A Bridge, A Blowout and Change of Plans: New River Gorge National Park
New River Gorge with five kids — the bridge, the overlooks, and the blowout that rewrote the plan. America’s newest national park.
Crowds, Cold Toes and Carriage Roads: Acadia National Park
Acadia with five young kids — the carriage roads, the cold water and the July crowds. What we would do differently in high season.
Mentos, Mountain Air and the Appalachian Trail: Shenandoah National Park
Shenandoah National Park with five kids — Skyline Drive, a stretch of the Appalachian Trail, and which walks suit young legs.
Salamanders, Elk Calves and Low Gears: Great Smoky Mountains National Park
The Smokies with five kids — elk calves, salamander hunting, and the steep one-way mountain road to our Airbnb that finally taught us the Suburban’s low gears.
Adios Texas, Back on the Road
Setting out from Dripping Springs for a summer of national parks after a year staying put — the packing, the plan, and the first long day back on the road east.
Seeking Sixties and Sunny: Springtime in the National Parks
Spring in the parks means split-second calls — snow at elevation, closed roads, and choosing between Sequoia, Death Valley and the Grand Canyon, with kids.
7 Parks. 6 Days. 5 Kids. 4 States. 3 Minivan Rows. 2 Exhausted Parents. And 1 Welsh Springer Spaniel.
Seven parks, six days, five kids: the southern-border route from Guadalupe’s caverns to Organ Pipe’s cactus, and the seven Junior Ranger badges we earned.
Joshua Tree National Park: Climbing Rocks, Chasing Shade, and Earning an Oasis
Joshua Tree with five kids — Skull Rock, Arch Rock, the 49 Palms Oasis, and an absurd number of Starbursts as the Sonoran desert gives way to the Mojave.
North of the Border: Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
A midday stop that still earned a Junior Ranger badge — Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument on the Arizona-Mexico border, seen in a few hours with five kids.
Saguaro National Park: A Desert Kingdom of Giants
Towering saguaros standing sentinel around Tucson — the Desert Discovery Trail and a Junior Ranger scavenger hunt at Saguaro National Park with all five kids.
Hidden Gems: Why National Monuments Deserve A Look
There are 63 national parks and 130 national monuments — why the monuments, which any president can designate, are the unsung heroes of America’s public lands.
Sledding, Sand, and Surprises at White Sands National Park
Blinding white gypsum dunes that squeak underfoot — sledding the hills at White Sands with five kids, plus the desert wildlife facts that unsettled them.
75 Stories Down: Exploring the Depths of Carlsbad Caverns
An elevator that sinks 75 stories into the earth — Carlsbad Caverns, once a 250-million-year-old reef, and its vast decorated chambers, explored with five kids.
Niagara Falls: A Frozen Giant and America’s First State Park
Niagara Falls in winter — wind chills near -10F, mist that froze on our eyelashes, and 3,000 tons of water a second thundering over the edge, with five kids.
Diving into the Subterranean World: Exploring the Depths of Mammoth Cave
Mammoth Cave with five kids — which tour suits young children, how cold it gets, and what 400 miles of passage feels like.
Homeschooling on the Road: Lessons from Beginners
A beginner’s year homeschooling five kids ages 2 to 11 while traveling — the flexibility, the patience, and the structure that kept the oldest three on track.