Tag: family vacation

Posted on

The Dry Tortugas

This year, we decided to use our Mardi Gras break for a slightly more relaxing experience than an RV trip across the Southwest. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like an RV trip is in our cards for 2023, but we will make the best of what is available to us.

After spending the week prior watching parades and Mardi Gras day in the quarter, we jumped on a plane late Tuesday evening and flew to Fort Lauderdale. We picked up our rental car, a sweet minivan that reminded me of my formative driving years, and stayed at a nearby Hilton Garden.

This ended up being a mistake for two reasons. First, this hotel was garbage. I travel a lot for work, and always stay at one of the Hilton brands, and this was by far the worst at which I have stayed. The room was small, with double beds instead of queens, the parking lot was gated, but the gates didn’t work, and the unintelligent set of nincompoops working the front desk refused us a pack ‘n play. Thankfully, it was just one night of sleeping with my wife and Clara in a double bed, but it was a rough night.

Second, we should have driven further south when we arrived. Heading from FLL to the Keys includes passing through both Fort Lauderdale and Miami, and we failed to take into account the morning traffic. If we were doing the same trip again in the future, I would certainly drive an hour or so further south instead of staying so close to the airport.

Now with that behind us, we headed south to make our first stop at Key Largo. We had originally intended to snorkel with a local company, but got a message the night before that due to high seas, they could not take us out. Instead, we booked a glass bottom boat tour aboard the Key Largo Princess.

This was about a two hour out and back tour to a nearby reef, and was actually a lot of fun. I would say the activity is geared more towards younger kids, but the whole family enjoyed it, and we were able to see a lot of interesting things beneath the boat. That said, if you are a diver, this type of excursion is no substitute for actually being under the water.

We ate lunch that day at the Key Largo Fisheries Backyard Cafe. This is a great local fish market with a restaurant attached to the back of it, so all the food is incredibly fresh. It is a bit pricey, as is everything in the Keys, but sitting by the water, eating something that was caught less than 24 hours prior was quite pleasant.

From there, we drove deeper into the Keys to the Islander Resort on Islamorada. Islamorada is the second of the major Keys, and is relatively centrally located, so where we decided to stay. The Islander Resort was great. The room was clean with a great screened-in porch, and the amenities were wonderful. The resort has a great pool and bar, and private beach access, and contracts with a local company to offer all sorts of excursion. One thing to remember about any beachfront resort is that due to the salt and humidity, nothing stays in mint condition for long, but when it comes to our stay, I have no complaints

We spent that afternoon hanging out in the pool, and hopped two blocks over to the Islamorada Brewery for dinner. This was by far my favorite meal of the trip. The brewery itself offers about 15 different beers for all tastes, and the permanent food truck has a great menu. We spent about two hours hanging out, eating, drinking, playing the bar games and listening to a talented local musician who, evidently, specializes in Bob Seger covers.

The next morning, we had to get up quite early to make the almost two hour drive from Islamorada to Key West in order to catch the boat to the Dry Tortugas. Mostly due to its proximity, Dry Tortugas is one of the country’s least visited National Parks, but also one of the most awe-inspiring.

This island sits right along the jet stream, so was frequented by sailors during the time of colonial expansion. It was so named due to the large number of turtles found, as well as a lack of fresh water. In the mid-1800s, the US began construction of Fort Jefferson as part of a vast coastal defense network. The fort was never completed, however, due to advances in sea warfare technology that made it obsolete.

While it is difficult to get to, it is worth the trek. Aside from seaplane, the only way to get to the island park is by taking the Yankee Freedom Ferry out of Key West. This 2+ hour ferry ride provided us with a bagel and a lot of information about Dry Tortugas along the way. The views throughout the journey are pretty majestic, but it is not for the faint of stomach.

For me, the best part of the whole trip was the arrival at Fort Jefferson. The pictures online don’t do it justice. This stone fortress stuck on top of this tropic paradise is pretty breathtaking. The contrast between the red bricks, the green grass and the jewel-tones of the water is something to behold.

Once we reached the Park, we listened to a ranger-led history, and then set off on our own to explore. There are no hand-rails or banisters to keep one from falling over the edge, so care is needed with little ones, but the view from the top level of the Fort is worth it.

After eating the provided Jersey Mike’s sandwiches from the ferry, we grabbed the provided snorkeling gear and set off to the South Beach. The Dry Tortugas offer several unique snorkeling opportunities, with a myriad of fishes and multiple areas where corals have developed.

Alyson and Clara stayed on the beach while Eileen, JR and I optimistically attempted to snorkel around the Fort from the South Beach to the North Beach. This is an extremely labor-intensive task, and we made it, but it was no small feet, and not for those who don’t consider themselves strong swimmers.

As we primarily stayed along the outer moat wall of the Fort, we were never in any real peril, but at one point, Alyson came along the wall and threw a PFD to JR, which made it a lot less nerve racking. If you have the ability, I strongly recommend this snorkel, and recommend taking special care around the breach in the wall, as this area is really impressive.

Beyond snorkeling and touring Fort Jefferson, there isn’t a ton to do at Dry Tortugas. If you are a camper, you can spend the night, and the starscape appears incredible, but for the average NP-goer, this is a one-day experience. We reloaded the ferry and made the 2+ hour trek back to Key West. Thankfully, starting at 1:30 pm, the ferry bar opens, so the trip back was rather pleasant.

We landed back in Key West and searched around for a place to eat. Some strangers at an airport bar in Indianapolis suggested we try Blue Heaven, and since we had not other options, we figured why not?

When we arrived, we were told it would be a 45 minute wait (actually over an hour), so after putting our name on the list, we walked to down to the Southernmost Point of the continental US for the obligatory picture.

We made our way back to Blue Heaven for dinner, and much of the family really enjoyed it. Personally, I thought the menu was too limited and significantly overpriced, but in the Keys, you don’t have many choices. If we were to ever visit Key West again, I would look for another option.

The next morning, Friday, we grabbed breakfast at Midway Cafe. This is one of the musts on Islamorada. When you go, don’t be daunted by the long line; it moves quite briskly, and they offer a menu full of great options.

After breakfast, we went down to Robbie’s, which is sort of a one-stop shop for everything Keys related. It has souvenirs, a restaurant and bar, you can rent kayaks, jet skis, snorkel, pretty much whatever you are looking for. At this exact moment, we didn’t really know what we were looking for, so we payed a few dollars for a bucket of fish and went to feed the tarpons.

Feed the tarpons? What the hell are you talking about? you may ask. Well, allow me to enlighten you. Somehow, Robbie’s has managed to attract a large school of tarpons that feed at the docks. You can dangle a fish over several dozen of them, and they will jump and take the fish directly from your hand. You have to be sure, however, not to feed the pelicans or manatees, as they will become dependent. Why this doesn’t apply to the tarpons is still unclear to me. If you’re looking for a few minutes of excitement, this is a way to go. It is fun and a little heart-pounding all at the same time.

After this bit of excitement, we decided that renting kayaks was the way to go. We headed back to the Islander and let the kids eat and play in the pools, while I booked a guided eco tour with Key Kayak. This group offers several guided kayak tour options throughout the Keys, including one out of Marathon. We had yet done anything off of this Key, so decided it was the way to go.

We rented two kayaks and stuck Clara in between Eileen and I. The trip was great, and going through the mangrove tunnels was one of my favorite parts of our vacation. That said, I always forget how physically demanding is kayaking until I am about two minutes in. It is a lot of fun, but it sure is a lot of work.

That night, we grabbed dinner at a place on the water in Islamorada called Lazy Days. It is a really cool location, and the food is solid, albeit overpriced of course, but it does have the feeling of an old-person’s restaurant. I’m not sure if it was the old school menu books or all the mounted fish on the wall, but something made Alyson and I both think of place that gets busy at around 4:30 pm. Nonetheless, we enjoyed it, and I would gladly eat there again, especially during sunset.

The next morning, on our way back to Fort Lauderdale, we stopped at a Cuban restaurant called Padrino’s. We were looking for a place with authentic south Florida food, and while the Cubano sandwich I got was fine, it was nothing special. I actually think I have gotten a better Cuban in New Orleans, but we had to eat somewhere.

This was a great, albeit short trip, and Dry Tortugas was awesome. I can’t say that I have any desire to visit the Keys again. If someone else wanted to go, I would, but I do not think

we will ever plan a trip to the southernmost point in the continental US again. Next up, we are still trying to decide if we are going somewhere for Easter. Probably, but if not, our next big adventure will be to Hawaii in June. Talk to y’all then…

Posted on

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.

Posted on

In the Land of a Thousand Saguaro’s

This year, for fall break, we had initially planned to visit Boston. The last few years, we have enjoyed touring some of the great cities of the U.S., Washington, Philadelphia, Chicago, and had intended to continue that tradition.

However, since the kids’ break fell after the end of baseball season, we decided to hold off on Boston for now and revisit the idea when we can see a game at Fenway. Instead, we found a place where we could easily fly and visit a National Park. The winner was Phoenix, which is about an hour north of Tucson, which is smack dab in the middle of Saguaro National Park.

To begin with, it is pronounced ‘sa-war-oh’ which I feel a little stupid saying, and is named for a pretty spectacular cactus that kind of reminds me a live oak with needles. This symbol of the American west is only found is small areas of the country and can be seen en masse in this unique National Park.

We flew out after school on Friday evening and landed in Phoenix, where we picked up a car from Budget. Total side note, if you have the opportunity to rent from Budget, I suggest that you might just be better off walking, no matter how far you have to go. No matter what the circumstances, it always takes at least 45 minutes to get your car from Budget, which is even more frustrating if you have ever rented from Hertz, National or Enterprise. I digress, but let me just close the book on this by saying that Budget sucks.

We drove about 15 minutes south and spent that night in a Hampton Inn in Chandler, AZ. I have stayed in many Hampton Inns before, and this one was underwhelming, but I can say that it was a better experience than I had with Budget.

That Friday day and night was basically a travel day, so we got up early, stopped at McDonald’s and headed south. We made a quick stop at the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. It is believed that this complex was a meeting place for the Sonoran people, but the actual purpose of the large house is relatively unknown. It was a cool stop and another place to get the passport books stamped.

We probably stayed less than an hour, then made our way onto the main attraction. An interesting aspect of Saguaro is that it is split in two, with Tucson directly in the middle. The two halves are both pretty cool but are both quite distinct.

After getting our books stamped, we took the Bajada Loop drive, which is about an 8 mile excursion with multiple interesting places to stop. Our first stop was the Valley View Overlook, which takes you out into the desert to a great view of thousands of Saguaro cacti. It is less than a mile in-and-out and is a great introduction to the park.

Our next stop was at the Signal Hill petroglyphs, where indigenous artwork from hundreds of years prior can be experienced up close. I strongly recommend this drive and both of these stops. It is a great way to dive into Saguaro, and great way to experience the identity of the western half of the park.

Saguaro’s is interesting in that the east and western sides are actually quite different. Whilst both prominently feature the saguaro, the western half is far more of a flat desert, whereas the eastern side has vast changes in elevation, and is far more mountainous. If you are ambitious, both sides can probably be seen in one day, but we decided to break it up into a Saturday and Sunday.

For the rest of that Saturday, we tried to find something a bit less rugged for the kids to do, so we drove south for about an hour and a half to the frontier town of Tombstone. If you’ve never seen the movie, you should; it’s awesome. And honestly, the town did not disappoint.

We had not real plans going in, but ended up eating at Big Nose Kate’s Saloon. Kate was Doc Holiday’s girlfriend, and her saloon is built on top of an actual bar that Doc and the Earp brothers frequented. It is certainly kitschy, but the food was good and the atmosphere is unique. The kids really enjoyed it, and the sell big ass beers, so that’s something.

After lunch, we took the kids over to Outlaw Ziplines, which only offers one zip, but there are several targets along the way that you can shoot with a laser gun. It is not a classic outdoor, awe-inspiring ride, but shooting the ‘bandits’ is a lot of fun, and it would be harder to find people working anywhere that are nicer than the staff.

Afterwards, on our way out of town, we swung through the Boothill Graveyard to check out the tombstones of the Clanton’s and McLaury’s, men killed during that shootout at the OK Corral. I really enjoyed our short stint in this old timey town. We only spent a few hours, but you could easily make a multi-day experience of it. There are several cool restaurants, tourist experiences and museums, and if I had the chance, I would definitely go back.

Our lunch in Tombstone was a late one, so we checked into the hotel and hung out there for the night. The place that we stayed, the Hotel McCoy, was a really interesting place. We discovered a website called Hip Lodge that helps travelers find old roadside motels that have been refurbished and converted into modern lodging. Hotel McCoy is really cool. It’s got a great atmosphere, a great pool and a cool lobby and bar. Staying at a place like this really helps to make the trip more fun than staying in a typical Holiday or Hampton Inn.

The next morning we woke and drove around the perimeter of the east side of the park to a trailhead of the Douglas Spring Trail. This trail is over 16 miles one way, but there is an interesting stopping point about 3 miles in called Bridal Wreath Falls.

Without telling the kids the length, we set off on this trek that is relatively strenuous and has a serious elevation change. It is a beautiful hike and extremely worthwhile. That said, at this time of year, the waterfall was little more than a trickle, and the pool at the bottom was nonexistent. This was a great way to spend the morning, and knocking out a 6 mile hike feels quite satisfying, but it would have been better if the fall had been flowing.

Afterwards, we gave the kids a break and went to eat at El Guero Canelo. This is a local chain, but it is very unique, and the food is great. On the ‘must-try’ list for Tucson is the Sonoran hotdog. This is a hotdog, wrapped in bacon, covered with a whole bunch of crazy crap, and it is delicious. We all got one to varying degrees, and we were all quite pleased.

We spent that early afternoon in the hotel pool, relaxing until about 4:30 pm, when we made our way back to the eastern part of Saguaro. We stopped at the Rincon Mountain Visitors Center (which is nothing special) and made our way onto the Cactus Forest Drive, which takes tourists through the mountainous half of the park.

We planned it so that we would arrive at a specific stop, the Javelina Rocks Overlook, in time for the sunset. This stop has some really large boulders that are perfect for climbing, and we got there in plenty of time to see the sun drop over the horizon. It was a little cloudy, so the view wasn’t quite as inspiring as the sunset we watched in White Sands, but it was still pretty breathe taking.

That night, we ate at an authentic Mexican cafe called El Charro. The place was slammed, especially for a Sunday night, but the food was good, and the atmosphere was great. It was a nice way to cap off what felt like a perfect vacation day.

The following morning, we checked out and went to get breakfast tacos at a local hole called Maicos. The food was really high quality, and again, the people who served us were as fantastic. Since our flight did not leave until the late afternoon, we made a slight detour to another National Park site.

The Tonto National Monument protects two cliff dwellings dating back hundreds of years. The higher dwelling requires advanced reservations and is about a four hour round trip. The lower dwelling can be toured at anytime, and is only about a steep, half-mile walk. My wife and I love these dwellings. They are so unique and fun to tour, but almost more fun to look at from a distance. Tonto is great place to visit, and another great place to get your passport book stamped.

We made our way back to Phoenix, drove the rental car into a ditch and got on plane home. Saguaro is a really unique park with lots to see. It does not require multiple days and frankly, is unlikely to blow your mind, but it is worth seeing and good way to spend your time in southern Arizona.

Posted on

Cooperstown or Bust

If you read our last post, you know that we spent the two days prior to our Cooperstown trip checking out New York City as a family. The rest of our vacation was dedicated to Upstate New York, and in particular, getting my dad to the promised land.

We visited the Baseball Hall of Fame once as a family when I was little, but according to my mom, my brothers and I were so ill-behaved that we had to leave early, and my dad never got over it. This trip was to make amends for all of our childish nonsense, and JR and I could not have been more excited.

We met my family at a VRBO in Laurens, NY, about 30 minutes south of Cooperstown. This are is actually pretty well visited, as there are several baseball stadiums in the area that host little league tournaments. That said, being 30 minutes away from everything we wanted to do became a bit arduous by the end.

On our first night there, we ate with the family, the kids swam and we got settled in. The second, my family got up early and we headed up to Howe’s Caverns. This is a deep cave system at a pretty well developed site that offers multiple tours. We took the 1.5 hour tour, which involves about a mile of walking.

It also includes boating along an underground river, which was really fun and walking through an area that can best be described as an underground slot canyon that required a lot of turning sideways and tight squeezes. The whole experiences verges on being a bit kitschy, but it was a lot of fun, and I love a good cave.

We made our way back to the house and chilled out for the rest of the day. The kids swam, my dad grilled burgers, and we got to bed at a decent hour.

The next day was the big day, the Hall of Fame. We left the rental at 8 am and made it Cooperstown before the doors opened. Similar to many recently visited attractions, timed tickets were required, but we still had to wait in line to get in. This time, it was totally worth it.

It was recommended that we start on the second floor and watch a 17 minute video, which was definitely the right thing to do. This video, chronicling the history of the game and the importance of the Hall of Fame, is not only extraordinarily well done, but it had most of the adult men in the room (myself included) on the verge of tears. It perfectly set the stage for what we were about to see.

The second floor is dedicated to the history of the game, with great sections dedicated to classic teams like the Yankees and Cardinals, different eras of the game, including pre- and post-integration, and the new directions that the game is going. My son tried to read every word, but I finally got him to move along and join the rest of us on the first floor.

The first floor is where you find the actual plaques, and these are just splendid. Walking through the Hall, finding all of history’s greatest ball players, all of the Cardinals’ greatest athletes, was really special. I think my dad spent about three hours looking through this area, to the point that we had to force him to stop for lunch.

Lunch, in Cooperstown, can be a bit of a challenge; everyone is leaving the Hall at the exact same time. Some of us ate at the Doubleday Cafe, but the wait was too long, so my family and I went across the street to a deli/grocery called Danny’s Mainstream Market. The sandwiches were great, the people were nice and there was no wait.

Afterwards, JR, my dad, my youngest brother, Dan and I went back to Hall while everyone else headed back to the house. We spent the last two hours on the third floor, which is dedicated to some of the great stadiums in baseball history, as well as all the record holders, club members, etc.

JR and I could probably have spent a whole second day at the Hall of Fame, but I think everyone else was baseball’d out, and my dad was happy, so mission accomplished. We ordered pizza that night and got ready for the next day.

The next day, Eileen wanted to go strawberry picking, so we drove to a farm called Middlefield Orchard. At this time of year, all they had available were strawberries, but during different seasons, you can pick all sorts of fruits. The strawberries were really flavorful, and the people were super-nice. We drove into Cooperstown and grabbed lunch at a place called Mel’s, which was good but quite deliberate, and headed back to the house.

The kids got in the pool again, which was a lifesaver, and my brothers, the wives and I headed out to a brewery called Red Shed, which featured a fun, albeit not-too-challenging trivia. We came in second place out of 15, and I think we only missed four questions total. Like I said, it wasn’t the hardest trivia night I have been too, but it was a fun way to experience a local brewery.

The next morning, we rented two pontoon boats and cruised around Otsego Lake. There isn’t all that much to do or see on this lake, but it was fun to get out on the water, swim and let the kids drive the boat for a little bit. We had lunch that day at the Ommegang Brewery, which seemed a bit overwhelmed by all the customers, but was still pretty good. Of the two, I preferred the beer/experience at Red Shed, but that was not a unanimous verdict.

The next morning, my family got up early and set out to find a hike called the Natty Bumppo Cave Trail. This trail was evidently a favorite of James Fenimore Cooper, who wrote The Last of the Mohicans, whose main character goes by Natty Bumppo. To be honest, this trail was not the greatest. The access point is in the middle, so you have to decide which direction to go.

We went north, towards the cave, and this part of the trek was pretty cool. That said, it is not maintained and very poorly marked, and while I am sure we made it to the cave, I am not sure we saw it from the angle intended.

On the way back, we came across a trail that looked like it might connect to the south branch, so we took it, not knowing that it would disappear a few minutes in. We were using the All Trails app, so were never in danger of being lost, but we basically bushwhacked our way to the other end of the trail before making it back to the car. I am glad we attempted this trail, and it has the potential to be really cool, but because it is unmaintained, poorly marked and at times, quite steep, it was a very arduous morning.

We met my family for lunch that day at local place called Brook’s BBQ. To be honest, this was a bit disappointing. The food was fine, but when you get local barbecue, you are hoping to be blown away, and this was not that.

That afternoon, we all played mini-golf at a place called Barnyard Swing, which was a nice family activity to cap off the week. The following day, we dropped JR off in Williamstown, MA, to go on a trip with a group called Overland, and the rest of us headed back to New York to fly out of Laguardia.

If you are planning to visit Cooperstown, I could not more highly recommend it. That said, I would suggest staying as close as possible and perhaps not for a week. If I was doing this again, I would have stayed close to the Hall for two nights, then spent the rest of the time in the Finger Lakes or Catskills. There are a lot of great things to do in the area, but most of them are too far from where we stayed. Regardless, this was a great trip, and it is always great to spend a week with the extended family.

Posted on

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.

Posted on

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.

Posted on

New Mexico for Mardi Gras

Living in New Orleans, there are few things that we look forward to more than Mardi Gras, and in 2022, the anticipation was greater than ever. Since COVID shut everything down in 2021, 2022 was poised to deliver something special, and it did not disappoint.

For two weeks, the Igoes camped out on the parade route, catching beads, eating, drinking and spending much needed and much missed time with friends and family. For those of you who have never experienced it, Mardi Gras for locals is not what you see on TV, it is not what you see on Bourbon Street.

Certainly, that exists, but where we watch the parades, towards the beginning, things are very family-oriented, and it is a one of a kind time in this city. In addition to the parades and parties, it is also worth noting that schools in the New Orleans area have the Mardi Gras week off, something not common across the country. This makes Mardi Gras a great time to travel, and this year, we took advantage.

Since our initial RV trip in 2018, I have been jonesing to get back to the Southwest, and it just so happens that three of America’s great National Parks are within an hour (or so’s) drive of El Paso. My wife and I did the research, booked an RV on Outdoorsy, packed up the kids, jumped on an airplane and headed out West.

I will say, first impressions of the area differ slightly from places like California or Minnesota. Frankly, when you arrive in east Texas, things are kind of reminiscent of the movie Traffic. Lots of small, crowded structures, dust and not a lot of green stuff. That’s alright, though; what doesn’t float my boat is a wonderful home for others, and we didn’t come for El Paso, we came due to the proximity.

We picked up a 32 foot RV, loaded up on groceries and drove an hour+ east to Guadalupe Mountains National Park. On the list of most frequently visited National Parks, Guadalupe is towards the south end; even most Texans I know haven’t been there. That said, it is certainly worth the trip (which National Park isn’t?)

We arrived late and spent the night in the Pine Springs Campground. This campground is RV friendly, although it has no hook ups of any kind. Frankly, it is simply a parking lot with RV-sized spots, but this worked for our purposes. It is also a few feet from one of the most popular trailheads, so it was a good place to start.

I want to mention at this point that if you are a stargazer, Guadalupe is a great place to be. When we shut everything down, we couldn’t see a light for miles that didn’t come from the heavens. The elevation, the distance from ambient light and the clear skies made for an amazing light show.

When we awoke the next morning, we gathered our things a headed up the Devil’s Hall Trail. This is one of the more popular trails in the park, and is also deceivingly strenuous. The first mile or so is a gradual incline up into the mountains, until a sharp downhill leads you into a wash that is only wet during the brief rainy season. We then spent the next three quarters of a mile jumping, crawling and climbing from boulder to boulder until we reached the end.

There were several times along the way when we (specifically the kids) wanted to give up and turn back, as it seems to be just the same thing over and over, but when you actually reach the end of the trail, you’ll understand why you came. The wash comes to a halt in what can only be described as a natural stairwell that leads up the side of the mountain. The picture does it more justice than do my words, but I strongly suggest you stick this one out until.

When we finally made it back, we ate and asked a park ranger how he thought we should kill the afternoon. He was not super helpful, but suggested the Smith Springs Trail, which also goes by Manzanita Springs. It was only a 2.3 mile loop, so we decided to give it a go.

The first spring, Manzanita, is only about half a mile in, and is about as impressive as a new pair of socks. Certainly better than an old pair, but not really worth going out of your way to see. The next mile was rough; uphill, in the sun, with nothing more than relatively barren landscape.

Again, we thought it might be time to turn back until we started to hear that wonderful sound, the trickle of water. When we reached Smith Springs, it all became worthwhile. The apex of this loop is a beautiful, hidden, shaded spring that brought us back to life just in time. The water was so cool and clear that I legitimately considered drinking it. It is funny how one great moment can make 2.3 miles totally worth it, and make the walk back down fly by.

There was one other trail in the park that looked interesting, the McKittrick Canyon Trail, but it was longer than we could manage, and we had only allotted one day to Guadalupe. We packed up Tess (the RV) and head northwest for Carlsbad Caverns.

One of the reasons we chose this trip was the proximity of the three parks to each other. The Caverns are less than an hour drive from Guadalupe Mountains, and that night, we stayed in an RV park in Whites City, Whites City RV Park.

If you search up this campground, you won’t find a website, only a phone number and only 2.5 stars in reviews. I found this place perfectly acceptable. When we arrived, it turned out that I had made the reservations for the wrong day, but they shifted things around and got us two nights with full hook ups. The site has few amenities and is pretty bare bones, but those of you who have traveled by recreational vehicle before know there are worse things. We grilled cheese pizzas that night (Ash Wednesday for you Catholics out there), got another wonderful view of the stars and hit the hay.

We got up early on Thursday and made our way into the park. We got our second passport stamp of the trip and headed into the cave. We had to book a reservation at Carlsbad prior to arrival on recreation.gov, but it was not difficult to get. This cave is a really cool experience, and definitely different from a cave like Mammoth.

One can take an elevator down into the heart of the cave, but you miss out on the really cool experience of the long trek into the darkness. We decided to take the one mile hike down into the cave, and then do the additional 1.2 mile stroll through the Big Room. It is hard to really describe this cave, other than to say it is awesome.

Carlsbad has every type of cave feature you might want: stalagmites, stalactites, popcorn, ledges, bottomless pits and on and on and on. I love caves, so this was one of my favorite parts of the trip, but I am not so sure about the rest of the family. While everyone thought it was really impressive, the cave’s accessibility was significantly limited by COVID. Carlsbad normally offers a dozen or more different guided tours, but because of the virus, all that was available was the self-guided tour of the Big Room. For me, it was totally worth it, but I wouldn’t hesitate to go back again if anyone else was interested.

We did not have definite plans for the afternoon, but felt like we had exhausted what was available with half a day in Carlsbad. We had planned to spend another night in Whites City and visit Sitting Bull Falls the following day, but we decided to maximize our time and head into Lincoln National Forest.

The drive to Sitting Bull Falls is beautiful and desolate. It took over an hour to get there from Carlsbad, and for the majority of it, there was not another car in sight. When we arrived at the recreation area, I was shocked to find a pretty well developed site and several other visitors.

If you are in this area, Sitting Bull Falls is can’t-miss. It is a hidden oasis in an arid environment where you can hike, picnic and even swim. The hike to the top of the falls is strenuous, but only about a quarter of a mile, and I strongly recommend it. The top of the falls is amazing, and you can wade in and out of the pools and climb on the rocks that define this wonderful area.

At the bottom of the falls, there is a well-developed viewing area that leads to the base, where you can swim and explore all the way to fall itself. It was too cold for us to do more than wade, but even so, this was an unexpected and fantastic addition to our adventure.

Because we had just a bit of extra time, we decided to make the long drive to the northwest and visit the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. I have always been fascinated by cliff dwellings but never gotten to visit one before. It was about a five hour drive, and actually took us past our next destination, but we figured it was better to use the time, rather than hang out in an RV park.

Side note, the drive to Gila (pronounced Heela) took us through Cloudcroft, NM. I only mention this because it was one of the most unusual and beautiful parts of our trip. When we drove through Cloudcroft, it felt like we were entering Brigadoon; it felt like we’d arrived in a ski resort pulled from a Bing Crosby movie. Keep in mind this was March, there was snow on the ground everywhere. There were adorable shops, restaurants, a brewery. I wished that we had the time to stop and explore, but I got the impression that if we had, we would never leave. Who knew such a place existed in southwest New Mexico.

After we escaped the lure, we finished the long drive at a KOA just outside Silver City (birthplace of Billy the Kid). Whenever we RV, the kids are always thrilled when we can stay at a KOA. They usually have the best amenities, this one did not disappoint (hook ups, arcade, shop, showers). We woke early the next day and finished the treacherous drive up to Gila, and were thrilled with what we found.

These well-preserved dwellings date back to the 1200s and while only occupied for a short period of time, are really impressive. The hike up is beautiful, and the views from the outside are really inspiring. That said, and Alyson agreed, actually being inside the dwellings is just sort of ‘meh’. The coolest part is viewing the homes set into the side of a mountain from the outside, but when you are actually in them, it just feels like any other old hut. I am really happy we added this excursion though, an 800 year old mountain retreat is really something to behold.

Our turn around was quick and abrupt, and we headed back southwest towards White Sands National Park. Just outside of Alomogordo, NM, this is one of the countries newest National Parks, and it is legitimately like no place I have ever seen before. We spent that night in, you guessed it, a KOA and made our way to the park early the next day.

We stopped at the Visitors Center, got our passports stamped and bought two saucers and some wax. I suppose I should elaborate. One of the main activities in White Sands is dune sledding, and the facilities are more than happy to provide the supplies.

An interesting thing about this gypsum covered wonderland, the park is hundreds upon hundreds of acres, surrounded by a government missile testing site, but visitors have access to only about 0.4%. In that 0.4%, you’ll get to see a world unlike any other. It almost feels like you’ve stepped onto another planet, until your one year old steals your sled and zips down a dune when you’re not paying attention.

My eldest daughter was super excited about sledding, but when you first start, you need to be sure that your expectations are tempered. The first time down the hill is slow and plodding, but the more you go down, the more the sand gets packed and the faster you’ll get.

Sledding is the primary activity in this area, and beyond that, there is actually not a ton to do. There are several trails, but none of them are long, and evidently, multiple people get lost and actually die every year, as everything looks the same. We found White Sands to be a great place to sled, to picnic and just experience something few people ever see.

At this point, we decided that the kids needed a break from the outdoors, and took them to Rocket City. This is a combination bowling alley, laser tag, arcade, oh, and it has a bar. It was nice to give the kids a break, bowl a few frames (my high was 143) and let them play a few video games. This trip was a very outdoors-heavy trip, and giving them a break really added to all of our enjoyments.

Aside from the sledding, the one thing that you shouldn’t miss at White Sands is the sunset. Every night, visibility-allowing, the park puts on a sunset stroll where a ranger (or in this case, an intern) leads a group out into the dunes, discusses the park and watches the sun drop. I have seen a lot of sunsets in 40 years (believe it or not), I am not sure any can compare to this. All I can do is ask you to look at that picture up top, and tell me if I’m wrong.

We spent that night in the KOA and woke up with the baby the next morning. Before leaving the White Sands area, we had breakfast at a classic diner called the Waffle and Pancake Shoppe. Food wasn’t a major part of our itinerary this trip, but this restaurant was awesome. Very old-school, mom and pop, there was already a wait when we arrived at 8 am on a Sunday. The staff moves people in and out so well, whilst still providing really high quality food, that we were out by 9. It was by far the best meal we had all week.

From there, we drove back into El Paso and stopped at the Chamizal National Memorial. This site had little to do with our travel intentions, but it does have a spot in the passport books, and since we had time before our flight, we figured why not?

This site commemorates an agreement between the United States and Mexico over a disputed area along the border. It is kind of cool, and the grounds would make for a nice event venue, but frankly, of all the National Park Service sites we have visited, this one may have been the most ‘blah’.

We dropped off the RV, hopped on board a plane and headed back to New Orleans. It is nice to get away from the city after Mardi Gras, but it was far from a relaxing trip. This was the type of vacation that it feels like requires a follow up vacation. If you are big on National Parks, heading out to El Paso is a great option, and these three parks are ones best visited during the colder times of the year. While I cannot give you a lot of recommendations for El Paso itself, I definitely recommend visiting Guadalupe Mountains, Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands.

Posted on

RVing Through the Northwest

Since our initial RV trip through the Southwest in 2019, the Traveling Igoes have been itching to get back in a big rig and hit the open road. We had big plans for 2020, but a certain virus had even bigger ones.

When 2021 finally came along, and we all got vaccinated (at least those who could), we rebooted our travel plans. I had never been to Yosemite before, and no one in my immediate family had ever visited Oregon, so we decided this was the perfect opportunity.

The planning for a trip like this is pretty labor intensive, and by the end, we had about 70 pages worth of itinerary put together. After picking the dates, the next thing to do was pick the route. We decided to fly into San Francisco and pick up a recreation vehicle. From there, we would drive north along the coast through Redwood Forest, into Oregon and Crater Lake. We would then head back south through Lassen Volcanic National Park and Yosemite, and finish back in San Fran.

Beyond that, the trip would lie in the details. Once we figured out our dates (11 days in total) and our course, the next thing to do was to find the right rig. Two years ago, we found a great RV through Outdoorsy, so that’s where we started. We actually found the perfect fit for our family. A 24 foot truck with no slide outs, with unlimited mileage and generator use included. Unfortunately, about a month prior to leaving, this RV flooded, and our proprietor had to cancel.

Outdoorsy helped us find another option, which was a very similar 24′ Winnebago, the only difference being that this one was made in 1999. It had almost all 5-star reviews save one, that claimed it was old, dingy and worn down, and at this point, we had very few options. When we arrived, it seemed that all the reviews were accurate. Gertie (as we named her) was a reliable old bird with countless dings, scratches and stains. That said, she ran well, stopped alright and got us from point A to point B on time.

We landed in San Francisco, picked up Gertie and headed north. Our first stop was at the Full House house in the heart of the city. My daughter, a huge fan of Fuller House, was very excited. I found it rather pointless, but the main reason we take these trips is to bring joy to our kids, so if it makes Eileen happy, I can spare 30 minutes.

From there, we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge and stopped on the north side for a picture. It was really impressive, shrouded in fog, but this point was also one of my biggest regrets. On the south side of the bridge is Fort Point, a spot where the kids can get their passport books stamped. We missed the turnoff, and in Gertie, it was too hard to make our way back. It was still really cool, but I not getting that stamp will eat at me.

We loaded back up and headed another hour north to Muir Woods. What a great introduction to what we were going to see. The approach was a big white knuckle-y in an RV, but once we got there, we realized how worthwhile is Muir Woods. Protected since 1908, this primeval forest is both refuge and laboratory, filled with old growth Redwoods reaching for the sun. In order to access this site at the time, parking reservations are needed, so definitely look into getting these well in advance. We did not spend a ton of time in Muir, but it was a great appetizer for a trip filled with some of the most amazing trees in the world.

Our next stop was at the Olema Campground, an RV park with easy access to Point Reyes National Seashore. This site had electrical hook ups, but nothing else, but for this trip, that was something. For those of you unfamiliar, RVs can hook up to electricity, water and a dumping station. While this is not vital, having hook ups does make life quite a bit easier.

In the morning, we met up with our guide, Frank, in Point Reyes, for what he refers to as a Point Reyes Safari. We followed him throughout the park, riding behind him in our truck, visiting various different parts of the site. We first visited the Cypress Tree Tunnel, which is really impressive, and something similar to what you see at old southern plantations.

From there, he took us to the Point Reyes Lighthouse. It was very unexpected how cool this would be. It is a trek to get there, and I doubt we would have done it if not for Frank, but if you go, this is the must-see part of Point Reyes. This lighthouse is so cool and so remote, it feels like something out of a fantasy novel.

The only thing I will say is that it was not super clear what we had gotten ourselves into with the safari. We thought it was going to be something like an off-road, UTV tour. Instead, we were following a Subaru around in our RV. It ended up being great; we saw plenty of elk and coyotes, but it is not exactly what I thought it was going to be.

Once we finished at Point Reyes, being sure to get our books stamped, we drove to the south end of Redwood National Park and spent the night at Gold Bluffs Beach Campground. This was by far the most amazing site in which we stayed. It was right on the beach, and the seascape looked like something out of a painting. The site recommended no vehicles larger than 24 feet, which worked for us, but I think they were being generous. The approach was extremely treacherous, there were no hook-ups, and we felt super out of place around all the small tents.

We made it through the night though, and headed for Fern Canyon. This hidden gem is wild to the point that parts of Jurassic Park were actually filmed here. The canyon is covered wall to wall with greenery, and can really only be called jaw-dropping. It is not simple to access, but it is certainly worth the effort. If you want to experience something that few have, something very different than anything I have ever seen, Fern Canyon is a great place to start.

We made our way out of the canyon and stopped at another one of the can’t-miss spots in Redwoods, Trillium Falls Trail. This is approximately a 2.5 mile loop which leads to a cool, but small waterfall. You should not let the size of the fall deter you, however, as this trail is beautiful start to finish. The one thing I would suggest is to start in the direction that has you finishing with the falls instead of starting with it. Saving the payoff for the end makes this trail all the more worthwhile.

We stopped at the Elk Creek Visitor Center to get our books stamped and pick up the Junior Ranger packets. This packet was straight forward, and the kids were able to finish it that day. Our next stop up the road was at the Trees of Mystery. The trip through the vast Redwood National and State Park area is littered with roadside attractions, and Trees of Mystery really caught our attention.

It is definitely a little kitschy and touristy, in sort of a Gravity Falls type of way, but my son really loved it. There are several aerial walkways that take you up into the trees, a bunch of really cool carvings out of the Paul Bunyan legend and a sky-tram that takes you several hundred feet up into the mountains. There is also a perfectly serviceable restaurant attached, which for those eating out of an RV fridge, really hit the spot. There was nothing overwhelmingly great about the Trees of Mystery, but my 9 year-old son really like it, and it was a welcome break from all the hiking (and driving).

We got back on the road and stopped at the north end of the park, at the Hiouchi Visitor Center, where the kids picked up their first of four National Park Junior Ranger badges. We spent that night in a KOA, with full hook ups, which was a nice break (and the only one). We have really enjoyed the KOAs in our two RV trips. The sites are not usually as unique or memorable, but it is nice to have a full set amenities. It makes roughing it in a camper not quite so rough.

The following morning, we met up with the guide from Redwood Rides, who took Eileen, JR and I kayaking on the Smith River. Clara was too young to go, so Alyson took her for a hike while we hit the water. JR and I were in a tandem kayak, which worked out well for him, whilst Eileen was on her own.

As this was the dry season, the river was not too high or too fast, but it was very scenic and a lot of fun. At one point, we stopped at a rock that Eileen jumped off of, and at another, we took a hike through Stout Grove, which was pretty impressive. I have been on more exciting rivers before, but had we been there in April or May, I think the water would have been a lot faster.

At this point, it was time to cross the border and mark off another state for our entire family. That afternoon, we crossed into Oregon for the first time for all of us. Our first stop was at a little visited Parks site, the Oregon Caves National Monument. I am a huge fan of caves, so I was really looking forward to this visit, but unfortunately, it was an extraordinary disappointment.

The caves only recently reopened and require guided, ticketed tours. At this stage, the tickets are only available day of, and cannot be purchased in advance. When we arrived, all of the tickets for the day were sold out. I understand the need for social distancing, but as we walked a decent hike in the park, it became clear that total, there were no more than 10 people in the entire area. Further, only offering tickets first come, first serve makes it nearly impossible for anyone from out of the area to visit. I wish I could say we will go back someday, but it does not seem very likely. Out of everything we did this trip, this was by far our biggest letdown.

We made our way from the Caves of Disappointment northwest towards Crater Lake, and stayed the night in Mazama Campground. This camp was very rustic, but it provided great access to the park. The next morning, we loaded up the RV and headed into Crater Lake.

Crater Lake is arguably the most beautiful place that I have ever been. That said, there is not actually all that much to do there. We drove the rim, which is about 30 miles around, and offers multiple amazing viewpoints. We stopped at one of the more frequently used trails, the Cleetwood Cove, which leads from the rim down to the lake itself.

During regular times, this is where you can pick up the boat that tours that lake and takes passengers all the way to Wizard Island. Due to COVID, it is not running this year; had it been, this certainly would have added something extra to our visit. The Cleetwood trail is beautiful, but the way back up, in particular, is extremely strenuous.

We followed this by completing our Junior Ranger packets and getting badges for the kids. We then traveled about an hour south to Crater Lake Ziplines. Eileen and JR love ziplining, so we always try to work this into our trips, if it’s possible.

Crater Lake Ziplines actually requires that you break yourself, so JR was not old enough to do the big zips. That said, they offer a smaller course for kids under 10 and under 70 pounds. He was a little disappointed, but once he got over himself, he seemed to have a great time. If you ask Eileen, she will tell you this was her favorite part of our entire vacation.

We spent another night in Mazama, then headed south back to California. Our next two stops were definitely my two favorite. Our first was at Lava Beds National Monument. This was a late addition to our itinerary, so we were not really sure what to expect. Frankly, it blew me away.

I think everyone else enjoyed it, but I loved this site. I could have spent an entire week exploring this vast network of caves. Volcanic eruptions in this area from past millennia have created a rugged, unique landscape with over 800 caves. We only had time to explore two, the Mudpot and Valentine caves. These caves, former lava tubes, are different than caves like Mammoth or Oregon, and are each unique. The park rates them based upon difficulty, so the two we did were more kid friendly. Like I said, I love a good cave, and could have spent a week at Lava Beds, but we had to move on.

The next stop on our whirlwind tour was Lassen Volcanic National Park. Compared to the other three National Parks we hit, I knew very little about Lassen, but have to say that of the four big parks, I enjoyed it the most. When we arrived, we went straight from the Visitor Center to the Kings Creek Trail. This is a hike that goes on for miles, but about 1.5 miles in, you realize why you came. The trail follows Kings Creek as it meanders across the park, and a great stopping point is the Kings Creek Falls, a stunning cataract that you can explore almost to the very precipice. On the way back, I strongly encourage you to take the left hand, one-way trail. While it is a tough climb up a few hundred stairs, it is one of the best parts of the hike.

We spent that night in the Manzanita Lake Campground, another rustic RV park, but it gave us great, quick access to Lassen. The following morning, we headed back into the park, turned in our packets for Junior Ranger badges, and went straight to the Bumpass Hell trailhead. My son was very excited about this, as, according to him, the name contains two swear words.

This trail is about a three-mile round trip, and while the hike is not as stunning as Kings Creek, the payoff is equally as impressive. Bumpass Hell is a live area of geothermal activity. It reminded me a lot of Yellowstone; there are boiling mudpots, acidic pools and sulfur fumes everywhere. It is a really stunning site, and it makes one wonder how long it must have taken Mr. Bumpass to find it so many years ago. We all loved our visit, and if I had to pick one National Park to go to, it would be Lassen.

We left Bumpass and Lassen, and headed into Chico, where we met my uncle for lunch at Nash’s. It was great to see family, and on a trip like this, getting the opportunity to eat something for lunch other than turkey on white bread was a welcome change of pace.

The next leg of our trip finally brought us to the grand prize, Yosemite. This park is a spectacular gem on the ring finger of the National Parks system. The valley is about as cool a place as you will find anywhere in the U.S. That said, we went in what is really the off season, so a lot of the water had dried up. While it may have been the off season, it was also extremely crowded, and in some ways, reminded me more of Disneyworld than a National Park.

Our first two hikes were Lower and Upper Yosemite Falls. The lower falls was still a trickle, but unfortunately, the Upper was completely dry. The hike on the Upper Falls trail, to Columbia Rock, is still a great one, with an amazing view of Half Dome, but it is quite strenuous.

After this, we spent sometime in Yosemite Village and picked up our Junior Ranger packets. This was one of my biggest frustrations. Since we started with our passport books and Junior Ranger badges, we have visited 47 National Park sites. Thus far, Yosemite has been the only park to charge for them. As this is one of the most visited parks in the world, I found this to be completely ridiculous, and certainly let the park rangers there know how I felt.

We left the park that afternoon, only about a mile out, to go horseback riding. All the guided tours inside the park are currently suspended, but this trail ride right on the perimeter was really cool, with several river crossings. The guides from Yosemite Trail Rides really did a great job.

We spent that night in Yosemite, in the Wawona Campgound. This site was actually pretty mediocre, but it is within the park, so that was a big bonus. On week days, the wait to get in can be up to an hour, and on weekends, up to three, so skipping those lines was worth roughing it a bit.

The next day, we took the Mist Trail up to Vernal Falls, and this was pretty amazing. If you stop at Vernal Falls, it’s about 3 miles in and out, with the last portion being 650 very steep steps. It is definitely worth it though, as this waterfall is nothing short of spectacular. During the spring, I understand that it is common for people to get quite soaked on the trail, but even during the dry season, the fall was still a sight.

We spent the afternoon on rented bikes taking a self-guided 8 mile tour of the Valley, then headed back to camp and packed up the RV for departure. We awoke early the next morning and drove back to San Francisco, ready to leave Gertie behind.

It is important to note for those not familiar with RVing that when you return the rig, it is expected that it be full of gas and propane, but emptied of everything else. When we got back, our proprietor was very gracious, and while Gertie was not always the easiest rig to drive, she got us there and back, so I have no regrets.

We took an Uber to the Intercontinental San Francisco, a hotel that is walking distance to Oracle Park, and we headed to the Giants game. We find it nice to give the kids a break from all the hiking and outdoors-ing with something a bit more cosmopolitan. We all love watching baseball, and going to new stadiums is a lot of fun. The Giants beat the Astros, and the game featured 7 home runs, which was a lot of fun. Oracle Park is pretty cool, with the bay just beyond the right field wall, but honestly, I was less impressed than I thought I would be.

After the game, we took a bus to Ghiradelli Square, as my daughter is obsessed with their chocolates. We got ice cream, looked into the bay at Alcatraz and had dinner at San Francisco Brewing Co. Frankly, I found neither the beer nor the food to be of any particular note, but it was nice to sit outside and listen to music.

We left early the next morning and made it back to New Orleans in time to start laundry. I had to work the next day, but the kids slept much later than normal. This was the type of vacation that almost requires a follow up vacation. An RV trip is amazing, but it is also exhausting. It is a great way to spend time with your family and to see vast parts of the country in one fell swoop. If you are planning one or even considering it, please reach out. I am happy to share the things that worked for us and those that didn’t. Until then, we’ll see you next time the Igoes go a-traveling.

Posted on

Thankfully in Gatlinburg

This year, we were unable to find a time to take a family vacation with my parents and brothers. My youngest brother is currently in a monastery (by choice), my middle brother is on the west coast with his girlfriend (now fiancée), and my elder brother and his family have been hesitant to travel for various reasons.

My parents still wanted to try to get everyone together for a trip, though, so instead of spending Thanksgiving at their house in St. Louis, they rented an amazing house on top of a mountain in Gatlinburg, TN.

Now, to no one’s surprise, none of my brother’s were able (or decided) to attend, but we were super-excited to jump on this opportunity to take the kids on a great family vacation with their grandparents.

Getting to Gatlinburg isn’t the simplest of tasks, since the nearest airport is in Knoxville, still an hour away, so we decided to drive. We left New Orleans at 4 am on Wednesday, very reminiscent of my family vacation growing up. We made it to Montgomery, Alabama, where we stopped at Greg’s Breakfast Bar. Alyson found this place on several top 10 breakfast lists in the area, and while it was not really what we expected, the food was fantastic. Just be forewarned that this restaurant makes a hole-in-the-wall look the French Laundry.

From there, we drove northeast, heading for the southern entrance to Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Aside from being a great tourist destination, Gatlinburg is immediately adjacent to this country’s most visited National Park, and those of you that follow us know that this was a big draw.

One of the frequently suggested activities in Smoky Mountain is to drive the Newfound Gap Road, which stretches the entire length of the park, north to south. We entered near the Oconaluftee Visitors Center, stamped our books, picked up our Junior Ranger packets, and headed north.

Now, it turns out that the older two Igoes have gotten over the Junior Ranger badges, which is kind of sad, but we didn’t want to force it on them, so instead of working on their books, we simply enjoyed an extremely scenic drive through the Smoky Mountains.

Once we exited the north entrance, we met my parents at the house in the early evening. It is hard to properly describe just how amazing the house my mom found on VRBO was, but I will try. It was three stories, with three balconies, all hanging over the side of a mountain, and a hot tub. It had a pool table, an arcade and a legit movie theater, and since only my branch of the family attended, we all, including the kids, had our own master suites.

After a quick dinner with my parents, we put Clara to bed, and the rest of us headed back down the mountain into Pigeon Forge. Pigeon Forge is on the other side of Gatlinburg from the park, and is appropriately referred to Vegas for Kids. It is certainly a tourist trap, but it is filled with countless activities for kids of all ages. That night, we took the big kids to Pigeon Forge Snow, which is basically an indoor version of a sledding hill where the kids got to shoot down the ‘mountain’ on inner tubes for an hour. If you are from the South, and your kids rarely get access to snow, this is a great activity.

The next morning, Thanksgiving, we got up early and all headed back into Pigeon Forge to a place called Legacy Mountain Ziplines. In case you couldn’t figure it out from the name, this is a great place to go wine tasting. Additionally, they have an amazing zipline course that requires a bus to take you to the top of a mountain.

My parents watched Clara, so we were all able to go, and while it was cold at the top of the mountain, the views were spectacular, and the guides were great. It had been about two years since I’d gone ziplining, and I forgot how much I enjoy it. Something unique about this course, you can go tandem with children as young as 3, so if you are looking for a great experience for the whole family, Legacy Mountain is a good option.

Following that, we got a quick lunch at the Cici’s Pizza buffet, which yes, is open and staffed by angry employees on Thanksgiving day, and headed into the park. We stopped at the Newfound Gap itself, then drove onto Clingman’s Dome. This is short but quite strenuous trail that leads to one of the highest points in the Smoky Mountains, where a very impressive lookout tower is located.

Frankly, I was impressed that both of our ambulatory children made it. The hike is less than a mile round trip, and the trail is paved, but the way up is shockingly steep, to the point that my mom never actually made it all the way up. The view from the top, however, is spectacular, and something that you won’t really see anywhere else in the park.

While mom didn’t make it to the top the hill, she did make it to the top of the awesome-list by getting Thanksgiving dinner from the Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant. This was a great decision. Instead of spending the day stuck in the kitchen, we were able to get outdoors and still enjoy a great meal. It may not have been as good as when grandma made it (although my grandma never actually made me Thanksgiving dinner), but it was very high quality and great way to cap off the holiday.

The next morning, we rose early again and headed for the Grotto Falls Trail. This trail goes on for several miles, but the payoff is about 1.5 miles in, where you’ll find an amazing waterfall. Cooler still, you can actually walk behind this cascade, which is pretty rare experience. This was my favorite part of the trip, and by far, my mom’s least favorite.

It had rained the night before, so the trail was pretty muddy, and the temperate was just under 35 degrees. My mom does not handle being cold well, and on the walk back, she made this clear to anyone and everyone within earshot. Regardless, I thought this was a fantastic hike, but if you decide to go, I recommend getting there early. This is a very highly trafficked trail, and the parking is very limited.

An added benefit to this trail is that it is stop #5 of 13 on the Roaring Fork Motor Trail. This is a narrow, one-way road through a specific portion of the park along the Roaring Fork River with incredible scenery throughout. Once my mom had gotten back in the car and spent some time with a seat warmer, even she enjoyed it.

On the way back through Gatlinburg, we stopped at Parton’s Deli (no relation to Dolly), where I got one of the best pastrami sandwiches that I have ever had. From there, we hopped over to the Gatlinburg Mountain Coaster. If you’ve never been on a mountain coaster, it is exactly what it sounds like. The baby fell asleep in the car, so my parents were happy to stay with her while we waited in line for about an hour for a four minute coaster ride. That said, it was totally worth it. Zipping down the hill on two rails with nothing but a chain link fence between you and bottom of the mountain is exhilarating. There are several of these in the area, and we didn’t try them all, so while I cannot say this is the best, it certainly got the job done for our family.

That night, we ate second Thanksgiving, then headed back into Pigeon Forge and met up with the folks from Smoky Mountain Jeep Tours. The tour took us from Pigeon Forge into Gatlinburg to see all of the Christmas lights. It seemed like a great idea, but to be honest, turned out kind of stupid. I really liked the guide, and several of their other tour options seem great, but the majority of this ride was spent sitting in traffic. I highly recommend the company, but not this specific excursion.

The next morning, we rose, you guessed it, early, and headed back into the park. Mom decided to sit this one out, which is too bad, because this hike was far easier and far warmer. We got to the Laurel Falls trailhead early, which again, is a good thing, as parking is limited and traffic is heavy. Just another great trail that goes for miles, but has a payoff a mile and a half in, a very impressive, towering waterfall. I think this was everyone else’s favorite trail. It is paved, less strenuous, and there are several areas at the falls where the kids could safely climb.

We could have spent days exploring Great Smoky Mountains, but in the short time we had, I think we hit all the major highlights. Perhaps earlier in the fall or mid-spring are probably better times to visit, and at holidays the tourism industry booms, but we really enjoyed our ninth National Park of 2021.

After leaving Laurel Falls, we made our way back into Pigeon Forge and hit up one of the many go-kart tracks on the strip. I cannot actually remember the name of the course, but it was a fun ride. We actually briefly considered hitting up all of the tracks to discover which ride was the fastest, as there are about a dozen of them, but it didn’t seem like the best use of our time, and one was enough to satisfy my soon-to-be driving daughter.

We got a serviceable sandwich at Firehouse Subs, then headed once more into Gatlinburg in hopes of getting to Anakeesta. Anakeesta is basically a resort which sits atop a mountain and has a lookout tower, ziplines, a coaster, several bars, restaurants and multiple sky bridges, amongst other things.

When we arrived, the line to get tickets was about twenty minutes long, and the line to take the chair lift up was about two and a half hours. If you are set on going though, and don’t care about how you get to the top, a bus runs every 15 to 30 minutes. The view on the way up isn’t as impressive, but we were happy to pass on the lift to save ourselves 120 minutes.

Once we got to the top, we put the kids in line for the mountain coaster, and went to the amphitheater area to have a beer and listen to a surprisingly religious blue grass band. The kids disagreed as to which coaster they preferred, but they definitely enjoyed the eight total minute they spent shooting down the mountains.

We climbed the viewing tower and toured the sky bridges, and all told, spent about three hours atop the mountain. It is hard to really describe the experience, because for much of it, you are just wandering around, not really doing anything specific, but whatever it is, it is a lot of fun if you can stand the wait.

My parents took the bus back down, but since there was no line at the top, we took the chair lift and actually got back to the car first. There is something exhilarating about riding down the mountain in the open air, although to me, it becomes a bit mundane after the first few minutes.

We drove back into Pigeon Forge to catch a 5 pm church service at Holy Cross Catholic Church, which was nothing fancy, but it was nice to be able to go to mass even whilst traveling. That night, we polished off the last of the Thanksgiving leftovers, packed up and went down for one last night atop the mountain.

My parents left early on Sunday morning to get back to St. Louis, but we decided to slip in one more excursion. In Gatlinburg proper, there is a sky bridge to rival all others at Gatlinburg SkyLift. The ride up the lift is not as long as Anakeesta, and the views from the top are pretty impressive. There is not actually a lot to do, once you get to the top, aside from walk from one peak to other and back, but it is a very Gatlinburg experience, and we did not want to miss out.

Once we’d made it back down, we loaded ourselves in our Honda Pilot and drove the 10 hours back to New Orleans. This was one of the most memorable Thanksgivings we have had in a long time. If your family is willing, I highly recommend making the most of these times off, and making the holiday a destination one.

Posted on

Rocky Mountain High

This summer, we followed suit and joined the crowds at one of our country’s most visited National Parks, Rocky Mountain. I could make the argument that crowds are following us, as we’ve been going hard on the NPs for the past three years, but what’s the point in that?

My wife’s mom planned a trip for the family to Colorado, but due to a work commitment, I was unable to join, and our eldest daughter, Eileen, was in camp in Alabama, so was also absent. For the first four days, my wife, son and younger daughter stayed with Alyson’s family in Vail. At some point, she may add a post about that, but I will pick up the story where that trip ended.

On Friday, I left work in Atlanta and was picked up by Alyson, JR and Clara at the Denver airport. From there, we headed north to Estes Park and the Rocky Mountains. We initially got a bit lost, and ended up at a little used entrance to the National Park called Wild Basin.

We spoke with a few locals on the trails, who mentioned that this area was a favorite of theirs because it was generally free of tourists (aside from us). There were some great sites and trials, including a cool waterfall. It does not offer the classic, breathtaking views of the greater park, but if you have the time, it is worth trying to find.

From there, we drove up to the main east entrance of the park and started across on the Trail Ridge Road. This road is the highest continuously paved road in the country, and offers spectacular panoramics at every turn.

Our first trek from east to west took place in the evening, so we didn’t stop as much as we might otherwise have. Even so, we did run across several deer, two large herds of elk and one fearless moose.

We made our way through the park and checked into the Gateway Inn, a great lodge on the west side of the park in Grand Lake. We had a quaint room with a balcony and a beautiful view of a storm rolling in over the mountains. It also houses the O-a Bistro, which caters to bother locals and hotel guests. The bistro is nothing spectacular, but it has a nice menu and a full bar, and the staff at this hotel and restaurant are about as nice a group of people as I have ever come across.

The next morning, we got up with the baby and headed out for a quick hike to Adams Falls. This trail, like Wild Basin, is off the main road of the National Park, but is just an amazing experience. It is less than a mile round trip and the payoff is spectacular. The falls are easily accessible and incredibly beautiful. The area is minimally trafficked to the point that we basically had the falls to ourselves.

We got back to the car and headed back across the Rockies, again on the Trail Ridge Road. We made a quick stop for a picture, and for JR to record a video for his YouTube channel, at the Continental Divide, and then headed for the Alpine Visitors’ Center.

We stamped our books, got our Junior Ranger booklets and headed up the mountain. The Alpine Ridge Trail does not look all that daunting, but it goes straight to 12,000+ feet. The air thins and the legs tire, but the payoff at the top is worth the effort. The 360 degree view of these monstrous is incomparable.

Our last stop before we left the park was Bear Lake. This area is heavily trafficked, and it took us several times through the parking lot to find a spot, but it was worth the effort. From the lot, we did a two mile out-and-back hike to Alberta Falls. This is a much more heavily visited fall than Adams, but perhaps even more breathtaking. The water thunders down hundreds of feet and offers countless amazing views and photo ops of something that you just can’t find in a place like Louisiana.

I wish we had more time in Rocky Mountain, but I think we made the best of the opportunity. We plan to go back, with Eileen, at some point in the next few years, hopefully taking an RV trip all over Colorado.

We drove into Denver and checked into a Holiday Inn Express near Coors Field. We met up with a friend from St. Louis and watched the Rockies lose a 9th inning lead to the Brewers. This is the fourth baseball stadium that I have visited this summer, and while it certainly does not compare to Wrigley, I enjoyed it more than Milwaukee and about the same as Atlanta. Overall, I have nothing legitimately bad to say about our baseball experience (except that the Brewers won), and always recommend supplementing a hiking trip like this with something a little cosmopolitan.

The last day of our visit, Sunday, was Father’s Day, and we grabbed a quick breakfast at Citizen Rail at Union Station. The restaurant has a bit of limited menu, but the food was good, and I would certainly eat there again.

The last thing we did prior to leaving was visit Red Rocks. This was almost an afterthought, as we were just trying to kill time before our flight, and thank the Good Dude that we did. If you thought Red Rocks was just a great concert venue, well, you’d be correct, but you’d be missing out on some of the most amazing hiking and scenery within a short drive of Denver. We took the Trading Post trail, about a two mile, pretty rigorous loop, and what a fantastic experience.

The topography of this area is different than anything I have ever seen, including the Rockies. If you have the chance, this is a can’t-miss part of one of the most amazing states in this country.

We had such a great time in less than three full days that we are already planning a trip back. Most people visit Colorado over the winter to ski, and while that makes a lot of sense, there is so much to do year round that you cannot limit yourself to just one season. If you have any questions or want suggestions, please reach out, otherwise, we’ll see you the next time we go a-traveling.