Having Fun in Yellowstone

February 27, 2008

As many of you know, I am planning a trip to Yellowstone for this summer.  It is going to be a really long road trip for my family, but we plan on breaking it up and stopping at some other sites along the way.  We are traveling from Indiana, so we decided to stop along the way at the Dakotas so we can see Mt. Rushmore and Badlands National Park.  We are also going to be stopping at Wind Cave, Jewel Cave, and Devil’s Tower.  From there, we will head to Yellowstone and we are planning a visit to the Grand Tetons and to Glacier National Park.

 Well, life is interesting sometimes, as I was just contacted today by a man named Allan Wright.  Allan told me about his company, which is named Zephyr Adventures and, interestingly enough, will be providing adventure-based family trips to Yellowstone and to Glacier this year.  I can’t personally say much about the service, but Allan tells me that they have been in business for 11 years and I think it is worth checking out what they have to offer.  If I see Allan while in the area, I will be sure to tell you all about him and his tours! 

By admin | Posted in National Parks to Visit with Kids, a, and, breaking, family, long, my, plan, planning, road, sites, stopping, summer  , the, trip, way  , yellowstone | Comments (0)

Family Travel Roadtrip Tips – Keep Them Entertained

August 7, 2007

Perhaps the single most important family travel roadtrip tip is to keep the kids entertained while on the road. By  breaking up the trip and stopping every couple of hours, you will automatically help stave off boredom.  Nonetheless, you will need to take other steps to prevent boredom as well.

The most obvious thing you can do to help keep the kids from getting bored is to install a DVD system in your vehicle.  Watching movies along the way to your family vacation destination will certainly keep the children entertained as long as the movies remain available.

Of course, not everyone has a DVD player in their vehicle.  If this is the case, music can help prevent boredom from setting in as well – particularly if everyone joins in with the merriment.

Another roadtrip game you can play is to challenge the children to look for certain items along the way.  For example, you can challenge them to look for license plates for all 50 states. If you create a list ahead of time, they can simply check off the states as they find them.  You can use this states.doc with your kids while on your trip.

Another roadtrip game is to look for every letter of the alphabet on the signs along the road.  To make the game even more challenging, go in alphabetical order and only count the first letter of the words you see on the signs.  You might have to cheat a little on X, though we usually find a semi-trailer with Xtra on it at some point or another.  Q can be a challenge as well – just hope you come across a Dairy Queen once you reac that letter!

You can also look for different colored vehicles, such as challenging the children to be the first to spot a red vehicle or any other color you select.

With a little imagination, you can make your family travel experience enjoyable while on the road.

By admin | Posted in General Family Travel Tips, and, automatically, boredom  , breaking, by , couple, entertained, family, hours, important, kids, road, roadtrip, single, stave, steps, stopping, the, tip, travel, trip | Comments (0)

Great Smoky Mountains – Part 5 – Little River Road

July 1, 2007

A family vacation to the Great Smoky Mountains wouldn’t be complete without a trip down Little River Road.  If you plan to drive from Townsend to Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge, this is the route to take as it will take you past some magnificent scenery.  In addition, you can take advantage of numerous pull offs and see some beautiful waterfalls that are only a few steps away from the road.

We hiked to Laurel Falls, which is accessed from Little River Road, on our second trip to the Smokies.  My 7 and 9 year old boys had no problem with the trail, despite the fact that it is listed as being “moderate.”  My twins didn’t have as easy of a time, however, and my husband and I  each ended up having to carry a twin pretty much the entire way.  I am not the most physically fit of people, so it isn’t like this was a simpl task for me.  Nonetheless, I made it and the trip was worth it.  The falls are quite breathtaking and the twins loved them once we got there!

The Sinks are also found along the road and are easily accessble.  Each time I have visited the Sinks, I have found other tourists taking a dip in the waters.  Personally, I don’t encourage swimming in the Sinks because of the many rocks in the area that could potentially lead to getting hurt.  Since there are plenty of designated areas for enjoying the water at the Smokies, I don’t think it is worth the risk.  Nonetheless, climbing on the rocks and enjoying the natural beauty is definitely worth a stop.

From Little River Road, you can also access the Little Greenbrier School.  Your kids will be amazed when they see this 19th century schoolhouse, which is certainly a far cry from the massive, highly technological schools most kids attend today.  The drive to the schoolhouse is a bet trecherous, so be prepared to pull off to the side or to even back up a bit for oncoming traffic to pass you by.

When we visit the Smokies, a trip down Little River Road is a must and we usually take the trip more than once – and not just because we are trying to get from point A to point B.  It is just a wonderfully scenic trip that allows you to feel completed enveloped by the beauty of the park – even when you aren’t actually inside of it.

By admin | Posted in National Parks to Visit with Kids, and, creek, crevice, dramatically, dry, fork, gushing, joins, meigs, motor, nature, periods, place, plunging, river, road, road  , roads, roaring, the, trail, waterfalls,       waterfalls,   the | Comments (0)