This wasn’t Evan’s first trip to Maine and Acadia National Park but it was for the rest of the family. Warm but not scorching days, cool nights, rocky ocean views and cute little towns… yes please! The kids had a blast at Acadia. Gray was pleased by the rock climbing possibilities, Kyrie repeatedly said “Oh, it’s just so beautiful” and Phoenix would play on rocks or sand all day everyday if he had the choice. I have no doubt those three are ready to go back there already.
Read MoreOur visit to the Adirondacks, Smuggler’s Notch State Park in Vermont and Franconia Notch State Park in New Hampshire. We made a few stops along the way to some national park service sites and a few waterfalls.
Read MoreThe trip begins…
The kids are loaded and the camper is hooked up and we’re back on the road Jack! After a hiatus due to everything being shutdown in ‘20 and house building in ‘21, it’s been a long awaited trip. This time the trip destination is New England and all things East Coast. Evan has a wedding in Vermont so why not right?
Bonus: Gray and Meagan will both hit 49/50 states by the end of the trip. Will Gray make it to Hawaii or will Meagan make it to Michigan first? Only time will tell.
Read MoreTuesday morning we got up and out and headed straight for our reservations to go to the Gateway Arch National Park. The Arch itself is free (and just became a National Park last year) but it costs to go to the top. While we didn’t go to the top of the Space Needle, we wanted the experience of the Arch. It’s a lot like an airport when you walk in with security checks and electronics which fascinated the kids. After being cleared we headed underground to the museum and information area. The exhibits were so well done and fun for all ages, it was easy to tell how new it all was. When it was our reserved time we lined up to be taken to the top of the arch.
Read MoreFriday morning we took it slow getting up and out after the late night. Once motivated, our first stop was the visitors center to collect the junior ranger books and see what they had to offer. There was an active fossil lab to enjoy as well. After we gathered our info we took to a few trails as it began to rain. A fun part of there Badlands is that unlike other parts you are encouraged to explore around outside of the trails. The big kids were so excited to climb the dunes/hills/mounds (whatever they are called) and not be breaking the rules.
Read MoreOur first stop on the way to the black hills area was Devils Tower National Monument. After lunch at R-Deli in Hulett for delicious sandwiches we dropped the camper at Devil Towers View Campground (electric hookups only but close to the park and has a view of the monument) and headed on in to the park. We only had one day and night for Devils Tower and it was plenty of time.
Read MoreBack in the states from an amazing 9 days in Canada we quickly drove into North Dakota and hit up Ft. Union Trading post and then on to our campsite in Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
Read MoreA look at our family of 5 roadtrip through the Canadian rockies. We travel in a 1980 vintage airstream international. Banff, Yoho and Jasper national parks have some of the most amazing views in North America and we tried to hit up as many as possible in our week long journey.
Read MoreOur first stop was Two Medicine Lake and the surrounding area. The winds were cold and it was a little misty but it was a nice flat hike out to the lakeshore for a pretty view. By the time we got back that night and ate supper Kacey had learned three things: while in the road we hike a lot, stay out way too late because the sun never seems to go down in this part of the country and we eat really well.
Read MoreTuesday we made the short drive towards Mount Rainier National Park and quickly arrived at Mounthaven RV Resort less than a mile from the entrance. And man, what a Haven it was. The park is small with only a few RV spots and some small cabins for rent. The bathrooms are nice and the trees are huge so the entire campground is shaded and cozy. It feels like a slice out of the national park but for your own personal pleasure. With our convenient location we were able to go in and out of the park with ease. On Wednesday morning we got up early and headed in so we could make it to the Paradise Visitors Center
Read MoreIt’s no secret that I love the beach and Evan and I both love the mountains so when you can have mountains that meet the beach, well, then it’s pretty much Heaven. And that’s pretty much the sum of the Pacific Northwest. Evan and I traveled to Washington the year we got married and enjoyed Olympic National Park and the surrounding areas so much. We have talked several times about coming back so our time in this area has been 10 years in the making. First stop, La Push.
Read MoreWhen you first drive into Oregon it’s the opposite of what you expect if you’re coming in from the east. There is a lot of desert-ish area. But the more you drive into the state the more gorgeous and picturesque it becomes. We quickly forgot about our view however as the sun went down on Sunday and we hit up the local Walmart for our nights stay. But after 14 hours on the road we really didn’t care where we slept. Ahh, the good old days, right?
Read MoreWe had NO IDEA that Craters of the Moon National Monument even existed until we started to plan our trip. We looked on the map to see what National Park sights would be along our way and discovered it. We didn’t have much expectation about it but we loved it so much.
Read MoreWe made the short drive from the Tetons to Yellowstone on Tuesday. Our first stop was Old Faithful. As we circled the parking lot for what seemed like hours we quickly learned that Yellowstone is SUPER popular, therefore it is SUPER crowded. Once we found some folks that allowed us to block them in with the #airstreamstarship we headed towards the visitors center where we met up with our friends Justin and Clay.
Read MoreIt is hard to know how to even begin to describe our time at Grand Teton National Park. It was one of the first parks we knew we had to visit when we started to plan our trip a year ago. We knew it would be beautiful but we were unprepared for just the amount of beauty we would find.
Read MoreOh Nebraska, you are… well, you are full of corn and flatness is what you are. We hit the road into Nebraska Wednesday morning and drove. And drove. And drove some more. We saw corn. And more corn. And even more corn.
Read MoreWell ladies and gentleman we are back on the road and gone for almost two months this time. We have been looking forward to this trip since we finished up our last long trip last spring and realize we are beyond fortunate (and insane) to be able to do something like this. Its’ been a total of 72 hours on the road so far and we haven’t turned back yet.
Read MoreApril is wonderful time to take a trip to Kentucky…especially when it coincides with a job and a birthday celebration.
Read MoreOh Blue Ridge, you are a beaut! Every year my family (Meagan’s) takes a group vacation to a wonderful cabin outside of Blue Ridge, Georgia. It is only a few hours from home but feels eons away. This year, thanks a project Evan had, we were able to precede the cabin trip with a camping stay at Tallulah Gorge
Read MoreThe day after we returned from Hawaii we loaded up the kids and the camper and we hit the road for another extended road trip. This trip wasn’t near as many miles as our California trip in the spring but it was a still a few great weeks of National Parks and new experiences.
Read More
