Asheville is our family’s “go to” for a weekend trip. It’s a fun, artsy town with great restaurants and what seems like a craft brewery on every block. Asheville is known as a great weekend getaway for couples, but it’s also worth visiting with the family. Between stops at family-friendly breweries and restaurants, your kids will find plenty of things to do whether exploring the city’s downtown or venturing out to nearby hiking trails along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Read moreShort Hike To Amazing Views From Buzzard Rock in Mount Rogers National Recreation Area
This amazing high elevation hike on the Appalachian Trail to Buzzard Rock in southwest Virginia offers meadows, forests, and an open mountain bald. Add some amazing views and a bit of rock scrambling, and it’s a surefire winner for the family.
Read moreA Weekend Getaway In Abingdon, Virginia - Where To Eat, Where To Stay, And Things To Do
Trestle on the Virginia Creeper Trail near Abingdon, Virginia
For my family, we repeatedly visit Abingdon for two main reasons: biking the Virginia Creeper Trail (a 34 mile rails to trails pathway) and hiking the trails at nearby Grayson Highlands State Park, famous for its soaring mountain views and wild ponies. Here’s everything you need to know to enjoy these two wonderful things to do on your next visit to Abingdon, Virginia - when to go, where to stay, and our favorite restaurants in Abingdon.
Read moreStay In A Yurt At Grayson Highlands State Park—It’s Simply Awesome!
Yurt 1 at Grayson Highlands State Park
Grayson Highlands State Park in Virginia is one of my favorite places in the world. I love the mountain balds with wild ponies grazing, the easy access to great trails with amazing views, and the high elevation of the park. The tent camping at Grayson Highlands, however, isn’t great. The sites are too small and close to each other. The work around? Stay in a yurt! Yurt 2, also known as “Split Rock” was our home for 2 nights during the first week of June. Read my full review.
Read moreThe Insider’s Guide To Kiawah Island
My family has been visiting Kiawah Island in South Carolina for the last 20 years. It’s our favorite beach destination in the South, because you can bike to everywhere on the island, the beach is wide and 10 miles long, and there’s not a hi-rise to be found here. This Insider’s Guide to Kiawah Island provides everything you need to know to plan your next family vacation- best places to stay, where to eat, things to do, and all the tips and knowledge we’ve gained on our vacations here.
Read moreFamily Vacation To Yellowstone
Living in Bozeman, MT, we get plenty of friends and family visiting us on their way from Bozeman to Yellowstone National Park. We are fortunate to live within 2 hours of both the West Entrance and North Entrance to Yellowstone. This is the information we share with them and it’s proven to be a great itinerary for all!
Read moreHow To Get Airport Lounge Access For The Whole Family
Why I think paying for airport lounge access is worth it when flying with kids (or even by yourself). Besides the included food, drinks, and speedy WiFi, you get a precious commodity all too rare when flying- space. And you get special help if things go wrong with your flight plans, a huge bonus. Find out which airline credit card is our favorite for lounge access for the whole family (not all of them allow you to bring your kids with you!)
Read moreOde to the Kavu Bag, A Perfect Bag For Travel
Amy and her daughters walking in Paris with their Kavus. It really does make a great bag for traveling. It has been in city centers, on a bike ride, on multiple hikes, and so many planes, trains, and automobiles. Still going strong years later with near daily use.
I love gear. Let me just state that first. I am a gear collector who can browse an outdoor store looking at gadgets I will probably never need but just look cool. If I am looking for something I need, I will research for hours until I find exactly what I want. I love a well- designed object that does what I need it to do without extraneous and usually useless gimmicks.
Read more5 Things Not To Do When Visiting Athens, Greece
Classic postcard view of the Acropolis from Philopappou Hill
Athens is a wonderful city that I have been lucky enough to visit multiple times throughout my life. The first was as a backpacking student and I was armed with a less than sufficient amount of knowledge about the city but more than a sufficient amount of beer. Mistakes were made, lessons were learned, and I had a fabulous time. The trips that followed honed my skills and I began to feel pretty comfortable traveling to Athens. The most recent trip, however, involved extended family members and four kids so it was a different ballgame altogether from my previous trips. New mistakes were made and new lessons were learned, but we all still had a fabulous time. These are just 5 of the things I have learned the hard way not to do when visiting Athens:
Read moreA Simply Awesome Day in Yellowstone National Park
There is so much to see in Yellowstone National Park, but the Lamar Valley is a must see for wildlife viewing. Find out where to stay, where to eat, best places for wildlife viewing, and easy hikes for all to enjoy in the Lamar Valley.
Read moreA Simply Awesome Day in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Cades Cove at sunrise. One of my favorite places to be in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Living just 30 minutes from the entrance to the Smokies, we are often asked about a one day itinerary for friends and family visiting the park. Although you could easily spend a week here, we think this one day plan captures the spirit and beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Read moreEverything You Wanted To Know About Elkmont Campground In The Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Want to take a trip to the Smokies and camp in the woods but not sure what to expect? We’ll tell you everything you need to know about Elkmont Campground in exhaustive detail- what campsites are the best, how to reserve, and all the little things that will help you plan your trip. This family friendly campground is one of our favorites in the Smokies and we return to it again and again.
Read moreGlamping In A Yurt At Cloudland Canyon State Park- All The Details You Want To Know
Treat yourself to a luxury glamping night at the yurts in the ever awesome Cloudland Canyon State Park in north Georgia.
The yurts at Cloudland Canyon State Park are a great way to feel like you are camping without having to do any of the work normally associated with camping. Spacious, quiet, private, and even with electricity and AC, we had a good time on our glamping adventure and would do it again. It was especially helpful as this was a just an overnight trip when we couldn’t bring any camping stuff with us.
Read moreSummer Fun In Big Sky, Montana
Big Sky, MT is known for its winter skiing, but it is just as beautiful in the summer with its blooming wildflowers, scenic mountain ranges, and variety of outdoor activities. You could easily spend a week here, especially if you add a day trip to Yellowstone National Park which is just one hour away. Here’s what we did during our summer trip to Big Sky.
Read moreYour Guide To Biking Cades Cove in the Smokies
View from the Cades Cove Loop Road
Cades Cove is notoriously the busiest area of the Smokies. So what’s a local to do? Fortunately, the good news is that you can bike or walk the loop without cars on Wednesdays from early May to late September. This is one of our favorite things to do in the Smokies, and we share all the details you need to know to enjoy this unique and fun experience.
Read moreA Simply Awesome Day in Bozeman, Montana
Stopping in Bozeman on your way to Yellowstone National Park? You’ll find plenty to do in this fun western town. Here’s how to spend a perfect day. What to do, where to eat, and where to stay in Bozeman, MT.
Read moreCades Cove Campground In Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Cades Cove. This kind of beautiful scenery is not far from your campground and is why you camp here.
Use this local’s years of experience at gorgeous Cades Cove to find out everything you need to know about camping at Cades Cove Campground. Best campsites, best activities, how to explore the cove without people- all the hacks and know-how I have accumulated over the years to make your family’s trip the best it can be.
Read moreHiking Alum Cave Trail To Mount LeConte With Kids- Family Hikes In Great Smoky Mountains National Park
One of many superb vistas from Alum Cave Trail before you even get to the top of Mount LeConte.
Want to hike to Alum Cave and Mount LeConte? Wondering if your kids can handle this can't miss Smokies trail? We have details, tips, and hacks to help you hike this spectacular trail, one of the most popular and iconic hikes in the Smokies.
Read moreFavorite Hikes With Kids In The Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Our favorite family hikes in the Smokies are not too long nor exhausting and typically have a highlighted feature such as a waterfall, creek, or historic cabin that the kids will enjoy. There are many, many more hikes but we have narrowed down our recommended hikes for kid-pleasing, shorter, easier walks in the woods!
Read morePhelps Lake in Grand Teton National Park
Grand Teton National Park is simply awesome with its jagged mountain peaks, alpine lakes, wildlife, sagebrush meadows, and forests filled with aspens and fir trees. You’ll find it all on this wonderful hike to Phelps Lake on the Lake Creek-Woodland Trail Loop.
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