• The Painted Hills part of the John Day Fossil Bed National Monument in Oregon.
    Hiking Guides,  National Parks,  Oregon,  Travel

    Experience the Beautiful John Day Fossil Beds National Monument

    If you have never visited the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, you’re in for a real treat. In this post I’m sharing what to expect you visit the John Day Fossil Beds in Oregon. For starters, the John Day Fossil Bed National Monument is a part of the National Parks System and features three distinct units: The Painted Hills Unit, The Sheep Rock Unit and the Clarno Unit. We visited the Painted Hills and Sheep Rock Units and hope to explore the Clarno Unit soon. Unlike most National Parks and Monuments, admission is free year round at the John Day NM! Our trip fell during the early part of…

  • Florida,  National Parks,  Travel

    Five Great Reasons to Visit Castillo de San Marcos

    Castillo de San Marcos is an old historic Spanish located in the heart of St Augustine’s Historic District. As a result, it’s one of the top places to visit in St Augustine. This fort is a National Monument, therefore admission is free with an America the Beautiful National Parks Pass. If you don’t have a pass, admission is $15 for adults. Admission is also free during the St Augustine History Festival in May. Here are five reasons to visit Castillo de San Marcos, in no particular order: 1. Admire the Architecture of the Oldest Fort in the US The Castillo de San Marco was built by the Spaniards to defend…

  • Visiting Rocky Mountain National Park
    Colorado,  National Parks

    One Day in Rocky Mountain National Park

    If you only have one day to visit Rocky Mountain National Park it might be hard to pin down which places to see. Whenever we are crunched for time at a national park we make the best of our stay and think of it like a sampler. We know it’s impossible to see it all in a short amount of time, therefore picking a few highlights lets us experience the park without stressing too much or feeling pressed for time. The first thing we do once we enter a national park is drive to the nearest visitor center to talk with a ranger. You will receive a map when you…

  • National Parks
    Great American Road Trip,  National Parks

    Price for the National Parks Senior Pass will Increase next Month

    If you or someone you know is 62 or older, don’t forget to get a lifetime National Parks Pass before Aug. 28th! The price goes from $10 to $80. The pass pays for access to all national parks and many other public lands for life. Annual and lifetime Senior Passes provide access to more than 2,000 recreation sites managed by six federal agencies: National Park Service US Fish & Wildlife Service Bureau of Land Management Bureau of Reclamation US Forest Service US Army Corps of Engineers The pass also admits 3 additional adults. A great investment for $10! For more details regarding this price increase, go to the National Parks…

  • Crater Lake National parks passport
    Great American Road Trip,  National Parks,  Travel

    Family Adventures with our National Parks Passport

    For the past three years our family mission has been to travel to as many National Parks as we can given the constraints of school and work schedules. Thanks to our National Parks Annual Pass, we have seen some pretty amazing places all within driving distance from our home in Oregon. We bought our National Parks Passports on our first family road trip to Yellowstone in 2015 and have pretty much planned our vacations around national parks ever since. Not only can you get cancelation stamps at national parks, but there are also stamps at national monuments and national historic sites. There’s a whole list of places to check off inside the…