In May 2023, we set out to visit two national parks for the first time: Shenandoah and New River Gorge. We started out our trip by heading east through Kentucky. We weren’t sure exactly how far we’d make it, so we didn’t make a reservation. Instead, we planned to stay at Cracker Barrel for the…
While visiting New River Gorge National Park, we camped at Babcock State Park. This park was about a 20-minute drive from the visitor center near Fayetteville, WV. We didn’t get to spend much time in the park, which was a shame because it looked like a cool area. The park had trails, a lake, and…
We really enjoyed our stay at Big Meadows Campground while visiting Shenandoah National Park. We stayed with our 20 ft travel trailer in a site that was just the right size for us. There are several smaller tent-only sites, walk-in sites, and some larger pull-through sites that can accommodate larger RVs. You can read more…
Wow! I was so impressed with Shenandoah National Park! That’s not to say I set the bar low, but it far exceeded my expectations. I wasn’t disappointed by a single hike. There were amazing waterfalls, views, and mountain climbs. The area reminded us a lot of the Great Smoky Mountains, but with significantly fewer crowds.…
St. Francois is located about 45 minutes south of St. Louis. It has several trails, a campground, and a river running through it. Cooling off in the river is a popular activity during the warmer months. We’ve also seen people floating on the river in kayaks. Hiking St. Francois State Park has three hiking trails:…
Devils Tower National Monument is a unique NPS site located in northeastern Wyoming. It is also the first national monument – established in 1906! The tower is tall enough that you can see it as you approach from a distance, which adds to the excitement on the way in. While it’s not a huge park,…
You may not have heard of Guadalupe Mountains National Park, but you’ve probably heard of its neighbor to the north, Carlsbad Caverns. Guadalupe Mountains is about 45 minutes south of Carlsbad Caverns. Guadalupe Mountains National Park is, in our opinion, one of the most underrated national parks in the US. It’s a beautiful park with…
In August 2021, we visited Michigan for the first time. I had heard that Michigan was a beautiful state, but I didn’t really understand what all the hype was about until we visited. The trip wasn’t without its problems. This was our rainiest vacation yet. We’ve generally lucked out with good weather on our trips,…
Indiana Dunes National Park is immediately next to Indiana Dunes State Park. Both are located on Lake Michigan in northern Indiana. We chose to camp in the state park because it had electric hookups. While we enjoy dry camping, we wanted electric hookups for the first night of our trip. Indiana Dunes State Park We…
Our first night in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, we stayed at Hurricane River Campground. Our site wasn’t lakefront by any means, but it was just a short walk to the beach. Even though we didn’t have a waterfront site, we did enjoy being surrounded by the tall pine trees. Another benefit of this campground was…