• 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…

  • 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…

  • f you are planning a trip to Waco, Texas you are in for a real treat!
    Texas,  Travel

    More Great Places to Visit on your trip to Waco, Texas

    Out and about in Waco, Texas If you are planning a trip to Waco, Texas you are in for a real treat! Let’s assume you are already planning to visit Magnolia Market at the Silos. There is no shortage of information out there about Magnolia Market, but what else is there to do? This beautiful mural is just a block away from Magnolia Market on the side of Savage Finds antique shop. Waco is a relatively small town, so everything is in close proximity. Most of the places I’m about to mention are within 10-15 minutes of each other so you can fit several of them in without any trouble…

  • Clear Creek Falls
    California,  Travel

    Quick stop at Wiskeytown National Scenic Area

    Wiskeytown National Scenic Area is a great place to experience the natural beauty of northern California. Our trip to Whiskeytown was on our route north back to Oregon after spending Christmas in Arizona. It was a quick last minute detour, but we look forward to returning someday to spend more time exploring. Whiskeytown was once a gold mining settlement during the California Gold Rush of 1849. Now, this area draws people looking to swim, sail, kayak, fish and hike…you can even pan for gold during the summer months. Check the website for schedule details. We arrived at the Visitor’s Center, got our National Parks Passports stamped and found out what…

  • 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…