Located in Virginia, only about a 4 hour drive away, this relatively small National Park is a nice little weekend getaway. This park runs North to South and is long and narrow. We went here during peak Fall foliage, and it was absolutely breathtaking to see the forest of colors. Visit this park to see views of the Appalachians, cascading waterfalls, and to get lost in the quiet of the forest. 

The Logistics ​

• Drove from Raleigh
• Traveled with James and my cousins and their husbands, Amy, Justin, Sarah, Julian
• Stayed in an AirBNB in Winchester, VA
• Stayed in Winchester 2 nights and 2 days; Visited the park for 1 day

The Itinerary
Day 1

• Gathered into two separate cars and started the ascent into the park through the North Entrance Station (Front Royal)
• Drove up the winding road called Skyline Drive and stopped at a roadside vista to get pictures and admire the view. 
• Continued driving and stopped at Stony Man Loop to do a hike up the mountain for another killer view.
• Stopped at Skyland to eat, drink, and use the facilities. This is a great place to sit outside on the deck in the rocking chairs and sip on hot chocolate, coffee, or soup while nibbling on a sandwich. 
• Hit the road again and drove further out to Dark Hollow Falls where we did a hike down the mountain to a waterfall with a backdrop of red, golden, and orange leaves. 
• Retraced our drive back closer to the entrance and did one last hike up to Hawksbill Summit for one more spectacular view. 
• Drove back to Winchester and had dinner in Old Town Winchester, a quaint part of town with cobblestone streets and strung lights. 
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Recommendations/Suggestions

• Old Rag Hike is one of the most popular hikes in the park. But it is strenuous and long.
• Stargazing 

Currently, my skin is a blend of different shades. My face is one color and my neck is a shade lighter with streaks running down the front. That is where I am right now, and I don’t care. It is the time to try new things. Get adventurous. Live life on the edge. The time to try that tanning lotion that has been sitting in your cart for months. The time to explore new trails.

I bought the tanning lotion a couple weeks into the quarantine. “Hey, why not? No one is going to see me,” I reasoned. It came in the mail, and I lathered that stuff all over me. My ankles and shins came out super tan. My feet remained ghostly pale, and my thighs and calves appeared to be mildly darker. I have always wanted to be multi shades of orange, so I went ahead and purchased the tanning face lotion for the cherry on the top.

Meanwhile, I began mapping out new trails to run and walk all over my city. Daily I would hit up these trails with my son in tow in his stroller. We would make sure we covered every inch of the trails no matter the terrain. Flat. Hilly. Paved. Unpaved. Smooth. Rough. Didn’t matter. My son and I would go bouncing on these trails, having the time of his life. He on the edge of his seat, and I running home to track where we went on the map and to find our next
destination.

A few days later my face lotion came in. No sooner had I mastered the art of making my legs and arms look evenly tan, I decided to mess around with my face. Sure enough, the next day I woke up looking like Trump with white circles around my eyes. I was that high school girl in the 2000s who couldn’t figure out how to blend her makeup so that her face and neck were not two starkly different colors. Well, except this time, I was the high school teacher with a
two-toned face to girls who have beautiful even skin. “I’ll blame it on the lighting in my house. No one will know over video chats,” I reasoned with myself again.

And no one did notice. My face is also looking quite bronzed and sun-kissed if I may feel so inclined to add. Not to mention, legs and arms are getting buff (my husband would probably laugh at this) from all the trails we have been exploring.

This time for me is all about trying new things. Things that I might have been fearful to do before. Things that I might have tacked on a million reasons why I didn’t have time to do. I’m writing those blogs that I have always wanted to write. I am making that killer website that’s always been on my to-do list. I’m reading those books that have been on my Want to Read lists. I’m taking on a pull-up challenge and then two weeks later quitting it. I’m lying on the floor with my son as we laugh and play games. I’m going into the unknown one tanning lotion and one trail at a time.

I grew up in the Mountain State of West Virginia; therefore, I was accustomed to being surrounded by luscious, rolling mountains. Then, I took a trip to Colorado and saw real mountains. Towering, snow-capped mountains in all their glory. I was impressed. 
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I only spent a day in the actual park, but I spent some time in the surrounding cities of Boulder and Manitou Springs and was just as awed. I'll never forgot that while hiking in the park, we climbed to the top of a waterfall and were greeted with views for miles of mountains, trees, and valleys. I told myself that I always wanted to remember this view, so I took a mental picture of it. I can still recall that exact moment along with the view. I like to call to mind it every now and then. It gives me peace. 

The Logistics ​

• Flew to Denver and my friend picked me up 
• Traveled with my friend, Whitney, who was living in Boulder at the time
• Stayed in Boulder, CO
• Stayed in Boulder 4 nights, 3 days; Visited the park for 1 day

The Itinerary
Day 1

• Before arriving to the park, we made some pit stops along the way, including the outskirts of Estes Park and the hotel from The Shining. 
• Once in the park, we spent some time taking pictures at the base of the mountains. We saw some moose and other wildlife. 
• We then started the ascent up the winding road to one of the peaks. I am thankful Whitney was driving. 
• We stopped at the Alpine Visitor Center, Elevation 11, 796 ft. The temperature had dropped dramatically. I was thankful Whitney had an extra jacket. 
• We wandered around the snow-covered mountains, taking pictures and breathing in the cool, crisp, fresh air. 
• We drove back down the mountain, and I was once again grateful Whitney drove. I had to close my eyes at some points. 
• Once at a lower elevation, we did another hike up to Alberta Falls. 
• We went home after that. Later in the trip, we did some more hikes closer to Boulder. 

Recommendations/Suggestions

• Sprague Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. Take the trail around the lake. It is Whitney's favorite hike in the park, 
  
• Mt. Sanitas hike in Boulder
• Chataqua Park and hike up the Flat Irons
  
• Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant in Boulder (Has a rooftop bar)
• Running/Hike Trails: Betasso Preserve, Heil Valley Ranch, and LoBo Trail
  
• Dagabi Restaurant (Spanish cuisine) in Boulder
• Laughing Goat Coffee Shop in Boulder
  
• Sweet Cow Ice Cream Shop in Boulder. They have amazing oatmeal cookie ice cream. 
  
• Head to Manitou Springs and do the Incline and take a train ride up to Pikes Peak. I did this on a separate trip and had a blast. Must be in shape for the Incline! 
  

 Ahhh..."The Big Ditch." I have heard of people driving by this National Park in Arizona and refuting its glory by saying, "It's just a hole in the ground." But I assure you, it is not. It is one of the prettiest sights I have ever beheld. I could do nothing more all day than just sit at its edge and take in the beauty and be perfectly happy. It's truly amazing to think that the Colorado River carved out this gem. Never pass this place up. 

The Logistics ​

• Traveled by rental car from Las Vegas 
• Traveled with my parents and brother
• Stayed in Williams, Arizona
• Stayed 2 nights, 1 day

​The Itinerary 
Day 1

• Williams, Arizona is a small, Western town about 2 hours from Grand Canyon National Park.
• We headed to the South Rim of the park and spent the entire day there. 
• A good portion of the morning was spent at lookouts taking pictures and simply taking in the majestic views.
• We took one of the many shuttles to the Village for lunch. 
• After lunch, we hiked down Bright Angel Trail. It is crazy how close to the edge you are and how close the mules get to the edge. 
• We only hiked down a mile and half. The trail serpentines.
  
• After the hike, we went to dinner outside the park.
  
• We came back for the sunset at, what I believe is, Desert View. 
  
• Drove back to hotel.  

Suggestions/Recommendations

• Stay longer and do a hike to the bottom of the canyon.
  
• Whitewater raft the Colorado after hiking to the bottom. 
  
• Pink Jeep tour (We did this in Sedona, Arizona and loved it)
• Helicopter tour if you want to splurge. 
• See the sunrise. 

Yes, I was just as surprised as you are to learn that the Gateway Arch is a National Park, but it is, and I have had the fortunate pleasure of being in its presence for 15 minutes. The stainless steel structure bends its massive self on the banks of the Mississippi River and surrounds itself with the wasteland, excuse me, the city of St. Louis. 
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I don't like being squeezed into enclosed metal and then made to stare at a rundown city, so I didn't go up in it. I merely took an obligatory picture, and we got out of dodge. 

The Logistics

• Started and ended our cross country road trip in St. Louis
• Traveled with my husband and parents
• Heck no, we didn't stay in the city

The Itinerary 

• We went to Busch Stadium, which was the only bright spot of St. Louis when we first landed. 
  
• Got out dodge and headed to Kansas City. 
• Arrived back in St. Louis before our flight. 
  
• Visited the Arch.
  
• Drove around, couldn't find anything to do, and then decided we would rather wait at the airport than in the city of St. Louis. 
  

Recommendations/Suggestions

• Don't go. 
• I only like to kid about my disdain for St. Louis. We are sure it's a lovey city, and we would need to do more research or ask a local about where to go. 

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Moab, Utah was a quick stop on our way across country, but we were certainly glad that we did.  Arches National Park is a vast desert land of natural arches and red-hued structures. The Colorado River borders the park and is nice respite from the hot beaming sun from the park.  The park is a playground for hiking, back-country camping, stargazing, and jeeping.

The Logistics ​

• Traveled by rental car from St. Louis to Denver to Moab
• Traveled with my husband and parents
• Stayed at The Hampton Inn, Moab
• Stayed 2 nights, 1 day

The Itinerary
Day 1

• We arrived the evening before to Moab, ate dinner, and settled into our hotel. 
• Park Avenue Rocks pitstop
• Balanced Rock pitstop
• Window Arches (1 mile hike) 
• Delicate Arch (.5 mile hike) - the arch on the license plate. 
• In the afternoon we did a kayak trip along the Colorado River (6 miles downstream). Surrounded by beautiful mountains and red rocks. 
• In the evening drove to Fiery Furnace to see the sunset. 

Recommendations/Suggestions

• Do an evening hike to Delicate Arch - the 3 mile hike that leads you directly in front of it. 
• Spend an evening stargazing
• Looking for something a little more adventurous- try biking, rock climbing, or canyoneering 
• Double Arch
• Try one night of camping in the park
• Visit nearby Capitol Reef and Canyonlands