5 US National Park Experiences for Summer Travel

Summer Rainforest in Olympic National Park (Jennifer Miner)

As the economy continues to slowly improve and springtime turns to summer, many Americans are starting to plan their summer vacations. Some renew their passports and look overseas for adventure, while others consider exploring the remarkable diversity of [Read more]

Tips for Visiting South Dakota’s Badlands National Park

Badlands

South Dakota's Badlands National Park is a geological wonder. Brochures describe the land with terms like buttes, spirals and rolling grassland. The truth is, you just have to see these 244,000 acres for yourself to appreciate this region. Not only is the [Read more]

Celebrate Earth Day with Free Admission at a US National Park

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Earth Day is April 22 this year. This date conveniently falls within National Park Week: admission to all parks is free. There may not be a better way to celebrate Earth Day in a travel budget-friendly, environmentally appropriate manner than to visit a US [Read more]

Tide Pool Animals in Olympic National Park Video

Tide pool animals in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Washington are bigger than those we see in more southern climates. The Olympic National Park on Washington's Olympic Peninsula is a fabulous member of the US National Parks system. Sure, it doesn't have [Read more]

Best Winter Ski and Snow Vacation Destinations

top Colorado ski and snow vacation at Keystone

The best winter ski and snow vacation destinations are great for travelers who want a Christmas holiday trip, but who don't need to warm up somewhere tropical. Cold weather has its adherents; top winter ski vacation spots in Colorado, Utah, and other western [Read more]

Sitka, Alaska Travel Activities

Totem Pole in Sitka, Alaska (Jennifer Miner)

Travelers to southeast Alaska may wonder about what there is to see and do in Sitka. Sitka is the fourth most populous city in Alaska, with interesting travel activities, but it's really more of a maritime town. Now, Alaska is a huge state; three Californias [Read more]

Mountain Biking for Kids in Moab, Utah

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In addition to our outstanding hike to Delicate Arch during our camping weekend in Moab earlier this month, my husband and I took my 8- and 10-year-old kids on their first real mountain-bike ride. Sure, we've brought them off road a bit around our Colorado [Read more]

Best Hikes for Kids in Arches National Park

Famous Delicate Arch

Arches National Park is one of my all-time favorite national parks. I love it for sentimental reasons -- it's the first national park my then-boyfriend/now-husband took me to when we were "just friends" 13 years ago. And I love it for its otherworldly, natural [Read more]

US National Parks and American Vacations

Grand Canyon USA National Park

National Park Week usually falls in the spring each year, and this year the National Park Service is waiving entrance fees to all 392 US national parks. This includes free admission to not just the 58 United States national park biggies like Yosemite and the [Read more]

Travel to SE Utah Beyond Monument Valley

Utah Vacations Beyond Monument Valley (Donna Hull)

On my first trip to Monument Valley, I stood at the parking lot's edge, surrounded by a traveling busload of tourists and Native American vendors, craning my neck to catch a glimpse of the sunrise lighting up the famous rock formations. Later, my husband and I [Read more]