Tag: travel

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Thanksgiving and Red Rocks in Sedona

This year for America’s favorite holiday, the Igoes again avoided sitting around in either St. Louis or San Antonio with our families and instead head west for beautiful Arizona. This was our third trip to the Grand Canyon state, and third different location we visited, which makes us think that perhaps we should just move to Arizona.

That not withstanding, we flew into Phoenix and drove north two hours to Sedona. Something to be kept in mind is that at certain times of day and year, this drive can take far longer than it seems it should, due to heavy traffic and narrow lanes, so please plan accordingly.

We rented in a house on the Oak Village area of Sedona, large enough for my extended family of parents and three brothers. The house was amazing, and in a fine location, but there are some takeaways that we will touch on towards the end.

Phoenix to Sedona

On our way up, we stopped at a few places to kill some time before we were able to check into the VRBO:

Montezuma Castle: This is a National Historic Site that is basically on your route, in the Verde area. It is a pretty interesting cliff dwelling, but aside from that, there isn’t a ton to see or do. It’s less than a half mile round trip to see the dwelling, and you can’t actually enter the dwelling. It’s pretty interesting, and there’s a passport stamp that can be obtained, but I think we spent no more than an hour there.

Verde Brewing Company: We ate lunch at a small, kind of underdeveloped brewery in Verde. The food was fine, as was the beer, but honestly, it was nothing special. On our way to our next stop, we went through the town of Cottonwood, which, in retrospect, is where we should have stopped for lunch. The town is adorable, and there is a lot there, including a brewery.

Tuzigoot National Monument: This adobe is another NPS are not too far off the route to Sedona, especially if you do stop in Cottonwood. We actually enjoyed this site more than Montezuma, I think. It’s a nice, short hike up a hill to a beautiful vista. The adobe is mostly recreation at this point, but it is still pretty fun to walk around, and yes, you can get your passport book stamped.

Sedona (Can’t Miss)

We did everything maximize the time we had in Sedona, only 3+ days, so below, I have chronicled the things that we did, how we did them, and why we would do them again.

Devil’s Bridge: This is one of the most popular hikes in Sedona, and thus, requires arriving early. We got to the parking lot at about 7:15 am and had no trouble getting a space. When we left about two hours later, the lot was full. There are several ways to do this trail, including taking a Pink Jeep tour or high clearance vehicle to a spot 1 mile shy of the bridge. Barring this, I recommend the Mescal Trailhead. From here, the round trip is about 4 miles, and the entire hike up is breathtaking. There are other options, but none which offer such a beautiful approach.

A few things about this trail to remember. If you take the Mescal Trail head, the first mile+ is relatively flat and easy, and then there’s a bit of rock scrambling towards the end. When you reach the top, the views are amazing and bridge is very unique. That said, even that early in the morning, we had to wait in line at the top of the bridge to get the Instagram-worthy picture that my 16 year-old (and every one else in Sedona) wanted.

Subway Cave: This was my favorite of the hikes we did, but also, an extremely popular Sedona experience. We arrived at about 8 am and no trouble parking, but by the time we left at around 11, the lot and trail were packed. This trail can be a bit difficult to identify, as it is actually called the Boynton Canyon trail, which has its own termination point. Basically, about two miles in, you take a right at the ‘Alligator Tree’ and go another quarter of the mile, over several fallen trees, to a great cave and Native American ruins. If you are using All Trails, it shows were to take the turn. If not, you can follow the crowds or look out for the Alligator Tree, although I did not find it as distinct as others had described.

The two mile approach is beautiful and mostly flat. Once you take the right turn, it gets narrower, and the end is definitely a climb. I did it with a three year old attached to me, so it is certainly doable. I recommend going up into the Subway Cave using the ‘slide’ on the right. After you get your picture, take the turn around to the right of the cave and check out the ruins. This part is just as impressive, and there is another way down that allows you to avoid the traffic coming up. If you have the time and the will to get to this trail early, I couldn’t recommend it more strongly.

Soldier Pass/Seven Sacred Pools: In order to access this popular Sedona site, it is necessary to take the Sedona Shuttle to the trailhead. Instead, we took a guide tour offered be West Sedona Jeep Tours. There are plenty of options, and all worth the time. We were able to book three separate Jeeps to accommodate our entire group, and were able to tour this area in about two hours.

The bumpy, thrilling jeep ride took us first to the Seven Sacred Pools, followed by Soldier Cave. It was nice for the whole family to get to participate. Several of the hikes we did were without the larger group, and for a few, my mom (70) stopped once the rock scrambling began. The tour group was great and payoff was certainly worth it.

Birthing Cave: Another popular location, this site is a bit easier to park at, and is less than two miles, round-trip. Much like the rest of Sedona, the approach is mostly flat with a rock scramble to the top. The view from the Birthing Cave is really impressive, but you are likely to have to wait in line to get the shot that you want. I also found some of the online photos of this area misleading. It is not a through-and-through hole in the mountain (arch). There is definitely a back wall, with a little cove, from where you can get great pictures. My daughter got herself into the cove and successfully birthed back out for a great photo.

Fey Canyon/Arch: This hike is actually not nearly as well-traveled as some of the others. We were turned onto it by our Jeep guides, and for the most part, had the trail to ourselves. The hike is similar to Devil’s Bridge, in that it ends on and arch that you can ascend. It is not quite as stand-alone as Devil’s Bridge, but it was my daughter’s favorite part of our trip.

Again, the hike is not long, and there is a scramble at the end. I suggest that on the approach, though, you are vigilant, as the turn off to the scramble to the arch is actually not all that obvious, so keep an eye on your trail map.

West Fork Trail: This trail was billed as something similar to The Narrows in Zion, but frankly, it was kind of a disappointment. On the north end of Sedona, this trail which requires $12 to be accessed, winds along the West Fork River and crosses in several places. Out and back, I believe it is about 7 miles.

The scenery is lovely, but it does not compare to The Narrows. I should mention that the baby was acting like a psycho at the time, so we didn’t make it to the end, which is supposed to be the best part. Your experience might be different, but of all the things we did, I would put this at the bottom of the list.

Bell Rock: This short, but steep hike is one of the main attractions in the southern half of Sedona. The ‘trail’ is less than a mile up, but it is relatively undefined, and is mostly a rock scramble. This is a great area to take in panoramic views of the sunset. Parking is free and does not require the shuttle, but can be kind of difficult. Bell Rock is a great spot and offers something for hikers of all ages and skill levels.

Castle Rock: Castle Rock is one of the most popular destinations in Sedona. In order to access it on weekends, you have to take the Sedona Shuttle. Early in the day, this is quick and easy but as the day lengthens and traffic worsens, the shuttle can take some time.

If at all possible, you’ve got to climb Castle Rock. It is not particularly dissimilar to Bell Rock, but I thought the views were better, and the sunset is pretty amazing.

Chapel of the Holy Cross: Regardless of your religious affiliation, this Catholic Church, cut into the side of the mountain, is pretty cool. I recommend going early, as the crowds get intense, but even then, it is worth it. It is an active Church, so it is important to be respectful, but if at all possible, I recommend a quick visit.

For Next Time:

I thought Sedona was amazing; I would love to visit again. If possible, I would choose to go at a less busy time; Thanksgiving is very popular, but I suppose that is the nature of the beast. Traffic getting from the Oak Village area (south) to North Sedona and West Sedona can take quite sometime in the middle of the day.

If we were choosing where to stay again, I think I would pick the north area. Most of the hikes we really wanted to do were North and West, as well as most of the restaurants and shops. Bell and Castle Rock are both on the south side, but aside from that, we spent most of our time elsewhere.

What I wish I had known prior to our last day is that from the south side of Sedona, there are trails that allow you to access things like Castle Rock from a different approach. We learned this by taking a few wrong turns and getting advice from a local. There is a street called Verde Valley School Rd. If you follow this until it becomes a dirt road and keep going, you will come to a few parking lots that access several trails, including ones that can be put together to get you to Castle Rock. By the time we discovered this, it was too late to really take advantage, but next time around, this is where we’ll start.

Not sure what’s next for us. Christmas is in San Antonio, and after that, there is talk of Costa Rica, or maybe the Virgin Islands, but we’ll be back on the trail soon. I’ll keep you posted…

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Almost Heaven – Shenandoah

This year, for Fall Break, in addition to a short trip to Harpers Ferry and college tour for Eileen, they family and I spent basically 48 hours in Shenandoah National Park. If you’re asking whether or not this is adequate time, I think the answer is probably no. There were definitely things that we would’ve like to have done but couldn’t squeeze in

If you are wondering whether two days is enough time to get a good feel for the park and really enjoy it, then the answer is definitely yes.

Just 75 miles from the bustle of Washington, D.C., Shenandoah National Park is a land bursting with cascading waterfalls, spectacular vistas, fields of wildflowers, and quiet wooded hollows. With over 200,000 acres of protected lands that are haven to deer, songbirds, and black bear, there’s so much to explore. We started at the North end of the park, at the Dickey Ridge Visitors Center and made our way south along the Skyline Drive.

The park is basically bisected by this drive, with plenty of things to do along the way. It is also surrounded by multiple small towns that offer various other activities.

Hikes

Bearfence Loop Trail: This 1.4 mile loop is one of the most popular trails in the park, not without reason. The way up involves several strenuous rock scrambles. It was quite difficult with a 3 year old strapped in, but we made it. We did it later in the day, which gave us a great view of the sunset, but it can be, and was at the time, extremely windy. Most of the other people on the trail turned back and scrambled back down, but it is actually easier if you keep going. The decent along a portion of the Appalachian Trail is quite mild. Alltrails was very helpful in this respect, as I am not sure it was clear to all that this trail is actually a loop.

Dark Hollow Falls: This is another great trail, and 1.5 miles out-and-back. Again, very popular, the way down to the falls is quite steep, so be prepared for a tough trek back up. When you reach the end, the payoff is solid, but honestly, not great. If you are hoping for a massive cascade, I think you’ll be disappointed. In terms of falls, I would put this at a 5 or 6/10, but the trail is definitely worth taking.

Excursions

Luray Caverns: We actually stayed in Luray, which is about halfway down Skyline Drive. In Luray, there is really cool set of caves that you can tour at your leisure. I love a good cave, and this one does not disappoint. That said, I recommend getting to the caves right when they open. They are very popular, which can lead to traffic jams inside the caves themselves. This area is well-developed, with several other things to do, including a ropes course that all three of our kids enjoyed.

Rafting: We took a trip with the Shenandoah River Outfitters. It was self-guided but very well marked. It was a little cold to be on the water in the fall, but our portion of the river was mild to the point that we didn’t really get wet. This company offers multiple options with vary degrees of difficulty, and we chose what we did as it allowed our 3 year old to participate.

Ziplining: Our kids love a good zip, and we made a reservation with Bear Mountain Ziplines. The tour included 7 zips, and for those of you experienced, it is the type that involves hand-breaking. Of the zips we’ve done, I wouldn’t put this in the top 5, but everyone had a lot of fun.

Horseback Riding: We actually didn’t get to ride this trip, due to my daughter’s college tour, but there are a few outfitters that will take you into the park itself. One, Mountaintop Ranch, will even let you go tandem with a little one.

Lodging/Food

Luray: We stayed in a VRBO in Luray, which was about 20 minutes from one of the park entrances. I recommend this only if you are unable to get lodging in the park. The lodging within is quite limited, so this is a good back-up option, but if you are planning well in advance, you are much better off within the friendly confines.

Elkwallow Wayside: This shop does not offer any lodging options, but is a must-stop. It is along the Skyline Drive and a regular stop for those hiking the Appalachian Trail. We ate lunch here, smash burgers from the grill, and stocked up on a few supplies for the house. The food is good, and the ambiance is unbeatable.

Skyland: This is one of the two main lodges in the park, and it has a restaurant and tap room. Of the two, we preferred this lodge less. The tap room is really just an offshoot of the restaurant with the same menu, and our wait was about an hour. That said, it was a nice place to sit and watch the sunset, and the food was fine. If it had availability, I would have been happy to stay in the Skyland Lodge, but if both had availability, I would definitely prefer Big Meadows.

Big Meadows Wayside: Big Meadows is the further south lodge, and I believe a little smaller. It feels a lot more quint, and their tap room is completely separate. This is where we ate, and the food and atmosphere were terrific. This was one of my favorite nights in the park.

If you’re heading to Shenandoah NP, there is a enough to do to fill a week. If possible, plan ahead and try to stay inside the park. I think you’ll be much happier that you did.

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Mainlining it to Maine

After our exhausting trip with Alyson’s family to four fabulous Hawai’ian islands, which we thankfully left prior to the wildfires, you might think that we’d be ready to relax, and you would be right. It was not to be, for less than a month later, we set off with the extended side of my family for a trip to another of the country’s least visited states, Maine.

Getting to and from Maine is no easy task, especially the part to which we were headed, Acadia. We actually ended up flying in and out of Providence late on a Saturday, where we spent the night. We woke early the next morning, and added about an hours drive to our trips by driving into Putnam, CT, where we got breakfast The Painted Baker.

You might ask yourself, was this detour really worth it, considering one could just fly into Portland, ME? Well, much like Obi-wan’s explanation for the existence of Luke’s father, it depends on your point of view. Certainly this took us longer, although it was cheaper, but it also allowed us to visit Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. While I had already been through all of the Northeast, not everyone else in my family was in the same boat, and checking off New England is no easy task. Not for nothing, the breakfast at the Painted Baker was pretty fantastic.

The rest of the day found us in the car making our way to Acadia National Park, and our VRBO in Northeast Harbor. The house we got was perfectly acceptable, aside from the live mouse we found in a mousetrap, but I should warn that recently, almost every house we’ve gotten hasn’t quite lived up to the pictures on the internet. Be sure to read the comments thoroughly and temper your expectations.

My entire immediate family was presents, so our plans had to be catered to many different age and ability levels. We have come to the conclusion that on these types of vacations, the thing to do is make your own plans for the day, and then all get together for dinner at night. Everything we did, we invited whomever was interested, and sometimes we have company, sometimes we didn’t. This way, we didn’t miss out on anything we wanted to do, and weren’t always on our own, but had plenty of time to hit all of our highlights.

For the purposes of this blog and readability, I am going to try a different format, listing the things we did, the places we went, and how we felt about them, instead of going in a more narrate format. Let’s see how it goes:

Hikes:

Great Head Trail: This 1.4 mile loop, I believe, was my favorite of the trip. There are two different trail heads, one with a parking lot and another at the Sand Beach. Frankly, it was not all that easy to find, but once we found it, it was worthwhile. I recommend going clockwise from the beach, and about halfway through, making your way down to a large stone outcropping at the beach. We were completely alone for about half an hour watch the waves crash in. You have to figure this part out for yourself, as it is slightly off trail, but it is very much worth it.

Duck Harbor Trail: This trail is on Isle au Haut, a much less visited portion of the park. I suggest you make time to get over there. We took the ferry and exited at the Town Landing, where there is a ranger station and shop. The whole family made this trek, about 4 miles in all, down to Duck Harbor, where the ferry picked us back up. Be sure you come prepared with water and food, as there is little development here. And be sure to plan it for a whole day, as getting back and forth is reliant upon the boat schedule. This hike is not super strenuous in terms of elevation, but it is a solid trek, so be prepared with older or younger participants.

Beehive Trail: Certainly, when researching Acadia, you will come across this trail, as well as the Precipice Trail (which was closed during our visit due to falcon nesting). This is a can’t miss, but definitely requires some level of physical fitness. It includes a lot of climbing and rock scrambling. We left the younger kids with the grandparents, none of whom would have done too well. We went early, as this trail gets crowded, and their was still a back-up a the top, primarily due to an overweight, older human overestimating his abilities. This is an incredible hike, a ton of fun, and must do. Our 11 year old had no difficulty.

Ship Harbor Trail: This trail, on the west side of the park, in Southwest Harbor, was a lot of fun. It was a little rocky, but flat throughout. My 70 year old parents joined us on this hike, and while they were a bit slower, they managed without difficulty. This is less than 2 miles round trip, offers great rocky ocean expanses and plenty of opportunities to explore multiple, colorful tide pools. The kids also discovered several inland areas perfect for skipping rocks, something that has evidently become one of their favorite past times.

The Bubble: The North and South Bubbles trails overlook Acadia and Jordan Pond, and are definitely worth your time. Both Bubbles can be approached from the same trailhead, and if you go left to being with, you will summit the South Bubble and end at Bubble Rock, which is pretty impressive. Do not fear, an entire football team tried to push this rock over, but it won’t budge. If you don’t mind back tracking, you can then find the approach up the North Bubble, which leads to a beautiful view of the park. We stopped at the peak, which made the trail about 1.5 miles, but it goes on for quite some time.

Raven’s Nest: This is one of the hidden gems in Acadia, and hard to even find information about online. It’s a great stop along the road around the Schoodic Peninsula. In order to find it, you have to park in the third pull off on the left, once you’ve started the drive. To be clear, it is not the third pull off overall, but the third one on the left side of this one way road. Once you park, take the unmarked trail across the road down to the coast, where you’ll find incredible views and amazing sites. It’s hard to find, but don’t skip this.

Restaurants:

Side Street Cafe: This adorable, quintessential Maine cafe is, as you would expect, off the beaten path in Bar Harbor. We sat outside, with a nice view of the area, and had a terrific meal. There was something for everyone, including a lobster roll, a lobster mac and a lobster melt. Prepare yourself that everything in Maine is expensive, but this was a great option and very kid friendly. The waiter was also very helpful in providing us with several viable hiking options.

Bar Harbor Beer Works: This was actually a harbor of last resort for us. We were wandering around Bar Harbor on a Friday, and the city was packed. Every place we checked out had an hour+ wait, but the Beer Works didn’t open until noon, and as we were the first ones in, there was no wait. The fare was classic beer/bar food, with a pretzel for JR, fish and chips for me, etc. We ate there with my parents, and while it wasn’t the best meal I had on vacation, it was a great stop for what we were doing.

Colonel’s Restaurant and Bakery: Some member of my family ate at this establishment at least once/day. It was within walking distance to our VRBO and serves all four meals, plus a bar. The breakfast is great; bagel sandwiches, donuts, etc. They have wonderful pizzas, salads and sandwiches, and the full bar was a lot of fun on Friday night.

Bunker’s Seafood and Spirits: Bunker’s (who doesn’t have a website) is a nice little waterfront restaurant at the end of the Schoodic Island road. This little visited part of the park is beautiful and remote, and this restaurant with standard (expensive) fare, is a perfect way to cap off your trip.

Fish Net: This adorable little lobster pound really hit the spot on our way back from Isle Haut. For those not familiar, the term ‘pound’ simply means shack or shop or house; basically, a place to get lobsters. There was plenty of outdoor seating, and plenty of good food. I recommend hitting as many pounds, and adding as many pounds, as you can.

Excursions:

Bar Harbor: No trip to Acadia would be complete without a visit to Bar Harbor. On the Northeast side of the main island, this area is touristy, but offers a lot. There are many interesting looking restausrants, shops and tour groups. It is definitely worth your time, but for me, not that much of it.

Sea Prince Boat Tour: There are multiple different boat tour options around Acadia that offer varying experiences. You should definitely do some research beforehand to find the one that best serves your group. We found one that left near our house, and that was less than two hours, which was perfect for the kids. It took us out on the water where got to see porpoises and seals, and learn a lot about the history, and the present, of the area.

Carriages of Acadia: There is a stable within the park that offers carriage rides along the carriage roads. This honestly wasn’t the most exciting part of our trip, but it is a fun way to see the interior of the park and learn a lot about its history.

Cadillac Mountain: You can hike this mountain, if you like, or drive to the summit. Driving requires reservations during peak season, which can only be obtained at certain times in advance on reservations.gov. We got a pass for a sunrise drive, which required getting up at about 4 am. Eileen loves a sunrise though, so we couldn’t miss it. Cadillac Mountain’s claim to fame is that it’s the first sunrise in the continental US, which is pretty cool. Unfortunately, it was super overcast during our visit, so the sunrise wasn’t all that spectacular, but I am still glad that we went.

Thunder Hole: This is an interesting and always crowded part of Acadia NP. It’s basically a narrow inlet into which the tide crashes in, creating a thunderous sound. The best time to visit is 2 hours prior to high tide, but it is always pretty cool. When we were there, we never heard anything that I would equate to thunder, but the spray from the surf was pretty epic at times. It is very crowded, and along a path that leads to other interesting areas, but it’s also basically just a sidewalk. I recommend trying for a spot in the parking lot, as the rest of it might not be super worth it.

Jordan Pool House: It was hard to decide whether this is a trail, a restaurant or an excursion, but it is worth your time. I suggest calling ahead and making a reservation for early afternoon. We arrived at around 2 pm and walked the loop around Jordan Pond, about 3 miles. While there are few elevation changes, this trail is still strenuous, but very rewarding. Afterwards, we grabbed our table at the Pool House for popovers (the kids’ were covered with ice cream) and a few beers. It was a great way to spend an afternoon.

Our trip, which last most of a week, was a lot of fun. We could have filled two or three more days without repeating anything. The few must do’s are the Beehive and a boat tour. If at all possible, I strongly recommend getting to both Isle au Haut and Schoodic, which are far less crowded as the main island a quite beautiful. Next up for us, as far as I know, is our yearly Labor Day trip to Gulf Shores.

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Hawai’i and The Pride of America

Our last day was spent in Honolulu, a place that I hope to never visit again. Our hotel, the Hilton Hawai’ian Garden was great, but it could have been anywhere. We did drive to the Northshore, which was pretty, but this was mostly throw away time.

I just want to leave our four loyal readers with a few afterthoughts based upon our trip in general. Given the opportunity, I would take this cruise again, and given the opportunity, I would visit Hawai’i again. That said, I do not think either are trips that I would plan myself. We all had great experiences, but it wasn’t amazing to the point that I am jonesing to go back.

If you are taking this boat specifically, I would recommend not spending the extra money on the upgraded dining experiences. The food was good, but not that much better than the free options. I would recommend upgrading to include the alcohol package. You have to drink a lot each day to make it worthwhile, but it was so much easier to not have to worry about how much we were spending. And, the package included gratuity.

If possible, I would recommend not staying on the 8th floor. There was nothing wrong with our rooms, but the view is obscured a bit by the emergency rafts. I would also recommend bringing magnetic hooks. The bathrooms have very few, but these hooks will stick to the door and make it a lot easier to dry your towels and swimming suits.

I think my single biggest take away would be to recommend skipping any of the included excursions, if at all possible. The much better option for us was renting a car at each port and creating the experiences for yourself. Every rental car pick-up spot was less than a 20 dollar cab ride from the port, and if there are several of you, this is a far more affordable option. We had much more fun driving around ourselves than we did on any of the planned trips.

If you’re on the fence about to see Hawai’i, this cruise is a great option. It certainly isn’t perfect, but there aren’t many better ways to get to all four islands. Everyone was very friendly, everything was very clean and everyone in our group had a great time.

Next up, we have a very brief break before heading up to Maine and Acadia.

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Nawiliwili for the Win – Days 7 and 8

On Day 7, we woke up at a port on Kauia called Nawiliwili and stayed there for two days. This was an amazing part of our trip, with lots a cool sites and some of my favorite experiences. We initially planned a hiking excursion through the boat, but they had to cancel it, so we went out on our own.

We rented a car, for two days this time, and headed out onto the island. Our first stop was a bucket list item for Eileen, to take surfing lessons. We found local guides who offered lessons outside of a great beach near a Sheraton, of all places, that guaranteed that the kids would get up on the board.

This was a great experience, and the guides did not disappoint. Both of the kids got up on their first try, and while it was a lot of work, especially for JR, they both had a great time. We tooled around the beach for a while, then headed back the direction that we’d come. We took the scenic route on the way back, and if you have your own car, this is something I highly recommend. The unplanned parts of the adventure are often the best parts of the trip.

That night, we went to a luau put on the by Norwegian Cruise lines. They roasted a whole pig, had all sorts of performers and put on a fine show. That said, this was probably my least favorite part of the whole trip. I get that a luau is something you ‘have to do’ in Hawai’i, and it is interesting, but I feel like our time could have been much better spent doing almost anything else. Oh, and it was expensive as shit…

The next day, we met up with a company called, Smith’s, that offers multiple Hawai’i-specific adventures (including a luau), for a trip upriver to fern grotto. This grotto is pretty remarkable, with overhanging walls that feature ferns that grow upside down. We enjoyed this tour, and I would definitely do it again, but of the things we did, I wouldn’t put it in my top 10.

That afternoon, we drove up to the Napoli Coast, which is a must see along the coast of Kauai. It is beautiful, and extraordinarily unique to this island. If you have the time, don’t skip out on this.

Nawiliwili was our last stop before heading back to Honolulu, so the best part of our trip had unfortunately come to an end. It was a great trip, and I would recommend it. Stay tuned for one more post about Hawai’i, and what you can do to maximize your stay on this specific boat.

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Maui Wowie – Days 3 and 4

We actually arrived early in Kahalui due to a minor medical emergency involving a member of the crew. It was nothing too serious, and this actually worked out in our best interest, as we were able to leave the boat early.

Rather than go to the buffet, the family and I sat down for a quick breakfast at the Cadillac Diner. If you are on this exact same boat, this is a great option, 24 hours/day. The menu is limited, but the food is good, comes out quickly, and it is rarely crowded.

Prior to embarking on this cruise, we did as much research as we could, and rather than pay $200/person for the Road to Hana excursion, we decided to rent a car ourselves and plunge into the journey. Most of the port stops were only a $20 cab ride to the nearest airport, and Kahalui was no exception. We picked up a rental car ourselves and set out upon one of the country’s most beautiful drives.

The road to Hana is over 40 miles but takes almost two hours one-way, due to how winding and narrow it is, often times going down to one lane. There are dozens of stops that one could make along the way, so you have to decide what are your priorities. For us, we decided to drive all the way to the end, past Hana, where you meet the Haleakala National Park. We did this first because this portion of the park has an amazing 4 mile out-and-back trail called Pipiwai, just adjacent to the Oheo Pools, two of the parks more incredible features.

This trail is mostly uphill on the way out, and more than a bit strenuous, but if you have the opportunity, it is a can’t-miss. After you pass through an eerie bamboo forest that feels alive, you’ll get an incredible view of a waterfall that reaches up to the sky. The Road to Hana is littered with waterfalls, but for me, the one at the end of the Pipiwai is number one.

As we started our way back down the Hana road, we stopped at the Hana Ranch Restaurant. Maui is very proud of their beef, and after two hours of hiking, this really hit the spot. It’s expensive, but the view alone is worth the price.

Our next stop on the way back to the boat was Waiʻānapanapa State Park, which features a unique lava tube and an amazing black sand beach. This was the highlight for the bigger kids. The black sand beach is a nice, protected little cove, but it features really large waves. Getting into the park requires a reservation ahead of time ($30), and sine we were certain of our timing, we actually booked two different slots. My favorite stop along Hana was definitely the hike, but for JR and Eileen, it was this beach.

We made two additional stops on the way back: Twin Falls and Ho’okipa Beach. Twin Falls is an impressive tiered waterfall that offers a great place to cliff dive. Ho’okipa is a red sand beach that was littered with snoozing sea turtles. Both, to me, are must-sees, and both were spots that the whole family enjoyed.

All said, the Road to Hana was one of our favorite parts of the trip. The drive alone through the amazing foliage is worthwhile and there are countless places to stop. The four we made were right up our alley, but if we went back and did it again, I feel like we could fill the ride with a completely different set of sights.

The day had been a long one, so we returned the car, ate at the Alamo Cafe (the buffet on the Pride of America) and went to be in preparation for Day 4.

The next day brought a return trip to the Haleakala National Park, provided by Norwegian Cruise Lines. We boarded a bus with about 20 other people at 8 am and started up the mountain. Our tour guide was nice and well-intentioned, but was a bit too much for me. I am a less-is-more type of person, and prefer to let the majesty of the sights speak for themselves.

Tours like this only hit the broadest highlights of big parks like Haleakala, which is unfortunate, but the payoff at the top was amazing. The view into the crater, looking at several smaller, collapsed craters, is surreal, and as the wind howls and whips everything around, it feels like you are standing on another planet. Regardless of how you get there, getting to the top of the crater is a must.

The rest of that day was spent tooling around the boat, swimming, eating, etc., as the boat prepared for a 6 pm departure for the Big Island and the city of Hilo.

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50/50 – Hawai’i or Bust (Days 1 and 2)

One of the goals of my life has to been to visit all 50 of the great United States. My younger brother Jim has already accomplished this feat, and my father and other two brothers have both hit 48/50. This June, I joined Jim by finally making it to the wonderful island paradise of Hawai’i.

The family and I set out at 5 am from New Orleans, stopped in Denver, stopped in Oakland, and finally made it to Honolulu. For the purposes of readability, I am going to break this vacation into several posts so that I don’t leave anything out.

Getting to Honolulu is no small adventure, and our flights got changed around several times. We finally settled on a Southwest journey that was actually three flights, with a 5+ hour layover in Oakland. While this sounds awful, since we had checked all of our bags through to HNL, we were afforded the opportunity to rent a car and take a quick tour of the bay area.

Our first stop was at a breakfast restaurant in view of the bay called Town’s End Brunch. This, evidently, is a local favorite, and for good reason. Alyson and I both felt that we could have eaten there five or six days in a row and eaten five or six different things. It was great for the kids, the service was fantastic, and the food was wonderful. It was a great way to break up the 17 hour trip.

We completed the circle around the bay by stopping at the Golden Gate Bridge National Recreation Area. We actually visited this locale in an RV a few years ago, but failed to stop at the Visitors Center and stamp our books. We easily rectified that this time around, and the drive across the bridge was clear and beautiful.

The flight from Oakland to Hawai’i was a rough one, but only because it had been such a long day. Due to the time changes, we arrived at 5:30 pm local time and made our way to the Hilton Hawaiian Village. I feel like my least favorite parts of this whole trip were Honolulu and this hotel. There’s nothing wrong with either of them, but it felt like we could have been anywhere. The resort was really nice, but given the choice, I’d skip Honolulu again in the future.

Now, the main reason that I would be willing to skip it is because on Day 2, we were able to visit Pearl Harbor National Memorial. We were lucky enough to get to visit the USS Arizona and the Valor Memorial, which requires tickets that, at times, can be hard to get. That said, we were able to book through the hotel, which while more expensive, guaranteed our spots. I am aware that I just trashed the hotel and Honolulu itself, but there are certainly worthwhile things to do and see.

From here, we boarded the Norwegian Cruise Line ship, Pride of America, and set sail for the rest of the islands. This ship is older and a bit small for a major cruise line, but is the only one that hits the four major islands. The amenities are fine, but the reason to take this cruise is for your time off the boat, not to hang out on board. We ate that night at one of the included restaurants, Liberty, and bedded down as we set sail for Kahalui, Maui.

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Keep Kalahari Weird

Last Thanksgiving, we met my parents in Gatlinburg and had the pleasure of exploring the city and Smokies over the holiday. Generally speaking, we spend Thanksgiving with one side of our family and Christmas with the other. After last year’s trip, we decided to not-so-subtly suggest that instead of spending Thanksgiving sitting in one of our parents’ houses for four days, we spend the time doing something new and fun.

Alyson’s mom/family were agreeable to this, so instead of another late November stay in San Antonio, Alyson’s mom booked a suite at a resort called Kalahari, just northeast of Austin. If you are not familiar with Kalahari, it is very similar to a Great Wolf Lodge. If you are not familiar with a Great Wolf Lodge, it is kind of like a stationary cruise ship.

Kalarahi has multiple restaurants, shops, an arcade, indoor rides and an indoor water park. It also has several outdoor pools and bars, none of which were open at this time of year. The kids were really excited to go, although Alyson and I were a bit more hesitant. It didn’t seem like the type of trip that would offer a whole lot of traditional Thanksgiving options, but we agreed that anything would be better than spending another four days sitting around doing nothing.

Our check-in was early afternoon on Wednesday, so we left New Orleans late on Tuesday night, picked up a rental car (not from Budget) and stayed at a near-by Hampton Inn. Since we got there early, we decided to use the time explore some of the sites in the greater Austin area.

Our first stop was at a waterhole called Hamilton Pool. This natural wonder was created when the dome of an underwater river collapsed thousands of years ago. Reservations are required, and from the parking lot, it is about a quarter of a mile trek down to the pool. During warmer months, people lay out, picnic and swim, but at this time of year, it was a bit too cold. It is also possible to traverse the inner rim of the pool underneath the overhang, but since the deep freeze in Texas in 2020, the area has been somewhat geologically unstable, so has been roped off.

That said, even without being able to swim or explore the entire area, I still highly recommend this impressive site. There are a lot of natural watering holes in Texas, but this one is pretty unique, quite secluded and absolutely beautiful. If you have the time, it is a can’t miss.

Afterwards, we also tried to visit Jacob’s Well, a similar natural feature not too far away, but much to our chagrin, it was closed for the entire duration of our visit, due to the holiday. It is not clear to me how a watering hole celebrates Thanksgiving, but for whatever reason, we were unable to visit.

We met Alyson’s mom in the early afternoon at the Salt Lick. If you’ve ever been to this barbecue heaven, no more need be said, but since this a blog, I will elaborate. Aside from the live music, the rustic atmosphere and the great service, the BBQ at the Salt Lick is legendary. This is a must-visit spot for anyone from Texas, anyone visiting Texas or anyone who has ever heard of Texas. The food is great, affordable, and extraordinarily representative of the barbecue culture in Texas.

At this point, we had killed enough time that we could check into our hotel, so we made our way to the resort in Round Rock. Giving credit where credit is due, check-in and unloading were extremely easy, and we found no need to valet park for, at this time of year at least, there were plenty of available, nearby self-park spots.

Every member of the party received wrist bands, which were used to activate a lot of the rides, and could be used to charge just about anything to our room. In a lot of ways, this was super convenient, but conversely, it required all of us to wear a plastic wrist band for four days.

Added to our package was what Kalahari calls Tom Foolery. The Tom Foolery area is a set of indoor activities that includes a roller coast, ropes coarse, miniature golf, a mirror maze and multiple climbing walls. It was worth adding this for about $30/person for the whole trip, as the rest of the arcade games are not included in the standard package. That evening, we ate at the internal pizza restaurant, which was perfectly acceptable, and the kids sampled all of the rides and games.

The one negative we experienced in the Tom Foolery area is that Clara, at only two, was too young to ride any of the included rides. Having taken her to several amusement parks before, there was no clear reason for this, as none of the kiddie rides would have posed her any kind of threat. Having to regularly steer her away from these areas was a pain and kind of pointless.

We woke the next morning, Thanksgiving, and headed for the water park, which is included in everyone’s package. The water park was pretty great with over a dozen slides for the big kids, a pretty impressive tree house/splash pad area for younger kids and two toddler areas for Clara. It also has its own restaurant, bar and a surfing simulator.

We spent about three hours in this area, mostly with the kids riding on their own and Alyson and I corralling Clara. She wore herself out around noon, and since we had ‘Thanksgiving dinner’ schedule for 2 pm, it felt like the right time to put her to bed.

Once Clara was down for her nap, I took JR and Eileen back down to the arcade and bought them game cards. The arcade is pretty similar to a Dave & Busters, and has multiple games that award the kids points which they can use to buy crap in the gift store. The kids loved this part, and it is a lot of fun, but $140 worth of gaming cards doesn’t last very long.

Our Thanksgiving meal was served buffet-style in one of the convention rooms. I understand that hearing this might make some of you cringe, but it was actually pretty decent. The spread was quite vast, so while some of the food was less impressive than others, a bit of searching delivered several great options.

The turkey and potatoes were great, and the kids loved the mac ‘n cheese. I found the stuffing to be a bit lacking, which is disappointing since you really only eat it once a year, but in general, this was a meal that I enjoyed.

We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing in the hotel suite, watching football and letting the kids mellow out. Once the Cowboys had won, and Clara had been put to bed, I took the older two back to the water park, which at this time of night, was much less crowded.

It gave Eileen and I the opportunity to ride some of the bigger, multi-person slides without having to wait half-an-hour, and they both got the chance to try the surfing simulator.

The next day, we did pretty much the same thing, minus the Thanksgiving smorgasbord, and herein lies my biggest issue with Kalahari. In the morning, we went to the water park, then got lunch at one of the resort’s restaurants. The kids went back to the arcade while Clara slept (spending another 100 bucks), and we all ate together at a different burger place. We took the kids back to the water park, and that was about it.

In terms of pure enjoyment, the kids were ecstatic on day one but by the end of day two, it had all become a bit monotonous. Water slides are fun, but once you’ve done each one five or six times, the novelty wears off. Same goes for the indoor rides and games, to the point that we actually ended up giving most of this kids’ earned points away.

The experience was great, and we all had a lot of fun, but I think one night, two tops is really the sweet spot. Beyond that, it felt like we started to run out of ways to spend our time..

With that in mind, we did try to add a few things in on the Saturday morning before we left. The resort has two escape rooms and a bowling alley. We hadn’t really thought about the escape rooms until the night before, and by the time we did, they were already booked up, but were able to get in two rounds of 10 pin before we left for the airport. Perhaps had we planned better, we might have more successfully optimized our time, but I am still convinced that one less day would have been better.

One our way to the airport, we stopped at an wonderful restaurant that offers all three sittings each day, called Walton’s Fancy & Staple. This gem on 6th street had something for everyone, and was just what we needed before flying home. We learned later that it is actually owned by Oscar winner and occasional New Orleanian, Sandra Bullock.

Our Thanksgiving trip was a lot of fun, and while as with every trip, it was not perfect, it was a lot better than sitting in a house doing very little for 72 hours. Christmas is a bit different, as a location is needed for Santa, presents, church, etc., but I feel like as a family, we are at the point where we want to maximize the value of our limited time off.

Next up, we are heading to St. Louis to meet my family for Christmas, and I doubt we will post on it. Following that, we’ve got a Mardi Gras trip in the works for the Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas, so we’ve got a lot coming up for which to look forward.

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A Day and a Half in the Big Apple

This year, we made plans to spend a week with my family in upstate New York, in the Cooperstown area. Since the house my mom booked wasn’t available until Monday, July 4th, we decided to head up early on Saturday and spend a 36 (or so) hours in the city that never sleeps.

Please keep in mind that since our time was quite brief, we tried to cram as much in as we could, so if this all sounds overly touristy, that is because it was. We landed in LaGuardia, which has just been remodeled but is still very poorly labeled, and took a rental car to our hotel, a DoubleTree in Chelsea.

We had actually hoped to make it Hamilton Grange that first afternoon, but it took us so long to get the rental car, mostly due to LGA not being labeled, that our time ran out. Our main activity for the day was to watch the Mets lose to the Rangers, and we did not want to be late.

Once we were settled in the hotel, we spent about half an hour trying to figure out the subway, and after going the wrong direction once, made our way back to Queens. Alyson and I watched a game at Shea Stadium during our honeymoon in 2006, and while I’ll grant that Shea was an iconic field, our seats didn’t offer views of about 40% of the field. The new Citi Field Stadium isn’t any more impressive than most of the new era ballparks, Atlanta, Milwaukee Colorado, but it is clean, has plenty of amenities and there isn’t a bad seat in the house.

The Mets lost, which always makes me happy, and the game featured half a dozen home runs, so it was a fun day. This is the 8th different home stadium in which I’ve seen a game, and the 7th for my son. We have unintentionally set ourselves down the path of trying to see a home game for all 30 teams, so I guess we are on our way.

We took the subway back into Manhattan and spent the next hour wandering around Times Square. The experience was very similar to when Alyson and I were there 15 years ago. Lots of people, lights of sights and sounds and smells, and not a place where I have interest in spending much time. The kids enjoyed it though, and it is certainly an experience worth having.

The next morning, we ate breakfast in the hotel and headed back to the underground and to mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. What a spectacular church, very reminiscent of the cathedral in DC. Not only is the church beautiful, but it has a dozen or so side chapels that are just as inspiring. If you like grand, classic church architecture, you should visit St. Patrick’s.

After church, we walked a few blocks to 30 Rock, where we took an elevator up the Top of the Rock to take in the panoramic views of the city. The observation decks offer amazing perspectives of Manhattan, and if you don’t live in a city with lots of over-large buildings, it is really a sight to behold.

That said, I do take issue with these types of tours. It is required that timed tickets are purchased in advance, but it has little to do with when one is actually allowed to enter. We arrived right at 9, when it opened, the time printed on our tickets, and still had to wait in a line that wrapped all the way around the block. The views from the top were totally worth it, but be prepared to wait.

We next took the subway up to Central Park, where we rented bikes for two hours and made our way around the entire park, both the lower and upper loops. This was such a fun ride and such a fun park but you should keep in mind that the north end of the park, in particular, has some very steep uphills that actually required us to hop off and walk at certain times.

All the toil was made worthwhile when arrived to find no line at the Levain Bakery, and had one of the largest, tastiest chocolate chip cookies that I have yet to experience. We returned the bikes, hopped back on public transportation and made our way towards Pier 83.

Why Pier 83 specifically, you ask? That is where we were to meet the boat that would take us on a scenic tour along the river. Prior to that, we grabbed lunch at a local deli. Keep in mind, a lot of the top rated deli’s in this area, Hell’s Kitchen, do not actually have any seating, so we stopped at this first place where we could sit and relax for a bit, at Cafe Aroma.

This was really more of a breakfast place than a deli, but they had several great sandwiches that we all enjoyed. From there, we walked down to the pier and boarded a boat for our tour with Circle Line Cruises.

Our initial intention with this was to take a boat to visit the Statue of Liberty. Unfortunately, at this point in time, a tourist can go up into the pedestal but not to the crown. Because of this, we decided to take a tour that passes by the Statue and Ellis Island, but also goes to other areas of New York.

This tour was great, very similar to one that we took in Chicago; it had snacks, drinks and was very informative. This kind of tour is a great way to see a lot of the city at once and learn a lot about its history.

At this point, we took a bus (our first of this trip) to a subway, which got us underwater all the way to Brooklyn. Why did we go to Brooklyn, you ask? We let me tell you. You may or may not be aware that one can actually walk across the Brooklyn bridge, and one of the entrances is on the Brooklyn side.

With a slight bit of down-playing the difficultly of the walk, the kids were convinced to climb the stairs and make the one-mile trek across the iconic span. The hike is about a mile, and the first half, unsurprisingly, is uphill. This might have been my favorite part of our New York trip. The bridge is packed with tourists and vendors and provides really cool views of the amazing city skyline.

The reason we went from the Brooklyn side was that the exit into Manhattan is very close to Ground Zero. Eileen had been asking a lot of questions about September 11th recently, so we thought this was a good time to visit. The area is very well-done and very inspiring. We only spent about an hour there, and didn’t get to go into the museum, as it was closed, but coming to New York and not seeing it didn’t feel quite right.

That night, we grabbed pizza at a nearby spot called Rosella’s. Similar to the deli’s in Hell’s Kitchen, it actually took us a bit of time to find a pizza place where we could sit and eat. They didn’t serve alcohol, which was a bummer, but the pizza was classic New York-style, exactly for what we were looking.

We made it back to the hotel and bedded down for the night, planning to squeeze in just a few more city hours before we headed upstate. The next morning, we skipped hotel breakfast and ate at a nearby shop called the Bagel Pub. I think this was my favorite meal eaten in New York. They have classic bagels with all sorts of toppings and fillings for all ages and taste profiles. I could have eaten every meal in the Bagel Pub, gotten something different each time, and been quite happy.

We jumped on a train again and headed uptown to a place called the Museum of Ice Cream. This was Eileen’s idea, and was actually a little different than what you might expect, based upon the name. There was a lot of ice cream, but there were also several activities and museum features that were fun and interesting.

There is a hallway that chronicles the history of ice cream, as well as New York’s longest indoor slide and a ball pit filled with ice cream sprinkles. These types of museums have started popping up in larger cities, places that are experiences more than museums themselves, like the Hopscotch Museum in San Antonio or the City Museum in St. Louis. These experiences are really not city-specific, but they are good ways to fill your time and keep the kids engaged.

The last stop we made before checking out heads north was a Katz Deli. This New York icon can actually be a little overwhelming (and a little expensive), but if you take your time and figure out what it is you want, it is totally worth the effort. The kids got burgers off the kids menu, which were nothing special, but the pastrami sandwich that Alyson and I split was enormous and delicious.

This trip was a bit of a whirlwind, and there are still things in the city that I would like to do, but I feel like we did as much as we could to maximize our time in the Big Apple. I do not think that New York is a place that I could ever live, but when it comes to visiting, it certainly has a lot to offer.

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Welcome to the Yellowstone

My great love for visiting this country’s national parks is based upon two trips that I took with my family as a youth, a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park and a trip to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. Since we have started these journeys, I have wanted to recreate those experiences for my children. We visited the Rockies last year, although minus our eldest, so this year, the plan was to hit the two great parks of Wyoming.

The planning of this trip proved more difficult than I had anticipated, as the Jackson Hole airport was closed for renovations. Instead of flying into Wyoming, we were able to find a direct flight from New Orleans to Salt Lake City, where we rented a car and drove to Logan, UT.

We woke early the next morning, and made our way into the Grand Tetons, the further south of the two parks. Our first stop was at Jenny Lake, one of the most popular locales in the park. We got out passport books stamped and made our way down to the lake and purchased tickets for the Jenny Lake shuttle.

The shuttle is a short trip across a beautiful lake to one of the most commonly frequented trails in the Tetons. Once we disembarked, we strapped on the baby and started uphill towards Hidden Falls. This part of the trail is only half a mile, and while it is not overly strenuous, it is not just a walk in the park.

The payoff is fantastic, and Hidden Falls is an inspirational sights. And speaking of inspiration, we decided to continue on for another half mile, to the top of the mountain, to Inspiration Point. Again, this is not the easiest trek, especially with 30 pounds of baby strapped to you, but it is totally worth it.

The view from Inspiration Point across Jenny Lake is breathtaking, and 100% worth the long flights, drives and hikes in and of itself. As I mentioned, this is a very popular trail, so getting there early is your best bet, but there is a reason for that. The falls and sights are nothing short of spectacular.

We took the boat back across Jenny Lake and drove deeper into the park and checked in at our lodging, the Signal Mountain Lodge. This might be the single place that I have enjoyed staying the most, across all of our trips. Our cabin was rustic, but not without amenities. It had showers, air conditioning and wi-fi, not to mention a beautiful view.

Since we had a few hours remaining, we drove down to the Antelope Flats Road and Mormon Row, where we visited the remnants of an old Mormon settlement that dates back to the 1800s. This was interesting, although not all that well-developed. I understand that a recent grant has been given to further develop this area, so perhaps if we come back again in a few years, it’ll be a bit more worthwhile.

That night, we ate at the Signal Mountain Lodge. It was nothing special, but for a restaurant in a remote area such as this, it really hit the spot.

The next morning, we woke early and drove into Jackson Hole, where JR, Eileen and I met up with a group called Teton Whitewater for a rafting trip. You might be asking how plausible it is to raft when it is only 50 degrees outside, but this outfitter was well-prepared with wet suits and booties.

Our trip down the Snake River was amazing. Our guide, Carson, was great, and we hit 8 miles of fabulous rapids. Our son was a little nervous at first, but once we got going, he really got into it. There are several outfitters in this area that offer rafting trips, and it seems likely that all of them offer great experiences, and ours did not disappoint.

While we were rafting, Alyson strapped on Clara and took her on the Lake Creek-Woodland Trail loop. This trek through the Rockefeller Preserve was just the right amount of time and and distance for the girls on their own, and Alyson said that it was beautiful.

That afternoon, we got lunch at the Roadhouse Brewery. Jackson Hole is filled with all sorts of tourist amenities, and there is not lack for quality restaurants. You definitely pay tourist prices, but the food was decent, and the beer was good.

Following lunch, we took advantage of another of these amenities, and Snow King Mountain. This is a ski lodge that offers off season activities like a bungee trampoline and alpine slide. We bought tickets to take the gondola ride up to the top of the mountain, only to realize that all the activities are actually on the ground.

When we realized, we found the right location, and the kids went on an alpine sled ride that they both thought was better than the rides they took in Gatlinburg. This resort is certainly a tourist trap, but it was a nice break for the kids from all the more outdoor-specific exercises.

We headed back into the National Park proper and tried to find a way to kill about an hour before dinner. There are some limitations to Grand Tetons, and this, perhaps, is one of them. The scenery is amazing, the views are unparalleled, but the park-specific activities are limited, and the major attractions of the park can all be hit in just one day.

At Eileen’s suggestion, we decided to drive up Signal Mountain itself. The entrance was very near our lodge, and we had heard that it was very scenic. Don’t think that I am exaggerating when I say that this part of our Grand Teton trip, and maybe the entire trip, turned out to be my favorite.

The approach up the mountain is absolutely beautiful, completely secluded and perfectly scenic. Once you reach the top, there is a parking lot with access to a mountain top that offers 360 degree views of the entire park.

While this, in and of itself was amazing, I couldn’t help but thinking that if I was an animal, like a bear, this is the type of place that I would want to live, and what do you know, halfway down the mountain, a small, stunning black bear wandered right out in front of us.

I had seen several bears in the wild in the past, but this was a first for my wife and kids, and frankly, really took a lot of the pressure off of the whole trip. The wildlife in Tetons isn’t quite as robust as it is in Yellowstone, but we saw a bear, three foxes and several bison.

That night, we ate at the Leeks Marina and Pizzeria. Again, this is nothing overwhelming, but the food was good and the beer was cold. Being that it is a restaurant within the park itself, it was exactly what we needed at the time.

We spent one last night in Tetons, packed up and left early for the granddaddy of them all, Yellowstone.

Our first stop was at Grant Village, the southernmost stopping point on the Grand Loop. This locale has a Visitor Center, restaurant and several lodging options, and is actually where we ended up staying. That said, if the option to stay at one of the other in-park facilities had been available, we would have taken it, but I will address that more later on.

After we got our books stamped, we realized that Old Faithful was scheduled to erupt soon, so we made our way west in plenty of time to see the eruption. The Old Faithful area is really well-developed, almost over-developed. It has two restaurants, multiple lodging options, stores, gas and a Visitor Center. The nice thing is that there is ample parking, and since this is the most popular stop in the park, the parking is a must.

We made it enough time to walk around the boardwalk to an area Geyser Hill, where you can you dozens of other geysers, as well as get a good view of the eruption of Old Faithful. The eruption is pretty cool, but don’t go in with incredibly high expectations. It is impressive, but it is not like the first time you see the Grand Canyon.

After the eruption, we traversed much of the boardwalk system, which I highly recommend. The other geysers, mud pots and hot springs are really what make Yellowstone so special.

We made our way back to rental car and made the short drive to an area called West Thumb Geyser Basin. This is an area of geothermal activity located along the shores of Yellowstone Lake, and is pretty impressive. When you step out of the car, your senses are immediately assaulted by smell of sulfur and by the sight of steam rising from countless points along the horizon.

This is a great area in the southern part of the park to start to experience the geothermal activity that Yellowstone has to offer, and was also the first place where we saw Elk, about a dozen of them.

Following this, we headed north along the Grand Loop to my favorite part of Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon. Yes, it has the same name as the one in Arizona, but is wholly unique. The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is a massive gorge featuring two amazing, massing waterfalls.

There is both a north and south rim drive, and each offers its own unique perspectives of both falls, both from near and far, and including the ability to get to what the park refers to as the brink of the falls. If I had to pick just one thing to see in all of Yellowstone, without a doubt, it would be this canyon and the Upper and Lower Falls.

Prior to our arrival, we had made dinner plans for that evening with a company call Xanterra that runs several experiences and excursion within the park. This one was a covered wagon trip and fireside dinner. I should point out that it was little corny, but it was also a lot of fun, and the kids really liked it.

Our family, along with about a dozen others, piled into one of 12 horse-drawn wagons and rode out into the park. Along the way, the guides regaled us with tales of the genesis of the park and pointed out all sorts of wildlife along the way.

When we arrived, the crew was already almost finished cooking, and we feasted on steaks, cornbread, baked beans, coleslaw, potato salad and apple cobbler, along with what they call cowboy coffee, which is just really strong, really unpleasant tasting brown water. The food was what you would expect; not amazing and unsurprisingly under-seasoned, but the experience was a lot of fun, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

We drove the two hours back to Grant Village and bedded down for the night. That is an important thing to remember when you are visiting Yellowstone, that parts of the park are three hours away from others. A lot of the time spent on any Yellowstone trip will be spent in the car, so please be prepared.

This also brings me to why I was a bit disappointed with Grant Village. There are several stopping points along the Grand Loop, Grant Village being one of them, and at all of them, save Grant, there is effective cellular service. This may seem trivial, since we were in one of the most spectacular places Mother Nature has ever conjured, but frankly, being able to crash in your hotel room, check your e-mail, fiddle around on the internet, etc., is really a nice way to end the day.

It wouldn’t have been all that frustrating except that every other lodging location in the park had adequate service. It wasn’t our ideal situation, especially with a 15 year old and 10 year old, but oh well.

The next morning, we woke early and drove out of the west entrance of the park to the moderately well developed city of West Yellowstone, Montana. Early in the planning phases, we booked a horseback riding tour with a group call Yellowstone Mountain Guides. The plan was for me to stay with the baby while Alyson went riding with the big kids. It was a nice plan, but this ended up being the most frustrating part of the entire trip.

The day prior was relatively rainy, and the guide called and said we might have to reschedule if weather was bad, and that he would let me know early in the morning. When we awoke, we had heard nothing, and the weather was nice, so we headed out. The issue was that West Yellowstone was about an hour and half from where we were staying, and right when we arrived, the guide said he thought it better to reschedule, even though the weather was fine.

After explaining our situation, he agreed to do the tour, but because he had planned to reschedule, it took an extra hour and half to get set up. Instead of starting at 9 am, our family didn’t hit the trail until closer to 11.

We spend the interim in West Yellowstone, where there is a pretty cool mini-zoo called the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center. This establishment with no more than a dozen enclosures is actually pretty cool, and has very active bears, a few packs of wolves and some very playful otters. Most visitors to Yellowstone do not actually see wolves in the wild, so if that’s what you came for, you can at least see some in captivity here.

When the trail ride finally started, my wife was very impressed. She said the scenery was as impressive as any ride she had been on, except for perhaps Monuments Valley. Unfortunately, just before they broke a camp, a calm, but intimidating herd of about 40 bison rolled through the ear, more or less spooking all of the horses.

Despite this, my family and the two guides went out but were back in less than an hour and half. My son’s horse almost backed off the side of a mountain, causing him to scream and scream (according to my daughter), and even the guides’ horse kept getting spooked.

After about an hour of this, they decided to head back in, which actually worked out better for us, as it left us the rest of the day to continue exploring the park. In retrospect, I should not have booked an excursion outside of the park, but at the time, I couldn’t find much else for us to do. As the trip neared, more excursion became available due to warmer weather and less COVID, so in the future, I would hold off.

We made our way back into the park and stopped at several of the geyser basins along the Grand Loop. I should note that at this point, we had seen several hundred bison, multiple antelope and elk, and we had even run across a grizzly on the move. You might be worried that you’ll miss the wildlife, but usually, especially when a bear is present, there will be a line of thirty or forty cars going both directions on these two lane roads, all stopped to take a look and multiple pictures that people will probably never look at again, but I digress.

As I mentioned, we stopped at multiple geyser basins this afternoon, including the one that is home to Grand Prismatic Springs, which is the sapphire blue spring so frequently featured in pictures of Yellowstone. My daughter, however, referred to it as Grand Prismatic Let-Down. The weather was mediocre and sprinkle-y, and there was so much steam from this spring and all those surrounding it that we could see almost nothing.

We spent the rest of that day traversing the lower half of the Grand Loop stopping at various springs and geysers, all very unique, all things you really can’t find anywhere else. The last stop we made before dinner was at Leek Falls on the road to the South Entrance. This small (comparatively) fall is right off the road, but there is a fun hike that gets you right to the brink. At this time of year, early June, most of the trail was still covered with snow, so it was a lot of fun to little kids from Louisiana.

We at that night at the Grant Village Lodge, where we all got bison burgers. My son asked from where did the meat come, since it is against the law to kill an animal in the park, and frankly, I still don’t know. That said, the food was good, the beer was cold and the service was serviceable. We went down for the night in preparation for another early day and lots of time in the car.

That night, the entire lower half of the park was covered with a fresh dusting of snow, making it seem like we awoke in a winter wonderland. Out first stop on the drive was at a small village called Fishing Bridge. If I could redo things, this is where I wish we would have stayed. It was a bit more centrally located, and the feel of town out of a Bing Crosby movie. Really cute, great amenities and oh, wifi that worked.

From there, we drove up into Hayden Valley, a great place to see wildlife at the dawn and dusk hours. On this ride, we stopped to see the Mud Volcano and Dragon’s Breath. I thought Dragon’s Breath might have been the coolest geothermal site we visited, so don’t miss this.

Next, we stopped in Canyon Village to hit up the gift shop, and drove from there to the Norris Geyser Basin. There is a great series of boardwalks here that crisscross the grounds, letting you experience all the really amazing features.

We then backtracked up the east part of the upper loop and stopped at Tower Fall, a cool, very easily accessible waterfall. We went from there to trailhead that Eileen found called Hellroaring Creek. This is a relatively strenuous hike down a mountain to a suspension bridge high above a roaring creek. The way mile down was pretty easy, but the way back to car was no picnic.

That said, this was my favorite hike in Yellowstone. The trail actually goes for several miles, but there is a great stopping point at a really cool river crossing a mile in. Unlike the rest of the park which is relatively flooded with visitors, we saw only one or two other people the entire time. It was really nice to get off the beaten path a soak in the tranquility.

We did a short drive towards the Eastern Entrance into Lamar Valley, probably the best place to see large herds of bison, and then backtracked to stop at Wraith Falls, which includes a short, fun hike. Next, we stopped at Undine Falls, another easily doable, cool trail with a cool payoff.

Our last stop on the journey was Mammoth Springs, the most residentially developed area of the park. This was the location where the army stayed at one point in time, and many of the structures they built are still intact and still in use.

Unique to this area is a set of hot springs that rise out of the ground in towers and tiers. Much like the rest of the park, a series of boardwalks have been constructed that allow visitors to adequately tour the entire area. We ate dinner at the grill, Mammoth Terrace, and headed back towards Grant Village.

On the way, we decided to give Grand Prismatic Springs one more chance, but it was no batter. Perhaps this time, it was the location of the sun, and the glare off the water made it too hard to see the true beauty of the region, but whatever it was, we never really go the Grand Prismatic experience that we wanted.

We did however take the Firehole Canyon Drive, an offshoot of the Grand Loop, and this 6 mile journey was totally worth it. It got us one last great look at one last great waterfall. We made it back to Grant Village, packed up and spent one last, wifi-free night in Yellowstone.

In order to make our flight back out of Salt Lake City, we had to leave at 6 am, and wouldn’t you know, on the way out, not only was our path crossed by a black bear, but we saw a wolf out for an early morning stroll.

All told, we saw hundreds of bison, scores of elk and antelope, about a dozen bears, including two grizzly cubs, three foxes and one wolf. We never saw a moose, but beggars can’t be choosers. I am thrilled that we were able to take out kids on such an amazing trip. If I had to say, I might have actually enjoyed out time more in Grand Teton, but after having visited Yellowstone, I think it is safe to say that there is no other place on Earth that can compare.