Adventuring beyond through travel, food, and more.
Glacier National Park draws millions of visitors a year, and most of them funnel into the same areas: Going-to-the-Sun Road, Lake McDonald, and Many Glacier. On this trip my husband Ross and I discovered that some of the park’s most rewarding scenery is hiding in plain sight in the Two Medicine and North Fork regions, areas many visitors skip entirely.
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If you’ve never heard of Isle Royale, you’re not alone. Tucked into the frigid, moody waters of Lake Superior, closer to our home state of Minnesota than to Michigan (the state it technically belongs to), Isle Royale is the least-visited national park in the lower 48 states. Yellowstone actually sees more visitors in a single day than Isle Royale sees in an entire year.
That’s exactly why you should go!
No cars. No cell service. No crowds circling for a parking spot at the trailhead. Just 165 miles of hiking trails, wildlife (including some of my favorite animals to spot in the wild – moose), and a silence broken only by loons calling across the water at dusk. This guide covers everything you need to plan a trip: how to get there, what it costs, where to stay, what to pack, and the mistakes that trip up first-timers.
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We spent an incredible 3 days in Acadia National Park and came away already talking about a return trip. Part of that was the beauty, part was that our trip included a tour of New England and part of it was the weather when we were there.
Acadia National Park is one of the most visited national parks in the United States, making it very busy. Be prepared for crowds with patience and alternate plans if you are not able to find parking for the activities you planned for the day. That being said, there are also ways to avoid the crowds for the most part if you are not a fan of crowds.
…I recently got a chance to test out the KÜHL® SILENCR™ KARGO SHORTS in exchange for an honest review. I was grateful for this opportunity as I have some of their pants that I like to wear for hiking and everyday use. KÜHL® is a great brand with a lot of options for outdoor enthusiasts. The Silencr shorts are no exception and they come in a wide variety of colors and sizes. They also have many other men’s shorts to choose from.
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It happened again – a park that you will mention to others who have never heard of it is the one that gives you such a special memory that you can’t forget about it. Pinnacles National Park fits that for us (as does Lassen Volcanic). Pinnacles National Park is located about 3 hours south of San Francisco. Pinnacles is protected for a few reasons but primarily because it is a key nesting habitat for California Condor and while I can’t guarantee you will see one, I will confidently say that you will. The more you are willing to hike into the High Peaks area, the more likely you will see them up close!
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Our recent trip to California included 1 stunning day in Channel Islands National Park! This park requires some planning and early reservations for your ferry, so plan ahead. We visited Santa Cruz Island after a lot of research and would suggest you do the same! Read on to see our best logistics and hiking tips for your next trip to Channel Islands National Park.
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We had the most amazing 2 days in Lassen Volcanic National Park! This park, which is sadly overlooked in a state with Yosemite, Death Valley, Redwood, Sequoia, Kings Canyon, and other beautiful spots, should be a destination on your road trip because it is so unique!
Unique meaning a mini-Yellowstone, Haleakala, or Mount Rainier. This park is home to both the world’s largest plug dome volcano (Lassen Peak) but also is home to all 4 types of volcanoes (plug dome, shield, cinder cone, and stratovolcano), which is rare in such close proximity. It is also home to a geothermal area named Bumpass Hell that feels like Yellowstone. You also have some higher elevation areas that felt like a high elevation mountain.
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National Park vacations have become more and more popular. This is evidenced by how much busier the parks have become since we started our goal in 2015 of visiting as many National Parks as possible before our kids graduate high school. When traveling to a National Park adventure there are some key items to pack whether you plan to rough it and camp at the park or whether you plan to relax at a nice home rental or hotel at the end of a long day of hiking. We as a family have visited 50 National Parks so far so we have a good idea of what we consider to be essentials for packing no matter the park we are visiting. We have compiled our essential National Park packing list for ANY National Park vacation.
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We came for 3 Days in Redwood National Park for the trees, but stayed for the unexpected and special beauty of the ferns, the beaches, and the tidepools! Here is how we had a stunning 3 days in Redwood National Park!
This park, much like Olympic National Park, has a lot more to it than people typically would think. We came from the north on our way from Crater Lake National Park and a quick stop at the Oregon Caves National Monument. The beauty of the drive through the mountains and along the Smith River on Highway 199 was special before we came upon the exit for the Howland Hill Road near Hiouchi, CA in the Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park.
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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.
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