US National Parks
All US national parks and NPS-administered sites
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Rocky Mountain National Park: winter hiking in Glacier Gorge
I’ve hiked in Glacier Gorge in the summer. I’ve also hiked in Glacier Gorge in the winter. A lot, in fact. Winter in Glacier Gorge is one of my favorite things in Rocky. And while I’ve published posts on Sky Pond in summer and Sky Pond in winter and Black Lake in summer and Black… Continue reading
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A comprehensive guide to visiting Rocky Mountain National Park
(Updated May 2026) Looking back, I realize I always took for granted that I used to live relatively close to a national park. Then I moved to New England, where the nearest “mountains” weren’t really mountains and the nearest national park was a full day’s drive away, and I realized how much I missed it.… Continue reading
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Rocky Mountain National Park Hikes: Lawn and Crystal Lakes
In the years since we moved to Colorado, more than one person has told me that Lawn Lake is their favorite hike in Rocky. Obviously, I couldn’t ignore a recommendation of that caliber. And while it’s not #1 on my Rocky hikes list – Chasm Lake retains that designation – I can see why people… Continue reading
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Rocky Mountain National Park Hikes: Finch and Pear Lakes
Just seven days after waving goodbye to my mom, I was saying hello to her once again. Just as our mother-daughter roadtrip has become an annual tradition, so has our mother-daughter overnight backpacking trip in Rocky. This year, we had a permit for one night at Finch Lake, a calm, fairly shallow lake located in… Continue reading
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The best views in Glacier National Park: Sperry Glacier and Lincoln Peak
Well. It’s been a long time coming, but we’ve finally reached the conclusion of my Glacier National Park series. And boy did we ever save the best for last. I’m so glad we were able to end our trip at Sperry Chalet. It was a wonderful place to stay, and it afforded us the opportunity… Continue reading
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Two nights in the backcountry at Glacier National Park’s historic Sperry Chalet
On August 10, 2017, a lightning-caused wildfire – soon to be known as the Sprague Fire – ignited near Sprague Creek in western Glacier National Park. While initial growth of the fire was slow, over the next three weeks hot temperatures and strong winds pushed the flames uphill, inching closer and closer to the historic… Continue reading
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Glacier National Park: a bucket list hike on the Highline Trail
I’d been wanting to hike the Highline Trail for years. So had my family. This was a bucket list hike for all three of us. They visited Glacier together a few years ago and I made them promise not to hike the Highline without me. Then, when we started planning this trip, they made me… Continue reading
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Glacier National Park: driving the iconic Going-to-the-Sun Road
If you do a google search for “most scenic roads in the USA,” Going-to-the-Sun will probably be on the list. If you do a google search for “most scenic roads in Montana,” Going-to-the-Sun will definitely be on the list. Out of curiosity, I just googled “most scenic roads in the world,” and Going-to-the-Sun even popped… Continue reading
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Glacier National Park: a bucket list hike to Grinnell Glacier
If someone told me they only had one day in the Many Glacier area, my advice would be to hike to Grinnell Glacier. It’s a beautiful hike with a little bit of everything – flowers, lakes, glaciers, views, and most likely some wildlife. I’ve seen both bighorn sheep and mountain goats along this trail, and… Continue reading
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Glacier National Park: hiking to Ptarmigan Tunnel
In 1930, workers in Glacier National Park blasted a 250 foot (76 m) tunnel through the sheer rock of Ptarmigan Wall, forming an easily navigable connection between the Many Glacier and Belly River Valleys. Located at about 7200 feet (2195 m) of elevation, Ptarmigan Tunnel is now a popular day hiking destination, as well as… Continue reading
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Glacier National Park: a stunning hike to Iceberg Lake
Many years ago, three friends and I embarked upon a three-week Canadian Rockies adventure in which we camped our way through Glacier, up into Waterton Lakes, Banff and Jasper National Parks in Alberta, and finally over to Vancouver before heading back home. It was on this trip that I hiked to Iceberg Lake for the first… Continue reading
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Glacier National Park: a scenic boat ride and a hike to Dawson Pass
When my mom was a teenager, her best friend’s family invited her to join them on a three week cross-country road trip, from the flat expanse of the midwest to the Rocky Mountains of northern Montana. It was her first time ever seeing mountains and, as she tells it, she knew then that she was… Continue reading
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Glacier National Park: the lakes and waterfalls of Two Medicine
There are quite a few versions of the origin story of the name Two Medicine, but most of them refer to two medicine lodge ceremonies – a Blackfeet tradition – taking place in the region at approximately the same time. This southeastern region of Glacier National Park now retains the name, as do three lakes… Continue reading
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A comprehensive guide to visiting Glacier National Park
(Updated May 2026) I know some people have a hard time answering the question “what’s your favorite place you’ve ever been?” Not me. Hands down, it’s Glacier National Park and the Canadian Rockies (and yes, I know those are technically two separate places). In fact, I love Glacier so much that we originally planned to… Continue reading
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A photo a day: Glacier National Park
This past summer, we celebrated our anniversary with a two-week roadtrip to my favorite place: Glacier National Park. It was my husband’s first ever trip to Glacier – though he’s been listening to me rave about it for years now – and I was so excited for him to finally see the park with his… Continue reading
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Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Wisconsin (part II): touring the sea caves
Geologically speaking, the Apostle Islands were formed through glaciation and erosion. Over thousands of years during the last ice age, the glaciers advanced and deposited layer upon layer of sediment, and then carved out the enormous bowl that is now Lake Superior as they receded. In the years since, the constant action of the waves… Continue reading
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Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Wisconsin (part I): cruising Lake Superior
Until this roadtrip, Lake Superior was the one Great Lake I hadn’t seen from the ground. I’d flown over it before, so I had some comprehension of its immensity. But as I stood there on the lakeshore for the first time, I might as well have been gazing out over the vastness of the ocean.… Continue reading
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Rocky Mountain National Park Hikes: Bridal Veil Falls
I’m just going to come right out and say it: this might be the most underrated waterfall in Rocky. Given the deluge of rain we received in May and early June this year, I figured it would be an optimal time to hike to a waterfall. And boy, was it ever. Of course, we also… Continue reading
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A whirlwind weekend in Philadelphia (part I) – Independence Hall & the Liberty Bell
Philadelphia is a city steeped in history. Founded in 1682, it was not only the largest city in the US for a time, but also the most diverse. It was initially just a port city, but became an important meeting point for the colonial government prior to the Revolutionary War and later served as the… Continue reading
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A winter encampment – Valley Forge National Historical Park, Pennsylvania
Despite our best efforts, we moved away from the east coast with quite a few things left on our east coast to-do list. We just ran out of time to see everything. But we usually head back at least once a year for one reason or another. This year, it was for a wedding. As… Continue reading