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Grapevine, TX Let me start by saying Meow Wolf is difficult to explain – one just has to experience it. Clear as mud, right? If I delve too deep into explaining Meow Wolf – The Real Unreal, it gives away the whole story/surprise/mystery. Let me just say that it is a sensory overload of sights, sounds, colors, designs, art, lights, tunnels, closets, rooms, refrigerators, slides, music, creatures, aliens, etc. I hope that cleared it up for you! Our Colorado kids introduced my husband and me to Meow Wolf in Denver last year and we loved it. Several of our friends have visited the Meow Wolf i ..read more

Maine I will be honest here. I had never heard of Acadia National Park until some friends attended a family wedding there a couple of years ago and their photos blew me away. Lighthouses, rocky coasts, hiking trails, granite cliffs, tidepools, evergreen forests and tons of seafood? Sign me up! As with so many other top-tier parks we have visited throughout the years, Acadia was not necessarily “easy” to get to. Located on the North Atlantic Seaboard in Maine, it is a five-hour drive from Boston or a three-hour drive from Portland, Maine. In other words, direct flights don’t get you very clos ..read more

Utah A friend recently told me that we would spend all of our time at Zion National Park “looking up” and all of our time at Bryce Canyon “looking down.” That statement couldn’t have been more spot-on! My husband and I spent two full days exploring Zion and dedicated one full day to seeing Bryce Canyon. Bryce Canyon National Park was spectacular and definitely lived up to all the hype. We could have easily spent more time there if our schedule had allowed. Bryce Canyon is located in southern Utah and is one of Utah’s Mighty Five National Parks (between Zion and Capitol Reef). It is approxima ..read more

Utah If I had to describe Zion National Park to someone, I would just say, Wow!” Words will never do it justice and neither will photographs. You have to be there in person to experience the full, authentic Zion experience. Zion National Park is one of Utah’s “Mighty Five” National Parks. Located in the southwest corner of Utah, it is an hour from St. George, two-and-a-half hours from Las Vegas and four-and-a-half hours from Salt Lake City. My husband and I flew into Las Vegas and rented a car there for our drive into Springdale, where we booked a hotel very near the park entrance. Stayin ..read more

Overton, NV On the drive from Las Vegas to Zion National Park, there is a little jewel of a state park called Valley of Fire. This is Nevada’s oldest and largest state park and well worth a visit. The entry fee for a non-resident vehicle was only $15.00. We entered the west entrance on Valley of the Fire Road and enjoyed many of the sights on the drive in. After a stop at the Visitor Center to get our bearings, grab a map and formulate a plan, we were on our way. The drive through the park was actually a loop so it was easy to see everything and make stops from the main road. One thing th ..read more

Valley View, TX We were chased by Thor. We took selfies with Princess Leia. We were given the cold shoulder by Chewbacca. We snuggled with Yoda. We cuddled Pharoah. We spent some quality time with Cleopatra. It was just another day at Oak Meadow Ranch! My husband and I recently spent a weekend in Valley View, Texas (60-90 minutes north of the Dallas area) in one of the cabins on the Oak Meadow Ranch property. I had researched the ranch prior to our visit but still didn’t have all the details, the story of the place and how a weekend works. I will try now to give you the “skinny” on how our vi ..read more

Arkansas natural hot springs My husband and I just visited Hot Springs for the first time. We have driven past the exit to Hot Springs on I-30 dozens of times going to visit family in Tennessee and Mississippi but never actually stopped there. It was finally time to check it out. Lookout Point Lakeside Inn – lake view I researched hotels and rentals before finding the perfect place for us. Reviews for the Lookout Point Lakeside Inn caught my attention and ended up being a fantastic place to stay! They are ranked the #1 Hotel in Hot Springs (Trip Advisor), #2 Most Romantic Hotel in the U.S. (Tr ..read more

Montana view at Logan Pass I have an unhealthy fear of bears. The grizzly bear attack in the book/movie “The Revenant” still haunts me to this day. With that being said, why in the world did I choose Glacier National Park as a vacation destination? This is the one park where your chances of running into a grizzly bear or black bear on a trail, on the road, or in a parking lot are well above zero. Bear spray is a necessity at all times. Just great. What had I gotten myself in to? I planned an itinerary, booked a cabin and rental car, got our park passes, purchased our vehicle registration, rese ..read more

Glen Rose, TX One day, a long time ago, a family of plant-eating longnecks was walking along the muddy water’s edge grazing on yummy plants and ferns. Unbeknownst to them, a herd of hungry meat-eaters was hot on their trail. Let’s just say the day ended quite poorly for the plant-eaters. What we are left with today at Dinosaur Valley State Park is the fossilized footprint evidence of this journey and the encounter. The round, elephant-like footprints were the plant-eaters and the three-toed prints were the meat-eaters. Over 100 million years ago, many types of animals lived in this shallow M ..read more