• Doughton Park Camping 2018

    How nearly every Blue Ridge Parkway adventure begins and ends: a stone arch We planned this trip three weeks out when we were looking to camp in Hanging Rock during an October weekend. Every single reservable campsite was booked for every single weekend in October. When I relayed this information to my friend Sarah, who had felt me out on whether we would want to try a joint family trip, she suggested checking out Doughton Park, which I had never…

  • Chasing Geysers from Canyons to Old Faithful

    Can we please just get to Old Faithful already? That’s how this blog series feels now that I’m to the tenth post, because, hey, isn’t Old Faithful the pinnacle of the Yellowstone experience? Maybe… but the true beauty of the place to me is that behind the the walkways and frequented sites, I know there is still something wild, and I know its just beyond what I got to see on this trip. One day I hope we can do…

  • Roosevelt and Lamar Valley

    The day between our two nights in Canyon Village, our only plan set in stone was an Old West Dinner Cookout in Roosevelt, so we decided we would all meet up around 10 am and spend the time before dinner exploring the sights from Canyons to Lamar Valley and a little north of Roosevelt.  We started our day by heading to the general store for Tillamook yogurt (the huckleberry yogurt was really great) and a few other food items. The…

  • Yellowstone National Park South Entrance to Canyons

    After our breakfast cruise, we packed up our rooms and checked out of the Tetons to head to Yellowstone. The weather changed on us, and I was suddenly thankful I’d packed two umbrellas and ponchos as well as warm jackets. The rivers were swollen to levels that my dad had never seen. We didn’t let the weather get us down … just a little wet. With six hours between check-out from Jackson Lake Lodge and check-in at Canyons Lodge, and…

  • Elk Island Colter Bay Breakfast Cruise

    The second morning we woke up in the Tetons, we scooted out the door for an adventure out of Colter Bay, titled “Jackson Lake Scenic Breakfast Cruise“, Dee Dee’s treat. I shot the picture below as we waited for the group to gather. I love the contrast of the warm color of the sea kayaks against the cool water and an mountains. There were two boats to transport our small crowd. Captain Ron took us on his boat “Rondezvous” to…

  • Death Canyon Hike and the Mangy Moose

    After the horseback ride, we waffled back and forth over which hike we should do. A friend had told Joe that Death Canyon Patrol Cabin hike was beautiful, but it was close to 8 miles with a lot of elevation change. So he had found a “meh” trail. I don’t even remember the name of it, but it was south of the park and looked easy. (Side note: Joe is a hiker. He’s like a frigging mountain goat when he…