This past weekend we had a second round girls’ trip reunion with two of our best friends from Salt Lake City. We met up in Swan Valley, Idaho which is about halfway between us. The Snake River cuts through the valley surrounded by beautiful mountains. It was stunning. We unfortunately set up camp near an … More Swan Valley, Idaho
The Sawtooth Mountains situated near the quaint town of Stanley, Idaho are absolutely epic! These rugged peaks hosted the first of a hopefully annual girls’ trip reunion for us and two of our good friends from SLC, Rachel and Lindsey. The first day was kind of a bust in regards to weather. It was rainy … More Sawtooth Mountains, Idaho
Holy moly! This road trip was all in response to a manic moment on my part. Feeling stuck and stagnant due to loss of travel plans, COVID, and pending jobs that are taking forever made me a little crazy. Hence, the road trip. We drove out east across the great state of Montana and stopped … More National Park Road Trip Round 2
Mammoth Cave National Park is in central Kentucky and protects part of Mammoth Cave, the longest cave system in the world. It is a World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve. The Green River runs through the park. Many sets of Native American remains have been found in Mammoth Cave. The cave was even made … More Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky
Hot Springs National Park is more of a historic town than a park. The town of Hot Springs became famous as early as the 1850’s due to the supposed therapeutic properties of the water. The Caddo, Choctaw, and Cherokee tribes also believed in the medicinal properties of the springs, calling it the “Valley of Vapors.” … More Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in the United States. It straddles the Tennessee and North Carolina border and runs along the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains. The Great Smoky Mountains are part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which is a division of the Appalachian mountain chain. The Cherokees … More Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee
My birthday fell on probably the best day of the road trip. We started with a patio breakfast with mimosas in Asheville, North Carolina. After some good ole southern grits for breakfast, we visited the Biltmore Estate. The Biltmore opened on Christmas Eve of 1895 as the home of George Vanderbilt. The 250 room French … More Asheville, North Carolina
After Voyaguers National Park, we drove south through Minnesota and east into Wisconsin. Our friend Rachel, who grew up in Madison, recommended Friends of the Apostles National Lakeshore as a must see place in Wisconsin. We had a wonderful bath in Lake Superior at the lakeshore. Don’t worry, our soap is biodegradable. We then had … More The Great Lakes, Wisconsin and Indiana
Shenandoah National Park is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia along the Shenandoah River. The famous Skyline Drive traverses the mountain ridgeline for 105 miles providing countless amazing panoramas. The famous Appalachian Trail runs through the park, as well. This year is my first time buying an Annual Parks Pass. I could barely … More Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Cuyahoga Valley National Park was created in 1974 as part of Parks to the People, a civil rights initiative to create parks in metropolitan areas. The park is located along the Cuyahoga river between Akron and Cleveland. Some of the original inhabitants in the region were the Lenape nation, considered the “grandfathers” of the Upper … More Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio