North Country NST

Adventures Await in Eight States

Come to the North Country. Trek the hills and valleys. Stand on the shores of lakes & streams from glaciers 10,000 years before. Clear-flowing water, red/gold of autumn, a fairyland of snow, open prairies, and distant horizons paint the land. Historic sites along the way tell how America settled and grew as a nation. From North Dakota to Vermont, adventure is never far away.

8 Dec 2023

With the addition of this Trail into the National Park Service system as an official trail, we looked back and found two times we were on this trail. We were on it at Fort Stanwix NM in New York and Dayton Aviation Heritage NHP in Ohio. As with any trail site we will take in a little at a time. 

Our 174th NPS Unit

NPS Website

Ozark NSR

 More Than Just the Rivers....

Ozark National Scenic Riverways is the first national park area to protect a river system. The Current and Jacks Fork rivers are two of the finest floating rivers you'll find anywhere. Spring-fed, cold and clear they are a delight to canoe, swim, boat or fish. Besides these two famous rivers, the park is home to hundreds of freshwater springs, caves, trails and historic sites such as Alley Mill.

5 Oct 2023

We got to take in a very small portion of this unit with a stop at Big Spring. First stopping at the small contact station. We talked to the Ranger on duty about future visits. We got Daisy's Bark ranger program that involved a small 15 question quiz and with help from Mom, she got it done and received her new Bark Ranger tag. We then headed down to Big Spring. This is an amazing spring and one of biggest springs in the United States. After taking in Big Spring, we called it a day due to a persistent rainstorm. We spent an hour here but with so much more to see and do, this can be a two-day Unit. We will add this to the return list. 

Click here for photos of our visit.

NPS Website

Our 173rd NPS Unit

Enjoying Big Spring

Pipestone NM

"When you pray with this pipe, you pray for and with everything."  -Black Elk

For over 3,000 years, Indigenous people have quarried the red stone at this site to make pipes used in prayer and ceremony - a tradition that continues to this day and makes this site sacred to many people.

30 Sept 2023

Taking in this unit offered us a chance to take in a night sky's program for the first time. We started at the Visitors Center taking in the exhibits and watching three artisans work the pipestone into pipes and other items. No movie is offered but any questions we had were answered by the artisans or Rangers. We got Daisy's Bark Ranger program and headed out for a walk around the trail loop. This trail is a 3/4-mile round trip that takes in Winnewissa Falls, the working quarries. After a trail walk, we went and turned in Daisy's program and she added a new badge to her collection. We returned later that night to take in the Night sky's program. Karen went off on a working night photography class and learned allot about taking night picture's and me and Daisy hung out with the telescopes taking in the planets and stars. We enjoyed doing the night sky's program and hope we will get a few more in at other Units. You can see this unit in a couple of hours but with night sky's program we were here a total of 4 hours. 

 

Click here for photos of our visit.

NPS Website

Our 172nd NPS Unit

Knife River Indian Villages NHS

Explore the lives of the Northern Plains Indians on the Upper Missouri

Earth Lodge people hunted bison and other game but were in essence farmers living in villages along the Missouri and its tributaries. The site was a major Native American trade center for hundreds of years prior to becoming an important marketplace for fur traders after 1750.

27 Sept 2023

This is a small unit to take in but so much history is here, so even being an off the beaten path unit it's a don't miss unit. We took in the movie at the Visitors Center that explained the history and importance of the site and then taking in the exhibits after the movie tied it all together. We picked up Daisy's Bark ranger program and headed out to walk down to the recreated Earth lodge and this time Molly tagged along to take in the sites. Daisy got her new tag after the walk. We spent around an hour here but did not go take the trail to the village sites. You can add another hour for the trail walk. This site is very dog friendly so bring your fur baby along. 

Click here for photos of our visit.

NPS Website

Our 171st NPS Unit

Hanging with my Sis 

Theodore Roosevelt NP

 

In Honor of a President

When Theodore Roosevelt came to Dakota Territory to hunt bison in 1883, he was a skinny, young, spectacled dude from New York. He could not have imagined how his adventure in this remote and unfamiliar place would forever alter the course of the nation. The rugged landscape and strenuous life that TR experienced here would help shape a conservation policy that we still benefit from today.

26 Sept 2023

To celebrate our visit to our 50th State we included a visit to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We stopped at the South Units Visitors Center to pick up our passport stamps, Daisy's Bark Ranger tag, and to take in the site movie. The movie was well done and provide a good overview of the history of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We headed out to the South loop road to take in the beautiful vistas and look for the wild horses, buffalo, and prairie dogs. It did not take long to find a band of wild horses right along the road. Headed on we saw a few buffalo heading in. We went as far as we could on the loop road that is not a loop road right now due to damage done to the road a few years ago and the ongoing construction to fix it. This adds time to the day, but it also allows you time to stop at any turnoffs you may have missed going in. We did find a very large heard of buffalo going out, along with the band of wild horses we saw headed in. We spent around four hours in the south unit including time spent at the Visitor Center. We then headed over to the Painted Cayon Unit. This is a small unit East of the South Unit that offers an overlook of the painted Cayon and a small contact station. This stop added less than an hour to our visit. We will have to make a return to this National Park to take in the North unit. 

Click here for photos of our visit.

NPS Website

Our 170th NPS Unit and 25th National Park

I'm Ready to find those wild horses and big buffalo. 

Yellowstone NP

                                                                      

The World's First National Park

On March 1, 1872, Yellowstone became the first national park for all to enjoy the unique hydrothermal and geologic features. Within Yellowstone's 2.2 million acres, visitors have unparalleled opportunities to observe wildlife in an intact ecosystem, explore geothermal areas that contain about half the world’s active geysers, and view geologic wonders like the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River.

Click here for photos of our visit in 2016

Click here for photos of our visit in 2017
Click here for photos of our visit in 2018

Click here for photos of our visit in 2020

Click here for photos of our visit in 2021

Click here for photos of our visit in 2022

Sept 23, 2023

We got in another day at the park. As the Beartooth highway was closed due to snow, we went in the East entrance and hit a heavy snowstorm going over Sulivan Pass. Once we made it over the pass, we decided to do a counterclockwise loop. we made a few stops along the way including Mammoth VC and Old Faithful VC. 

Sept 2, 2022

This trip into the park took us to the Upper geyser basin and Old Faithful geyser. We got a great show from Old Faithful then decided to take in lunch at the Old Faithful Lodge. We then headed over to the Historic Old Faithful Inn to take in the granger of the Inn. We then headed out to the loop trail around Old Faithful geyser taking in the hot springs and geysers along this trail. During this walk we were treated to our second eruption of Old Faithful today, we had never seen it from this prospective. We love coming up here each year and always see something new. 

July 24, 2021

Our yearly trip into the park was a very busy trip with lots of planned stops. We first stopped at Beryl Spring. This spring is right off the road and easy to see with little effort. We then headed over to the Fountain Paint Pot trail, taking in Leather Pool, Clepsydra Geyser, and many more features this trail offers up. We then stopped and had a nice picnic lunch. After a peaceful lunch we headed down to the Midway Geyser Basin Trail. This trail takes you to Excelsior Geyser Crater and one of the crown jewels of Yellowstone, the Grand Prismatic Spring, plus many other springs and geysers. We were not finished yet, so we went down to the Biscuit Basin trail and took in Black Opal Spring, Sapphire Spring, and the other features on this trail. 

July 24, 2020

Made a trip into the park today. We decided to head over Beartooth pass this trip to finish what we could not last year due to a winter storm. Had a great drive into the park and into Lamar Valley. We spotted a few bears this trip, but again no wolves. Had a great picnic lunch at Mammoth and then took in the North Gate. We did not make many stops this trip as we were just out for a relaxing drive.  

June 16, 2018

Today we added another trip into the park. This trip we decided to spend it at West Thumb mostly. After the trip in though Sullivan Pass and a snowstorm. We made it to the West Thumb Geyser Basin. We took the walk around the trail to take in the sites of the Basin. While not as grand as some of the other basin's it is still worth the time to take it in. We then headed to the Grant Village Visitor Center and took in a great display telling the story of wildfires in the park. Then it was on to lunch at the Grant Village. The meal was good and filling, not the highest on our go back to list but decent. We then headed around to Old Faithful and had good timing this trip, getting there shortly before the eruption of Old Faithful. We finished the day with a stop at the Canyon Visitor Center to take in the Museum that's explains the Thermal Geology of the Park. This was a great day in the park, and we look forward going back to take in more areas we have yet to explore.

July 7, 2017

Today we made another trip into the park. This time we brought my dad along for the day, we toured the upper loop this trip as it has been many many years since I had been up there. We had a great day to spot wildlife and got to see two bears today. We were hoping to get lucky and spot one of the wolf packs in Lamar Valley but did not see them this trip. We had a great Picnic lunch at Mammoth Hot springs and explored some of the area around the Hot springs. We stayed away from the lower loop as this trip was more about wildlife and Mammoth Hot springs.

July 3, 2016
We made a return trip with the entire family and got to take in Old Faithful, The Canyon and a few other sites. Lots of wildlife but no bears or wolves. This Park never stops giving and there is still much to be seen and explored. How much time to spend in this park is up to you but plan on at least 3 days to see most of the big site's but even 3 days will leave you with a big return to see list.

July 16, 2010

I passed through the park on the way out to OR. This is a park I grew up in, spending many of my summer days exploring and fishing. The surprising thing is there are part's I have never been to. Spending a few days at the Lodge at Old Faithful is on our must do list.

Apr 1993 Date unknown
Karen and I made our second trip into the park. Took in the normal sites and will have to come back to see more. So much to see and do.

July 1990 Date unknown

We got to take in Old Faithful and a few other sites with kids. It was fun watching them get play in the snow till our youngest messed up his big toe really bad. He got to spend the rest of the visit hobbling around the park. As this is our home park, we will be making many trips back here.

NPS webpage

Our 3rd NPS Unit and 2nd National Park

                                                   

Lake Mead NRA

 

America's First National Recreation Area

Swim, boat, hike, cycle, camp and fish at America’s first and largest national recreation area. With striking landscapes and brilliant blue waters, this year-round playground spreads across 1.5 million acres of mountains, canyons, valleys and two vast lakes. See the Hoover Dam from the waters of Lake Mead or Lake Mohave or find solitude in one of the park's nine wilderness areas.

2 Sept 2023

We started this visit with a visit and tour of Hoover Dam. We opted for the short power plant tour taking in the Nevada side of the powerhouse and a few other stops. We also walked a small section of the crest of the dam. We then headed out to the Alan Bible Visitor Center. This is a small center that has a small collection of exhibits. After getting our stamps and a few other things we then headed out for a drive along the Lakeshore back to Las Vegas making a few stops along the drive to take in the sites of Lake Mead. We were amazed how low the lake is now but according to the Rangers it has been going up this Summer. With Hoover Dam and stops we spent 5 hours here but only saw a small part of this large unit. 

Click here for photos of our visit.

NPS Website

Our 169th NPS Unit