West Coast Farewell Tour

May, 2021, Mother’s Day weekend we embarked on our West Coast Farewell tour. Unlike other tours, this one would focus on only one national park: Channel Islands. Joined by Sarah’s husband, Jarad, and their four month old son, Peart, it would also be our first time taking the baby on an airplane, or, in my case, first time in 30 years. Moreover, it was the first time any of us had stranded ourselves on an island for the day so we set off with some trepidation. Again, Sarah’s preparation paid off, and between the baby and our cousin Dan who joined us on our trip, we were in for a boatload of fun!

Traveling With a Baby Part II: Road Tips for Infants

Peart was 2.5 months old when we took our first multi-state road trip, over 3,000 miles through six states to six national parks, and it was not our last! We ended up road tripping through 23 states (not all at once) and traveling to 37 national parks by the time he was 19 months old. Now, thousands of miles later, here is a list of things we did to make traveling with an infant, ages newborn to 1 year, easier*.

Traveling With a Baby Part I: Our Favorite Gear

We traveled to 25 different national parks before Peart turned 1 year old. These are some of our favorite items that made our travels easier*.

Canyons and Cactus Remastered

In March 2020, it was with great disappointment that we postponed our highly anticipated Canyons and Cactus tour. However, with COVID 19 running rampant one by one, our carefully placed reservations were getting canceled while hotels, restaurants, and even some of the national parks were closing.

Our Better Natures Seek Elevation

July, 2020, Sarah and I set off on our Rocky Mountain High Colorado tour. Yes, we know it’s not a Rush song, but what else would you call a tour through Colorado?

The Express Gets You There: A Grand Canyon Holiday Adventures

All Aboard! December 17, 2022 Sarah and I, along with Jarad and Peart, who was celebrating his upcoming 2nd birthday, boarded the Grand Canyon Railway for a one day round trip excursion from Williams, Arizona to the south rim of the Grand Canyon. 

Across the Cities of the Plain

We fastened our seat belts and as Sarah started the car, “The Spirit of Radio” started playing. We took this to be a good sign. And “off on [our] way” we were on our 2019 Great Plains Tour. This eight day adventure would take us 3,500 miles through eight states and six national parks. This afternoon we only had to make it 370 miles to a Walmart Superstore in Missoula, Montana where we would sleep for the night.

Hold Your Fire: Yosemite National Park

Sarah and I are often asked “What is your favorite National Park?” and we are always quick to answer “Yosemite,” but then go on to explain that it's really not a fair contest. Besides being unsurpassed in beauty and grandeur, Yosemite National Park feels like home to us. This is because it was my next door neighbor when I lived in the Sierra foothills for several years, and while we moved away when Sarah was just a baby, we continued to visit every year.

Test for Echo

The Grand Canyon: 277 river miles long; average width of 10 miles and up to 18; over a mile deep in places with elevation ranging from 2,000 to 8,000 feet; and an estimated volume of 5.45 trillion cubic yards. The park spans 1,218,375 acres of the state of Arizona and typically welcomes over 5 million visitors per year.

Curves and Lines of Grand Designs

Our first trip to Arches National Park was August, 2018 via Zion National park. Located in southern Utah, Arches is a mere 15 hour drive from our home state of Washington, a distance easily traveled in one long or two moderate days. Hence, our first thought was “how did we miss this all of these years?” I have since come to think of Arches as the Disneyland of the parks (in a good way) as it is easily accessible, beautiful and pristine, and fun for all ages and abilities.

Workin' Them Angels Part II: The Way Out Is The Way In

August 3, 2020: My husband, Jarad, and I were staying for a week in a cabin at Zion Lodge and today we were hiking “The Narrows.” I was 22 weeks pregnant and determined to get in as much hiking and outdoor activity as I could before the birth of my son. Nothing, not even a COVID-19 pandemic, was going to stop me…

Workin' Them Angels Part I: So Close to the Edge

August 8, 2019 I woke to a 2 AM (PDT) alarm. My husband, Jarad, and I were in Las Vegas for a conference he was attending. The night before we went to dinner with friends and didn't get back to our hotel until 10 PM so it had been a short sleep. Even so I was instantly awake, full of excitement and a touch of angst over the pending day’s events.

We Spent the Night in Zion

Zion National Park was one of the parks we visited on our first trip in 2018. Zion is one of the most popular parks so here our motivation to always arrive early really paid off. As a leader in conservation, visitors may experience a few obstacles, but careful planning can alleviate any frustration. Knowing what to expect helped us to focus on the many positive qualities of the park and enjoy our first experience in Zion canyon. Since then we have been drawn back multiple times to the beauty and adventure this park has to offer.

Dog Years

National Pet Week was May 5-11. In honor of that we decided to explore the topic of taking your pets, specifically dogs, to national parks.

From the Lowest Low

Our first visit to Death Valley National Park was on our first road trip in 2018. Like a popular Rush song we came screaming through, or rather into, the valley on a 120 degree August afternoon. We wondered if our brakes were still working after a long descent from Towne Pass at 4,956 feet to Stovepipe Wells, which sits at a mere 10 feet. As a general rule I don’t like to stay in places called “death” or “hell” or “devil” anything, but our accommodations were nothing like any of those places on this night.

A Fool's Paradise: National Park Lodging Part I

The whole idea for our Neil Peart Inspired National Park Road Trips started with us planning a trip to Yosemite. I had lived in Sonora, California for five years when I was married, just 45 minutes from the valley floor. My kids were all born in the area, and we made frequent trips to the park over the years.

Rivendell

After spending an August Sunday morning in Kings Canyon, we drove the Generals Highway into Sequoia. We were struck by the lush, green forests, reminiscent of our home state of Washington. Having lived for several years in the Sierra foothills we were familiar with the blistering hot, dry, brown summers of California. Here the cool breeze wafted through the green leaves. We would learn that this is part of the appeal of this park so easily accessible from the San Joaquin valley.

A Farewell to Kings Canyon

Kings Canyon National Park was our first official national park stop on our first ever Neil Peart Inspired National Park Road Trip.

It's Good to Be Alone

My favorite pastime is hiking. While I love hiking with friends or family, they aren’t always available to join me, and in some ways I prefer hiking by myself. Over the years I have developed some habits to improve my safety when I set out on my own.

On A Desert Highway

August of 2018 we took the first of our national park road trips. After a morning hike in Sequoia, we headed out of the park on Highway 198 toward Three Rivers, California. The descent into Three Rivers is a steep winding road, which was undergoing road construction with one lane closed for several miles.