores. The general stores have picnic supplies, but you will pay a premium vs. a supermarket in Jackson or Bozeman. You'll need to give some thought to how you'll get a cooler there, though. We bought a cold bag (available in every frozen food aisle in America) in Jackson and weren't terribly impressed with how it held up. Next time, I'll take a collapsible cooler that I can stick in my luggage, something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Company-Large-Collapsible-Cooler/dp/B00I5K55CU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1463497314&sr=8-3&keywords=coleman+collapsible+cooler Be sure to picnic while you're there: Yellowstone has some of the most beautiful picnic areas that this country has to offer. We picnicked one evening alongside the Yellowstone River, upstream from the falls. As we ate, we got to watch a beaver swimming around, doing beaver things. (If your daughter is into wildlife, she will be in ecstasy for pretty much the whole trip.)

>8. Laundry. We're talking ten days on the road with a kindergartner. We're going to need to wash something sooner or later. Where?

If you're at Canyon, there is a laundromat at the adjacent RV/tent campground. I assume that similar facilities are available at the other main camping/lodging areas.

>9. What are the "can't miss" things for first-timers to see? How about best activities for kids? Less well-known areas that are still relatively easy to access?

This sounds sarcastic, but it really isn't meant to be: if it's marked on the visitor map that everyone gets when you drive into the park (https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/maps.htm), it should be on your list of things to see. There really are too many things to see to list here.

If you really want to be a tourist or if your daughter loves horses, consider the chuckwagon cookout: http://www.yellowstonenationalparklodges.com/things-to-do/summer-things-to-do/wild-west-adventures/old-west-dinner-cookout/

For kids, I highly recommend the Junior Ranger program (which, by the way, is available at just about every NPS-administered site). You buy ($3) an age-appropriate booklet from the ranger at any visitor center, your child completes the requirements with your help, and, when she does, a ranger swears her in as an official junior NPS ranger and gives her a badge, patch, and certificate. You'll see kids (usually 8-10 years old) walking around the park in vests with DOZENS of those badges pinned to the vest from parks all over the nation. We made sure to visit 2 NPS sites last summer while on vacation in Colorado, and those little plastic badges are some of my son's most prized possessions. If your daughter likes it, your location in Nashville puts you close to quite a few Civil War parks and relatively close to Great Smoky Mountains NP - you may find your new weekend hobby! https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/kidsyouth/beajuniorranger.htm

Also for kids of all ages, there are programs at the visitor centers, ranger-guided hikes, campfire programs, etc. The breadth of programming offered is staggering. To get a feel for it, I recommend downloading each park's seasonal newspaper, which has all of the schedules for the programming.

Yellowstone: https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/upload/YT16_Summer_FINAL.pdf
Grand Teton: https://www.nps.gov/grte/learn/news/upload/summer_guide_15.pdf (this is last summer's paper because Grand Teton does not yet have this summer's paper posted to the internet)

You're picking a great time to look into the National Parks. Interest is picking up because 2016 is the NPS's centennial. I am seeing parks rolling out new, cleaner, more user-friendly websites to accommodate that interest. The NPS does a good job of dumping just about everything you would ever want to know on their website (or linking to the concessionaires' websites who run the general stores, lodging, etc.).

I hope that this helps. I love getting people in our parks. Feel free to message me directly.

Make sure you get up early (like 7 am) and head to Lamar Valley look for a parked cars and you are sure to see Wolves or a Grizzly. This was the best thing I did while I was there

My 2nd piece of advice is do some off road trails. Yellowstone really awards you for putting in the work. We had to hike about 9 miles to see Fairy Falls and it was totally worth it. There's also one we did that goes behind Mammoth hot Springs and gives you way prettier views with no one around. Theres a loop when doing wthe southern canyon trail that allows you to see some really cool thermals. this booke offers a lot of great options
https://www.amazon.com/Rangers-Guide-Yellowstone-Day-Hikes/dp/1560371579

When doing any major attractions I would just try to get there early. Getting to Biscuit Basin around 8 or 9am allowed for easy parking and less crowded boardwalks.

I would defnitley make a point to get down to Tetons. Its really chill and peacful there. We stayed at Signal Moutain campground and the lodge seemed like a nice place. People wroking there were very cool and helpful. Also if you enjoy craft beer Melvin in Jackson is one of the best brewries in the country.

It seems like you have a good grasp on what to expect on your trip which is great. I would suggest going to the hotel and saving the GTNP visit on your way to the airport.

Lamar Valley is a pretty big area and it's best to visit it early in the morning or at dusk as bears and wolves are most active at that time of day. If you see a bunch of people with spotting scopes and large camera lenses standing by the side of the road they are most likely observing one of those big animals.

If you want some books to help you with your trip, Yellowstone Treasures: The Traveler's Companion to the National Park is a very detailed one. For day hikes A Ranger's Guide to Yellowstone Day Hikes book is good and Trail Guides Yellowstone web site is an excellent source for all things Yellowstone.

It sounds like you're reading the right materials, and getting the right info. Pay attention to the details, but don't let apprehension ruin your excitement. You're going to do great.

There will be lots of fires and cooking going on, you'll be just fine grilling meat, veggies, whatever you want. You won't stand out to a bear's nose at all. Safety in numbers.

Just keep a set of clean, dry and warm sleeping clothes to change into, so you don't go to bed smelling like hamburger juice. And keep the smellables locked up in your car, or the campsite bear box, over night. (there will be brown metal bear boxes everywhere large enough to lock up a small cooler) Also get a good-sized but lightweight tarp and a bunch of cordage to sling over the picnic table in case of rain. You don't want to end up being tempted into eating in the tent.

While you're gear shopping, you might invest in a modest camp stove, like this: https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Stove-Ppn-BRN-Triton/dp/B00VTJGWNU

There's no telling right now what kind of summer this will be. If it turns out to be unusually hot and dry, a burn ban might be in effect, which would mean no camp fires to cook on.

Plus a camp stove is just a lot quicker and easier for heating up some water for drinks or maybe making pancakes for the kids in the morning.

Which direction are you coming from / going to?

What interests you the most? Geothermal, wildlife, scenery, history/historic buildings/sites?

If you have time, get this book - it has good suggestions for short and longer trips, which will give you a lot of detail to help decide what is your best time investment: https://www.amazon.com/Frommers-Yellowstone-Grand-National-Complete/dp/1628873345/

Personally, I'd say drive the Grand Loop and the must-see's are

• Yellowstone Falls / Grand Canyon of Yellowstone
  
• Midway Basin (Grand Prismatic Spring)
  
• Old Faithful / OF Inn
  
• Lamar Valley if it fits your routing
  
• Grand Tetons from Teton Park Road / stop at Jenny Lake -- again if it fits your routing

This is my wheelhouse! I have shelves and shelves of reference books.

My favorite Yellowstone reference (and free!!!) - 2016 Yellowstone Resource Guide. Has chapters on geography, geology, history, flora, fauna, and all the big issues faced by Yellowstone.

Birds -I'm a Sibleys fan. It fits nicely in your pocket and illustrations are exquisite. It takes longer to find birds if you are not used to the format of organized-by-family, but ultimately that's for the best because color is variable.

Insects - Butterflies and Moths of Grand Teton and Yellowstone

Plants - Plants of Yellowstone and Grand Teton

Reptiles - other than wandering garter snakes, you will not see any reptiles in Yellowstone except for the small percentage of the Park that is below 6000' in elevation

I honestly think you're making this harder than it needs to be. A few good books should tell you all you need to know about the region. Buy now and read for the next 9 months, and you will appreciate the place so much more. The 'roadside geology' series is generally quite good. https://www.amazon.com/Roadside-Geology-Yellowstone-Country-William/dp/0878425810/
There are dozens of hiking guides, and more than a few books dedicated to the wildlife and fauna of the region.

Depending on the length of your vacation, you might consider also camping in an adjacent national forest. I camped for 5 days in the Wind River mountains to see the eclipse and saw moose, antelope, badgers, etc., in a gorgeous setting. And even with the eclipse pending, the people density was orders of magnitude lower than any place in Yellowstone. The Beartooth mountains NE of the park are some of the prettiest in the region.

I've only been there once, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

If you are planning to do any backpacking, I highly recommend this guide: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0762772549?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

It has a bunch of hikes in it, and some very handy indexes (by length, by strenuousness etc) so that you can find you perfect activity.

Be aware of the fact that you have to book campsites through a pretty complicated process, so you should get on that right now.

If you like looking at plants or tracks and figure out what they are, this field guide is excellent. They also have it in the park book stores:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1560375558?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

Don't buy or rent bear spray. You can go to any of the back country offices and the park rangers will give you bear spray for free, under the condition that you bring it back to one of the back country offices in the park (honor system).

Cell service is virtually nonexistent for all services save for Verizon, and Verizon is awful. Towers are few and far between and you are lucky to be able to send/receive texts in main populated areas. I would not count on cell phones unless you use them as cameras, and make sure you have space as you will not be able to back up to the cloud while you are in the park.

I am not sure about a solar generator for electricity to charge phones--many of the campsites are shaded and you may not get sufficient sun to charge well. I also can't imagine leaving a solar generator unattended, unless you had some way to lock it to the picnic table, which may or may not be in sunlight. Most serious RV campers relied on generators for electricity though beware that most tent camping spaces prohibit generator use (you need to be in an RV area for that), and the time for generator use is limited. Someone has to be at the campsite for generator use, so that is also a downside as however long you are running the generator, someone can't be out hiking, etc.

Tent sites have no hookups. There is usually a cold water spigot nearby for multiple tent sites to use to fill water. There are no electrical hookups. Sometimes there is a single outlet in the bathroom that may be used for hair dryers, etc, but I honestly can't recall seeing anyone charging phones in one in either Madison or Grant Village.

You may do better by investing in something like a heavy-duty power core that will give you multiple charges. I have this Anker charger and have been happy with it--definitely a brick to carry around but nice when I know I'll need multiple charges and will be a while without access to electricity.

The park is BIG and driving about takes time. I always plan to be gone all day when I head out in the morning. So, bring something for lunch, bring plenty to drink. All the visitor areas have food, but, its so much better to sit by a river or valley and eat lunch vs. waiting in line at a snack bar.

I really like this book. It is small and easy to use when driving. It breaks down the loop road into sections and give you highlights of the section referenced.

I like this book also

Binoculars or a spotting scope are great for Yellowstone as there are many long distance vistas.

Yes, the Old Faithful area geyser basins, along the Firehole River (I had never heard the term Firehole Basin) are easy to access on a self tour. You might also listen to an audio tour.

You could also get out and see the areas you find interesting. I recommend, Fairy Falls, Firehole Lake, Midway Geyser Basin, and Old Faithful Observation Point.

Go horseback riding out of Roosevelt Lodge, perhaps pair it with "The Chuckwagon Dinner".

At Old Faithful Lodge take the walk to the Morning Glory Pool. Once you leave the boardwalk, the lesser known geysers along the way are really just spectacular. My favorite geyser is back there; I think its called "the River geyser" as it butts right up against the Firehole.

Hike up the Slough Creek trail to the Second Meadow. If you fly fish, bring your rod along (although, June...maybe winter run off still?).

There is a book called "A Rangers guide to Yellowstone Day Hikes" by Roger Anderson and Carol Shively Anderson (https://www.amazon.com/Rangers-Guide-Yellowstone-Hikes-Updated/dp/B004MR1VMI) that I've found invaluable.

Have fun. Stay safe.

I can personally make no recommendations, except maybe for It Happened in Yellowstone, which is full of short anecdotes about the park, or possibly Truman Evert's famous account of his time lost in Yellowstone, Thirty-Seven Days of Peril -- also sold under the title of Lost in Yellowstone.

If those don't appeal to you, you might have a look through what the Yellowstone Association book store has to offer for kids. It seems like there are a fair few adventure stories that are specifically aimed at young girls. Here's the Glacier Conservancy store, as well. If none of those titles do the trick, then I suppose it's going to be up to the parks themselves to spark the spirit of adventure in your daughter's heart.

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I second dinot2000's comment. Split your time between the two parks. Also, I'd recommend staying in more campsites (two, or three, maybe four?). Yellowstone and Teton are big BIG parks, and summer traffic is horrendous. Staying in one spot all week will really limit or access to the park.

There are a bunch of day hikes that are manageable for young children, and the visitor services provide many fun activities for children as well (google Junior Rangers and Ranger led hikes, fishing, rafting, horse rides, carriage rides, ect). I'd recommend picking up this book. It breaks down the hikes into quadrants, and then into difficulty. Each hike includes a detailed description. It's the best yellowstone book I've found.

That early in the season some roads still may be closed (Dunraven Pass, Beartooth Highway) But if they're not, I definitely recommend taking a ride up those roads. The view is spectacular.

Feel free to ask any questions. I've lived inside and near the park for years.

I really liked this book for my trip. It cuts the park up into segments along the grand loop and made it VERY easy to plan exactly what we saw and did each day.

http://www.amazon.com/Yellowstone-Expedition-Guide-Modern-National/dp/1933763000/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452694990&sr=8-1&keywords=travel+brains+yellowstone

It's got an audio guide that's nice too.

Plan on LOTS of driving within the park. We did 187 miles in one day (@ 45mph) and only left the park by a few feet when we went up to Gardner MT for lunch. Make your most important things you want to see the FIRST visit of the day. Get there before the tour buses show up and unload.

Make sure you check http://geysertimes.org/ to see when predictable geysers are in their windows to go off. And then find the Geyser Gazers and hang out with them. You'll learn TONS about the park from those veterans.

I'd plan on spending the last bits of daylight in the Hayden or Lamar valleys. Those are just such magical places.

Take your bear spray. Take your bear spray. Take your bear spray.

A lot of YNP wildlife has a different attitude about people than you or I would be used to, coming from the midwest. They can sometimes be very apathetic of human presence.

Just take pepper spray into the backcountry with you. It's the best defense. Now you are the skunk.

In 2009 I went into YNP alone totalling many weeks of time spent in backcountry. I was very paranoid and afraid, but reading a few books on the subject helped immensely: Bear Attacks, Causes, and Avoidance for example.

The two times I saw Grizzly in the backcountry, my knowledge gained from conversations and books kept me from getting more upset. I learned how to hone a knife and had a really sharp knife handy, plus the bear spray can, and both times I monitored the wind and tried to get it to smell me, both so it would go away sooner and so that the spray would be on it and not on me. Each bear just moved off with no interest in me or my camp.

You'll read things that seem impossibly strict or contradictory if you try to follow the park's guidance alone. Their guidance on food smells is impossibly strict. They expect you to change into different clothes after you're done eating and hang all that stuff up with your food bag.

Besides reading a few books about being in bear territory, one of the best things for me was to watch YouTube videos of bear encounters, and there are some documentaries with bear encounters in them. Bears and raccoon have a similar manner / personality or what have you.

Basically, you don't want to surprise a bear. Two people have a big advantage because your conversation, mass and movement will generally ward off wildlife. When cresting a little hill or coming into a thicket, just announce yourself. Yell "hey, bear."

Research has so far shown the pepper spray to be more effective than gun shots at warding off a bear. You can purchase the bear spray at many of the stores and gas stations in YNP, or in any of the surrounding towns. A nice knife or hatchet in your fist will make you feel a little better, too.

Bears in YNP aren't bad at all. They're very wild, and that's what we want when we're outdoors in its habitat. The bears that are bad to be around are ones that are quite familiar with human food. Those are dangerous bears. In the Sierra Nevada and along the King's Range coast in California, black bears are real bastards. In YNP and the surrounding ecosystem, excluding bears from food and garbage has been very effective. In the backcountry, your knowledge of bear behavior and motivations is your best resource.