This summer we’ve been doing daytrips closer to home. That’s not to say we won’t be taking a longer trip, as well, but it’s been a lot of fun to travel in our own neighborhood. One highlight was definitely biking…

Biking the Genesee Valley Greenway

10 Best (and worst) Day Hikes in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
I think I can safely say that Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is one of my favorite parks ever. There’s such a diversity of scenery (i.e., of different kinds of rock formations, badlands, etc.) and most parts aren’t extremely well-visited, so…

Queens Garden Trail & Navajo Loop: So Many Hoodoos!
There are many short trails in Bryce Canyon, and so many with wonderful views. Even if you’ve hiked the trails before, they’re worth doing again. I can’t count the number of times we’ve hiked the Queen’s Garden Trail, but it…

Holzwarth Historic Site – Worth a Summer Stop!
I’ve been to the Holzwarth Historic Site twice in my travels across America. The first time, it was called Never Summer Ranch, after the lodge and “hotel” that once stood on the site. The second time, I nearly missed the…

DIY Adult Travel Neck Pillow (with washable cover)
Recently, I’ve been making neck pillows. Several of us like pillows if we want to sleep during long drives (not the driver, of course), but usually we just use a rolled up jacket or whatever else we happen to be…

Willowwood Arboretum: One of the Nice Kind of Arboretums!
Arboretums are fickle places to visit. They can be very interesting, or very boring, depending on the upkeep, the flowers, and what’s in season at the moment. I’m glad to say that I’ve been treated to several arboretums that were…

The Alpine Ridge Trail: Topping Huffers Hill!
How about a short hike this week with an awesome view? Sound good to you? Because the trail up Huffers Hill (as it is informally known) is only 0.5 miles (0.8 km) RT yet offers outstanding views of the Never…

Looking Back at Family Hike Reviewing History
This week, I was going through some old files on my computer and ran across a document with some of my siblings’ compositions we’d written for school in the early 2000s. This document contained several reviews of parks we’d recently…

Mount Minsi: Beautiful Views!
This week we’ve been visiting family in New Jersey. However, no one in our family likes to sit around doing nothing (which I guess is why we take cross-country trips, right?) so we’ve been visiting various destinations across the state…

A Hike from Independence Pass to UN 12812 – Spectacular!
Hiking to UN 12812 just above Independence Pass was a life saver. Well, ok, that’s too strong, but it did meet a need rather nicely – and spectacularly. I needed a short hike near Independence Pass – and one above…