Day to day life is just flat out hard these days, so making the time to get away with your significant other is highly recommended! Jereme and I try to get away together once a year, but it can be hard to find the time with our busy schedules. I thought I would share some helpful tips for planning a memorable getaway with the one you love the most. After all, it is the season of love!
Planning Activities
For starters, I recommend creating a list of activities that you’ll both be interested in trying. Before I plan a destination, I usually think about what it is I’m craving in the moment. Some days I want to relax on the beach, while other days I want to climb a mountaintop! Once I’ve figured out just what we want to do the most, I start researching destinations that offer those activities. Jereme can be a little more adventurous than me, so I try to include things that we’ll both enjoy! For example, I might prefer cozying up in a cabin surrounded by snow, but I know Jereme is going to want to snowboard. If we decide to head to the mountains together, we’ll go boarding a few days and then hang around the cabin together the other days. It’s a win-win!
Romantic Vacation Activities You’ll Both Enjoy:
Spa treatments
Take a hike
Go snowboarding or skiing
Wine Tasting
Go for a bike ride
Relax on the beach
Take a hot air balloon ride
Go camping
Take a road trip
Go kayaking or canoeing
Explore a new city
Watch a sunrise or sunset
Go snorkeling
Take a cooking class
See a show or concert
Go to a fancy restaurant
Go sailing
Visit a National Park
This is a fairly small list of activities for a romantic getaway. I’ve spent many hours researching ideas for us, and there are some lists that go on and on. Ultimately, you know yourself and your significant other best. I absolutely know that Jereme would never want to take a dance class together, so I would never plan for that on one of our trips. I am all about trying new experiences, but know your interests and your limits. After all, this is supposed to be a fun getaway!
Amazing Destinations for Couples
Who even are these babies?Photo circa 1998.
You might not know that Jereme and I are high school sweethearts! I love sharing our story. We started dating at fifteen years old and now have spent more of our lives together than apart. Traveling is something that we started doing together over twenty years ago. We were married for six years before we even thought about having kids, so we’ve had countless trips together! The following destinations are some of our favorite places that we’ve visited fairly recently together.
South Lake Tahoe, California
Secret Cove Beach
Lake Tahoe is an amazing destination for a memorable romantic getaway! The location itself is absolutely stunning and there are so many outdoor adventures and places to explore. I have honestly never seen a lake so beautiful in my entire life!
Secret Cove Beach view from the hiking trails Kayaking at Emerald Lake State Park
Our first trip out of the country without kids was to Cabo San Lucas for our anniversary. I cannot recommend this place enough! We stayed at an amazing All-Inclusive resort that I never wanted to leave. The food, the drinks, the views were unforgettable! So much so, we ended up returning to the exact same resort the next summer!
We had the best time at the beach! This resort is amazing! And the food was the best part!
Watching whales right from the shore of the resort
Full disclosure – I spent a lot of time puking on this boat ride, I was so seasick. Jereme had fun LOL!
Winter Park, Colorado
The views here are gorgeous!
The truth is, we haven’t gone on a ski trip together without our kids in a quite some time. We used to go every winter together before we had them. It was the one trip a year that I knew we would make sure to plan for and we just continued that tradition once we had our boys. We have taken grandpa on several of our recent trips, which gives us some alone time to spend together on the mountain! This is such a great destination for couples that are adventurous. And it doesn’t get more romantic than being tucked away in a cozy ski lodge together!
Finally boarding together by ourselves! I still got it!
Our Winter Park Highlights:
Snowboarding
Hot tubbing
Ice skating
Tubing
Snowshoeing on the Frasier River Trail
Can you tell the mountains are our happy place?
Washington, DC
I went to the White House on my birthday!
Remember when I mentioned to find activities and destinations that everyone will enjoy? Well, Jereme totally took one for the team when we visited DC a few years ago for my birthday! He knows that history is totally my thing, even though it’s not really his. But, we both ended up having a wonderful time! It was so much fun exploring a new city together for the first time. And we really both enjoyed the historical sites around DC and the museums and monuments are amazing!
This bike tour was so much fun! I highly recommend seeing the monuments and memorials at night
Our Washington DC Highlights:
Eating all the lobster rolls & clam chowder
Nighttime bike ride tour of the monuments
Seeing the White House for the first time
Smithsonian Museums
Massages
We really enjoyed this trip!
Romantic Destinations and Activities on Our Bucket List
We have so many trip ideas on our bucket list! Here are a few destinations and activities that I hope we get to do together, just us!
I hope you find these ideas and recommendations helpful for planning the most memorable romantic getaway! Check back soon to see where Jereme and I end up exploring this year. If you have a destination that we should add to our list, I’d love for you to leave a comment! Happy travels, my friends!
Traveling to National Parks has become very special to us, even though we only visited our first National Park just a few years ago. To be honest, I was a little intimidated when I started my research and didn’t really know how my boys would enjoy it. After our first visit to one though, we were hooked! Now, it seems like ninety percent of our travels are centered around a National Park or a National Historic Site. In this post, I am including general National Park information, Jr. Ranger Program information, National Park pass information, Parks that require reservations, and our favorite National Park trips! I hope you find all of this information helpful in your travel planning!
National Parks – General Information
So, what exactly is a National Park? Simply put, a National Park is an area that has been set aside by the government for the preservation of the natural environment. Most National Parks have been deemed such for public recreation and enjoyment or because of its historical interest. I haven’t even come close to visiting every single National Park, but I can say that the ones we’ve explored have all been pretty extraordinary!
Yellowstone National Park became the first National Park in the United States in 1872. Today, there are 63 National Parks in 30 states. Yep that’s right, there are 20 states that don’t have a National Park, at least not yet. But there are so many sites across the US that are managed by the National Park Service, including National Monuments, Historic Sites, Memorials, and more.
Some National Parks do not require a fee to enter, but others charge up to $35 per vehicle. Usually, this fee allows you to enter the Park for up to seven consecutive days. National Monuments and Historic Sites typically cost less and may charge $10 per person or $20 per vehicle.
Entrance Fee-Free Days for 2023
Monday, January 16: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
Saturday, April 22: First day of National Park Week.
Friday, August 4: Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act.
Saturday, September 23: National Public Lands Day.
We have had the best time exploring National Parks and Historic Sites across the US! Like I mentioned before, I didn’t really know where to start when planning our first visit. But, I can tell you that the National Park website, National Park social media groups, National Park Visitor Centers, and Park Rangers offer a wealth of information and guidance! So, please don’t be intimidated to plan a visit. I am also happy to help, don’t hesitate to reach out directly to me if you have any questions or need recommendations.
Have You Heard About the Jr. Ranger Program?
These boys are Jr. Rangers!
This is one thing that I wish I would’ve known about before our first National Park visit. You probably don’t know this about me, but I have a big goal of one day becoming a Park Ranger! It will probably be after I retire, and it may even be more of a volunteer role, but it is a huge dream of mine. When I visit National Parks, you can often find me chatting it up with a Park Ranger, they fascinate me. So, when I learned that kids can participate in the Jr. Ranger Program, I hoped my boys would want to do this. To my delight, they did and they both received their first Jr. Ranger badge last summer in Grand Teton National Park!
Here they are being sworn in as Jr Rangers!
The Jr. Ranger Program allows kids to complete activities and tasks in a workbook, specific to the Park, during their visit. My boys are now 8 and 12, and so far they’ve been given the same book but might have a different number of tasks to complete based on their ages. At the Grand Tetons, different age ranges were labeled by a different animal and based on their age, the animal indicated the page in the booklet they needed to complete. At Carlsbad Caverns National Park, my 8 year old had to complete seven pages of his choice to receive his badge. The activities may include a Park scavenger hunt, writing a sentence about taking care of Parks, word searches or crossword puzzles, listening to a Ranger Led Discussion, etc. Once the required activities are complete, they turn in the workbook, review it with a Park Ranger, and then they are sworn in as Jr. Park Rangers! Not going to lie, I cried the first time my boys were sworn in! And lucky for me, they really enjoy doing this and love collecting new badges. So, the next time you visit a National Park, be sure to stop by the Visitor’s Center and request more information on the Jr. Ranger Program!
Reviewing his work at Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Have You Heard About the Every Kid Outdoors National Park Pass?
The teacher in me is so excited to share about this amazing opportunity for elementary students in fourth grade! Did you know that with an Every Kid Outdoors Pass, fourth grade students can get into any National Park in the United State for FREE? And really, every person in the whole entire passenger vehicle gets in free, too!
He was so proud of his 4th grade pass!
My fourth grader was so eager to get his pass! We completed the information online and printed the confirmation page. Once we visited our first National Park with the printout, my fourth grader was given his very own National Park Pass! These passes are good from September 1st – August 31st! So, be sure to share this information with anyone that has an elementary student! Using my son’s pass we were able to visit Arches National Park, Cayonlands National Park, and Rocky Mountain National Park for free!
Favorite National Park Trips
I won’t share too much information about every single National Park on my list, I don’t want to make this post too long. But I do want to share a couple photos and our Park highlights to spark your interest! I will include links to read my full blog post about each trip, which also includes information about where we stayed, where we ate, and what all we did!
I love this image directly from the National Park Service website. Hopefully this graphic will help you in deciding if a National Park pass is right for you!
I purchased the America the Beautiful Pass last January and we were able to use it to visit Grand Teton National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, and Carlsbad Caverns National Park.
Some National Parks have implemented timed-entry reservations, especially during the busy summer months. These timed-entry reservations cannot be purchased onsite and must be purchased online before your visit. The reservations cost $2.00 per vehicle and then you must also pay the National Park fee when you arrive.
These are some of the National Parks that require timed-entry reservations:
Always check with the NPS website to see more information about the specific Park you plan to visit and if there are any reservations required or Alerts!
I hope you found this information helpful! If you’ve never visited a National Park, let this be your sign to plan that trip. And always remember, these Parks are for the benefit and enjoyment of the people! Happy Travels, my friends!
I absolutely love taking advantage of school breaks and have found that the spring season is such a fun time for adventures. I’m an elementary teacher and let me just say, spring fever is a real thing! Getting away for the week has become a favorite of ours. The weather is getting warmer, the days are longer, and the crowds aren’t as busy as those in the summer. I have included a list of the most epic spring break destinations that I believe your family will love just as much as we do!
Moab, Utah
Those views through Canyonlands National Park
I have some mad love for Utah! Our first visit to this state was a few years ago over spring break and we have plans to return again this coming up break. Moab is the perfect destination for adventurous families! Our highlights included exploring two National Parks and going on a guided UTV excursion.
Delicate Arch in Arches National Park UTV riding through the Sand Flats
What makes a trip to Moab so great in the spring is the weather! Spring and fall are the best times to visit. In the spring, you’ll find temps in the 70s. Although it was a little chillier for us in early March and even snowed one day! We loved that we didn’t need timed-entry reservations for Aches National Park when we visited, like is required in the summer.
Cannon Beach just might be my new favorite beach destination! I was just flat out giddy during our spring break visit last year. The views, the food, the beach bunnies, the tide pools! Ah, this place is amazing! We decided to squeeze in a few days in Cannon Beach during our Pacific Coast Highway road trip last minute. We all agreed that out of everywhere we visited on the trip, we wished we had more time here!
The sunsets were impressive! This was the view right outside of the beach cottage
My oldest absolutely loved playing with the beach bunnies that were often hanging outside the cottage we were staying in. Did I mention that we spent a few days in the cutest little cottage right on the beach? It was just perfectly adorable. We strolled along the beach, ate amazing seafood, finally saw tide pools in real life, and built campfires on the beach at night. I cannot wait to go back, it truly is a magical place!
Sea Sprite Inn at Haystack Rock Our first time seeing tide pools!
These tide pools are at Haystack Rock Beach campfires at night are a must!
Washington, DC
Washington Monument in the spring
The history buff in me adores this city just about any time of year! We made the trip over spring break a few years ago and had an amazing time seeing the cherry blossoms, touring the White House, seeing all the monuments, and exploring the museums.
The Capital Building The White House after our visit!
Springtime temps in DC are pleasantly in the 50s-60s in March. The earlier in the month you visit, the less crowded you will find it! The best times to visit this city are September-November and March-May.
Our favorite stop in DC, the Lincoln Memorial! We were all so excited to be going inside the White House!
Our first cross-country road trip led us from Texas to South Carolina over spring break several years ago. I loved just about every single part of this trip, but Saint Helena Island was my absolute favorite! I really hope that we can head back to that area in the future. From the food to the landscape, this place is truly unforgettable!
More at Hunting Island Beach My boys loved climbing on the trees!
What I loved the most was the unique beaches and rugged coastlines that Saint Helena Island offers. I’ve found over the years that I enjoy visiting the beach in cooler seasons more so than when it’s hot and muggy. I know, it probably sounds odd to most. But there’s just something so special about exploring the coast and truly taking in all the sights without the crowds. Saint Helena is a great place for relaxing, exploring, and eating excellent seafood!
If you’ve never visited the Redwoods National & State Parks, then you must add this to your list fast! We were blown away at the sheer size of these trees. Our spring break visit last year was perfect and filled with plenty of adventures! The weather was fantastic, not too cold or too hot. And it felt like we had the whole entire forest all to ourselves!
Stout Memorial Grove TrailThe drive through the Redwoods is gorgeous!
We enjoyed exploring Jedediah Smith State Park by car and on foot, walking along the rugged California coast, and hiking through groves of giant trees in the forest. If you have kids, or a husband that sometimes acts like a kid, then I’m sure they will love climbing on trees and crawling through downed tree trunks! It was such an amazing adventure that we will never forget.
This is the view from the main street through Colonial Williamsburg
The first time I ever visited the Historic Triangle was over our spring break in March and I loved it so much I returned again that same year over Christmas break. I thoroughly enjoy learning about our country’s history and those early days before our country was even established. They really do a fantastic job of bringing history to life in the Historic Triangle! But, I don’t think that means that you have to be a history buff to enjoy all of the things this special place has to offer!
Behind us are stores and shops that are set up like they were in Colonial days You can take a horse drawn carriage ride through Colonial Williamsburg
We packed in so much during our spring visit! We walked the cobblestone streets of Colonial Williamsburg, visited the Jamestown Settlement, and also ventured to Yorktown and explored the beach there. My boys had the best time learning about these places that they had studied in school and my teacher heart loved the learning that we all experienced! If you enjoy visiting museums, then I believe you’ll especially love these amazingly recreated living-history museums!
Jamestown Settlement was my favorite! Even the kids will enjoy the living history museums and relics in the Historic Triangle Native American homes in Jamestown Settlement
San Francisco is another destination that I have enjoyed many different times of the year. We traveled there last spring break on our Pacific Coast Highway road trip and it was the perfect starting point of our journey. I’ve always loved the vibe of this city and was so excited to take my boys there for the first time!
We also hiked up to the Golden Gate Bridge
There are so many different activities to do in San Francisco! I know there is something here for everyone. My boys loved playing on the beach after hiking up to the Golden Gate Bridge. They also wanted to go to Pier 39 and Fisherman’s Wharf almost every single day we were there! And I especially enjoyed eating all the fresh seafood dishes in the area!
Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39 area Beach cave at Baker Beach
Weather – Spring weather can change at the drop of a hat. Be prepared for thunder storms or even snowstorms, depending on where you’re going! Severe weather can cause travel delays, so be sure to monitor conditions before and during your travel dates.
Travel Insurance – I don’t always purchase travel insurance, but I usually do when we travel in the spring. Like I mentioned above, severe weather can happen and cause travel interruptions. It’s better to be prepared in case of an emergency!
Safety – Always stay alert and vigilant, no matter what time of the year you decide to travel. Don’t share too much on social media, especially if you’re traveling solo, until you return home. Avoid first floor hotel rooms, these can be a target for thieves. Practice appropriate water safety if you’re headed to the beach. Talk to your kids about stranger danger. Protect your skin and wear sunscreen! Do your research beforehand and make sure that there are no travel advisories for the area you plan to visit.
Travel Documents – I always recommend printing a copy of your confirmation number for lodging and excursions that you’ve reserved, just in case your reservation is missing upon arrival. Take a photo of your passport and driver’s license in case it gets lost.
Leave No Trace – Always practice leave no trace principals. Leave the area you visit just like it was when you arrived. Pack your trash out, leave what you find, and respect all wildlife.
Happy Travels!
Whether you find yourself staying close to home, road tripping across the country, relaxing on the beach, or hiking trails through the forest, I hope you have an amazing spring break! Be sure to check back in to see what we’re up to over the break. If you have a favorite spring destination, I’d love for you to share about it in the comments so we can check it out, too!
How many of you have a backup plan in the event that something goes awry on your vacation? I guess I was pretty naïve years ago and thought that nothing major would ever happen to us, I mean you’re only supposed to have fun on your travels, right? Well, sometimes I feel like we just might be the Griswolds, because we have some crazy travel stories to share! While looking back on some of these fiascos, we can laugh at the memories now. But, travel mishaps can be quite stressful in the moment. Here’s a look back at some of our worst travel memories and some of my suggestions for getting through these difficult situations.
Our Very Own Travel Mishaps
Car Trouble – Years ago we learned just what we were made of when our Yukon decided to completely shut down while we were out in the middle of nowhere in Wyoming, 19 hours away from home. I must also mention that this of course happened on a Saturday evening, after regular business hours. This was the first time I think I have ever seen my husband flustered and nervous. I mean, don’t most horror movies start out this way? And we also had our boys with us, so that added a whole other element to the situation.
My worst road tripping fear came true.
We quickly realized that we really work well together as a team. While Jereme tried to troubleshoot the issue and move us down the road to a better area, I diligently began calling towing companies in Wyoming and Montana. This was a job in itself, because most places were closed and cell service was spotty. Finally, I found a company that was open and even though we had to wait stranded on the side of the road for four hours while they worked a wreck, we were safe and we were together. Jereme somehow managed to get us near the only restaurant in this small town, so we were able to grab dinner while we waited. And we learned that there are still some pretty amazing people in this world. The waitresses at this restaurant refused to let us pay for dinner, I literally left that place in tears. We were so grateful for the hospitality. And even though we were stranded for three additional days in a hotel room without a vehicle, we managed to be okay!
Finally rescued after hours of waiting!
Now, I can’t even make this part up, but no lie on the way home the same Yukon, freshly repaired, completely shut down again. On the highway no less, in Colorado Springs. This was after spending all of our savings to get a brand new computer system shipped to Wyoming from Montana and then installed. I almost lost it, but managed to remain calm. Colorado Springs is a little bigger of a city than most in Wyoming, so we had better options all around. My dad ended up coming to the rescue and getting us home. And we actually ended up enjoying our unplanned time in CO. We were able to Uber around to some fun attractions while we waited for my dad to make the 12 hour drive to us from Texas. And even though I still have some PTSD when any vehicle I’m in makes the tiniest noise that seems out of the ordinary, we learned a lot about ourselves and how we work as a team!
Puzzles are fun when you’re trapped in a hotel room for days!
I sure did love that Yukon, but we quickly got rid of it when we finally made it back to Texas! Overall, we learned that remaining calm, saying lots of prayers, and working together helped us get through this situation. And, I will never regret over packing, it really came in handy when we had extra clothes while being stranded!
Main Attraction Closed – So, we are the people that spent thirteen months planning and preparing for a trip to Yellowstone National Park only to arrive and find out that it was closed the whole entire time we were there! Looking back, we would’ve done things a lot differently, but at least we can kind of laugh about it now and we have a story to tell.
The day we pulled into West Yellowstone was the very day that the Park made the decision to close due to the historic flooding that happened in the northern area. We were a little flabbergasted, as the area we were in, which is near the east entrance and hours away from the north entrance, had the most beautiful blue skies and not a drop of rain in sight. Nobody really knew what to do. Online sources were saying that the Park would be closed for years, while the local news stations in the area were predicting only a day or so of closures. We decided to wait and see what would happen. I wish we would’ve just got a refund and left early. We ended up spending a lot more money than we had budgeted for because we had to find activities to do outside of the Park.
We could literally walk to the Park from our hotel, but we never made it in!
This incident taught me a lot. Even the best plans can go awry at no fault of our own. While it was very disheartening, we rebounded and made other arrangements and ended up having a great time. In hindsight though, we probably should’ve just called it a loss and headed towards home and maybe stopped in Colorado for a day or so. I would advise you to cut your losses if you ever find yourself in this situation. Unless there is a confirmed re-opening date, I don’t recommend waiting it out and spending money while you do!
Severe Weather – We have had all kinds of different weather related travel issues on our adventures! We’ve been in Galveston during a hurricane and we’ve experienced true blizzard conditions in Colorado. We’ve been on the road during an ice storm and have flown home in an intense Texas thunderstorm. That landing attempt was NOT fun!
Weather conditions are definitely not in our circle of control. The best way to prepare is to be alert. If you’re traveling in the winter, be prepared for blizzard or icy driving conditions. If you’re traveling in the spring or summer, stay weather aware for any severe thunderstorms and tornado warnings.
This was scary!
We’ve traveled through it all and it’s not really fun. I’m sure I’ve gotten a few extra gray hairs from all the worry. My best advice is to remain calm, even if you don’t want to, but especially if you have kiddos with you. They’re great at sensing your moods, so give them the calm. On one road trip we were driving back home from South Carolina and there were tornadoes directly to the north and south of us. We were just driving along, no clue in the world that we were basically in between two very serious storm systems.
Oh, just another tornado warned storm we drove beside!
I learned the hard way to pay attention to those county line signs so that if a weather warning comes across the radio, you’ll know if you’re in the clear or not. I feel like weather apps are getting better at sending alerts specific to your location. So, make sure you download something like the weather channel app and allow notifications.
Sometimes those drives to the mountains are not very fun either!
I have also rearranged our driving route home a couple of different times. I’m kind of nerdy and enjoy things like the weather. I follow some storm chasers on social media, too. If they post about heading to an area for an upcoming chase or post weather models online and I’m planning to drive through that general vicinity, then you bet I reroute or change my travel dates and either leave earlier or stay an extra day!
For example, if we were driving to the mountains we’d plan to leave a day earlier or later to avoid this mess!
Illness – A few years ago we were hiking a super hard trail in Custer State Park, SD. Our boys were and 5 and 8 at the time. The five year old was rocking the trail, but our eight year old was in full struggle mode. We started fussing at him to keep up and to stop whining. Little did we know that he was starting to get sick. By the time we finished that 4 mile hike and got back to the hotel, he had spiked a fever. We felt so awful for him!
My sweet boy needed a day of rest and some Tylenol to get better!
Getting sick is never fun, but especially not while you’re on vacation. I swear, I started quarantines before that even became a household thing! Having kids and being a teacher almost guarantees that you might face an illness at some point while traveling.
Usually before we’re set to leave for a trip, I become a totally uncool mom. We don’t have sleepovers, we don’t visit places like those fun indoor trampoline parks, and I’m making sure we are all constantly washing our hands and taking our vitamins. I’ve learned to bring the whole medicine cabinet with us when we travel! I bring it all, the thermometer, fever reducing medicine, allergy pills, cold/flu, tummy, cough meds, etc. I also bring a first aid kit for any minor injuries. I feel like it’s better to be overly prepared than not prepared at all. I also make sure to bring Dramamine and Benadryl everywhere we go! I can get really car/motion sick and nothing can ruin your day like a bout of this on a long road trip. Being prepared really helps to ease my anxiety when we travel.
Other Tips & Recommendations
I know that even though we’ve had a few travel mishaps, we’ve been really lucky that nothing has been worse! This got me thinking a little about what all could go wrong on a trip and are we prepared? Here are some additional tips and things that I prepare for before traveling!
Check vehicle, make sure tires & windshield wipers are in good condition.
Bring along a battery charger or jumper cables.
Screenshot or print your reservation confirmation in case it’s lost upon arrival.
Call ahead to the hotel and reconfirm your booking before your travel date.
Make sure you have extra money or a credit card in case of an emergency.
Travel with a first aid kit, extra food/water, blankets, and medicine in case you’re stranded.
Take a photo of your passport in case it gets lost.
Bring your insurance cards.
Share your travel plans with a family member – Life360 app is great for this!
Pay attention to your surroundings.
Always follow your gut.
I hope this post was informational. My intention was definitely not to scare anyone from traveling, but to remind you that mishaps can happen and it’s better to be ready and prepared than blindsided. We’ve had far more positive experiences than negative ones! If you’ve had a travel mishap and have any other tips to share, I’d love to hear them. Otherwise, stay safe and happy travels!
It’s no secret that I love to travel as much as I possibly can. Traveling can be a pricey hobby, but not if you plan your trips around budget friendly destinations! I’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite budget friendly vacations and have included some tips on saving money while traveling that I hope you find helpful!
Top 5 Budget Friendly Destinations
Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
The Grand Canyon – it truly is grand!
We visited The Grand Canyon for the first time a few years ago and I was utterly shocked at how little this trip cost us! Some might think that visiting one of the true wonders of the world would be expensive, but it was quite the opposite for us. National Parks are excellent destinations for budget-minded travelers since most Parks only charge a $35 entrance fee that’s good for seven days!
South Rim Entrance
So, are you wondering how we saved money on this trip? To start, we traveled over Thanksgiving break in November. The months between November and February are considered the low season, and flights and lodging prices are typically much cheaper this time of year. We also stayed outside of the Park in the fantastic little town of Tusayan, which is also a much cheaper option. To our delight, the entire town was already decorated for Christmas which we absolutely loved!
Tusayan decorated for Christmas!
We stayed at the hotel at the Red Feather Lodge and really enjoyed this place. Since we were visiting in the low season, we paid under $100 per night for our room. Summer rates are a little higher, around $235 per night. From the hotel, it was less than a mile to the Grand Canyon’s South Rim entrance. The rooms at the hotel have refrigerators and microwaves, so we took advantage of this. We shopped at the grocery store in town and bought things for breakfast, lunch, and snacks. We are notorious for packing a picnic lunch to take with us on our hiking adventures and only spending money on dinners at night.
Views for days!
We spent two days at the Grand Canyon, which consisted of hiking, checking out the different look-outs and observation points, and exploring the Yavapai Geology Museum. Once we paid our entrance fee, we didn’t spend any money on any of the activities in the Park!
The hike back up from Ooh-Aah Point
Entrance Fee-Free Days at the Grand Canyon for 2023
Monday, January 16: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
Saturday, April 22: First day of National Park Week.
Friday, August 4: Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act.
Saturday, September 23: National Public Lands Day.
Saturday, November 11: Veterans Day.
We did choose to fly on this trip instead of road tripping. We actually had Spirit Airline credits that we HAD to use before the end of the year. While this is not my favorite airline, we actually had no issues flying out or returning home. We found that flights to Las Vegas were cheaper than flights into any of the airports in Arizona. So, this too helped us save money and we added a new state to our growing list!
Overall, we had a fantastic trip that didn’t break the bank! Click here to read more about our trip to the Grand Canyon!
We loved our visit!
Robbers Cave State Park, Oklahoma
Inside the cave at Robbers Cave
Robbers Cave State Park in Wilburton, OK is one of our favorite summer destinations! This little gem isn’t necessarily a place we go to beat the heat, but we always have a great time here. This state park is only about 2.5 hours from us in Texas, so it doesn’t even take a full tank of gas to get there! This is a fun destination that never costs our family too much!
It’s almost like Oklahoma has its own slot canyons!
This state park offers several activities from hiking, swimming, camping, horseback riding, ATVing, canoeing, fishing, rock climbing, and more! We like to load up our bikes, pack a cooler of food for the weekend, and hit the road! Once here, we always take the hike to the infamous cave that outlaws like Jesse James hid out in, hence the name Robbers Cave! Since we mostly explore and bring our bikes, we actually aren’t spending any money on these activities.
The hike to the caves is so fun, especially for kids!
You really can’t visit Oklahoma in the summer without spending time at the lake! Right across the street from the entrance to Robbers Cave State Park is the lake which has an area designated for swimming, canoe/kayak rentals, a playground, and small museum. There’s also a swimming pool that costs $5 per person for the day. We have never purchased tickets to swim at the pool, but we have paid about $20 to rent kayaks and then we swim at the lake. The kids loved this adventure!
Kayaking fun! These boys love the lake!
We always stay at one of the 26 cabins in the park, but these are really just a step above camping. The cabins are small, but they include a living room, bathroom, 1-2 bedrooms, and a full kitchen. Very little time is spent inside the cabin, we mainly use it for cooking and sleeping. Other than that, you’ll find us outdoors exploring, grilling, or hanging out around the fire pit! Cabin reservations cost about $88 per night, which is what we spend the most on this entire weekend.
This was the cabin we stayed in! We loved having a kitchen and an ac!
This is a great destination for just a weekend or a couple of nights. Our boys love exploring and climbing all the rocks behind the cabins! The caves in the area are pretty cool, too. Click here to read more about our last visit to Robbers Cave!
Even the parents had fun on this adventure!
Colorado Springs, Colorado
I will never get tired of this view!
Colorado Springs is one of those places that we find ourselves visiting again and again. There are so many things to do in this area and we will never tire of the mountains. I will admit that even though we’ve been to Colorado Springs a countless number of times, I have never actually based an entire trip around this destination. In writing this post, I have realized that I need to change that!
Garden of the Gods Park
So, we typically stop and stay in Colorado Springs on our drive to other places. It’s always a great location because it’s easy for us to get to or home from in one day of driving. We like to stay at the My Place Hotel due to the hospitality we received there a few years ago when our Yukon broke down right near this place. They were truly life savers in this unfortunate turn of events and have our loyalty! Plus it has a full kitchen, so that makes it nice to cook breakfast in the morning.
If you have kids, they will never get tired of exploring this place!
We love the many attractions that Colorado Springs has to offer, as well. Two of our favorites besides driving up Pikes Peak is Garden of the Gods Park and the Manitou Cliff Dwellings. I could spend the entire day at Garden of the Gods and we’ve visited in several different seasons. The Manitou Cliff Dwellings only require a couple of hours! Garden of the Gods is FREE, so you definitely need to take advantage of this and add this park and visitor center to your itinerary! It costs $12 for adults and $7.50 for kids to enter the Manitou Cliff Dwellings. This allows you to explore both the dwellings and the museum.
Manitou Cliff Dwellings The dwellings are the best part of this place!
Colorado Springs is a nice getaway and has lodging and attractions for just about any budget! It’s an ideal location to visit for the day, but I can see how we could spend an entire week here, too!
Even we enjoyed seeing and learning the history here!
Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico
The Big Room in Carlsbad Caverns National Park
We recently visited Carlsbad Caverns National Park this past winter and my mind is still blown away at the sheer size and beauty of the caverns. This was just flat out an epic adventure for our family! It’s also now one of my favorite destinations because of how little we had to spend for this adventure and how short the drive was from home.
The Chihuahuan Desert is fantastic!
We spent two nights in Carlsbad, NM and only needed one day at the caverns. I had been given some Christmas money and gift cards and decided to put it all together for a quick weekend trip. Since Carlsbad is only a seven hour drive, I knew this would be the perfect getaway over the long MLK weekend. The caverns are truly stunning and since we visited in the off season, it felt like we had them all to ourselves! All of us were mesmerized and the boys said it was one of their favorite weekend trips to date. We didn’t have to pay to enter Carlsbad Caverns National Park because my America the Beautiful pass is still valid for one more month.
Stalagmites and Stalactites galore!
We stayed at the Holiday Inn in Carlsbad, the rates were under $100 per night. And we definitely took advantage of the free breakfast each morning. We actually had lunch at the nearby Subway and got extra sandwiches to eat the next day on the drive home. We did splurge a little on dinner one night and had steak and seafood at YellowBrix in town. Totally worth it, the food was amazing!
We added a fun stop on the drive to New Mexico at Monahans Sandhills State Park in west Texas. This stop was super fun for the boys and only cost us $8 for the day! All in all, it was a wonderful weekend and I cannot recommend this National Park enough. Click here for information about our recent trip!
Monahans Sandhills State Park in TX
Orange Beach, Alabama
The beach is my happy place!
Orange Beach in the off season is truly a dream come true! This is one of those destinations that I’ve debated even sharing and letting the secret out. If you can visit in the spring, I think you will love it during this season just as much as we do!
No crowds in April!
This destination is awesome for families, friends, couples, etc.! We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Hampton Inn right on the beach. Overall, we saved about $400 visiting in the spring verses paying the summer rates the hotel charges. We loved those beach views and that free breakfast each morning! Usually when we travel to the beach, we spend most of our time at the beach /pool all day every day – which is always FREE. In the spring, the temperatures are not too hot and muggy to enjoy being outdoors and the water is just warm enough to keep the kiddos entertained!
I love a free breakfast that’s actually edible!
The difference in this location during the spring verses the summer is not only the price, but also the amount of tourists. Before my last visit in April, I had only traveled to Orange Beach in the summers. Don’t get me wrong, I still love it then, too! But it is really crowded, both on the beach and at restaurants and other attractions. In the spring, there’s no issues finding a great place to set up for the day at the beach. And there’s basically no wait at any of the restaurants.
Again, no crowds! Only epic waves!
Orange Beach is a gorgeous beach destination, no matter what time of the year you choose to visit. Click here to check out more about our spring getaway to Orange Beach.
Yep, we all got sunburned!
More Tips for Traveling on a Budget
Driving vs. Flying – For us, driving is always the cheaper option when we travel. We don’t use credit cards, so this might not be the case for you if you like to use those points to book flights. But, we prefer to drive when we can. It’s much more budget friendly than paying for a flight, paying for seats & luggage, and then having to rent a car. Driving also allows us to bring more things with us, like food and snacks which also helps us save money!
I can even travel with just a shoe bag when we drive ha!
Food Options – When I look at our travel budget, it seems like the majority of our funds go to feeding our family of four. I have found that if we book a hotel that includes free breakfast, this saves us about $30+ per day. This is a savings of at least $150 if we stay for a week! I also prefer to book rooms that have a refrigerator and microwave. This allows us to grab items to make sandwiches for lunches, especially if our trip involves hiking or other outdoor adventures.
Picnic lunches are amazing when the landscape looks like this!
Off Season Travel – Traveling in the off season is my favorite time to travel! The prices are always cheaper and the crowds can be nonexistent. If you can handle cooler weather, since the off season is usually in the winter, then I highly recommend giving this a try! You might just find that the off season is your favorite time to travel, too.
If you prepare for the weather, off season travel can be a blast!
Staycation/CityPASSes – My boys and I just recently did a staycation in Dallas, TX and had the most fantastic time! We basically had a 45 minute drive to our hotel and saved a total of $115 by using the Dallas CityPASS to visit four popular attractions in the area. I cannot recommend traveling to your nearest city and spending a couple days exploring all that it has to offer. Several locations have a CityPASS or something very similar. We look forward to visiting different cities in Texas in the future!
We enjoyed our Dallas staycation this past summer!
Weekend/Day Trips – Not every trip has to be something grand! Weekend trips and day trips are a fun way to get out there and make memories with your family. You can still have a wonderful trip, even if you only have a couple days available in your budget. Day trips are also a great way to explore a local area or attraction without breaking the bank. For us, we have driven 2-3 hours to a location and just spent the day there and then drove back home. When you don’t have to pay for lodging, this can save you hundreds of dollars!
This was a fun day trip to Glen Rose, which is about 2 hours away!
National & State Park Trips – National Parks are great places to visit because the most you will pay is typically $35 for your entrance fee and this is usually good for seven days. There are also several different passes available that might offer you even more savings. We have visited several Parks for free using the Every Kid Outdoors Pass when our oldest was in fourth grade. We also saved about $75 this past year using my America the Beautiful Pass. This pass costs $80, but once you visit two Parks, it’s paid for itself! State Parks cost even less to enter. We just recently visited a State Park in TX and it only cost my whole family a total of $8 for the day.
The Every Kid Outdoors Pass got us into so many Parks for FREE!
National ParkEntrance Fee-Free Days for 2023
Monday, January 16: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
Saturday, April 22: First day of National Park Week.
Friday, August 4: Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act.
Saturday, September 23: National Public Lands Day.
Saturday, November 11: Veterans Day.
Travel Buddy – Finding a travel buddy is another fun way to save money! I love traveling with my best friend and her two boys. It’s so nice to split the cost of gas, lodging, parking, and more. If you have a friend that also loves to travel, you should plan a trip together! Girls/guys trips are also a way to travel together and split costs.
My best friend is my favorite travel buddy!
Rewards Programs – If you travel a lot, you should look into different rewards programs. Most of the time when I book a hotel, I use Expedia. Since I have attained Gold Status, I get really nice hotel discounts. These discounts have saved us a lot of money over the years. For instance, I once paid $20 per night for a room at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. I really like booking our hotel stays through Expedia because there’s an option to reserve now/pay later and you can usually cancel most hotel bookings 24 hours before your check in date. This has been extremely helpful in the past few years with the changing health protocols and travel restrictions.
It’s only January and I already have over $100 in credits to use!
I hope you have found these destinations and travel tips helpful! It truly is my passion to share all things travel with you. I haven’t done it all, but we sure have had a lot of fun over the years! Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need any help planning your next adventure! I’d also love for you to share any of your favorite budget friendly destinations. Leave a comment if you have a place that we need to add to our list!
We decided to take our first road trip of 2023 over MLK weekend, since the boys and I all had Monday off. Carlsbad, NM is roughly a seven hour drive from where we live and home to a National Park that none of us had ever visited. This sounded like the perfect way to get out and explore while we had the time off. So, we hit the road and headed west. I am so excited to share about our weekend road trip and our time spent in New Mexico! We had an amazing adventure and this destination makes for the perfect getaway when you have a long weekend and an extra day off work and school!
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Our driving route to Carlsbad, NM
Weekend Itinerary:
Saturday: Drive to Carlsbad, NM
Stop at Monahans Sandhills State Park in Monahans, TX
Dinner at El Jimador Restaurant in Carlsbad, NM
Sunday: Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Dinner at YellowBrix in Carlsbad, NM
Monday: Drive home
If you glanced at our weekend itinerary above, you probably noticed that we only spent a day at Carlsbad Caverns. I believe a day is all that you need to experience the caves. We opted for a self-guided tour of the Big Room and it was quite the adventure! There are also several other guided caving options that you can purchase tickets for. But, what I loved the most about this National Park is that you can truly experience these amazing cave formations in just a day. Please continue reading for a more detailed itinerary for each day of our trip and general information about Carlsbad Caverns.
Day 1: Saturday
Sliding down the first hill!
If you are familiar with road tripping with kids, then you know that it’s always best to find a fun stop along the route. We decided to stop at Monahans Sandhills State Park and check it out. It did not disappoint!
It was hilarious to watch!
My boys absolutely loved this stop! They were sandy from head to toe, but grinning ear to ear! This State Park is truly a hidden gem. I have lived in Texas my whole life and had never heard of this place until about 2 days before we left on this trip. Not only were the sand dunes really photogenic, the facilities were top notch. There were nice restrooms and showers right on site, and you bet we had our boys rinse off before getting back on the road!
We brought along these little sleds and let the boys slide down sand hill after sand hill. This was an amazing stop after about 5.5 hours of driving! We all stretched our legs and enjoyed playing in Texas’ biggest sandbox! If you are ever in the area, be sure to check this place out. You do need to make reservations here, the price for day use is $4 per adult and kids under 13 are free. Bring towels for the showers if you just plan to visit for the day!
From here, it was about a 2 hour drive to Carlsbad, NM. We arrived in town around 5:00 pm and immediately checked into the hotel. We stayed at the Holiday Inn in Carlsbad. It wasn’t the best Holiday Inn we’ve stayed in, but it was clean and the free breakfast was actually pretty decent. After checking in, we ate dinner at El Jimador Restaurant. We got there before 6:00 pm and didn’t have to wait for a table. But within thirty minutes or so, there was a super long wait for tables. It was good Mexican food. We all had enchiladas and enjoyed our plates! Then, we called it an early night and just went back to the hotel. There’s an indoor pool and fitness center there, but we had an early bedtime to get ready for Carlsbad Caverns the next day!
Day 2: Sunday
Oh, what a wonderful day Sunday was! We finally got to visit Carlsbad Caverns National Park! From the hotel we were staying at, it took about 30 minutes to drive to the entrance at Carlsbad Caverns. Once you reach the sign, it’s about another 7 mile scenic drive through the Chihuahuan Desert to the Visitor Center. On our drive in, we saw a herd of bighorn sheep! We were already so enthralled and we hadn’t even seen the main attraction yet!
Do you see the herd?
Everyone that visits needs to reserve tickets online and then pay the National Park fee at the Visitor Center upon arriving. We had reserved the 10:30-11:30 am self-guided tickets which allowed us entrance any time between 10:30-11:30, but there was no time limit on how long we stayed! We arrived at the entrance right at 10:30, but it was 10:50 by the time we made it to the Visitor Center. There was a short line we had to wait in to show our reservation and pay the fee. Luckily our America the Beautiful Pass is still valid, so we didn’t have to pay this time. While I waited in line for this, Jereme took our youngest to get the Jr. Ranger booklet to work on so that he could get his Jr. Ranger badge, which is now one of our favorite National Park activities and our boys love adding new badges to their collection.
He was so excited to participate in the Jr. Ranger Program!
The facilities were really nice and the Park Rangers were very helpful. Once we had the okay to enter, we headed through the museum in the Visitor Center to the natural entrance to the cave. There are two ways to go down into the cave, you can ride an elevator or walk about 1.25 miles through the natural entrance. We opted to walk in and I am so glad we did! Just seeing the cave for the first time is truly amazing! The walk is mostly all downhill, so it wasn’t too bad at all. We were just entranced the whole way down, it’s so cool! We kept saying it felt like we were on a different planet. And this was just the entrance area, we hadn’t even made it to the main attraction, The Big Room!
First sight of the cave – isn’t is awesome! This is the beginning of the 1.25 mile walk down!
I honestly have no words that can adequately describe the Big Room area of the caverns. Maybe otherworldly, it was just unlike anything we have ever experienced before. I have never been inside of a cave so vast. We love exploring caves, but this adventure was different. We didn’t have a tour guide leading the way and we were able to spend as much time as we wanted inside. We ended up being there for over 3 hours and walked a total of 2.9 miles!
Hard to put into words how cool these caverns are!
To the left of the Big Room is an area with snacks and restrooms. We did grab a bite to eat while there and the boys rested their legs for a bit. Then we continued on to the Big Room and when we finished, we opted to ride the elevator back up. Since we were visiting in the off-season, there wasn’t a wait at all for the elevators. But I have heard that in the summer the wait can exceed an hour. We ventured around the museum and then Jake was sworn in as a Jr. Ranger and received the Centennial Badge because Carlsbad Caverns turns 100 years old this year!
He did it! We love the Centennial Badge!
We really were pretty tired after our visit! We had planned to stop on the drive back out and hike some of the trails along the drive through the Chihuahuan Desert. But we were way too tired for this! I would’ve loved another day to explore this area, it was gorgeous and the weather was beautiful on the weekend of our visit. We will likely return to this Park, we all want to see the bat flight but the bats are only at the caves from April through November. Maybe we’ll take a guided tour on our next visit!
When we returned to the hotel, we all rested for a bit and then went to dinner at YellowBrix in Carlsbad. It’s an amazing steak and seafood restaurant! Everything we had was delicious and the restaurant and patio area was adorable! We started with shrimp, crab, and artichoke dip. I got the filet medallions and Jereme got the green chili cheeseburger. It was all so yummy!
Shrimp, crab, and artichoke dipFilet medallionsGreen chili cheeseburger
Day 3: Monday
Monday just consisted of us driving home. We drove straight back to Texas without many stops because we had to get back in time to watch the Dallas Cowboys play! It was a quick trip, but so much fun! Again, if you have a long weekend and want to have an adventure, Carlsbad Caverns National Park is the perfect destination!
Information About Carlsbad Caverns
Our only family photo in the cave – pictures just don’t take very well down there in the dark!
Carlsbad Caverns are located in Southern New Mexico. The caverns are humid, damp, and stay 56 degrees year round. I recommend wearing a sweatshirt and pants, it’s a little chilly. The hike down into the cave through the natural entrance is about 1.25 miles and it takes about an hour just to hike down. The caverns are about 750 feet below ground, which is equivalent to walking down about 70 stories. I recommend bringing a flashlight or using these cool headlamps that we brought along! Don’t miss visiting the Big Room, it truly is the most epic part of the caverns in our opinion! This area of the cave is 8.2 acres and is the largest accessible cave chamber in North America!
Elevator: INTO Cave 8:30a -2:30p, OUT of Cave 4:45p
Entrance Fees: Ages 16+ is $15 per person, Under 15 is FREE
Bat Flight: April – November
I hope this information is helpful! Please reach out or leave a comment if you have any questions about our visit, I’d love to connect with you. Check back in to see what we’re up to next! Happy Travels!
I am convinced that we have the most precious Border Collie in the whole entire world! We love our Josie Girl to pieces!! And when we can, we take her along on our road tripping adventures. Yep, we became those people that got a rescue dog that ended up becoming the fifth member of the family, and probably the favorite!
Look how cute and little they all were!
While we’re traveling with her or shortly after returning, I am always asked about how it went and to share our tips. So, keep reading to learn about my thoughts on traveling with a dog, the pros and cons of bringing your pup along, and my tips and recommendations!
Things to Consider:
There are many things to consider when traveling with your dog, but I think you really need to truly know your dog first. Is your dog aggressive or docile? Will they use the restroom on the side of the highway with cars roaring by when you stop? Are they well-behaved riding in a car? These are some pretty serious questions that can make or break your trip.
Will your dog be more comfortable traveling with you or would they feel better staying home with a pet sitter, family member, or at a boarding facility?
How well does your dog walk on a leash? If your dog has trouble walking on a leash and will lunge at passerby, then I probably wouldn’t encourage you to bring your pup along. That doesn’t sound like a fun time for anyone! And I can promise you, if you are out with your pet at a popular location, the dog lovers will come up in droves.
Driving a long distance with a restless, pacing or barking pup would drive me absolutely crazy. So, before you begin making plans, ask yourself how your dog will behave in the car. Does your dog get carsick? Trying to drive from point A to point B while stopping to clean up a mess doesn’t sound like a good time, either.
You also need to think about the destination you’re traveling to. Is the location dog friendly? Does your lodging allow pets? What are the activities you plan to do on your trip and do these activities allow you to bring your dog along? When traveling with a pet, a lot of planning and preparation has to happen first!
And finally, is your dog up to date on their shots and vet care? Some places require you to bring proof of your dog’s shot records, so be sure that your dog has had the appropriate care and records to prove it!
Tips and Recommendations:
Before traveling with your dog, be sure to get them comfortable walking on a leash. We practiced for months with Josie. We actually live on about an acre of land, so I didn’t even buy a leash when we first brought her home! But I knew that we would want her to travel with us, so to the pet store I went. We practiced walking several days a week around our neighborhood until she got the hang of it before she ever traveled with us.
Our oldest walking Josie!
I also advise you to take your dog in the car with you as much as possible before venturing out on a road trip! We would take Josie to grab fast food to see how she did riding in the car and when we ordered food. Sometimes we would drive around town for a bit to get her completely comfortable riding with us. We started out practicing short distances before taking our first long road trip with her.
Josie’s first car ride was to Sonic!
When you decide where you’re going, be sure to check to see if the hotel or your lodging allows pets. If they do, I highly recommend calling the front desk, especially if you booked online. Sometimes there is a limited number of pet friendly rooms, so most places need to know beforehand if you’re bringing your dog along. Be prepared to pay an extra pet fee, too.
It’s no wonder hotels charge an extra cleaning fee!
Travel somewhere close to home before venturing halfway across the country! We started with a short weekend trip to a cabin in Oklahoma that was only about 2.5 hours from home. We weren’t really sure how Josie would react to a new location or riding in the car for a long period of time, so we started off small. Once we knew how she would do traveling, we started going farther away and staying longer amounts of time!
So excited for our first road trip with Josie Girl!
The Pros and Cons of Traveling with your Dog:
It is always a good idea to weigh the pros and cons of traveling with your pet. And these can always change depending on your location, too.
Pro – Your dog is with you & you won’t miss each other!
Con – You’re still taking care of a dog while on vacation – potty breaks, feeding, etc.
Pro – You’re saving money by taking your pet with you vs. paying for boarding!
Con – Some places still charge a pet fee and extra cleaning fee.
Pro – Lots of places are dog friendly!
Con – Many places still don’t allow dogs.
Pro – My dog is very calm and well-behaved!
Con – Your dog may become out of sorts in a different location.
Pro – It’s going to be so fun adventuring with my pup!
Con – You have to clean up after them and dispose of their waste.
Dog Friendly Destinations we’ve Visited:
Broken Bow, Oklahoma
We took a quick weekend trip to Broken Bow, OK when Josie was younger to see how she would do in the car and away from home. She loved playing outside the cabin with the boys and exploring a new location! After this trip, we knew she would be ready for more adventures! Broken Bow is about 2.5 hours from us.
They only photo I got with Josie at the cabin!
St. Louis, Missouri
Our first big road trip with Josie was to St. Louis. I read that St. Louis is a very dog friendly destination, so we decided to bring her with us on our weekend getaway. We got lucky, not only with a great pup, but the weather on this trip was amazing. We enjoyed strolling around the city with Josie in tow. We started our adventure exploring Gateway Arch National Park. We got some precious photos with her here! The only downside was that it was a long elevator ride down from our hotel room when she needed potty breaks. St. Louis is about a 9 hour drive from us.
Gateway Arch
Boulder, Colorado
Josie has gone to the mountains several times! Boulder is another wonderful place to bring your pup. There are so many parks and trails that are dog friendly in Colorado. And it’s not as hot there in the summer like it is back home in Texas for us. We hiked and hiked and hiked and she just loved every minute of it! The only downside was that we ventured to Estes Park and visited Rocky Mountain National Park and dogs are not allowed on most of the trails there. She had to stay behind at the hotel while we were gone. Boulder is about a 12 hour drive from us.
Hiking in Boulder, CO
Crested Butte, Colorado
She’s also been to Crested Butte during the summer. Again, we mostly hiked and explored outdoors while we were there. She loved being with us, I swear she was even smiling in some of our Colorado photos! Crested Butte is about a 12 hour drive for us.
Hiking in Crested Butte, CO
Ruidoso, New Mexico
We took Josie up to the mountains last winter and she got to play in the snow. She loved it, of course! This was a pretty low key trip and we mostly lounged around the cabin and explored a little bit outside. Josie loved fetching snowballs that the boys threw! Ruidoso is about a 9 hour drive for us.
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Sometimes we choose not to take Josie with us on vacation. We have never flown with her and I don’t think we ever will. I am not sure that she would enjoy that. And if we have a lot of busy days planned with tons of activities on the agenda, we opt to leave her home. We are very lucky that my Dad will keep her for us at his house while we travel! Bottom line, there is a lot of planning and consideration involved before we bring our pup along on our travels. I hope this information is helpful for your travel planning! If you have any questions or your own tips/experiences, leave a comment. I’d love to connect with you!
Happy traveling! Be sure to check back to see where Josie Girl’s first adventure of 2023 will be!
If your New Year’s Resolution is to be more adventurous, but you’re not sure where to start, then you’ve come to the right place! In our family, we truly believe in experiences over things and travel ranks very high on my list of priorities. If I could, I would travel somewhere every month. Now that the boys are older and involved in little league sports, it’s harder and harder for us to get away as much as we used to. Nonetheless, I’ve compiled a list with our tried and true travel recommendations for every month of the year that I hope inspires you to get out there and explore a little more of this amazing country!
January: Winter Park, Colorado
We took family photos on our last trip to Winter Park!
What better way to ring in the New Year than a trip to the snowy mountains? This is usually our go to winter adventure destination and I am here to tell you that there is something in Winter Park for everyone! Maybe you’re an adventure seeker and snowboarding or skiing is the thing for you.
My youngest and me snowboarding together!
Maybe you want a more restful start to the New Year and would love to cozy up in a cabin and watch the snow fall out the window while sipping hot chocolate! Either way, Winter Park is one of my most favorite winter destinations in Colorado! If you get the chance to go, make sure to check out the tubing hill and you have to eat at Hernando’s Pizza Pub!
We love all the ski lodges in Winter Park!
Click here for more details and our full Winter Park itinerary!
February: San Antonio, Texas
Winter at The Alamo!
Texas is a great state to visit in the winter months if you’re looking for something a little milder than cold, snowy mountains! The best times to visit San Antonio fall between November and April due to milder temps and less crowds. We enjoyed strolling along the River Walk, without needing bulky jackets, and touring The Alamo without the summer crowds!
The River Walk
The average daytime temperature in February is around 65 degrees and only 5 days of rain are expected this month. Even though it’s typically mild during the day, be sure to pack for chilly nighttime temperatures. You’ll never regret visiting this destination. The food is outstanding, the history and missions are incredible, and everyone is friendly down in Texas! Be sure to reserve your tickets in advance to visit The Alamo and add Natural Bridge Caverns to your itinerary!
Another view of the River Walk
Click here for more information on visiting San Antonio!
March: Moab, Utah
Dead Horse Point State Park in Moab, UT
Our first trip to Utah was in early March a few years ago. To date, this trip has been one of my all-time favorites and I really credit the two National Parks here for inspiring us to visit more throughout the years. We initially traveled to Moab to visit Arches National Park and ended up riding UTVs on some intense trails, seeing petroglyphs, canyons, wildlife, and even some snow!
An amazing excursion, we all highly recommend!
This is a fantastic spring break destination, the crowds are much smaller than those in the summer. It will still be chilly here in early March, but it is warming up. You can expect temps to range from 30-60 degrees, so bring layers. Like I mentioned before, it snowed on us one day during our visit so be prepared for unpredictable weather! Check out Wilson Arch on your way in to Moab! It’s a short walk to a stunning arch outside of the National Parks, right off the highway!
I have found that I prefer to visit the beach in the spring when it’s not so hot, humid, and crowded! Orange Beach was the perfect spring destination for us! It was still warm enough to play in the ocean and the restaurant waits were non-existent. We didn’t have many plans for this trip, besides relaxing on the beach and eating as much seafood as possible!
These boys were all smiles our whole visit!
The average April temps here fall between 60-70 degrees. But don’t let that fool you, we all got super sunburned! Be sure to grab dinner or lunch at The Hangout, kids will love the hourly foam party! If you’re looking for a relaxing getaway surrounded by emerald water and white sand beaches, then you’ve got to visit Orange Beach, AL!
Sunny and hot in April!
Click here for more information about visiting Orange Beach, AL!
May: Sedona, Arizona
Munds Wagon Trail to Bell Rock
Sedona has been on my bucket list forever and my boys finally decided to take me over Mother’s Day weekend last May. It was such a special trip! My main goal in visiting was to hike around those stunning red rock formations and my dream came true. Sedona is such a mystical place, it was truly an epic adventure.
Cathedral Rock trail
May is a very popular time to visit because the temps are ideal for getting outdoors. The average high this month is around 82 degrees and the lows are around 50 degrees. This makes for the best hiking conditions as it’s not too hot in this desert climate. The trails are also popping with wildflowers galore, adding to the picturesque scenery! I cannot recommend this destination enough!
We made it to Bell Rock!
Click here for more details and our Sedona, AZ itinerary!
June: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
We walked along the bridge from New Jersey to Philadelphia!
Our very first visit to Philadelphia was in June a couple of summers ago. The weather was absolutely perfect the entire time we were there, which was great since we walked everywhere! I always love walkable cities, especially since I live in a more rural area in Texas. And while we were savoring our week in Philly with 80 degree days, the temps were in the upper 90s at home!
The boys loved playing in this fountain right in the middle of Philly!
We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and all of the early-American history this city proudly showcases. Even the boys really enjoyed all the history and seeing the places they’ve learned about in person! There is so much to do in Philadelphia, we weren’t able to do it all in one visit. I’d love to take another trip here and would likely visit again in early summer! Take the double decker bus tour when you first arrive to map out all of the places to explore on foot later!
Another wonderful summer vacation was spent in Rapid City, South Dakota. Who knew this entire area was so rugged and beautiful! We hiked, we caved, we explored, all the while enjoying the most pleasant summer weather! And I still remember how amazing this little town smelled, too!
Custer State Park
While we didn’t visit Mount Rushmore on July 4th, I think it would be a really cool experience to be there for the firework celebration! There truly is a lot to do in the area, the landscape is stunning, and it remains one of my favorite road trips to date! If you are in decent shape, hike the Sunday Gulch Trail in Custer State Park. It’s a challenge, but the trail is awesome!
Sunday Gulch Trail in Custer State Park
Click here for our full itinerary on visiting South Dakota!
August: South Lake Tahoe, California
Secret Cove Beach
If you’re looking for a dreamy destination, you should head to South Lake Tahoe! Most kids are headed back to school this month, so I am recommending this destination as an adult getaway! Jereme and I celebrated our anniversary here right before I went back to school last August. It was pretty hot, but the good thing is, there’s plenty of water to cool off in!
Emerald Lake
We spent our time here around the picturesque beaches and on the water as much as we could. It was a quick trip for us, but we really, really enjoyed this getaway. I have never seen lake water so clear in all my life! We felt like we were in Mexico looking at the Caribbean. There’s nothing better than some nice quality time with the one you love in a gorgeous location! If you’re craving something peaceful and serene, then head to Lake Tahoe! Rent kayaks at Emerald Lake State Park and take a leisurely trip out to the island to hike around ruins on top!
Trail to Secret Cove Beach
Click here for more details and information about our trip to South Lake Tahoe!
September: St. Louis, Missouri
Gateway Arch National Park
September to October is considered the best time to visit St. Louis, MO and I couldn’t agree more! Our trip to Missouri was taken in very early Oct. several years ago. We were originally scheduled to visit in mid-September, but unfortunately we all got Covid and felt awful and had to push our trip back about a month. The average daily temps are typically in the lower 80s and can be quiet chilly at night! I recommend packing layers!
We stayed at the Hyatt to the left in this photo.
St. Louis is a very dog friendly location, so we brought our pup with us! She enjoyed the outdoor sites, just like we all did. I had no idea how much Lewis & Clark history there is in St. Louis! We did a ghost tour, visited Gateway Arch National Park, and you have got to check out the City Museum. It is the coolest museum we’ve ever visited!
View from the hotel room!
Click hereto see more about our trip to St. Louis, MO!
October: Saugatuck, Michigan
There is something truly special about those Michigan beaches!
Cool, crisp weather and ideal leaf peeping is what you’ll find if you travel to Saugatuck, Michigan in the fall! I had the opportunity to visit Michigan for the first time ever and I am ready to go back. I had no idea how stunning and picturesque these quaint waterfront towns could be.
I still cannot get over the colors!
The weather in Saugatuck is in the 60s, the perfect temps for cute sweaters and booties! If you can, take a road trip along the Michigan coast and check out towns like St. Joseph and New Buffalo! We actually stayed in New Buffalo and I highly recommend lodging at The Marina Grand Resort! Saugatuck is the most adorable waterfront town and the Wicks Park Bar & Grille serves delicious food and provides cozy flannel blankets for outdoor dining!
Wicks Bar & Grille
Click herefor more information about my visit to Michigan!
November: Washington D.C.
The boys playing football in front of the Washington Monument.
I have had several trips added to my favorites list, but this one is hands down my most favorite family trip of all time! I wanted to visit DC with my boys and decided to look into this location for a possible trip during our Thanksgiving break. It was highly recommended as a great time to go, because everyone leaves the city that’s there for business. The weather was stunning, we dressed in layers and only needed our jackets early in the morning.
The view from the top of the Washington Monument.
We enjoyed the cooler weather as we ventured along the streets and sidewalks taking in all of the historical sights! It was so neat to watch the boys’ excitement as they got to see things from their textbooks in real life! The only downside is that the White House is closed for tours because it’s undergoing Christmas decorating this week. We ventured to George Washington’s home at Mount Vernon, we explored all of the monuments and memorials at both day and nighttime, we ice skated outdoors, we ate delicious food, and made memories to last a lifetime!
Lincoln Memorial
Click here to learn more about why DC is my favorite trip & to grab our full itinerary!
December: New York, New York
Christmas decorating in New York is next level!
I had to include the Big Apple, even though I technically visited the city the last week of November and not actually in December. But there is something truly magical about NYC at Christmastime. It’s cold, it’s crowded, it feels grimy, it smells bad BUT it is still so beautiful! I absolutely love New York, no matter what time of the year. I’ve been six times, still have tons of things on my list I haven’t seen or done, and I cannot wait to plan another visit! I just adore how festive NYC feels around the holidays. If you get the chance to travel in December, I cannot recommend a trip to New York enough!
Radio City Music Hall
It was pretty chilly the week were here and we needed coats and hats and gloves. But with the right attire, we had a wonderful time! I recommend doing all of the normal touristy things, while enjoying the holiday decorations. Watch the Saks Fifth Avenue storefront at night, the lightshow is amazing! Venture down by Radio City Music Hall for a show and to see the décor in the area. It will not disappoint. Christmastime in New York should be on everyone’s bucket list!
Even though I am a Texas native, I haven’t even scratched the surface of exploring all of the unique destinations that this state that I’ve called home my whole entire life has to offer. But, we do have some favorites that we’ve visited many, many times and will continue going back to! Texas can be a great state to visit, we’re super friendly here! I hope you find these places just as special as we do!
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Galveston Island, Texas
Galveston in September
Galveston is one of those places that I hold very near and dear to my heart. I grew up going down to Galveston every summer as a child. I really cannot even count the number of times we’ve been there. We’ve visited the island in every season, and I can honestly say that each one has its own unique pros and cons.
If you’ve never visited Galveston, most of the hotels are built across the street from the beach along the Seawall. During the summers, it’s pretty crowded. You can stay at the hotels along the Seawall and walk across the street for beach access or park your car in designated spots all the way down the Seawall. We only stay at one place in Galveston, which is Seascape Condominiums. These condos are farther down the Seawall, but are actually built on the ocean side and we don’t have to cross the street to get to the beach. We also love having bedrooms, bathrooms, and a kitchen!
Seascape Condominiums
Summers in Galveston are all about sun, sand, and saltwater! While you will not find pristine blue water and white sand beaches here, you will find a good time! I’ve never found sand course enough to build sandcastles like the sand down in Galveston. And while we have taken our boys to some of the best beaches in the Caribbean, they will tell anyone that asks that Galveston is their favorite beach! I don’t think they love it because of the beauty, but because of the memories that this special place holds.
Building sandcastles in the summer!
It’s very hot and humid in Galveston during the summer. Most of our time here in this season involves playing at the beach or swimming in the pool during the day. There are several restaurants along the Seawall and also on The Strand, but be prepared to wait for a while because of the summer crowds. The downtown area is really fun, we love going to the candy shop and watching saltwater taffy being made! And you can’t miss a trip to Pleasure Pier or Murdoch’s souvenir shop!
My boys happy place!
Fall and spring both offer cooler temps, not too favorable for ocean swimming. Although, my crazy kids will swim here any time of the year! But you will often still find people lounging on the beach or playing in the sand. The pool at Seascape is heated, so my boys love to swim there when it’s chilly outside! I love visiting at these times because its way less crowded and easier to enjoy your stay without fighting the crowds! I usually see the most dolphins out in the water during the fall/spring months, as well.
Galveston in April
Winter can be a great time to visit, but it can also be very moody too. I’ve been to Galveston a couple times during December and February. One visit, it was very cold and foggy and we spent most of our time finding things indoors to do. Another time, it was very enjoyable and we spent a lot of our time outside! With that being said, I have enjoyed all of our visits, no matter what time of year we go!
Galveston in December
Beach Must Haves:
Elta MD Sunscreen – My dermatologist recommended! (I have had skin cancer)
Beach Canopy – This is a must have at the beach or camping!
Bug Spray – You will need this in Galveston for mosquitos
Rash guard – Highly recommend for sun protection! (I sized up)
First aid kit – We take this kit on all of our adventures!
Click here for more information about visiting Galveston!
Dallas, Texas
Dallas Skyline from the Reunion Tower GeO-Deck
This past summer we did our first Dallas Staycation, and boy did we have a fun time! This city has a lot to offer, from malls, to hands-on museums, to city parks and zoos, to delicious restaurants. Dallas definitely has something for everyone! The Dallas area really consists of Dallas, Fort Worth, Grapevine, and several other smaller but really neat cities nearby! All are pretty close to one another and all offer a lot of exciting activities.
On our staycation we chose to stay in Downtown Dallas and picked a hotel with a roof top pool. The Sheraton Dallas is an excellent choice, especially if you’re visiting in the summer!
Enjoying the pool!
We also took advantage of the Dallas City Pass and our experience and savings were incredible. I cannot recommend this pass enough. With the City Pass we visited the Perot Museum, The Dallas Holocaust Museum, The George W. Bush Presidential Library, and took in the sunset from the Reunion Tour GeO-Deck.
View from the Reunion Tower
We also went to the Grapevine Mills Mall for the Stranger Things Experience and spent some time at the WhoaZone on Lake Grapevine! We ended the stay with some time at the Dallas World Aquarium! And of course, we didn’t do half of the things that Dallas has to offer.
WhoaZone Grapevine, TX
In the summer, Klyde Warren Park is a fun place to cool down and beat the heat in the fountains. There are also several food trucks nearby. The museums also offer a nice reprieve from the sun. And the baseball park is now enclosed and air conditioned, so catch a baseball game and cheer on the Texas Rangers!
Dallas World Aquarium
I would recommend going to the Dallas or Fort Worth Zoo and the Dallas Arboretum in either the spring or fall when the weather is more pleasant. The Arboretum is gorgeous year round, but we especially love the pumpkin village in October! And you can watch the Dallas Cowboys play or tour the stadium at any time!
Dallas Arboretum
Nearby Grapevine is known as the Christmas Capital of Texas! I highly recommend visiting this neat town during the holiday season! Watch the Dallas Mavs play a basketball game or cheer on the Dallas Stars hockey team while you’re close by!
Our malls in the area offer great food, excellent high-end shopping, and other exciting experiences. The Galleria has an ice skating rink while The Grapevine Mills Mall has LEGOLAND and SeaLife Aquarium. The Stonebriar Mall in Frisco has KidsZania and The Shops at Willow Bend has a Crayola Experience! The North Park Mall has a duck and turtle pond and you cannot miss seeing The Trains at North Park during Christmastime!
Reunion Tower
There truly is so much to do here, in any season, for any and every one! And I never really touched on the amazingly delicious food, which you’ll just have to eat to believe. We’d love to welcome you to experience all that North Texas has to offer!
Click here for more information about visiting Dallas, Texas!
Glen Rose, Texas
Dinosaur World
If you’re fascinated with dinosaurs, then you need to add Glen Rose, TX to your travel bucket list! What makes Glen Rose so incredible are all of the unique activities this little town has to offer!
Glen Rose is known as the Dinosaur Capital of Texas and here you can actually search for real dinosaur footprints and tracks along the Paluxy River in Dinosaur Valley State Park! This activity is a family favorite of ours! We love throwing on our swimsuits and rain boots and exploring the river beds for tracks. Just be careful, it can be so slippery!
Real dinosaur tracks in the Paluxy River
There’s also a fun family attraction called Dinosaur World that my boys love! This place has over a hundred life sized dinosaur replicas that show these dinosaurs in a natural setting. There are also different interactive exhibits and animatronics that we all enjoyed and I especially liked the assortment of fossils. My boys were all about the gift shop!
Dinosaur World
Fossil Rim is a fun wildlife center and drive through safari! We laughed so hard feeding the various animals that roamed past our vehicle. The giraffes are my most favorite, but we’ve never been lucky enough to have one come close enough to feed. One day it will happen though! Be prepared for lots of fun and lots of animal slobber!
Fossil Rim
Another exciting adventure in Glen Rose is Big Rocks Park! There’s not a lot of information about this place, I only found the address online and then happened to come across another blog or travel review about this place. We spent a full day here playing & climbing on the rocks and cooling off in the water. My boys really enjoyed the rope swings hanging from the trees! This park was pretty crowded when we visited, but fun was still had!
Big Rocks Park
We’ve camped in Glen Rose, we’ve visited just for a day trip, and we’ve also stayed at one of the hotels in town. There are lodging options available for all needs. On one of our camping trips to Glen Rose, we rented tubes and floated down the river. The rental company dropped us off with our tubes and then picked us back up where the river ended. It was a nice and relaxing float and you can really see the true beauty of Glen Rose and the Paluxy River!
Big Rocks Park
Click herefor more information about visiting Glen Rose, Texas!
San Antonio, Texas
River Walk
When I think of San Antonio I am always flooded with happy memories, dating back to my childhood! This is another place that I visited with my family and I had the most amazing time here on our 7th grade history trip many, many years ago. San Antonio is full of history, the most delicious food, and has always been a fun destination to visit!
If you follow our travels you might already know that I am a huge fan of our country’s history. So naturally, The Alamo ranks high on my list! The grounds around the Alamo are beautiful and the museum cannot be missed. Across the street from the Alamo you will also find some touristy places like a Ripley’s Believe it or Not, a haunted house, and a wax museum. These are fun if you’re looking for something extra to do!
The Alamo
The River Walk is one of my favorite attractions in Texas! It is absolutely gorgeous and I love nothing more than walking along the river taking in the all sights, stopping to eat Mexican food and sip a margarita, and shopping! There are several amazing restaurants and hotels right along the river. If you visit, you have to take a guided a boat ride on the river! We especially love visiting in December. They really do Christmas right and the millions of lights along the River Walk are magical!
River Walk decorated for the holidays!
I just recently visited the Historic Market Square and it truly felt like we were walking along the streets in Mexico. The colors, the sounds, the smells, ah I loved it all! But I didn’t take a single photo! The weather was so mild in December, we were able to sit outside on the patio and have Mexican food while listening to a singer perform. This was a fantastic stop on our way out of San Antonio and back home.
Natural Bridge Caverns is a great stop if you have kids or just really enjoy caves. We like to stop here on our way into San Antonio. It’s a nice way to get out of the car and stretch your legs. And there’s just something so fascinating about caves! I don’t have any recent digital photos here, but there are several on the website I linked above.
Click here for more information about visiting San Antonio, Texas!
There are so many other places to visit in Texas! I am including a list of other Texas destinations to add to your Texas travel bucket list! I have been to several of these places, but not recently and I only want to share places that I feel I can adequately give you details & share recent photos and recommendations about.
More Texas Travel Destinations:
Austin – Check out the TX state capital building, enjoy live music & great eats, hike or swim at one of the many parks/lakes!
Check back for more to come, I’ve realized that we need to take a few local trips in our home state! If you have a Texas destination or recommendation, I’d love for you to leave a comment!
It’s no secret that a lot of our road trip adventures have led to some pretty epic hiking destinations! I am sharing my top 10 favorite trails that we have hiked so far. These trails are all suitable for my boys that are under the age of 12!
10. South Kaibab Trail to Ooh-Aah Point at Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
We visited the Grand Canyon in November over Thanksgiving Break. I really wanted to hike down into the canyon, so we decided we would take the rim walk from Mather Point to the Kaibab Trail and hike down to Ooh-Aah Point. If I am being honest, I would have really liked to hiked rim to rim. But that just wasn’t an option with our boys. I also looked into mule rides to the bottom, but you have to be 9 and older and Jake was only 7 at the time. So, we did the hike and trail that we thought the boys would be able to handle the best. We ended up hiking 8 total miles because we went past Ooh-Aah Point. The views were truly stunning the father down into the canyon we hiked. The switchbacks on the start of the trail were really cool, until the hike back up! Just remember that however far you hike down, you must hike back up. And while we didn’t go that many miles down, it was very hard for me to get back up and I am in pretty decent shape. I am thankful that the weather was cooler, I cannot imagine doing that hike in the summer temps. The photos will never do it justice!
9. Hidden Falls Trail in Grand Teton National Park, WY
We were able to spend a couple days hiking in the Grand Tetons this past June on our Yellowstone Road Trip. I really enjoyed every hike, but this one was so peaceful and beautiful! This hike starts at the Jenny Lake area, so we decided to head that way and grab lunch at the store right at the trailhead. From here, we followed the trail around Jenny Lake. If you don’t want to hike, you can purchase tickets for a boat ride across the lake that drops you off about a mile from Hidden Falls. We decided to take the hike since we had been riding in the car so much on this trip! The views are fantastic around the lake and we even saw a deer along the trail. Before getting all the way to Hidden Falls you will eventually see a bridge with a raging river running under it. This is a great place to stop for photos! We stopped in this area and had a picnic snack on the rocks and just watched the river roar by underneath us. From this spot, it’s about a mile or less to the Hidden Falls. This waterfall is majestic and another great location for photos!
Hidden Falls Trail Information:
Distance: 4.9 mile out & back
Time: 2.5 hours
Location: Grand Teton NP, Jenny Lake area, Jackson, WY
Click here for our Grand Teton National Park Itinerary!
8. Lake Haiyaha Trail in Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
The hike to Lake Haiyaha was one of the toughest I have ever done. But I am beyond thankful that we persevered and made it to the lake because it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen! I visited Rocky Mountain National Park this past October for a long weekend of hiking. RMNP is one of my favorite places on earth, but this was the first time I have ever hiked to Lake Haiyaha. The majority of the hike is up a steep incline and there were several times I wanted to give up and turn around. When you finally even out on the incline, you are then faced with several yards of boulders that you must scramble over to get to the lake. Once you do, the sight is amazing! Especially right now since a rockslide over the summer turned the lake a unique shade of blue! This is one hike that you don’t want to miss! And this is one of two listed hikes that I didn’t take my boys on, but I know that they would have loved the rock scramble. Please keep in mind that you do need timed-entry reservations for Rocky Mountain National Park from early spring through the fall.
Lake Haiyaha Trail Information:
Distance: 4.0 miles out & back
Time: 2 hours+
Location: Rocky Mountain National Park, Bear Lake area, Estes Park, CO
Click here for my Fall in Rocky Mountain National Park Itinerary!
7. Munds Wagon Trail to Merry Go Round Rock in Sedona, AZ
We traveled to Sedona over Mother’s Day weekend in May last year. Our first hike of the trip was on Munds Wagon Trail, which is about 8 miles out and back. AllTrails had the hike at 6.4 miles, but I clocked us at 8.1 miles with all of the extra exploring and climbing we did along the trail. I would rate this trail as moderate, especially if you’re hiking with kids. We needed to stop for food quite a bit. Luckily the majority of the hike is uphill on the way to Merry Go Round Rock, which makes the hike to the car mostly downhill. The views are stunning and the trail was very well marked. We really enjoyed all of the hikes we did in Sedona, but this one had those infamous Sedona red rock views the entire way and that’s why I picked this one as my favorite!
6. Delicate Arch Trail in Arches National Park, UT
We visited Moab over our Spring Break in March. On our first day in Moab we decided to spend the day hiking at Arches National Park. I had to see Delicate Arch, so that was our first hike for the day. I kept a close watch on the live webcam at the ticket area, and never saw long lines to get into the park. We arrived around 10 am. I am sure it’s much busier during the summer. This was our first visit to Utah, so I didn’t really know what to expect at the Park. But it ended up being super easy! Take the map that is offered to you at the ticket area. The park has signs along the way and we were able to find the Delicate Arch hike fairly easy and we enjoyed the sights along the drive. What I love about this Park is that even people that can’t hike can enjoy almost everything! There are places to pull over and view the famous landmarks or you can park and hike to them. We knew that the hike to Delicate Arch would be the longest and hardest of the trip so we started there first. I am not going to lie, it was pretty hard in one part that is a very steep incline. The rest is fairly easy and the walk back down was no trouble at all. The kids did great and we saw people of all ages and ability levels able to do this one. And I promise that the view at the end is amazing! I also loved that everyone waited turns to take photos under the arch and we all offered to take photos of each other. Please keep in mind that you need timed-entry reservations for Arches National Park starting in early spring through the fall.
5. Stout Memorial Grove Trail in Redwood National & State Parks, CA
There are several different parks that make up the Redwood National and State Parks, so I had a hard time deciding which area to visit. We settled on Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park and the Stout Memorial Grove Trail to hike. I am so happy with this decision, we had the most amazing day in the Redwoods and ended our hike with a beach walk that was absolutely stunning! We encountered maybe 4 people on this day, at both the Redwoods and the beach! So, I highly recommend a visit if you want to experience a National Park with no crowds. The road to this trail does turn into a packed dirt road, but our 2 wheel drive rental car had no issues making the trip! Our boys loved climbing all the fallen trees, especially after being in the car for so long the day before. The pictures don’t really do it any justice, I have NEVER seen trees so big and tall in my life.
Stout Memorial Grove Trail Information:
Distance: 0.7 mile loop
Time: 30 min+
Location: Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park in Crescent City, CA
Click here for our entire Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Itinerary!
4. Sunday Gulch Trail in Custer State Park, SD
My favorite day in South Dakota was hiking in Custer State Park! I can’t even begin to describe the trail we hiked. I came across images of the Sunday Gulch Trail and knew we had to do it. I am not going to lie, there were tears shed around the 2.5 mile mark from my oldest kiddo. (We didn’t know he was actually getting sick with a fever/cold at the time). This hike is 3.9 miles long, it’s labeled as a HARD trail with a lot of uphill and downhill hiking, trekking through water, over rapids and streams using rocks or tree logs to get across. It was so much fun, but so much work. I can’t even describe how beautiful the sights were and my pictures just don’t do it justice. We could’ve explored this park for 3-4 days! I didn’t get many shots of us on the crazier parts of the trail because I had to help pass our little one off to Jereme and didn’t want to drop my phone in the water. But trust me, it was so cool! We packed a picnic lunch and found a nice, shady area to eat and then took off. It cost us $20 to get into the park, but that includes a 5 day pass to return. There are bathrooms, a store/souvenir shop, canoe rentals, and probably more than I even saw. After the hike, the kiddos and Jereme jumped into the lake for a freezing cold swim!
Click here for our Texas to South Dakota Road Trip Itinerary!
3. Secret Cove Beach Trail in South Lake Tahoe, CA
Secret Cove Beach was one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever visited. The hike is not very long, roughly a mile from the parking lot. There are not a lot of signs marking the trail, but we still had no trouble finding the secret cove. It is a clothing optional beach, I would never go nude, but didn’t mind if others did. However, we didn’t see anyone else without swimsuits on. We were there pretty early and it felt like we had the entire cove to ourselves. We explored the trails above the cove and just took in the sights, then hiked down to the beach and relaxed on the shore and took a few swims.
2. Emerald Lake Trail in Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
We visited Rocky Mountain National Park in July a couple of summers ago. On our first day here, we were so excited and decide to head to the Park right before 4:00 pm, and didn’t wait in line for more than 5 minutes to enter. We drove right to the Bear Lake parking lot, used the restrooms at the trailhead, and began the hike to Emerald Lake. It was AMAZING!!!! The signs along the trail were easy to follow and take you around two other lakes, Nymph Lake and Dream Lake, before getting to Emerald Lake. Our boys, ages 10 and 7 at the time, did great on this one. I absolutely love this hike and this National Park! Please keep in mind that you need timed-entry reservations to Rocky Mountain National Park from early spring through the fall.
Emerald Lake Trail Information:
Distance: 3.2 mile out & back
Time: 2 hrs
Location: Rocky Mountain National Park, Bear Lake area, Estes Park, CO
Click here for our entire Rocky Mountain National Park & Beyond Itinerary!
1. Lower Caves Trail in Maquoketa Caves State Park, IA
If you are craving a unique travel adventure, then look no further! What makes this State Park so incredible is that it has 6 miles of hiking trails and 13 caves to explore, completely on your own. My family loves visiting caves, but usually that comes with a guided tour and a time limit on your caving experience. Not this place! You park your car and your adventure begins! There are no guides, no time limits, just a nicely marked trail system to venture at your own pace. My boys loved this adventure just as much as I did! We started with the lower caves, so that involved walking down wooden stairs to get inside the caves. There were different places for the boys to climb and explore, and if you have kids, you know that they love to climb and explore! I could not get over all of the geological features and was just in awe the whole time! We will definitely venture back to Iowa just to hike these caves again!
Maquoketa Caves Trail Information:
Distance: 1.7 mile loop
Time: 1 hour+
Location: Maquoketa Caves State Park in Maquoketa, IA
Click here for more information and photos of Maquoketa Caves State Park!
Helpful Hiking Tips: Bring plenty of food and water for the day, wear sunscreen and reapply often, use bug repellent, bring a first aid kit, take a swimsuit or change of clothes/shoes, expect to get wet, and have a blast!
This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you purchase any items using the links provided at no extra charge to you.
I would love to hear what your favorite trails are! If you have a favorite trail or a recommendation, leave me a comment. And as always, thanks for following along on our adventures!
If you are anything like me, you might spend your free time searching for unique experiences for your family across the US. I have compiled a list of our favorite unique destinations and experiences for all of your planning purposes!
Ruins of Presidents Park in Williamsburg, Virginia
Have you ever seen a photo of a place so unique that you knew you had to visit? That was my reaction the first time I saw a photo of the Ruins of Presidents Park. The image I saw was so eerie and creepy, I just had to add it to my bucket list. Plus, I have a new love of all things historical, so this was a destination I knew I needed to explore.
There are 43 President Sculptures, from George Washington to George W. Bush. They range in height from 18-20 feet. Most are in terrible shape with crumbling features and water discoloration. This only adds to the character and eeriness of the site!
To visit these ruins, you must purchase a ticket through eventbrite with John Plashal Photo. He is a photographer that has some kind of connection to the family that owns these sculptures and is allowed to host events every few months. Once tickets are purchased, you will get more detailed instructions via email about the location, where to park, what to bring, etc. Upon arrival, you will meet John Plashal and he’ll give out instructions, get you checked in, and then you pretty much have free range to explore during your ticketed hours!
Do you love up close and personal animal encounters? Have you ever wanted to visit an elephant sanctuary? Then let me tell you about The Preserve in Fredericksburg, TX!
This experience was so amazing, I was literally brought to tears twice. We listened to some information about The Preserve, the back story and how the elephants came to be here. Then we all watched in complete awe as 4 Asian elephants began to head towards us, trunk to tail in a line. Cue the first set of tears I cried. We were able to spend about 2 hours here with the elephants and even participated in giving one a bath! Such a fun experience and the staff is awesome! They were all willing to give each guest an epic experience and wanted to help photograph our time with the elephants.
Overall, without giving too much away in case you want to visit on your own, I will say that this has been one of my favorite family getaways of all time! I am a life-long learner, an animal lover, and adventure seeker. This hit all of those areas for me. But my favorite part about it was seeing the pure joy and excitement from my boys. They loved the experience and want to go back!
Walking Behind a Waterfall in Twin Falls, Idaho
What a fun surprise Twin Falls was! Idaho as a whole is a beautiful and underrated state that I hope we can venture back to explore soon. We didn’t spend a lot of time in Twin Falls, it was more of a resting point for us on our drive from Texas to Yellowstone, but it was a fantastic stop that really made me appreciate the area!
Our first stop of the evening was to see the Perrine Coulee Falls, within Centennial Waterfront Park. It is the coolest waterfall that has a trail that allows you to walk right behind it! This was one of our favorite adventures on our entire road trip! We used AllTrails for directions to the waterfall trailhead. It said that it’s a 2 mile out & back trail, but if you park along the road next to the falls it’s less than 0.5 miles of walking. There are several spots right along the road that offer parking and there is a bigger parking lot farther away that you can use if there aren’t spots available next to the trail, but we had no problem finding a spot. We did go later in the day, around 6:30 pm as soon as we arrived and it wasn’t very crowded at all. The hike also isn’t very long and took less than 5 minutes from our parked car. You can hear the waterfall as soon as you exit your car, before you see the falls. It was so impressive and really flowing! The falls drop almost 200 feet and flow year-round, but summer flows are stronger. We spent at least an hour just taking it all in from different angles.
Home Alone Airbnb in Dallas, Texas
I might have a small obsession with the movie Home Alone. I’ve visited the house in Chicago where the movie was filmed two times now and it’s on my bucket list to go back and see it during Christmastime. So, when I heard that there was a Home Alone Airbnb in Dallas (just 45 minutes from my house), I knew I had to see it! This movie is definitely a family favorite of ours and I cannot even tell you the total amount of times I’ve seen it. I still remember my mom taking my little sister and I to the movies when it released back in 1990, I was 8 years old. I’m not sure a year has gone by that I haven’t watched it during the holidays. And thankfully my boys love it just as much as I do!
I’m happy to say that our stay was everything I hoped it would be! I don’t think we stopped smiling all night. The thoughts and details that went into planning this themed getaway are top notch and I cannot believe some of the memorable in this place! AND, it even came with a FREE large cheese pizza.
I think one night is all you need to experience the magic of this place, especially if you are local. It felt like the most epic sleepover ever and my boys were thrilled we didn’t have to leave once we arrived. If you are traveling from a long distance, you will be right outside of downtown Dallas and have tons of touristy locations and amazing restaurants right at your fingertips!
And my favorite part of all, watching both Home Alone and Home Alone Lost in New York on VHS tape! We taught the kids how to rewind a video and all about Blockbuster and how exciting it was to go rent movies on Friday nights! I’m totally an 80s kid and this just took me back to my childhood!
We decided to road trip across Colorado up to Monarch Mountain to go dog sledding with Monarch Dog Sled Rides. My littlest son is obsessed with wolves & huskies, so we knew he’d love this animal adventure! And I think it’s safe to say that we ALL loved dog sledding.
The tour started with an introduction and background story about every dog on the tour. Then we learned about the history of dog sledding and the kids were so engaged. From there we learned how to harness a dog and anyone has the opportunity to try it out themselves. Then it was time to start the ride! I have never seen dogs so excited to work! You can totally tell that these dogs are treated very well and are truly born to pull sleds! The kids and I bundled up together in the sled and Jereme got to stand at the back with our guide and drive the sled. The sights were incredible, the guides were so knowledgeable and we enjoyed chatting with them during our tour. The few stops we made were fun, we especially loved getting to play with the dogs and watch them roll around in the snow to cool down. I would highly, highly, highly recommend this company and this adventure for anyone wanting to add some fun to their ski or snowboarding trip to Colorado!
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon Inflation in New York City
When I was looking for fun things to do in New York, I stumbled across information about walking around the parade balloons while they are being inflated the day before the big event. I knew that this was a must for us! So, obviously you will need to be in NYC the week of Thanksgiving to experience the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon inflation. The cool thing about being in NYC, is that the local news stations detailed exactly what we needed to do to see this in person and we followed the directions and had no issues getting to experience this. We took a subway ride to Central Park and the boys played a little and we walked around the lake for a bit. We had some hot dogs and some pretzels from a street vendor in the Park and then walked back over to Columbus and 72nd Street. There was a line forming, so we got in it and waited less than 5 minutes before we started moving into the blocked off areas around the balloons. You do have to go through a security area and if you have a bag, it will be searched. Once you pass this, you follow the crowd to the streets that they have set up the balloons and the floats on, and you get an up close view of it all! The parade staff even told us this is the best way to experience the balloons and we were even told to just watch the parade from TV! This event is free and you do not need reservations at this time!
The week of Thanksgiving is such a fun time to visit New York! Not only can you experience the Thanksgiving Parade, the city is also decorated for Christmas and just truly magical this time of year.
Click here for more information about the Parade and balloon inflation!
I cannot wait to add more unique adventures to our travel list! If you have a favorite unique experience or destination, please share in the comments! Follow me on Instagram to see more photos and videos of our unique travels.
I’m here to tell you that Thanksgiving Break is the most epic time to visit NYC! It has always been a dream of mine to see New York in all of its holiday glory. But, I also wanted to see the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in my lifetime, too. When Jereme asked me what I wanted for my 40th birthday back in September, I immediately responded with a trip and I knew that I wanted to go over a school break so that we would have more time away than a long weekend. We originally decided on Boston, but flights were ridiculously expensive. So, after doing some research, I learned that Thanksgiving is a great time to travel to New York and it was settled! I am beyond thankful that we were able to make this adventure happen!
Day 1 – Arrival and Times Square
We booked an early, 7 am flight out of Dallas and landed at La Guardia around 10:30 am. Thanks to some 100 mph tailwinds, we made it to the city in about 2 hours and 15 minutes. I was shocked but thrilled to basically have a full day to explore! We stayed at The Manhattan in Times Square and taxied straight there from the airport. There were not any rooms ready that early, but the staff was amazingly accommodating and had a place to store our bags while we ventured out. This location was great, we were just a half block away from the Subway and close to all the fun in Times Square! We had been up since 3 am and were tired and starving, so we stopped at the closest place in Times Square without a long wait to eat, which happened to be the Olive Garden. Don’t judge us hah!! We were all hangry at this point and it’s safer to feed our kids what we know they will eat than risk a new place when they’re already cranky. After eating, we walked around Times Square for a bit and then headed back to the hotel for check in. This was also the coldest day of our whole trip, so we were ready to be out of the cold winds before it got dark.
What we loved the most about the hotel was the amazing hotel staff. The lady checking us in thought our boys were so funny and she asked our youngest if he wanted to stay on a high or low floor. He definitely said a high floor, so she got us a room on the top floor, with a view of Radio City Music Hall. When I looked up the parade route, I had saved a map that showed the parade going in front of Radio City. I could not believe that we would have a view of the Macy’s Parade right from our hotel room! (More on this later!!) The room was a little bit bigger than I thought it would be for New York and it was very clean. The bathroom was a little outdated, with pink tile. But again, it was all clean! We ended up just staying in for the rest of the day. It gets dark around 4:30 there and it was already so cold outside. We were tired and the Dallas Cowboys were playing. So, we all agreed to stay in and watch the game. Jereme and our oldest son ended up walking down the street to Krispy Kreme and we had warm donuts for dinner! We are way more fun when were are traveling ha! Then, we all headed to bed fairly early.
I started day 2 with my alarm set for 7 am. Since it was a Monday, I was up to reserve FREE tickets to the 9/11 Museum. This is only offered on Mondays from 3:30-5:00 pm and you can only get tickets on Mondays starting at 7:00 am. I have traveled to New York City several times, so it made sense to see these two places on the same day since their location is close to one another. I pre-purchased tickets to the Statue of Liberty several weeks in advance, but still had no luck getting tickets for the crown. We did secure tickets to the pedestal and I highly recommend! It is a lot of stairs, but overall you have better access to Lady Liberty and better photos without the surrounding fence in the background.
We ended up taking an Uber to Battery Park to catch the ferry to the Statue. We had tickets for 11:00 am and left our hotel at 10:00 am. You must wait in several lines to go through security screening and then again to get onto the ferry. We made it to Liberty Island at the perfect time and were able to go straight inside to the pedestal as soon as we arrived. We spent at least an hour exploring the pedestal and grounds. Then we headed over to the Café onsite and had an excellent lunch! I had soup, Jereme and the boys had burgers and nuggets. It really is nice to be able to eat here and not worry about your kids getting hungry and not having a place to eat until the ferry returns! Once we had lunch, we ventured over to the museum located behind the Statue. It has a lot of artifacts, my favorite being the Statue’s original torch!
After spending several hours on the island, we got back on the ferry and made it to Battery Park about an hour before we could enter the 9/11 Museum. We had time to check out the memorial fountains and the Survivor’s Tree. We also walked around the Oculus Building before we were allowed inside the museum at our reserved time. I really liked that we had free tickets, but it was really crowded at this time. I have been to the 9/11 Museum once before and went earlier in the day. It felt like I had the museum to myself, but this visit was packed. It could’ve been that it was also during a holiday week. My boys still learned a lot and we were all glad we got to experience this museum, but I would probably recommend trying an earlier time during this week. Full disclosure, this is not a fun and happy museum to visit and I had tears several different times throughout the exhibits. But, we must never forget! They did a beautiful job detailing the events of the day and showing how our country came together during this tragic event in history. I hope everyone gets the chance to visit this museum.
After we left the museum, we rode the subway back to Times Square and stopped for dinner at Dos Caminos. There was no wait, the food was actually pretty good, but the service was very slow. We did enjoy having tacos and margaritas before ending the night walking around Times Square and taking in all the lights and people! We also ventured over by Radio City Music Hall to check out all the holiday decorations and we were enthralled! They do Christmas BIG and I loved every second that I was there! Everywhere decorates and it’s so fun to see all of the holiday spirit! I only wish that we could’ve seen the tree at Rockefeller Center. It was there, but it was surrounded by scaffolding while people decorated it.
Day 3 – Empire State Building, Macy’s Storefront, Saks Fifth Avenue Lighting Ceremony
My family loves the movie, Elf! So, my boys really wanted to go inside the Empire State Building after watching the movie right before our trip. I got tickets for the next morning, so we left our hotel around 9:30 am and caught an Uber ride over to the Empire State Building. It actually ended up being a really fun experience! The inside is neat and you stop on several floors along the ride up to see different things. There are several replica buildings for photo ops and a floor detailing the construction of this building. Different movie posters and props are also inside and just a lot of opportunities for fun photos as you make your way up to the top. The views are neat, I probably like the Top of the Rock view more, mostly because the Empire State Building is in it! But I enjoyed the inside of the Empire State Building much better! The exit of the tour is probably the best, it’s the iconic Empire State Building entrance area that Buddy the Elf goes inside to see his Dad in the movie Elf. We were so excited to see this! We were pretty hungry afterwards, and my youngest loves pizza. So we walked over to Little Italy right around the corner and had some excellent pizza. It might have been the best and cheapest meal of the week for us! Give it a try if you want something quick and easy and delicious!
After lunch, we walked down the street to see the Macy’s storefront and we even did some shopping while we were there. The window displays are so festive and I was thrilled to see them in person. I don’t have many photos of this, there were a lot of people looking and the glare from the sun made my photos look weird. But, this is a sight you must see if you’re in the city around the holidays! And my boys had some money, so they wanted to shop and we found some great items that were already on sale! One kid got some Crocs and the other got a football jersey. They were both thrilled with their purchases! We headed back to the hotel to rest our legs a little after shopping and got a good nap in before leaving again for the night.
I had heard that Saks would be having their Christmas display lighting ceremony on this night. Even though it wasn’t something I had planned for, I figured it would be fun to see it in person. It ended up being one of my highlights of the entire trip because Elton John made an appearance and even sang right out on the streets in front of the store! We all went crazy and just huddled close to each other singing right in the street along with him. It was amazing and the lighting ceremony is magical and my boys loved all the fireworks! If you are here during the week of Thanksgiving, make sure you look up to see which night this ceremony takes place! It started at 7:00 pm and we got there around 6:30 pm to get a good spot to watch! We ate at Bills Bar and Burger nearby before grabbing our spot for the lighting event and it was really good.
Day 4 – Central Park and Macy’s Parade Balloon Inflation
This day ended up being another highlight for us! When I was looking for fun things to do in New York, I stumbled across information about walking around the parade balloons while they are being inflated the day before the big event. I knew that this was a must for us! The cool thing about being in NYC, is that the local news stations detailed exactly what we needed to do to see this in person and we followed the directions and had no issues getting to experience this. We took a subway ride to Central Park and the boys played a little and we walked around the lake for a bit. We had some hot dogs and some pretzels from a street vendor in the Park and then walked back over to Columbus and 72nd Street. There was a line forming, so we got in it and waited less than 5 minutes before we started moving into the blocked off areas around the balloons. You do have to go through a security area and if you have a bag, it will be searched. Once you pass this, you follow the crowd to the streets that they have set up the balloons and the floats on, and you get an up close view of it all! The parade staff even told us this is the best way to experience the balloons and we were even told to just watch the parade from TV! This event is free and you do not need reservations at this time!
This area is directly across the street from Central Park, so after we headed back to explore more. This is such a peaceful place and hard to even believe it’s in the middle of NYC. The boys played some football, we found some Home Alone sites, and even walked over to Wollman Rink. We would’ve loved to ice skate, but it was quiet crowded and we opted to skip the wait and find an early dinner. You can spend hours in Central Park after leaving the parade area, but you can also visit the American Museum of Natural History while you’re close by! We have been once and it’s a great museum. My favorite was the dinosaur exhibit!
We actually walked back to our hotel from Central Park and stopped at The Elgin for dinner. It was probably my least favorite meal of the trip. The food was good, there just weren’t many choices and the portions were small. After dinner, we walked around the different Christmas displays around Radio City and Rockefeller Center again before calling it a night!
Day 5 – The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and Flight Home
It was really important for us to get back home to spend Thanksgiving with our families this week. We had planned to book an early flight, but I had a hard time finding a nonstop option and we ended up not leaving until 2:00 pm. It worked out perfect though, because we were able to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade from our hotel window! This was so exciting for us to see and I was thrilled that we didn’t even have to wake up early to find a spot to watch. I had pretty much decided that even though we were in the city the day of the parade, we would be skipping this one. I didn’t want to wake up early, stand outside in the cold, and wait for hours for the parade to start without a bathroom. It could not have been more perfect to have the room that we did! We had an amazing view from above and even caught some of the balloons from the street level right outside of the hotel. It was the perfect way to end our trip before leaving for the airport. We opted to leave the hotel around 10:30 am, even though our flight didn’t leave until 2:00. I wasn’t sure how the traffic would be due to the parade and road closures. We didn’t encounter any traffic on the drive to the airport and had plenty of time to sit down and have lunch before leaving. And we made it home just in time for our first Thanksgiving dinner with family!
All in all, it was just a really good week making tons of memories together! This week is a great time to visit, you get to experience Thanksgiving events and Christmas at the same time! Of course, there were several things I wanted to see and do that we didn’t make it to, so we’ll just have to plan another visit! If you’re going to be visiting New York soon, I highly recommend the City Pass. The savings are amazing! Happy Holidays and Safe Travels!
I just got back from an epic girls trip and I am so excited to share all the details with you! Take notes, you’re going to want to visit this mountain town stat!
I have known my best friend, Amy, for decades. Three decades to be exact. We both hit the big 4-0, her in August and me in September. Those months are pretty busy for us being educators. So, we pushed back our celebrations until October, grabbed another girlfriend, and took advantage of a long weekend and hit the mountains.
Lodging:
So excited to stay at the Stanley Hotel!
We decided that we would venture to Colorado and picked Estes Park for our lodging. We both love hiking, so it made sense to be close to Rocky Mountain National Park. I have always dreamed of staying in the historic Stanley Hotel, so that’s what we did! I loved that we were staying in this haunted hotel… in October. I love all of the creepy things, so you know we booked the Haunted Shining Tour. This hotel has it all including amazing views, tours, restaurants/bars, and a spa. If you wanted to be spoiled with good food, drinks, and pampering then look no further!
Inside the hotel The Shining memorabilia Scene from The Shining
This National Park is one of my favorites and each season here is incredible. Fall is probably my favorite, though. The weather was absolutely perfect for us and we enjoyed over 10 miles of breathtaking hikes! The elk are rutting during the fall and I heard my very first elk bugle! I loved seeing all of the animals out enjoying the weather, too.
Hiking Info:
These trails are stunning in the fall!
On our first day of hiking we headed to Bear Lake and started there. We decided to hike to Emerald Lake, which is about 3 miles out & back. What I love most about this trail besides the views are the lakes you see along this hike. You can start with Bear Lake, which is a short walk from the parking lot. Then you venture on to Nymph Lake, then Dream Lake, then end at Emerald Lake. The trail can be tough at times, but there are several places to stop and rest and take in the views.
Bear Lake:
Easy 0.7 mile loop
Best time to visit is March-November
Bear Lake Loop
Nymph Lake:
Easy 1.2 mile out & back trail
Best time to visit is March-November
Nymph Lake
Dream Lake:
Easy/Moderate 2.0 mile out & back trail
Best time to visit is April-November
Dream Lake
Emerald Lake:
Easy/moderate 3.2 mile out & back trail
Best time to visit is June-October
Emerald Lake
Our second day of hiking started with a sunrise hike around Sprague Lake. I was a little disappointed that we didn’t see a moose time, but the sunrise was gorgeous. Then we decided to head back to Bear Lake and hike to Alberta Falls and then Lake Haiyaha. This was a little tougher day of hiking, we were already sore from the day before. And the hike to Lake Haiyaha was one of the toughest I have ever done. But I am beyond thankful that we persevered and made it to the lake because it is one of the most beautiful places I ever seen!
Estes Park is a fun little mountain town with lots of great shopping and restaurants along the main street. I can’t believe that we didn’t do more shopping, but we really focused our time in the National Park and then at our hotel. To be honest, the town was pretty crowded and there were long wait times for dining. I recommend eating off the main street. We loved having brunch at MollyB’s before starting our first day of hiking and ending the night with Mexican food and margaritas at Case Grande!
Hiking Gear:
If you follow along on our travels, then you know that we spend a lot our time outdoors and hiking! I am an educator, so I don’t have a ton of money to spend on hiking gear. I am always shopping on a budget and I have been so pleased with the gear I have. I love the hiking pants I wear, they don’t slide down or sag and are quiet comfy. I have had my high-top hiking boots for several years and they have held up so well! My backpack is the perfect size for me, my husband usually carries one that is larger and holds more. I do have hiking poles, but honestly I didn’t use them. My boys and husband love using theirs, but I feel like they just get in the way for me. But that might be because I am the one taking all of the photos and videos! Below are my top hiking recommendations! (The links included are affiliate links and I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.)
As always, thanks so much for following along! For more videos of our travels, check out my posts on Instagram (linked on the main page). I have some videos of my favorite hikes there!
If you are craving a unique travel adventure, then look no further! Our visit to Maquoketa Caves State Park in Iowa ranks in my top 3 favorite experiences of all-time and I am already planning our next trip back!
So, maybe you’re like us and you’re on a quest to visit all fifty states. Maybe you’re looking for something different, or maybe you live in the Midwest. Either way, I cannot recommend a trip to this State Park enough! If you follow along already, then you know that I have set a goal to visit all 50 states with my boys. When planning our summer adventures I knew that I wanted to knock out some new states that we haven’t visited yet and so I got out my map and started making plans. Most of the states we have left to visit are not really in driving range, but Iowa looked doable. My first thought though was, “What on earth are we going to do in Iowa”? Little did I know that I would come across one of the most epic hiking trails I could ever imagine!
What makes this State Park so incredible is that it has 6 miles of hiking trails and 13 caves to explore, completely on your own. My family loves visiting caves, but usually that comes with a guided tour and a time limit on your caving experience. Not this place! You park your car and your adventure begins! There are no guides, no time limits, just a nicely marked trail system to venture at your own pace.
My boys loved this adventure just as much as I did! We started with the lower caves, so that involved walking down wooden stairs to get inside the caves. There were different places for the boys to climb and explore, and if you have kids, you know that they love to climb and explore! I could not get over all of the geologic features and was just in awe the whole time!
The caves stay the same temperature year round, but I found that they were pretty humid in August when we visited. There’s lots of water dripping throughout the caves, so wear a hat if that is something that might bother you. I also recommend wearing waterproof shoes and bringing a flashlight or headlamps. Some of the caves are really wet, some even require you to walk through shallow waters to explore!
For more information on Maquoketa Caves State Park, visit their website linked HERE! If you would like to check out videos of our hike through the caves, check out my Instagram page: road_trip_queen!
Road Trip Queen 