In 2016 we traveled to all 59 National Parks in the United States to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the National Park System.
Entering the south side of the park we found the tiniest, cutest sign and had to stop for a photo. A lot of people ask, “how do you get your cat to pose for these sign pictures?” Honestly, this cat is a diva and I think he just knows when we whip the camera out … [Read more…]
Yosemite National Park is a special place for me. It is where I asked the love of my life to be my wife. That’s kind of a big deal. As I thought of a place that was as that was as-big-of-a-deal enough to handle such a moment, Yosemite was the only real option. The fact … [Read more…]
Pinnacles National Park is the youngest park in the U.S. It was officially made a National Park in 2013. Before 2013, it was a National Monument dedicated to protecting the unique volcanic rock and the massive, and endangered, California condor. We were talking to a ranger and asked what changed when they received the National … [Read more…]
King’s Canyon and Sequoia National Parks are kind of managed as one. It makes sense though. They share park borders and are part of the same massive plume of granite that makes the beautiful walls. When we left Sequoia, the first sign we saw of King’s Canyon was the photo of us on the top. We … [Read more…]
In the beginning, I would have never guessed that I would say, “Sequoia National Park is my favorite.” But I did. I make fun of Madison all the time for saying every new park we visit is her new favorite. But this one, for me, has jumped to the top of the list. There … [Read more…]
Growing up in the Bay Area in California I have always had a love affair with the ocean. When I was 19 I was lucky enough to transfer schools and attend university in Hawaii. It was a dream come true and I’ve never stopped missing my home in paradise since I left it. After we … [Read more…]
I always drive. In fact, she doesn’t know how to drive stick. I have tried many times to teach her, but she always seems to have an excuse as to why it wouldn’t be a “convenient time” to learn. This weeks excuse, “well, I have to snuggle the kitty right now, so I don’t think … [Read more…]
Death Valley was… HOT. We were struggling and it was only spring! We showed up and the valley had already reached a whopping 108 degrees. It was hard to get excited about going out to hike and explore. The kitty didn’t even pretend to be excited. He was grumpy at us the whole time. He … [Read more…]
Zion National Park holds a special place in my heart. I feel like my whole body and soul resonate with this place! The red rocks. The desert. The huge walls. It all just feels RIGHT. We left for Zion the week before we launched. It was our “test run” park. We have been to this … [Read more…]
In his book about his travels across 1960’s America, Steinbeck describes his preparations for his trip as futile. I want to start this post with a quote from his novel; he has a way with words that I can only dream of possessing. “A trip, a safari, an exploration, is an entity, different from all … [Read more…]