-
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park is a wonderland of natural color! If you’ve never been there, I invite you to see what you’re missing! Yellowstone is located mostly in Wyoming, with tiny slivers overlapping Montana and Idaho. It is a large area of beautiful lakes, rivers, canyons, waterfalls, and mountains. Underneath all of this beauty sits a dormant supervolcano called the Yellowstone Caldera. At some point in history, the volcano collapsed and formed the caldera (a large basin-like depression). The caldera then filled up with water, and Yellowstone Lake was formed! Although the volcano is dormant, there is a massive hotspot under the whole region. This is why there are so many…
-
Visiting Central Park in New York City
If you’ve ever been to Central Park, you know – it’s a big place. Eight hundred forty-three acres big! My daughter Kimberlee and I decided to walk from the north end to the south end last time we were there. It took awhile! Of course we stopped along the way for some photos….. Central Park was the first major landscaped public park not only in New York City, but the whole United States. In the 1840’s, New York’s elite began clamoring for a green space similar to those of London and Paris. Battery Park, a mere 10 acres, was the largest green space at the time, and with New York’s…
-
Visiting Times Square in New York City
There are good reasons why the touristy things in New York City are well, touristy. Because they are so fun! I’m not opposed to getting off the beaten path, but don’t be afraid to experience an activity that sounds fun just because it’s touristy. You will probably have a great time! Times Square is one of those places. Even if you have never been there, doubtless you know it from the ball that drops on New Year’s Eve, signalling the beginning of the New Year. That tradition had it’s beginnings in 1904, when a New’s Year’s party was thrown to celebrate the opening of the New York Times new headquarters.…
-
Visiting Rockefeller Center in New York City
♫ Start spreading the news, I’m leaving today. I want to be a part of it, New York, New York! ♫ New York is such a vibrant city, with so many things to see and do. I’ve been there on several occasions, and still haven’t experienced all of the activities that sound amazing to me. When you go, try to plan at least a week. If you can stay longer, do! Note: This post contains affiliate links. By clicking the link, at no cost to you, we may earn a small commission. You’ve heard of Times Square, and The Statue of Liberty. But do you know how much is going…
-
Hiking in Zion National Park
Zion National Park is located in Southern Utah. It is full of hiking trails and gorgeous scenery. Whether you are old or young, there is something for you to do in Zion! Parking and shuttle information We visited Zion in late October, during the kids fall break from school. Surprisingly, there weren’t a lot of kids in the park the day we were there, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t crowded. We arrived about 11:00 AM, and all of the parking spots at the visitor’s center were taken. Hint: Arrive early! If you are visiting in the summer, plan to be there by 8:00 AM or earlier. There is a…
-
The Pumpkin Patch at Petersen Family Farm
October in Utah brings chilly weather, hot apple cider, and pumpkins! One tradition that we love includes picking out the perfect pumpkin at a pumpkin patch. This year, we visited the pumpkin patch at Petersen Family Farm.
-
7 ways to ruin your Disney Vacation
I guess the first question is – How do you really RUIN a Disney vacation? It’s Disney right? So it’s got to be good! But there are good vacations, and then there are GREAT vacations. So follow these tips of what NOT to do, and your Disney vacation will be great! Choosing the wrong dates Do you love Christmas and want to spend it at a Disney Park? Or do you want to see the Parks decked out for Halloween? Do you care if your favorite ride is closed for refurbishment? Are you dying to stay at the Park till midnight? Do you want to avoid crowds? Be observant when…
-
Disney World day 4 – Animal Kingdom
We woke up on last day of our vacation ready for another great day, but kind of sad that it was almost over. The three prior days had been so much fun, and gone by so fast! We were on the first bus again, and actually got a place first in line at the turnstiles. That made four times in four days! Flight of Passage was our first goal, along with everybody else. We speedwalked to the rope, and I actually got there before anybody else! I guess jogging every morning pays off, right? The cast members led us to the ride and through much of the queue, so I…
-
Disney World day 3 – Hollywood Studios
Midnight is so late to stay at a Park! We felt like we couldn’t possibly get up at 5:45 after Mickey’s Halloween Party the night before. But we did, and got to Hollywood Studios by 7:45. We were first in line at the turnstiles again! Note: I don’t earn commission from any links in this post, but I hope they will be helpful to my readers. There was an early morning paid event, so they didn’t drop the rope early like they sometimes do, but they did let us onto Hollywood Boulevard about 8:00, and stopped us at the end of the street. We sat and chatted with the Cast…
-
Disney World day 2 – Magic Kingdom and Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
Our day at EPCOT yesterday turned out just the way we wanted! After falling into bed at 11:00 last night, we were ready for another early morning. Our bus picked us up at 7:05, and we were second in line at the turnstiles of Magic Kingdom by 7:25. It’s funny to see the Park decked out in Halloween decor in August! It gives it a festive atmosphere, even though it is hot and nowhere near fall. Note: I don’t earn commission from any links in this post, but I hope they will be helpful to my readers. Do you like our outfits? At the last minute I decided to make…
