Must Visit Soon

Welcome to Thursday!  I’m gearing up for a big weekend in the hills of Arkansas.  The weather is looking good, and, although I’ve tried to be cautiously optimistic all week, it looks like we may actually be going this time.  I believe it for sure when we’re in the car tomorrow evening!

We’re already packed so that’s definitely a good sign 🙂

Today I wanted to bring you Part II of my post on national parks.  There are so many wonderful ones all over the country that I could probably do an entire series that spotlights these different parks (did I just have an idea?), but for now I wanted to share a few that are on the top of my “Must Visit Soon” list.

Crater Lake National Park

This one is my number one must see.  I had the opportunity to visit Oregon for the first time two years ago, and I was completely blown away by the beauty I saw all around me.  I fell in love with the entire state, and it was only after coming home that I realized I hadn’t even gotten to see one of the biggest draws it has to offer.

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Crater Lake National Park is located in southwest Oregon in the Cascade Mountains.  The lake itself was formed by an ancient volcano that erupted called Mount Mazama. It’s the deepest lake in the U.S., and the beauty of the place speaks for itself.  The park has about 90 miles of hiking trails which makes the possibilities for day hikes endless.  For backpackers, the Pacific Crest Trail actually passes through the park so you have a great opportunity to hike a section of it.  For non-hikers, there’s the Rim Drive that circles the lake and is open to walkers, cyclists, and cars.

Yosemite National Park

I think when people think about national parks the first that come to mind are Yellowstone and Yosemite.  Well, there’s a good reason for that!  Yosemite is famous for it’s sheer granite rock faces and stunning waterfalls.  Half Dome is one of the most recognized natural landmarks in the country.  It has particular significance for me because it was beloved by John Muir and you all know what I think of him :).  Yosemite is a paradise for rocker climbers, but there’s also a lot of great hiking to be done.  Yosemite has over 750 miles of trails, and famous trails such as the John Muir and the Pacific Crest Trail passes through it.  You can even climb to the top of Half Dome although, I have to admit, I don’t think that’s something I’ll be doing!

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Acadia National Park

As you can probably tell, John and I have a major love affair going on with the American West.  Well, here’s a national park that’s a bit different from our normal!  I am fascinated by New England.  I’ve always wanted to visit that part of the country, and, lately, I found myself being very interested in Maine in particular.  Acadia National Park is located on the coast of Maine.  Every time I see pictures of Acadia the words that come to mind are “low-key”.  There is an entire system of old carriage roads where you can enjoy a leisurely day of biking.  Bird watching is popular in the park, and there are opportunities for boating excursions.  And, of course, there’s hiking!  The park has 125 miles of hiking trails to explore.  My dream is to be able to visit in the fall because I definitely have a romanticized image of what fall foliage in New England must be like!

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 There are so many more parks to enjoy in this country.  I plan on seeing as many of them as I can!  If you’re interested in more information on any of the national parks, please check out the National Park Service website.  The NPS is a great resource, and I used a lot of their information while researching this post.  I hope you guys have enjoyed this glimpse into America’s playground!

Have you been to any of these three?  Has anyone seen the Ken Burn’s documentary about national parks?

Teddy Roosevelt Is A Rock Star

We survived!  How was Halloween for all of you?  I spent the evening watching Mr. Fireman pass out candy to all the kiddos.

Unfortunately, he had to shed the suit right after I took this picture because he had an actual fire yesterday so he was filthy!  He still had a blast running back and forth to the door.  I think it really might be his favorite time of the year.  We even had a visit from two of our favorite trick or treaters.

My sister-in-law always brings our niece and nephew by, and seeing them in their costumes is my favorite part of Halloween. Check out that pirate costume!  I was super impressed.  Apparently, the eye patch didn’t last until this portion of the evening, though. 😉  Perhaps I’m biased, but I think that may be the prettiest Sleeping Beauty around!  Another Halloween is in the books which means my favorite time of year is just a bit closer.  Do you think I can start listening to the Christmas station on Pandora?  Too soon?

Here’s a small little tidbit about me.  Teddy Roosevelt is my favorite president.  A lot of people are shocked when I tell them that, but Teddy was a man after my own heart.  He did a lot of things that are to be admired, but my favorite has to be that he is one of the main reasons we have so many national parks to enjoy in this country.  John and I have had the opportunity to hike in just a few of them, and I wanted to highlight some of these parks as well as give you a few that are on our “must see” list.

Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park is located in Northern Montana.  We visited this past summer, and it’s the first National Park we’ve had the opportunity to backpack in.  I don’t feel like I’m exaggerating when I tell you that it’s truly one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen.  Glacier is known as the “Crown of the Continent”, and it fully earns that name.  It has over 700 miles of hiking trails that include both day hikes for beginners and longer backpacking trips for experienced hikers.  I plan on doing an entire post about our trip sometime soon so for now take a look at a sneak peek of some our pictures.  I think you’ll understand why I say it’s so beautiful, and the pictures don’t even do it justice!

 

Was I lying?

Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park is located in southern Utah, and is probably the most unusual landscape you can imagine.  The park is famous for it’s hoodoos which are huge rock spires that stick up out of the canyon.  It’s really gorgeous in its own unique way.  We did a few different day hikes here.  This park is located in the high desert so you definitely need plenty of water on these hikes!  Most of you probably know that I am not a fan of hot weather, and the temperatures in Bryce reached into the 100s during the day.  In is a testament to how much I liked the park that I was willing to hike in that!

Zion National Park

Zion National Park is not far from Bryce in southern Utah, but the landscape is completely different.  The park has huge sheer rock faces, and, we were told while there, it gives Yosemite a run for its money in terms of rock climbers.  We did two awesome trails while we were there.  The first was Angel’s Landing.  This trail is a steep climb to the top of a really high peak.  The last few miles of it sports chains to hold on to because of the sheer drop offs at either side.  Full disclosure:  My mom and I stopped before this point while John and Joel continued up.  I was going to attempt it, but I put my hand on the chain and started to climb and I immediately froze up.  I knew continuing up would put me and the rest of my family is a dangerous position so I opted out.

The second hike we did was so unique.  It’s called The Narrows, and it’s one of a kind because you are literally hiking through the river to get back to some beautiful rock formations.  It was such a different and interesting trek, and, despite the fact it was only 6 miles, one of the most strenuous day hikes I’ve ever done.

That’s the list of a few of the national parks I’ve been fortunate enough to visit.  I’ll be back with a part two to highlight some of the parks that I hope will be in my near future!

Have you ever been to a National Park?  Which one would you like to visit?