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Unfortunately we didn’t get to fully enjoy this park as we would’ve liked – the summer season was officially upon us & the immense crowds made navigating / enjoying the park almost impossible. Only the shuttles were being allowed into the main areas of the park & those had over a two hour wait 😦

Drew & I visited this park after I ran the St George marathon in ’07 so it is one I was looking forward to sharing with the kids. We did get to drive the scenic route into the park thru the very cool tunnel, and explore enough so the kids could still get their Jr Ranger badges. This will be one we plan more time on another trip (out of season 😉)

The home of hoodoos – which despite its name, is not a canyon, but a collection of giant natural amphitheaters along the side of a plateau.

We only briefly stopped in this park on the way to some of the larger parks, but it was worth the stop.

The next day we headed to the other side of the desert. The best part of day was driving the jeep road thru the canyon.

As we head west, our next stop is in Moab, Utah – as we move into what we call National Park Row due to the many parks in this part of the country.

We all had a great time learning & exploring about how these amazing natural structures were created – and how life adapts to living in this unique place. They say there are over 2000 arches in this park – sometimes called windows or natural bridges in other parks.

This park holds a special place in my heart – I have wonderful childhood memories here & I was very excited to share it with Drew & the kids. It is still amazing – mountain vista views, clear rivers/lakes/waterfalls, and lots of wildlife – so much to love!

First day we toured each of the visitors centers including the Alpine Visitors Center which is the highest elevation center in the NPS system.

The next few days we spent hiking trails, watching wildlife from our campground, and finishing up our Junior Ranger workbooks.

And as an extra bonus, my amazing cousin Brittany & her kids made the drive up to Estes to eat lunch with us. Kiddos got to play for a lil while afterwards.

After returning to AR & spending time catching up with family & friends over Memorial weekend, we headed out again – this time towards CO, my home state.

Our first destination was my sister’s house to spend time with her & her family. After a few days in the Denver area, we headed north towards Horsetooth Reservoir for some time on the lake. Like most lakes in CO, the water is fairly cold, but still fun times!

Once we left Anchorage for Seattle & returned to the lower 48, we took a few extra days to visit the remote Olympic NP. It is on a peninsula in the most northwest corner of the contiguous US. With elevated Mt. Olympus at the center, it was formed as glaciers carved the lower lands around it. Isolated here during the last ice age, there are several plants and animals that can only be found here.

First day, we went up to the mountainous region of Hurricane Ridge – named for the hurricane force winds that sweep through there during the long winters.

The next day we went of the other side of the park to the Ruby Beach. On the way, there were many stunning views.

As we made our way back to Seattle, we decide to take the ferry to see the downtown skyline.

From Seward harbor, we boarded our MarineTime tour boat of the Kenai Fjords NP.Along the way, we saw lots of amazing wildlife – sea otters in the bay, mountain goats on the cliffs, harbor seals, steller sea lions, porpoises, humpback whales, and orca whales.

The landscape views along the way were also amazing – including several glaciers.

And even got to do the Jr Ranger activities on the boat!

After a long day on the boat, we got a lil time to swim at the hotel & then take in the local Seward culture.

The next day, we got to check out the Marine Life Center before catching our train back to Anchorage.

We turned in our camper, and took to the rails!