When I think of hotspots for adventure and excitement, the southern borders of Minnesota and South Dakota doesn’t really spring to mind. I think of flat, farmland that is quickly driven through and by. However, last year we spent several days camping in Palisade State Park and found that the area was not lacking in things to see or places to go for a day hike. Pipestone National Monument We left the Twin Cities area and made a stop before the state park at Pipestone National Monument. This culturally historic site is the home of pipestone rock quarries that have…
Hiking Death Valley National Park with Kids
From Joshua Tree we made our way north to Death Valley National Park where we knew it would be warmer and we were hoping to find an epic campsite. We happily found a site in the upper Texas Springs campground. While the lower campground has more screening between sites it was full when we arrived. Most all of the campgrounds at Death Valley are non-reservable so arriving early is key if you have a specific site or campground in mind. We arrived at about 1pm and there were plenty of sites left, but by nightfall people were having to go elsewhere. Thankfully, there…
Climbing Joshua Tree National Park with Kids
Over winter break we flew into Las Vegas, NV and headed south toward Joshua Tree National Park direct from the airport. This trip had started off with some of the longest airport and car rental lines we have ever encountered. Like good travelers we arrived at the airport two hours ahead of our scheduled flight departure yet due to the lines at ticketing, baggage drop, and security we arrived at our gate as the plane was boarding. Note to self; traveling on one of the busiest days of the year (December 27th) may not be a great idea… The worst line…
Top Seven Hikes Utah with Kids
Spring break is coming, who’s planning a warm weather getaway?!? For the past two years Utah has been our destination for our hiking vacation spot. Why do we keep returning to Utah? The simple answer is that it’s beautiful with endless opportunities for outdoor recreation. It also happens to be incredibly kid friendly which is a must for us! Utah is home to a plethora of stunningly beautiful National and State Parks. Neighboring states like Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, and Colorado make Utah an ultimate U.S. road trip destination with plenty to do and see along the way and in the surrounding…
Hiking Ireland With Kids
Ireland is a beautiful place to visit and bring children to with seemingly endless opportunities for exploration. We incorporate hiking adventures wherever we go in the world and Ireland has a lot of hiking to offer. Be Prepared for the Conditions Ireland also presents a unique challenge with hiking due to the completely unpredictable weather patterns the island is notorious for, the say if you’re unhappy with the weather in Ireland just wait five minutes and it will change. During our two week visit we definitely found that sentiment to be true. The boggy nature of the island also means that…
Dingle, Ireland with Kids
Bobby and I spent a remarkable nine days visiting Ireland seven years ago when we hiked the Kerry Way. The breathtaking landscape, the warm nature of the people, and the rich cultural history had us choosing Ireland again, this time for our children’s first international vacation. We spent two weeks visiting Ireland and chose to spend the majority of our time on the Dingle Peninsula. We found a charming home, perfectly situated just 7 km (about 4 miles) from the town of Dingle. The home had stunning mountain and ocean views with sheep and cattle acting as our nearest neighbors…
Backpacking Isle Royale with Kids
When I first heard about Isle Royale National Park I was reading a book given to me by my Grandmother, Nevada Barr’s book, A Superior Death. Her marvelous murder mystery series stars a female park ranger who solves mysterious deaths in National Parks around the nation and are an utter delight for murder mystery fans! Isle Royale National Park is one of the least visited national parks having around 25,000 annual visitors. When you compare that to the more than 11,000,000 people who visit the Great Smokey Mountains National Park you realize just how few people actual get to see…
Family Camping with Kids in the Boundary Waters (A Guide)
Small children and water seem like two things that shouldn’t be combined. However, we have found that our best family adventures with two young children along have taken place in our canoe, on the water, in the Boundary Waters. Of course, when we say that, we raise a few eyebrows. These are the three most common responses: “You must have grown up in a family who always took you on the water.” somebody recently remarked when they saw us paddling a river with our 2.5 and 4.5 year old children. “My kid is way too crazy, they would totally jump…
Napping on Adventures
We often get asked the question, “When and where do your kids nap when you do these trips?” The answer is a pretty simple one. They nap wherever we happen to be and during whatever we happen to be doing. I am giving the caveat that we created two tiny humans who are pretty good sleepers in general. Here are my tips on getting kids to nap while out adventuring. Be Flexible This is the most important piece of advice I would give any parent, new or old. Sleep is, in my opinion, one of the single most stressful aspects…
5 Family Friendly Winter Getaways
If you are like us and find the seemingly endless winters of the midwest too much to bear for six months out of the year, you need to get away to some place warm. We have found that, while winter weather even in the more temperate climates can be fickle it’s a great time to hike some of our nations most popular trails without the heavy summer traffic. Arches National Park The landscape in Utah is truly remarkable and having the opportunity to view the iconic arches through a haze of snow is an irreplaceable experience. We found ourselves traveling…