Tag: national park

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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.

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Welcome to the Yellowstone

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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.

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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.

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Mother’s Day on the Bayou

Since we got our passport books in Hot Springs, AR in 2018, we have been doing our best to collect as many stamps as possible, and visit every National Park site we can. This year, for Mother’s Day, the Traveling Igoes decided to knock off some of the low-hanging fruit.

There are two site within a few minutes of where we live in Louisiana, the New Orleans Jazz National Historic Park and the Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and Preserve. The Jazz Heritage Site has been closed since COVID began, but Jean Lafitte has recently become very accessible, and has a whole lot to offer.

We woke up early and headed down to French Quarter for brunch, where we at the Red Fish Grill. The restaurant is actually on Bourbon Street, just inside the Quarter, and is a great option for families. The food is extraordinary, but the atmosphere is very casual, and they offer a very diverse kid’s menu.

Afterwards, we wandered the Quarter for a bit, including Jackson Square and the riverfront, we made our way back to the car, changed into our hiking gear and headed south towards the tip of Louisiana.

The Jean Lafitte site is about 30 minutes outside of New Orleans, and for those visiting the city with kids, it is a good option. New Orleans offers far more adult attractions than it does for the younger members of the family, so having a National Park Site within half an hour at which you can spend an entire day is a nice option.

The park actually has six sites scattered across South Louisiana. Each location is unique in its focus, and they all reflect a place where traditions can be generations old, but the ground under your feet can change with the weather. The focus of this adventure was the Barataria Preserve.

The 26,000 acres include swamps, bayous, marshes and forests, and is crisscrossed by boardwalks that are frequented by humans, snakes and gators alike. When we arrived, we hit up the Visitors’ Center, got some info from the ranger, a few Junior Ranger Packets and headed out along the Visitor Center Trail.

This is only a 0.25 mile boardwalk near the Visitors’ Center that we were actually planning to skip, but the ranger told us that a mating pair of alligators were basking near the end. As usual, the ranger was telling the truth, and less than five feet from the boardwalk were two good looking gators. We saw several alligators in the wild at the Everglades, but it never gets old, and getting up close and personal is a bit exhilarating.

From there, we got back in the car and drove to the Bayou Coquille trailhead. There is a boardwalk connecting the Visitors’ Center to the Bayou trail, but, according to the ranger, it is not at all shaded, so we skipped the Palmetto Trail. Perhaps if we return at a cooler time of year, we will give it a go, but from April to September in Louisiana, it can be very unpleasant to walk 0.9 miles in zero shade, 90% humidity.

The Bayou Coquille Trail is an eerie trek through a Louisiana bayou that might have been pulled from a storybook. Within five minutes, we saw a small gator swimming up the bayou, leading to a baby gator sunning itself on an island. This trail is about half a mile, and in that half mile, we also ran across three harmless, but nonetheless creepy, snakes.

This trail dead ends at another trail, the Marsh Overlook, where we found a clearing overlooking a lily-filled marsh. On this portion of the walk, we came across two more alligators, culminating in a large gator resting in the marsh itself.

Most of these hikes are along boardwalks and are well tended, and the walk itself is relatively easy, to the point that we were able to do it with a stroller. There is no denying that we were sweaty by the end, but it was a great two-mile trek.

It is also worth noting that the Junior Ranger packet was relatively easy. Those of you that have gotten multiple badges know that some are very straight forward while others can actually be a pain in the ass. This packet was appropriate to the level of the park, and was easily completed in one day.

If you are visiting New Orleans, either with or without kids, and you want an excursion that will take you out of the city for a few hours, Jean Lafitte is a great option. If you want a longer excursion, there are several companies that offer airboat tours of the area as well.

Prior to going, I was optimistic that perhaps one day, this site might get re-designated as a Louisiana’s first National Park. Having visited, it seems unlikely to me, as the potential activities are a bit limited. That said, if you are in the area, I highly recommend you take the time to experience this beautiful cross-section of our underrated state.

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Baseball’s Back in the Midwest

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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A Mammoth Adventure

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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A Voyage to the North

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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