When I started National Park Escapes, I never planned to become a travel advisor. In my head, travel advisors meant cruises, all-inclusives, and pre-packaged tours. Nothing wrong with those types of vacations, but they just aren’t me. I love researching and customizing trips to exactly what I want to do. I know it’s overwhelming for…
Wake up in the mountains. Go to sleep under the stars. And do it all in comfort. If you think driving an RV is like driving an 18-wheeler, think again. Modern, luxury RVs are as easy to drive as a large SUV. Luxury RV travel has really evolved that much! There’s a reason 74 million…
You’ve researched where you want to go in the national park. You have a list of things to see. And then you get there and realize you aren’t allowed to drive there. National parks have been an increasingly popular vacation destination. As crowds swelled, some parks started implementing reservation systems, requiring a ticket to enter….
Utah is an amazing state. The “Mighty 5” National Parks – Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches, and Canyonlands – are an incredible road trip. And many people also combine with the Grand Canyon or some of the awesome state parks in the area. There is so much to see out here and so many ways…
Open-top cars. Boats. Specialized glacier vehicles. Gondolas. Accessible skywalks. Hot springs. See the scenery, skip the long hikes. Of course, if you want to hike, there are plenty of options from short, easy hikes to long hikes with elevation, which means if your group likes different things, you can find something everyone will be excited…
Dan Mick’s Jeep Tours are legendary in Moab for a reason. Don’t book anywhere else. When a friend of mine told me the absolute highlight of her Mighty 5 Utah trip was Dan Mick’s Jeep Tours, I thought she might have been setting expectations a bit high. She wasn’t. Like OutpostX, I think my teenager was…
Most people assume the number one most visited national park in the United States is Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon. It’s not. It’s the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Its East Coast location in North Carolina and Tennessee makes it a great family summer road trip and accessible to so many people without the expense…
Yes, you can. You don’t have to go to Disney to have an immersive Star Wars experience. I never thought one of my son’s favorite YouTubers would inspire an amazing national park trip, but it did. Did anyone else’s kids get into Ryan Trahan’s 50 States in 50 Days series last summer as much as…
Yellowstone is massive. It’s 2.2 million acres with things you want to see and do spread across two distinct loops. Where you stay really matters because even “inside the park” can mean you’re an hour away from what you want to see. There are nine lodges inside Yellowstone, but not all locations are created equal….
Planning a trip to Yellowstone and the Grand Teton itinerary is a lot of work. I can’t even count how many hours I put into planning my trip there the first time I went (only to have to redo the plan because the Upper Loop closed from flooding that year). You have to figure out…