California – Sequoia National Forest / Lake Isabella
July 9 – 12: After an overnight stop in Boulder City, Nevada we drove to Tillie Creek Campground near Lake Isabella and Sequoia National Forest. We spent three nights camping with good friends and trying to survive the 100 degree heat (the temperature topped out at 107 degrees on the last day). To escape the hot temperatures on our first day we sought out higher elevations and hiked the Unal Trail.
Day two took us to Lake Isabella to cool off, and then we drove to the 100 Giants Trail to see some giant sequoias. Maggie and CJ were awed by the size and resilience of these massive trees; many trees had survived fires, lightning strikes, and some trees were thousands of years old. Despite the heat, the kids loved camping and we’re hoping that more camping adventures await us in the future.
Moab, Utah – Canyonlands National Park
July 7 – 8: We spent the day exploring Canyonlands, which was thankfully cooler than Arches. After a quick visit to the Visitor Center we planned out our stops around the Island in the Sky. We stopped for a quick hike to Mesa Arch where we did our best to keep our distance from other tourists vying for photo ops. We then drove to the Upheaval Dome trailhead and had a picnic lunch to fuel up for the short hike to the first overlook.
We also followed the advice of the National Park Service and took a hike to the top of Whale Rock where we were rewarded with amazing views (and were the only hikers on the entire trail). To finish the day, we stopped at Green River Overlook and Grand View Point to take in a few more stunning views before heading back to the hotel.
Moab, Utah – Arches National Park
July 5 – 6: After driving through Moab on our way to other destinations we decided to come back to the area and spend a few days exploring. We ventured into Arches National Park to take in the scenery and see some of the famous sandstone arches and rock formations. Our first two days have been HOT, but we’ll see what the next few days have in store (I’m guessing, more heat).
Dayton, Idaho
July 1 – 5: We had one last bear sighting (a grizzly no less!) when we made our way from Yellowstone down through the Caribou-Targhee and Teton National Forests. We stopped in Jackson Hole for lunch at Sidewinder Tavern, a restaurant featured on Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives”. Funnily enough, Maggie and CJ really love his shows on the Food Network. From there it was another few hours to a small cabin in Dayton, Idaho close to the Utah border.
Over the next few days, Maggie and CJ spent time playing in the tree house on the property and we got ourselves organised for the last two weeks of our trip. We had a quiet 4th of July roasting s’mores and taking in some local fireworks. It was great to have a few lazy days taking in sights from the front porch swing and wrapping our heads around what’s next.
Wyoming – Yellowstone National Park
June 29 – July 1: After a six hour drive and a quick stop to stretch our legs and see the hot springs in Thermopolis, we made it to our campsite at Grant Village Campground in Yellowstone National Park. The drive from the park entrance gates to Grant Village was full of animal sightings including a bison, a bald eagle, a beaver, and a black bear digging for food on a hillside with her cub. The beautiful scenery and animals were enough to distract the kids from the freezing temperatures, and while Chris and I enjoyed their enthusiasm, we were tempted to sleep in the car on the first night when it started snowing.
While in Yellowstone we explored the geysers and hot springs around Old Faithful and had a close (but not too close) encounter with a bison along the Geyser Basin Walk. We also stopped and admired a number of waterfalls and took a hike along the South Rim Trail to marvel at the views of Yellowstone’s canyon and river. The animal adventures continued with another bear sighting and traffic jams also caused by a herd of elk (with babies) and bison dotting the meadows and hillsides. Unfortunately, our second night camping also included lots of rain, but thankfully we managed to stay dry in our tent and emerged to partially sunny and blue skies the next morning. We certainly enjoyed our coffee and hot chocolates on the chilly mornings.
We wish we could’ve spent more time in Yellowstone exploring more trails and camping spots. Even with the cold and rainy weather, we had a great time and the experience has been a definite favourite of both kids.
Casper, Wyoming
June 25 – 28: We travelled back to Grumpy’s (aka Grandpa’s) for a few days before our next camping attempt. We spent time catching up with my family, put Grumpy to work baking cinnamon rolls and also fit in a visit to Tate Geological Museum. As we were the only visitors at the time, Maggie and CJ got treated to a mini tour by Russell Hawley, the museum’s education specialist. We learned about Dee the Mammoth and Nicole the rare Torosaurus. We also learned about working at Dinosaur Digs around Wyoming. Maybe we’ll work that in to our next family trip!
Avon, Colorado
June 20 – 25: We returned to a familiar place to get organised and plan the next weeks of our journey. Avon/Beaver Creek is one of our favourite family vacation spots and where we usually get to go skiing during spring breaks. While we were very disappointed that skiing was cancelled due to Covid, it was great to see this place during the summer season. Maggie and CJ were able to participate in a climbing camp for two days, and we also took advantage of the local trails to do some biking. Chris and I did a 30km round trip bike ride from Avon to Vail and back, and I think we’ll be using the next few days to recover.
Mesa Verde, Colorado
June 17 – 20: We spent three nights camping at Morefield Campground in Mesa Verde National Park. The hikes were fantastic for Maggie and CJ thanks to detailed pamphlets available at the trailheads that identified plants along the way. The kids also enjoyed finding and trying to identify animal tracks both at the campsite and on the hikes. Our favourite hike was definitely the Petroglyph Point Trail; squeezing between narrow rocks, navigating steep pathways, stumbling across the remains of cliff dwellings, and interpreting the petroglyphs were highlights of the camping experience.
Arizona – The Grand Canyon
June 15 – 17: We attempted the Bright Angel Trail with the kids early in the morning and made it one mile down before turning around and heading back up. The views were incredible and we even got to see rangers taking mules down the trail to the bottom of the canyon. We also rented bikes so we could ride along the Greenway Trail with Maggie and CJ, where we got pretty close to some grazing deer. At sunset we made it to Powell’s Point to take in the changing colors of the rocks, and while some areas were closed and we couldn’t possibly see everything we were still blown away by the beauty and scale of the area.
Nevada & Arizona
June 12 – 15: While in Nevada, we stayed just outside Las Vegas and took a day trip to Lake Havasu to see London Bridge and do some biking. Our initial plan was to bike along the Island Trail, but after a few kilometers with no shade and 100 degree heat we abandoned the trail for snow cones and a cooler ride by the water.
Since Hoover Dam was closed we filled a day by checking out the Lion Habitat Ranch, wading in Lake Mead, and walking along the Historic Railroad Trail while Maggie and CJ rode their bikes. The old tunnels proved especially interesting as we spotted (and in some case dodged) the bats living there.
Los Angeles & Big Bear, California
June 8 – 12: After a stop in Chino Hills to visit family we made our way to Big Bear. We discovered some fun hiking and biking trails and bought some goodies at the local farmers’ market. We also lucked out and managed to get a campsite at Serrano Campground for one night. We survived our first night camping in a tent on the ground despite being awoken in the middle of the night by the sound of coyotes howling in the distance, an eerie but awesome sound.
May 31 – June 8: We were fortunate enough to get to stay with some good friends in Redondo Beach for a week before heading up to Big Bear. Maggie and CJ enjoyed having other kids to play with after two months of lockdown with us, and it was great to catch up with old friends. We explored the South Coast Botanic Garden, saw dolphins from the beach, and got to play on some cool bouncy castles (the kids did anyway).
San Diego, California
April & May: We spent two months laying low, trying to sort out cancelled flights and figure out next steps. Leucadia was a great place to be and we were able to find a routine that worked for us that usually involved some form of school work and some form of exercise. We got to see the red tide bioluminescence, raise caterpillars and watch them turn into butterflies (thanks to a delivery from a good friend), and Maggie even survived a root canal (thank you Dr. Joy, Dr. Lin, and Escondido Endodontics). There have been a number of curve balls thrown our way (we know we’re not alone in this respect), but we’ve decided to venture on!
April 1 – April 6: We made our way from Utah to California and drove through Las Vegas, which was quite surreal and a little sad with everything closed. We’re settling in to spend the month in Leucadia, a great beach community just outside San Diego. With everything being closed and the Stay at Home orders, we feel really lucky to have a found a place where we can still get outside and be close to the water. So far Maggie and CJ are enjoying riding their bikes, doing cosmic yoga, and eating all the treats I can’t seem to stop myself from baking.
For Chris’s birthday we introduced the kids to In-N-Out burger (which was a huge hit) and got some yummy coffee from Mostra Coffee, a great company owned by people I went to high school with. We ended the day with a family movie night and homemade birthday cake.
Utah – Zion National Park
March 29 – March 31: We practiced social distancing at Zion National Park (the squirrels were having none of it). It was great to get outside and go for a hike around the amazing rock formations. Chris faced his fear of heights in order to tackle the Canyon Overlook Trail. There were definitely beautiful views, but following behind the kids on some of the narrow cliff-side trails is not something I’ll rush to do again.
Casper, Wyoming
March 12 – March 28: We made it to the US and spent 2 weeks with Grumpy (a.k.a. Grandpa) in Wyoming. Maggie and CJ enjoyed bike riding, playing in the snow, and spending time with family, while I kept busy with baking and more baking. We also celebrated Maggie’s 10th birthday with a homemade three-layer “Matilda” cake. We’d like to think even the Trunchbull would’ve been impressed.
