An Idaho Panhandle RV Trip on US-95: Sandpoint, Moscow & McCall

Posted on September 10, 2016 by Roads Less Traveled

July 2016 – After a truly stunning few weeks in northern Montana — from adventures on the east side of Glacier National Park to learning about the unique history of Libby, Montana, and photographing the special wildlife and unique giant trees nearby — we took our RV on Idaho’s scenic back roads in the panhandle southbound from Sandpoint through Moscow to McCall.

On the back roads of Idaho

The summer was really heating up in northern Idaho, and when we arrived in Sandpoint, on the shores of beautiful Lake Pend Oreille, we were delighted to find that the small town of Sandpoint transforms into a beach town when the temps climb over 80 degrees.

Sandpoint City Beach Park on Lake Pend Oreille

The small town hugs the shoreline of Lake Pend Oreille, and people were taking full advantage of the summer sun to get out on the lake in anything that floated, from boats to kayaks to stand-up paddleboards.

Sandpoint idaho has lots of summertime action on the lake.

We discovered the wonderful Pend Oreille Bay Trail that runs along the water’s edge. This biking and hiking path offers both brief glimpses of the lake through the trees and open sweeping views.

Pend Oreille Bay Trail

The trail is wonderfully shaded for much of its length and is a joy to walk, run or ride at any time of day.

This shaded path goes right along the shoreline.

There are paved bike paths all around Sandpoint City Beach Park too, and we rode everywhere.

Riding the bicycle path in Sandpoint Idaho

Sandpoint has bike paths all over the place.

Sandpoint, Idaho, is such a bike friendly town, we even found a colorful sculpture celebrating two wheeled transport.

Sandpoint is a two-wheeler town!

One day we spotted a van with bicycles on the roof. It turned out to be the famous PAC Tour, a challenging cross-country bicycle tour that puts even the hardiest cyclists to the test.

Pac Tour cross-country bicycle tour in Sandpoint Idaho

We bumped into the PAC Tour in Sandpoint!

Their route travels from west to east and takes a little over 30 days. The cyclists were still fresh, as it was only Day 5. They had barely hit the big western mountains and were still a week away from the daylong 130 mile slogs across the flatter plains states. Kudos to all of them for taking on this huge athletic challenge!

PAC Tour cross-country bicycle tour route for 2016

These energetic cyclists had just started and had a long ways to go…

The town of Sandpoint is very cute, and we enjoyed walking around the historic district. At one end of town we found the Libation District which has both brewpubs and a winery on both sides of the street. No shortage of fun there!!

At the other end of town we found Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters where we got a peak at all of their coffee roasting equipment. For lovers of dark, rich coffee, their Guatemalan roast is really yummy. We took home a bag!!

Evans Brothers Coffee Raosters Sandpoint Idaho

Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters makes delicious coffee!

We later discovered that they won 3rd place in the America’s Best Coffeehouse competition at the 2015 Coffee Fest Portland!!

Just a few blocks away, we were very surprised to find the Litehouse Bleu Cheese factory where the popular salad dressing is made.

Litehouse Bleu Cheese Factory Sandpoint Idaho

Litehouse Bleu Cheese salad dressing is made here!

But Lake Pend Oreille was the real focal point of our time in Sandpoint. One day we decided to get a view of it from high above. Locals suggested we take a drive up Schweitzer Mountain, a nearby ski resort.

Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort Sandpoint Idaho

Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort is on a nearby mountain overlooking the lake.

The view from up there was wonderful!

Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort view of Lake Pend Oreille Sandpoint Idaho

What a view — Sandpoint tucked up against Lake Pend Oreille!

After a week in Sandpoint we meandered south a little further and bumped into the cute town of Moscow. Instead of finding the grand turrets of Red Square, we discovered a lovely shaded main street that is lined with all kinds of boutiques and tempting eateries.

Tiny Moscow, Idaho, has a cute downtown area.

A fun paved bike path passes through Moscow, and we jumped on the Latah Trail to ride through the farmlands out to the village of Troy about 11 miles east.

Latah Bike Path from Moscow Idaho to Troy Idaho

Lovely rolling farmland on the Latah Trail from Moscow to Troy, Idaho.

Much of this pretty trail goes through open land with views across rolling hills covered with pastures and farm fields.

The Latah Trail goes through pretty farmland.

After a few hours of riding on the bike path, we returned to Moscow and stopped in at Bucer’s Coffeehouse and Pub. We got there shortly after the noon hour, perfect timing for a brew…either coffee or beer!!

Bucer's Coffeehouse and Pub in Moscow Idaho

We stopped for brews at Bucer’s Coffeehouse and Pub — coffee for me and beer for Mark!

Continuing our journey south along Idaho’s pretty US-95, we passed lots more farmland with hay bales spread across the fields and farmhouses looking very quaint in the summer sun.

The drive on US-95 was as lovely as the small towns along the way.

We passed some beautiful rural scenery.

The Little Salmon River accompanied us on our drive, and we had to stop a few times to get photos as we passed through a wonderful canyon.

The Little Salmon River ran alongside us the whole way.

We had never thought of Idaho as being home to vibrant beach towns, but when we arrived in McCall, we discovered that, just like Sandpoint, the whole town was out in force soaking up the rays at the town beach.

Sunbathers were lying on beach towels, and people were swimming and playing in the water, eating ice cream cones while strolling the paths by the water’s edge, and fooling around on boats and jet skis on pretty Payette Lake.

We loved the vibe of McCall so much that we stuck around for two weeks!!

Legacy Park on the beach in McCall Idaho

What a great surprise to find another sweet little Idaho beach town in McCall!

If you are taking your RV on a north-south route through Idaho, Route 95 makes for a very scenic and enjoyable drive. There are some links with more info below.

Subscribe
Never miss a post — it’s free!

Info about Sandpoint, Moscow and McCall, Idaho:

Other blog posts from our RV travels in NW Montana and Idaho’s Panhandle:

Scenic Drives for RV Touring in Idaho:

Northwest Passage Scenic Byway (US-12) RV Trip 01/12/24
McCall, Idaho – Summer Beach Fun on Pretty Payette Lake 09/14/16
An Idaho Panhandle RV Trip on US-95: Sandpoint, Moscow & McCall 09/10/16
An RV Cruise Along Idaho’s Salmon River on US-93 05/08/16
A Backcountry RV Roadtrip in SE Idaho – Quiet Splendor! 05/04/16
Mesa Falls Scenic Byway, ID – Pretty Waterfalls 07/25/12
Sawtooth Scenic Byway and Stanley, Idaho – Picturesque! 08/28/09

Our most recent posts:

More of our Latest Posts are in the MENU.
New to this site? Visit RVers Start Here to find where we keep all the good stuff!!

<-Previous || Next->

Maine’s Pretty Acadia National Park in Motorhome Magazine!

Posted on September 5, 2016 by Roads Less Traveled

Last summer we enjoyed a fabulous RV trip to the eastern states, and one of the highlights was Acadia National Park in Maine. We are very proud that the September 2016 issue Motorhome Magazine features our article about this beautiful oceanfront National Park: Maine Course: Acadia National Park Offers Beauty and History Off the Beaten Path.

Motorhome Magazine Acadia National Park Maine Article by Emily Fagan

Motorhome Magazine September 2016 Issue
Article: Emily Fagan, Photos: Emily & Mark Fagan

Acadia National Park was the first Eastern National Park to be established, back in July, 1916. The Park takes up much of Mt. Desert Island on the northern Maine coast. Very close to the Park entrance lies the small, upscale town of Bar Harbor.

Bar Harbor is a trendy and charming town on Mt. Desert Island near the entrance to Acadia National Park

There are boutiques and tourist shops of all kinds and a pretty waterfront walking path where you can take in the views.

Bar Harbor has lots of boutiques and tourist shops.

While Bar Harbor is where the human action is on Mt. Desert Island, the gorgeous scenic drive along Acadia National Park’s craggy coast is where Nature reins supreme.

Pink granite boulders on the Acadia National Park shore

Maine’s coast is all craggy granite boulders that lead to the sea.

The beautiful granite slabs and boulders make for some really fun (and easy) scrambling, and there are a number of sights and hiking trails on this very quiet shoreline.

Acadia National Park has a beautiful, rocky shoreline.

Mt. Desert Island is a big island with two main lobes, several small towns and lots of little peninsulas that jut out into the sea. Acadia National Park takes up much of the land, and the whole island is fun to explore. Many spots on the shoreline are wonderful for relaxing and soaking in the view.

Tranquility on the Maine Coast Acadia National Park

Huge granite slabs on the shore are great for kicking back and enjoying the view!

Lobster boats fill many charming harbors in the area, and the Schoodic National Scenic Byway is a gorgeous drive that passes by a few.

Maine lobster is a delicacy, and the small harbors are filled with lobster boats that catch them.

Of course, the lobstermen catch lots of lobsters. There’s nothing like a Maine lobster roll (lobster meat with mayo on a hotdog bun) eaten out on a sunny deck, or an all out Maine lobster dinner complete with a bright red whole lobster on your plate, a bib around your neck, butter melting in a tiny dish over a flame and a nutcracker and pick to get at the tasty morsels inside!

There are lobster shacks on every corner and lobster restaurants on every pier!

We were floored by the immense lupines that grow wild all over everywhere in the summertime. They range from pale pink to deep purple and they enhance every view in every direction!!

We were stunned by the gorgeous wild lupines growing everywhere.

One of the biggest highlights in Acadia National Park is a trip up Cadillac Mountain. At the top we checked out the view while a seagull checked us out to see if we had any food to spare!

Seagull Cadillac Mountain Acadia National Park Maine

On Cadillac Mountain we enjoyed the view while a seagull waited for a treat, or maybe a tip!

We were very lucky during our stay in Acadia National Park to be there when a national Model A club was holding a rally.

Model A car climbing Cadillac Mountain Acadia National Park Maine

A national Model A rally in Acadia National Park — How cool!

There were Model A cars on every road, and we watched them climbing up Cadillac Mountain on roads that were originally built for them.

Model A Car on Cadillac Mountain Acadia National Park Maine

Cute Model A cars were driving all the roads in Acadia National Park while we were there.

Cyclists had a ball descending from Cadillac Mountain too, and what a view they had as they flew down.

Cyclist rides down Cadillac Mountain Acadia National Park Maine

Flying down Cadillac Mountain on a bike would be a lot of fun!!

One of the coolest things in Acadia National Park is the Carriage Roads that were built by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. These roads were built to give the rich city folks from New York and Boston a place to go for a carriage ride from their vacation estates in Maine at the turn of the century and were closed to motorized cars. Nowadays, they are wonderful for biking.

Acadia National Park Carriage Roads Maine

The Carriage Roads are an ideal place for a leisurely bike ride through the beautiful Maine woods.

Although we heard that John D. Rockefeller, Jr’s son, David Rockefeller, now age 101, can occasionally be spotted enjoying his dad’s carriage roads in his own horse-drawn carriage, the public can walk, ride a bike or ride in a horse-drawn wagon on these roads that wind through the thick and wonderfully fragrant Maine woods on Mt. Desert Island.

Horse-drawn wagon ride Acadia National Park Carriage Roads Maine

The 50 miles of Carriage Roads are unique to Acadia National Park and can be enjoyed many ways!

Besides providing a road system that was free of motor cars, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. wanted all the bridges and tunnels on his roads to have a non-industrial and hand-made flare. Each was built by expert masons and is just beautiful.

John D. Rockefeller, Jr. made sure the bridges and tunnels were finely crafted by hand.

The Carriage Roads zig-zag for 50 miles all over Mt. Desert Island, and near the center of the island they pass by Jordan Pond. This is a haven for kayaks and has a wonderful little restaurant where you can sit on the deck and enjoy the view.

Jordan Pond in the heart of Acadia is a wonderful change of pace from the rugged ocean shoreline

We enjoyed many sunny days during our stay in June, but late spring and early summer also bring a lot of fog to the Maine coast. This can be drippy and miserable, but there is also a special and mysterious beauty that shrouds everything in Maine when the fog rolls in.

Fog is common in Maine, and it can make for some very memorable and scenic images.

As a side note, Acadia National Park is just outside of Bangor, Maine, where we had the first of our four major RV repairs that hit us last summer, all in a row: the replacement of our trailer axle. We had it done by an excellent RV repair shop, Harvey RVs in Bangor, Maine, and you can read about what happened here:

5th Wheel Trailer Axle Replacement (a BIG repair job!)

A major RV repair like that is disconcerting, to say the least, but northern Maine was a great place to be stuck for a while because it is so scenic, peaceful and calming!

Calm harbor on the Maine Coast at Acadia National Park

Life is very tranquil in Maine!

Motorhome Magazine is a terrific monthly magazine that covers all things related to RVing, motorhome ownership and maintenance. We are very proud to be contributors this month.

Occasionally, Motorhome posts our articles on their website. Some of our previous articles can be read at this link (this article about Maine is not among them): Motorhome Magazine Articles by Emily & Mark Fagan

For newer RVers looking to learn about the RV lifestyle, learn about motorhomes and get ideas for cool travel destinations, Motorhome is a great resource. And for seasoned RVers who already know the ropes, there are lots of tid-bits to be gleaned from their pages too.

You can subscribe here (please note that the digital subscription price is “$0” but you will be charged when you open the download):

Motorhome Magazine Subscription – Print Edition
Motorhome Magazine Subscription – Digital Edition

A boat leaves the harbor in Maine's Acadia National Park

A classic Maine image!

If you are planning an RV trip to Acadia National Park or elsewhere in Downeast Maine, the blog posts below from our RV travels to the area may get you inspired and help with your travel planning.

More Info for an RV trip to Acadia National Park:

Subscribe
Never miss a post — it’s free!

Our most recent posts:

More of our Latest Posts are in the MENU.
New to this site? Visit RVers Start Here to find where we keep all the good stuff!!

Ross Creek Cedars & Kootenai Falls – Giant Trees & Swings in Montana!

Posted on September 3, 2016 by Roads Less Traveled

July 2016 – Up in northwestern Montana, not too far from Libby and the beautiful eagle that lives at Libby Dam, we came across two wonderful out-of-the-way scenic spots: Kootenai Falls and the Ross Creek Cedars Scenic Area.

At Kootenai Falls, which is 12 miles west of Libby, the pretty hiking trail took us over an overpass high above a set of train tracks. We were lucky to be on it just as a big train zoomed underneath.

Hiking into Kootenai Falls, an overpass took us high above an oncoming train – cool!

As we hiked on the trail through the woods down towards Kootenai Falls, suddenly the view opened up and we could see the fast moving Kootenai River,

Kootenai River at Kootenai Falls in Northwestern Montana

There were some slabs of rocks along the banks that had fabulous swirling patterns in them.

Kootenai River at Kootenai Falls Wildlife Management Area Montana

Swishes and swirls in the rocks on the riverbank caught my eye.

The trail branches into several short offshoots that go to pretty overlooks, but the direction everyone heads is towards the Swinging Bridge.

Kootenai Falls and swinging bridge Montana

Besides the falls, this area is known for its wonderful and wobbly swinging bridge.

This rickety bridge spans the Kootenai River high above, and it is not exactly a rugged structure. Only five people can use it at a time, so a little line had formed with people waiting to get across.

Swinging Bridge Kootenai Falls Wildlife Management Area Montana

Not everyone ventured across the river on this thing, but those that wanted to had to wait!!

Once on the bridge, it felt a little dicey underfoot. Some folks tip-toed across, hanging onto the rails for dear life as the bridge swung and swayed, but most stopped for a pic and a wave.

Swinging bridge at Kootenai Falls Montana

It was a neat fun-house kind of walk high up in the air!

On the other side there were many places to get a lovely view of the river, and we found a family fishing on the riverbank.

Fishing on the Kootenai River at Kootenai Falls Montana

Catching dinner on the Kootenai River.

The falls themselves are shallow and wide, nearly spanning the width of a bend in the river, and the water pours over the slabs of rock at a very fast clip.

Kootenai Falls Wildlife Management Area Montana

The falls are flat and wide, but a telephoto lens brought them in close

We enjoyed the tranquility and peacefulness of Kootenai Falls so much that after our first visit on a very busy weekend, we returned a second time mid-week when we had the trails almost to ourselves.

Kootenai Falls

Twenty-five miles south of Kootenai Falls is the wondrous Ross Creek Cedars Scenic Area.

Path through the woods Ross Creek Cedars Scenic Area Montana

A boardwalk on the trail at Ross Creek Cedars Scenic Area.

This beautiful 100 acre woods is filled with cedar trees that are as old as 1,000 years.

Ross Creek Cedars Scenic Area Kootenai National Forest Montana

These mossy woods seemed to come straight out of a fantasy novel.

The hiking trails wanderes around in glorious loops that were not particularly well marked. But that is part of the fun of this magical place.

USFS Ross Creek Cedars Scenic Area Montana

Beautiful greenery all around.

We strolled here and there, mesmerized by the green mossy undergrowth and waving leaves.

Leaves at Ross Creek Cedars Scenic Area Montana

Mark’s creative juices were flowing with this shot!

The ferns were thick and there was a delightful pungence in the air.

Ferns and cedars at Ross Creek Cedars Scenic Area Montana

Ferns grew thickly here and there on the forest floor.

But the eye-popper at Ross Creek Cedars Scenic Area is the massive cedar trees themselves. These giant and ancient trees bring out the kid in everyone who wanders these trails, and Mark was no different. When he saw a split in a tree trunk, he couldn’t help but climb inside!!

Enormous Ross Creek Cedars Kootenai National Forest Montana

What we came for — the ancient and giant cedar trees. Wow!

Well, two can play that game, so I jumped into another one with him!!

Happy campers at Ross Creek Cedars Scenic Area Montana

There’s room for two!

The trees’ tip-tops tower above this forest, but we couldn’t take our eyes off their enormous trunks. Walking from tree to tree, we pondered their age and gentle spirits and the many centuries of human history they have quietly lived through while standing in one place in a remote Montana forest.

The Ross Creek Cedars are smaller than the Giant Sequoia trees we saw in Yosemite National Park years ago, but they have a special aura because they aren’t world famous and they can’t be found on post cards!

Gigantic Cedar trees at Ross Creek Montana

The gigantic tree trunks were awe-inspiring.

Of course, this was a fun place for photography too. There are fallen trees strewn here and there, and we found many lying on the ground. At one point, we heard a loud crash and breaking of branches high in the trees about 100 feet away from us. Apparently, a huge limb had fallen. We searched and searched, though, and never found it!!

Crazy trunks on fallen cedar trees Ross Creek Montana

There were fallen trees that let us see their roots from underneath.

One dead trunk was still standing but had lost all of its interior. It was just a shell of its former self with a small opening on one side.

We stepped inside and were instantly surrounded by the outer walls of the tree. I couldn’t help but feel that this was as close as I would ever come to knowing what it’s like to be a tree. The trunk was so huge that it was like standing in a closet, but the tree went up and up and up to the sky high above me.

As we wandered around on the trails — they all seemed to be loops, so no matter where we went, we eventually wound up where we started — we met lots of other people who were hiking in this magical forest too.

Suddenly a very little boy appeared on the trail ahead of us. He was so young, he had only recently learned to walk. He was totally dwarfed by the giant tree trunks around him and seemed to be loving the hike.

A wee hiker showed up between the trees.

He made his way between the tree trunks and looked for all the world like he was out on safari, complete with a stick over his shoulder and a huge grin on his face.

Ross Creek Cedar Scenic Area Kootenai National Forest Montana

This little guy has adventure in his soul!!

Nearby, we found a collection of Inukshuks in a riverbed. When we were up at Athabasca Falls at Jasper National Park in the Canadian Rockies, we bumped into a whole riverbank full of these unusual rock cairns that people had built. We had no idea what they were at the time, but several knowledgeable readers pointed out that they have their origins with the Inuit native people of the far north and can be found all over Canada.

Apparently, they can be found in Montana too!

We were surprised to see a collection of Inukshuks in a riverbed.

We thoroughly enjoyed our RV trip through the northwestern corner of Montana.

RV trip to Kootenai Falls and Ross Creek Cedar Scenic Area Montana

Peace in Montana

Full moon Ross Creek Cedars Scenic Area Montana

A full moon rises behind the trees.

And we took our time making our way past lovely Bull Lake and on towards Idaho.

Sunset at Bull Lake.

If you have a hankering to take your RV on a road trip to these beautiful spots, there are more links about them below.

Morning mist on Bull Lake.

Subscribe
Never miss a post — it’s free!

Kootenai Falls, Ross Creek Cedars, and Other Info:

More blog posts from our RV travels in NW Montana and Northern Idaho plus another Famous Swinging Bridge:

Dudley Moore’s Swinging Bridge – A Visit to the Set of the Movie “10” !! 12/21/2010

Our most recent posts:

More of our Latest Posts are in the MENU.
New to this site? Visit RVers Start Here to find where we keep all the good stuff!!

<-Previous || Next->

Eagles and Hummingbirds in Libby, Montana

Posted on August 31, 2016 by Roads Less Traveled

July 2016 – While RV camping in Libby, Montana, we had some fabulous encounters with wild birds: a beautiful big bald eagle and a mixed flock of tiny hummingbirds. Over at Libby Dam, we were thrilled to see a bald eagle soaring high overhead.

A bald eagle flies near Libby Dam in Montana

This eagle was well known to the employees and volunteers who work at Libby Dam. He liked to fish in the water just below the dam where the fish pile up as they migrate upstream and find themselves trapped by the dam. The pool of fish made a smorgasbord for this very happy eagle, and he had an easy time getting breakfast, lunch and dinner whenever he got a bit hungry.

One morning we spotted him sitting high up in a tree right by the dam.

We looked up to see this guy at the top of a tree.

We started snapping photos as we crept towards him, and assumed he would fly off any second. Surprisingly, he stayed put!

Hoping for some better pics, we returned the next morning with our long lenses and tripods. There he was again, checking us out over his shoulder.

He sat still for a while, preened a little bit, and then started making noises. I think he was trying to talk to a good buddy on the other side of the Kootenai River. He let out a loud squawk.

We didn’t hear a response, but he squawked a few more times.

He must have heard a reply, or decided to go looking for his friend in person, because suddenly he crouched.

And launched…

What a magnificent sight in the sky!

Meanwhile, back at our trailer, we had noticed some hummingbirds poking around, peeking in our windows, and generally scoping us out. We put out our window hummingbird feeder that attaches to the RV window with suction cups, and sat back to see if anyone would find it.

Within minutes, the word was out. The hummingbirds in this area know what feeders are, and they have passed the info on from friend to friend and generation to generation. As soon as a new feeder is found, a memo goes out to the whole community.

By sunset, the feeder had been drained! By noon the next day it had been drained again!

We’ve always had a few hummingbird feeders with us, but we were chagrined to find that they all leaked because we hadn’t used them in a long time. We were also out of regular granulated table sugar. So, we went into town to get another five pound bag of sugar and a second feeder. Luck was with us, and there was one last window feeder left on the shelf!!

Almost close enough to touch!

For the next 10 days, we filled these two feeders every morning and every evening, and our world was abuzz with hummers.

We noticed that these little hummingbirds had different spots and colors, and we got curious about which ones they were. Our general purpose Peterson bird guides and National Geographic bird guide don’t make it so easy to tell one hummingbird species from another.

Luckily, we have found a super book about hummingbirds that makes it really easy to know who’s slurping up all the sugar water we’re putting out.

Black chinned hummingbird. His neck flashes violet in the sun!

It’s a small book called the Beginner’s Guide to Hummingbirds by Donald and Lillian Stokes.

What’s neat is that the very first two pages show which hummingbirds can be found in which of the four regions in the country: East/Central, Gulf Coast, West, and Southwest. It also delineates the species by the color of the male’s throat: Orange, Red/Pink, Purple/Violet, Green, White and Blue.

It also marks the sides of the pages by color, so you can easily flip to the appropriate section and see multiple photos of both the males and females and see a map of where they live.

The female black chinned hummingbird wears a whole different wardrobe!

We determined that we were seeing Black Chinned and Rufous Hummingbirds. The males were easy to spot because they have dramatic coloring on their necks and heads. But the muted and spotted colors of the juveniles and females made them all look alike!

The fun thing about the Black Chinned hummingbirds is that they truly buzz when they fly. They sound like a bunch of bees as they zoom around, but they’re a whole lot cuter.

The Rufous hummingbirds have bright orange on their necks and an orange tint to their little bodies. They are beautiful and very petite. But they act be like little Napoleons sometimes. They are extremely skittish, but nonetheless some of them want to rule the world anyway, and they make every effort to.

Rufous hummingbird – Small, skittish and domineering!

All hummingbirds can be very territorial about their feeders, and the turf wars can be astonishing to watch.

The King of the Feeder will stand watch over it from a nearby branch, and will dive bomb any other hummingbird that tries to get a drink! It is particularly funny when one little Rufous decides to chase off twenty other hummingbirds from his personal feeder. He is one busy little guy!

Mine!

Over the years, when it has seemed that one particular hummingbird has become a little too dominant at our feeder, we’ve found a good solution is to put out multiple feeders in such a way that one hummingbird can see only one feeder at a time. Hanging them on opposite sides of the trailer is a good trick.

But for the most part, it seems that everyone gets a turn eventually.

Hummingbirds share a drink at the RV window feeder

Hummingbirds can be territorial, but they do know how to share too!

We got immense pleasure from watching these guys from inside our RV. Our trailer’s windows are darkly tinted, and with the feeder mounted on the window, if we didn’t move or make any noises in the trailer, we could watch them from just a foot or two away from inside.

We were astonished to see that sometimes the hummingbirds would double dip, with two of them poking their beaks into one hole in the feeder at the same time, even though the holes in the feeder are tiny. At other times, the bird sitting on the perch would lean way back while the one hovering overhead got a quickie slurp. They would take turns drinking that way.

Two for one!

Sometimes they even lined up in front of the feeder, like airplanes in a landing pattern, with each bird getting a chance to drink his fill before flying off.

Hummingbirds line up at RV window feeder

The hummers get into a landing pattern at our feeder!

By the way, the recipe for hummingbird nectar is super easy:

1 part sugar
4 parts water

I like to mix up one cup of nectar at a time. I’ll put 1/4 cup of sugar into a 1/4 cup of warm water and stir it until it dissolves. Then I’ll add another 3/4 cup of cold water and stir some more before serving.

Hummers aren’t Natural Food fanatics, so they don’t go for Raw or Turbinado sugar or brown sugar, and they don’t like other sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, agave syrup or confectioners sugar either.

There was lots of wildlife in around Libby Dam and in the neighboring Kootenai National Forest, and staying in the Libby area, it felt like we were a world apart.

We saw lots of wildlife in Libby, Montana.

If you take your RV to northwestern Montana, and especially to the small town of Libby, pay a visit to the Libby Dam and keep an eye out for the big, beautiful bald eagle. And if you are there in July, put a hummingbird feeder out, and be prepared with a stockpile of sugar and your camera!!

There’s more info on Libby, Montana and hummingbirds below.

Subscribe
Never miss a post — it’s free!

More info about Libby Montana and attracting hummingbirds:

More blog posts about birds and Montana:

All our RV travels in Montana
Our RV trip to Libby, Montana

Our most recent posts:

More of our Latest Posts are in the MENU.
New to this site? Visit RVers Start Here to find where we keep all the good stuff!!

<-Previous || Next->

Long Ride Travel by Horse and Bicycle!

Posted on August 29, 2016 by Roads Less Traveled

July 2016 – One of the best things about our traveling lifestyle is having a chance to meet some of the really unusual and inspiring people who are out there traveling and seeing the world.

There are many ways to get out of the house and away from convention to start a life on the road exploring, and because we are out and about ourselves, we’ve bumped into some fascinating folks who have taken an approach to travel that is nothing like our own. Each one, in their own way, is having an adventure that is truly extraordinary.

Traveling full-time by RV is cool, but how about doing it by horse?!

On the 4th of July we stopped in Troy, Montana, way up in the northwest corner of the state near Idaho and Canada, so we could enjoy their “Old Fashioned” small town Independence Day celebration with a parade and a car show.

The 4th of July parade kicks off in Troy, Montana!

The parade was terrific. There were lots of fire trucks and sirens and honking of horns, and tons of candy was thrown out on the ground for the kids to scramble after.

Little girl at 4th of July Parade Troy Montana

Little kids were diving for candy all over the place!

We joined a sizable throng lining the highway (which had been temporarily shut down for the parade), and we cheered everyone on.

Troy Montana 4th of July Parade Car Show

Now there’s a sweet ride!

Near the end of the parade, some horses went by. One in particular caught our eye. A petite woman in a very broad brimmed hat sat astride a horse, and she held the reins for a second horse that she had in tow. The second horse was carrying saddle bags and had a large sign on its back that said:

Lady Long Rider. 12 Years. 28,000 Miles. Today ends 8,000 mile Coast to Coast Journey.

Long Ride Lady Bernice Ende 28000 miles 12 years

28,000 miles…by horse?? Wow!

Holy Smokes!! Who was this gal and what was her story??

In a few seconds she was gone down the road, along with the rest of the equestrian part of the parade, and we were caught up once again in watching the kids dive for candy and cheering the floats that went by.

Later that evening, as we went through our photos from the day, we both stopped at our pics of this unusual “lady long rider” and wondered again what her story was.

The next day, when we were driving on a back road near the town of Libby, we were both completely shocked when we looked up the road and saw the Lady Long Rider walking towards us with her two horses, right down the middle of the road.

What luck! We pulled over and jumped out to talk to her.

The Lady Long Rider paused for a few minutes to chat with us and answer our flood of questions about her life.

She smiled warmly and began telling us about her journey as her horses took advantage of the moment and started doing some serious grazing in the tall grass.

Her two beautiful Norwegian Fjord horses passed the time grazing while their mistress talked to us.

Her name was Bernice Ende, and we found out she has been traveling alone with her horses since 2005. She has covered 28,000 miles all together, criss-crossing the US and Canada several times. Her two horses, Essie Pearl and Montana Spirit, are both Norwegian Fjord horses. They are steady, strong and mellow horses that are ideal for this kind of long distance journey.

Bernice Ende Long Ride Lady with horses in Montana

We had a wonderfully low key encounter on a little used road.

Raised on a Minnesota dairy farm, and trained as a classical ballet dancer, she enjoyed a twenty-five year career as a ballet dance teacher that included teaching stints from San Francisco to Montana. After retiring from teaching, she struck out on a 2,000 mile Long Ride at age 50 with her first horse, Pride, to see a bit of the world. She hasn’t looked back since.

Her story touched me deeply, because much of it paralleled my own journey, with my performing arts figure skating background and my own powerful middle-aged yearning to seek adventure on the open road.

Like me, Bernice was raised by a strong, colorful mother who, along with her four aunts, inspired her with their independent and brave spirits. She says her mom “sought to change the world through education, the arts, science and…adventure,” and she instilled in Bernice an insatiable curiosity to find out what lies over the horizon.

Long Ride Lady Bernice Ende with horses in Montana

Bernice has been traveling with her horses since 2005.

She carries everything she needs on her horses, and she told us she hasn’t slept in a bed in a house since 2008. Totally self-sufficient, she even shoes her horses herself! We were amused to discover she lives without a cell phone too, just as we do.

She has dealt with adversity and faced some scary experiences, but the twinkle in her eye gave away her total love of this lifestyle.

“I cried the day I left and cried for weeks until fatigue finally broke the fear into tiny digestible pieces. I eventually found a life that tantalized and called to me, a life that suited me. I remember thinking, ‘How will I ever return to a normal life?’ Well, I guess I never did.”

Her long rides have taken her all over North America on treks ranging from 2,000 to 8,000 miles and lasting from a few months to a few years, always bringing her back to Montana for a little R&R between trips.

Boots and packs on a long ride on a horse

Everything she and the horses need, from clothes and food to boots and shoes, is carried in packs.

We were both astonished to hear her story unfold. When Bernice started traveling, although she had ridden horses her whole life, and had even galloped around standing on her bareback horse at age 8, she knew little about long riding. Like so many brand new full-time travelers, she had much to learn.

She has ridden these long rides with several different horses. One of her most beloved horses, named Honor, died in a tragic corral accident that nearly ended her horseback travels. But she persevered and was encouraged and supported by newfound friends along the way, and she resumed her travels with another eager and willing horse named Hart who carried her for 8,000 miles before retiring at age 18.

Bernice Ende on 28,000 mile long horse back ride

Bernice, and her special mares Essie Pearl and Montana Spirit.

As we chatted, Bernice’s two mares munched the grass around us. She introduced us to each of them, but they were content to let us chat with each other while they got a quickie mid-morning snack and ignored the conversation.

Bernice’s little traveling trio was once a quartet that included her faithful companion Claire Dog. Named after Clara of the “(Not Quite) Nutcracker” performances her ballet classes put on, but with a much more unruly personality than her namesake, Claire Dog accompanied her mistress for 7,000 miles on her own four paws (sometimes wearing leather doggie moccasins) and then rode in a doggie box atop a horse for another 12,000 miles.

Sadly, Claire Dog left this earth last year at age 16, but Bernice herself shows no signs of slowing down or ending her travels.

Horses with Bernice Ende the Long Ride Lady in Montana

Bernice lets the horses know that snack time is over.

After spending a little time back in her cabin, which has been cared for by a friend in her very long absence, she will be out on another Long Ride to the eastern states soon.

One of her reasons for her Long Ride is to encourage women’s leadership. She visited Seneca Falls, New York, the birthplace for the women’s rights movement, and she has been invited to speak at Harvard University as well as at several women’s colleges in the eastern states. So, in her next tour she will travel to these campuses on her way to the Appalachian Mountains and the Smokies.

Essie Pearl and Montana Spirit with Bernice Ende in Montana

This trio will be walking and riding the eastern states very soon.

Our jaws were still agape long after Bernice had gathered her horses together and begun making her way down the road once again.

We had forgotten to ask her how far she was going that day or where she planned to stay that night. But she had told us she never plans ahead too much, and she camps much as we do, finding out-of-the-way places on public land.

Essie Pearl and Montana Spirit and Bernice Ende on Long Ride in Montana

Adventure travelers come in all shapes and sizes, and just a few hours after seeing Bernice disappear down the road, we bumped into a pair of cyclists who have been touring for 3,000 to 4,000 miles each summer for the past five years. This couple had pitched their tent near us, and when I saw their cycling shorts hanging out on a line, I had to go over and find out more.

Rupert and Cyndy long distance cycling on bikes

Our Luxury Mobile makes a fine backdrop for these two rugged cyclists and their touring bikes.

Their names were Rupert and Cyndy, and it turned out that they had ridden with some of the same bike clubs and on some of the same long distance bike tours as we had back about ten or fifteen years ago, and we knew quite a few of the same people and cycling routes. What a small world!

For this summer, Rupert and Cyndy had decided to do multiple “loop tours” in western Montana, rather than riding in a straight line from one destination to another or doing a single big loop from home. So far they had covered about 1,000 miles around east and west Glacier National Park, up into Canada’s Waterton Lakes National Park and around Whitefish, Montana.

Rupert and Cyndy long distance bike riding cyclists

Rupert and Cyndy have about 18,000 miles of international self-supported
bike touring under their wheels.

Like Bernice, Rupert and Cyndy are very experienced in their mode of travel. They have done about 18,000 miles of self-supported bicycle tours all over the world. They have ridden all around the western states, up and over the Million Dollar Highway in Colorado, all through Maine and New Hampshire and into Nova Scotia and even in Newfoundland. They’ve ridden throughout the Canadian Rockies, including two trips along the breathtaking Icefileds Parkway.

They’ve also ridden their bikes overseas, touring both the north and south islands of New Zealand and cycling all over Italy.

Perhaps the most fun surprise for me, though, was discovering that Cyndy studied ballet for 13 years and had a 30 year career as a gymnastics instructor. What are the odds of meeting two such similar women as Cyndy and Bernice within hours in one day?

The rainy forecast didn’t daunt these two as they set out to ride 60 miles or so to their next stop.

Rupert and Cyndy often take advantage of a wonderful website for cyclists, WarmShowers.org, where folks that wish to host traveling cyclists can make their home available to them and where cyclists looking for a place to pitch their tent and take a warm shower can find one.

They have hosted lots and lots of cyclists from all over the world at their home, and during their cycling tours they have been hosted many times as well. They’ve found it’s a really rewarding way to travel.

They sipped a cup of coffee with us at our campsite before they left and then headed out for the day’s 60 mile ride to their next destination. Like Bernice, they weren’t sure exactly where they would bed down that night, but they talked with excitement about the travel adventures that lay ahead, and they couldn’t wait to hit the road and get started.

There are many ways to travel, and our truck and trailer and sailboat have given us some beautiful experiences over the last nine years. But it is a thrill to cross paths with other travelers who are voyaging long distances for extended periods of time via very different means.

I’m not sure I could be a Long Rider or a long distance self-supported touring cyclist, but what a joy it was to chat with these travelers and hear about their lives on the road. In the end, though, as our conversations flowed and we found our common bonds, it seemed that the most significant journey we had all taken in our many years of travel was not to one particular destination or another but was the journey within that happens when you leave convention behind and follow the rhythm of your own heart.

As Bernice wrote on her website after six years of travel:

“I think with each ride I grow a deeper appreciation for others, for the country I live in, and for the animals that willingly travel with me… Now, with nearly 17,000 miles under my saddle, I am beginning to know what long riding is about….A never ending education. A reminder that the most important thing about traveling from A to B is what is in between.”

There are links for Bernice’s website, Long Riding and Long Distance Cycling below.

Subscribe
Never miss a post — it’s free!

Here’s a litle more info about these travelers and the way they travel:

Bernice Ende – Lady Long Rider – “Ende of the Trail”
The Long Riders Guild – Info for Long Rides on Horses
How to Prepare for a Long Ride – Prepping both You and Your Horse
Adventure Cycling Association – Maps and Info for Long Distance Cycling
WarmShowers.org – Community for hosting touring cyclists
Where are Troy and Libby Montana? – Google Maps

Other Unusual Travelers We Have Met On Our Voyage:

World Cruising Done Right – Making Great Money and Seeing the World via Luxury Yachts
Around the World in an RV – Adventurous RVers who go beyond their home continent
Long Distance Hiking – A Couple Tackles America’s Longest Hikes
Tandem Cruising Around the World – One Couple on Two Separate Boats in their Third Circumnavigation
Workcamping With The Ancients – Traveling from one archaeological site to the next
A Tour of the World by Motorcycle – We Meet the Bike
We Meet an Appalchian Trail Thru-hiker – And he’s carrying a tiny pack!

Our most recent posts:

More of our Latest Posts are in the MENU above.

<-Previous || Next->

Whitefish to Libby – Big Surprises on the Back Roads of Montana

Posted on August 28, 2016 by Roads Less Traveled

June 2016 – With the wonders and spectacular beauty of the east side of Glacier National Park still vivid in our minds, we took our RV south and west around the bottom of Glacier and out onto the back roads of northwestern Montana. On our way, we passed an RV park sporting a fantastic mock-up of a Volkswagen Beetle towing a small trailer. What fun!

Volkswagen Beetle Towing a Trailer RV Whitefish Montana

Now there’s a cool rig!!

In an earlier life, we were both avid recreational racing cyclists, riding well over 200 training miles a week. To make it through our long training rides and races, we relied a lot on products made by Hammer Nutrition, a company that is based out of Whitefish, Montana.

So we had to stop by and pay them a quick visit as we went through Whitefish!

Hammer Nutrition Headquarters Whitefish Montana

Hammer Nutrition makes amazing supplements for athletes and for good health.

They were more than cordial when we knocked on the door, and they gave us an impromptu tour of their facility. We’d expected to see enormous vats and cauldrons with steam rising out of them, but the products are actually made elsewhere by subcontractors. However, this is where the order fulfillment happens.

Besides their electrolyte replacements (very handy during a long, hot, sweaty hike), Mark got a few bottles of Tissue Rejuvenator which has been working wonders on his tender knees.

Hammer Nutrition Truck Whitefish Montana

With our shelves restocked with Hammer goodies, we continued on Montana’s back roads, passing some beautiful scenery on the way.

There is some lovely scenery on Montana’s back roads.

We stopped to watch some horses in a pasture and saw that one had a little bird riding on its back. The horse didn’t seem to mind. It was busy eating grass!

A little bird catches a ride.

We dropped south along the shores of Lake Koocanusa, and we enjoyed several lovely stops to catch a view.

The lake gets its name from the first three letters of the word “Kootenai,” the word “Canada” and the word “USA,” all concatenated together, because it spans both countries and is located in the region of the Kootenai tribe.

Lake Koocanusa

There are quite a few National Forest campgrounds along the banks of Lake Koocanusa, and lots of families were enjoying boating and playing in the water.

Crystal clear water at Lake Koocanusa.

The daisies were out in force everywhere too, soaking up the sun.

Daisies were sunning themselves in the summer sun.

Lake Koocanusa is formed by the Libby Dam which blocks the flow of the Kootenai River just east of Libby, Montana. Like all the big western dams, this dam is quite an engineering marvel.

We took a wonderful tour and were amazed by the high stakes game the US Army Corps of Engineers has to play to satisfy the widely varying needs of everyone that is affected by the dam.

Libby Dam

From communities that need electricity, to farmers wanting water for irrigation, to the fish and ecological system that are disrupted by an unnatural obstruction in their way, to fishermen, swimmers, boaters and campers looking for some good old fashioned summertime fun, the Libby Dam supports many uses of the lake and river.

Lake Koocanusa

I’ve written quite a bit about public land management on this blog, as public lands are an integral part of our lifestyle. Too often, we’ve seen the government’s land management agencies reducing public access, threatening to transform these precious places until they become “public” in name only.

Former campgrounds and dispersed camping areas have been blocked off with “Road Closed” signs. Behind these blockades weeds grow tall, graffiti grows wild and structures deteriorate.

Other former campgrounds sport brand new “Day Use Only” signs, but they go unused because no one is going to drive a long distance to a remote place just to have a picnic.

Worst of all, 40% of America’s public lands that were given to 11 western states at statehood have been sold off. For more info click here.

The Kootenai River below the dam.

However, on the Kootenai River and Lake Koocanusa at Libby Dam, the US Army Corps of Engineers is getting it right, and it is a total thrill to see a public area so well taken care of. In addition to managing the dam, they have also built a wonderful recreation area on the banks of the river that offers a little something for everyone. We dabbled our toes in the water at a large boat dock that has swim ladders.

Swimming dock Kootenai River Libby Montana

There’s a nice boat dock with swim ladders near Libby Dam.

They even offer free “borrow and return” life preservers for boaters who get to the lake and realize they don’t have enough to go around.

Life preservers Kootenai River boat dock Libby Montana

If boaters forget their life preservers, they can borrow one from here.

The kids’ playground and its massive series of jungle gyms, slides, chutes and climbing bars near the dam are truly heaven on earth for the three-to-twelve set. I have never seen a jungle gym or playground that is so big and so inviting, even for the over 50 crowd (I confess, I really loved swinging on the big swingset!).

Corps of Engineers Playground Libby Montana

The playground built by the Corps of Engineers next to Libby Dam is wonderful.

Out on the Kootenai River below the dam, fly fishermen zip downstream carried by a very fast moving current. The oars on these cool fishing boats are just for steering purposes!

Fly fishing Kootenai River Libby Dam Montana

Fly fishermen float downstream.

Hiking trails from Libby Dam’s recreation area took us past pretty lake views, and we found wildflowers blooming on the trails.

Pretty lavender wildflowers.

We rode our bikes on some of the back roads in the area, and along with discovering beautiful scenery we also bumped into a woman “long rider” who has been traveling cross-country on horseback for 12 years and 28,000 miles (blog post here).

Fog and mist on the Kootenai River Montana

Fog and mist on a small fork of the Kootenai River.

With all this quiet beauty surrounding us in every direction, we were blown away when we learned that due to decades of vermiculite mining as well as carelessness on the part of the mine owner, W. R. Grace, the area around Libby, Montana, is now a Superfund Site.

We discovered this when we camped with a group of out-of-towners who had grown up in Libby while the dam was being built in the 1970’s. They had returned to celebrate their 38th Libby High School reunion. While they were in the area, besides hanging out with old friends and reminiscing, they were all getting tested for Mesothelioma, the cancer caused by asbestos exposure.

Sunset at Lake Koocanusa.

Although this vermiculte mine had been active since 1919, when W. R. Grace bought it in 1963, they began distributing excess asbestos related material around town by for use in playgrounds, gardens, roads, school yards and even the high school track (which was known as being especially springy and fast!).

In the end, W. R. Grace was fined $250 million to contribute to the cleanup of the area. The EPA has removed the asbestos from 2,100 properties, including all the public areas, and has a few hundred more private properties to take care of. The cleanup has cost $540 million to date with at least $64 million more in anticipated expenditures.

Recently, asbestos has turned up during controlled burns in the Kootenai National Forest around the former mine site. The EPA is has shifted its Superfund focus in Libby and has increased the size of the area they are concerned about.

Sunset on Lake Koocanusa

Unfortunately, the latency period for Mesothelioma cancer symptoms to surface is 20 to 50 years. Several hundred residents of Libby and nearby Troy have died already, and another few thousand are suffering illnesses related to asbestos exposure. As our newfound friends waited nervously for their cancer test results, one of them told us he had already tested positive last year.

It was very shocking to look around at the stunning beauty of this part of Montana and hear this sad tale.

Reading about Superfund Sites while living far away from them, I’d always imagined them to be forelorn, desolate communities that had a post-nuclear explosion look about them. I had no idea that one of the most pristine natural areas that America is fortunate enough to embrace, a beautiful place that is so remote in spots that you can’t get cell phone service for many miles, is a Superfund Site.

We were charmed by Libby and the warmth of the people we met, both camping and around town.

There’s a sweet little campground right in the middle of town (smaller rigs only), called Fireman’s Memorial Park Campground, and there’s a fun microbrew pub, Cabinet Mountain Brewing, that refers to itself as “Libby’s Living Room.” They serve a fantastic coffee porter and have live music many nights.

Live Music Cabinet Mountain Brewing Company Libby Montana

Cabinet Mountain Brewing Company has great beer and live music.

We stopped in Libby because we got a flat tire on our truck while taking photos at the Libby Dam (blog post here). That turned out to be a wonderful stroke of good fortune, because otherwise we might have kept going and missed this really pretty part of Montana. Instead we stayed in the area for two weeks!

For RV travelers heading to Libby, Montana, there are some travel planning links below:

Subscribe
Never miss a post — it’s free!

More info about Libby Montana:

Other blog posts from this neck of the woods:

Our most recent posts:

More of our Latest Posts are in the MENU.
New to this site? Visit RVers Start Here to find where we keep all the good stuff!!

<-Previous || Next->

National Parks & World Heritage Sites in America, Canada, Mexico & SE Asia

Posted on August 24, 2016 by Roads Less Traveled

The National Park Service was created by the “Organic Act” and signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson, August 25, 1916.

Since we began our full-time travels in our RV in 2007, and during our cruise of Mexico on our sailboat (2010-2013), we’ve made it a point to visit as many National Parks, National Monuments and UNESCO World Heritage Sites throughout North America as possible.

This page provides an index of links to all of our blog posts from these special places, grouped by country. They appear in reverse chronological order. America’s National Parks are also broken down by state. This page is accessible from the Menus as well.

If there is a particular park you are looking for, use the “Ctrl-F” key (Windows) or “Command-F” key (Mac) to search for it on this page.

Links to the official websites for each of North America’s National Park agencies plus lists of the UNESCO World Heritage sites in each country are given at the bottom of this page.

Google Maps links to the locations of all the parks we’ve visited are at the bottom of this page as well. These are interactive maps that you can zoom in and out of.

You can navigate to each section of this page using these links:

In our travels, we have loved all of the National Parks we have visited, and we were intrigued to learn that Yellowstone National Park was the first National Park ever created in the world. It was established by the US Congress with the Yellowstone Act of March 1, 1872, which was signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant. Lots more National Parks followed, both in the US and abroad.

On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson created the National Park Service, a bureau in the Department of the Interior, to consolidate the management of Yellowstone and the 35 other National Parks that had been established in the years since 1872.

Following is the index of posts from our visits to these wonderful places…

America’s National Parks and National Monuments

The National Park Service manages not only America’s National Parks but also the National Monuments, National Seashores, National Historic Sites, Battlefields, some of the National Recreation Areas and much much more.

As of the summer of 2023, the National Park Service is managing 424 sites that spread out across nearly 133 square miles. The sites were visited by nearly 312 million tourists in 2022, down from the pre-pandemic peak of 331 million tourists in 2017. In 2022, the NPS had 20,000 employees and 279,000 volunteers.

Here are the National Parks we’ve visited in our RV travels:

ARIZONA

Horseshoe Bend, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum – Wild Animals in Tucson AZ 03/05/16 The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson AZ houses wild animals along a labyrinth of paths and raptors fly free overhead twice a day!
Canyon de Chelly – Breathtaking Views Under Vibrant Skies 05/09/17 Canyon de Chelly National Monument has breathtaking overlooks that come alive at sunrise and sunset, great for an RV road trip!
Canyon de Chelly, AZ – A Canyon of Indian Cliff Dwellings 06/27/12 Canyon de Chelly has evocative Indian cliff dwelling in a gorgeous canyon close to the Navajo Code Talker memorial at Window Rock.
Grand Canyon – A Winter Wonderland with Snow! 01/18/19 Grand Canyon National Park is a gorgeous Winter Wonderland when it is filled with snow. Here are pics from our blizzard adventure!
Grand Canyon History: A Navajo & a Mule Link Us to the Past 06/20/23 Grand Canyon is full of history, and while looking for a personal connection to it, a Navajo mule wrangler gifted us with an unusual and poignant experience.
Grand Canyon South Rim RV Tips + Lesser Known Overlooks! 06/29/23 The South Rim of the Grand Canyon is crowded, but these RV tips and lesser known overlooks will help you find peace and quiet at this magical place.
Grand Canyon South Rim RV Trip – Views, Views, VIEWS!! 06/15/23 Grand Canyon South Rim is a TOP “must see” and “don’t miss” destination for all RV travelers, offering breathtaking views at every turn. Here’s what we saw…
Grand Canyon’s North Rim – Breathtaking Bright Angel Point! 06/21/19 The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is a beautiful place to relax. Grand Canyon Lodge and Bright Angel Point are highlights…
Grand Canyon’s North Rim – Its Better Half? 07/31/08 The Grand Canyon’s North Rim is less visited than the South Rim, and we found a heavenly campsite in the Kaibab Nat’l Forest.
Grand Canyon’s North Rim – Magnificent & Intimate by Day or Night! 12/06/16 The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is magnificent yet intimate…here are photos from our RV trip across northern Arizona!
Horseshoe Bend Overlook – Page, Arizona – Stunning! 03/24/16 Breathtaking Horseshoe Bend overlook near Page, Arizona, is ideal for a daytrip during an RV road trip through northeastern Arizona.
Montezuma’s Castle & Schnebly Hill – Sedona Heights! 05/19/14 Montezuma’s Castle & Montezuma’s Well are wonderful daytrips from Sedona and Schnebly Hill Road is a thrilling scenic drive.
Navajo National Monument, Monument Valley and Bears Ears 03/28/16 Navajo National Monument has ancient cliff dwellings, Monument Valley has dramatic rock formations, and Bears Ears NM is PROPOSED.
Petrified Forest National Park RV Trip – Magic in Jasper Forest 04/28/17 On an RV trip to Petrified Forest National Park calcified stone tree logs came to life on the Jasper Forest “Off the Beaten Path” hiking trail.
Petrified Forest NP and Mogollon Rim – Cool pines & hot rocks in AZ! 05/29/12 AZ’s rugged Mogollon Rim, crazy Petrified Forest & stunning Painted Desert eased our transition from Mexico & our sad family times…
Point Sublime – A Wild Ride to a Stunning Overlook in Grand Canyon! 07/12/19 Point Sublime has 270 degree views of the Grand Canyon but it is very difficult to get to. Here’s what our adventure was like…
Saddle Mountain Overlook – A Different View of the Grand Canyon! 06/28/19 At the Saddle Mountain Overlook we found a beautiful and different view of the magnificent Grand Canyon in Arizona.
Saguaro National Park Petroglyphs – Tucson Mountains, AZ 02/20/16 Amid the cactus studded hillsides of Saguaro National Park (Tucson Mountains) there are evocative petroglyphs at Signal Hill.
Sunset Crater, AZ – Looks Like it Exploded Yesterday! 06/15/08 Sunset Crater (Flagstaff AZ) has intriguing lava flows & other-worldly cinder lakes, and was a great place to install our solar panels…
Tonto National Monument AZ – Lower Cliff Dwellings 12/16/15 The Lower Cliff Dwellings at Tonto National Monument in Arizona are ancient Indian ruins high on a hill overlooking Roosevelt Lake.
Tonto National Monument AZ – Workamping with the Ancients! 01/07/16 At Tonto National Monument’s Upper Cliff Dwellings in Arizona, we learned about workamping and volunteering at archaeological sites.
Wupatki Nat’l Monument – Ancient Indian Ruins & Great Camping in AZ! 08/25/11 Wupatki National Monument in AZ has 1,000 year old Indian Ruins, and next door Bonito Campground is our all-time favorite!

CALIFORNIA

Death Valley National Park

Death Valley, CA – An Exotic Landscape 11/25/07 Death Valley is full of exotic landscapes, but most important for us was our introduction to the world of RV boondocking…
Yosemite National Park, CA – Sheer Beauty 06/19/07 We drove our RV into Yosemite National Park via Tioga Pass and found crystal clear mountain streams and towering waterfalls.

COLORADO

Mesa Verde National Park

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, CO – Steep and Deep! 10/21/14 The Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Colorado is a land of wild and rugged beauty and very sheer cliffs!
Colorado National Monument & Fruita CO – Red Rocks, Cycling & Wine! 10/18/12 Colorado National Monument’s red rocks are gorgeous, nearby Fruita has an awesome farmer’s market while Palisade has tasty wine!
Mesa Verde National Park, CO – Life on the Edge with the Ancients 06/19/12 Mesa Verde National Park has canyons filled with awe-inspiring Indian cliff dwellings and Utah’s Bicentennial Highway is sensational!
Rocky Mountain National Park & Trail Ridge Road: RV? Dog?? 09/01/23 Rocky Mountain National Park is filled with awe-inspiring alpine vistas along the Trail Ridge Road, but is it okay for an RV and/or a dog? Yes and no…

FLORIDA

Gulf Islands National Seashore

Gulf Islands National Seashore – Florida’s Emerald Coast! 04/17/15 The Gulf Island National Seashore and Pensacola Beach are gems for RV travelers visiting Florida’s Emerald Coast.

IDAHO

Craters of the Moon National Monument

Craters of the Moon + Cataclysms from Sun Valley ID to Alpine WY 09/02/14 Volcanic cinders at Craters of the Moon NM capped our cataclysmic theme of wildfires and floods from Sun Valley ID to Alpine WY!

MAINE

Acadia National Park – Cadillac Mountain

Acadia National Park – Alluring Beauty on the Maine Coast 07/01/15 Acadia National Park is home to some of the most beautiful scenery along Maine’s north coast, fabulous for an RV roadtrip!
Acadia National Park’s Carriage Roads in Maine – Thanks, Rockefeller! 07/07/15 The Carriage Roads at Acadia National Park are a 50 mile trail system for non-motorized traffic courtesy of John D. Rockefeller, Jr.

MISSISSIPPI

Natchez Trace Parkway

Natchez Trace Parkway, MS – A Scenic Drive with No Trucks Allowed! 03/25/09 The beautiful Natchez Trace Parkway is closed to commercial traffic and is full of history from ancient times to the mid-1800’s.
Natchez Trace Parkway, MS – Echoes of History! 04/30/08 Natchez Trace Parkway’s Rocky Springs Campground peers eerily into history. Finding Kermit the Frog nearby was the best!

MONTANA

Glacier National Park

“Going to the Sun” from Glacier National Park’s East Side – Breathtaking! 08/21/16 Driving the Going to the Sun Road from Glacier National Park’s east side offers breathtaking views of snowy peaks, lakes and valleys.
Bighorn Canyon – A River Runs Through It in Montana! 07/27/18 Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area is an ideal RV destination with glorious views at Devil’s Canyon Overlook and great red rocks.
Glacier National Park in Montana – Mirrors at Lake McDonald 05/29/16 Glacier National Park is great for an RV roadtrip, and going before peak season avoids the crowds, especially at serene Lake McDonald.
Glacier National Park, MT – Mountain Goats and Lake Views 08/27/07 At Montana’s Glacier National Park we drove the famous Going to the Sun Road and saw the infamous mountain goats at Logan Pass.
Glacier National Park’s “Many Glacier” – Crown of the Continent! 06/22/18 Many Glacier embraces some of the best views and vistas in Waterton-Glacier National Park, an ideal destination for an RV trip.
Glacier National Park’s Quieter Side – Saint Mary 08/17/16 The eastern side of Glacier National Park is its quieter and possibly more beautiful side, and St Mary is a great RV home base.

NEW MEXICO

White Sands National Monument

Aztec Ruins National Monument – Whispers from the Ancients in New Mexico! 06/11/17 An RV trip to the 400-room structure at Aztec Ruins National Monument in New Mexico offers a fascinating look at the ancients.
Bandelier National Monument – Fun Pueblo Cliff Dwellings in New Mexico! 06/21/17 Bandelier National Monument has fun hikes to pueblo cliff dwellings with cool ladders for visitors to climb up. Pics here…
Tent Rocks National Monument (Kasha-Katuwe) – Hiking Slots & Spires! 06/17/17 Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument is a great hike through a slot canyon & up a steep climb to true tent shaoed rocks.
White Sands National Monument – New Mexico’s Desert Dunes! 03/04/15 White Sands National Monument in New Mexico is a fun park where you can make snow angels and go sledding in pure white sand.

NORTH CAROLINA

Indian Creek Waterfall Deep Creek Hiking Trail Great Smoky Mountains National Park N. Carolina

Great Smoky Mountains National Park – Indian Creek Waterfall

A Jewel of a Waterfall – Great Smoky Mountains National Park 05/12/15 An unmarked and unnamed waterfall in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the Oconaluftee River makes for awesome photos.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park – A First Glimpse 05/25/15 The mysterious Smoky Mountains – beautiful layers of mountains, rushing streams, lush vegetation and a canopy of trees over the roads.
Smoky Mountain Adventures – Elk, Indians and Waterfalls 05/31/15 In North Carolina’s Smoky Mountains we found some great running trails, saw elk, hiked to waterfalls, and hung with the Indians!
Waterfalls of the Blue Ridge Parkway (North Carolina) 06/10/15 Soco Falls, Duggers Creek Falls and Crabtree Falls are three spectacular waterfalls for photos and hiking on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

OREGON

Crater Lake National Park

Crater Lake National Park in Oregon – Bluer than blue! 06/13/14 Crater Lake wowed us with stunning views of royal blue water, deep green trees and snow capped mountains.

TEXAS

Big Bend National Park – Santa Elena Canyon on the Rio Grande

A Glimpse of Big Bend National Park in Texas 03/05/15 Big Bend National Park in Texas is a land of extremes with freezing cold, searing heat, boulders, wildflowers, songbirds and sunsets
Big Bend National Park – Mountain, River & Desert Hikes 03/19/15 Big Bend National Park in Texas has all kinds of day hikes, from ascending mountains to walking beside rivers and through deserts.
Big Bend National Park TX – Vast and Varied with Views! 03/17/15 Big Bend National Park is a huge park that is ideal for an RV trip, with mountains, a huge river, desert terrain and great views.
Boondocking at Big Bend National Park – Cheap & Scenic RV Camping 03/26/15 Boondocking at Big Bend National Park in Texas is inexpensive and scenic, but it can be a little tricky!

VIRGINIA

Mabry Mill Blue Ridge Parkway RV camping adventure

Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia – Mabry Mill

Blue Ridge Parkway (Virginia) – Waterfalls & Rhododendrons 06/18/15 In spring the waterfall hikes along Blue Ridge Parkway burst with the pink color of rhododendrons, but the hiking can be strenuous!
Blue Ridge Parkway Highlights (Virginia) – Mills, Music & Farms! 06/14/15 The historic Mabry Mill and free concerts at the Blue Ridge Music Center are two highlights on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia.
Shenandoah National Park, Virginia – Climbs & Falls! 06/20/15 Two highlights in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia are the great hikes to Dark Hollow Falls and the summit of Mary’s Rock

UTAH

Arches National Park – Turret Arch

Arches National Park Utah – A Playground of Soaring Red Rock Bridges! 04/21/16 Arches National Park in Utah is filled with soaring red rock sandstone bridges, a gorgeous playground that brings out the kid in everyone.
Bryce Canyon – Hiking The Rim & Navajo Loop + A Tourist Time-lapse! 09/29/16 Bryce Canyon National Park’s most popular hikes are the Rim and Navajo Loop Trails. How busy are they? Check out the time-lapse!
Bryce Canyon – Rainbow Point – Bristlecone Pines and Sweeping Vistas 11/01/16 Bristlecone Trail at Rainbow Point in Bryce Canyon National Park is an easy hike that passes sweeping views and ancient trees.
Bryce Canyon Gone Wild – Tempests, Rainbows & Wildlife 10/09/16 Bryce Canyon National Park has a wild side where tempests and hailstorms give way to beautiful rainbows, deer and pronghorn…
Bryce Canyon in Winter – Snow and Lace on the Red Rock Spires! 01/25/19 Bryce Canyon National Park became a GORGEOUS land of snowy spires and fairytale turrets after a winter blizzard. Here are pics!
Bryce Canyon National Park – “Mossy Cave” – Mystery Waterfall! 10/18/16 Bryce Canyon National Park is known for its red rock pinnacles, but there is a beautiful waterfall at Mossy Cave too!!
Bryce Canyon National Park – Fairyland Trail – A Beautiful Hike! 10/02/16 The Fairyland Trail at Bryce Canyon National Park is a quiet and stunning hike that wanders between the red rock hoodoos.
Bryce Canyon National Park – Inspiration Point – OMG! 09/27/16 Bryce Canyon National Park is a MUST SEE for everyone exploring the west in an RV – Inspiration Point is a jaw-dropper!
Bryce Canyon, UT – Fairyland of Pink Turrets 08/25/08 Bryce Canyon, a fairyland of pink and red rock spires and spikes, is one of the gems of the National Park system.
Canyonlands National Park UT – Island in the Sky (and Night Skies!) 04/28/16 Canyonlands National Park in Utah offers both dramatic vistas and awesome night skies in the Island in the Sky district near Moab.
Canyonlands National Park Utah – Hiking in the Needles District! 04/12/16 The Needles District of Canyonlands National Park in Utah is filled with pink spires best seen on the Chesler Park hike.
Capitol Reef National Park Utah – Awe-inspiring! 06/25/12 Capitol Reef Nat’l Park captivated us with dramatic vistas at Sunset Point and Capitol Gorge plus its unique Mormon pioneer history.
Capitol Reef NP – Cathedral Valley – A Stunning Backcountry Drive in Utah! 09/20/19 Cathedral Valley, a remote region of Capitol Reef National Park, is filled with stunning red rock pinnacles. Here are our pics…
Cedar Breaks National Monument – A Hidden Jewel in Utah 09/23/16 Cedar Breaks National Monument is a hidden Utah jewel that’s easy for RV travelers to miss when visiting the bigger National Parks.
Cedar Breaks National Monument – Glorious Amphitheater of Red Rocks! 07/26/19 Cedar Breaks National Monument is a gorgeous amphitheater of red rock pinnacles, spires and hoodoos, great for an RV trip.
Cedar Breaks National Monument – Wild Skies & Summer Storms 08/02/19 Cedar Breaks National Monument has intense storms in the summertime, and the wild skies are sensational. Here are some pics…
Cedar Breaks National Monument in Utah – Better Than Bryce? 08/30/11 Even though Cedar Breaks National Monument is less visited than neighboring Zion, Bryce and Grand Canyon, it may be more stunning!
Dinosaur National Monument, UT – More than fossilized dinosaur bones! 10/12/12 Dinosaur National Monument in Utah and Colorado is home to Fremont petroglyphs, historic homesteads & great views.
Natural Bridges National Monument & Utah’s Bicentennial Highway 06/15/12 Natural Bridges National Monument has three unique natural rock bridges and Utah’s Bicentennial Highway is spectacular!
Zion National Park “West” RV Trip – Gorgeous Kolob Canyons! 12/22/16 Kolob Canyons, gorgeous and lesser known in Zion National Park, is a must see on an RV trip, esp. hiking Taylor Creek Trail in Fall.
Zion National Park RV Trip – One AWESOME Canyon! 12/15/16 Zion National Park is an awesome RV trip destination with towering rock walls, great hikes and bike rides. Here are pics and tips!
Zion NP, Kodachrome Basin & Snow Canyon, UT – Great Red Rocks! 10/31/07 Zion National Park’s and Kodachrome Basin’s cliffs awed us while nearby Snow Canyon was ideal for hiking & biking.

WYOMING

Grand Teton National Park at Dawn

Bighorn Canyon – A River Runs Through It in Montana! 07/27/18 Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area is an ideal RV destination with glorious views at Devil’s Canyon Overlook and great red rocks.
Devil’s Tower, WY – Remember “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” ?? 09/30/07 Devil’s Tower Wyoming, known for the movie “Close Encounters,” is sacred to the Lakota and has a cool community of prairie dogs.
Grand Teton National Park – 101 Ways to Enjoy The Tetons! 09/20/14 Grand Teton National Park is a place to be savored, and we discovered lots of ways folks do just that!
Grand Teton National Park – An American Treasure! 08/25/22 Grand Teton National Park is an idyllic RV destination with spectacular mountain views and hiking, biking, boating and music galore!
Grand Teton National Park WY – Mirrored Waters 09/17/14 We loved the mirrored reflections of the stunning Grand Teton National Park mountains at Shwabacher’s Landing & Jenny Lake.
Grand Teton National Park WY – Wild Skies 09/10/14 Fiery sunsets, mysterious mists, and rosy pink sunrises filled the skies at Grand Teton National Park.
Grand Teton National Park Wyoming – Rare Sightings! 09/29/14 We had some special sightings during our stay in Grand Teton National Park: rainbows, starry nights, fox, badger and leaping bison!
Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming – Stunning! 09/28/07 We visited Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming and were awe-struck by the majesty of the mountains reflecting in Jenny Lake.
Yellowstone National Park, WY – Big Game Animals 09/17/07 Yellowstone National Park lived up to its billing with big game animals up close and elk courting outside our RV window.
Yellowstone National Park, WY – Bubbling Geysers 09/22/07 Yellowstone National Park has bubbling geysers and hot springs and lots of mysterious looking mineral formations.

Canada’s National Parks and World Heritage Sites

In 1911, Canada was the first country in the world to establish a government agency specifically to oversee its National Parks. This agency is Parks Canada.

Parks Canada preserves and protects nationally significant examples of Canada’s natural and cultural history and is mandated to commemorate Canada’s history. In 2016, Parks Canada is managing 46 National Parks, 168 National Historic Sites and 11 UNESCO World Heritage Sites covering nearly 350,000 square miles of land and water.

We’ve enjoyed the extraordinary beauty of Canada’s National Parks located in the Canadian Rockies in British Columbia and Alberta as well as the picture postcard perfect town of UNESCO World Heritage Site Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.

Moraine Lake RV travel Banff National Park Alberta Canada

Banff National Park – Moraine Lake

Hot Springs in the Canadian Rockies – Swimming in Giant Hot Tubs!! 07/10/16 The hot springs in the Canadian Rockies are a great place to spend a few hours on a cold rainy day in the mountains. Here’s a look…
Icefields Parkway – Canadian Rockies Scenic Drive – WOW! 06/14/16 The Icefields Parkway in Banff National Park is an eye-popping Canadian Rockies scenic drive well worthy of an RV road trip.
Icefields Parkway – True Blue Lakes, Avalanches & Grouse! 06/16/16 In our RV adventure on the Icefields Parkway in Banff National Park we saw blue lakes, heard avalanches and played with grouse.
Kootenay National Park Canada – Bears, Mountains & Rivers! 06/07/16 Koontenay National Park is a fun RV destination in Canada’s Rocky Mountains where bears are common and rivers are turquoise.
Lake Louise – RV Travels to the Heart of the Rockies in Banff 06/10/16 Lake Louise is a great RV travel destination in Banff National Park (heart of the Canadian Rockies), and hiking to Lake Agnes is a must.
Lunenburg, Nova Scotia – Pretty As A Picture! 07/31/15 Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, is a tourist’s and photographer’s delight with colorful buildings on the docks and pretty boats in the bay.
Moraine Lake – Crown Jewel of Banff National Park 06/19/16 Moraine Lake is the crown jewel of Banff National Park and is a “must see” on any visit to Lake Louise whether by bike, by RV or by car.
Waterton Lakes Nat’l Park – Starry Skies, the Milky Way & Wildflowers 08/09/16 Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada’s starry night skies are dark enough to see the Milky Way, great fun on an RV trip!
Waterton Lakes National Park – Rocky Mountain High! 07/28/16 Waterton Lakes National Park is a phenomenal place for an RV trip, with glorious scenery, campsites on the lake and a sweet town.
Waterton Shoreline Cruise – A Classy Tour of Waterton-Glacier NP 08/05/16 The Waterton Lakes Shoreline Cruise was the highlight of our stay in Waterton-Glacier National Park and is a great way to see the park.
Yoho National Park – Emerald Lake & Natural Bridge – Aqua Magic! 06/26/16 Emerald Lake and Natural Bridge are great highlights at Yoho National Park in the Canadian Rockies where we found Agua Magic!

Mexico’s National Parks and World Heritage Sites

Many of Mexico’s most thrilling places are designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and some are National Parks as well. These sites include expansive grounds of ancient ruins that were built by the Mayans, Zapotecs and other cultures 2,000 years ago as well as historic Spanish Colonial cities that are home to exquisite architecture and cathedrals built by the Spanish in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Unique natural sites have also been preserved, including some of the islands in the Sea of Cortez as well as habitats on the mainland where migratory monarch butterflies come each year.

If you have never traveled in Mexico, we highly recommend it. The Mexicans have an exuberant and colorful culture that is extraordinarily friendly. Mexico is easily the friendliest place we’ve traveled (besides Maysville, KY…). If you are concerned about safety, we jotted down some notes that are worth pondering at this link: Is Mexico Safe?

Other helpful posts for planning a travel adventure in Mexico are: Spanish Learning Tools and Long Distance Bus Travel in Mexico and Mexican Dentists.

Monte Alban Ancient Zapotec Ruins National Park Oaxaca Mexico

Monte Alban – Oaxaca, Mexico – Step Pyramids Built by the Zapotecs 2,000 Years Ago

Agua Azul & Misol-Ha – Waterfall Adventures in Mexico 03/30/12 Special Biosphere Reserve Agua Azul Waterfall is a fabulous cascade of turquoise, while Misol-Ha is a tall thin spray!
Guanajuato – Colors, stairs, tunnels and characters! 06/14/13 Guanajuato amazed us with its vivid colors, steep hills & deep tunnels. It’s a fun town with lots of character and characters!
Guanajuato – Full of Song and Spirit! 06/24/13 Guanauato, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is not only colorful but a place where street music is elevated to high performance art.
Loreto Area: La Ramada Cove, Isla Coronado & Puerto Escondido – Gifts From and To the Sea 10/30/11 We hiked and snorkeled at La Ramada Cove and Isla Coronado, two great Sea of Cortez anchorages, but were alarmed by a shipwreck.
Loreto: Isla Coronado & Villa del Palmar – Taming the Sea of Cortez 05/16/11 Loreto’s gorgeous new Villa del Palmar was a shocking contrast to the leaping manta rays of UNESCO World Heritage SIte Isla Coronado.
Monarch Butterfly Migration at El Rosario – A Fabulous Daytrip!! 03/02/13 High in the Michoacán mountains near Morelia, Mexico, we hiked into the forest at El Rosario to see millions of monarch butterflies.
Morelia Mexico’s Magnificent Cathedral & Aqueduct – Awe-inspiring! 02/27/13 A whirlwind tour of Morelia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, blew us away with its gorgeous cathedral, churches and antique aqueduct.
Oaxaca – A City of Vibrance, Color & Soul 02/18/12 Oaxaca, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, treated us to all kinds of action and fun: concerts, parades, and a golden cathedral wedding!
Oaxaca – Quirky, Fun, and lots of Gold Leaf 02/12/12 Energetic and artsy, Oaxaca, has a fabulous gold leaf trimmed 16th century cathedral & a huge town square full of activity.
Oaxaca’s “Mitla Tour” – Ancient Zapotec Ruins & More! 02/28/12 On Oaxaca’s outskirts, we visited the 2,000 year old Zapotec ruins at Mitla, saw petrified waterfalls and met traditional weavers.
Oaxaca’s Monte Alban – Mysterious Ancient Zapotec Ruins 02/24/12 The Zapotec ruins of Monte Alban are mysterious and alluring, and the beautiful Oaxaca Cultural Center houses Mixtec relics.
Palenque – Ancient Mayan Ruins and Terror in the Jungle! 03/20/12 A beautiful all-day bus ride delivered us to the exotic ancient Mayan ruins of Palenque where we got spooked in the jungle!

Thailand’s National Parks and World Heritage Sites

Thailand has many stunning National Parks, both in the jungle and on the coasts where the water is turquoise and the reef fish are extraordinary.

Most beautiful waterfall in Thailand Erawan Falls Erawan National Park Kanchanaburi_

Erawan Falls – Erawan National Park, Kanchanaburi, Thailand

Cheow Lan Lake Tour in Khao Sok with Greenery Panvaree Floating Raft House 03/18/17 While staying at Greenery Panvaree Floating Raft House in Khao Sok we took several tours on Cheow Lan Lake. Fabulous! Some pics…
Erawan Falls – Jewel of Erawan National Park – with Mellow Adventures 02/07/17 Mellow Adventures Review: An incredible visit to Erawan Falls at Erawan National Park in Kanchanaburi Thailand – Serenity & beauty!
Greenery Panvaree Floating Raft House – Khao Sok National Park… Wow! 03/12/17 Khao Sok National Park’s Cheow Lan Lake is stunning and charming Greenery Panvaree floating raft house is delightful. Pics and info…
Huay Mae Khamin – Thailand’s Most Beautiful Waterfall – Mellow Adventures 02/15/17 Touring Kanchanaburi with Mellow Adventures, we saw Thailand’s most beautiful waterfall: Huay Mae Khamin Waterfall. Here’s pics…
Snorkeling Ko Rok with Dive & Relax – Underwater Magic in Thailand! 03/31/17 Our Ko Rok snorkeling trip with Dive and Relax was a blast — pretty fish and vibrant reefs were highlights of an intimate tour.

Subscribe
Never miss a post — it’s free!

More info about North America’s National Parks and UNESCO World Heritage Sites:

Map Links for the Locations of America’s National Parks & Monuments We’ve Visited

These maps will give you an idea of where these wonderful sites are in each state, but they are not intended for routing or itinerary purposes. You can only absorb the beauty of so many National Parks at once! Please note that you can zoom in and out of each map too.

Map Links for Canada’s National Parks & World Heritage Sites

Map Link for Mexico’s National Parks & World Heritage Sites

Mexico Map Link

For our European readers, renting an RV is great way to explore America:

Motorhome Tours with My American Holiday

Our most recent posts:

How to Install Starlink Gen 3 in an RV? Use the Speedmount! 08/07/25
Escape to Paradise – Rocky Mountain Magic! 08/01/25
Is Forest River a Good RV? Well Built? Here’s Our Experience 06/20/25
Sunset Crater Nat’l Monument – Lava & Camels at Bonito CG! 06/06/25
2024 Alpha Wolf 17CB Trailer – Our Goldilocks RV! 04/25/25
More of our Latest Posts are in the MENU. New to this site? Visit RVers Start Here to find where we keep all the good stuff. Also check out our COOL NEW GEAR STORE!! *** CLICK HERE *** to see it!

Posted in News | Tagged New, Non-Travel | 4 Replies

“Going to the Sun” from Glacier National Park’s East Side – Breathtaking!

Posted on August 21, 2016 by Roads Less Traveled

8

June 2016 – During our visit to the east side of Montana’s Glacier National Park, we saw lots of storm clouds roll in and out, and at dawn and dusk the sky lit up in astonishing patterns and colors.

We saw some amazing light shows in the sky.

The Going to the Sun Road is the famous and extraordinarily scenic drive that cuts through the center of the park from west to east, and one great way to do it is on one of the Red Bus Tours. Many of these buses were built by the White Motor Company in the early 1900’s but have been converted to run on propane and gasoline. Some have been in service since the 1930’s!

Here’s a fun way to tour Glacier National Park – with a Red Bus Tour!

We saw the red buses all over the place. They have tours of the west side of the park and tours of the east side of the park.

What a classy ride!

Sometimes we saw them in groups of two or three. With the top of the bus rolled back, folks could stand up inside to take pics of the mountains with a totally unobstructed view. This seemed like the best way to enjoy this incredible drive, as the traffic can be pretty intense. Why not leave the driving to someone else?

We saw the red buses everywhere!

Of course, there are many ways to enjoy the Going to the Sun Road, and driving it in a Led Zeppelin van looked pretty cool too.

Take a drive up the Stairway to Heaven on the Going to the Sun Raod!

The views of Saint Mary Lake on the east side are just gorgeous, and we marveled at the ever changing colors of the water and the sky as the storms rolled in and out.

Saint Mary Lake – teal blue water under misty gray skies.

One of the nice things about driving your own vehicle (especially if you have a sweet hubby who chauffeurs you around) is that you can stop in every single pullout and see what’s there. We found wildflowers blooming on the banks of Saint Mary Lake.

Pretty flowers throw a splash of color in the greenery.

At the beginning of the Going to the Sun Road, we were greeted by tall, craggy, gray mountains that didn’t have a whole lot of snow on their peaks.

Going to the Sun!!

As the road twisted and turned and rose higher, the mountains grew taller too, and they were dressed in their snowy white best. The road snuck right through a mountain at one point too!

The Going to the Sun Road has snowy peaks and cool tunnels!

The temperatures quickly cooled as we climbed higher, and the snow on the highest peaks got thicker.

Mid-June in Glacier National Park!

Near the top, we found ourselves rounding a tight curve that took in an incredible view of the vivd green valley floor. What a setting!

The views down into the valleys from the Going to the Sun Road are stunning.

There were patches of snow on the ground in the valley, and the tall evergreens seemed miniscule so far below us.

Patches of snow were tucked between the trees in the valley.

In 1995, Waterton-Glacier National Park was named a World Heritage Site.

A century earlier, America and Canada joined hands across the border to to unite their adjacent National Parks, Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, Canada, and Glacier National Park in Montana, USA.

12,000 years ago, thick, moving slabs of ice and snow — glaciers – carved the valleys between these towering mountains, giving them a distinctive U-shape.

Eons ago, glaciers carved wonderful U-shaped valleys.

Waterton-Glacier National Park is referred to as the “Crown of the Continent,” and no wonder. The spiky mountains that encircle the valleys and lakes look like a crown.

This area also straddles the Continental Divide, the ridge that runs north-south down the continent and separates the water flow through the eastern states provinces from that going through the western ones. The water that spills down the mountains from the Continental Divide in streams and rivers heads towards the two opposite and very distant oceans, the Atlantic and the Pacific.

Happy campers on the Crown of the Continent.

Far below us, tucked between the cliffs and grassy slopes and pine trees, we spotted a waterfall that was about a quarter inch tall from our vantage point. No doubt this is a tall cascade that plunges down with a thunderous roar.

Far below us we saw a tiny waterfall.
A zoom lens brings it in close!

We found another waterfall right alongside the Going to the Sun road near the top of the continent’s crown. This one was wide and shallow, and it scurried this way and that as it rushed downhill between the rocks.

We explored a beautiful wide waterfall right by the road.

Up near the visitors center at Logan Pass, the snow was still very deep in places.

Mark stands by a wall of snow at the visitors center.

Snow covered much of the ground, and it was really fun to follow the little animal tracks in the snow until they disappeared into round and deep holes. We didn’t see anyone peeking out of their burrows, but we knew they were under there. We threw a few snowballs at each other too!

The Going to the Sun Road had just opened at Logan Pass when we were there in mid-June!

There are three entrances to Glacier National Park on the east side. The Going to the Sun Road starts/ends in Saint Mary, but 37 miles south of there is the entrance at Two Medicine, near the town of East Glacier Park Village.

Two Medicine is home to a fabulous historic log building that was once part of the Two Medicine Chalet rustic vacation destination built by the Great Northern Railway in the early 1900’s. Today it is just the Two Medicine Store, but it offers a little bit of everything to visitors.

From souvenirs to guidebooks, hiking gear and tourist info, they also serve fancy fluffy lattes and yummy lunch fare and bottled microbrew beer. This cute cabin in the middle of nowhere has everything the modern hiker needs!

This simple log building serves up cheap beer and lattes as well as yummy lunches and souvenirs.

We were shocked at how reasonable the prices were too, especially after visiting the village of Waterton in the heart of Waterton Lakes National Park where the prices of certain essential food items (beer) were more than double the norm.

We were also very intrigued to chat with our latte barista and find out she was a college student from Colorado who was working at the store as a summer job. Her boyfriend was also working a summer job nearby at Amtrak’s East Glacier Park station.

People often wonder how to make a living while RVing full-time. One option is to get fun seasonal jobs at popular tourist destinations. You just have to be as much of a go-getter as a college kid and be willing to do things like make espresso drinks or work at a train depot!

Inside the historic Two Medicine Store.

Mark had just purchased a Rokinon 12 mm lens for his camera, and he was absolutely loving the very wide angles that it could capture. He also found it made fantastic starbursts, so he had a wide-angle-starburst theme going for a lot of his photos at Two Medicine.

A fiery sun shines on Two Medicine Lake.

Two Medicine Lake is a beauty. We wanted to get out on it for the little boat ride that goes across, but we ended up saving that treat for our next visit!

Two Medicine offers Glacier National Park beauty with a bit of peace and solitude to go with.

There are lots of canoe rentals, and this lake would be a great place for a kayak too, especially in the mornings before the wind picks up.

Rental canoes wait for a ride at Two Medicine.

Besides camera-created starbursts in the sky, we also loved seeing the stunning crepuscular rays at sunset when the sun lit the sky on fire.

The changeable weather at Glacier National Park created some wonderful sunrises and sunsets.

On the morning we left Glacier National Park, the gods treated us to some unbelievable theatrics in the heavens. It began innocently enough with a beautiful pastel sunrise over the mountains. The thick forest of dead trees below seemed to mirror the shades of gray in the heavy moisture-laden clouds.

Storm clouds mirror the dead gray forest while pink shades dance in the sky.

As we drove, the sky began to turn wild shades of yellow and orange, and heavy rain fell from the clouds in the distance. We pulled over the enjoy the spectacle and were stunned by the light show that followed.

As we were leaving, the sky went wild.

The rising sun cut across the valley and lit the mountains in the distance with soft orange hues while rain fell from black clouds. Suddenly a brilliant rainbow appeared.

Wow.

We ran around like mad snapping photos, and as if in joyful response to our excitement, the rainbow got brighter and brighter.

The rainbow seemed to jump out of the clouds!

Then a second rainbow appeared outside the first one. This surely meant double good luck — but which one led to the pot of gold??

And then there were two rainbows, one inside the other.

The outer rainbow eventually faded, so we knew it wasn’t that one! Off in the distance the remaining rainbow seemed to fall right into the heart of the valley below.

The rainbow ultimately aims right at the pot of gold down in the valley at Glacier National Park.

As clouds slowly parted and we made our way back to our buggy, we were breathless with excitement. What a sensational light show that had been.

The rainbow lands in the middle of the forest of dead trees, promising a new beginning.

We loved our visits to Glacier National Park this year, both the west side and on the east side. If you have a hankering to take an RV trip there too, there are more links for planning your adventure below.

Subscribe
Never miss a post — it’s free!

More info about the east side of Glacier National Park:

Other blog posts from our RV travels to Glacier National Park:

Other blog posts from our travels where the Sky went Wild

Our most recent posts:

More of our Latest Posts are in the MENU.
New to this site? Visit RVers Start Here to find where we keep all the good stuff!!

<-Previous || Next->

Glacier National Park’s Quieter Side – Saint Mary

Posted on August 17, 2016 by Roads Less Traveled

June 2016 – After nearly six weeks in the Canadian Rockies, it felt funny to cross over the border with our trailer and be “home” again in America. And what a gorgeous spot we landed in — the east side of Glacier National Park in Montana! We were welcomed home with some incredible sunrises and sunsets.

The mountain clouds gave us some incredible sunrises and sunsets.

Glacier National Park is joined with Canada’s Waterton Lakes National Park just over the border from the eastern side of Glacier National Park to create Waterton-Glacier National Park, and the beautiful scenery around St. Mary Lake was very reminiscent of the vivid blues and towering mountains we had been enjoying in Waterton Lakes National Park for the last two weeks.

Saint Mary Lake Glacier National Park Montana

Saint Mary Lake is reminiscent of Upper Waterton Lake just over the border in Canada.

There are three entrances to the eastern side of Glacier National Park, one at Many Glacier, one at St. Mary and one at Two Medicine.

Glacier National Park’s eastern side is adjacent to the Black Foot Indian Reservation, so the communities have a distinctly Indian flavor. We were amused to see a series of teepees set up for visitors who wanted to camp the way the Indians used to.

Tired of your RV? Try a teepee!

The main entrance to Glacier National Park’s eastern side is at the tiny community of Saint Mary where the eastern half of the Going to the Sun Road that bisects the park from west to east comes to an end after passing by stunning Saint Mary Lake.

St Mary Lake Glacier National Park Montana

Saint Mary Lake

There are many different hikes in Glacier National Park on both the eastern and western sides and in the middle too! We were on the hunt for wildflowers, and a ranger told us there were some beauties on the Beaver Pond Loop trail right by the ranger’s station at the St. Mary entrance.

So we set out on that trail behind a mom and her three year old daughter who was a real trooper. This is a flat and easy hike that took us out towards the bright blue lake.

Beaver Pond Loop Hike Glacier National Park Montana

The easy Beaver Pond Loop hike is not notable or exotic or a signature hike, but we enjoyed it very much.

The ranger was right about the flowers. They weren’t in thick abundance in vast fields the way we’ve seen in some photos of Saint Mary Lake, but they were definitely there, scattered about the meadows.

Wildflowers Glacier National Park Montana

Wildflowers were in bloom… wonderful!

Lupine wildflower East Glacier National Park Montana

A pretty lupine (“loopin”)

The flowers were so pretty it was impossible not to sit down among them.

Little girl in the flowers East Glacier National Park Montana

Simple pleasures.

Daisy blooming East Glacier National Park Montana St Mary

The trail also took us through some nice stands of aspen and other wooded settings. Mark was totally in his element. He is a woods guy and a true tree hugger.

Tree hugger Glacier National Park Montana

Mark embraces his roots.

The most beautiful parts of the trail were a few off-shoots that went down to the pebbly beaches on Saint Mary Lake.

Saint Mary Lake has the lovely teal blue color created by glaciers.

The wind was quite strong and small waves lapped the beach, one after another.

Sitting at Saint Mary Lake Glacier National Park Montana

The strong wind kept the waves coming.

The hike crossed the meadows before turning into the woods and then delivering us to the beach again.

Hiking Beaver Pond Loop Trail Glacier National Park Montana

Hiking across the meadows.

What a view!

Near the end, we came across the original Park Ranger’s cabin for the eastern side of Glacier National Park. Built in 1913, the stories on the plaques told amazing tales of what it was like to live in this remote outpost with nothing but nature all around back in those days.

Ranger's cabin St Mary East Glacier National Park Montana

Back in the 1910’s, this is where the ranger and his family lived. No car, no stores…

One of the early rangers, Chance Beebe, went out hiking on patrol one day (there were no roads for cars in those days, and he preferred hiking to riding a horse). His wife and child were back at the cabin patiently waiting for him to return.

Suddenly, she heard something rattling around up in the attic of the log cabin. It was a mountain lion! He had jumped in from a tree through the open attic window!! Luckily, the mountain lion eventually went on his way, and she and her child were okay. When she told her husband about it later, he knew she wasn’t making it up when he saw lion paw prints in the dust in the attic!

The attic window has a wooden door covering it now, but the ground level window gives a glimpse of the simple life lived by the ranger’s family 100 years ago.

Ranger's house St Mary Glacier National Park Montana

Life was so rustic, the ranger’s wife discovered a mountain lion in the attic. Yikes!

One of the duties for rangers, both then and now, was to keep an eye on wildfires and try to extinguish them. In recent years, due in large part to mismanagement of the forests and wooded areas for a century, wildfires have become particularly intense.

Towards the end of the Beaver Pond Loop hike we came across a stand of trees that had been bleached silver by the sun during the years since a wildfire swept through the area. The tree trunks swayed and creaked in the breeze, as if they were talking with one another.

Live and dead trees East Glacier National Park Montana

Remnants of wildfires are prominently visible in all of the National Parks, and we found a ghostly tree community that was ravaged a while ago.

It was eerie and beautiful at the same time. We felt as though we had come across a community of ghostly tree spirits standing in each other’s company today just as they had for decades, but without even a hint an animal’s footsteps or the faintest rustle of a leaf.

Wildfire dead trees Glacier National Park Montana Saint Mary

The tree tops bent and swayed and knocked into each other and made wonderfully eerie noises.

We stayed among these skinny souls for a long time, looking for ways to capture the wistful beauty of this silver world.

Dead trees Glacier National Park St Mary Lake Montana

There was a special aura here that gave us a feeling of reverence.

The most famous part of Glacier National Park is the Going to the Sun Road, and we drove it many times during our stay. For a few days, the weather was misty and soggy, and the towering mountains were as mysterious as they were majestic.

Going to the Sun Road Saint Mary Glacier National Park Montana

The Going to the Sun Road looked more like the Driving Into the Mist Road.

On July 21, 2015, a wildfire erupted right along this road, sending huge plumes of smoke in the air and torching the forest. Again, we found ourselves wandering through wildfire devastation, but this one had happened just one year prior. And again, we found ourselves witness to an unexpected beauty.

The trees were wet from the mist and rain, and they still bore the scars of charring from the fire. The bark was peeling off many of them, revealing rich brown wood beneath, and tiny hints of life grew at their feet.

Stand of dead trees from Reynolds Creek Wildfire Glacier National Park

Last year’s fire was a fresh memory for these trees.

One of the surprise blessings of a big wildfire like this along a famous scenic road is that it opens up the view.

As the years have gone by, many of the most scenic roads in America’s National Park system have lost their views because the trees that were saplings when the road was built have grown tall and strong — and totally blocked the view.

We found this was true on much of the Blue Ridge Parkway, and we have seen it on many other scenic drives as well. So, although our hearts broke at the way the woods were stripped of life in a matter of days last summer, we loved being able to see the lake between the remaining trunks!

Continuing on, around one bend we noticed a thicket of bright blue wildflowers that jumped out from the misty backgdrop of mountains. They were growing right along the rocky cliffs.

Wildflowers on a cliff Glacier National Park St Mary Lake Montana

The gods threw a splash of color onto our gray day with wildflowers growing on a rocky cliff.

We snuck closer and saw they were growing against orange lichen covered rocks. Mother Nature had chosen a very colorful palette for her handiwork once again.

Wildflowers on cliffs Glacier National Park Montana

Bright blue flowers and orange lichen on the rocks. Wonderful!

There were several different types of blue flowers, each a slightly different shade. We loved them all!

The wildflowers at Glacier National Park were delightful.

The East side of Glacier National Park is the much less visited side. The villages on the east side are tiny, with just a few stores and family restaurants for the tourists. But in many ways it is the more beautiful side.

Although the Going to the Sun Road is not a good road for any but the smallest RVs, it is easy to reach Saint Mary and the other eastern villages from the western side of Glacier National Park with an RV simply by driving from west to east on Route 2 south of the park.

It is also an ideal jumping off point for a visit to eye-popping Waterton Lakes National Park just a few miles over the Canadian border.

RV Sunset Glacier National Park Saint Mary Montana

The east side of Glacier National Park is the less visited side, but it may be the more beautiful too!

There are more RV trip planning links below…

Subscribe
Never miss a post — it’s free!

A Little More info About Saint Mary and the East side of Glacier National Park:

RV Camping Options at Saint Mary:

Blog posts from our RV travels to Waterton-Glacier National Park:

Our most recent posts:

More of our Latest Posts are in the MENU.
New to this site? Visit RVers Start Here to find where we keep all the good stuff!!

<-Previous || Next->

Our 20th Magazine Cover Photo in Coast to Coast + Trailer Life Feature!

Posted on August 14, 2016 by Roads Less Traveled

We are really proud to announce that we have published our twentieth magazine cover photo! It is showcased on the Summer 2016 issue of Coast to Coast Magazine, and it’s a pretty shot of our buggy at sunset in eastern Oregon.

Coast to Coast RV Magazine Cover Summer 2016

Coast to Coast Magazine – Summer 2016
Photo by: Emily Fagan
Cover story: Exploring Oregon’s Quiet Side

Inside the magazine, our cover story reveals many special hidden gems for RVers that can be found in the northeastern corner of Oregon.

Unlike the cool and dramatic Oregon coast where towering rock cliffs plunge straight down to the crashing Pacific surf below, the eastern part of Oregon is high desert, a parched and hot land where you can still see the wagon wheel ruts from the pioneer wagon trains that traveled west on the Oregon Trail.

We stood on the original wagon train ruts on the Oregon Trail…Incredible!

A while back we took our RV from Bend, Oregon into eastern Oregon. We visited the new Oregon Trail Interpretive Center and hunted down the wagon wheel ruts that are just a ways outside the museum. Staring down the road that once had pioneer wagons on it as far as the eye could see, we marveled at the differences between the early 1800’s and now, both in modes of travel and in our country.

Eastern Oregon offers a beautiful glimpse into an earlier era.

In Baker City we were charmed by the historic downtown that is lined with Victorian era buildings, and we loved the quiet and intimate feeling that this small city of 10,000 exudes. What a surprise it was to find out that, unlike other major cities in Oregon and neighboring states that have quadrupled in size in just a few decades, the population in Baker City hasn’t changed since 1940.

The beautiful Geiser Grand Hotel was built in Baker City in 1889.

Baker City is also home to the fabulous annual Baker City Cycling Classic Bike Race whose final event takes place in the downtown city streets much like the last stage of the Tour de France. While cyclists fly by at 35 mph, fans drink beer on restaurant patios and cheer the riders on. It’s quite something!

Baker City Cycling Classic Bike Race in Oregon

Cyclists fly past on the downtown streets of Baker City, Oregon

Traveling out into the even more remote reaches of northeastern Oregon, we found the towns became so small that each was home to just a thousand or two thousand people, and they were spaced ten miles or so apart. We arrived in the charming village of Joseph that sits at the base of the beautiful Wallowa Mountains and fell in love with the area.

Main Street and mountains in Joseph Oregon 681

Joseph Oregon’s Main Street

It takes so long to get to Joseph from any major city that everyone who goes there sticks around for a while, and not all that many people go there. There is a wonderful state park for camping right on the edge of beautiful Wallowa Lake, and there are oodles of fun things to do, from visiting a bronze foundry to riding special “bicycles” built for the narrow gauge railway line that runs between Joseph and Enterprise.

Riding the rails with the Joseph Branch Railriders in Oregon

Our friends Katie and Dick check out the rails on a unique “bike.”

We also took a wonderful gondola ride to the peaks of the Wallowas to have lunch with a fabulous view at the Summit Restaurant and enjoy a hike around the top of the mountain.

Hiking the Wallowa Mountains in Joseph Oregon

Hiking into the Wallowa Mountains above Joseph, Oregon

Seeking more mountain views, we hiked the Hurricane Creek trail in nearby Enterprise where we passed meadows of wildflowers in full bloom. Then we visited Hell’s Canyon, both from the overlook on the Oregon side and from the water level on the Idaho side.

Coast to Coast is the membership magazine for Coast Resorts, an RV park membership program with a network of around 400 parks. This is a “high end” RV membership program where you pay a hefty fee up front to buy into a home park and also pay an annual fee for park upkeep. However, as a member, you can stay at the 400 or so elegant member RV parks for just a few dollars a night.

We’ve met several full-time RVers who make the most of these kinds of RV membership programs. One very savvy couple we met last year in Quartzsite excitedly told us they had continued to upgrade their membership and purchase more perks in the program as the years went by, which now gave them some really exceptional long term benefits. As new full-timers in their mid-sixties, they’ll have plenty of time to travel the country in style, using their membership and paying pennies on the dollar for their overnight stays.

“No Trespassing? No Problem!
I’m a card carrying Coast to Coast Member!”

The trick is to do your research first and to negotiate with gusto. These memberships are sold in the same fashion as timeshares, giving you a tour in exchange for a few nights’ stay, but putting you on the hot seat for a few hours before letting you go. However, for the smart and knowledgeable shopper, there are real deals to be had.

On a different but similar note, we are excited to announce that the August 2016 issue of Trailer Life Magazine is featuring our article about a really fun train ride we did in New Hampshire‘s White Mountains aboard the Cog Railway.

Mt Washington Cog Railway Trailer Life Magazine August 2016

Trailer Life Magazine – August, 2016
Feature story by Emily Fagan. Photos by Emily and Mark Fagan

The Cog Railway claws its way straight up Mt. Washington, the northeastern states’ highest mountain peak. It uses a cog wheel installed on the train with teeth on it that link into a special track that lies between the two conventional rails on the ground in much the same way that the teeth on a bicycle cog rotate through the links in a bicycle chain. Completed in 1869, it was the first of its kind in the world, and the story behind its creation and the inventor who conceived of it is quite a tale.

At the summit of New Hampshire’s Mt. Washington
It was an extraordinary climb…aboard the Cog Railway!

Trailer Life Magazine has posted our story on their website and you can read the article at this link:

New Hampshire’s Little Engine that Could!

We have had the good fortune to have published many articles and photos in the pages of Trailer Life Magazine, and a few of them can be read at this link:

Emily & Mark Fagan’s articles and photos in Trailer Life Magazine

Trailer Life is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, and they have been publishing some super fun stories about the history of trailer travel and RVing in the magazine and on their website.

We subscribed to Trailer Life within a few months after buying our first popup tent trailer, and we have learned a lot from reading it over the years. There’s a bit of a learning curve when you first start RVing, and a monthly magazine like Trailer Life is a great way to get a general introduction to the hobby.

It offers tech tips and lifestyle ideas and articles describing major upgrades. The beauty of these professionally written articles is that they are critiqued by a team of experienced editors who make sure that every word is something they can stand behind.

If you are new to RVing, I highly recommend subscribing to Trailer Life for a year or more. You’ll catch our articles as they are published, which is nice, but much more importantly, you will gain valuable insights into the entire RV industry. You can subscribe to Trailer Life here:

Subscribe to Trailer Life Magazine

Mt. Washington Cog Railway in New Hampshire White Mountains

1875 technology at its finest – What a great ride!
The Cog Railway’s steam train runs once a day, however, bio-diesel trains run all day long.

A little more info on all this:

Our blog posts from Eastern Oregon:

Our eastern Oregon itinerary:

Bend to Baker City to Joseph to Hell’s Canyon

Our blog post on riding the Cog Railway plus its location on the map:

Taking the Cog Railway to the top of Mt. Washington
Location of the Mt. Washington Cog Railway in New Hampshire’s White Mountains

Our most recent posts:

More of our Latest Posts are in the MENU.
New to this site? Visit RVers Start Here to find where we keep all the good stuff!!

Subscribe
Never miss a post — it’s free!

Roads Less Traveled

Are you dreaming of RV living or the sailing life? We've been doing it since 2007 and we have lots of nomadic lifestyle tips and stories for you!

Author Archives: Roads Less Traveled

An Idaho Panhandle RV Trip on US-95: Sandpoint, Moscow & McCall

Maine’s Pretty Acadia National Park in Motorhome Magazine!

Ross Creek Cedars & Kootenai Falls – Giant Trees & Swings in Montana!

Eagles and Hummingbirds in Libby, Montana

Long Ride Travel by Horse and Bicycle!

Whitefish to Libby – Big Surprises on the Back Roads of Montana

National Parks & World Heritage Sites in America, Canada, Mexico & SE Asia

“Going to the Sun” from Glacier National Park’s East Side – Breathtaking!

Glacier National Park’s Quieter Side – Saint Mary

Our 20th Magazine Cover Photo in Coast to Coast + Trailer Life Feature!