Tag: national park

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One Day in Saguaro National Park

Saguaro National Park

If I’m being honest, Saguaro National Park was not high on my list. But, when we took a family trip to Phoenix over the holidays, I knew I couldn’t miss the opportunity to check it out. This happened to be our first trip with a baby and Riley was only 3.5 months old at the time. We also went with the whole extended family, so I knew right off the bat this was not going to be one of our more adventurous visits to a national park. It turned out Saguaro made for the perfect day trip on this vacation and was definitely a trip highlight for me.

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Hiking Angel’s Landing

Hiking Angel's Landing, Zion National Park

My first visit to Zion National Park was 2 days of a 7-day road trip through Grand Canyon, Bryce, and Zion. When choosing hikes, the famous Angel’s Landing was, of course, one of our top options. But after reading all the warnings, we decided to opt for the slightly less terrifying, Observation Point. I knew I’d be back to Zion and figured I could always try hiking Angel’s Landing next time. Continue reading “Hiking Angel’s Landing”

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Planning a Trip to Havasu Falls

Havasu Falls has been gaining quite a bit of attention on social media lately! It is arguably the most beautiful waterfall in the United States.  Havasu Falls, along with Navajo Falls, Fifty Foot Falls, Mooney Falls, and Beaver Falls are all located within Havasu Canyon on the Havasupai Indian Reservation just outside of Grand Canyon National Park. Getting to these falls is not easy but is definitely worth it. In this blog post, I’ll be sharing how I finally checked Havasupai off my bucket list! I’ll also include tons of information and tips to help you in planning a trip to Havasu Falls including how to get permits, a sample itinerary, and much more!   Continue reading “Planning a Trip to Havasu Falls”

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Grand Teton and Yellowstone Packing List

Grand Teton and Yellowstone Packing List

I thought I had done a good job preparing for our Yellowstone and Grand Teton road trip, but apparently I dropped the ball when it came to packing. I had heard that I should pack layers because mornings can be cool, but I underestimated just how cool it would be. Not only did I fail to bring enough warm layers, I also packed too many shorts, yet didn’t wear a single pair. In this post, I’m hoping to help you learn from my mistakes and make sure you have everything you need for your Yellowstone/Grand Teton vacation! Continue reading “Grand Teton and Yellowstone Packing List”

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The Ultimate Guide to Grand Teton National Park

The Grand Teton Range, Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton National Park is up there as one of the most beautiful places I’ve been to. The picturesque backdrop of the Teton range behind the still waters of glacial lakes simply can’t be beat. And with its close proximity to Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton offers the perfect stop on an epic Wyoming road trip. In this post, I’ll share the best things to do in Grand Teton National Park, plus how to get there, where to stay, where to eat, and much more!  Continue reading “The Ultimate Guide to Grand Teton National Park”

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The Ultimate Guide to Yellowstone National Park

Bison in front of Old Faithful Lodge, Yellowstone National Park
It took me a lot of time to plan my trip to Yellowstone. The area is huge, there’s so much to see and so much ground to cover. You could spend a week in Yellowstone and barely scratch the surface. That’s why I put together this comprehensive guide to Yellowstone National Park that includes, when to go, where to stay, what to eat, what to do, and sample itineraries to help you get the most out of your Yellowstone vacation.

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Yellowstone and Grand Teton Road Trip Itinerary

Grand Prismatic Spring

Yellowstone National Park, the world’s first national park, had been on my bucket list for a long time and it was time to check it off! With its close proximity to Grand Teton National Park, the two parks make for a perfect road trip. Yellowstone covers 2.2 million acres and Grand Teton 310,000. Covering such an expansive area can be overwhelming and requires careful planning. In this post, I’ll share our 7 day itinerary through Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, including maps, tips, highlights, and more. Continue reading “Yellowstone and Grand Teton Road Trip Itinerary”

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U.S. National Park Road Trips

Death Valley National Park

With limited time off, I make sure to plan my travels in a way that lets me experience as much as possible in a short amount of time. One of the best ways to do this is road trips! With our goal of seeing all 60 national parks, I often try to plan trips that will allow us to visit multiple national parks in one epic road trip. I love when you can experience such diverse cultures, landscapes, climates, and wildlife all in one trip. And, the drive itself is usually just as much of an adventure as each of the destinations. Continue reading “U.S. National Park Road Trips”

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Northern California Road Trip Itinerary

View of Napa Valley from Hot Air Balloon, California

California is the most visited state in the US and for good reason. I’ve visited California 4 times and have not even come close to seeing all that California has to offer. With beaches, mountains, valleys, deserts, forests and cities, California has it all.

One of my favorite trips in California was a road trip I took with my friend, Sara, around the northern and central regions. In 6 days, we went from San Francisco, to Yosemite, to Monterey and then up to Napa Valley. Each of the four destinations offered very different experiences, which is part of what made the trip so memorable! Continue reading “Northern California Road Trip Itinerary”

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6 Days in Las Vegas and Death Valley

Devil's Golf Course, Death Valley National Park

Covering 3.4 million acres of desert, Death Valley National Park is the largest national park in the US. The park is home to the lowest point in North America at 282 feet below sea level and the darkest night sky in the United States. For this trip, we didn’t do our typical road trip. Instead, we based out of Las Vegas with a 2-day side trip to the park. When it comes to vacations, I prefer to be in nature, but one of the things I love about Las Vegas is that there’s something for everyone, including nature lovers! There’s plenty of adventure just a short drive away!

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