An arch, some BBQ and a couple of dead presidents homes.... Our time in St. Louis and back home.

Tuesday morning we got up and out and headed straight for our reservations to go to the Gateway Arch National Park. The Arch itself is free (and just became a National Park last year) but it costs to go to the top. While we didn’t go to the top of the Space Needle, we wanted the experience of the Arch. It’s a lot like an airport when you walk in with security checks and electronics which fascinated the kids. After being cleared we headed underground to the museum and information area. The exhibits were so well done and fun for all ages, it was easy to tell how new it all was. When it was our reserved time we lined up to be taken to the top of the arch.

A few days camping in the Black Hills + Devil's Tower National Monument

Our first stop on the way to the black hills area was Devils Tower National Monument. After lunch at R-Deli in Hulett for delicious sandwiches we dropped the camper at Devil Towers View Campground (electric hookups only but close to the park and has a view of the monument) and headed on in to the park. We only had one day and night for Devils Tower and it was plenty of time.

36 hours in Theodore Roosevelt National Park & Fort Union Trading Post National Monument

Back in the states from an amazing 9 days in Canada we quickly drove into North Dakota and hit up Ft. Union Trading post and then on to our campsite in Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

Our family of 5 road trip through the Canadian rockies in a vintage Airstream.

A look at our family of 5 roadtrip through the Canadian rockies. We travel in a 1980 vintage airstream international. Banff, Yoho and Jasper national parks have some of the most amazing views in North America and we tried to hit up as many as possible in our week long journey.

Mt. Rainier National Park and the Emerald City

Tuesday we made the short drive towards Mount Rainier National Park and quickly arrived at Mounthaven RV Resort less than a mile from the entrance. And man, what a Haven it was. The park is small with only a few RV spots and some small cabins for rent. The bathrooms are nice and the trees are huge so the entire campground is shaded and cozy. It feels like a slice out of the national park but for your own personal pleasure. With our convenient location we were able to go in and out of the park with ease. On Wednesday morning we got up early and headed in so we could make it to the Paradise Visitors Center

Airstream Camping in Olympic

It’s no secret that I love the beach and Evan and I both love the mountains so when you can have mountains that meet the beach, well, then it’s pretty much Heaven. And that’s pretty much the sum of the Pacific Northwest. Evan and I traveled to Washington the year we got married and enjoyed Olympic National Park and the surrounding areas so much. We have talked several times about coming back so our time in this area has been 10 years in the making. First stop, La Push.

Our trail through Oregon

When you first drive into Oregon it’s the opposite of what you expect if you’re coming in from the east. There is a lot of desert-ish area. But the more you drive into the state the more gorgeous and picturesque it becomes. We quickly forgot about our view however as the sun went down on Sunday and we hit up the local Walmart for our nights stay. But after 14 hours on the road we really didn’t care where we slept. Ahh, the good old days, right?

Our Yellowstone Adventure

We made the short drive from the Tetons to Yellowstone on Tuesday. Our first stop was Old Faithful. As we circled the parking lot for what seemed like hours we quickly learned that Yellowstone is SUPER popular, therefore it is SUPER crowded. Once we found some folks that allowed us to block them in with the #airstreamstarship we headed towards the visitors center where we met up with our friends Justin and Clay.

The Grandest of Tetons

It is hard to know how to even begin to describe our time at Grand Teton National Park. It was one of the first parks we knew we had to visit when we started to plan our trip a year ago. We knew it would be beautiful but we were unprepared for just the amount of beauty we would find.

Nebraska. Honestly, it's not for everyone.

Oh Nebraska, you are… well, you are full of corn and flatness is what you are. We hit the road into Nebraska Wednesday morning and drove. And drove. And drove some more. We saw corn. And more corn. And even more corn.

It starts......the 2019 Summer Roadtrip

Well ladies and gentleman we are back on the road and gone for almost two months this time. We have been looking forward to this trip since we finished up our last long trip last spring and realize we are beyond fortunate (and insane) to be able to do something like this. Its’ been a total of 72 hours on the road so far and we haven’t turned back yet.

Red River Gorge - Kentucky

April is wonderful time to take a trip to Kentucky…especially when it coincides with a job and a birthday celebration.

North Georgia Mountains

Oh Blue Ridge, you are a beaut! Every year my family (Meagan’s) takes a group vacation to a wonderful cabin outside of Blue Ridge, Georgia. It is only a few hours from home but feels eons away. This year, thanks a project Evan had, we were able to precede the cabin trip with a camping stay at Tallulah Gorge

Roadtrip Fall 2018 - Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, D.C.

The day after we returned from Hawaii we loaded up the kids and the camper and we hit the road for another extended road trip. This trip wasn’t near as many miles as our California trip in the spring but it was a still a few great weeks of National Parks and new experiences.

The Home Stretch

KCMO was a a full 14 hours of fun. We were treated to some great BBQ and then went for custard because, duh. We had a few hours of solid family time with some of the Lanier cousins and then slept like bricks. We were back on the road to Arkansas the next morning to start the home stretch of our trip.

Rocky Mountain High

Colorado you are so beautiful. Our 3 nights in and around the Denver area were great. Just a few miles into the state we were met with a snow storm. And not like an Alabama snow storm where everything shuts down for an inch but 3 inches blowing all around and folks going about business as usual. We loved it.

And then there was… more Utah

We’ve wrapped up our 5 parks in 5 days throughout Utah. The desert has been incredible but we are ready to see some green forest. The last few nights we’ve been in Moab, Utah and it's a pretty cool town with a lot of adventurous stuff to do.

travel, airstreamMeagan LanierApril 21, 2018airstream, vintage camper, vintage airstream, roadtrip, cross country, national park, canyonlands, arches, utahComment

Marching to Zion

“Beautiful, beautiful Zion…” I’m having a hard time knowing where to even start with Zion National Park because I just loved it so much. We only had a day and 1/2 to explore there and man I wish we would have planned for longer.

Yosemite

When we first drove into the park from the southwestern entrance it was pretty but a normal kind of pretty. And then after some bobbing and weaving we went through a long tunnel and came out to a view that literally took our breath away. There was no way to know while we were in that tunnel what awaited us on the other side.

Fran San Disco

It’s been 2 weeks since we left home and now we are leaving our most western point. Every destination from here on for the next 2 weeks and 4 days will slowly return us back to Alabama.

Meagan LanierApril 10, 2018airstream, vintage airstream, travel photography, travel, road trip, family tripComment