Arches National Park is one concentrated lot of sandstone – filled with arches, rock formations, and incredible views. Unlike many national parks, where you might drive an hour just to get between one hike and the next, Arches is small…
Lassen Swimming Hole in Butte Lake!
Have you ever wanted to swim in a lava flow? Not in the lava, I mean, but in water among the remains of the hardened lava rock? It’s a big thing in Hawaii to swim or at least walk…
A Misty Morning Stroll on Arcadia Beach
Arcadia Beach, along US-101 south of Cannon Beach, isn’t worth a long stop. There just isn’t that much there. But it does have some interesting features, so if you happen to be passing by, consider 10 or 15 minutes to…
Lakes & Peaks: Duck Pass
If you can do one trail near Mammoth Lakes, CA, Duck Pass certainly should rank high on your list of possibilities. The trail passes by several lakes between mountains before ascending to an 10,800ft. pass overlooking the valley you just…
Epic Day Hiking Road Trip to Yellowstone & Grand Tetons!
Yellowstone and Grand Tetons are a concentration of epic views and fascinating phenomena. In Yellowstone, water boils out of the ground to create colorful pools, waterfalls race with thousands of gallons per minute, steaming water spouts into the air, and…
Walking the Zion Narrows
I first did the Zion Narrows in 1997. Or, should I say, I first set foot in the Virgin River in 1997, and we went around the first bend and turned around. The kids were too young; one of the…
Evening at Badwater Basin
We were crazy to go to Badwater Basin in the middle of June the week after record-breaking high temperatures in California. We knew we were crazy. But we also wanted to hike Telescope Peak, and since we had to travel…
Views of Cannon Beach at Ecola State Park
There really isn’t much to see at Ecola Point on the coast of Oregon in Ecola State Park. But if you need a place to have a meal with a picnic table for convenience, it’s a good place to do…
Climbing Pothole Dome – Easy Yosemite Hike
If you’re looking for a short little hike in Yosemite with terrific views – and a slight sense of adventure – check out Pothole Dome to the west of Tuolumne Meadows along the Tioga Pass Road. The trail is only…
5 Best Day Hikes in Bryce Canyon National Park
Rock Formations. Hoodoos. Creamsicles. Ever since our first visit to Bryce Canyon in 1997, it’s been one of our favorite parks in southern Utah, over Zion, Cedar Breaks, and Capitol Reef. It gets crowded these days, but it’s…