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The Parks Are Calling, Yellowstone National Park, WY (2026)

09/05/2022

Happy National Wildlife Day!

07/28/2021

Wrangell St. Elias National Park – When Adam Levine sang the line “Even the sun sets in paradise,” he obviously had never been to Alaska…in the summer. It never got completely dark the entire month we were in Alaska. WRST was the first national park we explored on our trip to the 49th state. One night I woke up at 2:30 AM to use the bathroom. It was still so light outside that I had to take a photo. My circadian rhythms were off for the entire month. The sun would “set”, but it was just dusk for a couple hours until it would rise again. For giggles, one night we watched Insomnia and shared in Al Pacino’s pain.
But I digress, Wrangell St Elias was amazing. It is hard to put into words the scale of this park, but I will try. WRST is huge in size at 13.2 million acres and tall, with nine of the sixteen tallest mountains in the United States, including the second tallest, Mt. St. Elias that tops out at just over 18,000 feet tall. There are so many peaks within the park’s boundaries that most of them don’t have names. It is the largest of our National Parks. Everyone we talked to had a different comparison about its size. The most common was that it was larger than six Yellowstones. But our favorite was that WRST could hold Yellowstone and Rocky Mountain National Parks AND Switzerland and still have a little room left over. Plus it has more mountains than those three combined.
In addition to mountains, Wrangell St. Elias has multitudes of glaciers, braided rivers, Alaskan representative wildlife and the cool abandoned mining town of Kennecott. We were fortunate to experience all these aspects to the park. We hiked out onto the Root Glacier. It was fun to put crampons on and explore the glacier. We also took a float trip on the Kennecott, Nizina and Mighty Chitina rivers (FYI, it is pronounced Chit-na, not Chi-tina. We were corrected multiple times before it sunk in). The float trip was cool, but being picked up on a sandbar by a Haviland Beaver was a highlight of the trip.
The National Park Service has done a nice job restoring the Kennecott Mining Company. The still have a ways to go, but what they have finished looks good and gives a great look to what this mining community looked like during its hey-day.
WRST is one of the parks that you really have to want to get to. You can either access it by one of two rough, gravel roads, or you can fly into the park in a small plane. We chose not to violate our rental car agreement and flew. Now the last time I was in a plane this small, it decided to stall at about 1,500 feet. I wasn’t terribly concerned because that was a float plane, and we were above water. Not the case on our flight into McCarthy. Our little plane ducked and darted between mountain peaks. It was spectacular. Probably the highlight of the trip. If you decide to visit this park, definitely take the plane, because it is really the only way you can truly understand the size and scale of our nation’s largest national park.
We stayed at a B&B in McCarthy. By bed and breakfast, it meant a nice one-bedroom log cabin and a kitchen stocked with lots of breakfast food. That suited us just perfectly, since we never knew when it was actually breakfast time. Our B&B host, Daniel, was also the driver for the local shuttle that looped back and forth between McCarthy and Kennecott. He would pull right up to our cabin and give us a ride to wherever we want to go; which was usually The Potato (one of only two restaurants in McCarthy). How much did we love The Potato? We ate there 5 straight days in a row.
For more photos and Mark’s in-depth write up about the park, head on over to our website at: www.TheParksAreCalling.com

06/29/2021

Yosemite National Park – I’m not a big yoga fan. I like the stretching and strengthening, but there is way too much quiet time to think. Invariably my mind starts to wander and the conversation goes like this: Did I leave the iron on? Do I own an iron? Maybe I should buy an iron! But invariably the yoga instructor will say, “Go to your happy place,” and I am immediately snapped out of my internal conversation. Yosemite National Park is MY happy place.

When people find out that Mark and I have been to so many national parks, we always get asked what is our favorite park? Without hesitation we both say Yosemite. Our lists diverge starting at number 2, but number one is most definitely Yosemite. One of our oldest national parks, it just has something for everyone. By simply driving the Valley Loop Road, visitors can view all the park’s iconic features (El Capitan, Half Dome, Yosemite Falls…and a lot more). So for those who don’t have time to hike/can’t hike, the park is viewable from your car window. However, with a few short hikes, you will be able to see completely different views of these same icons. With even longer hikes, you can hike to the top of these visual wonders for an entirely different experience. And for the true adventure seekers, you can climb El Cap or Half Dome. There is just something for everyone.

In addition, Yosemite Village has a real throwback vibe to it. If you squint real hard you might be able to see the paneled station wagons that dominated this place in the 50s. It has a huge store, lodges, several places to eat, the Ansel Adams gallery and of course The famous Ahwahnee. We stayed at the Upper Pines campground. It was a great starting point for our Mist Trail and Mirror Lake hikes.

I think my favorite view of the park is Valley View. It is often missed because it sits on the western end of the park. You can only access it as you are heading out of the park, and by that time I think a lot of people are done and don’t bother to stop. We watched the sun set here on several different nights. Unlike yoga, this is where I can sit and let my mind turn off. I just get absorbed in nature. How absorbed? I had an ant crawl into my sleeve and bite me on the forearm 15 times and I didn’t even realize it. FIFTEEN!

During our eight days in the valley (side note: Eight Days in the Valley sounds like a great title for a rock album), we encountered all kinds of weather. Temperatures ranged from the 30s and up into the 80s. We witnessed snow at the top of Glacier Point and prescribed burns on the valley floor.

In an effort to sidestep the smoke from the prescribed fires, we took a trip to Hetch Hetchy. After hearing Mark talk about the history of the place I was really interested in seeing it. According to John Muir, it was an amazing valley only surpassed by Yosemite itself. Unfortunately San Francisco needed water, so they dammed the valley and created a giant reservoir. We drove Cousin Eddie (our RV) to Hetch Hetchy. He barely made it in under the vehicle length limit for the road. With an upraised eyebrow, the ranger told us to take it slow and watch out on the curves. We made it to the top unscathed, but man some of those jutting rocks were just a little to close for comfort. Truthfully, I found Hetch Hetchy a little underwhelming. I can only imagine what it must have looked like in its glory. There was a nice hike to a waterfall that we did enjoy.

We had heard rumors that Tioga Road would be opening on the final day of our visit. It did, so we updated our route and spent our last day driving the road and visiting Tuolumne Meadows. We want to camp up in this area, but that will have to wait until our next trip.

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06/17/2021

Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Park - while two separate parks, since WWII, these sister parks have been administered jointly. I just refer to them as "The Bridesmaids", because they smell like pine needles and have a face like sunshine! Sequoia was our nation's second national park and the first that was created to protect a living organism. Kings Canyon shares a border with Sequoia and also has a grove of giant sequoias, so it feels like one giant park.

People come for the trees, but there is so much more to this park. Trust me, the trees are a sight to behold, but you would be missing out on so much more if you just stopped there. We camped in Sequoia at Lodgepole campground and were blessed with an amazing site right next to river. Of course, we had to get up before dawn several months ago to secure the spot, but it was definitely worth it. It was our first trip back in Cousin Eddie and it only took about a day to get our flow back on how to exist in about 100 sq ft of space. They are serious about the bears in Sequoia. There are signs and bear boxes a plenty. We didn't see any, but a friend of mine camped there last week and a mom and two cubs walked right through her campsite!! Oh My!! Now I love seeing bears in the wild, but I would prefer a river between us, not a camp chair.

We hiked to the top of Moro Rock (my version of Half Dome). So thankful for the boys of the Civilian Conservation Corp. My granddad was a member of the CCC and I am amazed at what they accomplished in our parks. But I'll save those thoughts for another post. The hike to the top of Moro Rock wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. But there were definitely a few "photo stops" on the way up. I use the excuse to take a photo to catch my breath. If you only knew how many photos I have of random flowers, squirrels and interesting rock textures. Once at the top you get a beautiful 360 degree view.

If you don't want to hike to the top of Moro Rock, you can get a good view of it from the Generals Highway. It is a steep twisty turny road that enters the park from the south. Vehicles over 22 feet aren't allowed on the Generals Highway, so we had to leave Cousin Eddie tucked in his campsite. Eddie would have handled it fine, but truthfully it was much more fun on the scooter. Once again we were racing the rain back to our campground at the end of the day. There is zero cell service in the park, so we based our weather report on the clear blue sky when we left in the morning.

After exploring all of the forests and a trip to see the General Sherman tree, the largest living organism in the world, we headed to Kings Canyon. There are two parts to KC. Grants Grove sits adjacent to Sequoia NP and this is where most visits stop for most people. But we aren't most people so we drove over an hour to the appropriately named Roads End. We camped a couple of nights and once again had the place to ourselves. Very few people visit this part of the park and they are missing so much. There are several waterfalls within an easy hike from the road and gorgeous rivers. Definitely a part of the park not to be missed. Worth the extra effort.

For more photos and Mark's detailed report head on over to our website at:
www.TheParksAreCalling.com

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04/06/2021

Yellowstone National Park - I have been dreaming about photographing Yellowstone in the winter for a long time. Maybe it is the Midwestern girl in me who is romantically remembering snow drifts from my childhood. Maybe it was Mark and my frantic binge watching of Yellowstone. Or maybe it was the fact I was reading Lonesome Dove for the fourth time and I couldn't wait to see in person what drew Captain Call north of the Yellowstone river. Whatever it was...I couldn't wait to get there. Winter is a little like childbirth, you forget what it is like until you are in the middle of it again. But there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear. So this San Diego girl, begged, borrowed and bought everything she would need to survive in this winter wonderland. Seriously, how bad could it get? Umm it was -15 one of the mornings we left for the park. It was 78 when I left San Diego for this trip, so yes, it was cold. But my gear kept me toasty, and our snow coach was always nearby if needed. Speaking of snow coaches, you can only enter the park by snow coach or snow mobile. The park grooms the roads, but in places, the snowpack on the road was close to six feet deep. You had to watch your step, because one wrong step and you would sink in the snow up to your knees or waist.

The park itself did not disappoint. Just like in the summer, bison were plentiful and easily photographed. In addition we found bald eagles and coyotes. The highlight of the trip were the foxes we were able to photograph. We were told that it was a rarity to see them, but our guide Zach suggested that we head out early for Hayden Valley and we might be able to see one. Leave early we did (remember I mentioned that -15 morning?). Not only did we see one fox, but we saw three. Of which the third one just decided to come perform for us. Since the snow is so deep, you can't just take off in a valley and follow them, so it was special that he came so close.

In addition to the wildlife, the natural beauty of the park was enhanced by the snow. Waterfalls were frozen over and trees bent with the weight of the snow, not to mention the eerie steam that rose from the thermal features scattered throughout the park. It was very different than when we visited in the summer (mainly because we didn't have to carry bear spray and yell "Hey Bear" everywhere we went). We didn't get to see a wolf, but I guess I need something to look forward to on my next trip back when I take Mark with me. For now enjoy the photos and captions, and check out our website www.TheParksAreCalling.com for more info and photos about the other parks we have visited.

Yellowstone National Park

02/04/2021

Rocky Mountain National Park - When Mark began planning our trip, he came in and excitedly said, "You are going to love Rocky Mountain National Park!" Well of course I thought...mountains, lakes, wildlife...what am I missing? Mark continued, "What is the NPS Code for Rocky Mountain?" (side note - an NPS code is a 4 letter code of each NPS property) I did some quick calculations and determined that ROMO was the code! The Dallas Cowboys fan in me let out a little giggle. Just so everyone knows, Tony Romo was nowhere to be found in the park. We did however, encounter all kinds of beautiful wildlife. (Side note part 2 - the locals refer to the park as RMNP and will mock you if you refer to it as ROMO)
The Continental Divide splits the park into an east and west side. The east side is definitely more popular due to its proximity to Estes Park and Denver. In addition it has several easily hikable trails to lakes and waterfalls and a couple of valleys where herd animals like to hang out.

In the middle of the park, sitting at 12,000 feet elevation, is the Alpine Visitor Center. It can be accessed by Trail Ridge Road, the main road that navigates the park, or by Old Fall River Road, a one-way, dirt road that is only 3 months of year. Of course we opted to take Ruby Sue up the dirt road. I will start by mentioning that we did in fact check the weather report, otherwise I wouldn't have had the foresight to pack a pair of sweatpants. However, it was wrong. After a fun drive up Old Fall River Road (four thousand feet elevation change) we arrived at the visitor center just as the heavens decided to open up. No big deal, we will just ride it out in the visitor center. Nope! There was a big sign on the door that said lightning in the area, take shelter in your vehicle...ummm we are on a scooter. After a few minutes we decided to bite the bullet and just head back down the mountain. On the way not only did we get caught in rain, but a hail storm also. How miserable was it? We didn't talk for almost 45 minutes. Let that sink in. I didn't talk for 45 whole minutes. Once we got back to the RV and changed clothes we had a good laugh about it.

While on the east side, we saw elk, deer, big horn sheep and one female moose, but not a single moose with a giant rack. That's all Mark wanted to see was a giant Bullwinkle. Once we traversed the Continental Divide to the west side we found the mother lode. There were moose every time we turned around. As we came off one of our hikes, there was a mother and baby right in the middle of our trail. We were trapped there for about 20 minutes before they finally ambled along.

Click through the following photo captions for more of my park insight. For more photos and Mark's in-depth write up, head over to our website at www.TheParksAreCalling.com

12/09/2020

Badlands National Park - Hard to believe that a park with the word “bad” in its name would be one of the favorite spots we visited, but it was. Most people spend about 1/2 a day viewing this park by driving the 40 mile Badlands Loop Road. There are numerous overlooks and short hikes easily accessed from this road. We had originally only planned to spend a day here, but kept extending our visit. The night sky was ridiculous. I have never seen so many stars. Our most memorable moment occurred when we were on the scooter driving back to the RV after photographing the night sky. It was so late we were the only people left in the park. We came around a curve and a huge elk was standing in the middle of the road. Fortunately Mark had slowed down because he was worried there would be wildlife on the road. We stopped and just stared at what had to be the largest rack to ever grace an elk’s head. After a few minutes we eased past the beast and the moment was over. The other highlight of the park was “boondocking” on the rim of one of the canyons, on the last night of our stay. We woke up at 5:30 am to a glorious sunrise and big horn sheep grazing just outside the RV. Wildlife, night skies and wide open views made this park a winner. Check out the photo captions for more info on some of the aspects of the park. For more photos and Mark’s in-depth write up on the park, check out our website at www.TheParksAreCalling.com.

12/08/2020

Custer State Park - Oh give me a home where the buffalo roam and the deer and the antelope play. It appears that the composer of the Kansas State song must have been sitting in the middle of Custer State Park when he wrote it. This park isn’t a national park, but it is quite impressive. In fact it is, in my humble opinion, better than quite a few of our national parks. On the north end of the park are the Needles Highway and Iron Mountain Road. These twisty-turny roads are a blast for motorcyclists and those of us who ride a cute little scooter. On the southern half of the park is the wildlife loop. We happened to be at Custer SP while Sturgis was going on 90 miles north of us. There were thousands of bikes everywhere. Not only were the bikers kind to us (man I wish they would wear helmets) but it actually worked to our advantage. The bike noise drove most of the wildlife to the interior of the park that can only be accessed by rough dirt roads. Mark and I are never one to shy away from a dirt road and went exploring. What resulted was some amazing encounters with wildlife with almost no one else around. Thumb through the photos below for more commentary about these encounters. As always, scoot on over to our website at www.TheParksAreCalling.com to see more photos and info.

12/07/2020

Theodore Roosevelt National Park - Situated on the far western edge of North Dakota, Teddy Roosevelt NP stands as a tribute to our nation’s president that championed the preservation of our country’s cultural and natural resources. TR set up Antiquities Act that allowed future presidents to set aside land for national parks, monuments and preserves. This was the first time on our trip (but definitely not last) that we saw badlands, buffalo, and prairie dogs. It also is home to an elusive herd of wild horses, which we were fortunate to see three times. Fun fact - buffalo don’t actually exist in the US outside of zoos. They are actually American Bison. HOWEVER, since my high school mascot was the Golden Buffalo. From this point forward they shall be referred to as buffalo.
For more photos and Mark’s in-depth review of the park, checkout our website at: www.TheParksAreCalling.com

12/07/2020

Every time I see this photo, I want to breakout and sing, “I’m Alright!” That or scream “It’s in the hole!”

12/06/2020

Mount Rainier National Park — As the main feature of Washington state’s license plate, you just know that Mt Rainier would be spectacular, and it was. At first I had told Mark that I was going to only post one photo of the mountain, but wow!! So many different views to choose from. Once again Ruby Sue (our scooter extraordinaire) was a champ. She took to the inclines of the park with no problems. Besides just gawking at the beauty of the mountain, we hiked to several waterfalls and lakes. We had our first bear sightings of our trip. While we were staring at them in the distance, a cast member of Caddyshack snuck up on us. You would think that this park would have a “Rainy” Lake, seeing how rain is right there in the name, but no. We did make it to “Snow” Lake, and it was gorgeous. We are looking forward to revisiting this park when we head back to this area and visit Olympic NP in the future. For more photos and Mark’s in-depth analysis, check out our website at: www.TheParksAreCalling.com

12/06/2020

This was the view from just behind our campsite at Fish Creek Campground. Mark and I had gone down to the water to take Milky Way photos. I was a little more concerned about getting eaten by a bear than I was of capturing a panorama. I was locked in on shooting single photos and was about to pack up my bag when Mark mentioned how cool it was to be able to see the arc of the Milky Way from horizon to horizon. I thought what the heck, let’s see if I can pull off a panorama. I had never done one before, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night 😂. This is the result of my first ever pano. It is made up of 11 different vertical photos. There is definitely room for improvement, but I’m happy with my first effort.

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