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Isle Royale National Park

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North Shore Winery We just returned from Isle Royale National Park . While hard to get to, Isle Royale is well-worth visiting. Planning the trip to Isle Royale took some time, as we didn’t know whether to fly into Thunder Bay, Ontario (closest) or Minneapolis. We ended up flying into Minneapolis because car rentals for pick up in Thunder Bay and return in Minneapolis (the route wanted to take so we could also hit up Voyageurs National Park ) were exorbita ntly expensive. Best Western Superior Inn To visit Isle Royale, via Minneapolis, you drive about four hours from Minneapolis to Grand Morais, Minnesota. It’s a beautiful drive along Lake Superior. We stopped at North Shore Winery along the way. Fun place with good wines, though I was disappointed most of the grapes came from California. We stayed at the Best Western Plus in Grand Morais — great hotel. Our room had a balcony overlooking the beach.  Boat to Isle Royale We then drove to Grand Portage (about 45 minutes) the next day ...
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Long Weekend In Florida: Dry Tortugas, Biscayne, and Everglades National Parks

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Instead of spending a long weekend in Florida at the traditional haunts (or if you want to check out some off the beaten path locations after having seen the main attractions in Florida), why not head to all three national parks located in Florida (south Florida to be exact), where you can avoid the crowds and enjoy world-class snorkeling, beaches, and wildlife?  Gator in the Everglades Start your weekend by flying into the Miami International Airport. Spend your first full day in Everglades National Park (approximately 90 minutes from the airport). Say hello to the alligators and make sure you check out at least one of the  pontoon boat tours . (Lodging tip: if your flight gets in at night, consider staying near the airport and driving to the park the following morning.) Pontoon Boat Ride in the Everglades Exit Everglades National Park and head toward Key West (approximately 3.5 hours from the Flamingo Visitor Center in the park). Those who want a shorter drive can make ...
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Mt. Rainier National Park and Seattle

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Mt. Rainier National Park For my birthday (in the fall), I wanted to visit a national park. I figured one of the ones near Seattle ( Mt. Rainier , Cascades , or Olympic ) would be good for a weekend due to the ease of direct flights to and from Seattle. Originally, I was leaning toward Cascades National Park , but then realized that  Cascades National Park  is gigantic and would require a long weekend to see in its entirety. Thus, we landed on Mt. Rainier National Park , an easy hour and 45 minute drive from Seattle. We landed in Seattle late Friday night and checked into the Hotel Monaco , one of my fave hotels (and not only because it's dog friendly). The gold fish in our room at Hotel Monaco Saturday morning (my birthday) began with us renting a car and driving to  Cascades National Park . We started off at the Longmire Visitor's Center where we did two short hikes - Trail of the Shadows and Twin Firs Loop Trail . (Neither were "must sees.") We did not anticipate...
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Utah: Capitol Reef National Park

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I spent Memorial Day 2016 in Capitol Reef National Park , in Torrey , Utah (listed by The Weather Channel as Utah's best kept secret ). The best way to get there is to fly to Salt Lake City and then drive the approximate three hours south to Capitol Reef National Park. (Check out my prior post for touring ideas in Salt Lake City , but with two added recommendations - Mexican food dinner at Red Iguana and staying at Little America or Grand America - don't get a garden room at Little America though - be sure to get a tower room.) We grabbed lunch on the way to Capitol Reef National Park (note that after you hit the Flying J rest stop, there aren't many dining options) and checked into our hotel, the Capitol Reef Resort, upon arrival. The hotel doesn't look like much from the outside, but it was a great place to stay. It's the closest hotel to the park (well, tied with the hotel across the street from it), with nicely appointed rooms with wonderful views, a pool, a ...
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Virgin Islands National Park

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VIRGIN ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK Unlike my other national park trips, a trip to the Virgin Islands National Park doesn't require a detailed itinerary. It basically just requires a bathing suit and some flip flops - maybe some sneakers and shorts if you want to do a hike . Virgin Islands National Park is located on St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands . To get there, fly to St. Thomas International Airport and then take a boat to St. John - most of the hotels on St. John have their own boat, and there are public ferries you can take, as well as water taxis . To get to one of the public ferries , you have to take a taxi from the airport. Be sure to take a shared taxi if you don't want to spend $90 getting to the ferry. I've been to St. John and Virgin Islands National Park twice. Both times I stayed at the Westin , which is wonderful. Caneel Bay Resort is another lodging option. It looks amazing, and it is located within the national park. (I highly recommend getting dinne...
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Pinnacles National Park and Big Sur, California

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Breakfast in Hollister Hollister Hog Rally During the fourth of July of 2014, I flew from JFK to San Francisco International Airport direct via Jet Blue to spend the weekend in Pinnacles National Park and Big Sur . I arrived in San Francisco late Friday night and spent the night at my friend's apartment in the Dogpatch neighborhood in the city. On Saturday morning, we woke up early and drove approximately two hours to Pinnacles National Park , currently our nation's newest national parks . The drive to Pinnacles is nothing special. The most exciting part was stoping at a diner in Hollister for lunch. Interestingly there are two Hollisters in California, and the one we stopped at is not the one known for surfing. It is known, however, for a Fourth of July hog rally (which we did not participate in).  Heat warning in Pinnacles After stopping for lunch, we arrived in Pinnacles and were greeted by a number of signs warning us of the dangers of heat stroke. Undeterred, we...
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