A dozen years ago, we drove through Death Valley National Park on our way to somewhere else. We were pulling our little Bigfoot trailer (our previous rig), and when we finally made it across the park, Eric said, “I am never doing that again.” The unrelenting steep grades, sharp curves, and the rollercoaster two-lane road […]
Archive for National Parks
You guys are the best. In the past week, I’ve been reminded of another important reason why I write this blog. It not only serves as a journal of our travels but has connected us with a community of wonderful people. I’d still write our blog even if no one was reading, but knowing that […]
Thank you, dear friends, for your compassionate, generous, and supportive comments in response to my last blog post. While this blog is primarily about our travels, everything that happens along the way is part of the journey. I don’t write about every flat tire or mosquito bite, but I do write about the big challenges. […]
When we hiked on Hurricane Ridge a couple of years ago in October, we were enthralled by the display of autumn colors blanketing the hills. A fellow hiker on the trail remarked, “You really should come in the spring to see the wildflowers.” Hurricane Ridge went right back onto our list. (This is precisely why our […]
Set deep within the temperate rain forest of Olympic National Park, Sol Duc Falls is considered to be one of the most photogenic waterfalls in Washington State. In years when water is abundant, the fall divides into four separate channels just before plunging 40 feet into a narrow, rocky ravine. We were looking forward to […]
At the furthest northwesternmost point of the continental U.S., the wild, stormy coastline meets the deep, mysterious rainforest. This far-flung, untamed place is the land of the Makah, a Northwest Coastal people who have called the remote headland home for thousands of years. We first visited Neah Bay and the Makah Reservation a couple of […]
We first visited Olympic National Park two years ago in the fall, and immediately promised ourselves that we would return. With tidepools filled with colorful sea creatures, mysterious rainforests, snow-capped mountains, shimmering lakes, beautiful lodges, and a rich history of native culture, this is a diverse and enchanting park. Although it’s possible to do a […]
While perusing the website for Carlsbad Caverns National Park, we decided to make reservations for a guided tour. We knew we wanted to visit the Big Room, the main cavern that’s open for self-guided wandering. But—what the heck! Let’s do it all! I was in charge of making the reservations, and considered signing up for […]
Whether you’re in the mood for alpine meadows and high mountain peaks; ancient forests, serene lakes and waterfalls; or rugged coastlines and tidepools, you can have it all in Olympic National Park. The diversity and splendor is so remarkable that the United Nations has declared the park both an international biosphere reserve and a World […]
Anchoring one end of “The Loneliest Highway in America,” Great Basin National Park has become one of our favorite parks. The hiking is spectacular, the spring and summer wildflowers abundant (in the fall, the leaf colors are equally stunning), the night skies for star gazing are among the finest in the country, and there’s even […]
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If you enjoy hiking, biking, kayaking, birding, art, music, quirky towns, good food, and good friends—you'll enjoy traveling with us. Join us as we explore the backroads of North America—we love company and comments!