Owls in the Big South Fork – Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area Bandy Creek Visitor Center – Oneida, Tennessee – 03/19/2015

Ranger Mary with the Big South Fork NRRA in the Jamestown / Oneida, Tennessee districts is SUCH a valuable asset…

American Eagle Foundation: Birds of Prey Event – Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area Crossville Visitor Center – Crossville, Tennessee – 03/14/2015

The American Eagle Foundation out of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee is an education, advocacy, and support group that works tirelessly to…

The St. Louis Zoo – Animals and Lights – St. Louis, Missouri – 11/20/2012

The St. Louis Zoo in St. Louis, Missouri is a great way to spend a day exploring all kinds of…

Monsanto Insectarium & Butterfly House at the Saint Louis Zoo – St. Louis, Missouri – 11/20/2012

Up close and personal with insects of all sorts in the Monsanto Insectarium & Butterfly House at the Saint Louis…

Autumn in Cades Cove – Great Smoky Mountains National Park – Townsend, Tennessee – 10/26/2012

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has an intriguing human history that has left its mark on the beautiful land….

Little River Trail at Elkmont – Great Smoky Mountains National Park – Gatlinburg, Tennessee – 10/26/2012

Such a lovely Fall Day for a hike along the Little River at Elkmont in the Great Smoky Mountains National…

Horseback Riding in Zion National Park – Springdale, Utah – 07/19/2012

If you are looking for a unique, and absolutely unforgettable way to experience Zion National Park, consider doing so on…

Zion Canyon Shuttle Bus – Zion National Park – Springdale, Utah – 07/04/2012

We are frequently asked which National Park is our favorite. Out of the larger NPS Units, Zion, is, by far,…

Riverside Walk – Zion National Park – Springdale, Utah – 07/04/2012

In Zion National Park, the Riverside Walk offers a pleasant stroll along the Virgin River, as it meanders through jaw-dropping…

Hiking the Weeping Rock Trail – Zion National Park – Springdale, Utah – 07/04/2012

Weeping Rock is a lovely trail, with a magnificent destination! It is definitely a trail that I highly recommend to…

The Road to Zion – Zion National Park – Springdale, Utah – 07/04/2012

From Springdale, along Utah 9, east into the Western Entrance of Zion National Park. It’s Independence Day! No better way…

Hiking the Lava Fields of Snow Canyon State Park – St. George, Utah 07/02/2012

Of all the things we do, hiking volcanoes generally tops my list of absolute all-time favorites. And Snow Canyon State…

Jenny’s Canyon – Snow Canyon State Park – St. George, Utah – 07/02/2012

Snow Canyon State Park is our all-time FAVORITE State Park in the entire United States! Just west of St. George,…

Hiking to Jenny’s Canyon – Snow Canyon State Park – St. George, Utah – 07/02/2012

Ah, Snow Canyon State Park in St. George, Utah. Truly one of our favorite places on this planet. Most people…

Sunset on the Great Salt Lake – Bridger Bay at Antelope Island State Park – Syracuse, Utah – 07/01/2012

The reflective properties of the heavily salinated water of the Great Salt Lake make for some FABULOUS sunset views and…

Exploring the Great Salt Lake at Bridger Bay – Antelope Island State Park – Syracuse, Utah – 07/01/2012

After a day of hiking, rock scrambling, birding, wildlife viewing, and Junior Rangering throughout Antelope Island State Park, we’re finally…

Wildlife Viewing Along Buffalo Point Trail – Antelope Island State Park – Syracuse, Utah – 07/01/2012

Bison, Coyotes, Antelope, and Mule Deer, oh my! Wildlife is everywhere on Antelope Island! And Buffalo Point Trail is an…

Rock Scrambling Along Lady Finger Point Trail – Antelope Island State Park – Syracuse, Utah – 07/01/2012

Even to the day you are reading this post, rock scrambling along Lady Finger Point Trail at Antelope Island State…

Junior Rangering at Antelope Island State Park – Syracuse, Utah – 07/01/2012

The Utah State Park System has a great Junior Ranger Program, just like those in the National Park System, that…

Arriving on Antelope Island for a Day of Fun! – Syracuse, Utah – 07/01/2012

If you’ll be in Northern Utah, in or near the Salt Lake City vicinity, Antelope Island State Park is a…

Ice Cream and a Playground – A Stop at Little America Wyoming Fuel Center – Little America, Wyoming – 07/01/2012

With the little green dinosaur as their mascot, I come predisposed as a Sinclair gas station fangirl. But, this is…

The Vast Landscape of Wyoming Along Interstate 80 Westbound – From Cheyenne, Wyoming to Rock Springs, Wyoming – 07/01/2012

From Rocky Mountain National Park in Estes Park, Colorado, we headed North out of the state, along I-25, across the…

Tundra Snowfield Hike – Rocky Mountain National Park – Grand Lake, Colorado – 06/30/2012

Looking for snow in June? The Rocky Mountains have you covered! If you make it all the way up to…

Alpine Tundra – Rocky Mountain National Park – Grand Lake, Colorado – 06/30/2012

Wow! 11,796 feet above sea level! It’s a whole different world in the higher elevations of Rocky Mountain National Park!…

Continental Divide Trail at Berthoud Pass – Arapaho National Forest – Berthoud Pass, Colorado – 06/30/2012

It is glorious up here, at 11,300 feet of elevation! The trees, the wildlife, the rocks, the plants… The hiking…

Berthoud Pass Along the Continental Divide – Arapaho National Forest – Berthoud Pass, Colorado – 06/30/2012

Deep in the Rocky Mountains, the Continental Divide passes through, effectively separating which rivers ultimately drain to the Atlantic in…

Berthoud Falls Hike – Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests – Berthoud Falls, Colorado 06/30/2012

Hopefully you saw the post on Berthoud Falls itself! It truly is stunning! If and when you check out the…

Waterfall Scrambling at Berthoud Falls – Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests – Berthoud Falls, Colorado – 06/30/2012

Located along Highway 40, just north-ish of Empire, Colorado, and only about 8 miles off of Interstate 70, Berthoud Falls…

Random Rocky Mountain Interstate 70 Shots from Denver to Empire, Colorado – 06/30/2012

Stunning mountain vistas as far as the eye can see… Majestic snow-capped peaks… Driving through the inside of behemoth mountains…

Random Kansas Along I-70 – Colby, Kansas – 6/29/2012

Topeka Zoological Park – Topeka, Kansas – 06/29/2012

The Topeka Zoo in Gage Park is a small, but well-designed zoo that offers easily viewable animal enclosures. Topeka Zoo offers…

Gage Park – Topeka, Kansas – 06/29/2012

Some of the play structures at Gage Park in Topeka, Kansas may be a little older, but we thought they…

University of Kansas Natural History Museum – Lawrence, Kansas – 06/29/2012

The Natural History Museum, situated in a gorgeous building on the campus of the University of Kansas in Lawrence, is…

University of Kansas Campus Tour – Lawrence, Kansas – 06/29/2012

The University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas is a lovely campus, indeed! The Natural History Museum is a real gem!…

Crown Center – Kansas City, Missouri – 06/28/2012

LEGO Mini Land: Kansas City – LEGOLAND Discovery Center – Kansas City, Missouri – 06/28/2012

My favorite part of visiting the different LEGOLAND parks and LEGOLAND Discovery Centers is, by far, checking out the Mini…

LEGOLAND Kansas City – Kansas City, Missouri – 06/28/2012

SEA LIFE Aquarium – Kansas City, Missouri – 06/28/2012

University of Kansas Dino Lab in Science City – Kansas City, Missouri – 06/28/2012

Such a great experience to watch real paleontologists working on dinosaur fossils and specimens at the UK Dino Lab inside…

Science City at Union Station – Kansas City, Missouri – 06/28/2012

Union Station – Kansas City, Missouri – 06/28/2012

Good Morning, Kansas City! – Kansas City, Missouri – 06/28/2012

LEGOLAND Discovery Center – Atlanta, Georgia – 05/24/2012

At any LEGOLAND, Logan’s favorite activity is building and racing a myriad of vehicles. Although, he was definitely loving the…

LEGO Mini Land: Atlanta – LEGOLAND Discovery Center – Atlanta, Georgia – 05/24/2012

Ah, yes! Another round of one of my favorite things to do! LEGO Mini Land: Atlanta! I could sit for…

Clearwater Marine Aquarium: Home of Winter the Dolphin – Clearwater, Florida – 4/30/2012

If you have seen the movie Dolphin Tale, you will recognize the Clearwater Marine Aquarium as the home of Winter…

Winter’s Dolphin Tale Adventure Museum, Movie Props, and Filming Locations – Clearwater, Florida – 4/30/2012

Winter’s Dolphin Tale Adventure is a brand new, state-of-the-art facility displaying props and story boards from the film, Dolphin Tale….

Junior Rangering on the Dry Tortugas – Dry Tortugas National Park – Dry Tortugas, Florida – 09/13/2011

Earning a Junior Ranger Badge in the Dry Tortugas was not only an honor because of its uniquely remote location,…

A Few Random Day Three Shots – Dry Tortugas National Park – Dry Tortugas, Florida – 09/13/2011

After three days on a remote island in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico, 70 miles from civilization, my…

Day Two in the Dry Tortugas – Dry Tortugas National Park – Dry Tortugas, Florida – 09/12/2011

We’ll just group most of Day Two’s Adventures into one post for now, but I might come back later and…

Gone Fishin'! – Dry Tortugas National Park – Dry Tortugas, Florida – 09/12/2011

Spending our days frolicking in the clear waters and exploring the marinelife was definitely the collectively preferred way to enjoy…

A Whole Fort to Ourselves! – Fort Jefferson After the Crowds Leave – Dry Tortugas National Park – Dry Tortugas, Florida – 09/11/2011

After the ferry boat packs up the Day Visitors and embarks upon its journey back to Key West, campers are…

Camping on the Dry Tortugas – Dry Tortugas National Park – Dry Tortugas, Florida – 09/11/2011

Ahhh… A trip to the Dry Tortugas was one of THE top things on my Bucket List for many years…

Snorkeling in the Dry Tortugas – Dry Tortugas National Park, Dry Tortugas, Florida – 09/11/2011

Snorkeling in these perfect, warm, crystalline waters was an experience like no other! The kids had a blast splashing, playing,…

Day One: A Little Exploration – Dry Tortugas National Park – Dry Tortugas, Florida – 09/11/2011

We didn’t really get settled into camp until after the ferry boat left the island for the evening with all…

Night Sounds of the Swamp – Everglades National Park – Homestead, Florida – 09/03/2011

As the sun begins to lower in the sky, the swamps come alive! Frogs, insects, birds… And who knows what…

Sunset in the Swamp – Everglades National Park – Homestead, Florida – 09/03/2011

Gorgeous skies, from pinks and purples, to deep blues, and ultimately blacks… Storm clouds and lightning bolts… And stars… Oh,…

Manatees in Flamingo – Everglades National Park – Flamingo, Florida – 09/03/2011

Flamingo is the Southern Terminus for the Everglades National Park. In the bays surrounding the Southernmost tip of the Florida…

A Day in the Everglades – Everglades National Park – Homestead, Florida – 09/03/2011

The Everglades National Park boasts an unimaginable quantity of wildlife! Turkey vultures, black vultures, birds of prey, shore birds, song…

Earning The South Florida Junior Ranger Trifecta – Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center at Everglades National Park – Homestead, Florida – 09/03/2011

If you complete Junior Ranger Badge Programs at Big Cypress National Preserve, Biscayne National Park, and Everglades National Park, you…

Biscayne National Park Junior Rangers – Biscayne National Park – Homestead, Florida – 09/03/2011

Biscayne National Park was #2 out of 3 on our South Florida Trifecta Mission! We had a lot of fun…

Hiking the Trails of Biscayne National Park – Dante Fascell Visitor Center at Biscayne National Park – Homestead, Florida – 09/03/2011

While the bulk of resources protected by Biscayne National Park do take a boat to appreciate, such as coral reefs,…

Junior Rangering at Big Cypress Swamp Welcome Center – Big Cypress National Preserve – Ochopee, Florida – 09/02/2011

The first park for the South Florida Junior Ranger Trifecta… Big Cypress National Preserve in Ochopee, Florida and beyond. This…

Just Horsin’ Around – Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area – Jamestown, Tennessee – 07/14/2011

The Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area sees a lot of equestrian-based traffic! There are miles upon miles…

Sea World: Blue Horizons – Orlando, Florida – 03/20/2011

Cirque style avian acrobatics team up with the strength and grace of gorgeous marine mammals and their trainers in this…

The Blue Man Group at TPAC – Nashville, Tennessee – 11/16/2010