Welcome to Sitka, Alaska—a charming and historic port that’s a must-see stop on any Southeast Alaska cruise. I’m Valerie Perry, a Cruise Director and travel book author, and I’m thrilled to share my insider tips and favorite spots in Sitka to help you make the most of your visit. This […]
National Parks
58 posts
Yellowstone was America’s first National Park and my 100th. I have long found Yellowstone fascinating. It sounds like a mythical place. It’s a land where steam shoots out of the ground with great force and pools of water are multicolored and glimmering and pits of mud pop and splash as […]
Geysers and Yellowstone National Park are nearly synonymous. In fact a majority of the worlds geysers are located within the park. Over 500 geysers and more than 10,000 hydrothermal features can be found in Yellowstone. The park sits on top of an active volcano and includes one of the world’s […]
We all know about Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Spring, and Mammoth Hot Springs, but to be honest, all of Yellowstone National Park is one giant photo spot – just like it is with wildlife watching. Great views greeted me every day in the park, but a few stood out as […]
If you enter Yellowstone National Park through the Roosevelt Arch at the North Entrance, the first area of development you will come to is Mammoth Hot Springs. There are three major areas of Mammoth Hot Springs: the Historic District, the Upper Terrace, and the Lower Terrace. The Historic District The […]
After a hot summer day full of exploration in Yellowstone National Park, nothing feels better than a swim! Firehole Swimming Area A turnoff for Firehole Canyon Drive can be found on the Grand Loop, just south of Madison and the West Entrance Road. The 2 mile road is one-way and […]
Camping in Yellowstone National Park is mainly first come, first served – like in Grand Teton. We approached from the south and decided to visit Madison Junction Campground near the west entrance first. As we pulled in we saw a sign noting that the campground was full. We booked it […]
After finding our campsite, we were off on our first excursion. We considered wildlife viewing in Lamar Valley or visiting Old Faithful, but after the drive we were ready for a hike so we headed to Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. A drive through Canyon Village to the South Rim […]
Wildlife is plentiful and some of it is very easy to spot in Yellowstone National Park. Lamar Valley and Hayden Valley Lamar Valley and Hayden Valley best known for their wildlife watching. If there are bears or wolves to be spotted, they are probably in Lamar or Hayden. As much […]
On a trip through Grand Teton, Yellowstone, and Glacier National Parks, Grand Teton was probably the park I was the least excited about. I constantly thought, “It’s just a big mountain, right?” Well, technically yes, Grand Teton is a very big mountain. But this 310,000 acre park in Wyoming includes […]
It’s hard to take a bad picture in Grand Teton National Park. While most photos from here are good, fill your Instragram feed with images from the best photo spots in Grand Teton National Park. Mormon Row Historic District The barns and old buildings of Mormon Row are probably the […]
Most hikes don’t start with a boat ride. But a hike in Cascade Canyon in Grand Teton National Park does. Or at least, can. Jenny Lake The hike begins at the Jenny Lake Visitor Center and Trailhead. From here you can walk the 2 mile trail to the west side […]