This small, quaint national park is located in northern Ohio, not too far from Cleveland. We won't fault it for that (haha Cleveland joke). Upon arriving at the main area of Boston Mill Village, it's like you stepped back in time. Old-fashioned homes and stores, a Towpath for bikes, and a railroad station. We had limited time in the park, but we made the most of it. 

Zion National Park is located in southwest Utah surrounded by a playground of National Parks: Bryce Canyon, Canyonland, Arches, and Capital Reef. Zion is known for its winding rivers, lush trails, emerald pools, flowing waterfalls, hanging gardens, harrowing hikes, and majestic slot canyons. We spent all of our time in Zion Canyon, the most popular place to begin hikes. Our trip here is remembered for what we saw and sadly for what we didn't see. We made a fatal mistake, so make sure you continue reading to find out what you can't miss when you go here. 

The Itinerary
Day 1
My memory at this park isn't as clear as some of the other parks and, unfortunately, I didn't document as well as I did with my other trips, but I will try my best to remember. 

• We started hiking to The Narrows. The Narrows are one of my most beautiful and majestic sites to behold at any National Park. They make tons of lists of Most See Spots, not just in Zion itself, but for all of the National Parks. As we were hiking, we thought we had made it, took a couple of pictures and turned around. We later discovered, much to our chagrin and disappointment, that we never did make it. We were severely let down because the pictures themselves of The Narrows are something to see. While we did get a nice scenic hike out of our walk there, we missed out on the final destination. 
• We did the Upper and Lower Emerald Pools Trails. You'll be greeted with some nice waterfalls.  But I got a little scared because at some points you walk very close to the edge and there's a big drop off. 
• We had lunch in the park. 
• We drove along Zion Canyon Scenic Drive which zigzags through the park and offers great view. 
• I believe that's all we did. 

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 look 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 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 from 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. 

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. 
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 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. 

 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 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.  

Bar Harbor is a picturesque town nestled between the coast of Maine and Arcadia National Park. Visitors flock to this quaint town for the delicious lobster, breathtaking views, harrowing hikes, scenic bike rides, laidback vibes, and the perfect temperatures in the summertime. 
We went three years ago in July, and Bar Harbor/Arcadia National Park easily rank in my top five places I have ever visited. I was blown away by how beautiful it is, and I have already have an itinerary set for when I visit again. 
But here is what we did the first time around along with suggestions/tips/recommendations from other seasoned travelers to the area. 

Day 1

• We arrived to Bar Harbor in the early afternoon and took some time settling into the hotel and exploring the downtown area (more on that later) for a grocery store for some snacks for the room. 
• We ate lunch at Finback Alehouse. Delicious crab cakes and lobster bisque. 
• Later, we drove into Arcadia National Park to see the sunset at Sand Beach - a perfect place where land meets water to form a striking landscape of pinks, oranges, and yellows beaming off the cliffs in the distant. We ate our snacks and marveled at the sights. 
• We continued on to watch the latter half of the sunset on top of Cadillac Mountain. The sights were truly breathtaking. Our plan was to come here earlier for the full sunset, but it was closed due to being filled to capacity. 

Recommendations/Suggestions: 

• Spend one evening watching the sunset or sunrise from Cadillac Mountain. Get there early! 
• Cadillac Mountain sunrise hike
• ​Later drive down to Sand Beach for some stargazing. 

Day 2

• Started the day early to get to Arcadia
• We parked near Sand Beach and took the Ocean Trail from there. Ocean Trail goes along the coast and offers views of the Atlantic Ocean, the famous Thunder Hole, and Otter Cliffs. 
• Veered off Ocean Trail and took a hike up Gorham Mountain Trail. This hike is steep but a good middle ground hike if you are looking for something challenging but not as challenging as some of the other hikes. You are rewarded with gorgeous views at the top. 
• Drove to Jordan Pond House. *Travel Tip*Make reservations ahead of time. We are so lucky that we did because the place was packed. Jordan Pond House is a perfect midday respite from hiking to enjoy popovers, lunch, and spectacular views of the pond with The Bubbles in the background. 
• In the evening, James and I drove out to Great Long Pond for SUP Yoga. More on this place later. 

Recommendations/Suggestions: 

• Precipice Trail and Beehive Trail for the adventurous and daring souls
• Hike around Jordan Pond (Penobscot Mt.)
• Time your visit to Thunder Hole two hours before high tide. We, unfortunately, did not and didn't get the full effect. 

Day 3

• My parents split off from my husband and me this day. They took a bike ride through the park, and we headed back to Great Long Pond. 
• This time we spent three hours paddleboarding (me) and kayaking (husband). As the name suggests, the pond is long and narrow with gorgeous (I can't stop using this word) backdrops of the mountains. 
• We headed downtown later in the day for lunch and to walk along Bar Island during low tide. 
• Later, met up with my parents for dinner at Galyn's, an upscale restaurant near the water. I ate more lobster bisque, and we watched the 4th of July fireworks. 

Recommendations/Suggestions: 

• National Park Canoe and Kayak Rental
  
• Mainely Meat Barbeque at Atlantic Brewing Company 
  
• Side Street Cafe
• Thirsty Whale
  
• Coffee Hound
  
• Mount Desert Ice Cream
  
• Take time to walk around Cottage Street and the rest of downtown (I wish we had more time to this)

Day 4

• My dad and I woke up early to get in one more hike. We hiked up North Bubbles and had great early morning views of the park. 
• We packed off and left. Sad to leave this beautiful place behind. 

Recommendations/Suggestions: 

• Spend 5 full days here
• Champlain Mountain
• Thurston's Lobster Place
• Go beyond Bar Harbor to Mt. Desert Island where you'll look at Isleboro Deer Isle in the distant when looking from Mt. Battie. 
• Sea kayaking