How to Make the Most of One Day in Glacier Bay National Park
Glacier Bay National Park is one of the top attractions in Southeast Alaska; people plan whole trips around the chance to sail up into this relatively inaccessible National Park and see tidewater glaciers up close. But planning a trip to Glacier Bay can be complicated – especially if you’re not visiting as part of a cruise itinerary...
How to Spend 12 Days in Alaska: An Unforgettable Itinerary for 2024
12 days is a long time. In America, most workers receive just two weeks – 10 business days – of paid vacation each year. Adding in weekends and one holiday, the longest single trip you could take in any given year is just 17 days long. If you choose to spend 12 of those precious vacation days in Alaska, you’re committing a big part of your vacation budget for the year to explore this bucket list destination. But don’t worry – it’s absolutely worth it...
A Perfect Saguaro National Park Itinerary: 1-3 Days in the Sonoran Desert
I don't consider myself a botany nerd, but there are some really cool species in the American Southwest. As the harshest climate in our country, the plants (and animals) that have adapted to the deserts of the United States are fascinating. Best of all, our National Park system protects many of them: wildflowers bloom in one of the most hostile places on earth (Death Valley); trees grow slowly to preserve energy but withstand the sands of time (Joshua Tree or Great Basin); cacti become so efficient at managing sparse water that they grow to tower over us (Saguaro)...
Two Days in Yosemite: Itinerary for a Short Weekend
When you think about the National Parks in America, what comes to mind? The Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone. Noble Denali standing above the Alaskan Tundra in Denali National Park. The sunset beyond the dramatic landscape of the Grand Canyon. And Yosemite: the eventual National Park that inspired Preservationist John Muir to fight so hard to help create the National Park Service we have today...
10 Days in Alaska: How to Plan Your Epic Alaska Itinerary in 2024
If there is one destination about which I receive more questions than any other, it's Alaska. At the core, everyone wants to know: how do you plan a trip to Alaska? What's the perfect Alaska itinerary? Since I started this blog, I've become a bit of an expert in Alaska trip planning and at times I publish so many stories that it seems like I'm running an Alaska travel blog! After all, I grew up in Alaska and I go back to explore my 'home' state at least once per year and twice in both 2021 and 2022...
How to Make the Most of One Day in Arches National Park
The sun rises over the red rocks of southwest Utah. Long shadows form and warp as the light comes on – and suddenly the shapes materialize. Big, sweeping arches, carved from the rock over time by wind and water, are breathtaking in their natural beauty. This is Arches National Park, one of Utah's Mighty 5. One glance more than demonstrates why this place earned its protection for future generations...
7 Days in Alaska: Two Alaska Week Itineraries for 2024
The absolute silence of Denali National Park. The misty spray of a waterfall running over the cliffs of Kenai Fjords. The unusual flavors of reindeer sausage topped with pineapple salsa. Alaska is a place full of experiences that you may have never had before – which is likely why you're planning a visit in 2023. It's time to have that bucket list experience...
How to Make the Most of a Half-Day at the Grand Canyon
The reality of visiting the Grand Canyon is that no amount of time is ever going to be "enough" to see it all – rangers spend their whole career working at the Grand Canyon and don't "see it all!" If you're short on time and only have a half-day at the Grand Canyon, you can still make the most of it...
5 Days in Alaska: 2 Itineraries for a Short Trip in 2024
To me, Alaska is chilly mornings with a bite of snow in the air, even in the summer months. It's the smell of birch and spruce trees growing like mad during the long days of the Midnight Sun. If you're planning a 5 day Alaska itinerary for an upcoming trip, you've come to a great place...
