Category: Travel

Last summer we took a family trip to to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. We knew we wanted to end up in Omaha (don’t judge) and based on my Southwest Airlines points, decided to begin our trip in Colorado.

We drove from Denver to Cheyenne, narrowly missing the Frontier Days celebration for which the town is famous. A highlight of our Cheyenne visit was touring the state house. We even saw some rodeo champions taking photos on the steps!

The Wyoming state capital dome

Scottsbluff National Monument, gateway to the West

Our next stop was Scottsbluff National Monument in Nebraska. I went to graduate school in Nebraska and had always wanted to visit Scottsbluff. Since Omaha is nearly 7 hours away it just never happened. Fast forward 20 years and we decided to take a detour to Scottsbluff. If you can, you should too!

Oregon Trail

The grassland stretches out like an ocean. We arrived at dusk and the sun setting in the west was like something out of a movie. I have ancestors who traveled the Oregon Trail during the westward migration and seeing the trail extending towards the horizon moved me. The signs warning of rattlesnakes were a reminder of how brave these pioneers were.

We stayed at a really interesting hotel in nearby Gering, Nebraska. There isn’t too much nearby and you could probably do the Scottbluff museum and hike and move on but we arrived later in the day and opted to hike first thing, before the heat set in. As an aside, we visited at the end of July, during a heat wave. Coming from Virginia, it didn’t seem that bad to us as the humidity was very low. We did make sure to have a lot of water with us both in the car and while we were hiking. It is easy to get dehydrated, especially when you are used to high humidity.

The hike to the top of the bluff is fairly steep (though paved and easy to navigate) and very scenic. The Saddle rock trail leads from behind the visitor’s center to the top of the bluff. Once you reach the top, there is another loop round where you can see the changing topography from east to west. I thought this was a great hike, especially if you get out early and get to see the sunrise!

starting up the trail
View from the top

South Dakota- Rankin Ridge Trail

Since we already hiked the Scottsbluff trail and we were heading to Custer State Park for the evening, we opted to stop for a short hike along the way. We used the restrooms at Wind Cave National Park and continued on to the Rankin Ridge trail. A storm was rolling in and the 1 mile loop seemed perfect for the time allowed. After the very dry and nearly tree-less hike in Nebaska that morning, it was cool (both literally and figuratively) to see the ponderosa pine and green hills on the South Dakota trail. Easy to follow and well-marked, the Rankin Ridge trail highlights an old fire tower at the top. The views are specatacular and we even got to see lightening as we scurried past the tower!

Where to stay in Custer State Park?

I don’t plan my trips years in advance. Sometimes they are only planned a few weeks in advance. I am sure that more organized people can give better advice about where to stay on vacation. We cobbled together one night stays in 3 different parts of the park and I actually think it gave us a unique experience and allowed for better exploration of the park. Perhaps this is an excuse to make up for my lack of pre-planning but it worked for us!

Blue Bell Lodge

We spent our first night in a cabin at Blue Bell Lodge. I always buy food before I enter into these large parks so that I am not hostage to the long lines and overpriced food. There was a small kitchen the a stove top, tiny fridge and a sink. We made pasta and had cereal in the morning. I have a collapsible cooler (bought from Costco) and bought a freezer pack at Walmart when we landed.

The cabin was nice, I lucked out and had a pretty private site, some of the other cabins were close together. I like my privacy and this cabin had a nice view from the porch

Driving the Wildlife Loop at Custer State Park

There a few highlight on this trip and driving the Wildlife Loop at dusk was one of them. As mentioned earlier, there were some strong storms that went the the area just after our hike. We drove up to the cabin and unloaded and after the storm, we went for a drive. I had read that the WIldlife Loop can be very crowded during the day and that much of the wildlife isn’t actually out during the day. The storm cleared out the crowds and we had much of this beautiful drive to ourselves. Then it was us and the Bison!

Wildlife Loop at Dusk
not a wildlife photographer

Mount Rushmore was not the highlight of the trip

Let me begin by saying that I don’t like crowds. I like to hike and I like to see things. I don’t like to hike to see crowds. While Mount Rushmore is cool to see, you can pretty much see it from the road. There were so many bus loads of people it was hard to fathom where they all came from , especially after our scenic and quiet drive through the bison herds the night before. If you are intent on ticking Mount Rushmore off of your list, go early to beat the crowds. I don’t know what I was expecting, but this wasn’t it. There are so many beautiful places nearby, don’t spend too much time on this stop!

Seriously, you can see it from the road.

Custer State Park Hikes- Lover’s Leap Trail

Lover’s Leap was a nice trail, around a 4 mile loop. When we hiked it last year, the 2nd half of the loop, going clockwise, was pretty overgrown and there was a lot of poison ivy. If I were to do this hike again, I would do it as an out and back from Lover’s Leap. Or wear pants. As mentioned, we were there during a heat wave so we were wearing shorts.

The State Game Lodge was our least favorite place to stay in Custer State Park

Perhaps these rooms have been updated since we stayed. The check in was unfriendly at best. The room is very basic, considering the cost and was definitely a disappointment compared to our other accommodations. If you have no other option, then this is a perfectly adequate room, it was just a little musty and tired and quite noisy if you are on the ground floor.

A tad claustrophobic.

Needles Highway, Black Hills Driving

My husband was very excited to drive the Needles highway. The tunnels and turns are terrifying. The landscape is so wild that it looks like you are on the moon. This is a must-do but be careful, the roads are narrow and people are stopping all of the time. Here is a video of us driving through the “needles eye!”

If you only have time to do one hike in South Dakota make it the Black Elk Peak

We love to hike, we aren’t “mountaineers” or huge risk takers but I always enjoy seeing something new. The mountains of South Dakota are very interesting, they looks like drip castles. Despite the heat, we enjoyed this hike, definitely a trip highlight! Make sure you bring plenty of water because you are hiking the highest point east of the Rockies!

There are many different trails to get to the tower at Black Elk Peak. We took trial #9 from behind the Sylvan Lake and returned back on #4, taking the detours to Cathedral Spires and Little Devil’s Tower. Little Devil’s Tower has very steep rocks and I found it a little scary to climb.

The summit of Black Elk Peak is spectacular, find a flat spot and grab a seat. Take a well deserved rest and enjoy the scenery!

Sylvan Lake Lodge, a room with a view

There is an acutal lodge here but we stayed in one of the studio cabins. Though small, the spectacular scenery makes this a worthwhile place to stay. There is a small fridge and a microwave. You can walk to the lake, we ran the loop trail around the lake. There is easy access to the Black Elk Peak trail from the lake. The view from this cabin made up for the lack of space. Parking is tight, we pulled in right next to the picnic table.

Staying in three different areas of Custer State Park allowed us to explore without back tracking. The Blue Bell Lodge gave us good access to some of the lower trails of the park as well as the Wildlife Loop. Sylvan Lake is close to Needles Highway and to Black Elk Peak. Custer is a cute little town with quite a few restaurants, Keystone is very touristy but we liked Hill City. There is a fantastic German restaurant in the quaint downtown of Hill City called the Alpine Inn. We had a great lunch there, it is very popular. We arrived just as they opened for lunch and there was quite a wait by the time we left!

I took these photos from the back of the Sylvan Lake Lodge at sunset, it was magical! South Dakota is a unique place to hike and explore!

This was the first half of our adventure. Road trips are great becasue you can pack all kind sof stuff in your car. But what do you do when you are flying to another destination to take your road trip? Here are some tips for a successful road trip, especially when you are flying to your destination!

How to pack for a road trip when you are renting a car at your destination

  • Bring water bottles or buy them when you land, insulated are a must in warm weather
  • Buy a lot of water, keep gallons in the trunk, refill you bottles as needed, I also buy some smaller bottles to bring as extra water for hikes. They are also great to freeze when you have that option in a hotel, this allows you to keep cold things cold and then you have cold water to drink!
  • When you land, have a list of things to buy at your favorite superstore, make this ahead of time so you don’t panic shop and forget crucial items. For example, I buy sunscreen, bug spray, hand wipes, chlorox wipes, pepper spray and cheap towels (they are great to sit on and you never know when you might need them!)
  • At the superstore, buy your non perishable food items, granola bars, nuts, tuna (with a pull tab.) I like to buy lemons to make tuna salad and a small container of olive oil and vinegar to make dressing. I also buy paper towels, ziplock bags, plastic silverware (can be rewashed), paper plates and bowls. Cereal, peanut butter, jelly and bread will get you through a lot of meals I also buy a refreeze-able cold pack or two. Apples and clementines are great to have in the car.
  • I bring a small collapsible cooler on the plane and then buy cold items as needed, a sealed pack of deli meat, lettuce and small container of milk can be kept cold and brought from one hotel to another.
  • I am a light sleeper, I never know what the bed situation will look like from place to place so I bring this camping air mattress with with me. This bed is currently listed as out of stock but there are many other like this to choose from. I like that it has an integral hand pump, this allows for easy inflation without electricity. I also bring a sleeping bag liner as a compact way to have an extra set of sheets! This is a narrow bed and can fit into almost any hotel room. If someone needs their own bed, this is an easy solution!
  • Eye masks and ear plugs help everyone get a better night sleep!

Next up, skip the lines and head to Nebraska for your authentic ranch experience!

Yes. Shortest. Post. Ever.

Just kidding, I have so much more to say! I knew the Grand Canyon would be vast, some might even say “grand,” but I wasn’t prepared for the spectacular beauty. The immensity viewed in panorama is truly an awe-inspiring experience.

After a disappointing visit to Mount Rushmore last year (but a great trip to Custer State Park and Fort Robinson!) I was afraid that the Grand Canyon would be touristy. There were tourists, though not nearly the number I had envisioned. Most were silently awestruck as well. I have no idea what it is like to visit in the summer, but in early April, it was magical.

We also visited Sedona and had some great hikes there, I plan to blog about this in a separate post. Having spent the majority of my life on the east coast with a little under a decade of mid-west sprinkled in, I am not familiar with the desert landscape.

Even seeing cacti (or cactuses as I like to say) in the desert was thrilling for us! As we drove from Sedona into Flagstaff, I was shocked to see snow! I knew there were mountain but didn’t realize how tall the San Francisco peaks are!

The beautiful and tasty Pavlova at the Cornish Pasty Co.

We had dessert in at the Cornish Pastry Co. It was pretty empty but I can imagine that during their busy ski season, this place would be packed. I used dessert and desert in the same paragraph!

We opted to stay inside the park

Several times I almost shortened our stay at the Grand Canyon. Was it really necessary to spend 2 nights there? Could I justify the expense of staying two nights in what was essentially a “motel” room for $350+ a night? While in Sedona I came close to cancelling our second night at the Kachina Lodge. I’m glad that I stuck to our plan. Though I recognize that financially, this might not be a feasible option for many people, it was worth it to me.

Our room was a “partial canyon view.” We were on the 2nd floor of the Kachina Lodge.

How do you choose where to stay in the Grand Canyon?

I did not book this trip years in advance. I knew it was difficult to score a room within the park. I used the main page and kept checking daily for open nights. When I spotted two nights in a row in the Kachina Lodge for the week I hoped to visit, I pretty much planned the rest of my trip around that! I did not do much research about the lodge but had low expectations, especially after our Custer State Park Lodge experience (there were some good and some not so good places to stay.)

When I checked in at the next-door El Tovar hotel, I was pleasantly surprised by how charming it was. It was rustic but clean and the people were very helpful. I was originally given a room on the first floor. As a very light sleeper, I have learned that a top floor is usually my best option. Sheepishly I asked if he had a top floor room available. After a few minutes of checking back and forth, I was presented a key for a room on the 2nd of the two floor lodge. Though the lodge itself is older, the remodel has given it more of a “mission-style” lodge feel which seemed appropriate to the surroundings. The spacious room included a good sized refrigerator and cabinet area. There are no microwaves but there is a coffee pot with coffe packets provided. Having known ahead of time about the lack of microwave, Istocked up in Flagstaff at the Target. We bought the basics; cereal, milk, bread, lettuce, lunch meat, peanut butter, apples and other snacks. Preparing in this way allowed us to hike early in the morning without having to find breakfast. We also skipped the pricey food, though we had burgers one afternoon. They were ok, the service was overwhelmed and food was very slow to come out.

The Kachina and Thunderbird Lodges are situated right on the boardwalk overlooking the Grand Canyon. The El Tovar Hotel is considered the nicest of the places to stay inside the park and the rooms should have views to match. I would say that the Kachina actually has better views than the Thunderbird because it seems to be slightly higher on the hill but either way, you can’t go wrong. Especially if you are able to spring for a room with a view!

There isn’t much I can write to do justice to the emotions I felt when I first saw the Grand Canyon. It’s big. So big. For the first hour, I felt dizzy every time I looked at it. It’s like putting on a virtual reality headset where it looks real but your mind can’t make sense of what you are seeing. When we arrived, it was nearing sunset and we walked on the rim trail, taking in the changing landscape. Every cliff, gorge, rock and ravine comes alive and changes in the light. It was quiet. By 5pm there were only a handful of people walking. It was cold, temperatures dropped rapidly from the low 60’s to the 40’s.

By staying in the park we were able to walk at sunset and sunrise with very few people around. If you are able to make it happen, stay in the park, even if it is only for a night. We did an incredible and long hike down the Angel’s Rest trail. More on that later!

I really like to kayak. My kids really like to complain about kayaking. It’s a yin/yang type of thing. We opted to stick the kids together on a tandem kayak with the hopes that their whining and negative comments would cancel each other out. It didn’t but my husband and I could paddle out of ear-shot so I considered that a win.

We had kayaked Stump Pass Beach State Park a few years earlier, our kids were younger and even whinier at that time. Both times we launched from the parking area, using a local outfitter who dropped of the gear and picked it up from the same place. We used SUP Englewood and found them friendly and responsive.

This is a great place to kayak, I recommend going early. We did the four hour rental starting at 9 am. The pass can get busy in places with boat traffic though much of it is quite shallow which helps to limit the size and number of boats.

You can paddle to the far end of the beach and park the kayak and explore the beach. This time, they were dredging the far end of the pass/beach so we had to park the kayaks a little further up.

The water is very clear and there are lots of fish. marine life and birds. This is especially true if you skip the main stretch and loop around the islands where the water is shallow. There aren’t many mangrove “tunnels” in this stretch, though you are literally in the mangroves. Don Pedro, a little further south has more of these small inlets to explore.

  • crab!
  • artistic shot
  • anemones?
  • bird
  • really clear water

If you are looking for something to do besides beaching and shark-toothing, kayaking is a great family activity. I bring a soft cooler with water bottles, usually these are sit-on rather than sit-in kayaks which means there isn’t a dry storage space. A beach towel is nice to sit on or to put behind your back. There is a place to stow a small amount of “stuff” at the rear of the kayak, but it will likely get wet, zip lock bags can save the day!

On a previous trip we rented kayaks and went to Don Pedro Island, just below Stump Pass. I remember the beach here being really cool, accessible only by boat. The park was closed the day we were kayaking, I would highly recommend visiting this park if you can!

Though running is my preferred exercise, kayaking is so peaceful and allows you access to places you can’t see any other way. I like to consider it a leisurely bike ride through the water. We have kayaks at home, we don’t use them nearly enough. Part of the reason is the mental block of having to take them down, put them on the car, strap them in, drive them around, unload, launch, paddle, land, reload, unload, store. It is so much easier to show up and have literally all of the heavy lifting done for you! Apparently I am lazy and I just realized this. Blogging can teach you so much about yourself.

kind of crooked, I was holding a paddle and trying not to drop the phone. tilt your head.

I guess this title is a tad dramatic but this is my blog and I was dreading this trip. I haven’t read a Harry Potter book. I am probably the only person I know who hasn’t read a Harry Potter book. I have nothing against the series, deep down I am a rebel and I think I have been resistant because I want to buck authority with the least risk to my physical well being.

The youngest member of my family is a middle school girl who loves Harry Potter, has read all of the books multiple times and has long conversations with me about the personalities and difficulties of the various Potter People. Even though I haven’t read the book, I nod along and throw out the few words I know, “Muggles, all of them!”

The magic of Disney is something I don’t understand. Perhaps I was brainwashed as a child by parents who were rebelling in their own way to be anti-Disney. I don’t particularly love crowds and the few times I have been forced to go to Disney World (it’s a thing) I was hot, tired and underwhelmed. I am also very cheap and the little adding machine in my brain kept tallying up all of the people I was fighting my way through, times hundreds of dollars a ticket, adding food and souveniers. It’s hard to imagine that all of the people I saw had retirement and or college savings but I know that sounds judgmental so we will stick to the “I am not a theme park person.”

What to do then when your wonderful little girl wants nothing more in the world, or for her birthday and Christmas, than to go see The World of Harry Potter? We put aside our personal feelings and stoicism and minimalism and we plan a trip to Universal.

I am not a guidebook writer so I will not go into great detail but I will share some helpful tips, some were even gleaned from a Fodor’s guide given to me by my Disney loving mother-in law.

Tips to Survive Universal Studios Orlando if you are afraid of theme parks

  1. Stay on property. Not having to deal with the parking situation is reason enough but the perks of staying in Universal are huge. The biggest perk being early park admission and EXPRESS PASSES for each person!
  2. Get the Universal express pass, it was the best thing I did for the whole trip. Money wise, staying in one of the premium hotels where an express pass is included is a huge savings. Don’t let the $400 a night price scare you. You can use the express pass from the moment the park opens on the day of your check-in till the time the park closes on your day of check out. So even if you only book the fancy hotel (some aren’t really fancy) for one night you essentially get express passes for everyone (in our case 4 to a room) for 2 days! And these are the unlimited use passes costing over a hundred dollars a person per day!
  3. Bring a very small back pack, I have a foldable hiking bag that worked perfectly. Universal provides free lockers at all rides where belongings are prohibited but they are not very tall, maybe 4 inches high? We placed our cell phones, keys, etc. I also packed granola bars and 4 empty water bottle into my small hiking bag. Fill empty water bottles at fillings stations or if you don’t want to carry anything around, there are cups of water available at most food/drink stands
  4. Take the Hogwart’s Express, both ways. It is worth it and so easy with the Express Pass. The attention to detail is amazing and this is from someone who didn’t even care about the books!
  5. Buy a lanyard/badge holder (or if you are like me and you have 4 Busch Gardens lanyards that confused everyone who saw them, bring those). Your hotel key becomes your express pass and it will be scanned every time you get in line. I thought lanyards seemed lame when I read it in the Fodors book but it made it so much easier than fumbling around in a pocket for our pass and definitely reduced our fear of losing it. Lanyards are sold in the park but like everything else they are overpriced so I would look on Amazon first.
  6. If there is any chance of rain, bring those cheap, disposable ponchos. It poured while we were visiting the park, the ponchos made it bearable. Throwing them away when we left the park was even better! Not wet luggage!
  7. Use the Universal app, you will have up to the minute ride opening and wait times. This was huge for us when rides would re-open after rain storms.
  8. The food is pretty terrible and expensive. It was just as terrible and expensive in the City Walk so if you are looking for convenience and to save time, stay in the park to eat. If you are close enough to walk to your hotel, make sandwiches and salads there to save money.
  9. There is hand sanitizer everywhere so if you bring some with you, it doesn’t need to be much, wipes are probably a better option.
  10. All the lines get longer throughout the day even with the Express Pass. This is not the time to sleep in. You are paying good money to see everything you can in the park, take advantage of the early admission! Go early especially if you are using the perks of staying on property. Go straight to Harry Potter and then work your way towards the front.

Our experience

Never one to keep things simple, I changed my reservations around a few times. The tickets are sold in 5 day blocks so I knew roughly the days I would go. Our flight landed in the morning and I had originally planned on going to straight to the park for the first of our 2 Day 2 Park tickets. Upon further reading, it seemed crazy to squander the Early Admission and not get a full day out of the park so I decided we would stay in the “premium” hotel the following day. The Portifinio is a beautiful hotel and where I had originally booked but it was not available for the following day so we had to stay at the Hard Rock. I was not impressed, the property is pretty run-down, there were scaffolds everywhere for repainting. If I had the choice, I wouldn;t stay there again, I would try the Portofino or the Royal Pacific.

The biggest surprise was where we stayed the first night. I didn’t need to be on property but after comparing prices, reveiws and the ease of getting to our “final destination” of the Hard Rock, I opted to stay at the Aventura. This hotel is conceptualized as a modern/futuristic design. I loved how quiet and calm, espcially when I later compared it to the Hard Rock which was very noisy.

Thr rooms at the Aventura were just my style. Minimalist. No extra throw pillows, no pictures on the walls. Huge floor to ceiling windows, wood plank flooring and very clean. No shower curtain, just glass. It was probably one of the cleanest hotels I have ever stayed in and I am very much a germaphobe. The beds were also wonderful, they were firm without being too hard, I find most hotel beds much too soft. It was a very reasonable price and I could walk to Universal if needed. We spent the day at the pool ( they let you use the hotel facilities upon arrival even though check in is later in the afternoon.) We also explored the other “theme” hotels nearby, the decor of the Cabana Bay was fun to see, they had an arcade and a bowling alley as well.

First thing in the morning, we drove to the Hard Rock, got my Universal Express passes, which also serve as your room keys. We left our luggage in the car, but could have checked it in the lobby, and walked over to Universal! The rest is history!

During our two days, my kids rode every single ride in the park (excluding kiddie rides.) Even my teenage son enjoyed the park. Even I enjoyed the park, especially the Simpsons! The roller coasters were top-notch and the set design and theming was incredible. Harry Potter World is truly amazing and for kids, I can only imagine that it is truly magical. I had no desire to go to Universal Studios, hiking and quiet places are my preferred way to spend a vacation, but I am so thankful to have had this experience with my family. Sometimes you have to be a little impractical. Comfort zones are meant to be abandoned, wear those ponchos and convention hall-style lanyards proudly!

Highlights of Universal Studios/City Walk

All rides are not created and equal and two people on the same ride can have a very different experience. With that said, here were some of out highlights:

  • Perhaps the most visually stunning ride is Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey™ in Hogsmeade. We actually went on this one more than once, there is so much to see and the ride itself is enjoyable
  • I enjoyed the Cat in the Hat, it is very basic but manages to capture the absurd and surreal quality of the book. My kids thought it was weird but I think it’s worth seeing.
  • Butter beer is pretty “meh.” I guess you need to try it, but one shared between us was enough! Go buy a 6 pack of ICB Cream soda instead.
  • Better yet, walk into City Walk and have dessert at the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium. Though expensive, the quality and quantity are huge. I found the sundaes to be a better value and easier to share. We had the Chocolate Brownie Bark which consisted of several whole brownies and lots of ice-cream. A family of 4 could split this dessert which made it pretty inexpensive by comparison to most of the food we ate during this adventure. The building itself is a cool “steam-punk” chocolate factory and worth a look!
  • The Hulk Coaster was fun, even I went on that one. My kids loved the Velocicoaster, I sat that one out but even my husband raved about how smooth it was. Pass! The Velocicoaster was their favorite coaster in the park. I held the ponchos.
  • The Shrek 4-D movie was fun, I find that series to be entertaining and this movie didn’t disappoint. ]
  • One of our least favorite was The Fast and the Furious, super cheesy. Really, I am on a party van? Luckily we didn’t wait long.
  • Escape From Gringotts was also really well done, even the line has plenty to see. The set of Diagon Alley is pretty incredible, you can even find the dark passage in Knockturn Alley which we found was the best place to shelter during the downpours!
  • We bought a wand. It was hard to use. There were too many people waiting to perform the magic. Much like the butter beer, we did it but I am glad we only bought one!

I turned our passes into a Christmas ornament so that we can always remember the time we braved the crowds and the rain to visit Universal!