Category Archives: National Parks

Petrified National Forest, AZ

We visited the Petrified Forest National Park after visiting Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks.  I will admit it was great knowing we would see all the major sites in this National Park in half a day.  An additional benefit would be not feeling exhausted at the end of our day.

Sequoia National Park

If you plan to visit Sequoia National Park, consider the desired entrance.  There are two options, CA 198 through Three Rivers, where we stayed, or CA 180 via Squaw Valley.  The drive time on CA 180 from the Big Stump Entrance to General Shermans Tree parking is about 30 miles and will take an hour.  The advantage of this drive is you will not have to deal with the twists and turns and steep drop-offs provided on CA 198.  Your nerves will thank you.  

Death Valley National Park

Using Lone Pine, CA, and the Boulder Creek RV Resort as our home base for the week, we would take a day trip to Death Valley National Park.  It would take two hours to reach our first destination within the park, but it would be worth it.  The drive to Death Valley from Lone Pine was insane.  Highway 190 would take us through the most remote parts of the US we had seen.  

Visiting Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park is known for the hoodoos that highlight years of erosion from rain, freezing temperatures, and warm summers.  Over time the elements erode the forever-changing landscape.  No other area highlights this more than the six square miles known as the Bryce Amphitheater.  Hoodoos are the center of attention in the heart of the park.  This is the beauty Ruby and Minnie wanted to share, and I understand why. 

Capitol Reef – Utah

I do not know why Capitol Reef National Park keeps eluding me. I first drove through this National Park in 2016 during a ten-day family trip to the Mighty Five. When my wife and I were planning our return trip to Utah, I was determined to make this stop an overnight stay.