Great Smoky Mountains National Park with Kids

Great Smoky Mountains National Park with Kids

As part of our Spring 2014 RV Road Trip, we visited the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, starting in Tennessee and ending in North Carolina. We woke up early at our RV campsite in Pigeon Forge, TN (even after enjoying some moonshine the night before) and hit the road. It was going to be a long day driving the RV through the Great Smoky Mountains to get to our next RV park in Asheville, NC, where we would be staying for that night. We had never been to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park before, so we weren’t quite sure what to expect. And since we were there with 2 young-ish kids, we knew that we had to limit our explorations to some shorter hikes. It turned out that Great Smoky Mountains National park is a fantastic place to visit with kids!

We started our journey at the Gatlinburg entrance to the Park and followed Newfound Gap Road through the Park, stopping along the way at various sites & to do some hikes. According to this Gatlinburg tourism website:

Newfound Gap Road

Ready to see the Smokies? Start here.

You’d have to go from Georgia to Maine to see the variety of forest ecosystems you can experience on the Smokies’ most popular drive. Newfound Gap Road begins right in Gatlinburg, crests at 5,000 feet, and descends into Cherokee 30 miles later. Some highlights along the way include

Sugarlands Visitor Center, Chimney Tops, Newfound Gap, Clingman’s Dome Road, Ocanaluftee Valley and Mingus Mill. There are plenty of pulloffs, places to picnic, trailheads and breathtaking views. Every trip to the Smokies begins with a drive on the Newfound Gap Road, so pack a picnic and c’mon up.”

Map of route from Gatlinburg to Asheville through Great Smoky Mountains

Chimney Tops Trail with Kids

Along our route, we had time to pull over to some of the scenic lookouts and to take 2 longer hikes. The first hike that we did was the Chimney Tops trail. We didn’t have time to do the entire thing, but we walked for a while and stopped to admire the waterfalls and beautiful scenery along the way. I don’t recommend wearing jeans (like I was)…ever (for hiking). Luckily we had our hotel on wheels (the RV) with all of our stuff in it & I could easily change clothes before the next hike.

PicMonkey Collage

 Chimney Tops Trail Hike

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

This trail has some parts that go steeply uphill, but it is easily manageable, even for younger kids. We saw people with toddlers on the trail! There are lots of places to stop and rest and admire the foliage as well.

download (18)

download (16)

download (6)

 

 

Clingmans Dome Trail with Kids

The next major stop that we made was to do the Clingmans Dome Trail. This is the spot where you will get all of those gorgeous Smoky Mountain views. These were the views that I was hoping for & that were in my head every time I even thought about Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

PicMonkey Collage2

Clingmans Dome Trail

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

So, while this hike is only a half mile to the ‘dome’, you will feel every inch of it. The trail is a paved surface that is very, very, steep. It can almost feel vertical, depending on what kind of shape you are in. God bless those poor souls who were pushing strollers and carrying small children up this massive incline. You are more powerful than me. My kids complained about three-fourths of the time (and sat at the rest points for the other quarter). But the view from the top was so worth it!

download (22)

download (21)

We absolutely loved our visit to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with the kids! We were able to drive our rental RV all through the park with no issues at all. And it really came in handy when we wanted to make lunch (and I wanted to change out of my jeans). It was a fabulous day!

Mammoth Cave National Park with Kids

Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky

Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky

Mammoth Cave National Park with Kids

In April 2014 we took the kids on an RV trip through 5 states. One of our stops along the way was Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky. We were not quite sure about what to expect, as we had been to different caves and caverns before, and had read that this is the world’s longest! Mammoth Cave National Park with the kids was a fantastic experience, and I am so glad we decided to visit.  Our first stop was the Visitor Center so that we could get some information, pick up our Junior Ranger booklets, and choose which tour we wanted to take.

Mammoth Cave National Park Visitor Center

Mammoth Cave National Park Visitor Center

There are various guided tours that you can take, or you can tour one part of the cave on your own. We opted for the Domes and Dripstones Tour, which ended up being a great choice.

Domes and Dripstones Tour
A wonderful complement to the Historic Tour, this trip includes a dramatic series of domes and pits, typical large trunk passageways, and a short journey through numerous dripstone formations.

This tour includes the entire Frozen Niagara Tour route.

 Duration: 2 hours
Distance: 3/4 mile
Total Stairs: 500, including 280 on the initial staircase descent
Difficulty: Moderate
Tour Capacity: 118
Price: $12 Adults, $8 Youth, $6 Special Access

The bus took us from the Visitor Center to the start of our tour - about a 2 mile ride

The bus took us from the Visitor Center to the start of our tour – about a 10 minute ride

The entrance to the cave - a door carved into a hill -  sort of creepy

The entrance to the cave – a door carved into a hill – sort of creepy

 

We entered the cave, and quickly descended down 280 stairs (very very narrow stairs). The ranger did warn us about claustrophobia and also about ducking to make sure we didn’t hit our heads. My poor husband is claustrophobic and  also 6’4″. I looked back at one point and thought he was having a panic attack. Luckily the cave opened up, and there was plenty of space for most of the time.

I couldn’t get very good photos because they have a no flash policy & I have a crappy camera (note to self: get a new camera). I tried though. These photos really do not do justice to Mammoth Cave at all.

Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky - photos don't do it justice

Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky – photos don’t do it justice

 

Mammoth Cave National Park with Kids – Junior Ranger Program

Whenever we go to a National Park, we usually force our kids (their words) to participate in the Junior Ranger program. I mean, life can’t be all about fun, can it? Truthfully they end up getting a lot out of it & they have great memories of these trips and experiences. They also have a cool collection of Junior Ranger badges from lots of National Parks.

The kids working on their Junior Ranger booklets at Mammoth Cave National Park

The kids working on their Junior Ranger booklets at Mammoth Cave National Park

 

This was our first visit to Kentucky, so we crossed one more state off of our our list! Mammoth Cave National Park was a great place to go with the kids! We would love to go back to Kentucky in the future to visit more of the attractions, such as this:

It wasn't open...guess we'll just have to go back to Kentucky again someday

It wasn’t open…guess we’ll just have to go back to Kentucky again someday

Zion National Park with Kids

Zion National Park

Zion National Park with Kids

If you are wondering if you can easily visit Zion National Park with kids, the answer is a huge YES! In the summer of 2013 we visited Zion National Park on a long road trip to various National Parks. We absolutely loved Zion.  In fact, it was our favorite park of the trip. The weather when we were there  (in July) was gorgeous, the natural beauty was just beyond amazing, and the park was very well laid-out and easy to navigate with kids in tow. Zion is located in Utah, close to both Arizona and Nevada (and makes for a great road trip loop including Las Vegas, Bryce Canyon, and the Grand Canyon).

Zion National Park sign

Zion National Park has a great park shuttle system that is easy to navigate.  It makes Zion easier to explore and less congested than some of the other parks that we visited, . You can catch the shuttle from the Visitor Center or from the town of Springdale (pretty much right outside of the Park). Within the park, the shuttle stops at 9 different locations, and you can easily figure out where you want to go after you grab a map at the Visitor Center. The shuttles also come regularly, so you rarely have to wait very long to hop onto one.

hiking with kids in zion national park

What are the best things to do in Zion National Park?

Exploring the park is the main attraction here.  Just the beauty of the surroundings are enough. You can hike on various kinds of trails, bike ride, or just stay on the shuttle and get a bus “tour” of the park. We recommend getting out and hiking. Hiking in Zion National Park with kids is not only easy, it is amazing.

Zion National Park Emerald Pools Trail

Zion National Park Emerald Pools Trail

There are several easy and family friendly hikes that can be done by almost anyone, including children. We did several hikes with the kids, some super-easy and a couple that were a bit more challenging, but still fine for the kids to do. Our favorite hike was through the Zion Narrows, but there are many others that are fun and beautiful as well, such as the Emerald Pools Trail and the Weeping Rock trail. We are by no means expert hikers or even very outdoorsy, so if we can do this, pretty much anyone who is in reasonably good physical shape can do it too.

From the NPS park brochure - EASY hikes

From the NPS park brochure – EASY hikes

Crossing the bridge to get to the trail to the Emerald Pool

Crossing the bridge to get to Emerald Pool Trail

Hiking the Emerald Pools Trail with kids

This was a relatively easy hike to do.  We first stopped at the Zion Lodge to check it out (beautiful building) and get some ice cream, and then we crossed the bridge that took us to the start of the Emerald Pools Trail. We hiked to the Lower Emerald Pools, which took about an hour.

znp5

znp11

Hiking the Weeping Rocks Trail with kids

This is another pretty easy hike. It takes you to a really neat spot called Weeping Rocks, which is an alcove in the rock that “weeps” with water and has beautiful plants growing from it. There are some amazing views looking out from inside of the alcove as well.

Weeping Rock Zion National Park

Weeping Rock Zion National Park

Hiking the Zion Narrows with kids

Our favorite hike in the park was the Zion Narrows. This is generally listed as one of the harder hikes.  It starts where the (easy) Riverside Walk ends. We did not complete the whole Narrows hike, we just kept going until we felt ready to turn back. What made it more fun and more unusual is that the hike goes through water. At the start of the ‘trail’ lots of people had left perfect walking sticks, which were very helpful for sloshing through the water.

Me hiking through The Narrows in Zion National Park

Me hiking through the Narrows in Zion National Park

The kids had a lot of fun with this hike. At some points they needed to hold our hands to get through the water, but it did not feel dangerous or treacherous (at the time of our visit, at least). They also used small sticks to help them wade through the water.

Hiking the Narrows with kids

Hiking the Narrows with kids

 

One of the most beautiful parts of the Narrows hike are the rock “walls” on either side of the Virgin River, which gives you the chance to walk through a canyon. There are rivulets of water running down the rock faces, which the kids loved touching as we hiked by.

znp10

znp6

 

Zion National Park hotels – where to stay

Right outside of the park is a lovely little town called Springdale, Utah. It may have been one of the cutest places I’ve ever seen, probably because the backdrop is just so breathtaking.  There are lots of hotels, shops, and restaurants, but it all has a cute and quaint kind of a vibe. You can stay within the park at the Zion Lodge, but we chose to stay at the Desert Pearl Inn in Springdale. The Inn gets lots of great reviews, and we could totally see why. We really loved it. Our room was a deluxe room with a balcony facing the Virgin River and some amazing rock views. The room was huge and the decor was the kind that I like it my own house. The pool was great. Just a fabulous place to stay.

Desert Pearl Inn, Springdale, Utah

Desert Pearl Inn, Springdale, Utah

View from our balcony at the Desert Pearl Inn
View from our balcony at the Desert Pearl Inn

 

Our 2 day visit to Zion National Park with the kids was one of the highlights of the month-long trip. As much as I want to explore new places, I would really like to go back someday.

 

 

Bryce Canyon National Park with Kids

download (20)

 

Bryce Canyon National Park with Kids

There are no words that can accurately describe Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah. It is a place that needs to be visited, explored, and absorbed. Words and photos are not capable of doing justice to the unearthly hoodoos (the stone pillars) that make up this scenery. It is a place unlike any other, and one that changed the way I thought about the planet.  I just kept thinking “I can’t believe a terrain like this exists” and was just in awe the entire time we were there.  I think even the kids were taken aback by the sight of it.  Bryce Canyon National Park is a perfect place to visit with kids.

Bryce Amphitheater

Bryce Amphitheater from Inspiration Point

There are various points throughout the park that are accessible by car and that give great views looking down into the Bryce Amphitheater from up above.  We explored some of these viewpoints, and took part in a Ranger-led discussion about the formation of the hoodoos (as a part of the Junior Ranger program). 

download (21)

download (7)

In order to really get the best feel for Bryce Canyon, you have to hike down into it.  It looks intimidating from the top, but it is totally do-able.  Even with kids. It is a steep descent and ascent at certain points, but it is a great workout and so worth it!  You do have to have some physical stamina, but even the kids were able to do it (not without some complaints about tired legs though).

download (19)download (18)download (17)Hiking down into the Amphitheater allows for the best views of the various hoodoo formations

download (16)download (14)

 The Queen’s Garden/Navajo Loop Trail is about 3 miles, and is steep in some points.  It is probably best for elementary aged kids and older, as there are parts that are somewhat difficult.  It gives you great views of the park up close and personal.

download (13)

download (12)There are some places to stop and rest! Make sure to bring plenty of water.

download (11)download (10)

download (9)download (1)

Thor’s Hammer is one of the more well-known formations (it is the single one sticking up in the background) & can be viewed from the Navajo Loop Trail.

download (3)download (2)

Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah was one of my favorite places we have ever visited, and I would recommend it to anyone with kids who are old enough to do some hiking.  Even if the kids are younger, you can still get some wonderful views without hiking too much.  We even saw some really fit people carrying a baby in a back carrier and hiking through the Amphitheater!

We stayed at the Best Western Plus Bryce Canyon hotel.  It is directly across the street from the Best Western Ruby’s Inn, and we chose it because it was newer.  Both are in an excellent location right near the park entrance. We had dinner at Ebenezer’s Barn & Grill, which is pretty much in the same parking lot as the hotel.  It was a Cowboy Dinner Show with a buffet and entertainment.  Yes, it was totally cheesy, but the kids LOVED it! My daughter even waited in line to get the performers’ autograph’s afterward & she still talks about the show.  We were literally the only Americans there (they ask you what country you are from when you enter & then they incorporate that into the show) out of about 500 people. Kind of embarrassing, kind of amazing. It just goes to show that we enjoy being tourists in our own country. The rest of you (if you’re American) are missing out.

download (6)

Death Valley in July? (Spoiler : We made it out alive)

This was early in the day, the temperature rose to about 120 while we were there!

This was early in the day, the temperature rose to about 120 while we were there!

Death Valley in July

Death Valley National Park in July?  Or…Are you insane? Yes and yes. When we were planning our National Parks Road Trip, adding Death Valley during the hottest time of year wasn’t in our original plan.  But then it turned out that we were practically driving right by it, and how could we drive by a National Park and NOT visit (we couldn’t).  So there we were. In Death Valley and it was about 120 degrees. I don’t even care if it was a “dry” heat.  It was hot.

download (1)

 

We read all of the warnings. Our tires might melt, so don’t stop moving.  Bring plenty of water. Don’t take off your sandals and run through the sand dunes. Are you curious about this one?  I was.  Apparently some geniuses went to the sand dunes (amazing, by the way) early in the day before it was really hot and sunny.  They took of their shoes and ran (creative license on this part, I’m not sure if they walked, ran, or cartwheeled) across the sand to the far side.  Well, the sand heats up pretty quickly, and they were kind of trapped there with no shoes. They needed to cross the sand dunes (shoeless) to get back.  Which caused 3rd degree burns on their feet, and they had to somehow be rescued.  They lost their Mensa memberships. All this was told to scare us into keeping our shoes on while walking on the sand dunes.  It worked. By the time we got to the dunes they were already about a million degrees.  I think my flip flops melted.  It was worth it.

download (5)

download (4)

In some strange way, Death Valley was my favorite.  It was eerie and alien-ly beautiful.  The colors. Oh, the colors. Green, black, pink, orange sand/rocks. I’m not a scientist so don’t hold me to the part about it being sand/rocks, but it was gorgeous.  Probably minerals or something.  We did the Junior Ranger program with the kids, and learned a lot, but I think my brain melted a little bit so all I remember is something about Borax.

We were able to get out of the car at the best scenic vantage points (like Dante’s View and Zabriskie Point) to take in the otherworldly views. Again, HOT, but so worth it. I feel like I also need to say that I like being hot way more than I like being cold. I’d rather be in Death Valley in July than go skiing at any point in time.

download (15)downloaddownload (12)download (10)

The advantages to going to Death Valley in July were:

  1. No crowds
  2. It was cheaper than a trip to Europe with the same demographic

We were among the only crazy people there, and of those of us who braved the heat, we were the only English speakers.  It was very interesting to be in the USA and literally hear NO ONE speaking English (except for the Park Rangers, that is).  It seemed like most people were speaking French.  This was a bonus, as I miss Europe & it made me feel nostalgic.  I appreciate that others appreciate our country.  I (most likely, since I’m not 100% sure where most of these people were from ) appreciate their countries too, so its a win-win.  And I’m pretty sure that they weren’t Americans for whom English is not a first language.  I could always be wrong about that, but there was definitely a European vibe going on. This was true in every single National Park we visited on that trip, but Death Valley was the only one that was 100% in the non-English speaking category. Fascinating…

Some of the green sand/rocks in Death Valley National Park

Some of the green sand/rocks in Death Valley National Park

download (8)download (7)

So, would we visit Death Valley in July again? In a heartbeat. With lots of water, sturdy shoes and a French/English dictionary.

download (3)

 

National Parks Annual Pass

Hi, I'm the Grand Canyon & you can use your National Parks Annual Pass to visit me

Hi, I’m the Grand Canyon & you can use your National Parks Annual Pass to visit me

America the Beautiful National Parks Pass

In July and August of 2013, the 4 of us set out on an adventure to explore some of this country’s most beloved and mind-blowingly beautiful National Parks.  We had only been to one National Park (Assateague Island) prior & had purchased an America the Beautiful National Parks Annual Pass while we were there.  It is actually called America The Beautiful – The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass.  But that’s too long, so here is some information about the AtBNPP (just made that up):

America the Beautiful National Parks Pass - Things to know

  • $80 Annual Pass provides access to 2,000 parks and recreation areas
  • Annual Pass can have 2 owners, and kids up to age 16 are always free (so one pass was good for our whole family!)
  • Can be purchased at many parks (in Visitor Center), by calling 888-275-8747, option 3, or online here
  • Military and their dependents can get a free pass! Doesn’t apply to us, but I’m happy to hear about this because they totally deserve it.
  • You show your photo ID and pass in the booth or location where you would normally pay for your park ticket
  •  Ours was good for more than the year because we bought it in July 2013, and it expires in August 2014
  • Most parks cost $20 so we saved some decent cash by purchasing the pass
  • If you are 62 or older then you are in luck, it’s really cheap for you. More here.

 

 National Parks Annual Pass – Some places where we used ours:

Bryce Canyon National Park

Death Valley National Park

Everglades National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park

Yosemite National Park

Zion National Park

Yosemite Curry Village & The Bear Pee Incident

Our Yosemite Curry Village Tent

Our Yosemite Curry Village Tent

Curry Village Tent Review

As part of our National Parks Road Trip in the Summer of 2013, we spent 2 nights in Yosemite National Park.  I usually plan our summer trips about 10 months to a year in advance, which generally ensures that I will be able to get the flights and hotels that work best for our family.  For this trip, we were going to so many different places that it took me a while to plan it all out.  October came around, and I was planning our accommodations for Yosemite.  Too late! All of the places I wanted to stay were booked up, and we were left with the Curry Village Tents.  There was a part of me that was excited.  We had never stayed in a place like this & it would be an adventure.  We are always up for trying new experiences, and the kids were looking forward to “camping” in the woods.  I don’t need luxury, as I said here, but I do like heat and warm water for my shower.

About Curry Village:

From their website: “Tucked right in the heart of Yosemite, below the towering majesty of Half Dome and Glacier Point, Curry Village cabins offer guests a unique and magnificent place to stay. Scattered throughout the village, guests will find 46 comfortable Yosemite cabins with private baths, plus 18 standard motel rooms, and 319 canvas tent cabins. In addition, there are 14 cabins with centrally located bath houses.”

We stayed in one of the “319 canvas tent cabins” and paid about $150 per night.  I would have happily forked over the additional dollars for one of the cabins or motel rooms, but there were none to be had when we booked.   My expectations were pretty low, and I think all in all, it was a mixed bag.

Curry Village Tents : Pros

I like to start everything from a positive, strengths-based perspective (10 points if you can guess what my graduate degree is in), so let’s start with the good.

- Location : Curry Village itself is located right in the heart of Yosemite Valley.  You can start your day with a beautiful view and fresh, clean air

Yosemite Curry Village View

Yosemite Curry Village View

- The Price : This is the least expensive option among the in-park lodging

- The sense of adventure : This is huge and the reason why I would even consider doing it again (although probably not)

- The programs : So this is for all of Curry Village (just like the location and view), but I am listing it here to make the “pros” list longer and because I don’t want to seem like a hater.  We attended a nighttime ranger program, where we got to hear about the history of Curry Village (fascinating) and we also heard a talk about bears (which probably saved our lives…well, not really, but it led to a great story…see more below).

- The blankets were wool

- The kids slept through everything

- The bear lockers (the big black boxes in the photo) – I guess they worked

Curry Village Tent Cabins

Curry Village Tent Cabins

Curry Village Tents : the Cons

- The NOISE – Ugh! This was really the worst part.  Unless you are the soundest sleeper in the world (or a kid – see under “Pros”) then you may get a half hour of sleep in increments of 3 minutes.  As you can see from the photo, the tents are REALLY close together.  And they are canvas.  So you can literally hear everything that is going on in the tents around you (which are on both sides, and behind you as well).  I felt like there was a strange French speaking guy in bed with me because I think his head was on his pillow about 10 inches from my head on my pillow separated only by a couple pieces of canvas.  There were babies crying in the night, people laughing really loud, coughing, snoring, you name it.  Oh, and the bear.

- The cold showers – there are bath “houses” where you have to wait in line to take a cold shower after a sleepless night.  Even my daughter was like “take me to the Hyatt!”

OK, so the cons list isn’t as long as I thought it would be.  I think that the noise was enough to just put me over the edge.  Note to self: next time bring earplugs and sleeping pills, oh wait, there won’t be a next time because I will book a year in advance so we can get a cabin – because we really did like Curry Village itself.

The Bear Pee Story

Remember how I told you we liked the Ranger program about the bears?  There are bears all over the place in Yosemite, and the Park Rangers take safety very seriously.  We are on the bears’ turf, so we need to respect them and do everything we can to keep everyone safe (hence, the bear-proof lockers).  So, one of the things that we learned is that the Rangers will scream “GO AWAY BEAR!” and try to make loud noises whenever they see a bear in the camp area.  They are trying to scare the bears away as best they can, and there are even some kinds of tracking devices to tell when a bear has made his (or her) way into the camp.

At some point during the middle of the night, during one of our 3 minute sleep increments, we hear the shout “GO AWAY BEAR!” right in front of our tent cabin door. We (the adults) sit bolt upright, hearts in our throats, waiting for a bear to burst through the canvas tent.  Time passed, no bears came in, and we may have fallen back to sleep (or heard babies crying, etc).  Our kids somehow sleep through all of this.

As morning comes, we open our door to find this:

I guess "GO AWAY BEAR!!!" really does scare the pee out of the bears

I guess “GO AWAY BEAR!!!” really does scare the pee out of the bears

True story.

Yosemite National Park with Kids

Yosemite National Park - Mother Nature at her finest

Yosemite National Park – Mother Nature at her finest

Yosemite National Park with Kids: Trip Report

As part of our 3 week-long National Parks road trip in the Summer of 2013, we drove from San Francisco to Yosemite National Park, where we spent 2 nights in Curry Village in one of their tents.  I don’t really have words to describe the beauty of Yosemite. These kinds of trips make me feel more connected to the world, at the same time feeling small and insignificant compared to the vastness of these spaces, and also important enough that I live in a time when places such as these are accessible to me.  It’s often a spiritual experience for me, this feeling of being connected.  Yosemite was one of a handful of places where I have felt this way.

I mean:

glacier point

We spent 2 days in the park, doing a few beautiful hikes and exploring the gorgeousness.  The Park Rangers were super helpful with suggesting hikes that would be family-friendly.  My kids have a decent amount of stamina (not saying they don’t complain though), but it’s best to know their limits and plan accordingly.   The also participated in the Junior Ranger program and earned their badges!

Mariposa Grove

We drove to Mariposa Grove to hike among the ginormous trees.  Totally worth it, but heed this advice: if the sign says that the parking lot is full & you need to go to a lower lot to catch a shuttle, take that with a grain of salt.  We took the shuttle (very crowded & had to wait a while), and when we got to Mariposa Grove, there were tons of empty parking spots…grrrr.  Other than that, it was just amazing to see trees so tall and old.

Mariposa Grove, really, really big trees

Mariposa Grove, really, really big trees

Doing tree yoga?

Doing tree yoga?

Holy Roots!

Holy Roots!

Yosemite Valley

We explored the valley and did some great hiking.  The view of El Capitan from the El Capitan meadow are breathtaking.  There is endless space for the kids to run around and places for them to climb.

El Capitan from Yosemite Valley

El Capitan from Yosemite Valley

 

 Glacier Point

This is one of those not-to-be-missed viewpoints.  From the National Park website “From the Glacier Point parking and tour unloading area, a short, paved, wheelchair-accessible trail takes you to an exhilarating (some might say unnerving) point 3,214 feet above Curry Village, on the floor of Yosemite Valley.”

Glacier Point View

Glacier Point View

glacier point sign

After our second night spent at Curry Village, we drove through the other side of Yosemite via the Tioga Pass road, on our way to Mammoth Lakes, CA.  Along the way we made lots of stops, including these:

 

Olmstead Point:

Olmstead Point - no photo could ever do it justice

Olmstead Point – no photo could ever do it justice

 

Tenaya Lake:

Tenaya Lake - nice place for a picnic

Tenaya Lake – nice place for a picnic

tenaya lake2

 

We left the park via the Tioga Pass, which is the highest highway in California and the Eastern entrance to Yosemite.  You have to check road conditions, as weather can close the road, even in the summertime.

tioga pass sign

 

Have you been to Yosemite?  Did you love it as much as we did?

Rocky Mountain National Park & Grand Lake – Colorado

See Part 1: National Parks Road Trip: Colorado – Estes Park & YMCA of the Rockies

 

RMNP sign

 

National Parks Road Trip: Part 2 – Rocky Mountain National Park & Grand Lake Colorado

 

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK

Wow! What a great way to start a trip that involved visiting a whole bunch of national and state parks.  Everything about Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado was breathtaking, pretty much literally because of the high altitude.  We drove through the park on Trail Ridge Road, which rises to 12,000 feet, stopping along the way at various outlooks and hiking spots.  The kids completed the Junior Ranger program, which I highly recommend as a way to force your kid to do something educational while on vacation.  I also learned way more than I would have just driving through the park, so that’s a bonus too. Plus it’s free and you get a badge and booklet to keep as souvenirs.

This is what you see everywhere...amazing!

This is what you see everywhere…amazing!

We saw lots of wildlife, including elk, moose, and these really cute little chipmunk looking things (which, according to our Rocky Mountain National Park Junior Ranger booklet, were called Least Chipmunks), possibly the cutest animals ever.   We also traversed the Continental Divide, which we were interested to learn is an actual thing (you probably already knew that though).

Elk spotting!

Elk spotting!

 

Cont divide sign

Warning: Our travel buddies were in their rental car behind us and had to white-knuckle the drive for much of the time due to an extreme fear of heights.  We watched them in our rear-view mirror slowly inching along the road while doing deep breathing exercises. They did it, so it can be done.  But just be warned that this is a high and windy road, and at times you feel like you are practically in an airplane.  A good thing for those of us who do not have this fear.  For our friends, not so much.

 

GRAND LAKE

On the other side of RMNP is Grand Lake, Colorado.  A lovely little town with a rustic looking main street with shops, restaurants, and a playground (good for the kids while waiting for a table at a nearby restaurant).  We stayed one night at the Gateway Inn, which was a decent lodge-style accommodation.  They let us book for only one night, which wasn’t the case for most of the local hotels.  The balcony had a beautiful view of the lake, and the rooms were themed with rustic décor to match the feel of the town.  They have a ‘lively’ locals bar scene, which only became apparent that night as we were trying to get the kids to sleep.  It is not an ideal family hotel, but it was fine for one night.

View of Grand Lake from balcony at the Gateway Inn

View of Grand Lake from balcony at the Gateway Inn

SPLURGE: We rented a pontoon boat on the lake, which is always a preferred family activity for us.  We had a boat large enough for our 2 families, and it was a nice and relaxing way to spend an afternoon and enjoy some Grand Lake scenery.

Renting this boat was so much fun & totally worth the splurge!

Renting this boat was so much fun & totally worth the splurge!

 

Next up: Denver

Estes Park & YMCA of the Rockies – Colorado

Peak to Peak Scenic Byway

Peak to Peak Scenic Byway

 

National Parks Road Trip: Part 1 – Estes Park, Colorado

We flew from Philadelphia to Denver on Southwest (using miles from Southwest Chase card), rented a car, had lunch in Boulder and made our way toward Estes Park via the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway.  The drive was gorgeous with beautiful views in every direction. In fact, I can pretty much say that about this entire journey of thousands of miles, so please bear with me & try not to get sick of it.

We are lucky enough to have friends who are excellent travel companions for our whole family. It’s not easy to find people that you truly like, enjoy being with, AND can travel well with.  But we have them & they met us in Estes Park and stayed with us for the Colorado portion of this trip.  The kids enjoyed having some friends to play with, and so did we!

 

Entrance to the YMCA of the Rockies

Entrance to the YMCA of the Rockies

 

YMCA of the ROCKIES

We spent 2 nights at the YMCA of the Rockies in the Wind River Lodge.  This is a family camp style of accommodation.  There are several different lodges and also lots of cabins that can be rented.  The cabins were sold out when we booked our stay, otherwise we would have stayed in one of them.  The lodge we chose was one of the newer ones, and was a 2 story building with balconies (and gorgeous views). The rooms do not have televisions or typical hotel amenities.  Our room had 2 double beds, a small table, and a small bathroom.

View from our balcony - YMCA of the Rockies

View from our balcony – YMCA of the Rockies

 

YMCA of the Rockies

YMCA of the Rockies – Some of the activities

There are lots of activities here, including a great art center, horseback riding, hikes, and much more. The downside of staying only 2 nights is that you have to sign up for the activities a couple of days before, so most of the things that we really wanted to do (such as horseback riding) were sold out by the time we got there.  I would suggest staying longer than 2 nights or trying to call ahead to ask about the possibility of booking over the phone.   We were able to do some things, like a fun nighttime nature hike, that were not already completely booked.  The art center has different types of crafts that people can pay for.  We did tie dye, mosaics, and some painting.

Walkway to the Art Center

Walkway to the Art Center

The food was mediocre at best.  It reminded me of something that I would have had at summer camp (so pretty appropriate for a camp-style setting). Being a picky eater doesn’t really help, but this was my least favorite part of this place & a reason why I would want to have a cabin with cooking facilities if we ever come back.  There was one main “restaurant” with a buffet style set up.  There was a sit-down restaurant as well, but it seemed overpriced for the food choices.

 

ESTES PARK

This is a super cute little town.  I really liked walking around and just soaking up the atmosphere. We had dinner and got some (really good) ice cream.   There are lots of touristy kinds of shops, and we had fun browsing and walking through the shops.  Also importantly, Estes Park is the gateway into Rocky Mountain National Park.  The air just feels clean and crisp there.  I kind of wanted to move there.

 

Next Up:  Rocky Mountain National Park & Grand Lake, CO