NPS: Fun National Park Tools for Junior Rangers and Passport Stamp Collectors!

Midnight in Death Valley – Death Valley National Park – Death Valley, California – 12/06/2019

Midnight Adventures can often be the best kind of adventures. But, let me tell you, It’s DARK in Death Valley!…

Hands-On Learning at Lake Mead National Recreation Area Visitor Center – Boulder City, Nevada – 12/06/2019

You’re never too old for hands-on learning! Toddlers, teens, and everyone in between! National Parks are some of the greatest…

Desert Gardens at Lake Mead National Recreation Area Visitor Center – Boulder City, Nevada – 12/06/2019

If you’re in the area to pay a visit to Hoover Dam, don’t forget to stop by the Lake Mead…

Wupatki National Monument – Flagstaff, Arizona – 12/03/2019

As the road out of Sunset Crater descends into the Painted Desert of Arizona, the snow gives way to the…

Throwing Snowballs on the Lava Flow Trail – Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument – Flagstaff, Arizona – 12/03/2019

Hiking the Lava Flow Trail at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument in Flagstaff, Arizona while it was covered in snow…

Hiking the Island Trail – Walnut Canyon National Monument – Flagstaff, Arizona – 12/03/2019

After checking out the indoor museum of Interpretive Exhibits, we enjoyed the Island Trail hike at Walnut Canyon National Monument…

Walnut Canyon National Monument – Flagstaff, Arizona – 12/03/2019

Flagstaff, Arizona is one of my favorite locations for hitting National Parks, and getting to experience a multitude of geological…

NPS: Great River Road Visitor Center at Freedom Park – Two National Park Units in One! Mississippi National River and Recreation Area / St. Croix National Scenic Riverway – Prescott, Wisconsin – 05/29/2018

Great River Road Visitor Center at Freedom Park – Prescott, Wisconsin Located at the confluence of the St. Croix River…

NPS: Mississippi River Visitor Center – Mississippi National River and Recreation Area – Located Inside the Science Museum of Minnesota – Saint Paul, Minnesota – 05/29/2018

Mississippi River Visitor Center – Mississippi National River and Recreation Area – St. Paul, Minnesota The Mississippi National River and…

Picnics and Paddlewheelers – Bohemian Flats Park – Minneapolis, Minnesota – 05/25/2018

Bohemian Flats Park – Minneapolis, Minnesota The Bohemian Flats Park sits unassuming in its simple, yet lushly green beauty, along…

Upper St. Anthony Falls Visitor Center and Lock and Dam – Minneapolis, Minnesota – 05/25/2018

St. Anthony Falls Visitor Center and Lock and Dam St. Anthony Falls Visitor Center and Lock and Dam offers fabulous…

The Song of Hiawatha at Minnehaha Falls Regional Park – Minneapolis, Minnesota – 05/25/2018

The Song of Hiawatha at Minnehaha Falls Regional Park Poet extraordinaire, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, gave us ‘The Song of Hiawatha’…

Decoration Day at Blue Heron Mining Community – Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area – Stearns, Kentucky – 05/07/2016

The Blue Heron Mining Community is a former coal town along the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River in…

Lora Blevins Farmstead – Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area – Oneida, Tennessee – 04/04/2016

A lovely day on the Lora Blevins Farmstead in the Bandy Creek region of the Big South Fork National River…

Blevins Cemetery – Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area – Oneida, Tennessee – 04/04/2016

Blevins Cemetery is located on the Lora Blevins Farmstead in the Bandy Creek area of the Big South Fork National…

Bandy Creek Loop Trail – Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area – Oneida, Tennessee – 04/04/2016

A beautiful Spring Day calls for a lovely hike in the woods! We hit up the Bandy Creek Loop in…

Junior Ranger Shenanigans at Mammoth Cave National Park – Mammoth Cave, Kentucky – 04/03/2016

Cave Tours are the big draw to Mammoth Cave National Park, in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky. But, before or after you’ve…

River Styx Spring Trail – Mammoth Cave National Park – Mammoth Cave, Kentucky – 4/03/2016

Hiking down the River Styx Spring Trail in Kentucky’s Mammoth Cave National Park makes for a lovely afternoon! Hiking back…

Babies in National Parks – Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area – Oneida, Tennessee – 03/19/2015

While Trillian was working with Ranger Mary on her Scavenger Hunt Activity, Ribby decided to do a little Deep Woods…

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…

Brilliantly Autumn Scenic Route! – Great Smoky Mountains National Park – Townsend, Tennessee – 10/26/2012

Fall is in the air! Gorgeous fall colors all around! Even a drive through the winding roads of the Smokies…

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…

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…

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…

Elk in the Beaver Meadows – Rocky Mountain National Park – Estes Park, Colorado – 06/30/2012

As you begin the descent from the highest elevations of Alpine Tundra in Rocky Mountain National Park, back to the…

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!…

Entering Rocky Mountain National Park from the Western Side of Trail Ridge Road – Rocky Mountain National Park – Grand Lake, Colorado – 06/30/2012

Coming through Grand Lake, and into the Rocky Mountain National Park, your first Visitor Center is at Kawuneeche. Continuing along…

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…

As the Sun Sets in Paradise… – Dry Tortugas National Park – Dry Tortugas, Florida – 09/11/2011

Such glorious sunsets in this perfect paradise. Where the sun melts into the Gulf Water Horizon… We find joy. Togetherness….

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…

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,…

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…

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…

Junior Ranger Pledge Ceremony – Independence Visitor Center – Independence National Historical Site – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – 10/11/2010

After a long, fun day of interactive experiences throughout the Historical District of Philadelphia, hanging out with Benjamin Franklin, visiting…

Assateague Island National Seashore and Assateague Island State Park – Berlin, Maryland – 10/08/2010

Home of the famous Wild Ponies! The Assateague Wild Horses on the Maryland side, and the Chincoteague Ponies on the…

Grand Staircase – Escalante National Monument – Escalante, Utah – 06/07/2010

Alas, we must begin the homeward-bound trek back to Tennessee. But, we’re not done yet! Meandering your way through Utah…

Sunset Point – Bryce Canyon National Park – Bryce Canyon, Utah – 06/07/2010

Bryce Canyon National Park, one of the Mighty 5 National Parks of Utah, is a breathtaking expanse of geologic amphitheater,…

Leaving Zion – Zion National Park – Orderville, Utah – 06/06/2010

And, that’s a wrap, folks! We headed out the Eastern part of Zion National Park, and upwards, on to Bryce…

Junior Ranger Ceremony – Zion National Park – Springdale, Utah – 06/06/2010

Another day of fabulous National Park adventures means another Junior Ranger Badge! Lots of hard work, learning cool things about…

Virgin River Along the Temple of Sinawava and Riverside Walk Trails – Zion National Park – Springdale, Utah – 06/06/2010

No matter what adventures we get into while visiting Zion National Park, a day isn’t a day without spending time…

Lower Emerald Pool Along the Emerald Pools Trail – Zion National Park – 06/06/2010

If you are looking for a kid-friendly hike in Zion National Park, there are so many to choose from! Across…

Visitor Center and Shuttle Bus Ride – Zion National Park – Springdale, Utah – 06/06/2010

From checking out the Visitor Center exhibits, to taking in the awe-inspiring scenery along the Shuttle Bus Route, our adventures…

Wukoki Pueblo Ruins – Wupatki National Monument – Flagstaff, Arizona – 06/02/2010

As you leave Sunset Crater, you descend from ancient volcanic lava fields in the San Francisco Mountain Range, into the…

Lava Flow Trail – Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument – Flagstaff, Arizona – 06/02/2010

Sunset Crater Volcano is the youngest Volcano in the San Francisco Volcanic Field in this area of Arizona. Its last…