May 9th, 2016. 7:20 a.m., 45 degrees – Mammoth Hot Springs Campground, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. It can be challenging to sleep in at a campground situated on a spit of land surrounded by a loop of road. Especially when that road is the only way to travel between Yellowstone’s Historic North Entrance and the … Continue reading
Thursday, May 5th, 2016– Estes Park, Colorado We took a morning dip in the hot tub on the porch before checking out of our favorite Estes Park lodging. The juxtaposition of the cool mountain air and the bubbling hot water made for an intense sensory introduction to our day. The sky beamed bright blue making the … Continue reading
Wednesday, May 4th, 2016 Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Campground Site #67, 6:48 a.m. – 37 degrees The sun was just beginning to stretch her glow across the dunes as we broke camp and made coffee. It was a still morning, a few songbirds and snoring neighbors the only sounds in the campground. … Continue reading
May 2nd, 2016 – On the road from Northern New Mexico to Southern Colorado It was almost 1:00 p.m. when we crossed state line into Colorado. Within the hour we entered Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. We visited this park for briefly in 2013, climbed one of the tallest sand dunes, and then … Continue reading
April 30, 2016 The Arlington Hotel, Hot Springs, Arkansas Anxious to get back on the road, we checked out of The Arlington and were on the road by 8:00 a.m. and entering the Ouachita National Forest within the hour. Deciduous trees lush with spring boasted vibrant green over yellow-green grasses. Finally, after being shrouded in … Continue reading
Thursday, April 28, 2016 – Holy Springs National Forest, Mississippi It was wonderful waking up in our tent knowing that we had started the second leg of our voyage to Mount Rushmore and that we would be crossing another National Park off of our list today. A slight drizzle fell on the glistening green surrounding … Continue reading
Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky June 10th, 2013 Up at 8:00 a.m., we grabbed a cup of coffee at the hotel restaurant and headed to the meeting point for the Historic Cave Tour. This tour provides visitors with a history of the cave as well as a chance to see some of Mammoth Cave’s wonders. … Continue reading
Wanderlust 2013 The Pre-Road Trip Road Trip June 9th & 10th, 2013 Before we embarked on our 40 days on the road, we were able to fit our next National Park into a shorter road trip we took in June. On the move within 48 hours of D’s last day of school, we headed south … Continue reading
Now that the story has been told, what exactly did our Westward Wanderlust 2012 add up to? First, the quantifiable stats: Days on the Road – 23 Miles Traveled – 9,185.8 National Parks – 19 National Monuments – 3 National Forests – 26 States Entered – 15 WI MN SD WY MT ID WA OR … Continue reading
Westward Wanderlust Day 23 Fawn Valley Inn, Estes Park, CO August 1, 2012 And before we knew it, it had finally arrived, the last day of our Summer 2012 Westward Wanderlust. We woke with a bittersweet excitement. We were looking forward to another day in the Rockies, yet were slowly coming to terms with the … Continue reading