Category: National Parks

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Baseball’s Back in the Midwest

I have said many times that the planning of a trip creates almost as much joy as does the vacation itself, and I stand by that statement. In the case of the Igoe’s recent vacation to Chicago, the planning was a multi-year process.

In early 2020, we decided to take a vacation over the Easter holiday to Chicago. As I am sure everyone is aware, only a few weeks after we planned everything out, the world went crazy and everything was shut down due to COVID.

This year, as Easter approached, we very closely watched the news, and the numbers, and all the information from the various departments of health, and when the time came, we were able to pull the trigger and take the vacation that we had been planning since 2019.

On Good Thursday, we landed at Midway Airport and drove straight to Lou Malnati’s. This is a deep dish restaurant chain that makes a great, almost stereotypical Chicago-style pizza. For those of you who have never had deep dish pizza in Chicago, it is very different than what is considered deep dish elsewhere. For one, the crust is actually not very think, but is much more like what you would see in an actual pie. The next layer on our pizza was cheese, followed by a pizza-sized patty of sausage. To clarify, I do not mean multiple chunks of sausage, but one large disc. On top of this was poured the sauce, so to most us, this is basically an upside down pizza. While I will not say that Lou’s is the best pizza I have ever had, it was a great way to wade into the deep dish pizza waters.

From there, we headed down town to stay a Hampton Inn in the Majestic building. The year prior, we had reservations at the Palmer House, but due to capacity limitations, could not get a room. While there was nothing all that special about the Hampton Inn, it was inside the loop, walking distance to plenty of attractions and more than adequate in terms of accommodations.

The next morning, we all awoke when the baby started making noise, loaded up the rental car and headed for Indiana. On the way, we stopped at Firecakes Donuts. Evidently, Chicago has become a mecca for artisan style donuts, and Firecakes was the first of the three we tried. At all three, I got a classic old fashioned, and while Firecakes was not the best of the three, it was nonetheless fantastic. More on the donuts to come…

About an hour east of Chicago is Indiana Dunes National Park. Indiana Dunes is one of the country’s newest National Parks, previously designated a National Lakeshore, to the point that they have not yet installed a permanent National Park sign. When we arrived, the kids got their passport books stamped, and we picked up three junior ranger packets. We headed into the park, straight for the Three Dune Challenge. This is a relatively strenuous hike that goes up and down three separate sand dunes. It is not easy to explain how difficult a dune can be to ascend if you have never hiked one before, but walking up hill in the sand is quite cumbersome (especially with an 18 pound butterball strapped to your stomach). The payoff was worth it though, as the views of Lake Michigan from atop each peak are nothing short of spectacular.

Indiana Dunes is far more popular in the summer time, when you can camp out on the beach and play in the water, but there is plenty to do and see, no matter what time of year you visit. It is definitely a park that you could spend three or four days exploring, but it is also one that can be adequately experienced if you only have a few free hours. Even though this was our first excursion of the trip, I think it was my favorite experience overall. If you get the chance, I strongly recommend visiting this really unique park to take in a landscape that can be found in very few other places across the country.

On our way back to Chicago, since we had our passport books, we decided to stop at the Pullman National Monument. This site memorializes a really interesting moment in Chicago history when George Pullman created a planned community in which his factory workers could live. He was attempting to keep the families of his employees from having to live in slums, but at the same time, forced them to rent from him. It was quite controversial and eventually led to significant strife.

This site was only designated a part of the NPS in 2015 and is still in development. It is really interesting, but there is not a whole lot to do as of yet. If we ever get back to Chicago, I hope to visit the monument again.

From there, we got drove to the hotel, parked the Hyundai and walked up to the Chicago River, where we got on-board a Wendella tour. There several companies that offer architectural river tours, and the one recommended to us by several friends was Wendella. At certain times of the year, they actually go into Lake Michigan as well, but for this time of year, that was not available.

Following the Great Fire of 1871, Chicago developed a very interesting and unique architectural style. Multiple skyscrapers, luxury apartments and stone buildings have gone up along the river, and this 90 minute cruise gives tourists a chance to take it all in and learn a lot about the history of the city. I should warn you that the cruise does get a bit chilly, so dress appropriately and do not hesitate to take advantage of the bar and warm yourself up with a cocktail. I believe this was Alyson’s favorite part of our trip and in terms of bang for your buck, this is a can’t miss tourist attraction.

That night, we ate at Harry Caray’s Italian Steakhouse. As it was a Friday in Lent, I was a little disappointed not to get to try the steak (as was the waiter), but the pasta dishes we all got were amazing. This is one of the most impressive restaurants that I have ever been in. It is basically a high-end version of a sports bar, with pictures and quotes and memorabilia everywhere. And it is not just a bunch of Cubs non-sense; the entire baseball community is represented in one form or another. We were actually lucky enough to meet one of Ernie Banks’ sons during our meal. I was quite skeptical at first, but he very quickly proved that he was, in fact, the child of Mr. Cub.

The next morning, Clara woke us up early again, and we headed for the Donut Vault. Another of Chicago’s boutique bakeries, the Vault offers the classics as well as several unique options. I got the old fashioned again, and again it was great, but it was not the best one I had over the weekend. My son got a pair of enormous donut holes that he claims were the best thing he ate all trip.

That morning we went to Field Museum, one of the city’s most diverse attractions. I visited once as a child and remember it being primarily dinosaur bones. Whether or not that is just a child’s memory or things have changed, this museum has evolved into one of the greatest natural history attractions in the country, rivaling the Smithsonian.

In addition to really impressive dinosaur skeletons, like the T. Rex Sue, the museum has amazing exhibits on the history of the planet, on the history of human beings, an impressive collection of gem stones, and then about six more hours worth of things to see for which we did not have time. They even have several virtual reality simulators that helped to keep the kids engaged throughout. I think this was Eileen’s favorite part of our Chicago adventure.

It was recommended to us that we eat at the Billy Goat Tavern. Those of you that are older might recall a classic SNL sketch based on this restaurant. It is a classic, tucked underneath the city streets that can be hard to find if you come from the wrong direction. There are a few options, but 95% of the food served are thin, grilled burgers. The food is good, but the atmosphere is what makes it worthwhile. If you have never been there before, it is important to keep in mind that even though the menu only has singles and doubles, you can order as many patties as you like. I got a triple, which ended up being the appropriate meat-to-bun ratio, but in my hungrier youth, I could easily have put down a quadruple or quintuple.

The next stop on our tour was the 360 Chicago Observation Deck in the John Hancock building. I have heard that the views from the Willis (Sears) Tower are actually better, but it was closed due to COVID, so beggars can’t be choosers. I am forced to confess that this was my least favorite part of our trip. We purchased 2 pm tickets and arrived at 1:40. When we got there, we were told it would be about an hour and fifteen minute wait. When I asked an associate what was the point of having 2 o’clock tickets if it didn’t mean we got to go at 2 o’clock, she told me that they do not guarantee anything, but that our tickets were good for a year.

As unhelpful as that was, we decided to stick it out, and made it to the 94th floor at around 2:45. Once I got over my impatience, I did enjoy the views and would recommend it, just be aware that the numbers on your tickets are basically meaningless. You step off the elevator into a room with panoramic overlooks of the city. For a little extra, you can try the tilt, where you stand against the glass and are slowly tilted out beyond the edge of the building. It is actually scarier to watch than it is to do, and it definitely makes the wait a bit more worthwhile. There is also a bar that serves drinks and gelato, so at least that is something.

As a result of the unexpected wait, we had to hurry through a bit, got back to the car and headed north to Milwaukee. I am aware that I have billed this as a Chicago trip, and that to this point, as much time will have been spent outside of Chicago as in, but due to the circumstances, we had to broaden our horizons.

It just so happens that we have all grown up as big baseball fans; the kids and I of the Cardinals, and Alyson of the Astros. While neither of those teams happened to be in Chicago or Milwaukee, both of those teams were playing at home, so on Saturday night, we drove to American Family Field (formerly Miller Park), and watched the Brewers lose to the Twins.

American Family is a nice, clean park, but it is not super unique. I suppose it was heavily limited by COVID, but it felt like we could have been watching a ball game anywhere. Even so, we all had a great time. Capacity was maxed at 25%, so we had plenty of room to spread out and there was not a bad seat in the house. The game itself was actually quite entertaining as well, for the more committed baseball fan. Both teams threw perfect games into the 5th, and the Twins pitching staff completed a really impressive one-hitter for a 2-0 victory. If you are the type of person who wants to see the greatest sporting venues this country has to offer, Milwaukee probably shouldn’t be on your list, but if you want to enjoy baseball in a nice, comfortable stadium, American Family Field will do the trick.

The next day was Easter, and since our church reservations were not until 10, and Clara woke us up at 7, we decided to go out for breakfast. Instead of donuts, we went to a restaurant called Yolk on the Chicago River. This is just simple, straightforward breakfast food with some interesting twists. My daughter got Oreo pancakes while my son got s’mores-based pancakes. Eileen loved hers but when my son started scraping off all the graham cracker and marshmallow fluff, we came to the decision that he is no longer allowed to order specialty pancakes. No matter how good they sound, all he ever wants is plain.

For Easter, we went to church at Holy Names Cathedral. A beautiful building, the service was performed by Cardinal Cupich, so it was a unique experience. When we do attend church in larger cities whilst on vacation, we always try to go the cathedral, if the city has one. These buildings are usually a sight worth seeing in and of themselves, and it helps to deepen the experience one gets in a different town.

Afterwards, we jumped on the L-train (which evidently is the same thing as the subway), and headed for Wrigley Field. The Cubs opened the 2021 season again division rivals, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and we were lucky enough to get four of the 10,000+ tickets available, due to capacity limitations.

If you are a baseball fan, and have never been to Wrigley, this is a must visit. Contrasting it to American Family the night before, it is easy to understand how the Cubs ballpark has become one of the most iconic sports venues in the country. Wrigley is tucked into a residential neighborhood and could easily be missed if it weren’t for the throngs of fans. Every seat, including those on the roof tops across the street, is amazing, and the atmosphere is electric, even at 25%.

Having grown up a Cardinals’ fan, I refuse to say it is the best baseball stadium I have ever visited, but it is certainly up there. I will also note the while the fan base is committed, the fans in the bleachers perhaps take it too far at times, in several not particularly family friendly ways. On Easter Sunday, the Cubs beat Pirates 4-2, and while I was certainly pulling for visitors, I have to admit that I had an amazing time.

After the game, we took the L-train back to the loop, and once again, walked to the Chicago River. We decided that we could not visit Chicago without experiencing one of the almost countless Chicago steakhouses. For the meat eaters out there, this is something that everyone should do at least once. That said, be prepared to pay. We ate at Chicago Cut, and it was fantastic, but the price for four of us was well over $200, and that included two steaks, two sides and a few drinks.

The reason these meals get so expensive is that the entrees usually start at around $60. Since both Jonathan and Eileen enjoy steak, we ordered two, along with two sides, and shared everything. I am glad we did it, and if we go back to Chicago, I could see doing it again, but this type of meal is obviously geared toward tourists and business folk, not the every day Chicago resident.

The next day, Monday, was our last day in Illinois, and we had few concrete plans, other than to get a donut. On Monday morning, we hit up Stan’s, and I got my third and final old fashioned. I am glad that we stuck with it, because this was my favorite donut of the weekend. Funny enough, it was my wife’s least favorite. Of the three donut places we hit, she enjoyed Firecake’s the most, and JR and Eileen preferred the Donut Vault. It just goes to show that there are different strokes for different folks, and that the Chicago donut scene, evidently, is blowing up.

We spent the rest of the day driving around different parts of Chicago. We went to the Lincoln Park area to see the Sacred Heart school and Loyola Marymount. This is a really scenic location, and a place that I could see my daughter going for college. We also ate at Pequod’s Pizza, a great neighborhood restaurant and bar. While Lou Malnati’s is certainly more well-known, the whole family agreed that the pizza at Pequod’s was far superior.

We flew home on Southwest that afternoon, and all crashed hard. It is extraordinarily satisfying to get to a experience a new city, mostly on foot. We love trying new restaurants, seeing new parks, and who could pass on finally getting to go back to a baseball game in person. One of the great things about this trip is that while we all enjoyed every activity, we all had different favorites. I enjoyed the Indiana Dunes the most, Alyson loved the river tour, JR’s favorite part was both baseball games, and Eileen loved the Field Museum. Oh, and Clara liked laughing at inappropriate moments during the Cardinal’s homily on Easter.

Chicago is a great and unique American city, and it has plenty of family friendly activities for all ages. It is also a city that offers so much, that it cannot all be done in one trip. If you have any questions, please reach out; our family would love to help yours enjoy Chicago as much as we did.

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Escaping Texas for the Glades, Bays and Big Cypress

It is a well-known fact that New Orleans is a hot-bed for Mardi Gras activity. Every year prior Lent, the city ramps up with balls, parades and parties. Unfortunately, almost all of this was cancelled in 2021 due to COVID, but it didn’t put a damper on the cities lesser-known holiday celebration. Almost every school in the city has the entire week off, so for New Orleanians, this is a great time to travel.

Since the rest of the world is at work and school, places like Disney World and Vale are far less crowded than usual. This year, we decided to join in the fun, and head to a state that has instituted very few COVID restrictions, Florida.

Since I was young, I have been fascinated by the Everglades. The endless rivers of grass, the crocodiles and the manatees have always seemed really unique, and when the opportunity arose, we decided to pull the trigger.

Alyson and I set to planning, and as I have said before, I find planning to be almost, but not quite, as much fun as the actual trip. We decided to leave on Ash Wednesday, and spend three full days in south Florida. In addition to the Everglades, Biscayne National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve are in the area. In terms of hitting National Parks, south Florida was a great option. We are still dying to get to places like Acadia and Isle Royale, but February is not really the right time to go so far north. It is also worth mentioning that the Dry Tortugas is in the same area, but that requires an extensive amount of planning that we did not have time to pull off.

So the plan was to leave, as a family, on Wednesday, but mother nature threw us a nasty curve ball. Alyson and Clara went to San Antonio the weekend prior to visit Alyson’s mom, just in time for a freak winter storm that shut down most of Texas for almost an entire week. They were supposed to fly home on Sunday, but the flight got cancelled. The same continued for the next several days, constantly scheduling and rescheduling flights.

As Wednesday approached, we had to decide how to move forward. Instead of flying back to New Orleans, Alyson and Clara got flights into Miami. Unfortunately, they could not get there until Friday, but we decided that the rest of us should go and move forward with what we had planned.

Eileen, Jonathan and I landed on Wednesday night, picked up our rental car and drove to a Hampton Inn in Homestead, Florida, just outside of the Everglades. There are not a lot of places to stay within the park, but Homestead is really close by. On Wednesday morning, we got up early and headed into the park. The Everglades has multiple visitors centers, and our first stop was the Flamingo.

From here, we set out on a back country boat tour hosted by Flaming Adventures. This took us into the interior of the Everglades water ways, where we saw lots of birds, fish and a few crocodiles. It is worth noting that the Everglades is the only place on Earth where you can find both alligators and crocodiles.

That said, of all the things we did, I think we all agreed this was our least favorite. It was fun, but the way out and way back took the same route, and it got a little boring. However, once we got back to the visitors’ center, a ranger took us out to a spot in the marina where an 11 foot crocodile lives. Then he took us around the dock, where a mother and baby manatee were swimming. This is pretty much what we came for, so getting to see these rare American animals on Day 1 was fantastic.

That afternoon, we drove from the southern tip of the park all the way to the northern end, to Shark Valley. If you are wondering why it is called Shark Valley, as there are no sharks there, so is everyone else. Evidently, this watershed feeds into the Shark River, thus named by a Spanish conquistador due to all the bull sharks present at the time of arrival. It would far more aptly be named Gator Valley.

At the Shark Valley Visitors’ Center, the kids stamped their passports, and we hopped aboard the Shark Valley Tram Tour. This is a ranger led tour that goes along a 15 mile paved road deep into the heart of the Everglades. On the way out, the ranger assured us that we would see more gators on the way back, so there was no reason to stop for everyone.

She was spot on. On the way out, we probably saw half a dozen alligators, but we also spotted birds of probably thirty different species, and the ranger was able to educate us on all different aspects of the park.

At the half way point, there is an old tower that you can climb which offers a 360 degree view of the park. From this view, you cannot see a single building, just a see of grass as far as the eye can see. Out of everything we did, this moment was the most breath-taking.

On the back half of the loop, we probably spotted another thirty alligators, including a group of at least a dozen babies. You might not think it possible, but even alligator babies are cute.

That evening, the kids swam in the pool at our Hampton Inn, and we ate at a Chili’s. For this, I blame my wife. Had she not been stuck in Texas, she would have found a better option. I have discovered that I make the mistake of eating a Chili’s about every three years, and every three years, I remember why it has been so long.

On Day 2, we awoke early and headed for the western edge of the park, which borders the Gulf of Mexico. At this stage, my wife’s next flight, supposed to arrive that noon, had gotten cancelled, but the good news was that she was on a flight to Baltimore. From there, she was set to join us at about 10 pm in Miami.

In the meantime, we took another boat excursion called the Ten Thousand Island Tour. This adventure explored a vast set of islands, some that can be camped upon, off the west coast of Florida. The tour was far more quite exciting than that of the previous day. The guide was able to locate several dolphins, and after a few tries, succeeded in getting them to trail and flip in the wake of the boat. We also saw countless birds, including several Magnificent Frigatebirds and one Bald Eagle.

We ate lunch at the Island Cafe in Everglades City, which, to be frank, is nothing special. It was a Friday in Lent, and they had fried seafood, so it is hard to be too critical. From there, we drove back the way we came to one of the two Big Cypress Visitors’ Centers to get our passport stamps, and headed into the preserve.

It is hard to really mark a difference between the Everglades and Big Cypress, but I guess I can say that Big Cypress was less water and more passable land. That said, the are is quite swampy, and definitely distinct from the Glades in its own way.

In the early afternoon, we met a guide from Big Cypress Swamp Tours, who took us on a buggy tour through the park. This was the tour that I was looking forward to the most. We boarded a very unique, six-wheeled, two-story vehicle that rolled through the soggy, bumpy ‘paths’ checking out the local wildlife.

In addition to the guide being great, filled with great information and local color, we were able to see gators, birds, snakes and the ever-so-rare white-tailed deer. The guide also noted that he saw a black bear a few days prior, and in his six years, had seen a panther seven times. Having done a good bit of research, I cannot think of a better way to have experienced Big Cypress than this type of tour.

That night, we swam again and ate at Mamma Mia’s Pizza in Homestead. It wasn’t the greatest pizza I have ever had, but I have no complaints. And again, mozzarella sticks and cheese pizza hit the spot on a Friday night in Lent.

From there, we crossed our fingers and headed for the Miami airport. Lo and behold, only 45 minutes late, my wife and my 7 month old emerged from the baggage claim, and our family was together again. While Eileen, JR and I had been having fun, there was definitely something missing, and it was very gratifying to have our family made whole again.

We had one more day to make the most of our trip, and primarily, to give Alyson and Clara a good experience, one great day. After getting breakfast at the hotel, we headed for another of south Florida’s National Parks, Biscayne. This park is over 90% water, so we booked another boat tour, this one provided by the Biscayne National Park Institute. We took the Heritage of Biscayne Cruise, which took us to several different islands.

At the furthest end of the tour, we disembarked and toured an island with an old lighthouse, an old church, and a really cool, almost hidden trail. The island is called Boca Chita Key, and if you leave the recreation area and go behind the old garage, there is a semi-enchanted entrance to a really cool trail. Less than a 20 minute loop, there is a tiny, hidden beach that would be a great place for a picnic. As you progress, there’s a place where you have to cross an old, broken down bridge. You do have to get wet here, but it was fun, and an adventure that the big kids thought was really exciting.

From there, we headed back to the Everglades. This was not the initial plan, but since Clara and Alyson had not been to the park yet, we did not want to leave without giving them the experience. It was a bit of drive, but we decided to head back to the Flamingo Visitors’ Center to try to see the wildlife. We were lucky enough to see the big crock again, and this time, a whole herd of manatees.

Following that, we drove to the east end of the park to the two best walking trails available. We combined the Anhinga and Gumbo Limbo Trails, for about a total of 1.5 miles. These two trails were great, and really provide unique, well-rounded cross-sections of the Everglades.

On the way back to the hotel, we found the Miami Brewing Company. The beer was typical, and the food was nothing to go into detail about, but it was a great, relaxing way to end our vacation. We flew home the next day, and the long saga of getting my wife and infant out of Texas had finally come to an end.

For the National Park lovers our there, I highly recommend this trip, and if you have time, to add the Dry Tortugas. We plan to get there someday soon, it simply wasn’t in the cards for this trip. That aside, getting the full experience of the Everglades was great. This is a truly unique park that offers so multiple, startling ecosystems. I will say that it is not quite as awe-inspiring as the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone, but it is a piece of Americana that everyone should experience.

I also learned that a family vacation is not the same without the entire family. Eileen, JR and I were all just a little heartbroken that we were experiencing these parks without Alyson and Clara. I am really not sure what we can do differently in the future to keep this from happening, but hopefully, none of us will ever miss out on our family adventures again.

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A Mammoth Adventure

For the past two years, our family has taken a short trip over the kids’ fall break. If you don’t recall having a fall break as a child, keep in mind that you are not alone. I never had one until college, but evidently, it is common place these days, especially in private schools. The rule, apparently, is that the more money you pay, the less time your kids actually spend at the school, but I digress.

Last year, we went to Hot Springs National Park and Little Rock in Arkansas. Two years prior, we spent the break in Washington D.C. We decided that this short break is a good time to travel to National Park Service cites that are close to bigger cities. There are several National Parks near major airports or within a short drive. This year we choose Mammoth Cave.

Several factors played into this decision. For one, Mammoth Cave National Park is less than an hour and a half north of Nashville, and we were able to fly direct on Southwest from New Orleans to Nashville both ways. Second, and just as important, compared to some National Parks, Mammoth Cave has very few COVID restrictions. The park in general, the lodging and the visitor’s center were all open.

We left in the middle of the day on Friday, just as Hurricane Delta was making land fall in western Louisiana. This season has been more active than any I can recall, but so far, we have been lucky. We landed at BNA in time for dinner, and headed into town. We unintentionally ended up at a restaurant called Ole Red on Broadway. We had not planned ahead for dinner, so looked up something close to where we were that was family friendly.

While I cannot deny that Ole Red is family friendly, I was unaware that in Nashville, Broadway would be akin to Bourbon Street in New Orleans or Beale Street in Memphis. There were heavy crowds, long lines and a lot of bachelorette parties. The food was good, including the hot chicken sandwich, and they had a kids’ menu. We all enjoyed the live music, but did not linger, as we felt quite out of place. This is no fault of anyone but ourselves, and I would definitely recommend Ole Red under the right circumstances.

From there, we drove north about half an hour and stayed at a Holiday Inn. While there is often little special about a Holiday Inn, we always find them clean and accommodating. The morning of the second day, we woke up early headed for Kentucky. First off, we had scheduled a canoe trip with Green River Canoeing, Inc., on the Nolin River. Unfortunately, the rain from the Gulf hurricane followed us, and we got a call saying that the trip had to be cancelled. It ended up barely sprinkling, but I understand the need for safety.

Instead, we went straight to the park and checked into our lodge. We stayed in the park itself, at The Lodge at Mammoth Cave. While the cabins were rustic, they were perfect for out family. There was running water and electricity, but no air conditioning or TVs. It was perfect for this trip.

Since our day had to be rearranged, we went to the cave and arranged a tour. The earliest we could get was at 2:30 pm, so once we got tickets, we loaded back into the car and headed north. While it was not part of our original itinerary, it turns out that Abraham Lincoln’s birthplace is only an hour from Mammoth Cave.

This might have actually been my favorite part of the trip. The kids were able to stamp their passport books and get Junior Ranger badges, and we were all able to see the cabin in which Lincoln was born. In memory of old #16, a monument with 56 steps has been built and enshrines the cabin. The visitor’s center has a great video and there is a lot to see. While this was not part of original plan, I think it ended up being just as worthwhile as any other part of our trip.

Once we finished the tour, we turned around and headed back to Mammoth Cave. The only major COVID restriction in the park is that only one, self-guided tour of the caves is available. There are actually dozens of different tours, and if they were available, I think we would have done one each day. That said, the self guided historic tour is quite impressive, and gives park-goers a really well-rounded, broad cave experience.

I plan to touch more on the cave itself as we go on, but suffice it to say that Mammoth Cave is one of the most awe-inspiring things that I have ever seen. I relate it to an underground version of the Grand Canyon, and while it does not receive the same notoriety, it is something that every American should see.

After finishing the tour, we headed north again to a distillery that is part of the craft bourbon trail. Kentucky is well-known for producing some of the finest bourbon in the world, so my wife and I felt we would be remiss to not experience it. The Boundary Oak Distillery is also only about an hour north of Mammoth Cave. It is a small operation, but really well done.

My wife and I paid $8 a person for a tasting, which included six different bourbons, while the kids spent some time on their iPads. Boundary offers several different house-made bourbons that are each distinct, and are sold in bottles featuring icons from American history, including Abraham Lincoln and General Patton.

We ate at a BBQ place called Mark’s Feed Store. This is a local chain, and to say that the staff was friendly is an understatement. Frankly, I hope that people from Louisiana treat visitors as well as the Kentuckians; a more hospitable group would be hard to find. The food was great, and was really a perfect way to end our first day in bluegrass state.

We woke up early on Sunday and set out for a quick hike. One of the great things about Mammoth Cave NP is that it offers dozens of miles of above ground trails appropriate for all ages, in addition to the underground wonders. We combined the River Styx Spring Trail, the Green River Trail and the Dixon Cave trail to make about 1.5 mile trail that offered beautiful views of the river and another smaller cave entrance in the area.

Around noon, we drove to the Double J Stables, where the kids and I did a five mile horse ride through the north end of the park. One of my main goals on these trips is to continue to familiarize the kids with outdoor living. Getting them on the water, getting them on a horse, getting them on the trails is something that I hope builds character and helps them to grow to be well-rounded adults.

We drove back, and at the suggestion of the guides from the stables, embarked upon the Sinkhole Trail. Aside from the cave itself, this was the most striking thing we saw. It was 1.5 miles round trip, but included over 150 stairs. The entire area is a sinkhole, and this trails leads all the way down to the bottom whilst staying above ground. It was definitely more taxing than any of our other hikes, but the payoff was fantastic.

There are not a whole lot of restaurants in the area, but we initially found what sounded like a decent steak house. I am a bit embarrassed to say that when we found out that they did not serve alcohol, we decided to go elsewhere. Say what you like, but sometimes, you just need to be able to sit down and have a drink. We found a Mexican restaurant called El Mazatlan, and while it was nothing special, it hit the spot. We actually saw several other families that were staying in the park eating there as well.

On Monday, our flight was not until the early afternoon, so we made a reservation for a zip line tour with Adventures of Mammoth Cave. The actual tour was great, but the guides showed up 45 minutes late, to the point that we almost left. My wife and kids said it was worth the wait though, so I guess we cannot complain too much.

While the three of them zipped through the sky, the baby and I set off on our own adventure, a short hike nearby, less than half a mile, called the Sand Cave Trail. Shocking enough, this trail leads to the entrance of Sand Cave. Of note, one can only go to the entrance but not inside, as several years ago, a man became trapped and actually died in the Sand Cave. It seems to me like the cave should have been renamed after that, but those decisions are not mine to make. That said, this is an easy trail with a cool payoff at the end, so I definitely recommend it if you are looking to add something.

I picked up the rest of the family, and we headed back to Tennessee. We had a bit of time, so instead of stopping in Nashville, we went through to Murfreesboro where we stopped at the Stones Creek National Battlefield. We did a short driving tour, and the kids got their passports stamped. We inquired about the Junior Ranger program, but the rangers present were not particularly helpful or friendly, so we decided to go without.

The flight home was uneventful, which is always nice with a three-month old, and we made it home safely. I recall having a great time at Mammoth Cave as a six year old, and this trip did not disappoint. The cave is beautiful, and the surrounding area provided us with plenty extra to do. If you are looking for an easy but memorable trip, Mammoth Cave should definitely be on your list.

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A Voyage to the North

I wish I could say it was my idea for us to visit Voyageurs National Park, but that would be inaccurate. Certainly, it falls under the umbrella of the trips that we like to take, but it wasn’t really on our radar. That is, until a certain episode of Wheel of Fortune. Those of you that aren’t fans of the Wheel probably need to see a therapist; those of you that are know that they often give away really interesting trips. During last year’s National Parks week, a contestant won a trip to Voyageurs, houseboat included, and the trip looked so amazing, that we started to plan a trip of our own.

When I was young, my family took a trip to Minnesota, and I loved it, but neither my wife, nor any of the kids had ever been. In terms of hitting every state, this was a great opportunity. In planning this trip, we had to work our way through traveling during COVID, but this trip was one that we were able to manage.

For those of you that have traveled a lot, you know that planning the trip is almost as much fun as taking the trip. Planning this one was a bit more difficult than usual, as my wife was pregnant up until a month prior to departure. We had to hold off on booking just about everything until Alyson gave birth. This made it difficult to book everything that we ideally wanted, but it was still totally worth it to take our kids, including the newest edition, on a great vacation.

The first step was deciding how to get from New Orleans to Minnesota. The obvious was to fly into Minneapolis, but for those of you that are interested in hitting all 50 states, there was another option. It turns out that Fargo, North Dakota is no further from Voyageurs (give or take), than is Minneapolis. On top of that, the route from Fargo to the north goes directly through Itasca State Park, which is one of Minnesota’s great attractions.

So in our abbreviate planning phase, we chose North Dakota. There are no direct flights from New Orleans to Minnesota or Fargo, so that did not factor into the decision. One of the nice things about flying to Fargo is that flying into a small airport can be so much easier than a large one. We were able to walk off the plane, to the baggage area, to the our rental, all within 15 minutes. We did not have to take any shuttles, security had no lines, and everyone was very friendly.

In our planning phase, we had hoped to secure a cabin on one of the lakes, but late July/early August is the peak time for Voyageurs. The lodging options are also very limited, so when we went to find a cabin, everything was already booked. We were able to make reservations at a a really interesting hotel in Ranier, MN, which is as close to Canada as one can be, and within a 30 minute drive of all three Voyageurs visitors centers.

Admittedly, we also had a hard time scheduling things for the kids to do. We found a guide in the area that offered boat tours, sunset tours and kayak tours, but by the time we were ready to book, he had no availability. The Voyageurs National Park website has several links to potential guides who offer various services, but we really had to work through them to find what we wanted.

On day one, the Friday that we arrived at around 2 pm, our goal was to get to Itasca State Park and explore the area. For those of you who are not familiar, Lake Itasca is the headwaters of the Mississippi River. I visited once at a young age and it really stuck in my memory. This time around, I was not disappointed.

The lake where the river begins is quite large, but the river itself starts as almost a trickle. It is demarcated by a line of rocks, from where you can walk down the Mississippi River for quite a ways. For this walk, I highly recommend water shoes and a bathing suit. The river gets deep faster than you would think, and it is very rocky. As people who live near the river in New Orleans, visiting the cold, clear stream that becomes the muddy river was almost like a pilgrimage.

While Itasca is not a National Park, it is an impressive state park, and something that I feel is a can’t miss part of Americana. What I did not realize is that the state park is massive and offers much more than just the headwaters of the mighty Miss. The one thing on this trip for which we did very little research was Itasca. We spent less than three hours there, but had we wanted to, we probably could have spent two days exploring the park.

From there, we drove about an hour to Bemidji and stopped for dinner at a restaurant call the Turtle River Chophouse. We were able to sit outside next to an open field that actually had several deer in it. There was a great kids menu, and my wife and I both had burgers that were well above average. They also had several great beers from Bemidji Brewing, which were a great cap to the day.

From Bemidji, we drove onto the hotel in Ranier. We stayed at a Wyndham called the Cantilever Hotel. It is 30 room hotel in the same building as a distillery and restaurant. The hotel itself was very cool, with a roof top deck looking across to Canada. I would definitely recommend this hotel, if you cannot get a cabin, but it did have some issues. My major complaint is that hotel was not very kid friendly, despite the fact that several kids were staying. We asked for a pack and play or portable crib for our newborn; what we were provided was a playpen. Since we had no other option, we made it work, but it was basically like having the baby sleep on the floor.

The restaurant in the hotel was also a bit disappointing. The food that Alyson and I got was good, but there was no kids menu. Amongst other hipstery options, they served nachos and burgers, and it seems like in a hotel, it would be very simple to offer a grilled cheese, a kid’s burger and kid’s version of the nachos. Overall, we enjoyed the hotel, but there are a few changes they could make that would really broaden their appeal.

Enough about the hotel, let’s get to the National Park. On Saturday, we made our way to the Ash River Visitors Center, where the kids stamped their passports. Even though the visitors centers were not open, they had the stamps out for just this reason, which was fantastic. A few minutes away was a short trail called the Beaver Pond Overlook. This was a really fun, less than half mile hike to a lookout point that offered a great view of the park.

From there, we headed to the Kabetogoma Lake Visitors Centers, where we met up with Bill. A little bit of research led us to Voyageurs National Park Tours, a guide service that offers multiple great options. We booked the five hour boat tour, which encompasses most of what he offers. You might think that five hours on a boat would be too much for a one month old, but you would be wrong. Clara handled it like champ, and the big kids loved it.

The first stop on the tour was the Ellsworth Rock Garden, a huge collection of rocks put together by Mr. Ellsworth long ago. It has recently been restored and is a really cool place for the kids to run around. Evidently, while Ellsworth was still alive, it was even more significant, but the park service has been committed to making it something tourists do not want to miss.

From there, we cruised around the lakes, into various coves and around various islands until we made it to Kettle Falls. Kettle Falls is an old dam and an old hotel that is the only place that you can actually stay within the park; it can only be reached by water taxi. We stopped in for a snack and a beer, and I am glad that we went. I do not think we would have wanted to stay there, as the hotel does not seem to have been serviced for several decades, but it is a cool piece of park history. Walking out to the dam and looking into Canada (again) is another worthwhile feature. We actually crossed the Canadian border several times during the boat ride, which is only debatably legal (especially during COVID), but it was nice for Clara to check off her first country.

When we got back, we drove to a nearby trailhead, the Echo Bay Loop. This was a doozy, and while I would recommend it for avid hikers, it is not one of the best maintained trails we have ever walked. I am not certain if it is due to COVID or just the way the trails in Voyageurs are, but it was very overgrown. Additionally, it did not really go anywhere. It was a cool loop, but we really like hikes that lead to something. We are big fans of overlooks, waterfalls, rivers, etc. This is good hike, and we saw a deer from about 15 feet away, but there is no big bang at the end.

That night we ate in a local restaurant called the Blind Pig; great barbecue, great local beer, and it was filled with local fishing guides. They had several options from the Surly Brewery and the Lake of the Woods. There are not a lot of restaurants in the area, but the ones that we found were all very satisying.

The next day, Eileen, JR and I got up early and met Brent from Rainy Dayz Guide Services for a fishing trip. We thought about taking the baby, but the guide service recommended against it, and they were right. It took about an hour for us to find the fish, but once we did, the big kids were in heaven. Neither of them had ever been fishing before, and they both committed to it like champs. They both helped bait the leeches, they both caught multiple fish, and with some encouragement, they both held the fish they caught.

Alyson and Clara met up with us, and we stopped at the Rocky Ledge Resort for lunch. The pizza was pretty straight forward, nothing special, but sometimes that’s all you need. After we ate, the Igoes set out on the Blind Ash Bay Trail. This loop claims to be 2.7 miles, but my daughter’s Fitbit said it was 4.2. We learned our lesson from the first hike and all wore long pants and loaded up on bug spray. This made the hike much more enjoyable, and the overlook at the end was fantastic. We did have to stop to feed the baby mid-hike, but aside from that, she hung out in the Bjorn and enjoyed the ride.

At 5 pm, we made our way south to the Vince Shute Bear Sanctuary. The history here is very interesting, as Vince used to shoot the bears to keep them away from his logging operations. He finally got fed up to the point that he came up with an alternative. He realized that if he started feeding the bears, he could keep them where he wanted. This is no longer a recommended way to treat wildlife, but at this stage, there is no going back.

The sanctuary is a 2.5 acre circle where wild bears come in and out, interact with the staff and eat in peace. We saw over 50 black bears, and while it is not exactly like seeing a bear in the wild, it is not the same as a zoo, either. The sanctuary was about an hour away from Voyageurs, but if you are looking for something different, this is a good option.

That night, the kids ate Dairy Queen, and Alyson and I ate at the hotel. I woke that night at 2 in the morning to see if we could see the Aurora, but had no luck. Even so, the night sky in northern Minnesota is breathtaking. Ranier could do a little better turning off the lights, but the view was still amazing.

The next day, we stopped again in Bemidji to take a picture with Paul Bunyan, then headed back to Fargo. We got there early enough to eat, and stopped for lunch at the Würst Bier Hall. This is a really unique restaurant with all sorts of brats and beers. Alyson and I both got an Iron Horse from Fargo Brewing. We were also able to find several options with which the kids were happy.

We got back late on a Monday, exhausted and satisfied. Overall, this trip was fantastic. The whole family got to check off North Dakota, we visited a bucket list National Park, and we found out some things about our travel options. One, we discovered that we are able to take the baby on a trip, on a plane, on a boat, and all enjoy ourselves. Two, we discovered that a short trip, three to four days, was enough for us to be able to visit a big park. All said and done, I could not more strongly recommend Voyageurs National Park; in the heat of the summer, it was a fantastic getaway.

As usual, do not forget to check out our Top 10 list for kids and our travel playlist. If you want to check out the itinerary that we put together pre-trip, that has been posted as well. See you next time that the Igoes go a-traveling.

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Hilton Head in the Time of COVID

    Most years, the Traveling Igoe’s take a trip with my parents and brothers, the original traveling Igoe’s.  My mom usually picks the location and books the house, and it is then on the rest of us to get there.  This year, mom picked Hilton Head.  We have actually all been to Hilton Head before, and South Carolina several times, but a trip to the beach is a trip to the beach. There are few beaches as nice as Hilton Head.

    This trip turned out to be a fine adventure, and every adventure starts with a first step.  Prior to disembarking, we bought a few beach/kid specific provisions. Boogie boards and a collapsible wagon from Dick’s Sporting goods were essential parts of our vacation.  The wagon will come in handy with the new baby, Mardi Gras and just about every car trip.  The boards were under $10 a piece, and will probably not make it back with us from our upcoming trip to Gulf Shores. For $20, two trips worth of entertainment for the kids was well worth it.

    We left at around noon from New Orleans traveling east, and made it all the way to Columbus, GA.  This part of the trip was at the same time quite easy and quite disappointing.  For those of you who do not know, our family loves the National Parks and everything associated.  Between NOLA and Columbus, one has the chance to pass through Tuskegee, Alabama.  Tuskegee is home to two parts of the National Parks Service, the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site and the Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site.  Both of these sites offer really interesting looks at some very pertinent parts of America’s history, and both were closed.

    We were aware of this going in, as the coronavirus has temporarily shuttered a lot of doors, but it was still hard to pass through knowing we were missing two cool stamps for our passport books, and two more Junior Ranger badges for the kids.  Unfortunately, this is just part of the deal when traveling during the time of COVID.

We made it easily to Columbus and got dinner at a local BBQ shop, Country’s Barbecue.  A very family friendly establishment, Country’s was very affordable, and the portion size was absurd.  While we enjoyed the BBQ, it had little to do with the reason we actually stopped in Columbus.  Less than an hour south is Providence Canyon State Park, one of the country’s truly unique canyons.  We spent several hours there on Sunday morning, but all of that is detailed in another post.

The next leg of our journey got us quickly into Hilton Head, arriving before the rest of the Igoes.  We did a quick grocery run for the essentials, and headed straight for the beach.  While our house was not directly on the water, it was only four rows back and less than five minutes by foot.  I would recommend, if possible, trying to get a house on the water.  The difference in price is not insignificant, but neither is the difference in the experience.  Our house four rows back had a pool, a ping pong table, a game room, all sorts of amenities, but the one experience it did not offer was the ability to sit on the porch and do nothing.

    A house that has a water-front view is an activity in-and-of itself.  Sitting on the porch, listening to water, reading a book or watching a storm roll in is one of the most amazing parts of going to the ocean. While this house was great, in that respect, it was lacking.

    We arrived on a Sunday afternoon and left early the next Saturday, so had five full days to enjoy the beach, and anything else in the area that was open.  Every morning between 9 and 10 am, we made our way down and stayed by the water for at least two hours.  The Hilton Head beaches are truly something special.  While our beach access was not private, it was far enough from the nearest public parking that it was populated by local residents only.

    There are two things that we found remarkable about the Hilton Head beaches.  The first is that the current is different every day, or even at different times of the day. Our first day in the water, the kids were getting pulled to the south at a rate so rapid that either Alyson or I had to stay close the entire time.  Other days, the surf was so mild that we could spend two hours going in and out with waves without having drifted more than a few feet.

    The other thing that I found fascinating was the vast difference in the water line between high and low tides.  When the water goes all the way out, it leaves behind a vast stretch of wet but firm sand, almost the length of a football field.  At this time, the sand is perfect for riding a bike.

    The kids, my brothers, my brother’s girlfriend and my parents, we all spent at least half of our time at the beach.  We brought chairs and umbrellas, read books, road waves, threw an Aerobie, threw a baseball, basically spent every morning being beach bums.  As the days went on, we even spotted several different types of wildlife.  Unfortunately there were jellyfish, but only JR got a significant sting.  My brother the Monk (Dan), actually stepped on a ray, but was fortunate that it just swam away. Most impressively of all were the dolphins.

We saw several dolphins surface each day, but on Thursday, three of them put on a rare show.  Eileen and JR were swimming with Uncle Jim and his girlfriend, Andalee, when we noticed a small pod dolphins much closer to shore than normal.  Eileen said that they were so close that if she had dived, she might have been able to reach them.  As they approached the kids, one of them ‘porpoised’ and launched itself five feet out of the water.

Several beach-goers noticed and ran to the water’s edge when out of nowhere, it happened again.  Twice in less than a minute, a dolphin launched itself into the air and made splashdown within a few feet of my kids.  After the second flip, everyone in the crowd had their phones out, but the show was over, and the dolphins moved on.  My wife and I were fortuitous enough to see both jumps from the beach, but my kids were within a few feet, and were awestruck for the next several minutes.

While my kids love the beach, they are not the type that can spend all day at one. Each afternoon, we tried to plan at least one activity to get the kids out of the house.  On Monday, we found a great mini-golf course and arcade called Adventure Cove.  There are actually two courses at this park, and the whole family played both (I shot 3 under par).  Afterwards, our family stayed and played in the arcade for about another hour.

Tuesday afternoon, I took the kids to play tennis while Alyson rested at home.  There are over a dozen tennis courts on Hilton Head, many of which are open to the public without reservations. This was a nice way to give my wife a few hours to relax and to get the kids some exercise.

On Wednesday, Alyson, Eileen, JR and I packed up and drove the two-plus hours to Congaree National Park.  This is a rarely visited but really cool park in the heart of South Carolina. It was home to many Native Americans and also was a place where runaway slaves could find sanctuary.  The park was not completely open, due to COVID, but if you are interested in learning more about it, please read our Congaree-specific post.

On Thursday, we took a dolphin sightseeing tour.  The tour was provided by Hilton Head Dolphin Tours, and it was definitely worth the money.  We saw a lot of wildlife, and although none of them flew through the air, simply getting to ride around the intercoastal waterways with a guide was a great time.

On our last full day, we drove into Harbortown and visited the lighthouse.  We also went to the Salty Dog Cafe where my daughter got a sweatshirt and we all got ice cream.  If this is to be part of your trip, I recommend that you keep in mind that there are two Salty Dog shirt shops within about 30 feet of each other.  I suggest you go to the second one, as the line was far shorter.

    Every night we dined at home, with different family members taking turns cooking.  On our night, we did a play on a low country boil that one can do on a grill.  This is a tradition we have taken to recently, each family cooking on a different night. It takes the pressure off of one individual, and makes planning and cooking an activity within itself.

As many local businesses were still closed due to the pandemic, our lunch options were limited.  We did find two nice local restaurants that we really enjoyed. The first, Stu’s Surf Side, was within biking distance of our house, and had some really good sandwiches.  The food was solid, but the best part of this meal was that one the way back, we saw several alligators in the wild, lurking around their hometown marshes.

The second place we ate out, The Skull Creek Boathouse, was about a fifteen minute drive from our rental, and had a great waterfront patio.  The food and atmosphere were really unique; we sat a few feet from the water, and my son actually ordered the surf and turf off of the kids’ menu.

On the way back, we stopped at the Coastal Discovery Museum.  While the museum itself was closed, there are several boardwalks that lead to really unique views of the local marshlands. Under normal circumstances, they offer a lot of our programs that our kids would really enjoy.

    We left on Saturday morning, and in another effort to fill our passports, stopped at Ocmulgee Mounds National Historic Park.  This site preserves over ten millennia of Southeastern Native American culture.  While their website said they were open, on a limited basis, their locked gate said that they were only open from 1 pm to 5 pm, so all we got to see was the sign.  If we ever go that way again, we will try for a full tour, but for now, I am letting the kids count it.

    Following our lack of success there, we traveled down past the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site (which was closed) to the Andersonville National Historic Site.  At Andersonville, the Visitors’ Center was closed, but you could still download the online driving tour.  If you have never visited Andersonville, I highly recommend it.  It is the site of a Confederate prison where over 45,000 Union soldiers were held captive, and where over 13,000 of them died.

    We all found the rows and rows of headstones extremely moving, and were actually able to find a few with my wife’s maiden name (White) from the region where her family lived at the time (Kentucky).  If you are interested in learning more about Andersonville, please read our Andersonville-specific post.

    This post concludes as we arrive at the house of our college roommates, Matt and Dorothy, who are also married and live in Fairhope, AL.  They just had their second child, but I made sure to let my goddaughter, Eleanor, know that she is still my favorite.  If you are ever passing through the Fairhope area, I strongly recommend staying at their house; the hospitality and amenities are hard to beat.

    Our trip to Hilton Head was a great one.  While the availability of unique and amazing things to do was limited by the coronavirus, we still had a great time.  Considering the circumstances, a beach trip was the perfect option.  Since we were road warriors on this trip, I have attached a playlist, and as with every trip we take, we have attached a list of great things to do with kids in Hilton Head.

    While we have been traveling our whole lives, this was our first trip as The Traveling Igoe’s.  Please be patient as we improve our blog and help to offer more insights into how we travel as a family unit and with our extended families.  Please send us any messages, comments or questions, and we will do our best to respond.  Thanks for reading, and if you are interested in seeing more, please check out my son’s YouTube channel (keep in mind that he is eight).