FedEx can never find my house, not sure why. But they are piloting a new program in my area where undelivered packages are taken to the local Walgreens and held there for five days. Works out nicely. Last shipment from FedEx needed a signature so I had my son sit in my house all day long. It was logged as undeliverable but they never even tried.

The Feisol I previously mentioned (CT 3471) traveled with me to 15 National Parks this past summer. It is expensive but worth every penny for the stability it offers. It is carbon fiber so relatively light. The Feisol 3472 is also an excellent choice. I'm sure there are others equally good, this one just fits me well and has traveled with me all over the country. At 6" 2" I don't need to bend to use it.
And no center column.

First, anyone will tell you that you should consider going all in on your first purchase, otherwise you will never be happy until you upgrade. (This means more money in the long run)
Second, you should consider a tripod that is tall enough for you without needing a center column. They can lead to more movement and sway.
Third, look for anything that Gene51 has written about this on past threads. He has forgotten more about tripods than most of us have ever learned. Good luck on your trip and if you have the time consider visiting both the north and south rim. By the way, I purchased a Feisol that allows me to stand erect at 6' 2" without using a center column.

I just came from TRNP. The northern park has one 14 mile road in and out. Saw bison and longhorn cattle there. They were both right alongside or in the road.The south park has a loop that I think is about 25 miles long. Both sections have some great overlooks, the northern overlooks a beautiful oxbow river bend. I'm not sure what it is like there in October, but I would imagine pretty cool temps.

Just came from these two parks. I was there in mid July. Canyonlands had very little traffic, it was a real pleasure there. Even the ride in, 50 something miles was very enjoyable. Arches had a lot of traffic but it was not overwhelming. Both of these parks had great shots from the road if getting out and hiking isn't your thing. Some had short relatively easy walks for different perspectives, and others tougher walks. I also found Grand Staircase Escalante and Capital Reef to offer stunning views. Both of these are relatively close to the area you are going to be in. My understanding, in talking to park rangers, is that the volume of guests dies down dramatically after Labor Day. All families are back in school at that time. I was able to get photo opportunities at Arches everywhere I wanted.An extra thing i did was place an older DSLR on my dashboard, mounted on a photo beanbag, with a tethered release. Allows for some really nice extra pictures for a slide show or something similar. Also gives your passenger something to do if they are so inclined.

I was just there and spent most of my time in Lamar Valley, partially because of the huge amounts of tourists. The only thing that I will add is that quite by luck I ran across two separate professional guides and two people from the wolf project. They all communicate with each other via radio to help each other have the best possibilities to spot wildlife. I was able to see two wolves on separate days just by listening and learning from these incredible people. It really depends on what your driving forces are for what types of photos. Good luck with Jackson. What used to be a cool funky town has become a town filled by pretentious, obnoxious people.

A typical DVD will show less detail than a BluRay DVD. So if there is BluRay capability you may want to look at getting a BluRay burner.
But the USB will hold the HD very nicely if that is a possibility. That has become my first choice for slideshows.

I use Proshow Gold, I think it is around $70. I can save the slideshow on multiple types of media, including USB drives.

http://www.photodex.com/proshow

I have a Western Digital My Cloud. This is an external hard drive that allows me to list all of my gear in an Excel Worksheet. It is available at any time on my phone, but it is on a physical presence in my home. I just have a tough time using the cloud provided by other entities. And although brand specific websites are great for that brand, they don't allow me to list tripods. third party gear, and miscellaneous items.

You didn't really say what you were looking for beyond small towns and coastline. One of my favorite places to take relatives visiting is Plimoth Plantation. It is a living working museum where the staff are in period for 1628. They are outstanding at answering questions about almost everything from that period, including stories about other colonies that had formed.

You may want to look for camera stores just outside of Yellowstone. You may be able to rent for a shorter period of time.

I use Photo Connection in Colchester CT. Although it is a 45 minute ride I always get the help I want with competitive prices. Nice knowledgeable people willing to take the time and help. I am tired of looking at boarded up storefronts as I travel the country so I do my best to buy local.

We went to Katmai in early July and it was one of the greatest single wildlife days of my life. There were 15 brown bears all fishing at Brooks Falls simultaneously. I didn't want it to end. If the salmon are running you should have great luck there. There was even a lone wolf that made an appearance that day.

I bought this one about ten years ago and it is always on my camera. Never a problem or concern with it, it has been rock solid.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/37060-REG/Nikon_649_AH_4_Hand_Grip_Strap.html

They may have a time of the year where they put their gear on sale and purchase new. Just because it is not listed now doesn't mean there will not be a sale of equipment soon. Keep an eye on the site. They sem to have positive reviews.