35 Mailbag!

It’s time for our monthly mailbag episode again, where we answer questions about national parks and other public lands, gear, camping and a broad range of travel-related topics.

Some of the questions/topics we discuss in this episode:

  • Is it a good idea to visit all four Colorado national parks in one trip?
  • What happens after you spray a bear with bear spray?
  • What kind of shoes are best to hike in for water crossings? 
  • What are some good parks to visit if you only have a long weekend?
  • Where are the best places in the Southwest to stargaze?

These questions and more on this episode of Mailbag!

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34 New Mexico Land of Enchantment

New Mexico has so many natural and historical wonders you’ll have to visit several times to see them all. But if you have a free week, might we suggest that you start in Albuquerque and make a big loop the way we did a few years back. Whether you do this trip yourself or simply join us on this episode as we recount our experiences, you’ll agree that Land of Enchantment is a fitting nickname for New Mexico.

Some of the sites we discuss in this episode include:

  • Bandelier National Monument – could this be our next national park?
  • Santa Fe – why this is such a magical place
  • Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument – a must-see natural wonder
  • White Sands National Park (was a National Monument when we visited it) – why this site is no longer a premier spring break destination for college kids
  • Smokey Museum and Historical Park – what is it exactly that makes Karen want to hold Smokey’s hand
  • Carlsbad Caverns – we can’t talk about New Mexico without mentioning its most famous cave system
  • Albuquerque – in search of The Chicken Brothers and the Walter White residence
  • Petroglyphs National Monument – you can walk your dog and see thousands of examples of ancient rock art at the same time

Links to more information:

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33 Monumental National Monuments

When we set out to visit all of the national parks, we drove past countless national monuments on our quest to check all the parks off our bucket list. Thankfully, in the years since we completed our original goal, we’ve retraced a lot of our road trip routes, adding stops at many of the incredible monuments that we missed on our first go-around. While national parks often get most of the headlines and visitors, our country’s 129 national monuments are every bit as remarkable, each in their own way. Established by either Congress or the President, these sites protect our historic places, cultural ruins, and natural, wilderness areas. In this episode, we talk about five of our favorites.

The national monuments we discuss in this episode:

  • Devils Tower (Wyoming) – why you may or may not want to visit in early August
  • Cedar Breaks (Utah) – what ancient beings live on the rim of this monument
  • Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (Utah) – what’s so spooky about this place
  • Natural Bridges National Monument (Utah) – it was the first what?
  • Chiricahua National Monument (Arizona) – why you might want to stay in your RV or tent at night when visiting this amazing place

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32 Denali National Park

Who hasn’t dreamed of seeing the tallest peak in North America close up? Denali, at 20,308 feet in elevation, and its namesake national park are breathtaking to behold. In this episode, we share stories from our two visits to Denali and explain how visitors get into the backcountry on the only road through the park. During our first trip, we let the driver of our green transit bus worry about keeping his wheels on the road so we could focus on taking in the stunning landscape and wildlife. And on a subsequent visit, we booked a Fourth of July stayover at a backcountry lodge only to realize that there would be no fireworks—because it never gets dark. As a bonus, we open with a discussion about the new National Park Service app.

Some of the topics we discuss in this episode:

  • What do Alaskans do when a moose dies in their front yard—or backyard.
  • A little history of the park
  • Why private vehicles are only allowed to drive to milepost 15 in the park.
  • When and how to get a permit for a once-a-year opportunity to drive farther into the park.
  • Everything you’d want to know about the transportation system in the park.
  • What’s the 30% club and how to become a member.
  • What it’s like to stay in the backcountry lodge in the park.
  • What park activities are available to visitors in the winter.

Links to more information:

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