I used to keep up a travel map here with little color-coded icons that linked to blog posts I’d written from each place. The map got crowded and impractical after a while, so I’m now categorizing places as a way to indicate where we’ve been. National parks are such an easy category, and I’m adding to them a national seashore and national monuments, since they’re managed for the same purposes (unlike national forests, for example).
I plan to link at least one post here from each park we’ve been to, but I’m still thinking on that. In the meantime, here’s what I’ve got. Each gray bar is a post; click on it to expand and contract the preview.
Badlands
“The Wall” is what campers call a dirt/gravel stretch of road near Badlands National Park in South Dakota, officially in Buffalo Gap National Grassland. The road runs along the rim of a stretch of steep canyon, with grasslands up to the rim and then far below. I don’t know what …
California Coastal
Damn this cold and wind. I feel like I haven’t been truly warm since this past fall in Death Valley, and even then the temps dropped as soon as the sun lowered. I know we’ve had warm—even hot—days intermittently, but we seem to carry the cold with us, and the …
I like to base my posts on a theme, or a story, or even just an explanation about an aspect of life on the road. Anything to avoid the “We’re here, and we did this” pattern, which becomes mighty monotonous after >400 posts. Sometimes life is simply random, however, and I …
Carrizo Plain
For a week, we’re boondocking on BLM land at the Carrizo Plain National Monument, the largest native grassland in California. Before I get to why we’re here, I’ll give you a rundown of how we got here, because my friend Susan told me that people don’t understand that this, too, …
Craters of the Moon
This is a difficult post to write because I’d rather just show you my photos and leave you with an impression, which would reflect pretty well how I’m feeling about this place. Mystical. Otherworldly. Freaking strange and wonderful. But there’s some serious vulcanism (love that word) going on here (or …
Death Valley
I feel like I should be saying, “Here, let me show you our slides from our family vacation this summer!” LOL, I have so many pictures, and we’ve been in Death Valley for only two full days so far. I’m going to write a ton of posts with a ton …
Slot canyons are pretty common here in Death Valley due to flash floods, and they make for lovely hikes. The revealed geology is colorful and varied in texture. We hiked up this slot canyon, through soft clay-like rock with a gravel wash for our path, and the sun was rising …
This is another slot canyon like Golden, but the geology is much different. The rock here has been turned to marble due to so much flash flooding, and it’s as smooth as a marble countertop in places. We walked along the widest parts with a gravel floor for the wash …
I do miss the Salt Life of the ocean; this time last year we were skirting the Gulf of Mexico on our way from Texas to Florida and loving the small towns along the way. The salt here is pervasive though, and in Death Valley the standing water at the …
I didn’t know this until I’d been here a few days and was scrolling through the Death Valley info on the NPS app: several Star Wars scenes from two of its movies were filmed here. This was a national monument back then, not a national park and national wilderness like it is …
Denali
Since writing this, I’ve learned more about the protection of the park through the Wilderness Act of 1964 and have a better attitude! Maybe we’ve gotten used to having glorious nature to ourselves. In Yukon, especially, we’d pull off the road to camp, with stunning views and walks on the …
What can I tell you about “the mountain” that you don’t already know? You know it’s the tallest mountain on Earth as measured from base to top. You know the absurd controversy about its name. Maybe you don’t know what it’s like to finally see it after you’ve been a …
Shelly here. I love looking at Doug’s pictures and reading his and Melanie’s take on camping and hiking up here! A while back I posted a compilation of his entries so far in Yukon and Alaska, and here’s a catch-up in chronological order. The links below are to his posts …
Everglades
That’s not meant to be click bait, I promise. We were the first to hike the Snake Bight Trail this morning—I post about that, way below. But first … Where We Are It’s been so long since we moved that I should start out with this! We left our community-centered, …
So far at Flamingo in the southernmost tip of the Everglades, we’ve gotten out of the campground early each morning to hike (before the crowds). Then we fix lunch at the trailer and eat in the shady tent. Tracy walks Banjo and he or I clean the dishes and sort …
We’re camped just a quick walk from Florida Bay—in fact, if we swam directly out we’d end up on Big Pine Key for our next reservations. If only the Airstream floated. 🙂 This morning instead of walking out to see the sunrise, I rode my bike. (Banjo is a little …
Out where a friend is a friendWhere the big mosquitoes feedAnd the lowly hikers bleedBack in the Everglades again. Here we are, for the third time, because this place is worth it. We spent Thanksgiving at the large campsites of Big Cypress, as a quick stop between reservations in Tampa …
It seems odd (but consistent with blame climate change) that I’m posting about dealing with extreme heat here in the Everglades without electricity while folks in Texas are suffering from extreme cold without electricity. Of course I’ve chosen to live off the grid, and I’m not truly suffering. Just sweaty …
This is Karen. You may remember Karen as my great friend from high school, the one who visited me in Imperial Bonita Estates on the west coast of Florida. This is Karen’s beautiful family (minus a daughter at college). Look again at that picture. This is the birthday cake that …
When you look out over the sawgrass prairie here in the Everglades—where we’ve been hiking through a very wide, shallow river—you can see far across to the horizon, across limestone flats, with zero signs of mankind. The quiet around you seems surreal. Like time has stopped. In reality there are …
Grand Teton
We had a super efficient travel day when we left Yellowstone! We pulled out of that quiet campground at the crack of dawn, drove through the park on it narrow and winding road (amazingly, towing the trailer), used the dump station and potable water at a campground in the park, …
The Tetons haven’t been a disappointment, but our experience hasn’t been what people talk about, for sure. No Bear Bell Pictures of Banjo and my morning walk are grand, yes. But we lost her bear bell at Yellowstone, and, mysteriously, not only does no one sell them around here, but …
Indiana Dunes
As usual, Tracy picked out this stop on his own during his many quiet planning afternoons, and when I looked it up on the map, basically as we pulled in, I thought for sure it would suck. It’s on Lake Michigan, yeah, but at the southern tip, close to Chicago …
Joshua Tree
The Monday before Thanksgiving may not be the busiest travel day ever, but as we moved camp that day, each figurative bump along the road made it feel like a doomed day. (Spoiler: in the end Tracy found us the best possible boondocking site right outside the south entrance to …
It’s very early Thanksgiving morning, and I’m on the sofa trying to write a post about this beautiful national park I’m in (Joshua Tree), without having gone on a single hike in it. My photos are from one drive we took through the southern part of the park, like a …
Last Thanksgiving, we were in Big Cypress National Preserve, in the first part of our long winter tour of Florida. I feel like we’re a world away this Thanksgiving, here in the desert in Southern California. But it’s funny: we’re in our same home and cooking and eating our same …
I’ve really been enjoying myself boondocking outside the south entrance to Joshua Tree National Park. I think I’m getting the hang of the desert, although I can’t say that I love it (yet, at least). I have lots of pictures to show you and stories to tell, but I thought …
The Cholla Cactus Tracy told me a story about why the Cholla are called the Jumping Cactus: that little ends of the branches fall off and are blown a bit away from the plant, so you’re more likely to miss seeing the bits as you’re busy avoiding the plant. Bang—you …
Kenai Fjords
Geez Louise, I just disembarked from a boat cruise of the Kenai Fjords National Park, and it was all about glaciers and fjords and amazing views, but to me, it was the mammals and birds that blew my mind. We saw sea otters, sea lions, puffins, and I don’t even …
I had never been on a boat tour before, so you’ll have to skip over all this detail if you’re a pro or if you know all about glaciers, or if my low level of research here is annoying. I want to set this stuff down here while I can …
Here’s more about that boat tour we took from Seward, Alaska, along the Kenai Fjords National Park. It was such a highlight of our summer in Alaska that I want to document as much of it as I can. Previous posts about this one danged day are about the orcas …
Olympic
We’re in Washington State, in Hoh Rainforest within Olympic National Park. I don’t have cell service here, just what I can squeeze from the jetpack on Tracy’s plan very early in the morning, so I’ll be quick. National Park Camping I’d forgotten that, in popular national parks, you have to …
Dear Pacific Northwest Rainforest: Why do you have to be so wet and cold? I understand the wet part, and I hear the cold part is actually “mild” during the winter. But man oh man have we been cold and wet. It’s worth repeating. Don’t get me wrong. The forest …
Organ Pipe Cactus
We are gloriously at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, an internationally protected biosphere south of Ajo, Arizona, but closer to the town of Sonoyto in Mexico, which we can see at night from the campground. Tracy will be catching up on his hiking and birdwatching here while I continue to …
On our first two days at Organ Pipe National Monument in Arizona, Tracy went hiking in the mornings while I goofed off around the campground, trying to rest. This post is illustrated with his photos and info I found online about the places he went—I wish I’d gone so I …
Finally, I got out for a hike: first real one since I was sick at Imperial Dam. It was only about three miles, but it felt great to be away from the trailer and to see expansive views! Senita Basin This area of Organ Pipe Cactus Monument is named after …
I feel like I did back in Death Valley when I’d go hiking in the morning, become awestruck by the scenery and take tons of photos, then sink back into a coma in the late afternoon shade, unable to describe what I’d seen or even pick shots that vaguely illustrate …
So, in an earlier post I think I said that saguaros are old enough to start sprouting limbs after about 35 years, but I just heard from a National Park tour that it could take them up to 65 years. How fast they grow and mature depends on the rainfall …
Padre Island
Goal: Spend November working our way down to the Tip o’ Texas via the Gulf Coast, camping right on the beach wherever we can. Reality: Spend November sitting in our tiny trailer listening to a space drama podcast, when not driving around wondering where the heck we’re going to park …
I was about to say that I should post on Thanksgiving if only to commemorate where we are, since I love looking back at anniversaries. There was our first Thanksgiving in the beautiful Everglades, the next one boondocking in windy Joshua Tree, then camping right in New Orleans (which feels …
The land here on Padre Island National Seashore is like one long, flat sand dune. We watch northern harriers fly beside the shoreline hunting for rodents and we see crested caracaras perch on the few high spots to peer into the grasses. A healthy-sized coyote stared us down along the …
Saguaro
It’s our last evening right outside the Ironwood National Monument Lands (northwest of Tucson), and I’m feeling the Sunday blues just as if I had to go to work tomorrow instead of picking up and moving on to the next interesting place. It’s true the desert here is flat and …
We’re the lamest tourists ever when it comes to visiting cities. We’ve traveled nearly all over the country by now, so why haven’t we immersed ourselves (or even just dipped our toes) in urban culture? Covid Could Still Mess with Us I’ll be quick about this because I’ve belabored the …
Theodore Roosevelt
We’re camped right outside the Theodore Roosevelt National Park North Unit, which is in western North Dakota. This isn’t pure badlands like in South Dakota; there is a lot of green here, and the Little Missouri River runs through the park. I think the contrast between the sage brush, green …
Goodbye North Unit of Teddy Roosevelt’s Park I’ve been looking forward to getting out west for a year and three months now, so, in a way, this place has been a dream come true. And by “this place” I mean both the North Unit campground and the park that we’ve …
Yellowstone
I lived in the Northwest for three years, driving across the country back to the east coast for holidays the whole time, and somehow I’d never been to Yellowstone. So here we are! Tracy’s been a bazillion times when he lived in Bozeman, so he’s showing me around. Mammoth Terraces …
Once again, the act of taking in all I can of Yellowstone in a day has left me slack-jawed and stupid. I started at 6:30 am when I walked Banjo, and then we hit the road at 7:30 to get to Old Faithful before the lunch crowds. It’s 4:00 pm …
If you’re like I was, completely ignorant of what’s special about Yellowstone, I’ll give you a layman’s quickie description. Long ago, a giant volcano left still-hot magma under the surface here. Pockets of heated gases and brine have formed right under the top layer of earth due to <insert geological …
Several friends have asked for more details on where we camp (how we find spots, what they’re like, who are our neighbors, etc.). Right now, we’re at an especially quiet, lovely national forest campground near Yellowstone, so this is a great example. It’s the Gallatin National Forest, which is in …
Coming Up! (possibly, if I don’t jinx us)
- Arches
- Big Bend
- Canyonlands
- Crater Lake
- Mesa Verde
- White Sands
- Larsen Volcanic
- Yosemite
