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Central Ohio Parks

Around Ohio 3 Mins Read

There are so many beautiful Central Ohio parks!  As residents of Central Ohio, we are so fortunate to have a number of gorgeous State Parks, Regional / Metro Parks and Local Parks right in our back yard!  Living in Central Ohio has its perks (“park perks”… I like it ;-))! That being said, this is an attempt to introduce some of the parks near us that are well worth a visit.  Putting this information together is a fun challenge.  Even though I’ve lived in Columbus or one of its many suburbs for most of my life, there are quite a few parks that I haven’t visited before. Join us in exploring the parks and places near you as well!  Adventure awaits, and is probably closer to home than you may realize. Our Central Ohio Parks Challenge – 100 Parks to Explore Below is a list of 100 parks that we…

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National Parks in Alabama: Best Experiences and Getting Stamped

National Park Interest 12 Mins Read
National Parks in Alabama - Freedom Riders

There are nine National Parks in Alabama, each with unique experiences to be had. We have had the good fortune of visiting each Alabama National Park, and want to share them with you so you can make the most of your own visit! I grew up visiting Alabama frequently. My mom was born and raised in Birmingham, and attended college at Talladega College, located only miles from the famous Talladega Speedway. Much of my family still lives in Alabama, so packing up a car and heading down from Ohio to Alabama for holidays and vacations was commonplace in my youth. Alabama: Welcome to the South Alabama is a state with a lot of history formed of natural and human history that dates back to 10,000 years BC. The state also was at the center of many momentous events of the Civil Rights movement. Alabama National Parks preserve a lot of…

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7 Things to Do At Death Valley in One Day

NPS Site 8 Mins Read
Zabriske Point at Death Valley National Park.

Visiting Death Valley National Park is a bucket list item for many travelers.  After all, it is the lowest, hottest and driest place on the North American Continent.  Any place with that many superlatives is worth some thought!  Here are 7 things to do in Death Valley in one day – all within a 30 minute drive of the Furnace Creek Visitor Center! #1 Take a Picture at the Death Valley National Park Sign Taking a picture at the entrance signs of National Parks is one way that we commemorate our park experiences.  When we arrived (via I-190 from Las Vegas), there was ample space to pull off on the side of the road.  This sign is unique – it has a different look and feel than many of the wooden signs that we have encountered at the National Park entrances.  It’s cooler colors were reminiscent of a sunset landscape…

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5 Beautiful Pennsylvania National Parks for Your Western Pennsylvania Road Trip

Itinerary 15 Mins Read
Western Pennsylvania Road Trip

Looking for beautiful Western Pennsylvania road trip stops? There is no need to look beyond our National Parks!  In this Western Pennsylvania road trip itinerary, we will introduce you to five of Pennsylvania’s National Parks (four that we never even heard of!).  Together, these parks connect to make a great weekend road trip. The most noteworthy stop on this road trip route is the Flight 93 National Memorial.  This site attracts visitors from all corners of the country that wish to pay homage to the heroes that gave their lives on a Western Pennsylvania field on 9/11.  If you recall, American Airlines, Flight 93 was one of the four planes that were hijacked by terrorists on September 11, 2001.  This was the plane that was halted as the passengers and crew overtook the terrorists that had turned the plane in hopes of heading to Washington D.C. Our Western Pennsylvania Road…

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South Dakota Road Trip Itinerary: An Epic South Dakota 7 Day Itinerary to National Parks and More

Itinerary 33 Mins Read
Badlands National Park

It’s time to plan your South Dakota Road Trip! With 6 National Park units in the area, diverse State Parks and legendary towns, there are plenty of adventures to be had. But can you visit them all when you only have one week to travel? This one week South Dakota itinerary will take you on a road trip to the various National Parks and other special places in South Dakota! We share South Dakota 7 day itinerary below. We visited the Presidents at Mount Rushmore, the Coyotes at Wind Cave and the aliens at Devil’s Tower – and you can too! South Dakota 7 Day Itinerary at a Glimpse Day 0: Arrive in Rapid City, South DakotaDay 1: Visit Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Crazy Horse Memorial and Jewel Cave National MonumentDay 2: Explore Devil’s Tower National Monument, Sturgis and Spearfish Canyon Scenic BywayDay 3: Drive the Needles Highway and Visit…

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1 Week in National Parks Near Las Vegas: The Ultimate Road Trip from Las Vegas

Itinerary 47 Mins Read
The beautiful road from Las Vegas leads to magnificent National Parks! This post dives into National Parks near Las Vegas and presents a week-long itinerary that you can use to visit 12 parks including Great Basin, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Grand Canyon and Death Valley! #ParkTripsAndMore #FindYourPark #RoadTrip #Travel

There are several adventure-packed National Parks near Las Vegas! In this post, we share our itinerary for a week-long road trip from Las Vegas to National Parks that will leave you fulfilled and ready to plan your road trip out west! This Las Vegas National Park road trip includes 12 National Park Units in Nevada, Southern Utah, Arizona and California covered in 6 days – all from a starting point in Las Vegas. Day 1: Experience Great Basin National Park Road trip from Las Vegas to Great Basin National Park We arrived in McCarran airport right around 8am Pacific. Flying Southwest Airlines from Columbus got us in a little earlier than planned. Our early arrival was extremely helpful to us as we had to pick up our luggage, pick up our rental car, grab some groceries and necessities for our road trip, and make it to Great Basin National Park…

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Rainbow Point Shuttle Tour: A Lovely Way to See Bryce Canyon in One Day

NPS Site 6 Mins Read
A view from the Bryce Canyon Rainbow Point Overlook.

According to the National Park Service, the Rainbow Point Tour has been discontinued and is no longer available.  Check out this NPS site to research commercial tours and services that may be available during your visit. Pressed for time, but want to see the highlights of Bryce Canyon? A week prior to our trip, we were able to book the free Rainbow Point Shuttle Tour offered by Bryce Canyon National Park, and we highly recommend it! This is a great way to see Bryce Canyon in one day. This tour takes you beyond the regular shuttle circuit that circulates every few minutes during operating hours. Our tour was one of only two guided tours that leave each day and lasts for about 4 hours. During the tour, you are taken out to Rainbow Point and back, stopping at a few of the park’s famous vistas. Rainbow Point Shuttle in Bryce…

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Best Western Premier in Brian Head, Utah: A Great Place to Stay When Visiting Cedar Breaks National Monument

Travel Guide 6 Mins Read
Best Western Premier Brian Head

Our visit to the Best Western Premier Brian Head was our first great hotel selection during our Las Vegas Road Trip! After a great visit to Great Basin National Park and completing the Lehman Cave Lodge Room Tour, we started our drive to Brian Head, Utah. Brian Head, Utah is gorgeous!  It is a ski-resort town that sits at between 9,800 and 11,000 feet above sea level.  The setting is serene and in a location that is tucked away such that you can disconnect from the daily hustle if you choose to. What We Liked About this Brian Head Resort Comfortable and welcoming lodge feel Brian Head’s Best Western Premier is designed like a lodge.  When you enter, you find an open, rustic setting accented with wooden furnishings and warm, cozy fireplaces.  This feeling is comforting to us weary travelers after ascending the mountainside to get there. Lounge Area in…

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Lehman Cave Tours: A Review of the Lodge Room Tour

NPS Site 7 Mins Read
Lehman Cave Tours: Lodge Room Tour

When visiting Great Basin National Park, do yourself a favor and book one of the Lehman Cave Tours. We booked the Lodge Room tour, and this experienve was the highlight of our visit to this remote park in Baker, Nevada.   Tips for Exploring Lehman Cave Tours You will not regret taking the time to visit when you plan your Great Basin National Park adventure. Here are a few tips for making your visit: Schedule Your Lehman Cave Tour in advance Guided tours are the only way that you will get to take advantage of the opportunity though.  Plan ahead, space is limited!  We put the Lehman Cave Visitor Center into our GPS, and the rest was history! Three tours that are offered: The Lodge Room Tour – this is the tour that we went on. The Lodge Room tour is about an hour long. It takes you to three rooms…

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Camp Nelson National Monument: Our Kentucky Kick Off to National Park Week!

NPS Site 6 Mins Read
Park Trips and More at Camp Nelson National Monument

We just got back from our visit to Camp Nelson National Monument – the 66th of our National Park Unit visits!  Despite a rainy forecast, it was a great time to visit because we got to meet up with our friends at TNA Travels and do some adventuring with them around Louisville, KY!  We also celebrated the start of National Park Week (score!) What is National Park Week? National Park Week is a week in April that is proclaimed each year by the President to celebrate our National Parks!  This year, the festivities kicked off on April 20 and will run through April 28.  If you can, get out and explore a park near you!  Don’t know where your nearest park is? Take a look at this map.  More details on National Park Week is found at the end of this article. Visiting Camp Nelson National Monument This year, we…

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