While touring the national parks in Utah, we were advised to take the US Route 89 Scenic Highway between Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park and beyond. While the road was very scenic, it was also very harrowing. Driving the Utah 89 The Scenic 89 Highway winds from Zion National Park, north through the hills of the Dixie National Forest. We picked up the highway after the north
If you were to ask someone to make a list of national parks in the United States, every list would include the Grand Canyon. This is the second most popular national park in the United States, only beaten out by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Visiting this wonder of the geological world, it’s easy to see why. The Grand Canyon descends more than a mile into the history of
As we passed through the southwest in the summer of 2024, we wanted to hit as many National Parks as we could. This continues the trend we started on our trip from Virginia to Quartzsite the previous fall and winter. Among the parks we visited was Bryce Canyon National Park. Bryce Canyon may not have the vistas of Grand Canyon National Park or the prestige of Yellowstone. Bryce Canyon has
In the spring of 2023, while making our way from Brownsville to Camp Cardinal, we had many short stops throughout the southeast. A lot of these stops were at Boondockers Welcome spots, and due to those being private property we don’t review them, but some were not. One of the most memorable stops, if only for the weather, was the Atchafalaya Welcome Center, in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. The Atchafalaya Welcome
While touring national parks in Utah, we took the time to check out Zion National Park. Zion National Park has been the most difficult national park for us to access. This hasn’t been due to injury but a combination of popularity and designation. Getting into Zion National Park Zion National Park, for all its popularity, does not have parking available to handle all the visitors it sees day-to-day. While we
One of our destinations while we toured the Las Vegas area was the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Having toured several national parks at this point, we thought it would be an experience similar to what we’ve seen before. And in ways it was, and in others … not so much. Complaints and Concerns From the get-go, this looks like a “national park” experience. However, as soon as you
While staying at the Lake Mead Recreation Area, we were well-placed to spend some time in the nation’s entertainment capital, Las Vegas! While “Sin City” has traditionally been a playground for adults, we were surprised and elated to find just how accessible it was for families, especially those on a tight budget. So read on if you’re interested in tackling Vegas with kids! The Strip It’s hard not to imagine
A while back, we decided we wanted to experience Las Vegas, Nevada as a family. In our research, we found there were not a lot of good opportunities to boondock around the city. However, when we discovered our “Every Kid Outdoors” pass got us into not just national parks, but also into national recreation areas. This really opened up doors for us. The door that we were most excited about
Raising kids is challenging. No one can dispute that. Gallons of ink have been spilled on the internet and libraries on how-to articles, advice chats, and training videos. Through all of these resources and tricks, one of the most powerful tools I’ve come across and use is noticing out loud. What is noticing out loud? It is exactly what it sounds like: Noticing when your children, coworkers, friends, or others
Typically we try to avoid staying in parking lots when there is a nation of public lands to explore, but sometimes we don’t have much choice when we’re trying to keep our travel times manageable. The Morongo Casino was the 2nd or 3rd casino we’ve stayed at, depending on how you define them. Of the three, it was probably our best casino parking experience. Camping Accommodations at Morongo Casino While