Miles of Yellow Lines
Tag: Hiking
-
Shenandoah and New River Gorge
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…
-
Blue Ridge Parkway: Humpback Rocks
We added a short drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway to our visit to Shenandoah National Park. The Blue Ridge Parkway begins at the southern entrance to Shenandoah. We drove out of the park on Skyline Drive and continued directly onto the Blue Ridge Parkway. We happened to come across the Humpback Rocks trailhead on Google…
-
Blue Ridge Tunnel Trail
On our visit to Shenandoah National Park, we walked the Blue Ridge Tunnel Trail. It is located a few miles from the southern entrance to Shenandoah. The Blue Ridge Tunnel was originally a railroad tunnel. It was completed in 1858 and was in use by the railroad until 1944. The tunnel is over 4,000 ft…
-
Shenandoah National Park
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 State Park
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
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,…
-
Saguaro National Park
Saguaro (pronounced “sah-wah-roh”) National Park is located in southern Arizona – just outside of Tucson. The park is home to the giant saguaro cacti. It is not uncommon for them grow to 40 feet tall. What I was most surprised about on our visit was not only their height, but the number of cacti in…
-
Guadalupe Mountains National 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…
-
Michigan – Upper and Lower Peninsulas
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 & State Parks
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…