The Big Island – Hawaii – Day 5

We had planned a day and a half inside Volcano National Park, but because we got there fairly early and stayed in the park all day (until past dark), we basically got everything done we wanted to do. Park entrance fee is $30 per vehicle for a 3-day pass. First stop should be the visitor... Continue Reading →

Capitol Reef National Park

Capitol Reef is the second least visited national park in Utah (we have 5 national parks). It is an awesome place to visit and explore and without all the crowds. All parks had low attendance in 2020 due to Covid, but Zions still had 3.5 times the number of visitors as did Capitol Reef (3,5000,000... Continue Reading →

Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands National Park is the largest national park in Utah. It was carved by the Colorado and Green rivers. Cataract Canyon is a popular place to go river rafting. The park has four distinct areas: Island in the Sky (paved roads, visitor center, campgrounds, picnic areas)The Maze (no paved roads)The Needles (paved roads, visitor center,... Continue Reading →

United States National Parks

I love to travel and explore new places and I love the outdoors. I am also a naturally frugal person, so road trips and a lot of hiking are ways that I can accomplish these goals. I believe on spending on experiences rather than things, so we try to do multiple vacations each year. We... Continue Reading →

Death Valley National Park

My wife and kids couldn't understand why I wanted to visit Death Valley National Park. It is known as the: - lowest place in North America (282 ft below sea level) - driest place in America (average rainfall is less than 2 inches) - and hottest place in the world (134°F / 57°C is the... Continue Reading →

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Jeri and I planned and executed a short 4 day/3 night vacation to Tennessee to visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This National Park is considered the most popular (over 9 million visitors per year). In 2020, they approximated 12.1 million visitors. To put this in perspective, the next most visited National Park was Yellowstone... Continue Reading →

Canyonlands – Neck Spring

A unique hike, but it wasn't one of our favorites in the park. The most interesting part was seeing the remnants of some of the earlier settlers. They had to get creative when it came to keeping and transporting water. Distance:             5.81 miles RTTime:             ... Continue Reading →

Canyonlands – Mesa Arch Loop

This quick hike to Mesa Arch is well worth your time.  It is the most famous arch in Canyonlands.  We didn't visit any other arches, but apparently there are more than 80 arches in the park.   Distance: .70 miles RTTime: 30 minutesStart: GrandView Point Rd pullout just before Upheaval dome road intersectionDifficulty: EasyElevation Gain: 67... Continue Reading →

Canyonlands – Upheaval Dome

One of the must do hikes in Canyonlands National Park is Upheaval Dome. One of my sons wants to be a geologist so this was an especially interesting hike for him. He and I hiked to both overlooks. The first overlook is only a 0.6 mile RT hike and takes you to a really decent... Continue Reading →

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