We’ve had the pleasure of visiting Glacier many times in the summer, but our mid-December trip was the first time we’ve seen it transformed into a winter wonderland. We didn’t think Glacier could be prettier until we saw it covered in snow. And the best part? Almost no one was in the park but us. There’s a lot to love about visiting Glacier in the wintertime, but because the Park Service closes most of the roads and services, there’s a lot you need to know as you plan your trip.
Continue reading “Winter in Glacier National Park”Outdoorsy in Vegas
Slot machines, high-rollers, and sold-out shows are the first thoughts that go through many people’s minds when the topic of Las Vegas comes up in conversation. It’s a town of secrets; what happens in Vegas, well, you know the rest, or do you? Maybe the best-kept secret of all is that Las Vegas is an excellent jumping off point for visiting some incredible outdoor venues.
Continue reading “Outdoorsy in Vegas”In Search of Methuselah
Last May, on a drive home from Palm Springs to Seattle, we took the less-traveled route along the eastern side of the Sierra Nevadas on Highway 395. Not only did we get to experience a part of the country we hadn’t seen before, but it also gave us an opportunity to take a detour and visit the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest just east of Bishop, CA. In our earlier travels through Utah and Nevada, we’d seen stands of bristlecone pines that were several thousands of years old, but the trees in the White Mountains of California are much older, closer to five thousand years.
Continue reading “In Search of Methuselah”Death Valley’s Mysterious Moving Rocks
The largest National Park in the lower 48 states, Death Valley, is 3.4 million acres of rugged wilderness with a variety of bizarre landscapes: sand dunes, salt flats, mountains, slot canyons, and spring-fed oases. One of the most unusual places we’ve explored in the park is the Racetrack, a dry lakebed where rocks move mysteriously across the surface.
Continue reading “Death Valley’s Mysterious Moving Rocks”Your Guide to Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands National Park is one reason why Moab, Utah has exploded in popularity in recent years. With almost 800,000 visitors annually, its Island in the Sky Visitor Center is less than an hour drive from town. At the center of the park is the confluence of the Green and Colorado Rivers. Looking at a map, you’ll see the two rivers form a “Y,” dividing the park into three distinct districts. For practical purposes, it’s three parks in one: the wedge at the top of the Y is the Island in the Sky District, the southeast section is the Needles District, and the southwest is The Maze.
Continue reading “Your Guide to Canyonlands National Park”Your Guide to Zion National Park
Zion National Park had over 4.5 million visitors in 2017, making it the most visited of the Utah national parks, and the third-most-visited national park in the US. behind Great Smoky Mountains and Grand Canyon National Parks. At 229 square miles, the most prominent feature of the park is its 15-mile-long Zion Canyon, where the reddish-brown walls rise over 2,000 feet in places above the valley floor. Carved by the north fork of the Virgin River, the canyon is the starting point for some of the most spectacular hikes in Southern Utah.
Continue reading “Your Guide to Zion National Park”