Nestled below the granite cliffs of Yosemite Valley is a village bustling with visitors year-round. For over a century, Curry Village has welcomed guests who want to stay in this magnificent valley yet are looking for an affordable option to the other pricier accommodations nearby, namely The Ahwahnee Hotel and Yosemite Lodge. With over 500 rooms and tents, several eating options, a grocery store, a mountain outfitter, and more, visitors have everything they need to enjoy the valley without havi...
May 19, 2025•51 min
This episode is sponsored by GO RVING™ Nothing says “All American Road Trip” more than loading up an RV, hitting the road, and having an adventure. And that’s exactly what we did recently with the help from our friends at GO RVING™ In the spring of 2025, we rented an RV in Phoenix and drove up to Page, Arizona where we spent five days and four nights enjoying the Roam America Horseshoe Bend campground and exploring this incredible part of the Southwest. The trip was an epic adventure, and in thi...
Apr 17, 2025•41 min•Ep. 169
In our Mailbag! episodes, we answer questions from listeners about the national parks, ranger-led tours, road trips, hiking, camping, backpacking, gear, relationships, and pretty much whatever anyone wants to ask us. In this episode, we cover these topics: · An alternative to visiting the Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park while the road is closed due to flood damage, · Road trip suggestions for visiting the Washington and Oregon coasts, · How to deal with crowding in the parks and the con...
Mar 10, 2025•54 min•Ep. 168
Visitors flock to Sedona, Arizona, for a multitude of reasons: the red rock landscape, the concentration of incredible hiking trails, the culinary scene, and the focus on spiritual wellness. In this episode, we'll share some of our favorite experiences on our recent trip. We'll give you an overview of Sedona, including where it's located, the optimal times to visit, and some great food we discovered, like the best donuts, margaritas, and pizza. But the main attraction, where we focus much of our...
Feb 25, 2025•58 min•Ep. 167
National parks, forests, and other federal lands are not the only incredible outdoor destinations in America. Wherever we travel, we make a point to check out the state parks along the way, and we’re constantly amazed at the ones we find. In episodes #30 and #121, we discussed some of our favorite state parks. In this episode, we bring you five more we’ve visited recently. From a spectacular cave in Montana to a dramatic rock spire on the edge of the Columbia River in Washington state, these fiv...
Jan 30, 2025•52 min•Ep. 166
There’s a reason to visit Olympic National Park any time of year. While summer is best, each season offers visitors a chance to enjoy this incredibly diverse natural resource. Regardless of how often we visit Olympic we always leave wanting to go back as soon as we can find another couple of free days. Olympic National Park might be more popular than most people realize. In 2023, it was the tenth most visited U.S. national park, with 2,947,503 visitors. Yet despite the number of visitors, it doe...
Jan 16, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 165
Are you looking for a break from the cold, gray days of winter? We have a perfect solution: a road trip loop through the American Southwest that will take you to four national parks with some bonus stops along the way. We start and end the road trip at the Las Vegas airport. From there, we drive east to the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park before heading south to the red rocks of Sedona for a couple of days. Continuing on, we make our way down to the Tucson area, where Saguaro National Pa...
Jan 09, 2025•46 min•Ep. 164
In our Mailbag! episodes, we answer questions from listeners about the national parks, ranger-led tours, road trips, hiking, camping, backpacking, gear, relationships, and pretty much whatever anyone wants to ask us. In this episode, we cover these topics: · An overview of recent national park news, · A discussion about our trip to Italy and our experience in the beautiful Dolomites, · Our opinion about what not to miss on a visit to Cuyahoga National Park, · Whether it’s worth visiting Yosemite...
Oct 01, 2024•51 min•Ep. 163
Glacier National Park is considered the “crown of the continent” because of its pristine beauty, rugged wilderness, and magnificent wildlife. While the park is open all year, summer is the primetime for visitors. However, the window to visit while the park is relatively snow-free and the main roads are open is narrow. With a limited number of days to experience all the park offers, competition for lodging and activity reservations is keen. In this episode, we give an overview of what you need to...
Aug 29, 2024•55 min•Ep. 162
In our Mailbag! episodes, we answer questions from listeners about the national parks, ranger-led tours, road trips, hiking, camping, backpacking, gear, relationships, and pretty much whatever anyone wants to ask us. In this episode, we cover these topics: · Zion National Park is working on a new visitor use management plan, · Issues related to Mount Rainier National Park’s new timed-entry system this summer (2024), · Tips on making the most of a visit to Petrified Forest National Park, · Where ...
Jul 22, 2024•51 min•Ep. 161
What’s on your bucket list? It’s a topic everyone is talking about these days, and we have a few suggestions for anyone who loves our national parks and public lands. Back in the day, our list was simple; visit all the U.S. national parks. But once we checked them all off, we realized our list was longer than when we started. In this episode, we talk about some of the most popular places to see and things to do that people put on their bucket list; what they want to do before they kick the bucke...
Jun 27, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 160
Join us as we take you on an epic road trip to all four of Colorado’s national parks! These four parks are incredibly diverse, and this trip will have you driving through alpine forests in the Rocky Mountains, hiking up the tallest sand dunes in North America, climbing ladders as you explore cultural treasures, and standing on the rim of a seemingly bottomless dark canyon. We’ve organized this episode with the road trip starting in Denver and driving clockwise around the state, but you can pick ...
Jun 13, 2024•56 min•Ep. 159
Carved by the once-wild Columbia River, the Columbia River Gorge is a dramatic canyon that snakes through the Cascade Range in the Pacific Northwest on its way to the Pacific Ocean. It's an area of stunning natural beauty with endless outdoor adventure options. Using the town of Hood River, Oregon, as our home base, we recently visited the gorge in search of waterfalls. (The area has nearly 100.) And being that it was spring when we were there, the waterfalls did not disappoint -- especially the...
May 02, 2024•59 min•Ep. 158
Each year, the National Park Service celebrates National Park Week in April. And this year, they’ve planned events from April 20th through April 28th. In this episode, we highlight some of the activities that will happen during National Park Week, give a brief history of the creation of the NPS, and interview our special guest, Jacob Wolfley, who recently spent a summer as an intern park range at Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota. Jacob will enlighten us on what it takes to score a job or ...
Apr 18, 2024•58 min•Ep. 157
In our Mailbag! episodes, we answer questions from listeners about the national parks, ranger-led tours, road trips, hiking, camping, backpacking, gear, relationships, and pretty much whatever anyone wants to ask us. In this episode, we cover these topics: · An overview of some of the closures within the national parks this year, · Suggestions for hikes in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, · Tips for avoiding altitude sickness when traveling to high-elevation parks, · Common mistakes people mak...
Apr 04, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 156
One of the most frequent questions we get from travelers is how to plan a visit to Glacier, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton NPs in a single road trip. In this episode, we cover all the details you’ll need to do just that. Without a doubt, these three parks are at the top of our “most spectacular” list. Each has its unique history and landscape, yet they’re all great places to witness once-in-a-lifetime wildlife encounters. The other thing they have in common is that they all have mountainous region...
Mar 21, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 155
In our Mailbag! episodes, we answer questions from listeners about the national parks, ranger-led tours, road trips, hiking, camping, backpacking, gear, relationships, and pretty much whatever anyone wants to ask us. In this episode, we cover these topics: · News about a faster way to enter Rocky Mountain National Park this summer, · Update about cabin demolitions within Olympic National Park, · Travel advice for a listener wanting to visit the Pacific Northwest this fall to see the mountain lar...
Mar 07, 2024•56 min•Ep. 154
Long before the National Park Service was founded, the U.S. Army was put in charge of protecting America’s national parks. One of the groups that played a crucial role in fulfilling this invaluable service to our country was the Buffalo Soldiers: African American officers and enlisted men serving in the Army. When the regimen stationed in San Francisco was tasked with protecting and developing infrastructure in Sequoia and General Grant (now Kings Canyon) National Parks, these incredibly hardwor...
Feb 29, 2024•49 min•Ep. 153
Dry Tortugas National Park is in a category of its own: pre-civil war fort, 70 miles out to sea with nothing else around it, incredible history, beautiful tropical keys with campsites, and right in the path of the most powerful hurricanes on the planet. Nowhere else can you visit a place with world-class snorkeling and see the rooms where they held the most dangerous civil war prisoners. In this episode, we discuss some recent updates about the park, provide details about visiting and camping th...
Feb 26, 2024•34 min•Ep. 152
This episode is a companion to our previous release, #150: Exploring Joshua Tree National Park. So many travelers to this magical part of Southern California spend time in both Joshua Tree NP and Palm Springs that these back-to-back episodes would be perfect for anyone planning a trip to the area. Today, we’re focusing on hikes in and around Palm Springs, sharing a few of our favorite trails with you. From an easy hike through an oasis in the Indian Canyon area of the Agua Caliente Reservation t...
Feb 22, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 151
Welcome to our journey through the awe-inspiring landscapes of America's national parks! Today is part one of a two-part series about Southern California's desert playground, where we explore the magical and rugged terrain of Joshua Tree National Park. Located about 130 miles east of Los Angeles, Joshua Tree National Park is a world of its own. With over three million visitors annually, it's a favorite spring break destination, though the park reveals its unique charm throughout the year. In thi...
Feb 15, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 150
In our Mailbag! episodes, we answer questions from listeners about the national parks, ranger-led tours, road trips, hiking, camping, backpacking, gear, relationships, and pretty much whatever anyone wants to ask us. In this episode, we cover these topics: · Our thoughts on visiting a state park in Arkansas where a visitor recently found 7-carat diamond, · Suggestions about fun hiking trails for young teenagers in Utah’s national parks, · Places to visit in the Pacific Northwest when traveling f...
Feb 08, 2024•48 min•Ep. 149
Who knows better what could go wrong while hiking in a national park than the people whose job it is to rescue hikers? That’s why we connected with a national park ranger to hear first-hand tips about hiking safety. In this episode, we interview Sara Shoemaker, a law enforcement ranger at Canyonlands National Park (Needles District) in southern Utah. For several years, we’ve exchanged emails with Sara, and we recently met her while visiting her park. It was then we cooked up the idea to have her...
Jan 25, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 148
A national park that started out as a state park more than 90 years ago, Big Bend is often called Texas’ gift to the nation. With over 1,200 square miles of pristine land, this park has a wide range of ecosystems, from sprawling deserts to mountains reaching nearly 8.000 feet. From November to April, the weather is ideal for visitors to hike in several regions of the park. In this episode, we discuss some of our favorite trails in the desert, mountains, and along the Rio Grande River. Another un...
Jan 19, 2024•54 min•Ep. 147
In our Mailbag! episodes, we answer questions from listeners about the national parks, ranger-led tours, road trips, hiking, camping, backpacking, gear, relationships, and pretty much whatever anyone wants to ask us. In this episode, we cover these topics: · We reveal our ambitious 2024 New Year’s resolution (and you can join us!), · Our gear suggestions for a family who wants to get started camping, · A discussion about the difference between “strenuous” and “dangerous” trail descriptions, · An...
Jan 04, 2024•56 min•Ep. 146
For many visitors, hiking is their go-to activity in the national parks; it is for us. But there are so many other activities the parks have to offer. In this episode, we talk about a dozen or more things you can do in the parks that are unique and amazing. From dogsledding to synchronized firefly tours, the parks offer activities that will thrill the entire family. Here are a few of the ones we discuss: Walk on the catwalk underneath the New River Gorge Bridge, Horseback ride, Attend the bat fl...
Dec 21, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 145
As the temperatures drop up north, it’s time to start thinking about warm-weather escapes. In today’s episode, we have the perfect destination for you: Saguaro National Park and a whole bunch of other incredible public lands in Southern Arizona. Join us as we take you on a journey through both districts of Saguaro NP, Catalina State Park, Sabino Canyon Recreation Area, and the Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum, all within a stone’s throw from the always-bustling college town of Tucson. We even take ...
Dec 07, 2023•58 min•Ep. 144
In our Mailbag! episodes, we answer questions from listeners about the national parks, ranger-led tours, road trips, hiking, camping, backpacking, gear, relationships, and pretty much whatever anyone wants to ask us. In this episode, we cover these topics: · Glacier NP announced their vehicle entrance reservation plan for 2024, · Grand Canyon NP is temporarily closing a stretch of Bright Angel Trail until mid-April 2024, · We answer a question about where some of the best places in the national ...
Nov 30, 2023•50 min•Ep. 143
Southern Utah is home to five must-see national parks, but if you’re traveling to this part of the American Southwest, you won’t want to miss the other incredible things to see and do. In this episode, we take you to 20 of our favorite places we’ve discovered over the years. Each site is worth exploring, from slot canyons to one-of-a-kind landscapes to priceless cultural treasures. Places we discuss in this episode: · Kanarra Falls · Cedar Breaks National Monument · Willis Creek Narrows · Kodach...
Nov 22, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 142
Find a comfortable seat and sit back as we take you with us on our boat tour to Rainbow Bridge National Monument, located just steps away from Lake Powell in a remote corner of southern Utah. On a recent road trip earlier this month, we were lucky enough to snag a reservation for a boat tour. And while the temps in early November can get downright cold on the lake, we had beautiful weather for our trip to this jaw-dropping national monument. Revered by the Navajo as a sacred site, Rainbow Bridge...
Nov 16, 2023•58 min•Ep. 141
