Yellowstone and Pacific Northwest Route

This is the route we took to explore Yellowstone National Park and the Pacific Northwest in 2015. Each of the stops marked with a letter are where we stayed overnight or longer. Locations with a pin and no letter are great little places for a longer pit stop for meals, walks, laundry, etc. All locations provided kid friendly family fun. After our stop in Lava Hot Springs (Point J) we simply connected back to point B and made our way back home!

• Point B Curt Gowdy State Park is a gem we discovered years ago on our first California family road trip. It's rocky hills are good for little ones starting to hike on their own two feet instead of a carrier. They are also loved by mountain bikers. The lake provided us with hours of fishing fun. And the stars, wow!
• Point C Madison Campground, Yellowstone was the picture perfect Yellowstone camping experience many families dream of. Just be sure to pack warm gear, even in the summer night temps can get pretty low.
  
  
  
  
• Point D Spokane KOA was a rainy one night stopover for us. Luckily the lodge has a full kitchen and lots of games!
• Point E Penrose State Park was just the right speed for our little ones who spent hours playing in the tides, swimming and beach combing. We had never experienced being at the beach and in the woods at the same time. While there was nothing fancy about the facilities, we had no complaints. Campers and rangers were friendly and very social.
  
• Point F Nehalem Bay State Park gave us first rate camping with gorgeous beach views, and an adorable beach town within walking distance.
  
• Point G Portland, Oregon was vibrant and happening as you may expect. We stayed in an economy hotel for a one night stopover. The highlight for us, as big nerds, was of course Powell's Bookstore.
• Bridge of the Gods made for a quiet place to rest and regroup.
• Point H Smith Rock State Park took us on an 8 mile hike to see and sometimes even play in 10 different waterfalls. The camping was outstanding too!
• Point I Bruneau Dunes State Park gave us an amazing evening of star gazing and black light hunting for scorpions. We also enjoyed sand boarding.
  
• Point J Lava Hot Springs, Idaho made for a great way to celebrate the 4th of July with water fun along the river. Tubing and water parks with a beautiful view!

Seven Bridges Trail Colorado Springs

Location: North Cheyenne Cañon

Trail Type: Out and Back

Terrain: Moderate Incline Dirt and Gravel

Length: 3+ Miles Round Trip

Today we had a great barebones basic hike. No extra gear. No snacks. Just the four of us and two big bottles of water. We do love challenging hikes that require planning and packing up, but today we enjoyed the simplicity of a gorgeous, moderately easy mountain trek.

While Seven Bridges Trail is not marked along the road, it was easy to find by following North Cheyenne Cañon’s online directions. We parked in the lot at the entrance of Gold Camp Road and hiked up the closed gravel road until the creek crosses underneath. To the right we found the trail and went left at the first divide.

Seven Bridges Trail is exactly what its name suggests. The trail zig-zags a rocky creek and the kiddos had fun keeping track of the number of bridges as we crossed them. Hiking in only sneakers and basic snow boots, we did have to slow it down a bit on icy patches, but in January it could have been much worse. We had forty-degree weather with sunshine, and on the way up the trail we quickly shed our layers. We enjoyed stopping near bridge three to relax on some sunny boulders and watch the water rush by.

On the hike down, we slowly bundled back up. Once we reached the trailhead we celebrated by partaking in one of our favorite activities: throw stuff (rocks/sticks/ice) in the water and watch it go!

We were happy to meet many other hiking families and people with dogs along Gold Camp Road on our way back down to the car.

Chicago to Acadia National Park Road Trip

1. Chicago, IL to Kelly’s Island, OH

We started our trip after visiting family in the Chicago area. The drive from Chicago to Sandusky/Marblehead was quick and smooth. We stopped at a Whole Foods in Toledo to eat lunch and load up on camp provisions. We weren’t quite sure what to expect when taking our family, dog, and car on a ferry across Lake Erie. The Kelly’s Island Ferry Boat Line was easy to board. We simply paid the round trip fee of about $90 for four passengers and a vehicle, drove onto the platform, and made it to the island in no time. Our little nerds were totally stoked to be on such a large craft on a seemingly endless body of water. Once we were on the island it was about a three-minute drive to Kelly’s Island State Park.

Our Three Night Stay

The park was busy and had the usual accommodations. The kids spent hours at the playground meeting all sorts of new kids while we set up camp and made our meals, and lounged. The fact that we were on a family oriented island made for a sense of security and we let our little nerds freely roam the campground. The highlights of our stay were visiting the Glacial Groove State Memorial, splashing around at the beach, exploring wooded trails, and of course hitting up the mini-down town scene for sweets and golf cart rentals.

2.    Marblehead, OH to Niagara Falls

This part of the drive was a long stretch with many toll roads, which we find to be very boring. If you know a more scenic route, we highly recommend taking it. Once we hit Buffalo the scenery became much more interesting. Northern Buffalo gave way to smaller vacation towns. To get to our campground at Four Mile Creek State Park we bypassed Niagara Falls.

Our Two Night Stay at Four Mile Creek State Park

This is by far one of the nicest campgrounds we have stayed, and we have been camping our way across the country for the past four summers. The campground is huge, sites are flat, and bathrooms, showers, laundry facilities are in good condition. Again, our little nerds were over the moon spending hours involved in intense playground games with kids from all over the US and Canada. The beaches were not for swimming, but provided hours of nature play and a neat little view of the Toronto skyline.

Niagara Falls

Some people say, “Oh, it’s just a big washing machine.” Yes, we skipped the town itself and all of the touristy attractions, but we did spring for the Maid of the Mist and it was totally worth it! We had no idea just how intense the falls really feel once you get up close and personal. Plus, you technically get to be in Canada for a few minutes which our Super Nerd found to be pretty cool.

3. Niagara Falls to Kent, CT and NYC

The drive through the countryside on the border of New York and Connecticut was gorgeous! We spent this part of our trip visiting friends in their country home and then took a train in to their Manhattan apartment, so we don’t have much advice to give on accommodations.

Highlights: Kent Falls State Park and Elephant’s Trunk Flea Market in Connecticut.  Riding the trains, the Rockefeller Center, the Statue of Liberty, and Russ and Daughters, in NYC.

4. Kent, CT to Cape Cod

This drive started with the beauty of the countryside and ended with the gorgeousness of the woodsy saltwater marsh ocean side that is Cape Cod. We loaded up on groceries in Brewster and headed in to the windy, hilly roads that make up Nickerson State Park to find our campsite.

Our Two Night Stay in Nickerson State Park

In general, the camping was a bit buggy (watch out for ticks!) and sandy, but the park was gorgeous. We spent one day at the Cape Cod National Seashore enjoying classic beach activities. On the way we stopped Sir Cricket’s where the fish and chips were incredible, the easygoing outdoor seating made for a perfect lunch. Day 2 was spent renting bikes, including a baby carrier for our dog, and cruising around the paved bike trails. We escaped the heat of the afternoon by splashing around in Cliff Pond.

5. Cape Cod to Acadia National Park

This was a long drive, but it was a rainy, cool day so we didn’t mind being in the car too much. On the drive we slowly began to realize that we weren’t prepared for the cooler temperatures in Maine, so we stopped at an outlet mall and grabbed a few sweatshirts/pants/scarves from the clearance racks.

Our 4 Night Stay at Seawall Campground

This densely wooded campground has walk in sites. Our site was spacious and the trees provided a cozy shelter at windier moments. The first few days of our stay were cool and damp, but this did not stop us from exploring rocky beach trails such as Wonderland Trail and Ocean Path.

Day 3 was especially rainy, so we toured the Schoodic Peninsula by car and grabbed a bite to eat in Bar Harbor. Day 4 was sunny and warm, so we took the opportunity to hike around Jordan Pond. Along the way we made a split second decision to climb the mountain up to Bubble Rock. This was probably the best decision of our trip. The climb was exhilarating and the view was something out of a fantasy movie! 

To top off the day, we stopped at the Quietside Café and picked up the most amazing blueberry pie any of us had ever seen or tasted! The pie was gigantic and was filled with tiny fresh blueberries. The next morning, before our departure we picked up coffees from Milagro Coffee and took the leftover pie down to a picnic table near the water for one last Acadia breakfast.

Muddy Water

Recently, as we headed up I-35 on an adventure to visit family, Baby Nerd randomly asked, “So is like all of the water the same water? Does it all touch?” She then pointed out the most memorable waters she has visited, which included Lake Erie, Puget Sound, the Pacific Ocean, and the Missouri River. We agreed that yes, in a way, all of the waters are connected. Of course being complete English nerds, the two adults in our outfit reveled in the possibilities of her metaphors.

No matter your beliefs, its pretty obvious Americans as a whole have been spending the past two months being kind of, well, shitty to one another. As soon as we speak out for one thing, it means we are against another. Black and white, right and wrong -never mind the gray areas. This negativity has been building and will continue to snowball until who-knows-when. Maybe it is necessary. But holy cow, how can we even truly understand or formulate our own beliefs unless we take time to escape?

Back to the water. Have you ever noticed how grounding it is to stare at moving water? After a whirlwind of a week, not too long ago, we went for a hike with a few close family members. Our goal was to burn off some steam by trying out some old goose and duck calls we have had in the family for a while, but that didn’t quite work out. Instead we found a path surrounded by tall prairie grass and just kept walking. We played around, joking, pushing, and stepping on each other’s shadows until we came to a bench overlooking the Muddy Mo. Then we stopped and sat in silence. Our Nerd Boy throwing in sticks and rocks; the rest of us quietly watching them float downstream in our own weird, made-up spiritual ceremony. Churning oceans are usually a symbol for change, but that day the pull of the river did the trick. When we were ready, we simply stood up and walked away feeling a little bit lighter.