Our Travel Blog
All of our blog posts are included here from most recent to oldest. If you have questions or feedback, leave your comments on the specific post. Thanks.
The Parks Are Calling!
Katmai Trip Report
“Incredible” is an understatement in describing our trip to Katmai National Park. It is now near the top of our list of favorite National Parks. Yes, it’s that good. The coastal brown bears that live in Katmai are related to the grizzlies found in many other parks,...
Glacier Bay Trip Report
This was our second visit to Glacier Bay National Park, the first coming on a family Alaska Cruise back in 2016 which was wonderful. This time, we actually stayed inside the park at the Glacier Bay Lodge, but to really see the park, you need to get on the water. .We...
Lake Clark Trip Report
There’s no one thing that stands out about Lake Clark National Park, but it might just win the decathlon for most overall beauty. Everywhere you look are stunning mountains, blue lakes, green lakes, tall waterfalls, braided cascading waterfalls, and even steaming...
Kobuk Valley + Gates of the Arctic
Some National Parks are tough to get to. Then there’s Gates of the Arctic and Kobuk Valley. There are no roads in/out of these Alaskan parks. The only way to visit is by bush or float plane. And if you want to stay overnight, then you need to wilderness camp. ...
Wrangell-St Elias Report
Wrangell-St Elias NP was the first stop on our month long Alaska parks adventure. It’s the largest park in the system, bigger than Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Switzerland combined. And it has more mountains too. We visited Denali and Kenai Fjords on a previous...
Yosemite Trip Report
We’ve been to dozens of countries, all 50 states, and (as of June 2021) over 50 US National Parks. And we do not hesitate when someone asks which is our favorite place – Yosemite! John Muir’s conservation journey was sparked in Yosemite. For many people, the beauty...
Sequoia/Kings Canyon Trip
While not as famous as nearby Yosemite or Death Valley, this pair of neighboring National Parks is high up the list of amazing things to see and definitely worth the trip to get there, even if you’re not from California. Rainy called these the “Bridesmaids” parks...
Yellowstone in Winter
I have been dreaming about photographing Yellowstone in the winter for a long time. Maybe it is the Midwestern girl in me who is romantically remembering snow drifts from my childhood. Maybe it was Mark and my frantic binge watching of Yellowstone. Or maybe it was the...
Everglades Trip Report
"The Everglades is a test. If we pass, we may get to keep the planet." This quote, from renowned conservationist, Marjorie Stoneman Douglas, tells the still in-progress tale of the Everglades. About half of the original Everglades has been taken over for...
Biscayne Trip Report
(From 2019) This park is almost entirely about water. We just didn’t account for the fact that much of it would be falling from the sky. But that was our fault. Biscayne is beautiful and is a testament to the need to protect areas, even if they’re nearby large...
Dry Tortugas Trip Report
After our 2019 eight week southern US National Parks trip, friends would ask us which park we liked best. Our answer – Dry Tortugas. Then they’d ask which one we liked least. The answer – Dry Tortugas. Yes, it's an amazing park, but it can also be a hot mess. ...
Great Smoky Mtns Report
Two facts about Great Smoky Mountains National Park: (1) it is the most visited National Park in the entire NPS system and (2) admission is free. I suspect those two are related, but this park, straddling the North Carolina/Tennessee border, gives visitors plenty of...
Mesa Verde Trip Report
Most National Parks earn their lofty status as a result of extraordinary natural beauty or a unique environmental ecosystem. Mesa Verde is one of the few exceptions, and the cultural heritage of the Ancestral Puebloans is remarkable. If you find your way to this...
Grand Canyon Trip Report
When Theodore Roosevelt saw the Grand Canyon, he said “Leave it as it is. You cannot improve on it. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it. What you can do is to keep it for your children, your children's children, and for all who come after you, as...
USVI Trip Report
A big Thank You to the NPS for creating Virgin Islands National Park. In all our adventures, this was literally a vacation from our vacation. Any survey of top beaches in the world will likely include at least one from this park/island, although there’s plenty to do...
Black Canyon Trip Report
Unless you’re a National Park fanatic or a Colorado native, you’ve probably never heard of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. When you do visit, it’ll definitely be memorable. The audible “WOW” upon first seeing the gash in the Earth was similar to my...
Rocky Mountain Trip Report
If you're not familiar with Colorado weather, summer afternoon storms are very common. We learned that at 12,000 feet, this included hail which doesn't mix well with riding a scooter. But don't let that stop you from a Rocky Mountain adventure. This park has it all...
Badlands Trip Report
Badlands is definitely a park for photographers. Our planned 2 day stay turned into a nearly 4 day search for as many dramatic daytime and nighttime shots as we could discover. And we landed some of our all-time favorite shots. Yes it’s desolate, but when you look...
Wind Cave Trip Report
You would think that visiting Wind Cave National Park would entail actually entering a cave, but unfortunately the elevator there has been out of commission for over a year. We knew this beforehand, but decided to drive through the park anyway as the above ground...
Custer SP Trip Report
If South Dakota didn't have a claim on Custer as a State Park, I'd wager that it would be a National Park. And it would be one of our favorites. The whole Black Hills area is amazing - you've got Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, Badlands, Wind Cave, and Custer is...
Theo Roosevelt Trip Report
Theodore Roosevelt is one of my three favorite US Presidents (Abe and TJ are the others). His efforts toward conservation led to the creation of many national parks and eventually to the National Park Service. Theodore Roosevelt National Park is a tribute to his...
Mt Rainier Trip Report
Mount Rainier is mesmerizing. When you look at it, it holds your glance until you fully digest it's enormity. When travelling through the park, you develop a sense for where it is. And both of these make you love it. It's both beautiful and powerful. And it's one...
North Cascades Trip Report
North Cascades National Park is one of the least visited parks in the system, which is surprising given its proximity to Seattle. I’m not sure how they count visitors, but if they only count those who physically cross the actual boundary of the park, then it’s...
Glacier Trip Report
RV travel during a pandemic gives adventure a new name. The planning part gets tossed out the window, but the travel part can be manageable. We punted on our original plan to cruise up California starting in June (most of our reservations were cancelled) and instead...
Isle Royale Trip Report
At first, we pronounced the Royale in Isle Royale like two first names - Roy + Al. But, despite the spelling, the actual pronunciation is royal, like the Royal Family. Now that that's out of the way, the hard work to actually get to Isle Royale can begin. And it...
Voyageurs Trip Report
Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes and Voyageurs shows off a handful of those beauties. The park is dominated by water, so it’s imperative that you get out on one or more of the lakes to enjoy what this area has to offer.We visited Voyageurs in July 2018 GEtting...
Fifty-nine by 59
How Our Journey Began Mark and I have always loved traveling, especially to the National Parks. For years we toyed with the idea of visiting all the national parks. I love nothing better than the ability to scratch items off a list. Visited all 50...
Joshua Tree Trip Report
It's a sin that we had never visited Joshua Tree in our 30+ years living in San Diego. The trees and rocks make this an outdoor lovers paradise. Even if you're not a rock climber, this park has a great variety of places to hike and stunning sights to photograph. We'll...
Channel Islands Trip Report
Just 50 miles off the California coast, Channel Islands National Park is a primitive and stark contrast to neighboring Los Angeles. This is what much of the Southern California landscape would look like without irrigation, electricity, and asphalt. And it's...
Death Valley Trip Report
Despite holding the record as the hottest place on the planet, Death Valley is one of the coolest parks we've visited. Our 3 day trip barely scratched the surface as there are so many different and stunning things to see. Just make sure you visit in Winter. Bring...
Shenandoah Trip Report
Rainy and I both quickly concluded that Shenandoah is a hiker’s park. There are countless opportunities to hike up to a scenic mountaintop or down to a shady valley or waterfall. We read that something like 95% of visitors never get more than 50 yards from their...
Acadia Trip Report
Acadia National Park sits about as far from our San Diego home as any place in the continental US. So naturally, we chose it for the first of our National Park visits. Acadia is adjacent to the resort town of Bar Harbor, Maine, which adds to this North Atlantic...