Today we're exploring the hoodoos & grottoes along Echo Canyon Trail in Chiricahua National Monument. Chiricahua makes for a great stop along a Southern Arizona road trip, and is one of my top things to do when traveling to Bisbee, AZ. The grotto formations along this hike are spectacular and remind me of slot canyons found in other national parks. Read this travel guide for more info!
Read MoreCurrently there are 16,000 western monarch butterflies at the Pismo State Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove along CA Highway 1. If you're wondering where to see monarchs in California, this butterfly colony is one of the largest in the state and can be enjoyed every November thru February during the monarch winter migration. This is one of my top things to do in Pismo Beach & along the central coast.
Read MoreToday we're driving the one-way Cactus Forest Drive loop and stopping at 10 of my favorite overlooks and hiking trails in Saguaro National Park East (Rincon Mountain District). Read this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide to learn about trail distance, hours of operation, and one of the best sunset spots in Tucson. This drive is one of my top things to do in Southern Arizona along your AZ road trip.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide to exploring the Hall of Horrors slot canyons in Joshua Tree National Park. This is a Joshua Tree top spot along your Southern California road trip through this desert park. Hiking this trail takes you around large rock formations, through a Joshua tree forest, and scrambling into narrow slot canyons, making for a perfect vacation adventure.
Read MoreToday I'm sharing my favorite holiday gift ideas for road trip warriors. My Top 10 Gift Guide features several products perfect for Christmas and the holiday season, including the hats I wear, camping equipment I use, my best hiking boots, and the camera equipment we use for video & still photography. I'm also including a special gift and an Etsy promo code for national park t-shirts and posters.
Read MoreJoin me along the easy hike beside Bonita Creek to Faraway Ranch in Chiricahua National Monument. If you're planning a trip to Southern Arizona, check out this travel guide, which includes info on Bonita Creek Trail, the pioneers & indigenous history, and the abundant wildlife seen here. This is one my top things to do in this park, and it's a great road trip idea from Bisbee and Tucson, AZ.
Read MoreYou can hike to an arch rock in Death Valley! Check out this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide for hiking the Natural Bridge Trail in Death Valley National Park, which leads you through slot canyons to the largest natural arch in the park and to a dry waterfall. Enjoy views of Badwater Basin and its temporary lake along this easy to moderate hike, which is one of my top things to do in Death Valley.
Read MoreCheck out my top 15 best spots to see the Fall colors in Yosemite Valley. Read this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide for seeing the Fall colors in Yosemite Valley. Yosemite National Park typically peaks later than the Eastern Sierra Fall foliage, but late October is the perfect time to see the Autumn leaves pop with color along Southside Drive, Cooks Meadows, El Capitan Meadow, and Tunnel View.
Read MoreIs Death Valley open? YES! Death Valley National Park has reopened after a 2 month closure, but many roads and features in the park remain closed to the public. Read this Flying Dawn Marie complete travel guide to taking this desert road trip now. Learn about current conditions, traffic delays, and the historic road damage & flooding, including pics of the Badwater Basin lake from Dantes View.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide to driving Sonora Pass Highway 108 in the Sierra Nevada Mountains north of Yosemite. Autumn is the best time to drive Sonora Pass, as aspen trees show off the Fall colors throughout. Check out my top spots along this steep and windy road, which include a waterfall, a geological wonder, abandoned cabins, river views, and Fall foliage photo spots.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel blog about driving the June Lake Loop north of Mammoth Lakes in the California Eastern Sierras. If you're looking for places to see Fall colors, the Autumn foliage along this drive pop every October. Along this scenic road trip you'll discover 4 lakes (June Lake, Silver Lake, Gull Lake and Grant Lake) surrounded granite peaks and groves of quaking aspen trees.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide to the Eastern Sierra Fall colors. This complete visitor guide will take you to my top 25 spots along highway 395 on where to see the California Fall colors. We'll take a road trip up into the Sierra Nevada Mountains and discover places to go like North Lake, Bishop Creek, Sonora Pass, Mammoth Lakes, Tioga Pass, Conway Summit, and June Lake Loop.
Read MoreThe Twin Lakes area is a great spot to see California's Eastern Sierra Fall foliage. Comprised of two main lakes, Upper and Lower Twin Lakes, this area is often referred to as “California’s Alps” where the Sawtooth Ridge and Sierra Crest divide the Twin Lakes Basin from Yosemite National Park and the scenery is nothing short of stunning. Enjoy trout fishing, hiking and nature photography here.
Read MoreVirginia Lakes basin is a wonderful spot to enjoy California's Eastern Sierra Fall foliage. Hidden just six miles off Highway 395 near Conway Summit (in between Lee Vining and Bridgeport), Virginia Lakes consists of nearly a dozen alpine lakes located at 9,000 to over 11,000 feet high in the Sierra. For hiking, fishing and outdoor adventures in nature this is a can't miss area during autumn.
Read MoreDesert Ecology Trail is located in Arizona's Saguaro National Park at the East Rincon Mountain District. This family friendly path is only 0.3 miles & the trail is paved. Numerous interpretive panels line the trail with information on the history of this area, the wildlife found here, native plants and much more. This is a popular trail for birders and you can relax on multiple benches here.
Read MoreLocated inside Sequoia National Park directly off Generals Highway, Hazelwood Nature Loop is an easy, family friendly hike that comes in at under 1.5 miles with 50 feet in elevation change. The trail begins past a fallen sequoia tunnel log and it circles for just over half a mile with minimal elevation gain through one of the most lush yet intimate trails in the Giant Forest.
Read MoreLocated along the Tuolumne River just off Tioga Road in the heart of Yosemite National Park, the trail to Soda Springs and Parsons Memorial Lodge is a can’t miss high country hike.
The hike begins begins by crossing the famous Pacific Crest Trail briefly with wonderful views of Lembert Dome in the distance and this easy hike leads you to the natural springs and the historic landmark lodge.
Read MoreSignal Hill Petroglyphs are located on the west side of Saguaro National Park. The short hike is less that 0.25 miles and over 200 prehistoric Native American Petroglyphs are located here. The Signal Hill petroglyphs were created by the local Hoboken people and the full Signal Hill Petroglyphs site encompasses a unique rocky hill approximately 4o feet high and 200 feet in diameter at its base.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel blog before your visit to drive through Tunnel Log inside California's Sequoia National Park. Located in the Giant Forest surrounded by mature giant sequoia trees, tunnel log fell across the road nearly a century ago. National park visitors and tourists can come drive their vehicles through this fallen giant sequoia. This is a must stop spot inside the park.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie hotel review on Lucia Lodge along the Big Sur coastline. Located along Pacific Coast Highway 1, aka Cabrillo Highway, this Big Sur hotel is a great place to stay when taking a road trip along California's central coast. This week I'm reviewing the Honeymoon Cottage, Room # 10, which is one of the original cabins built 100 years ago with a panoramic ocean view.
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