It’s mid-December here in our ski town. It was twenty-four degrees this morning when I left for a hike with the puppy. But we had no snow. This extremely dry southern California December so far is just ridiculous. Can you please take me back to camping in Montana last summer? If the weather is going to be freezing with no snow for my snow-shoeing shenanigans then why are we even still here in southern California this winter season? Our family tried to escape to San Felipe, Baja Norte for a few days of warmer weather and beachside shenanigans but now we are back home in the mountains of southern California and I’m back to doing my daily snow dance. Or maybe some Christmas-time baking. Are you bored and frustrated waiting for winter weather? Turn up the Christmas-time music tunes, pull out your Cuisinart mixer and bring that butter to room temperature. It’s time to bake up some Dark Chocolate Smores Cookies!
Smores, please
What takes me back to summertime camping shenanigans near Yellowstone and the Tetons National Park? Smores Dark Chocolate Cookies! Yes, it may be Christmas time but one bite of these dark chocolate delicacies explodes in your mouth and takes you back to summertime around the campfire. The first time we visited Yellowstone National Park we experienced just how terrible the food is inside the park and I swore, I would never make the mistake again of not packing homemade snacks for the day’s adventures again!
Our family was blessed to spend ten days this past summer exploring Jackson Wyoming, the Tetons National Park and Yellowstone National Park. Just taking a trip to Yellowstone for the summer can be an exhausting trip to plan! Yellowstone National Park tends to see over 2.5 million visitors a summer. Don’t be those tourists who don’t make plans in advance and have nowhere great to camp. A summertime trip to Yellowstone National Park means a grand amount of planning ahead of time if you don’t want to end up sitting in national park traffic all afternoon or getting stuck in a bison traffic jam.
The biggest takeaway from planning a Yellowstone camping trip is you must book your trip thirteen months in advance if you want the campsit
e of your dreams. When we planned our camping itinerary we just knew we had to spend a few days at Gros Venture Campground outside of the Tetons. Yes, we awoke at midnight exactly thirteen months before, to the day to reserve a spot that was big enough to fit our 34-foot motorhome. And if you are looking at book inside the parks it will be even more of a challenge! The first time our family planned a trip to Yellowstone National Park we booked eight months in advance, thinking we had lots of time. Nope. We had a very hard time finding a spot for our 34-foot motorhome. We ended up staying outside the park at Hebgen Lake. There were many Smores Cookies inhaled stressfully as we made these plans.
Summertime trip planning in Yellowstone National Park
There are so many campgrounds in and around Yellowstone National Park and the Tetons. Which is the best campground for your family? The good outdoor experts at KUHL have compiled this splendid checklist of the absolute best camping in Yellowstone. Check it out and make notes! Car campers and RV campers have very different needs when it comes to camping. Hook-ups or no hook-ups? Inside the parks or outside? These are all important things to think about thirteen months before your trip, maybe this Christmas as you are nibbling on a Smores Christmas cookie. It’s never too early to start planning your trip to Yellowstone. This could be a trip of a lifetime for your family!
S’mores Dark Chocolate Cookies
Graham crackers crust
2 cups crushed graham crackers
2 teaspoons butter
Smash your graham crackers up real good to make your crust. I like to put them in a large ziplock bag and hit them with a hammer. (Usually while muttering to myself “Why do we not have any snow yet? When the graham crackers are smashed up fine, mix in the butter until your crust is nice and wet. Press this into muffin tins. Place a half-slice marshmallow on top of each crust
1 large marshmallow, cut in half
Dark chocolate cookie dough
1/2 cup organic sugar
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup of Hersheys dark chocolate powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups of white flour
Cream your butter and add the sugar. Beat until smooth. Mix in the Hershey’s powder. Add the vanilla and then the flour. Roll your dark chocolate dough into a tight log and let refrigerate for at least two hours.
When you are ready to get baking, add your cold cookie dough on top of the marshmallow and crust. Bake at 325 for 18 minutes.
