• Colorado,  Travel Tips,  USA

    Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad: What to Know Before You Go

    Post Summary: Plan a Trip on the Historic Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Words can not describe accurately enough just how majestic and grand are the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. Some of Colorado’s most jaw-dropping sights are in its southwestern corner.   I first visited this part of Colorado with my family when I was 16 years old and I remember telling myself on that trip, “I WILL move here one day”. Well, I have yet to permanently relocate to Colorado, but I sure do visit as often as possible. In 2019, Randy and I took an epic Colorado national park road trip and during our visit we spent…

  • Arizona,  California,  Hiking,  National Parks,  New Mexico,  Texas,  USA,  Utah

    8 Jaw-Dropping Desert National Parks to Visit in Winter

    Winter in the best time to visit some of America’s most beautiful national parks – especially the desert parks. Most often I gravitate to the forests and snowcapped peaks of America’s mountainous national parks but every once in awhile I find myself in a desert park that completely blows my mind. The unique landscapes of the desert always leave me amazed. And for some of these parks, winter is the best time to visit due to the more mild weather conditions. So keep reading for the best desert national parks to visit in winter. Like I just mentioned, for many of these parks, winter provides much better weather conditions for…

  • Views of Lower Blue Lake near Telluride, Colorado
    Colorado,  Hiking,  USA

    Backpacking the Blue Lakes Trail: A Hiker’s Guide

    Backpacking the Blue Lakes Trail in Colorado has been on our bucket list for years. This was a trail that we tried to do a couple of years ago when we visited Southwest Colorado during July of 2019. Unfortunately, there was too much snow that year and the trail was not accessible at that time. But over the last couple of years, we kept seeing pictures posted of this incredible trail and knew that we had to make it back to Southwest Colorado one day just for this trail. And this past Labor Day Weekend, we finally decided to make it happen! We spent about 16 hours in the car…

  • California,  Camping,  National Parks,  Pacific Coast Highway,  State Parks,  USA

    10 Jaw-Dropping Things to Do in Redwoods National and State Parks

    Did you know that Coastal California is home to some of the tallest trees in the word? Well it is! But seeing the tallest trees in the world is only one of the incredible things to do in Redwoods National Park. The park is home to incredible lush and tall forests, dense fern canyons, epic coastal views, and lots of wildlife. Redwoods National Park is joined with nearby Jedidiah Smith Redwoods State Park, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, and Del Norte State Park. These parks make up Redwoods National and State Parks. The parks are cooperated by the National Park System and the California Department of Parks and Recreation. In…

  • Road Trip,  Travel Tips,  USA

    How to Plan an Unforgettable U.S. Road Trip

    America is filled with so many incredible places to see from coast to coast. There are literally endless possibilities for planning an epic U.S. road trip. But not sure how to getting started planning? That’s ok! Keep reading and you’ll be equipped with everything you need to know to plan a U.S. road trip that you won’t forget! As I write this post, I am also in the process of planning a road trip myself. We have some big plans for road trips in 2021 and I can’t wait to share those with you in the future! But for now, let’s get started planning! Disclaimer: This post contains some affiliate…

  • Montana,  National Parks,  Road Trip,  USA,  Wyoming

    Yellowstone National Park: Don’t Miss These 5 Things

    You could easily spend a couple of weeks exploring the natural wonders of Yellowstone National Park. Unfortunately, sometimes you don’t have that kind of time. Sometimes you only have one day. That was us. After completing our four day backpacking hike in neighboring Grand Teton National Park, we hopped up to Yellowstone National Park for one day of adventure. Read Next: Backpacking the Teton Crest Trail Yellowstone National Park is one of the most unique national parks you will find. This park is loaded with all sorts of geothermal features: geysers, hot springs, mud pots, you name it. With only one day to experience the best of Yellowstone, we carefully…

  • Hiking,  National Parks,  USA,  Wyoming

    Backpacking the Teton Crest Trail

    Post Topic: Everything You Need to Know about the Teton Crest Trail Backpacking the Teton Crest Trail was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. The hardest thing physically, at least. As Randy and I have spent a lot of time in national parks the last couple of years, we have developed a love for hiking and exploring the national parks on foot. But, we had yet to try backpacking to experience an overnight or multi-day hike. We stumbled upon the idea of hiking the Teton Crest Trail, a 3-night backpacking hike through Grand Teton National Park. One of my favorite national parks! Were we a little…

  • Alaska,  National Parks,  USA

    The Perfect Alaska National Parks Road Trip

    Alaska is home to eight of the country’s most grandeur national parks. Of those eight parks, only three of them are actually accessible by car (the other five require chartering a plane to get you there, which can be a bit pricey). The three Alaska national parks that we visited on our road trip were Kenai Fjords National Park, Denali National Park, and Wrangell St. Elias National Park. This July, we set out to visit all three of these remarkable parks but only had one week to do so. Was our week a little jam packed? You bet it was! But with the help of the Alaskan night sun, we…

  • Colorado,  Hiking,  National Parks,  Road Trip,  USA

    Epic Colorado National Park Road Trip

    Colorado is home to four of the most unique national parks in the United States. Follow this Colorado National Park road trip guide to see some of the most spectacular spots in the whole state. You’ll see snow-capped mountains, 700 foot sand dunes, ancient ruins, and steep dramatic canyons. This guide will navigate you through Rocky Mountain National Park, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, and Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. In that order. So let’s get started! Map of Colorado’s National Parks Here’s an interactive map of this Colorado National Park Road Trip. You’ll find that the four epic national parks and the routes…

  • Hiking,  State Parks,  Texas,  USA

    Best State Parks in North Texas for an Outdoor Getaway

    North Texas has been my home for the past seven years. However, it wasn’t until recently that I began to have a desire to explore and share my close-to-home adventures. As a lover of the outdoors, I have compiled a list of my favorite state parks in North Texas that are easily accessible from the Dallas/Fort Worth area and provide ample opportunities for adventure. Maybe we can thank the Coronavirus Pandemic for giving many of us perspective and realizing that you don’t have to fly half-way across the world to experience adventure and beauty. I know for me, it took a pandemic to realize that I can find beauty in…