How many of you travel over the Christmas holiday for fun? I’m a teacher, so we try to take advantage of every school break. We’ve found some really great places to visit over the holiday season, so keep reading to check out our favorites!
Colorado
Dog Sledding in Monarch!
Can you ever really go wrong visiting Colorado any time of the year? It might just be one of my favorite states! Christmas is a magical time to visit this winter playground! My family loves to snowboard, so we’ve been visiting every winter for almost twenty years now. Over the years we’ve traveled to Crested Butte (my absolute favorite ski town), Steamboat, Keystone, Breckenridge, Winter Park, Copper Mountain, and Granby. Each of these ski towns offer their own bit of charm and they all do Christmastime right! You’ll often see torch light parades down the mountain, Christmas decor galore, and snow, snow, snow! Most of these ski towns offer a wide variety of skiing and snowboarding for all skill levels, sledding, tubing, ice skating, dog sledding, sleigh rides, snowmobiling and more! It’s always a good idea to check out each mountain town’s website for more details. If you’re looking for a white Christmas and outdoor winter adventures, then Colorado is the place to go! Click here to read more about our latest winter adventure in Colorado!
Building snowmen in Granby!
Santa Claus, Indiana
Last December I was looking for a fun holiday destination to take my boys. Life just felt hard with all that was going on with the pandemic. So I began researching and found a fun place called Santa Claus, Indiana! It ended up being just the place we needed for a long weekend away from the real world. While this wasn’t like a Hallmark Movie location, it was still magical in its own way! With a name like Santa Claus, you can bet that there’s a Santa Claus on just about every corner! We loved spotting them all. We participated in a FREE drive through breakfast with Santa, photos with Santa, wrote letters to Santa in an old post office (and he even wrote us back), and found the best candy store in town. Click here to read more about our adventures in Santa Claus, IN!
Check out this dabbing Santa!
Williamsburg, Virginia
This state is also becoming one of my favorite states to visit. I’m a huge history nerd, so of course it makes sense that I’d be drawn to Virginia. Last winter we had several flight vouchers to spend before the end of the year. So, I found great prices to Virginia and decided we needed to take Jereme back to the places I had visited with the boys over spring break earlier in the year. Colonial Williamsburg at Christmas was everything I hoped it would be! The decor was perfect for the colonial time period. Wreaths adorned every door and candles were lit in all the windows in the historic district. Farther down near the restaurants and shops was a huge Christmas tree and an ice skating rink! It was such a fun experience to step back in time and enjoy the holidays like the people in colonial times did! Click here to read more about our winter trip to Virginia!
Historic Colonial Williamsburg
San Antonio, Texas
Lights galore!
Have you ever been to the River Walk in San Antonio? They do it right during the holidays! I have never seen so many trees covered in Christmas lights. This is a destination that would be fun for families or even a couple’s romantic getaway. Luckily the weather in Texas is typically mild, even in December. You can enjoy a delicious dinner and margarita at one of many of the famous restaurants that line the River Walk. Dining outside under a canopy of Christmas lights is a must! Plus, you can even knock out some of your holiday shopping while you’re there! Don’t forget to visit the Alamo or take a boat ride down the river! Click here to learn more about Christmas on the River Walk!
Sea World San Antonio
Dallas, Texas
Isn’t this amazing!
Did you know that there is the MOST amazing Home Alone themed Airbnb in Dallas? I had to include this one because it’s a family favorite for us! We actually live just north of Dallas, so this wasn’t a long trip for us but we still loved the getaway nonetheless. The detail that went into setting up this place is top notch and we could not believe the relics from the 80s and 90s that were there! If you book a stay, you’ll even get a free cheese pizza delivered for dinner. If you have kids or even if you just love the movie Home Alone, I highly recommend checking this place out! I felt like I was back in my childhood, and who doesn’t want to feel like a care-free kid again, even just for a night? Plus Dallas has so many fun places, although we never ventured out. We were completely content hanging out in the Airbnb and watching the Home Alone movies… on VHS tape! Click here to read more about our visit and to find all of the booking details.
Once again, we haven’t been everywhere that’s on my holiday travel list and I am sure there are many more wonderful holiday destinations across the US! I hope to add more to our favorites in the coming year! Be on the lookout for our next holiday adventure to Winter Park, CO this Christmas break. No matter how near or far your holiday travels take you this year, I hope you have the best time with your family! As always, feel free to comment for any questions or advice! Follow me on Instagram at Road_Trip_Queen.
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I get asked the question all the time, “why do you road trip?” Easy answer for me, “because I love driving!” But my husband absolutely hates to road trip and would prefer to fly. So I’ve come up with some pros and cons for both to hopefully help you make the decision!
Road Tripping
Monument Valley
Like I mentioned before, I love driving and long car rides. Nine times out of ten, I’d pick a car ride over a flight any day. But when your husband has sciatica and can’t handle driving for long, you have to compromise at times. Here are all the reasons I love a good road trip…
First, you can bring All. The. Things! There’s nothing I despise more than a 50 lb. weight limit or trying to stuff everything into a carry on. If I want to bring 7 suitcases, 7 suitcases it is. I especially love this for hiking trips and beach trips because I can pack all the gear and beach toys our little hearts desire. I also prefer to bring a large selection of snacks/groceries and have yet to figure out how to do this when flying!
I also love being on my own time. If we want to leave early, we can. If we decide to sleep in a little longer, it’s up to us. The flexibility on time is so much less stressful for me.
When we drive, we get to see so many more sights than if we were to just to fly straight to our destination! For example, when we drove to Utah last spring, we got to visit Shiprock in New Mexico and Monument Valley! We would’ve missed this with a direct flight in. Click here to read more about our road trip to Arches National Park!
You never have to worry about a canceled flight or a long delay when driving. I swear I lose sleep on vacation worrying about getting stranded at the airport for days with our kids.
For us, driving is usually more cost effective. We don’t have to spend any money on flights, luggage, or a rental car. Even when we have to add in a hotel stay, that is usually far cheaper than airfare!
Flying High
I am not the best flyer there is, but I am getting better! And I will admit, there truly are some benefits to flying…
First, you get to your destination and back home much quicker when you fly. For us, that means less time off work since we don’t have to figure in several days for driving.
Flying is also much safer than driving. We have seen a couple of major wrecks in our travels, which makes me very nervous at times to be on the road.
Who hates traffic as much as I do? Man, we’ve been stuck in some pretty long traffic jams before. When we drove to St. Louis it took us about 3 hours longer to get there because we ended up stuck behind an RV crash and the highway was closed. That was definitely not fun for anyone. Click here to read more about our fall trip to St. Louis!
If you fly, you get to spend more time at your destination enjoying all of the things that you are there to see and explore!
Many people think flying is relaxing. I am not one of those people and am usually stressed and nervous the entire flight. But my husband and kids really enjoy it.
You can be productive on a flight. Often times I catch up my blog when we’re in flight. My boys love to watch movies or nap. Same with my husband. I also see other passengers getting work knocked out before vacation begins or ends, so that’s always a plus to get things complete and then get to enjoy the rest of the trip!
Finally, you don’t have to clean your vehicle after a road trip if you fly! I don’t know what my kids do, but my car is always a disaster after a road trip. And when I say disaster, I mean a disaster! It’s always nice to land, get into your ride and head home without that added chore.
As you can see, there many pros and cons to both driving and flying. I think for trips that are under a few hours, your best bet will be to drive! The most I have driven to date is to Maryland and that was about 19 hours from Texas. We obviously stayed the night halfway and did about 9 hours a day over two days. And as my kids always say, the drive to a destination is much better than the drive back home! Wherever you go next, and however you decide to get there, I hope you have the best time! And as always, let me know if you have any questions or need any travel ideas.
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My boys and I have been lucky enough to visit The Historic Triangle in Virginia two times, once during spring break and once at Christmastime. Being history enthusiasts, we really enjoyed both visits, but our winter experience was the absolute best!
What is The Historic Triangle?
Essentially, The Historic Triangle is three separate communities in coastal Virginia which are significant in our county’s history. These communities are now living history museums that represent early life in America, before our country was even a country. These three historical sites are very close to one another, which make it great for a weekend visit!
Colonial Williamsburg
When we visited the area we stayed in Colonial Williamsburg, at Bluegreen Patrick Henry Square. We loved our accommodations and the location was ideal for walking to Colonial Williamsburg’s historic district. Since it was Christmastime, there was magic in the air. I really enjoyed the holiday décor, which was indicative to the time-period. The homes and storefronts were adorned with holiday wreaths and candles were lit in the windows. The weather was also wonderful, although we were hoping for a little snow! We spent a full day here enjoying the history and time period. We also came back most nights for dinner since we stayed in the area.
One of our favorite activities was a guided Colonial Ghost Tour throughout the historic district. If you follow along on our travels, you already know that we do this in most of the places we visit! I guess it’s kinda our thing ha. We learned a lot of history about different homes and the church, and even more about the people that lived there! While we didn’t see any ghosts, we really enjoyed ourselves and did have several hits on the magnetic field detector that was provided in the tour (at an additional charge).
More Colonial Williamsburg Information:
· First, check out the Colonial Williamsburg website for more information on ticket pricing. Adult tickets are $42, children ages 6-12 are $25 and kids 5 and under are free.
· But also note that you can walk along the streets of Colonial Williamsburg for FREE. While you’re there you will literally feel like you’re in a different time period. You will see actors playing the part and they are wonderful! Ask them to pose for a quick picture, they will be happy to. You’ll see old Colonial homes, storefronts, gardens, and people riding in horse drawn carriages. If you do not purchase tickets, you will not be allowed entrance into any of the homes or stores. We did NOT purchase tickets, we got there really late and wanted to walk around to explore the streets before we made the decision to buy tickets. I mean let’s be honest, I am not really sure our kiddos (ages ranging from 5-9) would’ve really cared about going inside homes and listening to re-enactments. BUT they absolutely loved being out of the car, exploring the streets, and getting to walk around and see the sights. If I was there with just adults, I probably would’ve purchased tickets for the day. But if you don’t want to spend the money you will still have a wonderful experience just walking down the streets of the town. And you can look inside the windows of the houses and stores, so you can see what’s inside!
· There are also several restaurants along the streets so you can plan to eat when you’re in the area. Click here for a list of the top 10 best restaurants in Colonial Williamsburg!
· One full day spent in Colonial Williamsburg was plenty of time to see the sights! We spent our other days there visiting Yorktown and Jamestown – these three sites are about a 15 minute scenic drive apart.
· There are signs everywhere telling you how to get to different places, which we found very helpful!
Jamestown
Jamestown is my favorite historical site of the three! There are actually two parts to Jamestown, the original site and the living history museum. Think John Smith and Pocahontas! I cannot believe I got to see where these famous historical figures lived and walked in person.
Historic Jamestowne is the first permanent English Settlement in North America and you can explore ruins and artifacts left behind. There is also an archaeology museum on site, along with statues and monuments for Pocahontas and John Smith. This site was actually closed during our winter visit due to Covid, so be sure to check the website to see if it has re-opened.
Jamestown Settlement is the living history museum and here you are able to get a glimpse of life in the early 1600s in a Powhatan Indian Village, behind the English fort, and on the ships of the English settlers. There is also a large museum on site with different artifacts. We spent the majority of our time here! The docents are amazing and really get into their role of early life. Talk to them, ask them questions! They are full of knowledge and are there for that reason!
Yorktown
Yorktown was the site of the last battle of the Revolutionary War, where Gen. Cornwallis surrendered to Gen. George Washington! This waterfront town has museums, shopping, and restaurants. We visited the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, which is another living history museum with docents and it also has a large array of artifacts inside the gallery. Here we were able to see life as a soldier at the Continental Army encampment, as well as, life on a revolution-era farm.
Once we left this museum, we walked along the beach, played a little football with our boys, and then had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in Yorktown, The Yorktown Pub. The weather was a little chillier on this day, so I enjoyed warming up with their delicious clam chowder!
We really had an amazing winter visit to Virginia! I absolutely love this state. If you are in the area, be sure to check out The Ruins of Presidents Park that are located in Williamsburg. This was a bucket list adventure of mine and I am so thrilled that we were able to experience all of these amazing activities during our trip!
Please feel free to ask any questions, I am always happy to help! Thanks for following along on our travels!
Fall has always been my favorite season, ever since I can remember having a favorite season. I love everything about the fall… the food, smells, weather, decor, family time, fashion, and just recently, the travel! I am by no means an expert at fall travel, but I’m getting there!
You may already know that I am a teacher and fall can be a busy season for educators. We are just getting back into the routine of school after being out all summer. Grades are due, parent conferences are happening, and if you have kids, fall sports are in full swing. But if you can sneak away, even for just a weekend, I cannot recommend it enough! Usually, destinations are less crowded in the fall, since most people are back to work/school. And you can’t beat the cooler temperatures, either. I honestly think that fall travel is my new favorite thing! It was hard to choose just five, but listed below are my favorite fall destinations to date!
5. Broken Bow, Oklahoma
Quivera Cabin in Broken Bow
Coming in at number five is Broken Bow, Oklahoma! This has become a family favorite of ours, especially since it’s only about three hours from our home in Texas. There truly is something here for everyone. In my opinion, Broken Bow has the very best accommodations for every budget, from luxury cabins to campsites. The temperatures in the fall are very nice, typically warm during the day and chilly at night. There really is nothing better than being able to enjoy the day outdoors hiking or at the lake, shopping around the downtown area, or hanging around your cabin; then cozying up at nighttime and roasting marshmallows around the firepit. Most cabins in Broken Bow have firepits and outdoor hot tubs. We enjoy bringing food to cook, but there are also many restaurants, breweries and wineries in town. Be sure to book your lodging early for a fall weekend, they tend to book up quick!
4. St. Louis, Missouri
Family photo at the Gateway Arch National Park
We visited St. Louis last October and had a spooky good time! I was looking for a quick family getaway over Columbus Day weekend and settled on St. Louis, and I am so glad I did! This was also the first trip we took our puppy on and she did great. St. Louis is a very dog-friendly destination and they even have several tourist attractions that allow your pups to tag along. We only had two full days in this city, but I feel like we were able to do so much in that time. Our favorites were visiting the Gateway Arch, walking along the Mississippi River, visiting Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site, and taking a haunted history walk around the city at night! St. Louis has many great hotel and restaurant options and several museums to check out, including our favorite, The City Museum. While I was hoping for more fall colors, this quick weekend trip has remained a fall family favorite for all of us! Click here to read more about our weekend in St. Louis.
3. New Buffalo, Michigan
Lighthouse in St. Joseph
I was lucky enough to visit a dear friend in New Buffalo, Michigan late October of last year. This was just the girls trip I needed in my life! It was also my first and only visit to Michigan and I cannot wait to go back! I mean, fall foliage, lighthouses, beaches, and quaint water front towns, what more can you ask for? I highly recommend staying at the Marina Grand Resort. The rooms are so cozy, right on the water and ours had a fireplace and patio. We enjoyed our time in New Buffalo and also had fun driving around Michigan and checking out St. Joseph and Saugatuck. Saugatuck was also the best day trip, with delicious restaurants and all the shopping my little heart could handle! Click here to read more about my weekend in Michigan.
2. Snowbird, Utah
Scenic view from the hike to Gloria Falls in Utah
I actually just returned from Utah last weekend and moved it up on my favorite list to number two! What a weekend! I was able to get away with my best friend of almost 30 years for a spa weekend in the mountains and it was everything we both needed. We took full advantage of the spa and got massages, pedicures, took a yoga class, enjoyed the steam room and roof top hot tub and heated pool. But we also hiked and drove around in the mustang convertible we rented for the weekend. The hiking was my favorite part, besides the room service! And the fall colors were to die for! I must also mention that we experienced the first snow of the season in Utah and it was such a nice surprise. I would absolutely go back to Snowbird in a heartbeat. This destination would be great for a romantic getaway, a girls trip, and even a family adventure! To read more about my weekend in Snowbird, click here.
1. Washington, DC
Fall in DC!
Ranking number one for my family is our fall trip to Washington DC! Not only is this my favorite fall destination, it may also be my favorite family trip we’ve taken. We actually visited DC over Thanksgiving Break in late November. This is a wonderful time to visit because the weather is fantastic and most of the businessmen and women leave the city for the holidays. It wasn’t crowded at all and we were able to visit those historic landmarks and world famous museums without the crowds! The daytime temperatures were perfect and we enjoyed walking around the city and playing football with our boys at the national mall. At night, we bundled up and walked to see the monuments at night. It was just truly the perfect week with my family. Click here to read more about our trip to DC!
Most of these adventures took place over long weekends, when the boys and I were out of school for a holiday. I am learning to leave the work behind and enjoy these breaks with friends and family. The laundry and housework will always be there, as will the never ending pile of papers to be graded! But I’ll never get back these long weekends meant for family, friends and adventures. There are still so many places on my fall travel bucket list. I hope that I can add more destinations to this list very soon. If you have any fall travel recommendations, be sure to leave a comment and let me know! We will be traveling to the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas over Thanksgiving Break this year, so be sure to be on the lookout for more information about those two destinations!
I am so glad I told my best friend that I wanted to tag along on her solo trip to Utah a few weeks ago! Amy and I have been besties since we were cheerleaders together in middle school. We go way back and have traveled together for decades. Of course, kids, careers, etc. have slowed that down a lot over the past few years, but we have no problem picking back up right where we left off!
So, I posted a photo taken last fall on FaceBook, just reminiscing about traveling. Amy commented on it, and a little exchange took place where she told me she had just booked a solo trip to Utah. I had just had to cancel my family’s trip to Boston because we all had Covid and had missed too many days of work and games. My boys are loving fall baseball and football! I was half serious, half joking, when I commented back, “Take me with you!” And the rest is history. I didn’t even really know where she was going or what she was planning to do, but Utah is one of my favorite states to visit!! And I knew we’d have a great time together anywhere.
Amy had booked an amazing hotel in Snowbird, Utah called The Cliff Lodge. Check it out, this place is stunning. She also rented a red mustang convertible for the long weekend, so all I had to do was book my flights to and from Salt Lake City. And as luck would have it, both flights had the seat next to hers available! Which we totally took as a sign that I was meant to be there with her. We are both teachers, so we left on a Friday evening after school and took full advantage of our Monday holiday and flew back home that evening. It was the perfect amount of time to spend in the mountains!
What we didn’t plan for was the weather! Well, we did, but it all changed right before we left. I always look ahead at long range forecasts and for a week or so, it was looking like the perfect fall weekend. Temps were supposed to be in the 60s and sunny the whole time. A day before we left, the forecast had a major change which included rain, snow, and cold/cloudy conditions. Our packing took a 180 and sweaters, coats, and gloves now filled our suitcases. We were kind of bummed about the rain, but we decided we’d spend the rainy day at the hotel spa! We booked a yoga class and massages. Well, it ended up not raining at all. Instead, we got the first snow of the season. It snowed all day and all night, which we loved!
The view from the room!
We woke up Sat morning to a dusting of snow, which amplified the gorgeous fall colors. We ordered room service for breakfast and then left for yoga. We watched the snow pick up while we exercised and then headed up to the roof top hot tub at the spa. Then we had massages and enjoyed the eucalyptus steam room. The snow began slowing down, so we decided to go enjoy a hike in the mountains! Oh my gosh, the trail was beautiful and we loved every minute of it. We searched for nearby trails near us using the AllTrails app. We picked Gloria Falls because it was only a few minutes from our hotel and the trail is rated easy and only about 2.2 miles out and back. The fall colors were everything these Texas girls were hoping to find here!
It seemed like the snow was over for the day, but little did we know, it ended up snowing overnight. On Sunday, we woke up to a winter wonderland! We wanted to do a sunrise hike to the top of a mountain, so we were up and ready to head out by 6:30 am. We chose the hike to Cecret Lake because it was marked as easy on the AllTrails App. However, due to the snow we got overnight, the road leading up to the trail was closed, so we had to start the hike in the parking lot at the bottom of the mountain. This added about 1.5 miles to our hike and what was supposed to be easy, ended up being quite strenuous. I mean, we basically walked up the side of a mountain in a foot of snow! But the views were totally worth every once of pain! I kept saying, “It feels like I’m in a snow globe!”
After we finished this hike, we decided to go back to the hotel to rest and warm up. We ordered room service for lunch and binged a couple of true crime shows on tv. Then we decided to drive the mustang through the mountains with the top down! We had a blast singing to songs on the radio and talking about life. We also enjoyed the short loop around Silver Lake.
We found a nice Mexican food restaurant in Sandy, UT on the way back to the hotel called, La Fountain Mexican Restaurant. It was really delicious! Then we ventured back to the hotel to relax for the rest of the evening. We binged some more true crime shows in face masks and had a relaxing evening in.
On Monday, we had a 6:00 pm flight back to Dallas, so we decided to spend the day in Salt Lake City before our journey home. We had some Italian food at Brio Italian Grille and then ventured out to a nearby souvenir shop. The weather was getting chilly, windy, and rainy so we decided to head to the airport a little earlier than needed. We wanted to visit Temple Square and see the Tabernacle, but the conditions outside just weren’t favorable for that. Maybe next time!
Overall, we had the best time in Utah! Snowbird is one of my new favorite places to visit! I honestly believe that this destination is perfect for a girls trip, family trip, or even a romantic get away!
Let me know if you need any help making plans and be sure to follow me on Instagram at road_trip_queen.
My husband and I were very fortunate to get to plan a getaway for late last summer. We’ve been traveling together since we were 19 years old and have visited several amazing locations. It took us quite a while to decide on a new place we’ve never visited and we finally settled on South Lake Tahoe. Let me just tell you, if you’ve never been but want to go, make it happen! We had such a wonderful, romantic trip together!
Secret Cove Beach
If you follow the blog, you know that most of our travels are with our boys. Jereme and I dated for 6 years before we got married; and then were married for 6 years before we had kids. We had 12 kid-free years together and we spent a lot of that time traveling alone together or with our friends. In those travels, we just knew that we wanted to take our future kiddos everywhere and show them the world! Since having our boys, we’ve only traveled alone together a handful of times, but man is it fun to get away for a few days and not be Mom and Dad all day, every day!
Like I mentioned earlier, Jereme and I have been to several places and kind of had a hard time deciding on where to go. I think I searched “romantic getaways” and Lake Tahoe popped up. I honestly didn’t know much about this destination, so my research began. And honestly, Lake Tahoe is a huge place and I really struggled deciding on staying in North or South Lake Tahoe. So, I am hoping my blog post helps you when planning your trip!
I finally decided on South Lake Tahoe because I found more information on food and lodging there while I was making our plans. We were very happy with this decision, although we never got a chance to travel to North Lake Tahoe to compare. I booked a quaint hotel right on the State Line, but in California. We stayed at the Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel and had a lovely room. I loved the space, we had a bedroom, living room, and decent size bathroom! This hotel is in a fabulous location. You can take a right and walk on the Nevada side for gambling or Vegas style shows. You can go left to find several different restaurants, shops, and even the Heavenly Ski Resort is in a walkable distance. The only downside to this hotel was that there wasn’t an outdoor pool. I would have preferred one outside because we visited in August and the weather was beautiful but very warm. We rented a car and drove in from Reno, NV. I enjoyed having a car for some of the hikes we did, but if you plan to stay around the hotel you would not need one.
Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel
We only had two full days in Tahoe, so we took full advantage of those days. The hotel provided a free breakfast, so we got up early for that and then headed out to explore. I used the AllTrails app to find scenic hikes near us. We visited Secret Cove Beach first. Be sure to wear a swimsuit and get to the parking lot early, like before 9 am. We got there by 8:30 and had no issues finding a front row parking spot. But when we left we noticed hundreds of cars along the main road and I cannot imagine having to walk that far from my car to begin the hike!
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. Once more people started arriving, we left to do a little more hiking and then headed back to town for lunch. We picked a restaurant at the Heavenly Ski Resort, called Gunbarrel Tavern and Eatery, and we sat outside enjoying the weather, adult beverages, and the people. That night, we walked around and did some souvenir shopping for our boys. We ate at Maya’s Mexican Grill, it was great! If you are coming in the summer, be prepared for extremely long dinner wait times. Some were as long as 2 hours. And make reservations early if you want to do a dinner cruise, there were none available when we got there for any of the days that we were visiting.
Secret Cove Beach That water though!
The following day, we decided to drive to Emerald Bay State Park. The views were stunning on the drive and even better on our hike! The walk from the parking lot is all downhill, which makes the walk back to the car quite strenuous, but totally worth it. We hiked down to the lake and were some of the first people in line for kayak rentals. These rentals are available right on the beach and I believe they open at 10 am. We got there around 9:15 am, so we waited about 45 minutes for a rental. There are several rentals available, like single or double kayaks and paddle boards. We went with a double kayak and had the best time kayaking out to the island and hiking to the ruins on top. There were so many people boating and snorkeling and enjoying the beautiful weather and scenery.
Emerald Bay
Once we turned in our kayak, we hiked to Eagle Falls and then headed to a yummy Mexican food restaurant that we passed on our drive to the park called Margarita’s Mexican Restaurant (no website). That night we ate at Base Camp Pizza Co. at the Heavenly Ski Resort. I had the most amazing pasta dish! It was probably my favorite dinner of the trip.
The hiking trail The hiking was spectacular!
And just like that, our 3 night/4 day trip quickly came to an end. Jereme and I had the best time and we cannot recommend this destination enough! It’s hard to believe a place like this even exists. One tip I want to share is to travel in June or early July. We got extremely lucky visiting in early August because a forest fire began shortly before our trip and made the area extremely hazy after we returned home and I believe there were many mandatory evacuations afterwards, too.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any questions! Be sure to follow me on Instagram at road_trip_queen!
Philadelphia has become one of my favorite cities in the US and I cannot wait to visit again with my hubby! We stayed in Philly for 3 nights during our Delaware to New York road trip and I must say, this was the perfect amount time and probably the most exciting stop on our adventure.
Day 1 in Philadelphia
Independence Hall – our country’s birthplace!
First, I must mention that we had to stay outside of the city, there were literally zero hotels available for 6 people when we booked this trip months ago. But, we actually liked where we stayed, at the Home2 Suites Ridley Park, and it was only about a 20 minute drive into Philly each day. The only bummer was that the pool was closed for construction, so the kids were sad. I was really nervous and not sure what to expect when it came to driving into the city and finding parking, but it was actually very easy! We always took exit 22 and turned left on Fourth Street and drove until we saw The Bourse Building. Right past that is a large parking garage, and we found ourselves parking there each day and eating at The Bourse food court, too. And to make it even better, the parking was right by Independence National Historic Park, which is where you want to be if you want to see Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell! Parking is about $25 per day, maybe there are cheaper options, but it was very convenient and easy for me being there without Jereme.
On our first day in Philadelphia we chose to do a double decker bus tour with Double Decker Bus Tours of Philadelphia. These buses left right outside of the Bourse Building, too! I really wanted to check out the city and add sites to our list of places we wanted to explore more of later on. The bus tour was great and we had a front row seat on the top deck! I really enjoyed the bus tour, we found a fun fountain along the route and kids were swimming and playing in it, so I knew the boys would love it since the pool was closed at the hotel.
Ready to start the bus tour!
We also spotted Ben Franklin’s burial site, so we headed straight there to see that once the bus tour was over. If you follow along on our travels, you probably know that I love all the creepy things, like historical ghost tours and visiting famous people’s graves. My family is weird, I know! But, we got to see Ben’s grave and some others that helped write the Declaration of Independence! It was $9 for the kids and I to go in, but if you don’t want to pay, you can view the burial site from the fence. Everything is marked for you to easily find it.
And to end our night in Philly, we decided to go on a Ghost Tour of haunted historical places! We used Philadelphia Ghost Tours and had a wonderfully creepy experience and our guide was hands down the best I have ever had on a ghost tour. I even have a really cool photo of a ghost in a hat from a window – for real, check it out below!!!
Do you see the ghost?!
Day 2 in Philadelphia
This day was one of my all-time favorite days on a vacation! We decided to go to the Betsy Ross House and then to one of the museums after we were done there. Sadly, this was on a Monday and the museums are only open on Thursdays-Sundays. So, please keep that in mind if you are planning a trip to Philadelphia in the near future. Anyway, we decided that we would make the very best of the day and we ended up having the most amazing time! We parked in the same parking garage and decided to pop on over to see the Liberty Bell before making our way to the Betsy Ross House. They only let about 17 people in at a time to see basically all the things in Philadelphia (due to Covid), so we did have to wait outside in a line for about 20 minutes or so BUT you do not need tickets to see the bell. While we were waiting in line, Independence Hall was having a Veteran’s ceremony, so we were able to watch a band play (it was similar to a colonial style band) and there were military vehicles everywhere blocking the road in front of Independence Hall. Once inside the Liberty Bell, we took turns admiring the bell and taking photos of the new friends we made in line!
From here we walked over to The Betsy Ross House. I used the GPS on my phone and there are also several signs pointing you to the famous historic sites in the city, so again, maneuvering around town by car and by foot was surprisingly easy! I had no clue that we would enjoy the Betsy Ross House so much! Maybe it was because we accidentally decided to go on Flag Day of all days, but regardless, it was a wonderful, interactive experience for all of us. We started with a self-guided tour of the house. The sewing room reminded all of us of our Granny who is 89 and still sews to this day! Once we exited the house, employees were there passing out bags of M&Ms to the kids, which they loved. Then, we happened to see a man dressed in time-period clothing, so we chatted with him and learned that he was playing the part of Henry Box Brown, a slave that mailed himself to freedom from Virginia to Pennsylvania. Jett was so excited because he had read a book about him in school! There was also a lady playing the part of Betsy Ross, so we headed her way and sat down to enjoy her show. Well, this was the best part! It was completely interactive for the kids and they helped her on stage, all while learning about how she became the person to make our first flag and all of the other designs that were brainstormed before the first American flag came to be! It was so much fun and the lady that played the part was the sweetest and so good with kids! George Washington also made a brief visit haha!
Once we left the Betsy Ross House, we walked over to Elfreth’s Alley, which is the oldest residential street in Philadelphia. It was gorgeous, but nothing was open on Monday. Still, just walking along and taking it all on was fun. Be sure to check it out if you are in the area.
Finally, we were all hot and tired from exploring, so we went back to the car and drove over to the fountain that we had seen on the bus tour. We didn’t bring swimsuits, but because I’m so cool, I let the kids play in the fountain as long as their little hearts desired! Once they were completely worn out, we went back to the hotel, I did some laundry because 10 day road trip hello lol, and I think we ran over to the Cracker Barrel next door for dinner! It was a really great day of learning and exploring.
Last Day in Philadelphia
Today was an exciting day, especially for me and my history loving heart! Y’all, we got to see the birthplace of America and where the Declaration of Independence was signed! You can visit these sites at Independence Hall. We did not pre-purchase timed entry tickets (there were none available), so we woke up early and headed to Philly. We got to Independence Hall around 8:15 a.m. and park rangers begin handing out FREE tickets around 8:30 a.m. You can purchase the timed entry tickets here for $1.00. We were able to begin our self-guided tour of Independence Hall around 10 a.m., so we grabbed a quick breakfast first and then came back and began our tour. You are able to enter into two rooms on the bottom level and here you listen to park rangers explain the importance of the two rooms. The second room you enter is where the Declaration was signed! It was truly amazing. I mean, the chair that George Washington sat in is still there! Squeeee!! Once you leave Independence Hall, you go next door to Congress Hall to see where the first two presidential inaugurations occurred! Remember, at the time Washington DC was not finished being built. It all just smelled like the 1700s and I am not going to lie, I got a little emotional here. It’s still crazy to believe that I got to stand in buildings where our Founding Fathers worked and created our government.
Once we left there, we grabbed a quick lunch and then headed down the street to the Portrait Gallery. This is as place filled with historical paintings, but it turned out to be so much more for us! We ran into our favorite park ranger, Jane, and she remembered us from our morning tour of Independence Hall. She ended up taking us on a behind the scene tour of the gallery and enthralled us all with her historical knowledge and amazing tales of things she’s seen that are not available to the public! I learned so, so much and consider our time with her so valuable. Be sure to check out the gallery if you are in the area and talk to the park rangers! They are there to answer questions and you might just make a new friend. I didn’t take any photos inside the gallery, I was too engaged, but I wish I would’ve gotten a picture with Jane. She was so precious and I will never forget our time spent with her.
After the portrait gallery we decided to head over to the Ben Franklin Bridge! We drove across it into New Jersey, found a great parking spot, and then walked back to Pennsylvania on the walking trail on the bridge. It’s not a long walk and it makes for a fun story and a great place for photos! This is how we ended our time in Philadelphia before heading to NYC.
We really had such a fun time exploring the city and we learned so much. If you love historical places, this is definitely a city you need to visit!
We just returned home from one of the most beautiful places on earth, Colorado! Usually we visit this state in the winter for our annual snowboarding trip over the New Year, but this summer we decided to change up our plans and take our boys for a summer visit. I am so glad that we made this decision!
With that being said, since we changed up our original plans a little last minute, I felt completely overwhelmed planning this vacation and I hope that this post helps you with your plans. I had absolutely no reason to be overwhelmed, Rocky Mountain National Park is so easy to maneuver and everything is gorgeous.
I started by checking out the Rocky Mountain National Park website. Always check out the NPS websites, they include valuable information and webcams, etc. This summer you have to have a timed-entry ticket to enter the Park and there are two separate areas of the Park. Kind of confusing right, especially for first-timers! So, hopefully I can break this down for you in an easier way. Timed-entry tickets are available on the first of the month for the following month, so I got our tickets on June 1st for July. They are $2 for each day that you want to enter, plus you have to pay the park entrance fee once at the gate & I believe this is $35 for the week. If you have a 4th grader, they can get the 4th grade pass for FREE and your entire vehicle can enter the park! Click here for your 4th grade Every Kid Outdoor Pass. The Park only releases a certain amount of tickets each day and hold a couple hundred that go live at 5:00 pm for the following day. So, for example, if I wanted tickets for July 15th I could go online (on the Park’s website) on July 14th at 5:00 pm and TRY to get tickets for the following day. But these tickets go fast, so you need to be online and logged in to your account for a quick purchase.
There are a couple of different entrances to get into the Park, we always used the Beaver Meadows entrance coming in from Estes Park. You will need timed-entry tickets for this entrance (and all entrances) unless you arrive before 9:00 am or after 3:00 pm. When you enter here, you can drive along Trail Ridge Road from one end of the park to another, roughly 45 miles I believe. The views are stunning and there are several different areas to pull over and park to check out views or hike trails. You can get a Park map at the entrance and everything is nicely marked off with signs. I highly recommend driving this road at least once on your visit! We found so many neat places to stop for photos and some really great trails with short hikes! Make sure you have a full tank of gas if you plan to drive this road!
Photo from Trail Ridge Road
Once inside the Park there is another entrance area that requires timed-entry tickets unless you arrive before 5:00 am or after 6:00 pm and this is the Bear Lake Corridor. In my opinion, this is the most popular and beautiful area of the park, so be sure to get tickets for this area! Several of our “bigger hikes” were from this corridor. Once inside this area, there are places to park and hop on a bus to go to the Bear Lake parking/trails, but we were able to easily find parking at the Bear Lake parking lot. I was only able to grab tickets for 2 days in the Park, both times in the afternoon, and we still had the BEST visit!
Before I list out our itinerary for the week, here are some helpful tips/things you should make sure to bring with you!
Timed-entry tickets (printed or on your phone – make sure to screenshot because service is limited)
Dress in layers, it gets cold when rain moves in and out
Raincoats – thunderstorms pop up almost every afternoon, be prepared!
Water and snacks
Sunscreen / hat
Camera (my photos are from my iPhone)
First aid kit with Band-Aids
Binoculars
Hiking boots / shoes
AllTrails App
Bring a backpack, you must pack out whatever you bring with you, so have something that holds trash
Our Itinerary for the Week
Now, for all of the details and the fun stuff! Since I booked this trip last minute, we were not able to stay very close to the Park like I had wished. I REALLY wanted to stay at the Stanley Hotel (where the Shining was filmed) in Estes Park, but there were no rooms available for our dates. So, we opted to stay in Boulder, CO and we really enjoyed that area. It took about an hour to drive from Boulder to RMNP, so that is the only downside if you don’t like being in the car a lot.
Day 1: We decided to explore the Boulder area on our first full day in Colorado. I used the AllTrails app to find a few hikes close to us and the boys wanted to visit Forsyth Canyon since it was a hike to a waterfall! The app literally gave us directions to the exact parking lot for the trailhead, so I can’t recommend this app enough! This hike was rated as an easy, 3.2 mile out and back hike, and the scenery was excellent! We did in fact hike all the way to the top of a waterfall and opted to walk back after that instead of hiking around and down boulders to the falls, only because we had our border collie with us and she was tired.
Above the waterfall
We also ventured into town and walked around Boulder Creek, which runs through town. The water was cold and flowing fast, but the kids had fun playing in and around the river. You can also get tubes to ride down the river, Jereme and I did this about 17 years ago! We knew the ride was a little crazy, so we didn’t let the boys do it this time!
Boulder Creek
Day 2: Our second day was our first trip to Rocky Mountain National Park! I had timed-entry tickets to the Bear Lake Corridor for 4:00 pm. We slept in and then headed to Estes Park. It took us an hour to drive, so we got there around 1:00 pm. I had a couple of hikes saved on the app again around Estes Park that were not in RMNP, so we decided to walk around Lake Estes before lunch. The views were stunning! Once our walk was over, we headed into town and had burgers and did some shopping. During this time, around 2:30 pm or so, a thunderstorm moved in, so we ran to the car and drove around the town. We saw so many elk out and about, it was really exciting and luckily the rain moved out fast!
Walk around Lake Estes Elk in town!
We headed 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, which is rated as a moderate 3.2 mile out and back hike. It was AMAZING!!!! This one is probably my favorite hike ever. We followed the signs along the trail and passed by two other lakes, Nymph Lake and Dream Lake, before getting to Emerald Lake. Our boys, ages 10 and 7, did great on this one. Check out these views!
Nymph Lake Dream Lake Emerald Lake
Day 3: I was not able to get tickets into RMNP for this day, see I told you they go fast! So, I found a hike near Boulder in a small town named Ward. Even though it was only about 25 miles from our hotel, the drive took about an hour through the mountains. We went to Brainard Lake Recreation Area to hike Isabelle Glacier. This area also requires timed-entry tickets and it costs $12 for those reservations. We had reservations for 2:00 pm for the Long Lake area, which is where the Isabelle Glacier trail begins. If you want to do this hike, make sure your tickets are for the Long Lake area, you will get a ticket if you park in the wrong parking lot (per the park ranger at the entrance). This hike is rated as a moderate 5.5 mile hike on the AllTrails app, but the sign at the trailhead only had it as 2 miles from the start of the trailhead. We absolutely loved this hike and it was quiet the adventure. When we got about 1.8 miles into the hike, a thunderstorm popped up and we put on our raincoats and hunkered down and waited out the storm. We had gone way too far to just turn around and head back! I am sure the views would have been so much better on a clear, sunny day, but we still thought the entire hike was breathtaking and really enjoyed this one!
This was along the trail to Isabelle Glacier Waiting out the thunderstorm! The end of the trail to Isabelle Glacier
Day 4: This day was my boys’ most favorite day! We rafted the Poudre River (near Ft. Collins) with A Wanderlust Adventure. We chose the Taste of Whitewater for beginner/immediate levels and we spent about 2 hours on the water. It was definitely and adrenalin rush and something that I am so, so happy we experienced! I mean, just check out the excitement from our photos! The price is $70 per person and they offer a full photo package for $55, which included about 50 photos and a video!
Day 5: This was our last day at Rocky Mountain National Park and we had tickets to enter Bear Lake at 2:00 pm. We decided to get up early and head to RMNP by 8:00 am so that we could enter without timed-entry tickets. We drove all of Trail Ridge Road on this day before we were able to enter the Bear Lake Corridor. The views were amazing, we pulled over at several different places, visited the Continental Divide, and did two short hikes between 8:00 am and 2:00 pm. We packed a picnic lunch and ate on one of our hikes, too.
Pull-off along Trail Ridge Road This hike was right off the parking lot from the Continental Divide! This is the Colorado River Trail Hike off of Trail Ridge Road You will see animals everywhere in the Park!
At 2:00 we headed to Bear Lake and hiked to Alberta Falls. It was beautiful, a little crowded, but beautiful nonetheless. We loved just sitting and watching the waterfall before heading back. AllTrails has this hike rated as an easy 1.6 out and back hike. It was pretty easy, but the end of the hike is all uphill right before getting back to the parking lot and we saw a lot of people stopped for a rest in this area.
Along the trail to Alberta Falls Alberta Falls! The boys loved this trail!
From here, we decided to drive over to Sprague Lake (you will see the signs) because I really wanted to see a moose and my research kept pointing me in this direction. Sprague Lake is a super easy loop around a small lake and only about 0.8 miles total. We arrived around 5:00 pm and within about 25 minutes we got to see a mama moose with her baby walk through the water and find a place to stop and munch on grass! It was truly amazing and we probably watched these moose for almost an hour before they left the area! Please remember that with moose and bear, you should keep your distance! The park ranger told us that’s about 3 bus links away. We stayed with the park ranger and I just zoomed in on my photos. My day was totally made and we were all so excited to see these animals in their natural habitat!
This is the trail around Sprague Lake Mama and baby moose!!! Views around the lake
Day 6: This was supposed to be our drive home, but we just loved our summer visit so much that we decided to extend our trip and head to Crested Butte for a few days! It’s about a 4.5 hour scenic drive from Boulder! It was also truly amazing and I will blog about it soon! In the meantime, check out my favorite photos from CB below.
Mount Crested Butte Views from Judd Falls trail Slate River
Please feel free to message me with any questions if you are planning a trip to RMNP or Boulder! I am always happy to help and offer my advice and tips. We definitely did not see it all and I look forward to another visit, but I hope this information helps other first-timers or hikers with kids! Stay safe out there and Happy Travels!
Have you ever thought about taking your kids to New York City for vacation? Mine have been asking to go since watching Home Alone 2: Lost in New York years ago. I can honestly say that I wasn’t really sure about taking kids to the city, so my husband suggested we visit Washington DC first to see how they did in a smaller city and how they would handle all the walking and public transportation. I agreed, so we went a few years ago and they did so well considering their ages. (Click here to see our DC trip.) So, when an idea for a summer trip to the northeast popped into my head, I knew the time was right to add NYC to the list!
My boys and me at Top of the Rock
I feel like I need to mention that we got a very mild, tame version of the city, I am sure due to the pandemic. It was really a fun time and I can’t even explain how easy it was to maneuver around with less crowds, which was awesome considering it was just Carrie and I with the kids, the hubbies stayed home to work on this trip. We had a few ideas of things we wanted to show the kids, here is that list (I did not include things that we wanted to do that were closed, like Broadway, etc.):
Statue of Liberty
Central Park
Empire State Building
Times Square
9/11 Memorial
Museums
Here is how we packed all of these activities into 3 days!
Day 1: Arrival & Times Square
If you follow along on our adventures, you might already know that we drove into the city from New Jersey and dropped off our rental car back at LaGuardia Airport. That was an adventure in itself and I do not recommend driving in this city ha! However, after a tense couple of hours, we made it to the rental car place and I had never been so happy to return a car in my life! We had no issues ubering to our hotel, Hyatt Place New York Midtown/South from LGA. It was in a great location for us – The Empire State Building was outside of our window and it was only a few blocks to Times Square and Penn Station! By the time we made it back to the hotel, it was already mid-afternoon and I was tired from the stress of driving. We also had done some sightseeing earlier in New Jersey before heading into the city. So, the first day was pretty low-key and we spent most of the afternoon and evening close to the hotel.
The view of the Empire State Building from our hotel!
On our first evening in New York, we decided to walk down to Times Square and show the kids this area after checking in to the hotel and unloading all of our luggage. It was crazy because it felt like we had the city to ourselves! The kids loved the lights and sounds and I was happy that it wasn’t so crowded. We grabbed a quick dinner close to our hotel and just took in the sights. After we had our fill, we called it a night to get some rest for the busy day ahead.
Times Square!
Day 2: Statue of Liberty and 9/11 Memorial
Today was the day to visit The Statue of Liberty and the 9/11 Memorial. We started off the day at the Statue of Liberty. We took the ferry, it was a very quick and easy check in process, but you do have to go through airport style screening before you are allowed to get on the ferry. Click here to pre-purchase tickets. We rode on the top deck to get the best view of the statue! While we were really sad that the museum was closed and that you can’t climb the stairs into the crown, we were thrilled to get to see Lady Liberty up close! And we were able to grab lunch at the Crown Café right on site while we were there. The kids thought that it would be bigger, so they were surprised with the size. This was a fun excursion and a must see if you’re visiting NYC!
This is the ferry we took to Liberty Island
Be sure to take a photo on the boat, it’s a better angle!
Since the ferry left from Battery Park, we decided to walk on over to the 9/11 Memorial while we were in the area. I think this was an emotional visit for all of us, the kids had a lot of questions and we answered them honestly. It was hard to think about that day and not get emotional. The kids really wanted to see the museum, but we felt like they were still a little too young for this one. Carrie and I both visited the museum together a few years ago, so we knew what was inside. I will definitely be taking them back when they are older, we must never forget that day or the victims. The memorial is very beautiful.
We rode the subway back to the hotel and just spent the rest of the day being typical tourists. We ventured by Radio City Music Hall, ate dinner in Times Square, danced with a street performer and just had a really good night together!
The boys first subway ride!
Day 3: Museum of Natural History, Central Park, & Top of the Rock
This was our last full day on the trip! We knew we wanted to visit a museum, so we picked the American Museum of Natural History because I really wanted to see the dinosaur fossils! We had a great time exploring the museum, there are several really cool exhibits, besides just dinosaurs. However, our time was cut shorter than I would like because our kids were starving and the food court in the museum has not yet re-opened. So, we left the museum after a few hours and grabbed a quick lunch at one of the food trucks parked right outside of the museum entrance. We did see lots of animals, an ocean exhibit, early life on earth – think cave people, dinosaur fossils, & meteors!
One of the many fossils in the museum
A real meteor
We took our lunch to Central Park and had a quick picnic and then walked all around the park. There are some areas that really feel secluded and like you aren’t even in the city at all. The kids loved this part of the day, they are always up for running, climbing, and exploring. We grabbed ice cream once we left the park, walked by the Plaza Hotel, and then headed to the subway for some rest back at the hotel.
After we rested, we decided to go to Top of the Rock. This was a little more expensive than I like to pay, but I really wanted to see the views! The kids liked it and I got some good photos of us. It was so windy, I am not sure if it’s always like that or not. Even though it’s pricy, I think this is one place you should visit if you have the time. The views are stunning!
Views for days
Everyone else looked so cute… then there was me LOL!
We really had a quick, but fun-filled trip to the Big Apple! There were many things that we didn’t get to see or do on this visit, but I hope to one day bring my boys back, along with Jereme. I have big goals to visit over Christmas! If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to ask, I am always happy to help answer questions, provide my honest opinions, and assist with any planning you may need!
Hey y’all! We just got back from an epic 10 day road trip from Pennsylvania to Delaware to New York City! I am still exhausted from all the fun, but had to share the details of this one!
As you probably already know, I really want to get my boys to all 50 states before they leave the nest. We’ve pretty much gone everywhere in driving distance from our home base in Texas, so Carrie and I decided to brave it and fly to the east for a road trip to knock out 4 states that we really didn’t want to drive to.
The boys are at 31 states now!
We found great airline prices so we booked a flight into Philadelphia, leaving out of New York. So listen, we first booked the cheapest flights we found on Spirit and Frontier Airlines and within 2-3 days of booking those, our flights started changing drastically. The flight into Philly was originally nonstop, but ended up changing with a layover and becoming a 15 hour travel day. We decided to cancel and got credits back for these flights and booked on American Airlines. The prices weren’t that different after the other airlines’ fees on seats and bags. Trust me, just stick with the major airlines when looking for flights!
Can you guess where we went first?!
Day 1: Scranton, PA
Our plan was to start off the trip in Wilmington, DE (30 min drive from Philadelphia). But when our flights started changing we made some adjustments and ended up adding an additional day. We got a super early flight into Philly and decided to head to Scranton for the day! I am a HUGE Office fan, so this was a no brainer for me when I realized that Scranton was only a 2 hour drive from the airport. So, we got our luggage, headed to the rental car place, and then to Scranton in the sweet minivan we rented for the week! If you are interested in how we spent the day, feel free to read my Scranton, PA blog!
Yes, my child chose to dress up like Dwight in Scranton!!
Fun fact, we also got to see President Biden’s childhood home in Scranton along with all of the fun Office sites I had on the list.
Day 2: Gettysburg, PA
From Scranton, we decided to head another 2 hours to Gettysburg, PA for the night and spend the next day exploring all of the historical sites there. First off, I loved where we stayed outside of Gettysburg, called The Lodges at Gettysburg. We had the coziest cabin and the whole entire area of lodging was just perfect and serene. But, when I drove through the quaint downtown area of Gettysburg, I was really wishing that we could have stayed in the middle of town at the Inn at Lincoln Square or at one of the other hotel options in town. Either way you decide to go, there are perks for staying outside of town or smack dab in the middle! While many things were still closed because of Covid, we had a really amazing day in Gettysburg.
Jennie Wade was the only civilian killed in Gettysburg during the Civil War. Notice the bullet holes in the door and brick.
Jennie was baking bread for Union Soldiers in this kitchen when bullets hit the house. One entered through the front door and struck her, killing her instantly.
Her family had to seek shelter in the cellar below the house. Jennie’s body was brought down with them (this is just a mannequin) while they waited for the battle to end.
From here, we drove to Wilmington, DE (another 2 hour drive) to start our three day adventure in that state! One regret that I do have is that we didn’t stay in Gettysburg for longer than a day. If I had it to do it all over again, I would probably stay in Gettysburg for two nights and cut our visit in Delaware shorter by a day or so.
Day 3: Rehoboth, DE
Our third day started off rainy, so we slept in at our hotel in Wilmington. We stayed at the Hyatt Place Wilmington Riverfront and we really liked our accommodations. We had a nice view of the river and there were plenty of restaurant options along the river walk for dinner.
Once the rain slowed down, we decided to drive to Rehoboth Beach for the afternoon. We would have liked to have stayed in this town, but there were no accommodations available for the days that we would be there. The town is so cute and quaint and we just had a really good time grabbing lunch and exploring the board walk. Since it was rainy and cooler, we didn’t bring swimsuits for the beach, but there were great restrooms for changing right at the end of the boardwalk for anyone that just wants to spend the day there at the beach! The boardwalk has a great selection of restaurants and shops! We had lunch at Dogfish Head Brewing & Eats and we all enjoyed it. We also stopped in Lewes, DE for a quick photo op on the drive home. It is considered to be the first town in the first state once the U.S. was established.
The board walk
Day 4: Historic New Castle
I absolutely loved this day exploring Historic New Castle. I have become a huge history buff, so I really enjoy visiting historic places. This is actually the landing place of William Penn where he first stepped foot on American soil in 1682. The town reminds me of Colonial Williamsburg, but New Castle really prides themselves on the difference that they did not re-create their colonial town like in Williamsburg, but they restored the actual buildings and homes that were originally there. The visitor’s center is open, so be sure to head there first to watch the 9 minute video that explains the town and points out key places to see on your visit.
This is the visitor center – the artillery building
Historic New Castle is right on the Delaware River, so we parked the van in a large, open lot right on the waterfront and chose to walk along the shore, through the park, and into the town. There was a hot dog vendor in the park and we ended up grabbing a quick lunch while walking through. The kids played and watched the large ship sail around before we headed into the downtown area. From here, we went to the visitor’s center and then made sure to see all the historic places from the video. I could not contain my excitement walking along the cobblestone streets and knowing that men like William Penn, George Washington, and Ben Franklin walked along the same street. I think you only need a full day here, the kids liked the feel of the old town, but really enjoyed the park and playground area!
Statue with William Penn
Obsessed with the cobblestone streets! I could post a million pictures of this town, but I don’t want to spoil all the sights you’ll see!
Day 5: Philadelphia
Day Five consisted of us driving about 30 minutes from Delaware to Philly. We had to stay outside of the city, there were literally zero hotels available for 6 people when we booked this trip months ago. But, we actually liked where we stayed, at the Home2 Suites Ridley Park, and it was only about a 20 minute drive into Philly each day. The only bummer was that the pool was closed for construction, so the kids were sad. I was really nervous and not sure what to expect when it came to driving into the city and finding parking, but it was actually very easy! We always took exit 22 and turned left on Fourth Street and drove until we saw The Bourse Building. Right past that is a large parking garage, and we found ourselves parking there each day and eating at The Bourse food court, too. And to make it even better, the parking was right by Independence National Historic Park, which is where you want to be if you want to see Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell! Parking is about $25 per day, maybe there are cheaper options, but it was very convenient and easy for us moms without our husbands.
On our first day in Philadelphia we chose to do a double decker bus tour with Double Decker Bus Tours of Philadelphia. These buses left right outside of the Bourse Building, too! We wanted to check out the city and add sites to our list of places we wanted to explore more of later on. The bus tour was great and we had a front row seat on the top deck! I really enjoyed the bus tour, we found a fun fountain along the route and kids were swimming and playing in it, so we knew the kids would love it since the pool was closed at the hotel.
So excited for the bus tour!
We also spotted Ben Franklin’s burial site, so we headed straight to see that once the bus tour was over. If you follow along on our travels, you probably know that we love all the creepy things, like historical ghost tours and visiting famous people’s graves. We are weird, I know! But, we got to see Ben’s grave and some others that helped write the Declaration of Independence! It was $9 for the kids and I to go in, but if you don’t want to pay, you can view the burial site from the fence. Everything is marked for you to easily find it.
And to end our night in Philly, we decided to go on a Ghost Tour of haunted historical places! We used Philadelphia Ghost Tours and had a wonderfully creepy experience and our guide was hands down the best I have ever had on a ghost tour. I even have a really cool photo of a ghost in a hat from a window – for real, check it out below!!!
Our guide was amazing!
It was creepy and I loved it!
And we for sure saw a ghost!!
Day 6: Philadelphia
This day was one of my all time favorite days on a vacation! We decided to go to the Betsy Ross House and then to one of the museums after we were done there. Sadly, this was on a Monday and the museums are only open on Thursdays-Sundays. So, please keep that in mind if you are planning a trip to Philadelphia in the near future. Anyway, we decided that we would make the very best of the day and we ended up having the most amazing time! We parked in the same parking garage and decided to pop on over to see the Liberty Bell before making our way to the Betsy Ross House. They only let about 17 people in at a time to see basically all the things in Philadelphia (due to Covid), so we did have to wait outside in a line for about 20 minutes or so BUT you do not need tickets to see the bell. While we were waiting in line, Independence Hall was having a Veteran’s ceremony, so we were able to watch a band play (it was similar to a colonial style band) and there were military vehicles everywhere blocking the road in front of Independence Hall. Once inside the Liberty Bell, we took turns admiring the bell and taking photos of the new friends we made in line!
The band
The Liberty Bell!!
When we left the Liberty Bell I happened to see several military men and told them, “Thank you for your service.” They were so gracious and allowed to kids to climb into their trucks! The kids absolutely loved this part of the day!
From here we walked over to The Betsy Ross House. We used the GPS on our phones and there are also several signs pointing you to the famous historic sites in the city, so again, maneuvering around town by car and by foot was surprisingly easy! I had no clue that we would enjoy the Betsy Ross House so much! Maybe it was because we accidentally decided to go on Flag Day of all days, but regardless, it was a wonderful, interactive experience for all of us. We started with a self-guided tour of the house. The sewing room reminded all of us of our Granny who is almost 89 and still sews to this day! Once we exited the house, employees were there passing out bags of M&Ms to the kids, which they loved. Then, we happened to see a man dressed in time-period clothing, so we chatted with him and learned that he was playing the part of Henry Box Brown, a slave that mailed himself to freedom from Virginia to Pennsylvania. Jett and Sadie were so excited because they had both read a book about him in school! There was also a lady playing the part of Betsy Ross, so we headed her way and sat down to enjoy her show. Well, this was the best part! It was completely interactive for the kids and they helped her on stage, all while learning about how she became the person to make our first flag and all of the other designs that were brainstormed before the first American flag came to be! It was so much fun and the lady that played the part was the sweetest and so good with kids! George Washington also made a brief visit haha!
Once we left the Betsy Ross House, we walked over to Elfreth’s Alley, which is the oldest residential street in Philadelphia. It was gorgeous, but nothing was open on Monday. Still, just walking along and taking it all in was fun. Be sure to check it out if you are in the area.
Isn’t this alley precious?
Finally, we were all hot and tired from exploring, so we went back to the car and drove over to the fountain that we had seen on the bus tour. We didn’t bring swimsuits, but because we are such cool moms, we let the kids play in the fountain as long as their little hearts desired! Once they were completely worn out, we went back to the hotel, I did some laundry because, 10 day road trip hello lol, and I think we ran over to the Cracker Barrel next door for dinner! It was a really great day of learning and exploring.
Can you spot the kids?
Day 7: Last Dayin Philadelphia
Today was an exciting day, especially for me and my history loving heart! Y’all, we got to see the birthplace of America and where the Declaration of Independence was signed! You can visit these sites at Independence Hall. We did not pre-purchase timed entry tickets (there were none available), so we woke up early and headed to Philly. We got to Independence Hall around 8:15 a.m. and park rangers begin handing out FREE tickets around 8:30 a.m. You can purchase the timed entry tickets here. We were able to begin our self-guided tour of Independence Hall around 10 a.m., so we grabbed a quick breakfast first and then came back and began our tour. You are able to enter into two rooms on the bottom level and here you listen to park rangers explain the importance of the two rooms. The second room you enter is where the Declaration was signed! It was truly amazing. Once you leave Independence Hall, you go next door to Congress Hall to see where the first two presidential inaugurations occurred! Remember, at the time Washington DC was not finished being built. It all just smelled like the 1700s and I am not going to lie, I got a little emotional here. It’s still crazy to believe that I got to stand in buildings where our Founding Fathers worked and created our government.
The whole group outside of Independence Hall!
The chair at the back of the room is the EXACT chair that George Washington sat in! Eeek!!
Once we left there, we grabbed a quick lunch and then headed down the street to the Portrait Gallery in the Second Bank of the United States. This is a place filled with historical paintings, but it turned out to be so much more for us! We ran into our favorite park ranger, Jane, and she remembered us from our morning tour of Independence Hall. She ended up taking us on a behind the scene tour of the gallery and enthralled us all with her historical knowledge and amazing tales of things she’s seen that are not available to the public! I learned so, so much and consider our time with her so valuable. Be sure to check out the gallery if you are in the area and talk to the park rangers! They are there to answer questions and you might just make a new friend. I didn’t take any photos inside the gallery, I was too engaged, but I wish I would’ve gotten a picture with Jane. She was so special and I will never forget our time spent with her.
Outside of the Portrait Gallery
Even the youngest kid on the trip was engaged and interested in learning more!
After the portrait gallery we decided to head over to the Ben Franklin Bridge! We drove across it into New Jersey, found a great parking spot, and then walked back to Pennsylvania on the walking trail on the bridge. It’s not a long walk and it makes for a fun story and a great place for photos! This is how we ended our time in Philadelphia, up next was our drive to New York City!
On the Ben Franklin Bridge with Philly in the background!
Day 8: The Drive to New York City
After leaving Philadelphia, we were on the last leg of our trip. I was really excited to get to New York, but nervous about the drive into the city at the same time! We had to get the minivan to the rental car place at La Guardia Airport, then our plan was to uber back to the our hotel and use public transportation for the remaining days. We didn’t have to get the rental back until that evening, so we were in no rush to get there. With that in mind, we decided to stop and see Washington Crossing Historic Park in Pennsylvania, right before crossing over into New Jersey. This is where George Washington crossed the Delaware River. I am so glad that we made the stop! It was a great break for the kids to get out and stretch their legs and run around. Plus, the area is really cute, with outdoor sites and a small indoor museum. Be sure to add this to your list if you are making the drive from Philly to NYC!
Once we left WCNHP, we headed into New Jersey. I follow a few travel groups on Facebook, so I was happy to see someone post about stopping in New Jersey at the Empty Sky 9/11 Memorial. It was a beautiful place and I would give anything to have traveled to NYC before that tragic day. I never got to see the Twin Towers in person. I can only imagine how “empty” the skyline is to every resident in both New York and New Jersey.
The Memorial
The Empty Skyline
From here, we began our drive into the city and I am proud to say that I made it, without wrecking the van and I only flipped off one person! That’s terrible, I know but some random man was screaming and yelling at me for NO reason. I was never so glad to NOT have a car as I was in that city ha.
We had no issues getting back to our hotel, Hyatt Place New York Midtown/South. It was in a great location for us – The Empire State Building was outside of our window and it was only a few blocks to Times Square and Penn Station!
The view of the Empire State Building from our hotel!
On our first night in New York, we decided to walk down to Times Square and show the kids this area. It was crazy because it felt like we had the city to ourselves! The kids loved the lights and sounds and I was happy that it wasn’t so crowded. After this, we called it a night to get some rest. Have I mentioned that I am exhausted yet?
Times Square!
Day 9: Statue of Liberty and 9/11 Memorial
Today was the day to visit The Statue of Liberty and the 9/11 Memorial. We started off the day at the Statue of Liberty. We took the ferry, it was a very quick and easy check in process, but you do have to go through airport style screening before you are allowed to get on the ferry. Click here to pre-purchase tickets. We rode on the top deck to get the best view of the statue! While we were really sad that the museum was closed and that you can’t climb the stairs into the crown, we were thrilled to get to see Lady Liberty up close! And we were able to grab lunch at the Crown Café right on site while we were there. The kids thought that it would be bigger, so they were surprised with the size. This was a fun excursion and a must see if you’re visiting NYC!
This is the ferry we took to Liberty Island
Be sure to take a photo on the boat, it’s a better angle!
Since the ferry left from Battery Park, we decided to walk on over to the 9/11 Memorial while we were in the area. I think this was an emotional visit for all of us, the kids had a lot of questions and we answered them honestly. It was hard to think about that day and not get emotional. The kids really wanted to see the museum, but we felt like they were still a little too young for this one. Carrie and I both visited the museum together a few years ago, so we knew what was inside. I will definitely be taking them back when they are older, we must never forget that day or the victims. The memorial is very beautiful.
We rode the subway back to the hotel and just spent the rest of the day being typical tourists. We ventured by Radio City Music Hall, ate dinner in Times Square, danced with a street performer and had a really good night!
The boys first subway ride!
Day 10: Museum of Natural History, Central Park, & Top of the Rock
This was our last full day on the trip! We knew we wanted to visit a museum, so we picked the American Museum of Natural History because I really wanted to see the dinosaur fossils! We had a great time exploring the museum, there are several really cool exhibits, besides just dinosaurs. However, our time was cut shorter than I would like because our kids were starving and the food court in the museum has not yet re-opened. So, we left the museum after a few hours and grabbed a quick lunch at one of the food trucks parked right outside of the museum entrance.
One of the many fossils in the museum
A real meteor
We took our lunch to Central Park and had a quick picnic and then walked all around the park. There are some areas that really feel secluded and like you aren’t even in the city at all. The kids loved this part of the day, they are always up for running, climbing, and exploring. We grabbed ice cream once we left the park, walked by the Plaza Hotel, and then headed to the subway for some rest back at the hotel.
After we rested, we decided to go to Top of the Rock. This was a little more expensive than I like to pay, but I really wanted to see the views! The kids liked it and I got some good photos of us. It was so windy, I am not sure if it’s always like that or not. Even though it’s pricy, I think this is one place you should visit if you have the time. The views are stunning!
Views for days
Everyone else looked so cute… then there was me LOL!
That wraps up the big activities on our 10 day road trip! Day 11 was our travel day back to Texas and all went well. Where should we go next?!
If you are an Office fan, you must visit Scranton if you ever find yourself in Pennsylvania! We went for the day and had the best time!
My son dressed up like Dwight!
I am a HUGE Office fan, so seeing Scranton has always been on my bucket list. Yes, I know that the show was not actually filmed in Scranton, but I still have always wanted to visit and see all the things that the Office referenced during its series. And my youngest son, Jake, really wanted to dress up like Dwight for our visit, so of course I had to make that happen!
I think he played the part well haha!!
I did not plan a trip just to see Scranton, though. We actually decided to do a road trip from Delaware to New York City and our first flight brought us to Philadelphia early in the morning. Instead of just driving straight to our destination in Delaware, and risking having to wait hours for our hotel to be ready for check in, I decided to look at areas that were close to Philadelphia for a quick day trip. I didn’t want to explore Philly because later on in our trip we would be staying there for 4 days. Anyway, I discovered that Scranton is only about 2 hours from Philly and knew this was just the place we needed to spend the day!
The whole crew in our Office attire!
First, we went to the Steamtown Mall, which is actually named the Market Place at Steamtown. We parked in the parking garage and headed in to see the famous Scranton welcome sign that plays in the opening of the show. It is the original sign from the show, but has moved into the mall for photo ops. It is on the 2nd floor, very easy to find. We also took a photo with a Dunder Mifflin sign at a random store on the way to see the welcome sign!
From the mall, we drove around town and saw the big tower, Alfredo’s Pizza, and Cooper’s Seafood (which has a big selection of Office souvenirs if you’re interested in making a purchase). By this point we were actually pretty tired because we had to be up at 3:00 am for our flight. We were driving to Gettysburg for the night, which was another 2 hours away, so even though I would have loved to spend more time in Scranton, we knew it was time to head to our next destination. We also learned that President Biden’s childhood home is in Scranton, so we drove by that for a quick photo, too. If you follow our adventures, you already know that we love seeing Presidents’ houses!
It still says Dunder Mifflin! Pizza by Alfredo or Alfredo’s Pizza?
It was a short adventure, but the perfect way to spend our day once we arrived in Pennsylvania!
The kids outside President Biden’s childhood home
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Have you ever felt like you needed a vacation from a vacation? Like, maybe you planned so many fun adventures into your day and your kids are tired, your feet hurt, you’re broke now, and just flat out exhausted? I have been guilty of this so many times. Not that I am complaining, because I love seeing and doing all the things! But, let me tell you a little secret… sometimes just being in a new place is all you need to have a wonderful time. I feel like this pretty much sums up our trip to Orange Beach, Alabama last month.
So, let me tell you the back story. My friend and I planned a very detailed, and if I’m honest, a too packed full of activities trip to Cape Canaveral, FL to view a rocket launch from Kennedy Space Center. I happened to see that a rocket launch was scheduled around April 20th and we just immediately booked our flights and had a hotel and rental car waiting and ready for us on the Space Coast. Then, we started planning our days and decided that we were going to enjoy the hotel water park, visit NASA, kayak with manatees, visit an alligator farm, take surf lessons, find all the best beach front dining, and the list goes on and on. As luck would have it, the launch date changed by 2 days, so we changed our dates, which was a whole other ordeal. Then the launch was canceled, so we changed back to our original dates, only to discover that the launch was back on and moved to 3 days after the original date. Following me? Yes, it was basically a hot mess and like a sign from the heavens that we did NOT need to see that rocket launch. Well, being the troopers we are, we decided to still go to Cape Canaveral and have a blast with our kids in FL for a few days. Three days before our departure, the weather channel started showing videos of the torrential rain in the forecast for Orlando and all of the Space Coast area. I don’t think there is anyone that wants to spend money on a rained-out vacation, so we decided to cancel everything and look into other options. I had visited Orange Beach a few times in the past, but hadn’t been back in five years. Since we had already taken the days off from work, we decided to look there to see if any hotels had availability. And we got so lucky! We ended up being able to add an extra day to this one and decided to make the 10 hour drive to the beach and enjoy our week with our kids. I am so thankful we made this decision! It ended up being such a special trip for us and the biggest kicker – we literally did nothing except play at the beach and eat seafood dinners at night!
We rolled into Orange Beach and checked into our hotel around 7 pm. We stayed at Hampton Inn and Suites and had a lovely experience there. We booked a small suite that slept 6 and we had more than enough space for us all! Here are a few photos from the hotel and beach.
My boys and I both LOVE seafood, especially at the beach. We enjoyed everywhere we ate this week, but The Hangout was especially fun since they have foam parties every hour!
Here is a list of our dining experiences this week:
We basically only ventured off the hotel property for dinner/souvenir shopping. We stopped at the Walmart across from the hotel on our first day for lunches and took advantage of the really nice hotel breakfast each morning. The days were spent sleeping in, playing in the sand, watching dolphins from the shore, riding boogie boards, making memories, and just having an all-around actual restful and relaxing vacation. Our mama hearts were so full and our kids just really enjoyed their time together… and taking a couple of metal health days off from school!
I was thinking back on past trips that I haven’t gotten around to blogging about, and remembered that our first EPIC road trip across the country was to Folly Beach, SC in 2019. I can’t believe I haven’t blogged about this one yet, it was truly unforgettable.
So, when my oldest son was in 2nd grade, he was obsessed with Megalodons and sharks, so I started researching “best places to see sharks”. I was thinking more along the lines of aquariums – I do NOT ever want to see a shark in the ocean while I am on vacation LOL. Well, I stumbled across a blog about shark tooth/shark fossil hunting in Folly Beach, SC and I just knew we had to go! I called up Carrie, she ALWAYS says yes to my crazy ideas, and we had a hotel booked within the day for Spring Break in March. Keep in mind, we booked in early fall but wanted to really plan this one out since it was going to be our longest road trip, totaling 2,300 miles!
Our route from TX to SC
As interests in kids come and go, Jett moved on from the shark obsession well before March, but we still decided to go. I mean, who doesn’t want to spend Spring Break at the beach?! So, we headed out the Friday we got out of school for break and began our 16 hour drive. I believe we stopped somewhere in Mississippi or Alabama for the night, and finished the drive on Saturday.
Excited for this road trip!
One of my most favorite spontaneous finds on all of our road trips was the Vampire Diaries filming locations in Covington, GA. If you are a fan of the show, you HAVE to stop here! We were getting a little restless, felt like it was time to get our kids out of the car for lunch and to stretch our legs, and we stumbled across this little town almost by accident. I typically drive on our road trips and Carrie navigates, passes out food to the kids in back, and finds all of our fun stops along the drive. So, about 30 minutes before Covington, Carrie found this little stop and since we are both fans of the show, we had to see it! And I am so glad we did, it was the cutest town and we had so much fun! Even the kids liked seeing the sites and the bags of blood in the town gift shops were pretty entertaining! Check out Mystic Falls Tours if you’re in the area! There is also a little museum at the visitors parking area that has clothing and artifacts from the show!
From here, we drove straight to Folly Beach, only stopping for gas and dinner and we got there pretty late at night. We basically had Sunday-Thursday in Folly Beach and then would start our drive back home Friday and finish it up on Saturday. We stayed at Tides of Folly Beach and were very pleased with the hotel, from the location to the restaurants on site! And we were able to walk to restaurants and shops in Folly Beach from the hotel, so that was an added bonus!
View from the hotel!
I had no clue how close we were to several different amazing locations, as well. So, here is how we spent our days in and around Folly Beach!
Day 1: Folly Beach – We spent our first full day in Folly Beach at our hotel! None of us wanted to get back in the car after our 16 hour drive. It was still a little chilly, but the kids had a blast at the beach. We played in the sand, the kids braved the cold water, we ate at the pool grill, and enjoyed the outdoor pool!
Fish tacos at the beach front hotel restaurant
Day 2: Magnolia Plantation & Gardens and Huntington Island State Park – The plan for the second day was to explore South Carolina. I really wanted to see the beautiful, moss draped trees that SC is known for! And we always enjoy learning the history of the places we visit. After looking up top things to see and do near Folly Beach, we decided we would spend the morning at Magnolia Plantation and then the afternoon at Huntington Island State Park. There were so many hiking trails at the Plantation, we saw live animals, walked over a swamp and saw so many alligators, and even visited the Plantation home and the slave quarters. I feel like we all learned so much about this early era in SC’s history. The scenery around the plantation was gorgeous.
Magnolia Gardens Magnolia Plantation Slave quarters at the plantation
Huntington Island State Park was very picturesque. I also really loved that we didn’t see a soul in sight while there. The trees scattered along the beach made for the best photo ops! We were disappointed that we couldn’t go to the top of the lighthouse (my youngest wasn’t tall enough), but the kids had fun just exploring and playing along the shore.
Day 3: Ruins – This was such a fun adventure! If you follow my travels, you know that we LOVE doing all the creepy things! So, when I saw there were some ruins to visit in the area, you know I was all about creeping out the kids. These ruins were not super close to one another, but also not a terrible drive between each of them. We visited the Old Sheldon Church ruins first. Then we stopped by St. Helena Chapel of Ease. The early graves dating back to the 1800s were fascinating. We had a quick lunch and then made it to the Pon Pon Chapel of Ease ruins right at dusk. Everything was crazy creepy, but this last stop was the creepiest at night! We didn’t stay long at all! We just googled directions to each one using our iPhone map.
Old Sheldon Church Ruins St. Helena Chapel of EasePon Pon Chapel of Ease
Day 4: Folly Beach – Our last full day in Folly Beach was spent at the beach again! With the 16 hour return trip coming up, we decided on another relaxing beach day and stayed around the hotel and down at the beach. We walked to a delicious Mexican restaurant directly across the street from the hotel for dinner and then hit some souvenir shops after. It was a great week in Folly Beach!
Day 5: Charleston, SC – To begin our drive home, we headed to Charleston for the morning. This is one town I wished we could’ve spent more time in. We walked along the streets of Rainbow Row and had lunch at a little café in town.
Then we started our drive back to Texas. We re-routed our drive home because of severe weather threats from Texas-Alabama. We ended up heading to Memphis, TN and then drove straight home after our stop there for the night. The drive home got a little crazy, but that’s spring weather for you in the south I guess. It was our first long road trip across the country and I was so proud of myself for getting us all there and back home safely! I would definitely recommend this trip if you’re looking for an adventure!
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Wow! What an amazing road trip we had from Texas to Moab, Utah! We just returned from a spring break getaway that went by way to fast. I am already looking forward to the next time we get to visit this state. It is hard to adequately describe the landscape and the pictures definitely don’t do it justice!
My family at Delicate Arch
Did you know that 4th graders get a National Park Pass that gets the entire family into ALL National Parks for free? It has also been extended to 5th graders this year, so be sure to check out this link if you have a 4th or 5th grade student!
Jett with his National Park Pass!
I posted most of our itinerary on social media and several people have reached out to me asking for exact details on our route and how we planned out our days. I hope this post helps you plan your own trip – it’s a fantastic itinerary if you have kids under 10.
Day 1: We started our drive from North Texas and headed to Farmington, New Mexico for the night. It took about 13 hours total, the time change gaining an hour helped out immensely! We stayed at a nice hotel, TownePlace Suites by Marriott and it was in a great location next to a gas station and several restaurants. We were able to walk to The Outback Steakhouse for a quick dinner before getting ready for bed.
Texas to Farmington, NM
Helpful Tip – If I know we will be stopping overnight to stay at hotels during our drive, I pack a smaller suitcase for those nights so we don’t have to haul all of our luggage in and out. I also use packing cubes to keep our clothes situated!
Day 2: We checked out of the hotel and decided to visit the Aztec Ruins National Monument near Farmington. This was a quick stop but it was really neat. My boys loved the prairie dogs that were outside of the park. Inside the park you are able to take a self-guided tour around the ruins. A park ranger on site told us that these ruins aren’t actually from the Aztecs, but from the Pueblos that lived there. They were named Aztecs Ruins long ago and the name just stuck. The ruins were really cool and this was a great way for the kids to burn up some energy before getting back in the car.
The Aztec Ruins behind the kids
From here I put in “Forrest Gump Point” into my GPS. It’s about 2 hours 15 minutes to this location. It is the iconic place in the movie where Forrest Gump stops running, right near Monument Valley. If you notice, this route takes you through Arizona, so that was an exciting bonus! Monument Valley is currently closed, as is Four Corners.
The Route from Farmington, NM to Forrest Gump Point
But these are places that you can definitely check out when they open back up! We were able to see Shiprock Peak, a gorgeous peak that has been the backdrop of several movies. I read online that this is sacred ground and you can’t actually get to it, but we stopped as close as we could for a photo op. You can put Shiprock Monument into your GPS if you want to try to get closer to the peak.
Shiprock Peak
After a quick photo at Shiprock, we continued our drive to Forrest Gump Point. The scenery is amazing and the pictures below don’t do it justice. I was so excited to see Monument Valley and love the family photo we were able to get!
Forrest Gump Point
There are not a lot of places to eat or even gas stations along this route, so be warned! We were starving and had to wait about 30-45 minutes to find a restaurant in Bluff, Utah to stop at. Luckily we pulled in right before The Twin Rocks Trading Post Cafe was closing at 3:00. We didn’t see a kids menu, but ours had no problem having street tacos and quesadillas! It was a very nice place to eat with both indoor/outdoor dining.
Finally after leaving the restaurant, we were headed to Moab for the week. Again, the sights were beautiful which made the long drive worthwhile.
Forrest Gump Point to Moab, UT
We stayed at the Hyatt Place Moab and found the hotel very accommodating. Rooms were cozy, the breakfast grab and go bags were great, and the kids loved the outdoor heated pool and hot tub. I would definitely stay at this place again, the location was great and the staff was very friendly and helpful. The breakfast provided was an egg and sausage breakfast bowl and it also included a boiled egg, yogurt, muffins, and juice/milk/coffee. We even packed the boiled eggs in our backpacks and had them for a snack during our days of hiking! For dinner in Moab, we ate at The Broken Oar and I had a steak and mashed potatoes that were delicious!
Day 3: So day three was our first day in Moab and we decided to spend the day hiking at Arches National Park. I had to see the 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 way. 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. I am so happy to have these memories of my family.
The start of hike to Delicate Arch
We left the Delicate Arch and stopped in a shady area to have a quick lunch. We packed sandwiches we got from the hotel store and our extra leftovers from breakfast. The temps were in the 60s so it was very comfortable. It was extremely windy the closer we got to the arch though. The kids got a chance to eat and play a little, then we made our way back down. Be sure to check out the petroglyphs before you leave the area!
Our lunch stopThe petroglyphs
From here, we drove over to the double arch and this was a very easy and short hike. My boys loved exploring the arches and the rocks at the bottom. Restrooms are located at most of the parking areas before hiking so that was helpful, too. We had such a good time hiking and climbing and playing in this area. It was so much easier to explore than the Delicate Arch hike. In all, we hiked 6 miles/64 flights on this day! We decided to leave around 5:00 pm and headed straight to dinner. We ended up going to The Moab Brewery and it was also delicious! But be warned, a lot of their food is very, very spicy if it has their green chili on it! The kids loved that their kids meals came with a Frisbee plate! We ended the night in the hot tub, soaking all of our sore muscles.
Day 4: Today we booked a guided UTV excursion with Moab Tour Company. We decided to go with their most popular tour which was a level 2, 3 hour UTV trip on Hells Revenge and Fins & Things trails. It was EPIC! We loved our guide, Tyler. He was super funny but also made us really comfortable. He took us to see several gorgeous places in the Sand Flats and took photos of our family. We also got to check out some dinosaur tracks. The trails were pretty intense in places, but so much fun! I can’t recommend this tour enough. Our kids loved it, but my husband probably had the best time getting to drive the UTV! For lunch, we stopped at Zax, which was downtown. We passed it on our ride and it looked like it had a lot of options. I had a delicious steak pasta, my husband had pizza, and the kids had burgers and mac and cheese from the kids menu.
The trails were epic! Look at that view!
After our UTV ride, we decided to go check out Dead Horse Point State Park. This is another place that is stunning and the pictures don’t do it justice. We checked out all of the overlooks, which meant that we didn’t have to do a lot of hiking. Just hang on to your kids, some of the overlooks were crazy! The kids had a really good time just exploring and climbing on rocks and into small crevices. We ended the night with fast food and time at the pool!
Dead Horse Point State Park
Day 5: This was our last full day in Moab before our journey home. We decided to spend the day in Canyonlands National Park, which is very close to Dead Horse Point State Park. We enjoyed some of the smaller hikes, like the one we did at Mesa Arch. If you have kids, make sure they don’t run up to the arch, there’s a steep drop-off right past it!
Right at the edge of Mesa Arch
The hike to Mesa Arch was a very easy and short loop with lots of nice views! This park is a little bigger than we thought and was a little more confusing for us to maneuver.
We started at Canyonlands near Dead Horse Point and then wanted to see The Needles area. Little did we know that these two parts weren’t close to each other and it took us about 2.5 hours to get from one area to the next via car. The views were totally worth it, but it felt like we spent a lot of time driving. We did get to see Newspaper Rock on our drive to The Needles area and we found some fun hikes. We realized that the hike down to the Needles was 10.4 miles and knew our kids couldn’t do it. So we stayed in one area and let the kids play and climb. Then it started to snow which made for a beautiful scenic drive back to the hotel. We stopped for Mexican food at Fiesta Mexicana and it was probably my favorite dining experience of the trip! The enchiladas and margaritas were great and we all left stuffed!
Newspaper RockThe Needles in the distance
Day 6: Our original plan was to drive back to New Mexico for the night and find some fun things to do before heading home. However, the weather had other plans for us and Colorado was expected to get record breaking snow and New Mexico had chances of snow too. I also looked at the weather in Texas and the panhandle had chances of tornadoes (which did happen), so we ended up just driving about 9 hours to Amarillo for the night and then and then left the following day for a 6 hour drive home. All in all, it was a fantastic family trip and we cannot wait to explore another National Park! I hope you get the chance to visit Moab, you won’t be disappointed!
Road Trip Queen 