Crater Lake is the deepest and one of the most beautiful lakes in the United States. It is also both easy to visit and hard to experience. It is easy to visit because as long as the road is plowed you can get to see the lake itself often. It is hard to experience because the shore is approximately 900 feet below the rim drive and only one path leads down to the lake itself. Making matters worse is that the trail, as well as the boat rides that leave from it, are not open to visit for as long as you would expect and the boat tour was still closed in late June when we visited.
…Fun 2 Days in Saguaro National Park
Sunshine, check. Cactus, check. Desert, check. Mountains, check. City, check. Er wait, City? Yes, Saguaro National Park is both in Tucson but in fact the two sections of the park are divided by the whole of the city. I know this may sound like a detractor, but in both the Rincon Mountain and Tucson Mountain districts you will find that it is quiet, isolated, and feels wild enough to qualify as a National Park.
Once you are done with your hike you can grab a great lunch or dinner or choose to return to your luxury resort and soak in the pool. Or, you can camp, boondock, rent a home, or sleep in a cheap motel. Obviously, one of the best parts of Saguaro is that it is so approachable and easy to visit.
…Why we should care about National Parks
A special post by Kelsey Nelson
Introduction
When was the last time you walked in a National Park? How did that make you feel? Was it calming? There are 4 reasons that will be introduced to prove that National Parks are helpful to humans, animals, and the environment.
…The Best Things to do in Voyageurs National Park with Kids
Our summer trip to Voyageurs National Park was perfect – it included beautiful sunsets, stunning lakes, great hikes, and some fun history. We spent a total of 4 nights in the park, with 3 of those being on the water on our houseboat.
As mentioned in our other post here on Voyageurs National Park, we went out on Crane Lake and as a result some of these things to see are on that side of the park, but we visited Kabetogema Lake Visitor Center and Rainy Lake Visitor Center as well so we got to two of the three Visitor Centers and did activities at each of them. We have organized this post by the nearest visitor center so you can choose where you go and what to see in that area.
…20 Best Travel-Friendly Stocking Stuffers
I am always looking for fun stocking stuffers for my kids for Christmas and finding their stocking stuffers is more fun for me than finding their main gifts. Because of my love for stocking stuffers, we decided to compile a list of travel-friendly stocking stuffers that are perfect for anyone on your list who loves to travel and road trip like we do. Hope you find this helpful!
…4 Practical Tips for Planning a Houseboat Adventure in Voyageurs National Park
This summer we spent 3 fantastic days in Voyageurs National Park exploring the most beautiful National Park in our home state of Minnesota! Voyageurs is really like the Swiss Army knives of parks in that you can explore this area in many ways including houseboat, fishing boat, canoe, kayak, snowmobile, car on an ice road, hiking, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, and more!
We chose one of the best, and to my knowledge unique to this National Park, ways to explore – by houseboat! Yes, for those who are going to ask, you can rent a houseboat in National Recreation areas such as Lake Mead or Glen Canyon/Lake Powell, but not in a fully designated National Park.
…Complete Guide to 1 Day in New River Gorge National Park
Our newest National Park, christened in January 2021, is New River Gorge National Park and Preserve! I have to say first that I am often leery of new National Parks because they can be a stretch to consider them worthy of that status when compared to their peers (I’m looking at you, Indiana Dunes). Rest assured that after exploring New River Gorge this summer this is worthy of being called a National Park!
Our visit spanned a few days including 2 full days in the park, so we will share this as a choose your own adventure plan where you could spend a single day doing either itinerary or combine them for a great 2 day visit! I will dispel one other thought right off the bat here as well — you do NOT need to be a whitewater rafter to enjoy the park. We did not choose to do that and still had a fantastic visit that left us wanting to return to the area.
…Big Bend Top 6 Family-Friendly Hikes
Note: this post contains affiliate links.
Despite the mental picture we had of Big Bend and more broadly West Texas before arriving (that it would be flat and desolate), we were pleasantly surprised with both the beauty and genuine diversity of ecosystems in this park. We did some wonderful hikes and wanted to highlight those specifically in this post. As for logistics and itinerary, our other post on Big Bend dives into those details more fully.
These hikes are in order, but honestly the first three are ranked in order of our favorites and from there they are all equally enjoyable in their own right. You can’t go wrong with hikes 4, 5, or 6 and your availability of time and vehicle (especially 5 but also number 6 would be best to get to in a 4-wheel-drive vehicle) should determine which of them you will tackle.
…3 Perfect Days in Big Bend National Park
We were so wrong about Big Bend! I expected to be amazed at the vast flatness of the area and an overwhelming abundance of mesquite bushes as far as the eye could see. You know, to put it into a word, boring! Instead we were greeted by mountains — yes real, serious mountains as well as stunning canyons and beautiful views of the Rio Grande. To say we were surprised would be an understatement and this park has earned a special place in our hearts. This post is more focused on our itinerary for planning while this other post for Big Bend focuses on our favorite hikes.
…A Quick Visit to Great Sand Dunes National Park
We, like I expect many others, are often driving near a National Park, like Great Sand Dunes, and decide to do a quick visit even if we don’t have time to see everything the park has to offer. Small parks are perfect for this type of visit and we have had some memorable and quick visits to Indiana Dunes, White Sands, Congaree, Badlands, Petrified Forest, and Theodore Roosevelt National Parks. Not everything has as much to see as one of the marquee parks like a Yellowstone, Death Valley, Big Bend, or Yosemite! I’d be quick to point out that this doesn’t diminish the special nature of a small park as it is often focused on a particular sight.
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