Travels With Mel

The Great National Park Adventure: Day 8: Old Faithful and Beyond

2016-03-07T14:38:00.002-08:00

Back to Yellowstone - Day 2

Our second day in Yellowstone started with about a 1hour 45 minute drive from Bozeman, MT to the West Gate of Yellowstone. It was a very easy drive and quite pretty. If you are looking to stay a little closer to the gate, there are several hotels in West Yellowstone, MT that are a very short drive to the gate itself.

Our plan was to spend the day in the southern part of Yellowstone. This is an exciting part of the park since it is where the most famous of all Geysers...Old Faithful...is found. Before we got to Old Faithful though, we had several stops to make and some pretty amazing sights to see! We turned on our Gypsy Guide to Yellowstone once again and headed on our way.

Lower Geyser Basin

Our first stop of the day was at the Lower Geyser Basin. This is an area that encompasses almost 12 square miles and has many thermal features that you can view. The

Great Fountain Geyser is the most famous of the geysers in this area. It is one of the Grand Geysers that is predictable. It erupts every 8-12 hours and the eruption lasts 45-60 minutes and averages a height of 100 feet. There are several other geysers in the area as well as some pools and paint pots. You never know when you might see a geyser erupt in the distance.

Great Fountain Geyser Sputtering

Here is a guide to the Lower Geyser Basin http://www.yellowstonenationalpark.com/lowergeyser.htm

Midway Geyser Basin

The Midway Geyser Basin is a very popular area. There are two are two large thermal features in this fairly small area. Redyard Kipling immortalized this area by referring to it as "Hell's Half Acre". The two features you will want to see are:

Excelsior Geyser

This Geyser was once the largest Geyser in the world. It's last major eruption was in the 1800's and today is just a very large thermal spring. It is beautiful to see and you can just imagine how it would have looked when it was active.

Grand Prismatic Spring

The Grand Prismatic Spring is what everyone goes to the Midway Basin to see. Expect a crowd! It is the largest hot spring in Yellowstone and the third largest in the world. The colors of this hot spring are amazing. They are so vivid and it is an absolutely gorgeous sight to see. This is a must see in Yellowstone. You may see photos of this beautiful spring from above....there is a small trail up a nearby hill that you can take if you want to get that shot. It was a little too adventurous for us but there were people who were taking the hike.

Saphire Pool

Here is a guide to the Midway Geyser Basin: http://www.yellowstonenationalpark.com/midway.htm

Upper Geyser Basin

The upper geyser basin is what most people think of when they think of Yellowstone National Park. This is the area where the park's most famous geyser - Old Faithful - is located. The Upper Geyser Basin is only 2 square miles but contains 1/4 of the entire world's geysers. There is a boardwalk area that you can walk around and see many of the geysers and thermal features in this area. Wear your walking shoes and plan on spending several hours in this area. Here are some of my personal favorites in this area:

Old Faithful

Old Faithful is by far the most famous of all the geyser in Yellowstone National Park. It was named because of its very predictable eruptions. Eruptions occur every 30-120 minutes and last from 1.5 - 5 minutes. There are signs nearby the geyser showing when the next eruption is expected. There is a seating area around the geyser and the seats do fill up so be sure to plan to get there early or plan on standing.

Tip: If you want to get photos of the eruption (and who doesn't), be sure to stand with your back to the wind. If you are facing the wind, the "smoke" from the eruption will obscure your view.

Old Faithful Inn

Old Faithful Inn was built in 1903-04 and is a beautiful historical Inn right next to Old Faithful. If you are able to stay there, it is an experience. Rooms are older, there is no air conditioning or television and prices are high but it is fun to say that you have stayed in this historical inn. If you can't stay, please make it a point to walk through the hotel on your way to or from the geyser basin. It is so beautiful inside, that it is definitely a must see. There is a restaurant, gift shop, snack bar and lounge inside the hotel lobby. There are also daily tours offered if you would like to learn more about this historical building.

Village Area

There is also a small "village" around the Inn and Geyser Area. There are small restaurants and a post office and Visitor's Center. This particular day we chose the Geyser Grille to get a bite to eat before heading over to the Geyser itself. The food was just ok but it was a quick place to grab a bite and get out in time to make it to the next eruption.

Beyond Old Faithful

Continuing our trek south in the park, our next stop was at Grant Village for a quick stock up on snacks for the rest of the day. From there we headed toward the South Entrance but lucky for us our Gypsy Guide came through one last time and instructed us to make a quick stop at Lewis Falls. This was a beautiful waterfall that was a short walk from the parking area. Definitely take the time to walk over and enjoy!

Grand Teton National Park

As you drive out of the South Entrance you will run into Grand Teton National Park. While it gets less publicity than it's very large northern neighbor, Grand Teton is one of my favorite parks. It is totally different than Yellowstone and just full of stunning beauty. Unfortunately, this day brought all the smoke from the western wildfires directly into Grand Teton. In fact the smoke was so heavy that you couldn't even see the mountains. If you have visited this park, you will know how thick that smoke must have been!

So....we adjusted our plans slightly and decided to just drive through to our stop in Jackson, Wyoming. We decided that it was worth giving Grand Teton a pass and try it again the next day.

Homewood Suites Jackson

Our stop for the night was at the Homewood Suites Jackson. After the Homewood Suites experience in Bozeman the evening before, we were a little concerned but found this stay to be very nice. We were upgraded to the Aspen Suite (Room 319) upon checking in. The room certainly did not disappoint. It had a view of one of the butte's from the very large window. There was a fireplace and rocking chair in the living room area to make it even more cozy. There was a whirlpool tub in the bathroom and separate bedroom area. This was a very spacious suite.

The only problem that we had was that it was difficult to locate the parking for this hotel. It is located in Downtown Jackson and parking is somewhat at a premium. The covered area in front of the hotel where you can park to check in is very small and narrow. There is parking behind the building but the lot is small and spaces are tight. I would recommend checking in early to ensure you get a decent spot.

You are within walking distance to the Historic District from the hotel. It is about 0.4 miles away and takes about 8 minutes to walk.

Jackson Historic District

If you have never been to Jackson this is a must see. If you have been to Jackson this is still a must see! It just never gets old. This area is a step back into the Old West with shops and restaurants and bars all around. It comes complete with stagecoach rides around the square. Elk horn arches enhancing each of the corners of the square. An old fashioned gunfight is the highlight of the evening. You just have to walk around and take in the feel of this town!

Silver Dollar Saloon

Ok....this is where the evening got a little weird. Looking back on it it was really a comedy of errors! At the time, it was pretty annoying but hey...things happen...I just had no idea so many things could happen!

The restaurant opened at 5:00 PM for dinner. My husband and I figured we would grab and early dinner and head back to the hotel to enjoy our nice suite. We were seated quickly. (That was about the end of the good things I can say!) We looked at our menus and sat and sat and sat... Many servers walked past us. There were only 2 other tables with customers in the dining room. We continued to sit and sit and sit. Finally about 10-15 minutes had gone by without any acknowledgment. It was like we were invisible. We finally flagged down a manager and asked if there was someone who could wait on us. He informed us that the server for our section had called off for the evening but he would be happy to take our order and get another server to take care of us. Odd that they didn't realize that while we were sitting there but ok....we had ordered at least.

Our drinks, bread and salads came out after a short time. We both had the wedge salad and they were quite good. This is when things went south quickly again.

Our server came out to refill our water glasses and when he got to mine he filled it and then dropped it on the table (it slipped out of his hand). The glass shattered all over...sending glass and water all over the table and onto the bench (half booth) next to me. He tried to clean it up from the table but the water leaked through the crack of the tables (2 tables pushed together) and went all over the shorts that I was wearing. It was water....could have been worse! Small shards of glass remained on the seat but the majority of it was cleaned up. He didn't offer to move us or anything but we just decided to go with the flow at this point.

Our food came out shortly after that. It was served by an assistant. I have a feeling the server was a little bit embarrassed from the major water works that had just occurred. Well...the assistant goes to put the plate in front of me and the baked potato rolls off the plate and across the table! I retrieved it and put it back on my plate. No acknowledgement...little weird. Then...he went to serve my husband's meal (he had ordered small potatoes...yes they were round). The small potatoes rolled off the plate and onto the floor and landed on my foot! He apologized and said he would bring more. You guessed it....the other potatoes never arrived.

Finally our original server came back with a new glass of water and set it on the handle of the bread board. It almost spilled again but I was able to catch it this time! The final straw was when he refilled my husband's drink in my glass! No apologies for our strange experience. We were happy to just escape without further problems at this point!!!

Perhaps it was just a really out of the ordinary experience but I have to say for the price of the meal ($100 + tip for two of us) , it was really rather disappointing. The food was ok...nothing great but the service certainly was lacking. Given the amount of other restaurants in the area, I would have a hard time recommending this particular establishment. If I were back in town, I would try another one!

End of the Day

After a stop at the local patisserie on the way back to the hotel, we decided to call it a day and enjoy our dessert in our luxurious room!

Coming Next: The Great National Park Adventure: Day 9: Grand Teton and on to Park City, UT

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @travelswithmelb

Like my blog on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/travelswithmelb

The Great National Park Adventure: Day 7: A Whole New Look at Yellowstone National Park

2016-01-26T12:46:00.004-08:00

Changing Directions on the Fly

Our original plan was to visit Glacier National Park for two days. We had even thought that since my husband had forgotten his passport in the hotel room the day before, that we might drive through Glacier again and head up to Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, Canada. However when we woke up our plans quickly changed. The entire area was covered in smoke from the wild fires. Now the wildfire in Glacier itself had been pretty much contained by this time but the smoke from the fires in Washington State was blowing into the area and it had become quite thick.

Since we had spent the last half of the day in Glacier with the smoke settling in, we knew that views would be obstructed. Our hotel for the evening was in Bozeman, Montana so we had a little bit of flexibility in our schedule. Bozeman is about a 5 hour drive from Glacier National Park and an hour and a half drive to Yellowstone National Park. We were planning to go to Yellowstone the following day.

Last minute decision.....we decided to head to Yellowstone a day early, take a look around and head to Bozeman for the evening. This turned out to be a terrific decision because it gave us more time to spend in Yellowstone and see things we might have missed in a shorter visit!

The Drive to Yellowstone

Well the smoke was thick on our drive, obstructing the views in most spots. It's amazing to know that mountains are there and you can't see a thing. The sun was there, but when it was visible it was filtered through the smoke and appeared red. These conditions combined with the very early morning travel resulted in a very close encounter with a deer! Luckily the deer sideswiped our rental vehicle and other than taking off with a molding....left it totally intact. Sounded really bad but the damage was very minimal so we were able to continue along our way. We passed several other vehicles that were not so lucky as smoke, traffic and wildlife apparently do not mix well!

We arrived in Yellowstone in the early afternoon. This gave us several hours of daylight to explore the park and still get back to Bozeman for the night.

Yellowstone National Park

We began to see wildlife as soon as we entered the park!

Having family who live in the western United States, I visited Yellowstone a few times as a kid. My husband and I also made a quick visit to the park about 14 years ago. Each time we went to Old Faithful, walked around the geyser basin and were on our way. As a kid, I did stay at the Old Faithful Inn once and in a cabin in the Old Faithful area but mostly we were in and out. So when my husband and I planned this trip, we planned on driving through, seeing a few things and heading to Grand Teton (which is actually one of my favorite parks!) Well having the extra day changed things our plans and allowed us to see what a gem this park really is!!!

At this point I have to digress for a moment. A few years back we had rented a Gypsy Guide when we were in Maui to take with us on the Road to Hana. We absolutely loved having it along. It made the ride so much more interesting and pointed out stops that you had to make along the way! We were heading back to Maui later in the year so we were wondering if the Gypsy Guide was now in app form and also if they offered any other tours. Much to our delight both of things were a reality! We rushed to the app store and purchased the Yellowstone Tour before our vacation. This was THE BEST $4.99 we spent on this trip!! I would HIGHLY recommend you purchase the app before you go to the park and also check out the other tours that Gypsy Guides offer. You will not be sorry!!! The guide points out must see things in the parks, provides information on what you are seeing, offers suggestions on hikes and routes to take. The app works without cellular service (which is very important in the National Parks). Just make sure you keep your phone plugged in (it does take some battery power to use) and you will be in for an enjoyable trip! We saw so much more by using this app than we ever would have without it!

The Visitor's Center in Mammoth Hot Springs

Mammoth Hot Springs

We entered the park from the Mammoth Hot Springs Entrance in the North of the park. We made a quick stop at the Albright Visitor Center and headed to the Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces for our first stop of the day. If you have been to Yellowstone before you know how interesting the terrain is....if you have not been to Yellowstone, I can only describe it as entering a whole other world. Geothermal features are everywhere and anywhere you can imagine! This means you may find the ground "smoking" at any time and you will most certainly smell the characteristic sulphur smell of the area!

Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces - Boardwalk

Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces

The terrace area has many types of features and has a boardwalk that you can walk along to get closer to the scenery. I would recommend taking a look around this area. The trail is a few miles long and there are some uphill areas so make sure to take your time on your walk. I will let the pictures do the talking here because it is not so easy to explain!

Sheepeater Cliff

There is a little side road (never would have taken if it hadn't been for the Gypsy Guide) that will take you to Sheepeater Cliff. It's not a long detour off the main roadway and is a short stop. The cliffs are really interesting. They look like the inside of honeycomb! Definitely worth a short stop if you have the time.

Norris Geyser Basin

Norris Geyser Basin is the home of the oldest, hottest and most dynamic thermal area in Yellowstone National Park. There is a boardwalk that will take you through the thermal area and brings you up close to many of the features. Plan on at least an hour at this stop and quite a bit of walking. This is definitely a place that you will want to stop!

After the Norris Geyser Basin we had a choice to make. We could either head south on to the Old Faithful area or keep going around the upper loop of the park. We chose to go around the upper loop and head to Canyon Village and the Hayden Valley.

Virginia Cascade

Another short detour that the Gypsy Guide alerted us to was the roadway to the Virginia Cascade. Once again while it is marked on the park map, we never would have thought to go there if it hadn't been for the guide! It is a very short detour that brings you back out on the main roadway and has a nice view of the waterfall. If you are a lover of waterfalls, I would suggest you plan this small detour into your schedule!

Canyon Village

From the Virginia Cascade we headed on to Canyon Village. This is a terrific place to stop and walk around. There are gift shops and food (which we decided to pass on and later regretted!) and small grocery stores. If you are looking for a good restroom stop and place to stock up on snacks...this is it.

Hayden Valley

From Canyon Village we headed south to the Hayden Valley. It was getting toward evening time and this is a terrific place to see wildlife at this time of day. It also happened to be rutting season (mid August) for the bison so we saw huge amounts of them all over the roadway, beside the roadway, in the distance...you name it....everywhere we turned we saw bison! Give yourself time in this area as the bison have the right of way and you never know how long you might be stopped waiting for them to clear the roadway.

Places to see within the Hayden Valley

There are a few must see stops in the Hayden Valley. There are beautiful views of the Yellowstone river in this area (and many times wildlife by the river). You will also come across the sulphur caldron and Mud Volcano. Both of these take a short amount of time to stop and look around and I would recommend that you factor in the time to do this! I mean...how often do you see a mud volcano???

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

From Hayden Valley, we turned around and headed back to Canyon Village and on to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. We hit this area around sunset and the views were beautiful. Make sure that you take time to stop and see both the Upper and Lower Falls in this area. There are parking areas that are close to both and are a short walk to the views of the falls. There is a longer walk to the lower falls that takes time and is pretty strenuous (down is fine....going back up is difficult). While you can get closer by taking the hike to the bottom, the views from the top are very nice and a much less strenuous walk to get there. The yellow walls of the canyon are amazing. This is a MUST DO if you are in the park!

Unfortunately the wild fire smoke was starting to head into the park about this time of day and our views weren't quite as clear as we would have liked but still pretty stunning.

We also saw a grizzly bear in this area! We were in the car so it was exciting...kind of glad we weren't out walking around though!

Tower Falls

By this time it was getting pretty close to dusk but we wanted to make one final stop at Tower Falls on our way around the loop back to Mammoth Hot Springs. It is a short walk from the parking area to the overlook for the falls. If you have time to stop you should hit this spot. The view of the falls is nice. There is also a small gift shop here and a place to pick up snacks.

Back to Mammoth Hot Springs

By the time we completed the loop and got back to Mammoth Hot Springs we were into twilight. This meant that the Elk came out and were sitting all over the grass in the small "downtown" area! Very cool to see! Unfortunately it also meant that we were running out of daylight hours and we still had a couple hour drive back to Bozeman to get to our hotel!

Bozeman

Our trip back to the hotel was quite eventful! Route 89 out of the north entrance of Yellowstone up to Bozeman is quite a dark roadway and is FULL of animals in the evening. We had several very close calls with elk on our way back. I would suggest if you are traveling this way that you leave the park before darkness sets in. We were a bundle of nerves the entire length of this roadway. There are also not a lot of services along this roadway.

Homewood Suites Bozeman

We finally picked up a sandwich at a McDonalds in Bozeman and headed to the Homewood Suites for the evening. We were so happy to get there. It was about 10:00 PM by this time and it had been a long day of driving and walking and we were ready to hit the hay. Unfortunately this was the only bad experience among all the hotels we booked for this vacation. The front desk ignored us when we got there, gave us a smoking room instead of non-smoking. When we called down to see if we could change it we were told that it was the only room left. We had booked a non-smoking room several months in advance and are Hilton HHonors Diamond Members but obviously they had given all the rooms away in our category before we arrived. (This tends to happen at Homewood Suites properties so beware of late check in at these properties.) The room was dirty with old popcorn by the ottoman and stains on the drapes and carpets. The room was on the side next to the highway and it was very loud with semis changing gears as they went up the hill outside our room. Breakfast was horrible...half the items were gone by 7:00 AM when we were there. All in all a terrible stay and I would not recommend this property. There are many others in the area to choose from and I would suggest booking another one.

A Long Day but very Satisfying

We had a wonderful time exploring Yellowstone and were so happy that we took the extra time to see some things that we definitely would have missed! We were looking forward to going back to the park the next day and continue our exploration!

Coming Next: The Great National Park Adventure: Day 8: Old Faithful and Beyond

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @travelswithmelb

Like my blog on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/travelswithmelb

The Great National Park Adventure Day 6: Glacier National Park - A Gem of a Park!

2015-10-22T14:19:00.002-07:00

Day 6 of our Great National Parks Adventure started very early! This was the day that we had been waiting for….the day that we had planned this entire trip around….the day we got to see Glacier National Park!

Sunrise over Lake McDonald - Glacier National Park

Sunrise

Sunrise over Lake McDonald - Glacier National Park

We had planned about a day and a half for seeing Glacier. That would give us two mornings but we decided to take advantage of the first morning there and head out early for sunrise. We figured that way if it was a bad morning we always had the following day to try again. As it turned out it was a good thing that we did as you will see later!

The Hampton Inn in Kalispell was about 40 minutes from Glacier National Park. The staff was very nice and grabbed us a “To Go” breakfast on our way out the door. We arrived at the park about an hour before sunrise so we navigated a bit in the dark. Having read some reviews, it seems as though sunrise from the East Gate of the park is perhaps a little better. We entered from the West and decided to stop at Lake McDonald which was only a few miles inside the gate to try to catch sunrise over the water with the mountains in the background.

Sunrise over Lake McDonald - Glacier National Park

Lake McDonald Lodge - Glacier National Park

We were able to find a path leading right to the water’s edge and staked out a spot facing the East. As the sun started to rise the lake was peaceful and serene and the pink hue from the sun started to rise behind the mountains. It was a very pretty sunrise but not as stunning as we had hoped as we found it to be slightly hazy. Again, little did we know that this would only worsen during the day.

Sunrise over Lake McDonald - Lake McDonald Lodge - Glacier National Park

Walkway to Lake McDonald - Lake McDonald Lodge - Glacier National Park

Breakfast at the Lake McDonald Lodge

After sunrise, we headed to the Lake McDonald Lodge for breakfast. They had a wonderful view of the sunrise there in the back of the lodge so we walked down there first and then headed into the lodge. The breakfast buffet was very good. The ambiance of the lodge was very nice….rustic and warm feeling. This was definitely a good place to stop for breakfast. It fills up rather quickly so get here early!

Going to the Sun Road

Our First Glimpse of Scenery on The Going to the Sun Road - Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park

After breakfast we were ready to head further into the park. As soon as we left the lodge the grandeur began. The mountains were large and the rays of the sun were coming over the tops making it feel like you just had a glimpse into heaven. The further we went into the park the more magnificent the scenery! It’s hard to describe in words the beauty that we saw so I am going to include several photos to give you an idea of the grandeur.

As we headed along the Going to the Sun Road, the road opened up and wound around a bit. You can definitely see why it is a seasonal road. You can also see why it’s important to go when you can drive the entire length of it because each turn brings a new wonder!

"Heavenly Glow" Creeping over the Mountains

Going to the Sun Road has many twists and turns along the way

Evidence of the recent fire in Glacier National Park

The Going to the Sun Road is about 50 miles in length and takes at least 2-3 hours to drive and see things along the way. If you plan to do any hiking, please add time to this estimate.

One of my favorite views along The Going to the Sun Road - Glacier National Park

Many Glacier Road

This is where the mountains meet the water! - Many Glacier road - Glacier National Park

Beautiful Scenery along Many Glacier Road

View Along Many Glacier Road

View along Many Glacier Road

Many Glacier Road

Views Along Many Glacier Road

Many Glacier Road

Amazing views - Many Glacier Road

The restaurant/grocery store/gift shop - Many Glacier Road - Glacier National Park

We started at the West Entrance and took the road to the East Entrance. Once we got to the East entrance we took the roadway north a few miles to the entrance of Many Glaciers Road. You may not have heard as much about this roadway as you have Going to the Sun Road but it's definitely a worthwhile trip. This is a shorter roadway. There is a lodge along the way as well as a stop with food, a gift store and a grocery store. The lake is beautiful with the mountains in the background. There are some short hikes from this area also. There were lots of warnings for bears and bear bells were at a premium in the store so I would say be careful if you are hiking...a bear bell and bear spray is a must!

After a short stop at the gift store we headed back down to the East Entrance of the Going to the Sun Road.

East to West on Going to the Sun Road

Visitor's Center at the East Entrance to Going to the Sun Road - Glacier National Park

The entire time that we traveled from West to East on the roadway, we kept thinking how exciting it would be to travel on the way back and see how different things looked from that direction. Unfortunately by the time we headed back through we started to notice a definite haze descending on the mountains. We stopped at a very nice Visitor's Center just inside the gate. It has various displays and very nice restroom facilities. Once we got into the main part of the roadway, the haze had really settled in. Turns out that the smoke from the western wild fires that were in Washington State had moved into the area. We were very happy that we had gotten up early and made the trip through in the one direction already because it was very hard to see anything at times!

The trip back was a little faster than the trip from West to East since the views from the pullouts were mostly obscured. Unfortunately the next day's weather wasn't looking any better with the smoke in the area. We were very fortunate to see what we did in the morning! This just means that we have to make a trip back some day!!

Tips for Viewing Glacier National Park

From our observations I have compiled a list of tips for visiting the park. These of course are subjective as I can only speak from my own experience but hopefully they will be helpful for someone who is traveling to Glacier National Park for the first time.

1. Get to the park early. Ideally you should arrive before the shuttles start their regular runs for the day if you plan on driving through yourself. The road is much less crowded at this time and there is no problem with parking at the many overlooks or at the various Visitor's Centers.

2. Try to time your visit for when both the Going to the Sun Road and the Many Glacier Roads are open.

3. Waterton Lake National Park is a short drive North of the border in Alberta, Canada. If you would like to visit, be sure to pack your passport with you and take with you when you visit Glacier. I had mine, my husband packed his passport but left it in the hotel room the day we visited Glacier. The road to Waterton is out the East Gate of Glacier so by the time we had traveled the road and thought about it, we would have had to drive all the way across and back after getting the passport! That didn't happen....so yet another reason to head back to the park someday!

4. Travel West to East on the Road if you only have time to go one direction. The scenery is more striking that way. At least this was the case on the day we visited. Part of that may have been due to the smokiness but just the order of the scenery and the angles seemed to be better from that direction.

5. Just because you've seen something from one pullout don't skip the next one. Each pullout offered a different perspective.

6. Take your time and just soak this park in....it is amazing!!

Montana Club

Dinner this night was at the Montana Club. We had high hopes for a good meal here but unfortunately our expectations weren't met. Both my husband and I had a steak. The steaks were very fatty and very tough to cut let alone eat. We ordered their specialty steak and it was like that so not sure what the regular steaks would have been like. I will say that the steak did have some flavor but it was just not great. The prices were high to start with let alone for the quality of the food. If you are familiar with the Texas Roadhouse chain, we have had much better quality steaks there for a lot more reasonable price! The service was good and the ambiance was nice.

Back to the Hampton Inn

We spent a second night at the Hampton Inn in Kalispell. The plan was to get up early again and head back to Glacier for a second time to see anything we may have missed. However, with the building smoke we changed our plans and decided to head to Yellowstone National Park a little early. So it was off to bed early to get ready for still another action packed day!

Coming Next: The Great National Park Adventure Day 7: A Whole New Look at Yellowstone National Park

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @travelswithmelb

Like my blog on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/travelswithmelb

The Great National Park Adventure Day 5: Custer's Last Stand and Beautiful Western Montana

2015-10-12T06:19:00.000-07:00

On Day 5 of our adventure we got up and had breakfast at the Hampton Inn in Billings before heading to our first stop which was Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. It was about an hour drive from our hotel to the battlefield and a little bit of backtracking but we found that it was worth the effort to get there!

Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument ($15.00/vehicle)

After our short morning drive from the hotel, we headed into the Battlefield Area. We arrived a little before 9:00 AM. Summer hours were 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM. The entry fee was $15.00/vehicle. However, our National Park Pass came in handy here as it was accepted so the fee was included as part of the cost of the Pass.

Visitor's Center

We parked in the parking area, took a quick look around the national cemetery which is near the parking area and headed into the Visitor's Center. There is small museum area inside the Visitor's Center with some interesting and educational displays. We arrived in the Visitor's Center close to 9:00 AM. The movie was playing already so we decided to wait for it to end for the next showing. Well.......it ended and we entered the room and saw a sign that said that the movie was only shown every two hours beginning at 8:30 AM. So much for that idea! We then checked to see when the Ranger's Talk was as we had heard that this was a very worthwhile thing to do to help get oriented to the battlefield. Well....turns out that we missed that also and another one wasn't scheduled for quite awhile. So.....we were on our own to figure out the battlefield.

We left the Visitor's Center and took the short (but steep) pathway up to the monument itself. This is at the top of the hill where Custer's Last Stand occurred. Luckily there are

The Site of Custer's Last Stand. Markers show where soldiers fell that day.

lots of informational signs around We found that the grave markers were placed on the spots where the soldiers/indians fell. The gray markers were for the soldiers and the red markers were for the indians. This placement gives you a very good idea of how the battle happened. There is also a special marker for General George Custer.

From Custer's Last Stand, we took a short walk across the street to the newer Indian Memorial. This is a memorial to the indian warriors who were killed that day and to their push for freedom. The battlefield prides itself on a very balanced presentation of the facts and I believe that they do accomplish this. The visitor is left to interpret the facts as they will.

Indian Memorial - Little Bighorn Battlefield

After visiting the two memorials we headed back to the parking area, took another quick look around the national cemetery. It's always so stunning to see the simple white graves in straight lines against the backdrop of the flag and the blue sky.

We got into our car and continued the trip around the battlefield itself. Again, there are many informational signs around so make sure you give yourselves enough time to read and take in the surroundings. The grave markers continue to show where the soldiers/indians fell during the battle.

By the time we got back to the Visitor's Center (It's a loop road.) there were quite a few tour buses parked in the parking area. There are restrooms located in a separate building outside of the Visitor's Center near the parking area. Lines were rather long with the tour buses arriving at one time but the restrooms were clean.

If I could offer a couple of tips on your visit here they would be: 1. Arrive early before the tour buses really start arriving. 2. Make sure that you plan to arrive when you can watch the movie or take in the Ranger talk so you have a better idea of what you are seeing. Again, the movies start at 8:30 AM and are run every two hours. 3. Plan on spending a minimum of a couple hours here to see everything.

Feral Horses on the Battlefield

This was a place that initially we thought, "Well we are in the area, we might as well go and see it. Maybe it will be interesting." By the time we left, we felt that we had learned something and it was a place that we really enjoyed seeing. I would definitely put it on your list if you are in the area!

Let the Driving Resume

We didn't have time to stay for the second showing of the movie because we had a long drive ahead of us and we had to get on our way! The good thing about having time and a smartphone is that you can google anything along the way. The story of the Battle of Little Bighorn kept us entertained and promoted a lot of discussion for the next hour or so of our drive!

Drive to Kalispell

Our final destination for Day 5 was to make it clear across the state of Montana (It's a HUGE state by the way!) and up to the northwestern corner to the small town of Kalispell which is about 40 miles outside of Glacier National Park. This is was about an 8 - 8.5 hour drive with very few stops so most of our day was taken up with the drive. We knew this would be one of our harder driving days so we prepared ourselves to get on with it!

Drive to Kalispell

After about 7 hours of the drive, we arrived in western Montana. The eastern half of the state was pretty similar to North/South Dakota. There were a few more rolling hills but lots of hay and wide open lands. The central part of the state had a few more mountainous areas thrown into the plains look. Western Montana however was what I pictured when I thought of Montana. All of a sudden we looked around and there were beautiful lakes and mountains. The colors were stunning and the scenery amazing! The payoff for a long drive was definitely worth it!

Drive to Kalispell

Hampton Inn Kalispell, MT

We arrived at our destination on the evening of day 5. We were tired and ready to stop by the time got there. With Kalispell being a small town and close to Glacier National Park, we weren't sure what to expect. What we found was a very nice Hampton Inn. The staff was very friendly and helpful.

Coffee is available 24 hours a day and iced tea and cookies awaited us in the lobby. Our room was pretty typical of a Hampton Inn but the bathroom seemed larger than most. Our room was clean and comfortable. We ordered pizza in our room that night and hit the hay early so we could be up very early the next day to catch sunrise at Glacier National Park!

Coming Next: The Great National Park Adventure Day 6: Glacier National Park - A Gem of a Park!

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @travelswithmelb

Like my blog on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/travelswithmelb

The Great National Park Adventure -Day 4 - North Dakota!

2015-09-29T14:49:00.001-07:00

Day 4 was another long day of driving but was one of our most anticipated days! From our hotel in Rapid City, South Dakota we headed north to North Dakota and Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

North Dakota! - #49

I don't know how many people can say that they are excited to go to North Dakota but this was definitely one of our highlights. This was simply because it was a key to our quest for 50 states! This particular state had eluded me until now. We just couldn't find a way to get to it in our travels. Obviously lots of people like to take photos of themselves with the welcome sign because they have a little pull off for you to easily access it! As you can see this was my 49th state...(Arkansas is the last one) and I was quite excited to get there!

You can also see in the photo that North Dakota looks a whole lot like South Dakota! There is still lots and lots of hay and sunflowers!

After approximately a 4 hour drive we made it to our first destination of the day;

Theodore Roosevelt National Park ($20.00/vehicle)

There are three distinct areas of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The Painted Canyon Area, The South Unit and The North Unit. On this visit we got to the Painted Canyon and the South Unit.

Painted Canyon

The Painted Canyon portion of Theodore Roosevelt National Park is situated right off exit 32 on Route 94. There is no charge for this portion of the park and it was probably the "prettiest" area of the park. The stop looks a lot like a rest area and there are indeed very nice restrooms here. Make sure that you take time to get out of your vehicle and take a look around while you are here. There is a walkway that you can take that gives you views of the painted canyon. This is probably a 10-15 minute stop.

Painted Canyon - Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Medora, North Dakota

On our way to the South Unit of the park, we decided to stop in Medora to get gas and pick up some lunch as there is no food available in the park itself. This was easier said than done as we found once we arrived in the town. This is a VERY small town. There were a couple of small local restaurants but no chain restaurants....no not even a McDonalds so you know we were kind of in the middle of no where! We decided to stop at a convenient store and pick up a couple of prepared subs, snacks and drinks to take on our way. We gassed up the vehicle and headed to the entrance gate of the park which is located pretty much in the middle of the town.

South Unit

South Unit Visitor's Center

Once we arrived at the South Unit, we showed our National Park pass and picked up our map of the park. Just inside the gate was the Visitor's Center. We made a quick stop to use the restrooms there as there are no facilities along the loop road once you get past this area. We chose to continue on the loop road and stop again at the Visitor's Center to look at the exhibits on our way out of the park.

The loop road is a paved 36 mile drive that takes you through Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We arrived on a Monday and we were one of maybe 5 cars that were in the park at the time that we were there. This allowed us to access everything we needed to access and take lots of photos without feeling rushed.

The first thing we noticed was this park looked very similar to Badlands National Park. The biggest difference was that there was more grassland mixed in with the badlands areas. Badlands National Park had many more badlands that were closer and "prettier" than this park but it was an interesting stop.

If you like Prairie Dogs, this is the park for you. There are Prairie Dog Towns all over this park. We spent more time watching these little critters than looking at the surroundings to be honest!

As well as prairie dogs, we saw some pronghorns, bison and feral horses. This park was not nearly as packed with larger wildlife as was Badlands National Park or Custer State Park but we did enjoy the ones we saw.

It took us about an hour or so to drive around the Loop Road. On the way out of the park, we stopped at the Visitor's Center again to take a look around at the exhibits. There were some interesting things to look at inside the Visitor's Center but the main attraction was actually just behind this building. This is where you can find a log cabin that once served as Theodore Roosevelt's "home" for a short period of time. There are a few pieces inside that actually belonged to Roosevelt and it is decorated in period pieces.

There is a ranger guided tour that runs quite often during the day. It is a short walk to the log cabin and the presentation and tour lasts about 15-20 minutes. You can take a look at the cabin and ask any questions you may have.

This was our last stop before heading out of the park and continuing our drive to Billings, Montana which was our intended stop for the evening.

Hampton Inn and Suites Billings West I-90

After another 4 hour drive from Theodore Roosevelt National Park to our hotel in Billings, Montana, we were ready to check into the hotel and grab a bite to eat. This hotel was a terrific place to stay for the evening. The location was fantastic....right off of I-90. The hotel included a conference center which made it much larger than most Hampton Inns. The staff was very friendly and helpful. We were very near many restaurant choices and best of all, we got a free upgrade at this hotel!

Since my husband is a HHonors Diamond Member we qualify for a free upgrade if a room is available. This doesn't happen all that often as many of the hotels are booked so when it does, we are very excited! This particular upgrade included a Jacuzzi Room.

The room was very clean and spacious. In addition to the Jacuzzi, it also had a nice sized sitting area, wet bar with coffee maker, refrigerator and microwave, desk and separate sink area.

The breakfast area was very nice as it was a separate room. The food offerings were excellent and the seating area was large and private.

I would definitely recommend this hotel if you are in the area!

What's Next

It was time to get some rest for the next day. Day 5 will be an action packed day also with a little back tracking involved to get to Little Bighorn Battlefield and then the LONG trek across Montana to get lined up for Glacier National Park!

Coming Next: Day 5: The Great National Park Adventure - Custer's Last Stand and More Driving....

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @travelswithmelb

Like my blog on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/travelswithmelb

The Great National Park Adventure 2015 - Day 3 - We Get to A National Park!

2015-09-25T14:34:00.003-07:00

The sunflower fields in South Dakota were amazing!

Day 3 of our adventure began very early as we had an action packed day ahead of us! It helped that we had been able to push the Corn Palace stop up a day because as it turned out we needed every minute we could find in this day!

Badlands National Park (Entry Fee: $15.00/vehicle)

Our first stop of the day was Badlands National Park. It was about a 4 hour drive from our hotel in Sioux City, South Dakota to the entrance of the Park. Again, lots of hay and sun flowers along the way!!

Now I have to preface my comments on this park by saying that I had been to what I thought were the "Badlands" when I was a child. We had stopped at Wall Drug (more on that later) but had never turned down the road to the National Park. Let's just say that I had a less than wonderful memory of this area and was almost reluctant to go back. My husband had seen beautiful pictures of the Badlands but had never been there. I kept telling him he was crazy! I know...typical!

Well....let me say...I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this National Park! The little bit of area that I had seen from I-90 the first time was in NO way representative of what the park was all about!

There is easy access to the park off of I-90. From I-90 East take exit 110 at Wall and follow the signs to the park. From I-90 West, take exit 131 (Interior) and follow the signs to the Park. From either direction, you will end up on the Highway 240 Badlands Loop Road. This road will take you through the park. There are pullouts to stop and take a look at the amazing sights close up.

The Badlands themselves are hard to describe. There are interesting rock formations, beautiful colors and lots of wildlife to enjoy along the way.

We ended up spending about an hour and half making stops and taking photos. You can walk out close to many of the formations and there are raised boardwalk paths in many areas (careful...the material they are made from is a little slick) and these are useful to keep you away from the rattlesnakes that are in this area. There are many rattlesnake signs. Be sure to heed the warnings!! The walks to the overlooks are easy to make and I would suggest that you make sure to park and take a closer look.

Interesting Fact: The Badlands are some of the fastest eroding landscapes on earth with erosion rates averaging 1" per year in their fragile layers.

The wildlife was fun to view. The prairie dogs were cute and the pronghorns and big horn sheep were all fun to watch and very close to the roadside. We didn't even have to get out of the car to see them. When we entered the park we had asked the ranger about seeing Bison. She gave us a great tip and told us if we really wanted to see lots of Bison to make sure that we stopped at Custer State Park if we were heading that direction.....which we were!

This park is very different from many National Parks but definitely worth the stop!!

Wall Drug, Wall, South Dakota

Well before you ever get close to Wall Drug you will see many, many signs telling you that you must stop and see it! You will see signs advertising the Free Water and 5 cent coffee that makes Wall Drug famous. These signs in the middle of miles and miles of prairie break up the monotony and make it virtually impossible not to do as they stay and stop!

This is a great way to spend a little time. It can be as long or short of a stop as you would like. We happened to hit Wall Drug right around lunch time so we took advantage of the restaurant inside and then took a look around. The food was quick and hot, relatively inexpensive and tasty. I had a cup of the famous 5 cent coffee and it was very good!

After lunch we spent a little time walking though the stores and the backyard area. You have to make sure to stop and see the T-Rex!

Yes it is a little "hokey" but again it is a place that you just have to see at least once. The food is good, the restrooms clean and the stores fun to spend some time. It's a great break in the middle of "nowhere" and I would highly advise you make time for a stop!

Wind Cave National Park (Free to Drive Through, Fees for Cave Tours)

Our next stop was just under a 2 hour drive from Wall Drug. Honestly this was a bit of an add-on Park for us since we were going to be in the area, we figured "why not?" Reviews were a little more negative leaning and we weren't sure what we would find but it was just down the road from Custer State Park and Mount Rushmore so again "why not?"

Visitor's Center Wind Cave National Park

Tickets for the Cave Tours are available for purchase at the Visitor's Center and are on a First Come/First Served basis. We got to the park later in the afternoon so we were too late to get a ticket for the Cave tour. We also had other places to get to still so I'm not sure the cave tour would have fit into our tight schedule even if there had been tickets available. We did make the short walk from the Visitor's Center to the cave entrance and it's a fairly short and easy walk.

What we didn't realize was that the Cave is really the only thing in this park! Other than a couple of Bison, we really didn't see anything else here.

So.....my tip for this park would be to stop if you want to go through the Cave, otherwise, you can really skip this park and head straight for Custer State Park!

Custer State Park ($15.00/Vehicle) - Must See

The Prairie Dogs were so cute!

Our next stop was Custer State Park and we were very excited about getting here since the Ranger at Badlands National Park had told us that this was THE place to see Bison up close and personal. We entered the park from the south from Wind Cave National Park and it didn't take very long for us to hit the wildlife jackpot!

The first thing we came upon was a Prairie Dog Town....there were Prairie Dogs everywhere!

The next section brought us to a parking area that was full of wild burros. The burros had been brought to the park years ago for burro rides. Once the rides were discontinued, the burros stayed behind and have been in the park ever since. They were adorable. They check out out people's cars and even nibble on mud flaps! Some people even bring carrots along to feed them. They seem very gentle and were allowing people to pet them but as with any wild animal, you need to use common sense!

As we left the parking lot with the burros we saw a few more along the side of the roadway and then it happened....we hit the Bison Motherlode! From a distance, all you could see was a field of Bison! As you got closer, there were Bison everywhere! They were in the fields, along the sides of the roads and even IN the roads blocking traffic. Needless to say, you must exercise caution and drive slowly because you never know when one will decide to stand in front of your vehicle. We found out later that August is rutting season for bison so they tend to gather in large groups during this time so we lucked out with being there at a perfect time for viewing!

This was truly one of our favorite places on the trip. It was well worth the $15.00 entry fee. You could look in the eyes of a bison from your car window....amazing!

Tip: If you can only do a portion of the park, make sure that you take the Wildlife Loop!!

We spent about an hour and half or so driving through the park, taking pictures and just enjoying ourselves! The scenery is nice but definitely takes a backseat to the wildlife!

Iron Mountain Road

We left Custer State Park by way of Iron Mountain Road. This road runs north from the park and takes you a "scenic back way" to Mount Rushmore. I would highly recommend you take this road if you are continuing on to Mount Rushmore. It is only open seasonally and you will see why as soon as you start out on it!

We continued to see large herds of Bison on and near the roadways as we exited the park. As we got further outside the park and closer to the entrance to Mount Rushmore, the road became increasingly windy and narrow. In fact in places the two lane roadways split in half to go around trees! There were also wooden bridges and stone tunnels along the way. It reminded us of an old mine ride type roller coaster as we were driving along! Make sure that you look around while you are driving/riding because there are some great views of Mount Rushmore in the distance.

This is a 17 mile drive and worth every minute of it! I don't know when I've had so much fun on a road!

Crazy Horse Memorial - (Fees vary...$28.00 vehicle over 2 passengers)

Since we didn't have much time before dusk at this point, we made a very quick side trip to the Crazy Horse Memorial. We had been there about 7 years prior and were interested to see how much progress had been made on the memorial in that period of time. Well......

First of all the entrance fees vary widely. There is a fee for everything. Here is the admission schedule:

$11.00 per person OR $22.00 for two people in a car OR $28.00 for two or more people in a car.

$5.00 per rider on a motorcycle, $5.00 per bicycle. Ages 6 and under Free

Once you figure out the fees to get in (which are rather high compared to most of the things in the area) you will drive to a parking lot . There is a visitor's center with displays and a movie and an outdoor area with a small cafe and models of the sculpture. There is an observation deck area where you can view the actual statue in the distance.

What I can tell you is that the memorial looked virtually unchanged in the 7 years between our visits. I would be hard pressed to tell you any difference other than the head of the horse was drawn on the rocks now so you can see where it is supposed to go. Honestly I'm not sure if anything was different.

Therefore......I would say that for the price of this attraction, it is interesting to see once...it is not worth making a repeat visit.

We arrived very close to the end of the day there and I will say that one of the employees told us we could get our tickets validated and return the next day when there was more time to visit but there really was nothing further to see and we were traveling out of the area the next day so we did not do this.

There is a laser show after dusk from Memorial Day to Native American's Day (the second Monday in October). We did not have time to stay for the show as we wanted to make our way to Mount Rushmore before dark.

Mount Rushmore ($11.00/vehicle - National Park Passes NOT accepted)

Just before dusk we finally made it to our last stop of the day...Mount Rushmore. We had purchased the National Park Pass before we headed out on this trip (I would highly recommend this when visiting more than a couple parks in a year!) but were surprised to see that they were not accepted at Mount Rushmore. The passes are good at National Monuments however, this fee is actually for the parking garage which is run by an independent company and not the National Monument Service. The parking garage has lots of parking and several levels and areas but is a bit confusing to maneuver to find a spot especially since we arrived so late in the day. We finally located a spot and headed up the couple flights of stairs to head into the monument area.

We were able to snap a few photos and then decided to head into the cafeteria just before it closed because we were starving at this point! There was no place to eat from the time we left Wall Drug till we arrived at Crazy Horse and we didn't have time to eat there. So we grabbed a quick bite to eat and waited till dark for the monument to be lit.

We had seen the Monument before in the daylight so we were excited to see the lighting ceremony.

Check the schedule for when you are visiting to see what time the lighting ceremony is. There was a film before the lights were turned on and the ceremony lasted about a half hour. It was very nice and very patriotic.

This is very much a MUST SEE attraction if you are in the area. If you get a chance to stick around for the lighting ceremony it really is nice but make sure you see it in the daylight also. It is amazing with the contrast of the blue skies behind it!

Hampton Inn Rapid City, South Dakota

After a long day of driving we were anxious to get settled into our hotel for the evening. Our stay on this evening was at the Hampton Inn in Rapid City. It was about a half hour drive from Mount Rushmore to the hotel. When we arrived we found the staff to not be overly friendly or helpful and our room had a vague smell of stale smoke even though our room was non-smoking. The room itself was clean and sufficient for a quick overnight stay. Time to get some rest for our next action packed day!

Coming Next: The Great National Park Adventure 2015: North Dakota!!

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @travelswithmelb

Like my blog on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/travelswithmelb

The Great National Park Adventure - Day 2: Hay, Windmills, Corn Palaces and Lots of Driving

2015-09-15T11:50:00.000-07:00

Breakfast before heading on our way.

After a very long day 1 of the trip, we got some rest, had some breakfast at the Hampton Inn Minneapolis and were ready to start the real part of our adventure. If you haven't read my planning blog for this particular trip, I will tell you that this day was largely based on the fact that my husband and I are trying to get to all 50 states. He is a little bit behind me in his quest so we diverted a little bit on this travel day to help him get a couple of states that he hadn't been to before.

The Original Plan

The original plan for the second of travel involved driving from Minneapolis south to Des Moines, Iowa and then west to Omaha Nebraska before heading back north to Sioux Falls, South Dakota for the evening. Once we took a look at the travel times and what there was to do, we altered this a bit. We still needed to get to Iowa and Nebraska for my husband to add to his state total but we found a little more efficient way to go about it.

The New Plan

The new plan was to drive Southwest in Minnesota to Sioux City, Iowa and head to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. We would then cross over into Nebraska at South Sioux City and then continue our trek northward to Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Windmill farms were very common across Minnesota

Off We Go!

Now that we had a plan, we set out to follow it. Driving from Minneapolis to Sioux City, Iowa was interesting. We saw many small lakes, lots and lots of rolls of hay, a crop duster in action, and windmill farms. The sky was blue and our ambitions high. We kept driving into Iowa and we saw more rolls of hay, lots of cornfields, and more blue skies. About four and a half hours after we left Minneapolis we found ourselves in Sioux City, Iowa!

Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center - Sioux City, Iowa (Free)

This was a quick but enjoyable stop for us. It was nice to get out of the car and move around a bit by this point. We found rather quickly that we didn't know a whole lot about Lewis and Clark and their Expedition. Now we have seen signs along our many travels indicating that we were in areas explored by Lewis and Clark but this was the first time that we actually took a few minutes to learn a little more about the expedition itself.

The center is open Tues-Friday 9 AM - 5 PM and Sat and Sunday Noon - 5 PM. Admission is Free

There are a few statues outside of the building. Once you go inside, they do not allow any photography. (I did sneak one picture to give you the idea of what the exhibits are like. Shh....)

Inside there are several exhibits following a timeline of the expedition. There are also interactive stations where kids can get their "passports" stamped or decide what kind of a position they would have held in the expedition. The tour is self-guided and there is a short (15-20 min) film that you can watch to get an overview of the expedition. It held our attention and again gave us a little rest from the traveling.

We spent about 1/2 hour looking around. I would recommend an average stop of an hour if you have children who would like to explore a bit more and take part in some of the interactive displays.

Nebraska

Nebraska was a very quick stop for us on this trip. From the Interpretive Center we headed across the bridge from Sioux City, Iowa to South Sioux City, Nebraska. At this point it was time for lunch so we stopped for a quick bite to eat before heading North to South Dakota.

Sioux Falls, South Dakota

From South Sioux City, Nebraska it was a little over an hour drive to get to our stopping point for Day 2. Once we realized that we had cut quite a bit of time off our original schedule by taking a shorter route through Iowa and Nebraska than planned, we decided to tweak our schedule once again.

Since we were heading through Sioux Falls right about check in time, we decided to check in to our hotel first and then head to a stop that we originally had planned for Day 3....The Corn Palace in Mitchell South Dakota.

The World's Only Corn Palace - Mitchell, South Dakota (Free)

The World's Only Corn Palace - Mitchell, South Dakota

The Corn Palace in Mitchell was just a little over an hour west of our hotel in Sioux Falls. While it involved a little back tracking, we decided it was worth it to check it off the list on Day 2 since our Day 3 was going to be action packed.

Corning Around!

The Corn Palace is open most weekdays from 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM year round. They are closed on major holidays. Be sure to check their website for the hours during the time you are planning your visit as it does vary.

http://cornpalace.com/information/

Each year the Corn Palace is redecorated and a new mural created. Over 250,000 ears of corn are used in the murals and the colors are all natural. The inside of the Corn Palace is used for basketball games during part of the year.

This is one of those places that you have to visit if you are in the area, just to say you have visited! Make sure you give yourself at least 1/2 hour to visit and take photos both inside and outside. There are a few shops around the area and there are snacks available inside the Corn Palace.

The inside of the Corn Palace

Cattleman's Club Steakhouse - Mitchell, South Dakota

For dinner, we decided to stop at Cattleman's Club Steakhouse in Mitchell. We arrived just around 5:00 PM on a Saturday but happened to just beat the crowd. By the time we left, the parking lot was full and there was a line out the door so I would suggest you try an early dinner to beat the crowd.

The atmosphere was casual and had a "western" feel. The service was good and the staff friendly. We had the Prime Rib which was the house specialty and it was very tasty.

Hilton Garden Inn - Sioux Falls, South Dakota - South

After our visit to Mitchell we returned to our hotel for the evening. This hotel was located very near to I-90 and had easy access to the highway. The lobby was very nice and the staff friendly. Since my husband has diamond status (How important the loyalty rewards are!) we were upgraded to a suite for the evening.

The suite was very nice....very spacious. It had a separate bedroom and sitting area, microwave, refrigerator, Keurig and Sink as well as 1.5 bathrooms! Very nice for getting ready in the morning! Our room was very quiet. Parking was on an outside lot and free.

I would recommend this hotel for location and convenience as well as hospitality and quality.

It was time to get some rest. Day 3 was going to be the start of our long days of travel so it was nice to have a great room to relax and rest up before the next morning!

Coming Next: The Great National Park Adventure - Day 3 - We Get to A National Park!

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @travelswithmelb

Like my blog on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/travelswithmelb

The Great National Park Adventure - Day 1: The Start of Something Special

2015-09-08T13:35:00.005-07:00

When I last left you all I had laid out our crazy plan for seeing some of our Nation's best National Parks. I am happy to report that after 2,574 air miles, 4,000 road miles and 9 states we were able to accomplish our goals! A lot can happen during that time and now it is time for me to share my adventures with you!

Every Adventure Has a Starting Point

Every adventure has a starting point and this adventure was starting in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Since I live in Ohio, getting to the official starting point involved some flying time. An early morning flight from Cleveland to Chicago to Minneapolis had us at the starting gate by 10:00 Central Time.

One of the things that is always a hassle is the rental car pick up. So many airports have gone to off site rental car centers where you have to take a shuttle bus to the facility (usually several miles from the airport) and pick up/drop off your vehicle. There is nothing more fun than picking up all your bags from baggage claim, dragging them outside to find the rental car shuttle, loading them up on the shuttle, riding to the facility, getting the bags back off the shuttle, locating your car and leaving. It adds quite a bit of time to the whole process. HOWEVER, Minneapolis does NOT have a central rental location or off site locations for the larger rental companies! This was a huge plus! We were able to pick up our bags, walk to the on-site rental area, pick our vehicle and we were off!

Tip: Before you book your rental car, see if you qualify for their quick rental program. Each company has it's own name for this. Emerald Aisle, Executive Aisle....check with the company you choose and see if it's free to sign up. This will save you a whole lot of time when picking up your rental vehicle.

First Stop - Mall of America

Our flight arrived well before the time that we were able to check into our hotel. This was perfect for us since it allowed for a visit to the Mall of America. If you like to shop.....a stop at the Mall of America is a necessity. Boasting 520 stores and 50 restaurants as well as the world's largest indoor amusement park....this mall is quite the tourist attraction!

We were very pleasantly surprised to find that the mall was very close to the airport (approximately 10 minutes). Since we arrived right around lunch time, we started our visit with lunch at Ruby Tuesday's. Once our appetite's were satisfied, it was time to take a look around.

If you read reviews on the Mall of America you will find many people who feel the mall is nothing special and others who love it. What we found is that it is a mall with lots and lots of stores. There are multiple levels of stores and the stores repeat periodically so if you came in at any entrance you could probably find the most commonly shopped at stores nearby. You can do a whole lot of walking if you want and you can most likely find anything you would be looking to find at a mall and then some!

We found there to be stores that are in every mall and then there are stores that are more specialty stores. For instance, there is a Peeps Store with all things Peeps! There is every color of peep you can imagine there. If you want Peeps to eat...they are there, Peeps to cuddle with...they are there, Peeps to wear....they are there! Another unique store is the Lego Store. Other than the Lego Store at Downtown Disney, I haven't seen that many Legos in one place. We also had a great time at the Lindt store picking up some mint truffles for the road!

You have probably heard about the roller coaster inside the Mall of America. What I didn't realize is that it was a whole amusement park! It is the Nickelodeon area and is appropriately themed for the entire family. We didn't have time to ride the rides but we did take a few minutes to stop and drive some boats around the small pool for a dollar! Of course there are food items in this area that you would find in any outdoor amusement park. You could spend a lot of time and money in this area!

There was even a water ride!

We easily spent a few hours having lunch, walking around and picking out truffles. I would allow 2-3 hours at a minimum if you are in the Minneapolis area and want to take a look around.

Tip: There is a parking garage attached to the mall. Be sure to write down your vehicle location because the garage isn't small either!

Heading to Downtown Minneapolis

Hampton Inn and Suites - Downtown Minneapolis

Just as a reminder for those of you who have read my previous blogs or for information to those new to my blogs, because my husband travels for business a lot, and because Hilton offers many different hotel brands at many price points that fit with his allowances, we try to book Hilton hotels as much as possible to accrue all of our hotel points in the Hilton HHonors program to maximum our ability to receive free nights.

We were able to find a Hampton Inn and Suites in downtown Minneapolis that fit our plans to a "T". This was a brand new property, opening just a short time before our stay. If you didn't know you were staying at a Hampton Inn you could easily mistake this property for a higher end hotel. When we arrived at the hotel, we pulled up to the valet area. For us, we find it more convenient to just pay for and use the valet service when it is offered at a hotel. This valet service was on the pricier side (however with it being a downtown location it was to be expected) coming in at a cost of $30.00/night. The hotel does offer a self park option for $13.00/night. That parking was located in a nearby parking garage.

The staff was very friendly and efficient when we check in. We were given a room on the 6th floor. We were given instructions on how to use the elevators to get to the guest rooms. The elevator required an active room key card to access the guest levels of the hotel. If you read TripAdvisor you will find that some people don't care for the added step of the key card in the elevator but I felt that this was a very nice added security feature. Any time you are in a major downtown area, a bit of added security is a welcome thing. Our plans for the evening were to head to Target Field for a baseball game between the Cleveland Indians and the Minnesota Twins so we asked for directions at the desk when we checked in and were given very simple instructions.

View from our room

The room itself was very clean and quite modern looking for a Hampton Inn. We had a view of the city from our room and found the room to be a good size and the bed very comfortable. The best part of this hotel was the proximity to the ballpark. The day we were there just happened to be the hottest day of the year in Minneapolis. Not only was it 95 degrees, the humidity was off the charts. The great thing about the hotel is that is directly connected to the skywalk that takes you all around the Downtown area in a climate controlled environment! We simply just had to take the elevator to the 2nd level, walk out of the elevator into the skywalk, make a left and take a quick 10 minute walk to the ballpark! No worrying about where to park your vehicle or how to get to the ballpark, it was very simple!

If you have stayed at a Hampton Inn you know that they provide a free breakfast in the morning.
This hotel was no exception and in fact they provided a VERY nice version of breakfast. There were several hot offerings as well as several cereals, pastries, bagels, waffles and oatmeal. The coffee was hot and fresh and able to be taken with you if you wanted one for the road. The breakfast room was spacious as was the seating area.

I would highly recommend this hotel as a terrific option in the downtown Minneapolis area.

Target Field

My husband and I are season ticket holders for the Cleveland Indians so when we started planning this adventure, we were looking for a week that the Indians were out of town so we wouldn't miss any of our scheduled games in our package. It was a perk that they happened to be in Minnesota at the same time that we were planning our visit. One of our future bucket items is to visit all the baseball ballparks in the country so this worked out well for us!

After we checked into our hotel, we headed over to the ballpark in the skywalk. It was a very short 10 minute walk to reach the gates of Target Field. The great part was that the walkway was air conditioned. It was extremely HOT when we emerged from the walkway! We arrived early enough to take a look around the ballpark. It really is a very beautiful park, very interesting design and lots of statues and things to see around the perimeter.

The food options were a bit different than what we are used to in Cleveland, but we found the food to be tasty. We had terrific seats behind home plate and other than the very warm temperatures, we had a great time at the ballpark. After picking up an Indians win, we headed back to the hotel for the evening. It was a long day from the time we left our house for the airport and the time we got back to the hotel to call it an evening! There was no problem getting some rest and we were going to need it since Day 2 of our adventure involved lots of driving!

Coming Next:

The Great National Park Adventure - Day 2: Hay, Windmills and Lots of Driving

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @travelswithmelb

Like my blog on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/travelswithmelb

The Great National Park Adventure - Our Crazy National Park Plan - August 2015

2015-08-13T05:12:00.001-07:00

Well it's that time again....time for me to hit the road on my next Adventure. When you read this you will wonder what the heck I was thinking when I planned this one! I can tell you I am already thinking the same thing. However it is planned and as always I will keep you posted on how it goes!

Things to Consider

When we decided to plan this vacation there were several things that we were taking into consideration and things that we wanted to accomplish during this vacation.

1. We want to get to Glacier National Park. - This is easier said than done because of the limited time that The Going to the Sun Road is open all the way due to snow cover. It is usually open by the end of July through part of September. We figure it will be open in August so that is why we planned this vacation for the time period that we did. This was our starting point. There really is no easy route to get to Glacier so we decided to be a bit creative and accomplish some of our other goals along the way.

2. We wanted to get to North Dakota. - I am currently sitting at 48 states in my quest to visit all 50 and North Dakota is one of the ones that I have not visited. (Arkansas is the other one.) When you see the crazy path that we are taking you know why we are doing this!

3. My husband is also close to getting to all 50 states but he is a little behind me. In addition to needing North Dakota he also needs Iowa and Nebraska. To be honest I don't have a real desire to drive all the way through either Iowa or Nebraska again but we compromised and are doing a little side trip and hopefully have found some interesting things to see along the way.

4. We decided as long as we were traveling around this area, we would try to hit as many National Parks as we could along the way. We have been to Mount Rushmore (which is not a National Park), Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park and since they are all great places and we were close (relatively) we decided to take a little longer path.

5. Once we got to the Grand Teton planning, we had to decide between returning home from Denver or Salt Lake City. Since Salt Lake was cheaper (even though the flight connects in Denver) and I have family in Salt Lake City, we decided to head that way.

Our Itinerary

So you all can follow along here is our crazy itinerary for this trip:

Day 1: Fly from Cleveland to Minneapolis. Check out the Mall of America and catch the Indians

Twins matchup in the evening.

Day 2: Drive from Minneapolis to DesMoines Iowa and on to Omaha, Nebraska before ending up in

Sioux Falls, South Dakota for the evening.

Day 3: Drive to Mitchell, SD to see the Corn Palace and then on to Badlands National Park

Next stop is Wall Drug because you can't travel through South Dakota without going to

Wall Drug! From Wall Drug we will be going to Wind Cave National Park before calling

it a day and staying in Rapid City, SD.

Day 4: We will get an early start and head to Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse before driving to

North Dakota and Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We will then head into Montana and

end our day in Billings.

Day 5: We will detour a little bit and head to Little Big Horn Battlefield about an hour south of

Billings and then head to Kalispell, Montana for the evening. This is going to be a very long

travel day!

Day 6: We will be spending the day in Glacier National Park and again staying in Kalispell for the

evening.

Day 7: We will revisit Glacier in the morning and then head south to Bozeman, MT

Day 8: We will drive in from Bozeman to Yellowstone National Park and through Grand Teton

National Park before ending our day in Jackson Hole.

Day 9: We will head back into Grand Teton National Park. One of my favorite spots is Jenny's Lake

I want plenty of time to take it in! From there we will head to Idaho Springs for the night.

Day 10: We will drive from Idaho Springs to Salt Lake City in time to catch up with family and then

head to Park City for the night.

Day 11: We will fly from Salt Lake back to Cleveland.

We shall see how this plan actually works out! It's always interesting to see how it starts out and how it really plays out!

We have our National Park Pass purchased and ready to use along the way!

See You All When We Get Back

I will try to tweet and post to Facebook along our way but start looking for blogs once we return!!

Colorado - Historic Durango and a Crazy Snow Storm

2015-07-22T12:25:00.002-07:00

After spending half a day at Mesa Verde National Park, we headed back to Durango to check out the historic downtown area.

Durango, Colorado

Durango is the most populous city in the area coming in with a total population of 16, 887. While there are different areas of the city, the most famous part is the Historic Downtown District. Billed as the place "Where Old West meets Southwest", downtown Durango is a nationally registered historic district. It is an area where you will find boutique hotels, shops, award winning restaurants, laid back saloons, museums and art galleries.

If you have ever been to Jackson Hole, Wyoming....this downtown district will remind you a little bit of that!

We were fighting the raindrops a bit by the time we arrived in downtown and found a place to park so we didn't get to see as much as I would have liked but what we did see, was really interesting.

Even if you don't have much time, I would encourage you to visit the downtown area. Spend some time just walking around and taking in the feel of it. People are very friendly and the shops are inviting. It really is like a step back in time. Even the Starbucks looks Old West!

Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum (Free)

The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad runs right through Durango literally! You can even take a ride on the narrow gauge tracks on a 45 mile (each way) journey. Packages are available and you can purchase tickets in town at the Railroad Station. http://www.durangotrain.com/ride-us/-route#.Va-gK3jpkaU

We didn't have the time built into our schedule to do the train ride but we did have time to take a look through the Museum. This was a really interesting place to visit...made more so by the fact that my father worked on the railroad most of his life so many of the things were familiar to me. There is no cost to visit the museum and you can spend as little or as much time there as you want at your own pace. We spent about half and hour or so looking around just to give you an idea.

Back to the Homewood Suites

After spending some time exploring downtown, we grabbed a bite to eat and headed back to the Homewood Suites for our last night in Durango. We were watching the weather closely and were seeing that a springtime snow storm was forecast for the area for the next day. Thunderstorms had already begun in the evening. We wanted to get a good night's sleep so we could be up early and get out of town ahead of the major snows being forecast. Well.....

The Best Laid Plans.....

The PLAN was to get up early and get started on the next leg of our trip. The next leg involved traveling north through the San Juan Mountains and heading to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park for a visit and ending up in Glenwood Springs (near Aspen) for the evening.

The first part of the plan was good....we got up early! As we were getting gas in Durango before heading into the mountains, the store attendant asked if we were going to be traveling. When I responded that we were, he told me to make sure we were really careful. Ok...that sounded a bit ominous but we grabbed a few waters to take along the way and we were off. The heavy snow was forecast for above 7500 feet. We had no idea how the road traversed this area so we were cautious but hopeful that we wouldn't get into the heaviest of the snow. Mind you this was May 9th!!

Well let me tell you we got into some snow that was pretty bad. The roads were covered...no signs of a plow and only a few cars on the roadways. We tried following the tracks of the cars that had gone before us but they were quickly filled in by the snow coming down! So here we were in a snowstorm to beat all snowstorms on an unfamiliar roadway on a mountain!! Personally I would NOT recommend this! We spent several hours trying to figure out where the road was and hanging on for dear life hoping we didn't misjudge the edge of the mountain. Luckily we did rent a 4WD vehicle and this was very helpful!

When we finally got off the mountain areas and down below the 7500 feet mark, the weather got much better. Since it was springtime, the snow melt was in full force and there were some amazing waterfalls that made the already beautiful scenery even more beautiful! It was nice to be able to get of the vehicle and take some pictures of the area!

Black Canyon of the Gunnison

Once we headed into Montrose, Colorado we were in an all rain situation. Montrose is one of the closest cities to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. We stopped to grab a bite to eat at the local Subway and decided to give our visit to the Park the old college try. As soon as we headed out of town, the weather continued to worsen but it was still rain. The radar showed snow in the mountains near the park so we were leary about actually being able to get there. Once we made the turn onto the road to the park, the snows hit and kept coming down harder and harder. After our experience earlier in the day, we had no desire to head into another massive snow storm. We also decided that the viewing conditions of the park on a day like that were less than ideal. We didn't want to go just to say we had been there...we wanted to go when we could see what there was to see...so we decided to turn around and just head to our hotel in Glenwood Springs. While this was a rather disappointing turn of events it is always a good to have a reason to go back to Colorado!

Traveling to Glenwood Springs

Luckily the roadway to Glenwood Springs, while remote was at a lower elevation than the snows around us so while we did have rain most of the way, we did not hit any more of the major snows. This was a pretty remote area of Colorado that we were traversing with little phone or data signal but there were many beautiful sights to see and enjoy along the way.

Hampton Inn Glenwood Springs

Once we arrived in Glenwood Springs we were still a little early to check into the hotel so we headed to a shopping plaza nearby, looked around a bit and made a stop at the local Starbucks. By the time we finished up it was time to check in so we headed back to the hotel. The rains came again (no snow) so we decided to just chill at the hotel and call for some Domino's pizza delivery! The room was nice, clean...warm and dry! The breakfast the next morning was really good. Has to be the best Hampton Inn Breakfast I have seen! Lots of selection and the food was very tasty too! After a good night's sleep we were ready for the last leg of our mini vacation.

Coming Next: Blackhawk and Denver

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @travelswithmelb

Like my blog on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/travelswithmelb

Colorado - Blackhawk and Back to Denver

2015-07-22T12:23:00.004-07:00

After our crazy trip around the state of Colorado, our plans for the last day of our mini vacation were pretty simple. We wanted to stop in Aspen just to see what was there. We wanted to stop in Blackhawk and spend a few hours in the casino area. We wanted to drive back to Denver and have dinner at our favorite restaurant...Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. However...the way this trip was starting to go...we weren't sure what to expect next!

Aspen

When we woke up the next morning, we discovered that Glenwood Springs had somehow missed the mass quantities of snow that much of the state had received. However, Aspen had! Since we had decided that we really want to make a trip back to see Black Canyon of the Gunnison when it's not in the middle of a Blizzard, we also decided to put the Aspen stop on hold also. We had dinner reservations for 7:00 PM and any delay with road conditions could have caused everything to be thrown off so better to be safe than sorry.

Blackhawk

While the morning started with a little disappointment in not being able to get to Aspen, we had a beautiful trip across I-70 through the ski areas. The snow was heavy and beautiful on the tree branches and the sun had come out making this an awesome sight. The trip to Blackhawk was pretty uneventful except for a few areas where roadways were a bit snow covered still. Travel time was about 2 1/2 hours.

Once we arrived in Blackhawk we headed to Isle Casino, played a few slots (nothing really was paying so we didn't play long!) and grabbed lunch at Calypso's Buffet. We had been to Blackhawk a few times before and nothing much has changed. This is an old mining town (pop. 118 in the 2010 census) that has been converted to a casino town. Many of the casinos are smaller and are housed in the restored historical buildings. Even if you don't like to gamble much, it's fun just to see the town!

After an average lunch, we decided to head out towards Denver and our hotel. Again, the Cavaliers were in the playoffs and we really wanted to get checked into our hotel before the game!!

Embassy Suites Denver International Airport

This is one of our "go to" hotels in the Denver area. We have stayed there many times and have always found the employees to be very friendly and the rooms clean and comfortable. This time was no different. The nice thing about staying at this particular Embassy Suites is they have a wonderful shuttle to the Airport. Most of our Colorado trips are tied to a business trip that my husband is making. His business is out of Colorado Springs so he either has to drop me off at the airport very early OR we can stay at the Embassy Suites and he can leave for Colorado Springs and I can take the shuttle to the airport. I much prefer the latter option! The shuttle is always on time and the hotel employees are very friendly and helpful with baggage. If you need a place to stay near the airport I would highly recommend this hotel!

We arrived at the hotel a little early but were delighted to find that our room was ready for us. We were able to get situated in our room just in time for the second half of the game! It also gave us plenty of time to get ready for our much anticipated dinner at Ruth's Chris!

Ruth's Chris Steakhouse Denver

Anyone who has read my blogs or knows me well, knows that Ruth's Chris is our favorite way to start or end a trip (or anywhere in between!) We love the restaurant and have had wonderful dinners there for many special occasions. Many years ago Denver had a Ruth's Chris and we went to it (of course we did!) It was ok but one of my least favorite locations. They then shut it down and haven't had one for a few years. When I looked at the area again, I noticed that they had opened another location near the first one but in a slightly different area. Yippee! We were excited about having the opportunity to visit this one and booked two months in advance of our trip!

Well......when we booked we didn't realize that our reservation was for Mother's Day. We were very happy that we had made our reservation so far in advance once we realized that. We got all dressed up and were excited to head to our dinner. After rainy, snowy weather and lots of Subway and quick dinners, we were ready to taste a great steak! We arrived about 10 minutes early for our reservation and were surprised that there was only one other couple waiting for a table. A hostess directed that couple one way and sent us in another. Turns out we were seated in the bar area. Ok....not exactly feeling comfortable being the only person in a dress in this area. In fact everyone else was dressed for a bar except us. We had never been to this location before so we figured this must be the seating area. (Turns out there was a very nice dining room the other direction!) Well needless to say this didn't start out to be a great experience and unfortunately it only went downhill from there!

Our service was terrible. Very slow (and it really wasn't crowded) service and our server seemed very distracted. When our food finally arrived our steaks were overcooked and didn't even look like the filet that we had ordered. After sending it back, the second one was slightly better than the first but still not the quality that we have come to expect.

When we finally got to dessert....they informed us that they do not serve their cheesecake with berries at this location. What? That's definitely a classic dessert and one that is served in all other Ruth's Chris Locations.

Anyway...this location certainly wasn't up to the normal Ruth's Chris high standards and certainly did not meet ours. I will say that I did send a complaint to Ruth's Chris and did receive a call from the manager who did reimburse part of our meal with a gift card for a future visit. However, I still think he was convinced that we were upset about the seating rather than the quality of food and the service. I really wouldn't have cared where I sat as long as the food was good!!

I would NOT recommend this location of Ruth's Chris. Our last 3 of 4 experiences at different locations have been disappointing. I am hoping that this is not an overall decline of quality at all Ruth's Chris locations. Stay tuned...we have one booked for our next trip!

Final Thoughts

So overall, this was a tale of two vacations in a way. The first half was really great. We saw some amazing sights at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Mesa Verde National Park as well as downtown Durango and the Four Corners Monument. Once the weather turned bad, it really had an effect on what we were able to accomplish and it seemed as though the last half was rather disappointing. Just keep in mind when you are planning vacations that are weather dependent that you have to be really flexible. Things can change in a heartbeat!

Coming Next: Our Crazy National Park Plan - August 2015

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @travelswithmelb

Like my blog on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/travelswithmel

Colorado - The Lesser Visited Parks - Mesa Verde National Park

2015-07-20T12:19:00.001-07:00

The next park on our agenda was Mesa Verde National Park

Again, this was another park that for some reason I didn't realize was in Colorado. I was watching the Ken Burns National Park Series one evening and thought....hmm...haven't been to that one! I started to do some research on the park and realized that it fit in with this crazy little mini-vacation around the state of Colorado!

Planning Your Visit to Mesa Verde National Park

There are a few things you should know before planning your trip. Mesa Verde is located about 40 minutes west of Durango, Colorado. Durango is the closest city to the park. If you are making the trek from the Denver area you are looking at approximately a 7 hour drive. There are campsites in the park which are open from mid-May to mid-October and are first come, first served. If you prefer a hotel to camping (like me!) you will want to reserve a hotel in the Durango area.

The park has only one entrance and it and the main park road are open 24 hours all year. There is a Visitor's Center at the Park Entrance and Spruce Tree Terrace near the Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum sells food, gifts and souvenirs year round.

The admission fee is $15.00/vehicle from Memorial Day to Labor Day and $10.00/vehicle the rest of the year. Again, if you are planning to visit several National Parks during the year, you may want to check out the National Park Annual Pass.

Beautiful Views from Pullouts

It is also helpful to know that there are several areas to visit while you are in the park. Of these areas...there are two general locations: Chapin Mesa (road open year round) and Wetherill Mesa (open in summer only).

Chapin Mesa

Along the Way to Chapin Mesa

This is the area that you will most likely want to visit. There are several locations within the Chapin Mesa area. These include, Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum, Spruce Tree House, Mesa Top Loop, Cliff Palace, Balcony House, Far View Sites and Petroglyph Point/Spruce Canyon. Of these Spruce Tree House is the best preserved cliff dwelling and allows for a self guided tour. Cliff Palace and Balcony House also are cliff dwellings areas but they require a ticket for a ranger guided tour. Both also require more climbing so be sure to check out the physical requirements before purchasing your tickets.

Wetherill Mesa

You must park your vehicle near the ranger station and walk or ride the tram to each of these sites. Long House, Step House, Badger House Community and Nordenskiold #16 Trail.

When You Arrive

Visitor's Center

View of the Mesa from the Visitor's Center

Exhibits at the Visitor's Center

Diorama at theVisitor's Center

When you first arrive at the park, your first stop should be at the Visitor's Center. It's a great place to get oriented to the park. There is a bookstore, exhibits and rangers to answer any questions you may have. This is also the place to purchase tickets for the ranger guided tours of Cliff Palace and Balcony House. There are very nice restroom facilities at the Visitor's Center. You can also pick up a guide to Spruce Tree House for $1.00 donation. Since it is a self-guided tour I would recommend that you pick one up before you head up and you will be set to go.

Our Day at Mesa Verde

There are many ways to visit this park. We planned on spending about half a day and this itinerary helped us stay on schedule. If you plan to visit more of the dwelling areas or take the guided tours you will want to plan on an entire day or possibly more.

Visitor's Center

Our first stop was at the Visitor's Center. We checked out the exhibits inside, asked a few questions of the rangers, picked up a guide to Spruce Tree House and used the restrooms before heading on our way. This is also a great area to get some pictures of the entire Mesa before you head up. The road to the Chapin Mesa area is 21 miles and takes approximately 45 minutes. There are many beautiful sights to see on your way up, so be sure to figure in drive time!

Chapin Mesa

Once you arrive at the Chapin Mesa area, there is a large paved parking lot with plenty of space for vehicles. We parked near the Archeological Museum. There are restrooms located a short walk through the parking lot. The pathway down to Spruce Tree House begins next to the museum.

Spruce Tree House

Spruce Tree House (Spring - Fall)

Spruce Tree House

Our first stop in the Chapin Mesa Area was at Spruce Tree House. This is the cliff dwelling that has been the most well preserved. This is a self-guided tour so move at your own pace. There is an incline to get down to the cliff dwelling and as you know what goes down must go back up. The incline is moderate and there are benches along the way to rest. Remember you are at a higher elevation here than you are probably used to so physical exertion can feel even worse if you are not used to it! Make sure to take some water along with you. Having said that, most people should be able to do this walk down to the cliff dwelling and back up with minimal difficulty. If you can do it, you definitely should!

Spruce Tree House is one of 600 cliff dwellings within Mesa Verde National Park. Who knew there were that many?? The guide that we purchased at the visitor's center was very informative on the trek down. Once we got to the bottom of the hill and to the actual cliff dwelling, there were rangers there to answer any questions you may have.

Exploring the Kiva!

There are many areas to explore here, you can walk up close to the dwellings themselves. Make sure you go down the short ladder into the kiva that has been restored. It's very interesting to see the kiva structure and the ladder is sturdy and easy to climb.

The trip back up

We spent about half an hour in the cliff dwelling itself taking photos and asking questions of the rangers. Then it was time to start the trek back up the hill. As I said, just take your time, there is no rush!

Spruce Tree House

Archeological Museum (Year Round)

Our next stop after the cliff dwelling was the Archeological Museum. I have to admit that we are not really museum people so we pretty much took a quick look and flew around this area. We were done in about 15 minutes. There are many exhibits to be seen here and lots of artifacts taken from the cliff dwellings themselves. If you are a person who likes to read the exhibits and take a look at everything, please figure at least an hour for your visit.

Spruce Tree Terrace

Spruce Tree Terrace (Open Year Round except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day)

Spruce Tree Terrace

Since it was getting to be lunch time and this is the only place to eat in the park, we decided to make a quick stop for lunch. There is a very nice gift shop here where you can purchase gifts/souvenirs. The cafe is attached to the gift shop and has indoor as well as outdoor seating. Our food was very good and was done quickly. There are also restrooms next door to the Cafe. I would recommend stopping at them before you continue your day.

The Path to Spruce Tree House

Mesa Top Loop (Open Year Round)

Square Tower House

Views from Mesa Top Loop Drive

After lunch, we headed on our way for a self guided auto tour of Mesa Top Loop. Stops along the six-mile road show the full range of architecture at Mesa Verde. You will see the earliest pithouses to the latest cliff dwellings. There are pull offs along the side of the roadway which are well marked. Each of the sites are a short walk from the parking areas.

Architecture along Mesa Top Loop Drive

The highlight of the driving tour is a stop called Sun Point View. If you do not want to stop at all of the pullouts....make sure you do stop at Sun Point View. There area a dozen cliff dwellings set into the alcoves that are visible from this area.

Other highlights were Square Tower House Overlook and the Sun Point Pueblo. It took approximately 1- 1 1/2 hours for the trip around Mesa Top. This allowed time to look at the various architecture and to take lots of photos.

Tip: Pick up a guide to Mesa Top Loop at the first stop. It costs 50 cents and is well worth it to know what you are looking at.

Final Thoughts

After taking a look around up on Chapin Mesa, the weather started to change a bit and the rains were starting. We headed back down to the Visitor's Center and then out of the park. This was a very interesting National Park and one that I would highly recommend visiting if you are in that area of Colorado. I think the reason it isn't a more visited park, is mainly because of it's location. There isn't a whole lot of other attractions nearby. Four Corners Monument is about an hour drive from the area and the City of Durango has lots to see but you really are kind of out in the middle of no where.

This Park certainly gives you a look at the past!

Coming Next: Historic Durango and a Crazy Snow Storm

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @travelswithmelb

Like my blog on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/travelswithmelb

Colorado - The Lesser Visited Parks - Four Corners Monument

2015-07-17T13:42:00.002-07:00

After leaving Great Sand Dunes National Park, we stopped to grab a bite to eat back in Alamosa before heading West. We had booked a hotel in Durango, Colorado for the next two evenings. This location put us near Mesa Verde National Park and the Four Corners Monument.

Along the Way

Our expected drive from Great Sand Dunes National Park to Durango was 3 hours and 25 minutes and then another hour to Four Corners Monument for a total of 4 hours and 25 minutes. There were many, many miles of roadway that weren't all that interesting but then there are those unexpected, amazing gems that you just happen upon along the way.

Treasure Falls

Just as we were getting a bit road weary, we happened upon a beautiful waterfall. We actually passed it and had to make a quick turn around head back to see it. Treasure Falls is located right on US 160 about 15 miles Northeast of Pagosa Springs. The name Treasure Falls comes from a local legend of a treasure of gold in the mountain that the falls plunge from. There is a trailhead right off the highway in the pullout area. You can see the falls from the parking lot or you can make a 15 minute climb to see the falls closer up. The walk is moderately steep. If you are passing by, this is definitely a great place to stop for a few minutes, stretch your legs and see some beautiful scenery.

Chimney Rock National Monument

As we continued on US 160 we started to see a distinct rock formation in the distance. A quick look on Google showed that we were very close to Chimney Rock National Monument. Unfortunately the National Monument is open from May 15 - Sept 30 and we were about week early. However, we were able to get some pretty good pictures of the rock from the highway. A quick stop along the side of the roadway and we were on our way.

Four Corners National Monument ($5.00/person. Under 6 Free)

Ever since we studied the Four Corners in school, I had wanted to see this place where Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona meet. While we were planning our mini vacation, we realized that we were going to be relatively close to this area when we were visiting Durango, Colorado. So of course we had to make sure we got there if for nothing else than to cross it off our bucket list!

When I first started doing research on this area I wasn't even aware that there was a monument on the

site. As I read further, I learned that this is a National Monument that is run by the Navajo Nations Park and Recreation Department. It is a political boundary between the Navajo and Ute Indians. Once you start looking at TripAdvisor (which I recommend before visiting any hotel/restaurant/attraction) you will see some VERY negative reviews of this attraction. There were scathing reviews citing such things as over commercialization and the cost of the attraction. However, our desire to get to that area since we were so close outweighed the negative reviews that we were finding.

So we continued on our trek to the Four Corners. Once we hit Durango we figured we were pretty close. Our estimated time was 59 minutes from Durango, however with the major road construction that we hit, our time was almost doubled. This area is very REMOTE. When I say remote....I mean it really is in the middle of nowhere! There are however some really cool rock formations that you see along the way!

Once we arrived at the Monument, we followed the signs, paid our admission fee ($5.00 per person over the age of 6) and headed to the parking area. There was plenty of parking available and parking was close to the monument itself. There were porto-potties set up around the area but I did not see a true restroom.

Once you walk into the monument there is an area in the middle where the states are shown as well as a metal disk marking the exact location where the 4 states meet. There was a small line to stand on the marker. Once you are there you are welcome to take as many photos as you like. People were very courteous and helped each other other with taking photos and patiently waited their turn. There is a seating area "in each state" and viewing area where you can take photos.

When I read the online reviews of the area, many reviewers wrote about the amount of Native Americans who were selling items. Yes, there were some people selling souvenirs, jewelry, etc but they were inside of booths that surrounded the monument on the outside of the seating areas. I honestly didn't feel that this took away from the monument itself. If you wanted to visit the booths during your visit you could. If you didn't, just don't walk over to them! Not once did I feel like the booths were in my way or that there was any pressure to shop there.

I also didn't feel like the admission charge was exoribant....I've paid a lot more at attractions where I felt I got less. I can see where it becomes expensive if you are taking your whole family....there were just two of us so $10.00 seemed quite reasonable.

I think that you have to weigh cost, location, and whether sale of trinkets by locals will take away from your visit when considering a trek to Four Corners National Monument. If you do so, I think you will have an enjoyable time if you go or you may decide this isn't the attraction you want to visit.

Personally, I was pleasantly surprised when we arrived. After reading the reviews, I was a little concerned but had an idea of what to expect. The experience far exceeded my very low expectations. Considering the remoteness of this location, it is very unlikely that most people will visit this attraction more than once in a lifetime. To me being able to see it and cross it off my bucket list far outweighed the negatives that people expressed in their reviews. However, as with anything it is a personal decision so just "know before you go".

Homewood Suites Durango

The Homewood Suites in Durango was our home away from home for the next two nights. We found this to be a very nice hotel. The employees were very friendly. We even decided to eat the free dinner at the hotel on our first night. (We were pretty road weary after a long day of driving and staying in sounded good!). The food was decent and included wine and beer options as well as soft drinks. The coffee is always on so it's nice to be able to grab a cup anytime of day. The rooms were nice and included a full kitchen and sitting area in addition to the separate bedroom with bath.

Breakfast was decent. It is your basic Hilton breakfast (similar to the Hampton Inn Breakfast with a few additional options). While not always exciting, it is dependable and a good way to eat something without having to find a restaurant before you are on your way to your next stop.

The location was a bit out of the downtown area of Durango but is a short 5-10 minute drive to get there. I would recommend this hotel if you are staying in the Durango/Mesa Verde National Park area.

Coming Next: Colorado - The Lesser Visited Parks - Mesa Verde

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @travelswithmelb

Like my blog on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/travelswithmelb

The Lesser Visited National Parks - Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve - Colorado

2015-07-10T12:51:00.002-07:00

Each of our nation's National Parks has something different to offer. I have been very blessed through the years to be able to visit many of these national treasures and this year my husband and I have decided that we will try to visit as many as we can during our travels. In May we began our quest by visiting a couple of the lesser visited National Parks in Colorado.

Logistics

When we took a look at our trusty National Parks guide by National Geographic earlier this year, we discovered that there were three National Parks that we hadn't been to in Colorado. Now my husband travels to Colorado on business several times a year and we had been to Rocky Mountain National Park https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4162636094834192500#editor/target=post;postID=985909292684235588;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=10;src=postname

We had traveled to the summit of Pikes Peak, went white water rafting on the Arkansas River near Royal Gorge, and had visited Colorado National Monument near Grand Junction.....but in all of that we had never traveled to the southern part of the state to see Great Sand Dunes National Park or Mesa Verde or Black Canyon of the Gunnison. In fact we weren't even sure where they were exactly! It was time to remedy this!

National Park Pass

We had a quick 5 day window to get to these parks so we wanted to be sure that we planned ahead to make sure it was doable. After we determined that the logistics worked, the first thing we did (after booking our hotels) was to order our National Park Pass for the 2015 season. If you are going to be visiting several National Parks in a year, I would highly recommend purchasing the National Park Pass. The cost is $80.00 for a year and allows your vehicle and it's passengers (up to 4 passengers if the park charges per person) into any of the National Parks or National Monuments. Since there is an entry fee charged at most parks, this pass can save you money. It is also worth noting that U.S. Military families can get the annual pass free of charge and if you are a senior 62 or older, you can get a lifetime pass for $10.00. Simply fill out the application on the website, provide payment (and proof of age if a senior) and your pass will be sent to you in the mail. Just be sure to give yourself enough time between ordering and when you will be traveling. http://www.nps.gov/findapark/passes.htm

The Spanish Peaks - Sangre De Cristo Mountains

Day 1 - Arrival

Our first day was a travel day. We took an early flight to Denver arriving at 10:19 AM MT. This gave us plenty of time to travel to our destination and position ourselves for an early morning start on Day 2. We had time to stop for lunch and a quick shopping excursion (it isn't vacation without shopping!) before heading to our final destination of Alamosa, Colorado.

Drive time from Denver to Alamosa (excluding stops) was approximately 3 hours and 50 minutes. The drive was not a difficult one and you pass through some beautiful scenery. Such as the Spanish Peaks of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. There is little around though once you turn west from I-25 to Route 50. Be sure that you have gas in your vehicle and any snacks or drinks that you may want.

Hampton Inn Alamosa

We checked into the Hampton Inn Alamosa by early evening. We had reserved a King Studio Suite and were very pleasantly surprised by how nice the room was. This was probably the largest room I have stayed in at a Hampton Inn. There was a nice sitting area with large screen LCD tv attached to the office space which separated the bedroom from the sitting area. (This was essential since, due to bad planning on our part, we were traveling during the NBA playoffs and my Cavaliers were playing that evening!) The bathroom was spacious and had a sink area just outside the bathroom itself. The location was also good as it was near a plaza with many dining options. The drive time from Alamosa to Great Sand Dunes National park was about 40 minutes. It involved a little back tracking but was the closest city to the park.

Our First View of the Sand Dunes while approaching the park

Day 2.1 - Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve ($3.00/adult over 16)

Our original plan was to head to Great Sand Dunes the evening of our arrival so we could see sunset at this park. However, that wasn't to be as a strong line of storms came through around that time and caused us to change our plans. (Little did we know that this would be the theme of this entire adventure!) So we got up early, grabbed a quick bite to eat at the hotel for breakfast and headed off to check out Great Sand Dunes.

The Sand Dunes with the Creek Flowing

We arrived at the park a little before 9:00 AM so the visitor's center wasn't open yet. I would highly recommend stopping at the Visitor's Center first if it is open when you arrive. It's a good place to get oriented. It also has some nice views as well as very nice/clean restrooms.

Observation Deck

We headed to the parking area just beyond the Visitor's Center to start our exploration. Parking spaces were plentiful and it was an easy walk to the view areas. Since it was still spring, there was plenty of snow melt and the creek was flowing pretty good between the viewing area and the sand dunes themselves. If you plan on hiking over to the sand dunes, just be aware that the water from the snow melt is very cold and you have to walk through it to get

to the dunes themselves! While we didn't make the hike over, I did feel the water temperature after I heard many screams from people crossing!

This area is absolutely beautiful. The dunes are very large and impressive, the mountains snow-capped and massive in the background, the sound of only the water in the creek in the stillness. It was one of those awe-inspiring moments when you have to stand back and just look and listen.

Look carefully at this picture - you will see a hiker just getting ready to climb the dune - this is how high they are!

There are many other pullouts along the roadway. Each offers a slightly different view of the area as well as informative signage about the ecosystems and how the dunes came to be.

The Visitor's Center

While this park is not nearly as large as some of the other National Parks, we really enjoyed our visit here. We stayed about 2-3 hours, taking pictures, stopping at the pullouts and Visitor's Center, and just enjoying the beauty. If you are a hiker and would like to go to the top of the dunes, be prepared to add additional time to your stay. There are even ways to snowboard down the dunes!

I would recommend this park for families of all ages!

COMING NEXT:

THE LESSER VISITED NATIONAL PARKS - FOUR CORNERS MONUMENT

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @travelswithmelb

Like my blog on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/travelswithmelb

Journey to Hawaii 2015: Kauai and The Big Island - My Final Thoughts

2015-05-01T11:36:00.001-07:00

When we first started to plan our 2015 trip, we were originally just going to return to the Big Island for the entire length of our stay. As we started to plan a little more, we decided to see how easy/difficult it would be to add another Island to the stay. I am so glad that we decided to do this. Here are a few final thoughts from each of the Islands and overall thoughts from the entire trip. Hopefully some of these will help you plan your own "Journey to Paradise".

Kauai

1. Kauai is a beautiful Island with so many diverse areas. You can see beautiful beaches, colorful canyons and rugged mountains. You definitely need to rent a vehicle for at least one day of your stay on this Island so you can take a trip around to see all of these beautiful sights. Kauai is a very small Island compared to Oahu, Maui and the Big Island. This makes it very easy to get to all the major points of interest in a minimal amount of time. If you have made the decision to go there, be sure to see all that the Island has to offer!

2. Kauai is a very laid back Island and you can certainly find relaxation here. Take time to just sit back and relax and enjoy the beautiful weather. The Island is the northermost in the chain so temperatures in Kauai were slightly cooler and the weather a bit wetter than the other islands.

3. Kauai is one of the more expensive of the Hawaiian Islands. Since lodging is limited, prices tend to be a bit higher here. If I was ranking the cost of a stay in the Hawaiian Islands I would say from most expensive to least expensive: 1. Maui 2. Kauai 3. Oahu 4. Big Island.

4. We ended up staying 4 nights on Kauai. The first day was lost to travel and the last day was a partial travel day as we island hopped. So that gave us a little over 3 days to relax and explore. We honestly felt that for us this was plenty of time. Any more and we would have run out of things to do (we have a hard time relaxing and just sitting so please take that into account when you plan your own length of stay). Any less time than that and I'm not sure that we would have been able to explore everything that we wanted.

5. The Grand Hyatt Kauai was a very nice hotel. Customer Service was fantastic and the resort grounds were amazing. I would definitely stay here again and would recommend this resort to anyone traveling to Kauai. We liked that it was on the southern shore of the Island. The St. Regis Princeville is another very highly rated resort. It is located on the North Shore of Kauai and we found the weather on that shore to really fluctuate and it tended to be a bit wetter.

6. The Kauai Airport in Lihue was very easy to maneuver for both our incoming and outbound flights. If you are flying between Islands, you do not have to go through Agriculture Check so it does not take as much time to check in for your flight. The airport is modern with jetways and has a Hawaiian Feel to it but is also very modern.

Big Island

1. This was our second trip to the Big Island. Our first was in February 2014 and this one was February 2015. Both trips we stayed at the Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Kona side of the Island. There were some differences in our stays but both were nice. The service that we received at the Hilton on our first stay was amazing. This stay it was a bit disappointing in a few ways. While the grounds were beautiful and well kept, the facilities themselves seemed in a bit of disrepair. While partially due to the high winds that were around for a few days, some of the things could have been fixed in a more timely way. It also seemed as though the hotel was very understaffed and service suffered a bit.

2. Having said that.....the Kohala Spa Experience was absolutely wonderful and I would highly recommend it. If you have been to the Spa Grande at the Grand Wailea on Maui, this is not quite at that level (I'm not sure any other spa is at THAT level!) it is a very nice spa and our services were amazing!

3. If you will be staying at the Hilton Waikoloa Village for an extended period of time, purchasing the dining card will end up saving you money. It is also good for their Luau so be sure to use it if you plan on making reservations.

4. Make sure you rent a vehicle when you stay on the Big Island. The Island is very large in comparison to the other islands and you definitely need to take some day trips to see all that this island has to offer.

5. If you can, make the trip to The Green Sand Beach. Allow a good part of a day for this day trip and just go and enjoy the adventure. The view was amazing! It was the one thing that we regretted not seeing on our first trip and we had to go back and see it for ourselves. Make the time to see it if you can!

6. Whale watching on the Big Island was much better than on Kauai. I'm not sure if it was just the time of year but we saw many more whales on the Big Island. The whale watching trip offered by Ocean Sports is a terrific way to see the whales up close and personal. I would just caution you to check the weather before you sign up for it. This year's choppy waves made for a less enjoyable experience. Make sure you take Dramamine or something similar if you are prone to seasickness. I would actually encourage you to take it even if you aren't or don't know if you are.....there is nothing worse than spending a couple hours at sea feeling miserable.

7. The conditions at the Volcano change rapidly. Our first trip we had great views of the caldera at night. This year it rained and the whole area was filled with VOG so viewing was terrible. Recently the lava lake inside the caldera has risen and is giving quite the show. Make sure you check the Hawaii Volcanoes Website before you go. It will help you plan the best way to view the area.

8. If the weather isn't cooperating on one side of the Island, check out the other side. This island is large enough that the weather varies from side to side.

9. While there isn't the high end shopping that you find on Maui or Oahu, you will find more shopping here than on Kauai.

10. Take time to relax and enjoy the beautiful contrasting colors of the turquoise ocean, blue skies and black lava rocks.

11. The Kona Airport is pretty much an outdoor airport. There are a few covered areas if there is rain but not many. Also, they do not have jetways so don't be surprised when they roll the steps up to your plane and have you walk across the tarmac. Security lines tend to get long as many flights depart around the same time of day. Be sure to arrive early in order to get through security and agriculture check. There is only one restaurant and a couple gift shops with a few sundries. If you want to eat before your flight, get there even earlier or find something outside of the airport.

Final Thoughts

This was our 5th trip to the Hawaiian Islands. We have made 2 to Oahu, 1 to Maui, 1 to the Big Island exclusively and 1 to both the Big Island and Kauai. If you would like to see some of my past blogs comparing the Islands, please click on the links here.

A Comparison of Oahu and Maui

http://travelswithmel.blogspot.com/2013/04/maui-vs-oahuwhich-island-to-visit.html

A Comparison of Oahu, Maui and the Big Island http://travelswithmel.blogspot.com/2014/06/which-island-is-for-me-comparison-of.html

1. My thoughts on Kauai are that while it is a great Island to visit and I would highly recommend it, I don't know that I would plan an entire stay there. For me, there just wasn't enough to do to sustain a weeklong stay and with the higher expense of staying there, I just don't know that it would work for me as a complete destination. That being said, it is an amazing place and not to be missed so I would recommend combining it with another Island.

2. Island Hopping: This was the first time that we had tried Island hopping. Here are my personal thoughts on it:

a. It was easier to do than I thought. You simply book your flight through Hawaiian Airlines, make your way to the airport and end up on a new island. Flights are relatively inexpensive, are usually on time and there are many per day so it can easily fit into any schedule.

b. While it is easy to do, Island hopping still takes time. You have to make your way to the airport and return your rental vehicle on one island, get through security, very possibly make a connecting flight in Honolulu, land on your new island destination, pick up a rental vehicle and make your way to your new lodging. I would plan on spending at least half a day involved in some sort of travel associated with the island hopping.

c. Taking all this into account I'm not sure that I personally would do the Island hopping again. It worked well in this case because we wanted to split time on two of the islands. However, I didn't really like losing travel time in the middle of the vacation. It is certainly a great option if you want to visit more than one island on one vacation.

3. Sometimes when you go back to the same place, it isn't quite as you remember it. While we had a very nice stay at the Hilton Waikoloa Village and had a nice whale watching tour with Ocean Sports, I believe that our first experience (2014) was a little better. It wasn't as though this stay was bad by any means. It was still very beautiful and we had a wonderful time. There was just a little something missing this time around. Weather was a little different this time also and may account for some of the overall difference. I would just say to be flexible....each vacation is different and just be ready for new experiences.

4. I love the Hawaiian Islands. All of them are wonderful in their own way. Oahu gives you that big city with a beach feeling. Maui is romantic and tropical. Kauai is so diverse and intimate. The Big Island has so many amazing things to see and is more affordable. Out of all of the islands though, Maui is my personal favorite. There is just something so special about Maui. I'm saving all my hotel points and airline miles in order to make that a possibility once again!!

Coming Next: Colorado National Parks

Follow me on Twitter @travelswithmelb

Like my blog on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/travelswithmelb

Journey to Hawaii 2015 - Days 8: Spas, Cabanas and Relaxation

2015-05-01T11:35:00.001-07:00

The Kohala Spa - Hilton Waikoloa Village

When my husband and I went to the Big Island in 2014, we had really planned on having a day to just sit back and relax and head to the spa. We booked our reservation for a couples massage as soon as we arrived. The second day that we were on the Island, I came into contact with the sap from a mango tree. Little did I know that it contains the same chemical in it that poison ivy does! And yes since I am allergic to poison ivy I contracted a really nasty rash all over my legs and hands.

Tip: Don't touch the sap from a mango tree (or pet a dog that has come into contact with the mango tree - which is what happened in my case) or touch the skin of the mango fruit if you are allergic to poison ivy!

Needless to say, the rash wasn't gone by our spa day and there was no way that I could have gone there with this rash. So on our 2015 trip to the Big Island we were bound and determined that we were going to the Spa come Hell or High Water!

When we arrived for our stay on the Big Island, we made a stop at the spa to book our couples massage for the last day of our stay. What better way to end our vacation and prepare for the long trip back home to frozen tundra that is Northeast Ohio in February? Now the day had finally arrived!

We booked our massage early in the morning so we could have the rest of the day to relax in the cabana that we had rented that had a wonderful ocean view. That was the plan at least. We headed to the spa and checked in. The spa has separate facilities for men and women so we were shown where to go, given a locker and instructed to change into our robe and slippers that were provided and wait in the waiting room till they came to get us. The spa area was large. Many restrooms, very clean...separate dressing rooms within the sex specific areas so you didn't have to dress and undress in front of the rest of the spa clientele. There was also a jacuzzi in both the men's and women's area. Tip: If you are a HHonors Diamond Member you can access the spa any time during your stay as often as you want to use the facilities. This does not include any services...those you pay for as you book them.

My name was called and I was led to a very nice room where I met up with my husband and we had a very nice couples massage. We had chosen the Lomi Lomi massage and boy was it amazing. I was so relaxed afterward that my whole body felt like spaghetti! They also had this wonderful "Respiratory Therapy" Aromatherapy that they used at the end of the massage. I would highly recommend that you pick some up in the store after your service! It is wonderful! After our massages we got dressed and met again in the main lounge where we were given champagne and chocolate covered strawberries! This doesn't happen all the time....it was a Valentine's Day special so we lucked out when we booked!

This was an amazing morning. So relaxing. They usually offer the couples massage by the ocean but due to the high winds a few weeks earlier the cabana had been damaged so we only had the indoor option. It was actually fine with us but if you are thinking of booking at a later date and would like the outdoor option, please be sure to ask if it is available.

After our morning massage, we headed back to our room to change into our bathing suits and pick up our sunscreen and various beach items to take to the cabana for the rest of the day. So far so good.....unfortunately our luck was about to change.

Cabana - Hilton Waikoloa Village

View from the Roofless Cabana

Sometimes, even in paradise you just have one of those days! I am sharing this only to point out that as much planning and forethought that goes into a vacation, there are just some things that are out of your control. Just remember to be flexible!

We had rented the same cabana last year (#70) and it is in the perfect location by the pool and with an amazing view of the ocean. You can watch the whales all day from this spot and just relax and enjoy the shade of the cabana or get some sun by the pool. We were excited that the same cabana was available this year for the date that we wanted and booked it the day that we arrived to be sure we had everything well planned.

The cabana service is available 10 AM - 5 PM so we arrived shortly after 10 AM and were shown where our cabana was. As the cabana personnel showed us to the cabana he said, "Well you might notice that the roof is off of the cabana. We had to take it off due to the high winds last night. We have to have an engineer come and replace it for you. It should be done here soon." Ok.....the main reason someone rents a cabana is to have a shaded area but ok....the winds were high and they were going to come and replace it so no problem we would just set up and wait.

Well.....a couple hours went by....no sign of the person who was supposed to be providing our cabana service....(towels, water, fruit were all included in the $200.00 fee for the day that we paid). We went and got our own lunch and took it back to the roofless cabana. My son and I tried to go into the pool and it was FREEZING. I don't mean a little cool....it was FREEZING. Obviously they do not heat the pools in Hawaii. So now we can't go in the pool because it is so cold. The cabana person hasn't been around to check on us...we still have no roof and the sun is beating down on us at high noon!

Our location was close to the pool as well.

My husband went to the Ocean Sports rental hut and asked if someone would be by to put the roof on. He was told that they were very busy because of the high winds and they weren't sure when they would be able to do it. Next thing we know a security officer came over to talk to us to tell us that the engineer was tied up because of the high winds last evening and he might put it on tomorrow or the next day. Really???? We couldn't even sit in the cabana (which was very disappointing because the view was just as beautiful as I had remembered and the whales were really active.) We finally went back to the Ocean Sports hut and told them that we simply could not stay in the cabana without a roof and we still hadn't seen hide nor hair of our cabana person. They refunded our money so we weren't out anything but we were badly sunburned and disappointed. Don't be afraid to speak up if your experience isn't what was advertised.

Just goes to show you that sometimes when you repeat a stay you can have a totally different experience. Our experience in 2014 was much better. I don't know if they were just very short staffed or what has happened during that year but the service didn't come close to what it was the prior year.

Everything Was Broken

After giving up on the cabana, we headed back to our room to change and relax for the rest of the afternoon. It's a long walk across the resort grounds but we had fun walking around just looking at the sights. When we made it back to the Ocean Tower we found that both elevators for the tower were now broken. One had been broken all week but now both of them were out of service. So we climbed up to our room on the 6th floor. No harm but we were trying to figure out how we were going to get our luggage down all those flights of steps the next morning if the elevator was still out of service!

Our last sunset of the stay

Ruth's Chris to the Rescue

Since it was kind of mixed bag of a day, we booked dinner at the Ruth's Chris again this evening. We figured that we might as well end the day and our vacation on a high note and you can always count on Ruth's Chris Steakhouse for a terrific meal!

Final Day

Big Island Breakfast

The final day of a Hawaiian vacation is always bittersweet. While you have enjoyed your time away and have wonderful memories to take with you, it is always hard to pull yourself away from the sun and surf. It is especially hard to pull yourself away when you know you are returning to temps that are below zero! So as much as you try to be upbeat while packing your bags and ready for the long trip back....it is really hard!

We went to the Big Island Breakfast at the resort on our last day to start the day off right. Then it was time to take a final walk around the grounds. I just never get tired of views here!

When we went back to our room to make a final check and wait for bell services to come and get our bags. Tip: If you stay at the Hilton Waikoloa Village plan on just paying for bell services to take your bags to your room. The resort is huge and especially if you are in the ocean tower you will be dragging your bags for a long time! It is worth the price of the tip.

Daily hula Lesson

As we waited we were able to watch the free hula lesson that the resort offers daily. Wish I had been able to attend but from watching it looked like a lot of fun!

Bell Services arrived right on time and we headed to the hotel lobby for the last time. This is another pet peeve of mine about this particular resort....it always seems to be understaffed in service areas that really affect the guests. Let me explain this.....the valet parking is very convenient (especially because the self parking is quite a long walk from the resort and still costs you to park). It is, however VERY slow. No matter how early you call ahead for your vehicle it still takes a really long time for it to arrive. (Now remember if you call from your room in the Ocean Tower and leave right away for the lobby you are a minimum of 15 minutes away from the valet). If you wait and request the car from valet once you arrive in the lobby you have a VERY long wait. When we stayed last year I thought the understaffed valet stemmed from the busy times when flights arrive Tip: Definitely use bell services if your room is a long way from the parking area. Definitely call them early and give yourself plenty of time to get your baggage and your vehicle from valet. I would plan on this taking at least 45 min.
all at once. However, it seems to just be a
staffing issue all the way around. We also had a horrible time getting our bags once bell services

brought them to the valet area. There was a long line and again no staffing. So here is my

Once we got our bags and car we were on our way to the Tip: Get to the airport well in advance of your departure time. Add extra time if you plan on trying to grab a bite to eat. There is only one restaurant at the airport and it fills up quickly.
airport in Kona. Again, this is an outdoor airport with very little cover. It works well on most days but just pray there is no rain. This year we were lucky and the weather was dry. Staffing issues at the airport came into play also. Security lines were extremely long and many flights were departing at the same time.

All too quickly it was time to say good-bye to the Islands.....at least for the time being!

Coming Next: Kauai and The Big Island - My Final Thoughts

Follow me on Twitter @travelswithmelb

Like my blog on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/travelswithmelb

Journey to Hawaii 2015 - Day 7: Cliffs and Waterfalls on the Big Island

2015-04-29T14:04:00.002-07:00

Sometimes the weather gets crazy even in paradise. When we woke up on this 7th morning of our trip, you could just tell it was going to be one of those types of days! The wind was blowing and gusts were around 50 MPH so we decided to check out the conditions on the Northeast side of the Island. It just so happened that the winds weren't nearly as high in that part of the Island so off we went to explore this area.

Waipio Valley - View from the Overlook

Waipio Valley

Our first stop was at the Waipio Valley Overlook. My husband and I had visited this area last year and it was one of our favorite views. It was definitely on our "must go back and take our son to see this" list!

The Waipio Valley is located on the Hamakua Coast of the Big Island of Hawaii. One one side you will see cliffs reaching heights of nearly 2000 feet and you will see the beautiful ocean on the other side. You will see waterfalls and black sand beach. This area is often called the Valley of the Kings because it was the home to many Hawaiian rulers including Kamehameha the Great. It is both a sacred and mystical place and you will definitely feel that as you approach the overlook.

There is something very special about this area and visitors are asked to be respectful of the sacredness. There are many things that you can view from the overlook....waterfalls, black sand...cliffs...the beautiful blue waters and the waves crashing onshore. That is all very easily viewed from the viewing area. If you want to delve deeper into the valley and take some hikes, you can certainly make the hike on your own. There are also shuttles/vans that can take you into the valley and you can also take a tour on horseback.

Here are some observations and tips from our visit:

1. The day that we visited was a Saturday. The previous year we visited on a weekday later in the afternoon and the place was almost empty. This year being that it was 9:00 AM on a Saturday morning, the place was packed. There is a small parking area near the top of the overlook. This parking lot was completely full and the overflow parking was just along the roadway. We ended up parking a little ways from the overlook and made the short walk to the overlook. Tip: If you can time your visit to the Waipio Valley on a weekday, you may have a less crowded experience.

2. There is a short walk from the parking area down to the overlook itself. The walk is on a decent slope. There is a paved ramp with handrails that takes you down to the overlook. Just be aware that this is also the only way up. It is not a difficult walk but could be a bit of an issue for someone who may be physically challenged.

3. Take your time. There were many people around the day that we were there. Be patient. Everyone wants to get that perfect photo because believe me this is a beautiful place! Don't be intimidated by the crowds, just wait till things clear out a bit (people typically only stay for about 10-15 min) and then take your best shot!

If you would like more info and photos please refer to our stop here last year. My 2014 blog on the Waipio Valley can be found at http://travelswithmel.blogspot.com/2014/04/journey-to-hawaiithe-big-islandday-7.html

Onomea Bay Scenic Drive

Onomea Bay

As you continue on around the Northern Shore of the Big Island heading the East and the city of Hilo, you will go past an area marked by a short 4 mile scenic drive. This is a MUST DO when you are visiting the Big Island. Even if you have a short time to spend you must do this. Along this short drive you will see waterfalls, one lane bridges, lush tropical foliage, a beautiful botanical garden and Onomea Bay. You will see signs for the scenic drive off of Route 19 and the roadway will take you

right back to Route 19 to continue on your way once you are done exploring.

Here is a very detailed website that will describe exactly what you will see along your way.

http://www.instanthawaii.com/cgi-bin/hi?Drives.onomea

The highlight of this drive for us is the view of Onomea Bay itself. It is a beautiful bay with wonderful scenery. It has not been crowded either of the times that we were there (again this particular trip was on a Saturday morning). Even if you just stop to snap a picture you won't be sorry that you took time out for this stop!

We did not revisit the Botanical Garden this year but it is another place that I highly recommend (and details can be found in my previous blog listed above). There is a fee for the Botanical Garden but you can take your time and walk around and take in the beautiful tropical flowers and waterfalls.

Akaka Falls State Park

Akaka Falls

Our next stop along our drive was at Akaka Falls State Park. This was another place that we revisited during our stay in 2015. There is a small fee to park in the parking lot by the falls. Many people don't wish to pay the fee so they park on the street and walk in. The walk is not far provided the park is not crowded. This was another place that was practically empty when we visited on a weekday in 2014 and was totally packed on a Saturday morning on this stay. We had to drive around the area several times to find a parking spot in the parking lot. We would have parked on the roadway however it was packed also and the walk was a bit long to get to the park that day.

Kahuna Falls

When you get into the park there is a pathway that is paved and easy to maneuver. If you go to your left, you will go directly to Akaka Falls. If you go to the right you can take a circle path past Kahuna Falls and then on to Akaka Falls. Now here is where I did not listen to my own advice! If you read my past blog (referenced above) you will see that there is really not much to see if you take the right pathway. Kahuna Falls while very high is very difficult to see and when you walk all the way to the end of the path you will very likely say, "That's it???" There is also quite a slope on the pathway as you walk back toward Akaka Falls so it's just something to be aware of if you decide to take the longer path. There is also nothing of particular interest along the way between the two falls. You are definitely in the lush area of the island so everything is green and there are some flowering trees but honestly if you missed this portion you would not be missing a whole lot.

Akaka Falls is definitely the highlight of the park. It is very accessible and definitely a must see if you are in the area. The falls are 422 feet high and you can see the entire falls including the pool below. This is another area that gets a bit crowded so take your time. Be patient and you will get that perfect shot.

I would estimate the time here is anywhere from 1-2 hours (depending on whether you take the circle pathway or just see Akaka Falls).

Rainbow Falls - Hilo

I have to say that this is one of my favorite stops on the Big Island. The waterfall is so accessible. Parking is easy and plentiful and the walk to the falls is literally a few feet from the parking area. You may read many different reviews of this with differing opinions on whether or not it is a worthwhile stop because it isn't a particularly large waterfall. This is a relatively quick stop 10-15 min and you will be able to both photograph and enjoy the falls.

Back to the Kona Side

After spending the morning and early afternoon sightseeing on the Northshore and East Coast of the Big Island it was time to head back across to the Kona side. The high wind warning was still in effect, thunderstorms were due to roll in any time and it was Valentine's Day so we decided to stop for dinner on our way back to the resort since most of the resort and other area restaurants were booked for the evening. We were early so we decided to eat at Romano's Macaroni Grill at the Queen's Marketplace near the resort. Our meal was average. Server took a long time to wait on us and got a little waylaid but again with the holiday we were just happy to find a place to eat.

After dinner the sky let loose and the winds and rains really came onshore. Luckily we didn't have any plans for the evening! It was an early evening which was good so we could "prepare" for our last day on the Big Island the next day!

Coming Next:

Journey to Hawaii 2015 - Day 8: Spas and Cabanas - Relaxing on the Big Island

Follow me on Twitter @travelswithmelb

Like my blog on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/travelswithmelb

Journey to Hawaii 2015 - Day 6 : Day 6 - Green Sand, Black Sand, Divers and Volcanoes

2015-04-17T13:45:00.001-07:00

South Point (Ka Lae)

Divers at Ka Lae

Climbing back up from a dive

We got up this morning and decided to head out on a road trip. Now one thing you should know is that they call it the "Big Island" for a reason. The Island of Hawaii is nearly twice as large as all of the other Hawaiian Islands combined. It is also roughly the size of the state of Connecticut so when you take a road trip on the Big Island be prepared that it will take you awhile to get to where you are going. It is not just around the corner or a short trip in most cases so make sure it's a day that you want to spend away from your resort.

One of the many sea caves in this area

Our first stop on this day was Ka Lae the Southernmost spot in the US. Yes it is even further south than Key West. We were staying at the Hilton Waikoloa Beach which is about 30 min north of Kona along the Kohala Coast. The drive to Ka Lae was a little over 2 hours. Most of the roadway is highway (Route 11). When you get to the Ka Lae area there is a small paved 2 lane roadway that takes you directly to the coast. Now I have read reviews of this area where people don't feel that the drive is worth it....the roadway is not interesting...takes too long to get there...not that exciting once you do get there. Personally I think this little diversion is an awesome place to visit. We visited it last year during our trip to the Big Island and it was definitely on our list to visit again this year!

Just fun to watch the divers!

The scenery is just gorgeous with the blue waters contrasting with the cliffs. You don't have to make this a really long stop but you must take time to enjoy the views and marvel at the cliff divers. There are sea caves that the divers climb up to get back to the top and they are fun to look into also. The parking area gets crowded and much of it is on uneven ground. Just take care where you park that you don't get your rental car stuck!

There are portable toilets here but no "real" bathrooms.

Amazing Coastal Scenery

Green Sand Beach (Papakolea)

Green Sand Beach

Just a short drive from Ka Lae, is Papakolea Beach, better known as the Green Sand Beach. Once again you will read many differing views of this area. I am going to relay what our experience was. Take into consideration your own personal likes and dislikes when making your decision whether to visit this or not.

When we visited the Big Island last year we arrived at Ka Lae very late in the afternoon so by the time we made the additional trek over to the Green Sand Beach parking area we were a little late to start the hike to the beach. We also didn't quite know what to expect when we arrived there and weren't sure how to catch a ride with a local although we had read that this was a possibility. This year we made it a priority to figure out how to get to the Green Sand Beach!

The Green Sand beach on the Big Island is one of only four green sand beaches in the world. It actually lies within a cinder cone that has partially collapsed and has been eroded by the ocean waters. Three sides of the cinder cone are still in tact and provide part of the picturesque beauty of the area. The "green" color of the sand comes from the mineral olivine which is a common mineral found in Hawaiian Lavas.

Basics

Here are the basics on how to get to the Green Sand Beach:

1. Park in the parking area near the area. There are signs posted and it is easy to find off the roadway.

2. Decide if you want to take the 2.5 mile hike (each way) to the beach or if you want to catch a ride with a local.

3. If you decide you want to take the hike make sure you pack plenty of water and prepare for a pretty rugged hike. It is not the elevation of the area that makes it difficult. It is the fact that there is no shade and the roadway is all dirt and deeply rutted.

4. If you decide to catch a ride with a local, just simply find one in this area and be prepared to pay about $15.00 per person for the ride. Personally I think this was the best $45.00 (3 of us) that I spent during our stay!

5. Be prepared for an adventure. The road is rough but half the fun is getting to the beach and back.

6. Do NOT expect to see a dark green sand. The sand is green but it is more of an olive color than a hunter green color. Many reviewers indicate that they are disappointed by the fact that it's not greener. As long as you have reasonable expectations I have no idea why anyone would be disappointed when going here. There is also a smaller beach (more on that later) in the same area that is a darker green.

7. Be prepared to get dirty! The roadway is dirt and you will be wearing a lot of it after trekking to the beach and back.

8. When you get to the beach area, there is a climb down some steps imbedded in the cinder cone to get down to the actual beach. It is not a difficult walk down but be prepared for it.

The ladder and rock you must climb down/up to get to and from the Green Sand Beach

More Detail on your Trip to the Green Sand Beach

Terrain along the way to the Beach

We followed the signs to the Green Sand Beach and parked in the parking area there. Almost

immediately we were met by Iwani who asked us if we wanted a ride to the beach. We had read reviews about the long hike and were happy to find someone to take us to the beach. He matched us up with another couple who were looking to go just to take some photos and leave so we wouldn't be stuck there longer than we planned on. He told us his fee was $15.00/person for the trip to the beach and back. We all loaded up in the back of his 1985 4WD truck and off we went!

The road was very rough and there is no way that you could do this drive without a 4WD vehicle! We saw several people making the hike. This would not be an easy hike! There is no shade...the road is dirt and very dusty. The terrain is rocky. To me the $15.00 was the best bargain of the day!! Our ride was bumpy and warm but Iwani kept us entertained with stories and kept us laughing all the way!

Our ride with Iwani....Notice the El Camino "convertible next to us!

Once we arrived at the beach, our guide explained that we would need to climb down a ladder and then some rocks to get to the beach itself. The view was amazing even from the top but we wanted to get a closer look so we walked down. Now I am not always the most graceful person but I had no trouble making the trek down to the beach. When we arrived the green sand awaited us. It was beautiful....it sparkled....almost like gold or glitter! The water was a mix of turquoise and deep blue and the dark mountains framing the area provided a beautiful contrast. I almost felt sensory overload with the vivid colors!

We spent about 30 minutes walking around and taking photos and then we made the climb back up the hill and loaded back up in the truck for the trip back to the parking area. Iwani was awesome as he took us back he again shared some local stories and even made an extra side stop at a beach that had even greener sand for us. He took photos of us on the beach and allowed us to explore for a few minutes.

Some of the Local Drivers

As we drove back we saw many locals taking visitors down to the beach...you never knew what kind of vehicle you might see along the way. The adventure is half the fun of the visit! I would highly recommend making a trip to the Green Sand Beach one of your priorities when visiting the Big Island. I would also highly recommend taking the ride unless you are an experienced hiker and if you are taking the ride, make sure that you look up Iwani.....he is an awesome guide!

Final Thoughts

Some of the Green Sand

To a person each of us, my husband, my son and myself picked this as the highlight of our stay on the Big Island. The views were amazing but it was so enhanced by the ride with our guide Iwani. He made the trip so much fun and we learned about the local area. We saw so many whales breaching just off the beach also....it was an extra treat! I would say that the biggest thing you must do if you decide to visit this beach is be ready to "go with the flow". The road is crazy bumpy, the vehicles the locals drive are crazy looking....some of them you stand in the back of a truck with railings, some are old el dorado's with the top cut off to make a convertible. You never know what you might see. Just be prepared for any kind of adventure that might crop up and you may just have the time of your life!

Black Sand (Punalu_u Beach)

Our next stop was about a 30-45 minute drive East of Ka Lae and the Green Sand Beach. This was at Punalu_u Beach. While there are several black sand beaches on the Island this one has the easiest access. We simply parked in the large, paved parking area and made a short walk onto the beach.

Black Sand Beach

Once again, the black sand contrasting with the blue water is a sight to behold! You can swim at this beach and there are picnic tables and restrooms here so if you would like to spend part of a day here you certainly could.

One of the places I would encourage you to make a stop at on your way to or from the beach is the Punalum'u Bake Shop! There are wonderful bakery items as well as all kind of drinks and snacks that you can stock up on. There are also "real" restrooms here!

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

After leaving the Black Sand Beach, we continued on our trip around the southern coast of the Big Island, heading East and ending up at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Unfortunately just as we got to the park, the weather changed a bit and we started to get some rain. We did not let this deter us however.

We quickly headed down Chain of Craters Road to the very end in order to take a look at the Sea Arch at the coast. The Arch was one of our favorite things to see here last year and we definitely wanted to share it with our son this year. The arch will deteriorate at some point in the future and more will be made by future lava flows but as of right now this one is still going strong!

Sea Arch - Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

On our way back up Chain of Craters Road, we made a few stops at a few of the craters along the way.

One of the Craters along Chain of Craters Road

Next stop was the Thurston Lava Tube. This is a must see if you are in the park. The walk to the tube is a pretty easy one. The tube itself isn't too long and is very well lit. It is just amazing to think that you can walk through something created by a lava flow!

Finally we were ready to head past the steam vents and to the Jaggar Museum and Visitor Center. What we found was that when it rains the steam vents become VERY active. While this makes the steam vents more impressive....it makes viewing of the caldera almost impossible! We were able to catch a very brief glimpse of the glowing caldera at night but it was gone almost as soon as it came into view. Tip: If you are looking for a clear view of the caldera at night...make sure that you choose a day without rain!

If you would like to see more photos and information about Hawaii Volcanoes National Park please see my blog from last year's trip when the weather was clear. http://travelswithmel.blogspot.com/2014/04/journey-to-hawaiithe-big-islandday-8.html

Back to Mauna Kea

Since our viewing was so limited at the volcano, we decided that since the night was still young, and since we had to drive across the Island anyway, that we would stop at Mauna Kea for one more look at the beautiful stars. The weather on this part of the Island was fine and we had beautiful viewing conditions. Again, the winds were high and the summit was closed but the viewing from the visitor's center couldn't be better. Tip: I would encourage you to check the weather ahead if you have your heart set on visiting the summit.

Time to Call it a Day

It was about time to call it a day after a long day of driving and viewing some amazing things. Yes, the trip around the Big Island can take some time but as far as I'm concerned it's totally worth it!

Coming Next:

Day 7 - Cliffs and Waterfalls

Follow me on Twitter @travelswithmelb

Like my blog on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/travelswithmelb

Journey to Hawaii 2015 - Day 5 - Adventure at Sea on the Big Island

2015-04-06T13:07:00.004-07:00

Early Morning Whale Watching

If you have read my blogs from last year's trip to the Big Island you know that one of the highlights of our 2014 trip was the Breakfast With The Whales whale watching trip with Ocean Sports. So as soon as we settled in on our schedule for our 2015 trip, we booked our return whale watching adventure with Ocean Sports. Our son did not go with us on our 2014 trip so we were especially excited about having him along with us to enjoy the adventure.

Instead of boring you with the same information that I provided last year, I will give you the link to my previous blog. That blog will give you all the particulars of the trip and what to expect when booking your adventure.

https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4162636094834192500#editor/target=post;postID=1867842413715982637;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=24;src=postname

There's nothing like seeing a whale breach right in front of your eyes!

So How did this year compare?

Sometimes when you do the same thing a second time around it isn't quite like you remember it the first time. In the case of this year's whale watching I wouldn't say it was not as good but I would say that it was a different experience.

Tip: If you are booking a return trip with Ocean Sports within the year, they will give you a discount on your return trip. Make sure to ask for that when you call to book!

Hotel Pick up

Since we were staying at the Hilton Waikoloa Village, our pick up time for the Breakfast with the Whales trip was at 7:15 AM from the lower lobby. There is bench seating just outside of the lobby and our van arrived right on time to pick us up and take us on our adventure. There were several guests taking this particular trip so we gave our names to the driver who quickly checked us in and we were on our way. After a brief stop at Queens Marketplace at the Ocean Sports Storefront to sign some paperwork we all loaded back into the van and headed to A-bay for our departure.

The first thing we noticed when we arrived at the beach was that the surf was a little higher than the previous year. The entire week that we were in the Islands this year, there were high surf warnings both on Kauai as well as the Big Island. This day was no different. We found out later that we were the only cruise that wasn't cancelled for the next several days. So on the one hand we were very lucky to be able to head out and see these wonderful sea creatures and on the other hand it was a little bit of a rough ride this year.

Boarding

Nothing had changed with the boarding process. There is a small ramp a few feet into the ocean that you climb up to board the glass bottom boat to ride out to the catamaran that is anchored several yards off shore. It is a "wet boarding" so make sure you wear flip flops or have shoes that you can easily remove in order to board the glass bottom boat. This was our first inkling that it was going to be a little rougher at sea as the glass bottom boat was tossed around a little as it butted up to the ramp. A quick 5 minute ride took us to the catamaran and again we were tossed around a bit as we got to the larger boat. We then made the transfer to the catamaran and found a place toward the front to try to grab the best pictures that we could.

The Adventure Begins

While the surf was high and ride was quite a bit rougher than the previous year we actually saw more whales this year than last year (and I thought that was a lot at the time!) Last year we saw mostly tails, spouts and pec slaps. This year we got to see several whales breaching and competition pods as well as tails and spouts. There is absolutely nothing more mesmerizing than watching a gigantic humpback whale breach! It definitely makes the trip worthwhile!! The trip last about an hour and a half on the boat and we saw whales almost the entire time! We definitely were in "whale soup"!

The biggest difference this year was that there were several passengers who got sea sick. Last year it was literally "smooth sailing" and not one passenger got the slightest bit ill. This year with the higher surf it was a totally different story. About 15 minutes into the tour, passengers started to get ill and that lasted pretty much the entire time we were out there. Luckily due to my previous whale watching experience in Monterey (which this was not nearly as bad as that!) we had made sure to take some Bonine about an hour before we left for the day at sea. All I can say is thank goodness we had taken something! Tip: If you know you get seasick please be sure to take something or use a method to prevent seasickness before you get on the boat. In fact if you don't know if you get seasick or not....make sure you take something. It's better to be safe than sorry and there's nothing worse than being sick and stuck on a boat till the tour is over!

That being said the scenery was fantastic and whales were really out in force. We definitely were glad we took the time to go back for a second year!

Getting back to the hotel

After the tour was over, you just reverse the boarding process....get off the catamaran onto the glass bottom boat, take the glass bottom boat to shore and then take the van back to the drop off area of your resort. It's all a very seamless and easy process.

Tip: For taking one of the cruises, you receive discounts on water toy rentals and on booking other cruises during your stay. If you are interested in either of these, please make sure to take advantage of the discounts offered. Discounts do not apply to cabana rentals at the Hilton Waikoloa Village however, even though they are run by Ocean Sports.

Lunch with the Dolphins

Once we arrived back at the resort we decided to grab some lunch on our way back to our rooms. We decided on a quick lunch at the Lagoon Grill. The best thing about the Lagoon Grill is that it is right next to the dolphin area of the Hilton Waikoloa Village and you can watch the dolphins play and interact with trainers as well as guests. The food itself was ok. It was not a particularly memorable meal but it was good for lunch with decent variety. The service was slow. I would not recommend this restaurant if you are in a hurry but then again I could probably say the same thing about any of the resort restaurants.

We enjoyed our meals, watched the dolphins for awhile and then did a quick tour of the resort as we headed back to the room to change for the rest of the day's activities. As we walked we saw sea turtles lounging and swimming around. We also saw some amazing "flying fish" that would just suddenly fling themselves into the air and land quite a distance away! Combine that with some amazing views of the ocean and and the lush resort plants and it was a beautiful walk back to the room!

Kohala Coast

We decided to leave the resort in early afternoon and head up the Kohala Coast to the "end of the road" at the Pololu Beach Overlook. This is a nice afternoon drive from the resort. Figure on a couple hour drive as you travel through King Kamehameha's birthplace, Hawi Town and Kapa'au on your way to some beautiful scenery along the northern shore of the Big Island. While this is maybe not as striking of a day trip as you will find in other directions, it is definitely worth the trip if you have the time to do it. From there we headed to our next stop....

Mauna Kea

Mauna Kea is another "must do" if you are visiting the Big Island. There are several tours that you can take to the summit of Mauna Kea. The tour companies will pick you up at your resort, provide you with a dinner, take you to the summit and then stick around for star gazing near the visitor's center. Tours run around $200.00 per person on average and last about 7 hours. We chose NOT to do the tour. We did not do it in 2014 and decided against it again. The reasons that we did not do the tour were 1. It takes up a large portion of your day. 2. It is not inexpensive. 3. You can view the stars at the Visitor's Center for free and you have more control over the amount of time that you spend. Whether you decide that the tour is for you or you want to do it yourself.....please make time to get here at least once while you are on the Island. You will not regret the time spent!

While we were there, there were high wind warnings on the Island and that meant that trips to the summit were limited. This evening the summit was open but the temps were low and wind chills were below freezing. Please note that you can make the trip up to the summit in your own vehicle if you have a high clearance 4WD vehicle.

Tip: If you are planning to visit Mauna Kea (either the summit or the visitor's center), make sure you pack warm clothes.

Since my husband and I had been there the previous year, we made sure that we packed up some warm clothes to wear when we headed to Mauna Kea. I am not just talking jeans...i am talking winter coats, hats, scarves and gloves and sweatshirts! Believe me we needed every bit of the clothing that we brought!

We stopped in Waikoloa Village and picked up subs at the local Subway and a few snacks and took them with us to Mauna Kea. We took time to eat in our vehicle while we waited for the darkness to set in. I would recommend getting there before dark because 1. It's easier traveling one direction in while it's still light out and 2. You can secure a better parking spot.

There are several telescopes set up at the visitor's center. The program is entirely free and you just have to bring your patience as you stand in line for your turn to see the stars. Believe me there are so many stars that you can see with the naked eye that you will not have trouble waiting your turn! This is truly an amazing place. The stars are just everywhere and so brilliant. You will never see another place like this so make sure you take the time to soak it all in!

Back to the Resort

After our trek to Mauna Kea it was time to head back to the resort for the night. Our day started with the Sea and ended with the Stars and was a perfect day in paradise!

Coming Next:

Day 6 - Green Sand, Black Sand, Divers and Volcanoes

Follow me on Twitter @travelswithmelb

Like my blog on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/travelswithmelb

Journey to Hawaii Days 3 and 4 - Relaxing and Making a Change

2015-03-25T13:27:00.005-07:00

Day 3 - Relaxing on Kauai

By Day 3 we were ready for a little downtime. If you follow my blog regularly you know that we try to cram as much as possible into our days and while I highly recommend seeing everything you can in a location while you are there.....there is also a time to sit back and relax and just enjoy where you are.

Relaxing by the Pool at The Grand Hyatt Kauai

After our morning breakfast at the Ilima Terrace, we quickly headed back to our room to put on our bathing suits and head to the pool to relax. The pool at the Grand Hyatt Kauai is pretty amazing as you can see. There is an adult pool area, a lazy river, water slides, basketball and volleyball that you can enjoy while you are there. There are some cabanas for rent near the beach/pool area or you can just pick a chair and set up camp for the day. We chose just to grab a chair and enjoy the day. Make sure you check in at the desk in the pool area for towels.

We were at the pool area by about 9:30 or 10:00 AM and pretty much had the area to ourselves. It wasn't till almost noon before more of the guests wandered down to the pool. It is an absolutely gorgeous pool and I certainly can't complain about the beautiful sky and palm trees in this area. The only complaints that I did have was 1. The pool was COLD! Now it did get better as you walked around, swam or started to play basketball! The hotel website says that the pools are heated by recaptured heat from the air conditioning unit but to be perfectly honest....it didn't feel heated at all! 2. There is a restroom near the pool restaurant and towel counter. It is convenient but it gets really dirty really quickly as the day goes on. I'm sure it's just difficult to keep up with a bunch of guests using the restrooms with wet bathing suits but it was a little disappointing.

There is also a beach on the resort premises so if you would rather head to the beach rather than stay in the pool area you are more than welcome to do that. There was a high surf warning all the days that we were there so other than a few people walking on the beach, there was no swimming during this time.

After we had had our fill of swimming, we headed to the pool restaurant (Hale Nalu) to grab a quick lunch before heading back to our room. Again, it's Hawaii so "quick" is relative but when you have a view as beautiful as this you tend to be a lot more patient! The menu gives enough options for anyone in the family to find something to enjoy.

View from Hale Nalu

We were feeling refreshed by our swim and full from our lunch so we headed back to our room to shower and get ready for the rest of our day. When we got back to the room a nice "surprise" awaited us. Sometimes it's just the little things that make a stay special.

We still had several hours before our dinner reservation at Tidepools, the signature restaurant of the Grand Hyatt Kauai so we decided to head back out to the Poipu Shopping Village to walk around a bit and do some window shopping. Then we drove around the Poipu Beach area and took a look at some of the amazing ocean view homes that were "For Sale" because who hasn't been to Hawaii and thought that they would love to live there or at least own a vacation home there! Dreaming is free.....

Tidepools

Tidepools at the Grand Hyatt Kauai

After a very relaxing day, we had reservations for our final dinner on Kauai and we had chosen Tidepools for that dinner. We booked around sunset so we could enjoy the sunset from our table. Unlike other restaurants at resorts I have been to in Hawaii, this particular restaurant was not on the ocean and it really didn't have a great sunset view. It's my fault for not realizing this sooner....see this is where research comes in handy! However, that being said this was a WONDERFUL place to have dinner and a great way to wind up our stay on Kauai. The restaurant itself is a group of connected "pods" that sit above manmade tidepools. The fish swim right next to your table and you truly feel as though you are dining in a special place.

Honestly I felt like I had entered something from "The Bachelor". This was "that" kind of place.

Just as good as the ambiance was the food! While my husband and son enjoyed the steak, I had the chef's special which was a stuffed yellowfish that evening. I have to say it was amazing!

If you are looking for great food, a relaxing, romantic atmosphere with terrific service, Tidepools is the place for you. For those of you who have read my previous blogs you will remember that we ate at Dondero's the first evening and I was a little underwhelmed with the experience. This was NOT the case with Tidepools! I loved everything about this restaurant and would highly recommend it for anyone visiting Kauai and/or The Grand Hyatt Kauai. If you need to choose between Dondero's and Tidepools...go with Tidepools. You won't be disappointed!

Day 4 - Changing Islands

If you have been to the Hawaiian Islands before, then you know how different each and every one of the Islands is. Before this trip, I had chosen to stay on one Island for the duration of my vacation for a couple different reasons. 1. I wanted to be sure to see everything on the Island I was visiting. 2. I didn't want to lose any of my days to travel. And 3. I wasn't sure how easy it would be to switch Islands.

Morning on Kauai

We spent our last morning on Kauai enjoying the sunrise from our lanai, taking our time enjoying the surroundings and once again visiting the breakfast buffet at the Ilima Terrace. Before we knew it, it was time to head to the airport in Lihue (about a 30 min drive from the Grand Hyatt Kauai) to catch our flight to the Big Island. One last beautiful sight we saw on our way back to the airport was the "tunnel of trees".

Hawaiian Airlines

Getting from Island to Island is a relatively easy thing to do. It is also a bit time consuming even though the flights themselves are short. We were flying from Lihue, Kauai to Kona, Hawaii. In order to do that we had a connection to make in Honolulu, Oahu. Now the good thing is that there are many many many daily flights between the islands so you can certainly find one to fit into your schedule. It does not appear that there are very many (if any at all) direct flights. This means a little more time to Island hop.

When you factor in getting to the airport early to return your rental vehicle and to get through security, (Your bags do not have to go through the agricultural check since you are flying between islands.) boarding your flight, landing in Honolulu, disembarking, waiting for your connecting flight, boarding that flight, flying time, disembarking the flight, picking up your luggage from baggage claim and securing your rental vehicle, you are looking at a minimum of several hours to make the switch. This does not include the drive time to your new resort hotel and the time to check in. In our case, the whole process took about 5-6 hours and cost us about $200.00 each with baggage.

The flights themselves were very nice....short flight times, on schedule departures and landings and great views of the whales from the windows of the plane as you flew over the ocean!

So....getting between Islands is not a difficult thing to do and is relatively inexpensive (although it does add some cost to your vacation budget) but does take quite a bit of time to accomplish. Just make sure to take all of this into consideration when you decide if Island hopping is for you or not.

In our case we decided that we would give it a try this time because we were visiting Kauai which is a smaller island and the Big Island which we had visited just last year so we knew we could get back to the things that we wanted to do there. Personally if this was my first time visiting the Islands I would recommend staying on one Island and seeing all there is to see. To me losing the travel time would just not be worth it. However, I can certainly see why people decide to do it. I have been lucky enough to be able to go back several times to multiple islands. If this is your trip of a lifetime, you certainly may want to sample more than one island.

The Big Island

Landing in Kona is totally different than landing in Lihue. In Lihue, even though it is a smaller Island, you have jetways and gates with seating areas inside the airport. In Kona, the whole airport is outside....seating areas, baggage claim, you walk off the steps of the plane and across the tarmac. You definitely feel as though you have arrived on a tropical Island!

The first thing you notice is that the weather is quite a bit warmer on the Big Island. Kauai is the furthest north of the Hawaiian Islands while the Big Island is the furthest South. You also notice that all the green that you have seen on Kauai has been replaced with the black of lava flows.

The contrast of the black lava, the turquoise waters, the green of the palm trees and the blue of the sky is what makes the Big Island one of my favorite Islands. My husband and I had stayed here last February also and were looking forward to a return visit with our son.

Our Deluxe Oceanfront Room at the Hilton Waikoloa Village

Our first stop was at the Hilton Waikoloa Village to check in for our stay. After check in and our trip to the room via tram, we had just enough time to unwind a bit and change for our dinner reservation once our luggage arrived at our room.

Ruth's Chris Steakhouse

We had booked a reservation at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in Mauna Lani on the Kohala Coast. It was about a 15 min drive to the restaurant from the Hilton Waikoloa Village. If you are trying to get from your room at the resort to the restaurant give yourself at least an hour to get there. Between walk times, waiting for the valet and drive time, it will take most if not all of that time to arrive at the restaurant.

If you have read any of my other blogs, you know that Ruth's Chris anywhere is one of our favorite restaurants! This particular restaurant is located in a small, upscale plaza with several shopping and dining options. One of my favorite things about this particular location is the beautiful outdoor seating. This night did not disappoint as we enjoyed a beautiful Big Island sunset while enjoying our wonderful meals!

Sunset at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse - Big Island

Waking up on Kauai for sunrise and being on the Big Island for Sunset is a really not a bad thing!

Coming Next: Day 5: Adventure at Sea on the Big Island

Follow me on Twitter @travelswithmelb

Like my blog on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/travelswithmelb

Journey to Hawaii 2015 - Day 2 - More Things to Do on Kauai

2015-03-18T13:26:00.001-07:00

Day Trips Are Us....

Many people go to Hawaii to just kick back and relax. While we like to include time for that too....we have found that we love to make day trips during our time on the Islands. There are so many beautiful things to see and do outside of the resorts that you just have to try to see it all!

Polihale State Park

To Go or Not to Go

I always check out reviews of places on TripAdvisor before we head off blindly. In most cases the reviews are pretty good at making things clear as to whether or not something is worth the trip. In the case of Polihale State Park, things weren't quite so clear. Reviews were mixed about whether or this place was worth the bit of trouble there is to get there or not. Some reviews said it was a beautiful place but many others also indicated that while it was beautiful the road to get there made it questionable if the drive was worth it. Our breakfast server asked where we were planning on going for the day and we mentioned we were thinking of Polihale State Park. She told us we had to go....it was Monday and the beach wouldn't be crowded. She also told us that it gets hot there and to watch the sand because it gets very warm! So we figuered.....hey...we have a 4WD vehicle. It was a Jeep Compass (so not high clearance) but 4WD nonetheless. We also figured that we had no idea when we would get back to Kauai so YES we were going to make the trek!

Tip: While reviews are generally helpful. Use them to guide you but DO NOT miss something that you think you want to see because of what reviewers say....you may see something totally different!

Yes the Road was Bumpy

Polihale State Park is located on the West Side of the Island of Kauai. We were staying on the South Side of the Island at the Grand Hyatt so it was a little over an hour's drive to the park. As you start out you are on a regular highway no problems so far! When we finally made our turn off the highway to start the "off-roading" part of the trip our navigation system missed the turn and tried to get us to drive through a field. Now there was a road through the field but it was private and gated so we figured we should have turned where the small sign had pointed down a dirt road about a quarter mile before this! After a quick turn we were on our way and headed in the right direction.

Having been warned by all the reviewers that this was an "unmaintained dirt road" the condition of the road actually surprised us in a good way. The road was definitely dirt and definitely bumpy but it was certainly passable. We did use our 4WD option but honestly I don't think we would have needed to use it. The dirt road is almost 5 miles long and it got to be kind of funny to us. We would hit a bump and get tossed a bit around the vehicle and we would just laugh. We joked that it really didn't feel much different than driving on all the potholes in Ohio! It was truly part of the adventure!

My advice would be do not let the roadway scare you off. If you want to get to Polihale State Park....find a way to make it happen!

Sometimes the Best Things are found Off the Beaten Path

Polihale Beach

Once we arrived at the park area, we actually pulled off into a small parking spot before the actual picnic area. Nothing is well marked so you just have to keep going. We were there on a Monday so there weren't a lot of other cars around the area. There were also high surf warnings that day and a threat of rain so we really had the place pretty much to ourselves.

We hopped out of the car and walked down to the beach area and I don't even have the words to express how beautiful this beach was! It literally took my breath away! From the rugged coastline to the soft sand to the amazingly blue waters. This was one of the most beautiful places and quite possibly THE most beautiful place I have ever seen!

The stillness with no one else around and the only sound that of the waves crashing on the shore made for an almost surreal experience. I cannot imagine if we had passed up the opportunity to see this place.

Take your time, enjoy this place and whatever you do DO NOT miss seeing it if you are in Kauai!!!

Polihale Beach

It was so hard to tear ourselves away from the beach. Please do not rush this experience. Allow yourself as much time as you want to be here. There are certain places that you find when traveling that just touch the soul and this was definitely one of them!

Tip: If you are planning to spend some time at the beach, make sure to pack food and drinks. There is nothing close by.

Spouting Horn

Next stop was Spouting Horn Park. This is one of the most photographed places in Kauai but it is another place that gets god but not necessarily great reviews. Spouting horn is located on the south shore of the island near Poipu. There is no cost to view and you can take as little or as much time as you want. Since there was a high surf warning the day were there, the blowhole was really spouting!

(I have seen reviews that say that during times of low surf, spouting horn is not nearly as interesting so be sure to pick your time to visit wisely.)

Make sure you take time to watch the waves crash on the rugged beach. It's beautiful to see the spray of the water. We did see a couple of sea turtles in this area but they were getting tossed around pretty good in the surf. It is also a good area to see the humpback whales from December to May but the day that we were there wasn't a good one for viewing.

There are also some tents in the park where locals have set up stands to sell items. You can go through the tents or walk around. There is no pressure to purchase items. There are also lots of feral chickens in this area. We even saw a hen and her chicks near the parking area.

There is ample parking for Spouting Horn. The parking lot is paved and easy to access. It is a short walk from the parking area to the viewing area.

We thought this was a great place to visit. I would recommend this as a place to put on your list of things to visit in Kauai.

A Little Down Time

After our morning excursion, we had a little time to relax before it was time to head back to the resort to get ready for our evening activities. We took a little time out to stop at the Poipu Shopping Village. This was a great place to look around....art galleries, Starbucks, groceries, souvenirs, restaurants both quick service and sit down. They also offer free entertainment at times. There was none while we were there but you may find something interesting if you time your visit well!

Aulii Luau

You can't go to Hawaii and NOT go to a luau. I think there is a law about that! LOL. Not really but it is definitely one of the things you have to fit into your schedule if you are visiting any of the islands. When we started to look at our schedule and investigate options for luaus on Kauai we found that there were two near us. One was at our resort, The Grand Hyatt Kauai and one was a few miles away at the Sheraton Kauai. The luau at the Grand Hyatt is held on Sundays and Thursdays while the one at the Sheraton is held Mondays and Thursdays. After looking at both and comparing them, we decided on the Aulii Luau at the Sheraton. The reasons that we chose this one were 1. The location was right on the beach 2. They offered Ali'i (preferred) seating and 3. Monday worked into our schedule better than Sunday.

When it came time to head to the luau, the weather decided not to cooperate and it was rainy and windy. So....reason 1 for picking this luau was out the door.....we had to use alternate seating in the ballroom which is an indoor/outdoor location. While we were disappointed that we weren't able to enjoy the show on the beach, we were happy that we weren't getting wet! Actually it turned out to be better than we expected. The ballroom was covered but was also open on the sides so you didn't feel like you were stuffed in a room.

We purchased the Ali'i Seating, which carries a slightly higher ticket cost ($25.00 upgrade), but to us was well worth it. You get a separate line to check in. Lines of course are shorter than the general admission lines. You receive a special lei...in my case flowers....for my husband and son kukui nuts. We also got to sit in first couple rows and at round tables rather than the general "aloha" seating at long tables. You also get to visit the buffet first. Both General and Ali'i seating include the open bar, appetizers and buffet.

Once we arrived at the Sheraton, we were able to find parking in a lot close to the ballroom. Parking was free and it was a short walk to the ballroom location. We got in the Ali'i seating line which formed to the right. We were served Mai Tais and Blue Hawaiians while waiting. Once we checked in we received our leis from one of the dancers and were led to our table.

Appetizers were served at our table but you could also go to the buffet and get more if you ran out. We were seated with another family. I believe the table held 8 people but there were only 6 at ours that evening. The performers played music during the meal and there were various vendors there. After dinner, the show started. It was smaller than the other luaus we had been to but the dancers were very good and quite entertaining. The whole event lasted from 5:30 (check in) till 8:00 PM.

The luau was lots of fun. Luaus in general are a little "touristy" but the dancing was awesome and makes you truly feel that you have arrived in Hawaii. If you haven't gone to one, I would recommend that you go! It's something that everyone who visits the Islands has to do at least once!

Time to Call it a Day

After the luau we headed back to the resort, checked out the live music in the open air lobby once again and decided to call it a night. Another action packed amazing day of making memories in Kauai.

Coming Next: Days 3 and 4 - Relaxing and Making a Change

Follow me on twitter @travelswithmelb

Like me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/travelswithmelb

Journey to Hawaii 2015 - Day 1 - Kauai

2015-03-11T12:46:00.002-07:00

Yes It is ANOTHER Trip to Hawaii

If you have followed me or have read any of my previous blogs I know what you are thinking....this Hawaii thing is becoming an addiction! To that I answer Yes....Yes it is. There is just no better place to get away from the frozen tundra that is Ohio in the winter and head to much greener pastures! If you want to see amazing sights, bask in the sunshine and/or just kick back and relax....this is the place to do it!

Cast of Characters: This year's Hawaiian adventure includes myself as well as my husband and our adult son (age 24).

Itinerary: 4 nights on the Island of Kauai and 5 nights on the Big Island

The Adventure Begins

Getting There

Anyone who has flown to any of the Hawaiian Islands knows how exhausting the travel is just to GET to the island! If you have not flown to Hawaii before you need to know this! There is no easy or quick way to get there. Even if you live on the West Coast you are a minimum of 5 hours away from paradise. In our case it's about an 11 hour flight to the Islands and 10 hours back. With our itinerary this year taking us from Cleveland to San Francisco to Los Angeles to Lihue, Kauai, travel time to and from airports, layovers and the strong headwinds we encountered on our final leg, as well as time to get our baggage, picking up our rental vehicle and driving to the hotel, we were looking at about a 22 hour timeframe. The point being.....no matter where you start your journey....you WILL be tired by the time you arrive in Hawaii!

So once we arrived at our hotel we were so happy to be there! The wonderful Lei greeting we received on our arrival made us feel so welcome. The bright flowers and beautiful smell immediately let us know that we had found a little slice of paradise. Once we got to the room, it didn't take us long to fall asleep!

Tip: We have found in our travels to the Islands that we seem to adjust to the time difference (5 hours difference from EST in February) better if we land in the evening and just head to bed. By the time you wake up in the morning you are pretty much adjusted to Hawaii time!

The Grand Hyatt Kauai

Sunrise at The Grand Hyatt Kauai

So after a very friendly welcome to the Grand Hyatt, very helpful employees....from the valet to the bellman to the front desk...and a very good night's sleep we woke up early to an amazing sunrise that we could see from our lanai! This is the other benefit to arriving later in the evening...you never know what you are going to wake up to in the morning!

The first thing we realized was "Wow...what a beautiful place this is!" The second thing we realized was "Wow we are hungry!" After a day of picking up quick meals and snacks in airports and on airplanes....we were excited to head to the breakfast at the ILIMA TERRACE. This is an indoor/outdoor restaurant with beautiful tropical views. They offer a breakfast buffet or you can order from a menu. We chose the breakfast buffet (everyday of our stay!) There were many offerings on the buffet....eggs, breakfast meats, potatoes, cereals, breads and of course the extremely fresh fruit! The buffet is $31.00/person and is very filling. I have seen people complain about the cost on review sites but honestly Hawaii is a lot like going to Disney World....you just have to forget about the cost and enjoy it while you are there!

The servers were very friendly and helpful. Asking about what we had planned for the day and offering tips and suggestions. They would even follow up with us the next morning to see if we enjoyed ourselves. Service was good. Hawaii rule number 2 - everything moves a little slower on the islands....just relax and take your time...it's vacation...not a race!

Once we had eaten we were ready to explore the Garden Isle....

Waimea Canyon

The first stop of the day (one of many....you all know how I travel) was at Waimea Canyon.

View just before turning onto Waimea Canyon Road

When I first started researching what to do on the Island of Kauai I was shocked to find that there was a canyon there. This is not just any old canyon.....this is a full blown...."Grand Canyon like" canyon. While it is certainly not as vast as the Grand Canyon....it is still amazing nonetheless!

View just before turning onto Waimea Canyon Road

It was about an hour drive from the Grand Hyatt to the Canyon itself. There were some interesting things to see along the way! The

road to the canyon takes some twists and turns. I've seen reviewers say that it is a very windy road....yes and no. For Hawaii it's pretty windy. If you have been to any of the western states and have driven in the mountains....this is not windy at all! Just make sure that you take advantage of the many turnouts to take in some of the beautiful scenery along the way.

Small waterfall along Waimea Canyon Road

We were very surprised to see the deep red rocks. If you had dropped me into this area I would have guessed we were in the American Southwest.....not Hawaii!

The farther you drove...the further from Hawaii you felt you were.

Waimea Canyon

Finally we arrived at Waimea Canyon itself. There was a nice paved parking area and restrooms at the site. There is a short climb to get to the canyon's edge from the parking lot. There are stairs to your left and a ramp to your right (this would be wheelchair accessible but would take some pushing). We took the steps up and the ramp down. I believe that the ramp would be the least strenuous way to go if you have any type of mobility issues. It was a little less steep than the stairs. Either way you go leads you to the rim of the canyon. We weren't quite prepared for the sight that met us.

Waimea Canyon

The contrast of the colors, the deep folds of the canyon walls, the depth of the canyon itself....all just amazing to see.

Tip: This area gets hazy during the day. If you want a clear look, pick a clear day (cloudy days do not yield good viewing conditions) and head up to the canyon before 10:00 AM. The haze starts to build in late in the morning and just gets worse. You definitely want to get a good view of this area!

Waterfall in Waimea Canyon

After viewing the canyon at the main area, we drove a little further up the road and made a quick stop at Puu Hinahina Lookout to get a better look at the waterfall in the canyon.

Feral Chicken in Kauai

This is also the first place (and certainly not the last!) that we saw the feral chickens that roam the entire Island of Kauai. They are beautiful birds and quite used to people!

Na Pali Coastline - Our first look

Whatever you do...do not stop and turn around and go back after you see the Waimea Canyon. Keep on going North! You will pass a few turnouts and eventually you will come to Kalalau Lookout.

You MUST stop at this Lookout area! There is nice paved parking area with restroom facilities. The walk to the lookout is a short easy walk away. The payoff is HUGE!

After a short walk this is the view that awaits you!

View from Kalalau Lookout

This is the beginning of the Na Pali Coast. To see the Na Pali Coast from afar you need to either take a boat trip or a helicopter ride. If you prefer to stay on land, this is one of the best places to see the rugged coastline. It was so amazing to see the contrast of the dark rocks and deep blue waters. It is worth the drive to the lookout and the short walk.

There are a couple places that you can view the area here. If you continue on to your right after looking at the main area, you will come to a dirt path that will take you to a slightly different view. This path will also take you to Mt. Waialeale if you continue to hike from here. Mt. Waialeale is a shield volcano and is the second highest point on the island of Kauai. It is also one of the rainiest spots on earth with an annual rainfall of more than 452 inches!

If you take a look over the edge of the cliff here....you are met with just an amazing view!

View from Kalalau Lookout Area

The North Shore

By the time we left the Kalalau Lookout area it was about mid-morning. This meant that we still had plenty of day left to explore. The next area we wanted to visit was the North Shore area. Now I know you are saying....."But you are on the North Shore at the Na Pali Coastline, why not just drive around the coast?" Well....the mountains that you see in the photos above get in the way! So in order to get to the other side of the North Coast you must drive South on Waimea Canyon Road and then drive around the East Coast of the island and back up to the North Shore. Luckily Kauai is a small island so the trip only takes about 1.5 to 2 hours depending on stops and believe it or not...traffic.

Kilauea Lighthouse

Kilauea Lighthouse

So we grabbed a quick sandwich in Waimea and keept on driving. Our first stop was at the Kilauea Lighthouse. It's a short drive off the main highway to get to the Lighthouse. There is also a wildlife preserve here but it happened to be closed the day that we were there.

We were still able to get a great view of the lighthouse. There is a paved parking area here and while parking was a bit crowded, we had no problem finding a space. A short walk too you to a great vantage point to see the lighthouse.

This looked like it could be a scene out of New England! This is an area where there is dolphin and whale activity but we didn't see anything during our short visit.

This is definitely worth a stop whether you stay a short time or plan a visit to the lighthouse and wildlife preserve.

Hanalei Bay

Hanalei Bay

Hanalei Bay was our next stop. This is the largest bay on the North Shore of Kauai. It has almost 2 miles of shore surrounded by mountains. It is the location used to shoot the movie South Pacific.

Beach at Hanalei Bay

The clouds had moved in a little by the time we arrived but you could definitely see what a great beach this is. There was a pier that you could walk out on and have some great views of paddle boarders, surfers, swimmers and all the beach activities going on!

Paddleboarders at Hanalei Bay

Hanalei Bay

Parking at the beach was a little tough. There are a few parking areas but it is a very popular area so plan on walking a bit to get to the beach areas.

After a brief stop. we continued our drive around the North Shore. We drove as far as Haena. Stopping along the way to take a look at some of the sea caves that were near the road.

Sea Cave

Haena is the end of the road because those same mountains that got in the way before....get in the way again! So there is nothing to do but turn around and head back to the East.

Opaekaa Falls

Opaekaa Falls

After a quick stop along the way for some traditional Hawaiian Shave Ice, we continued on to Opaekaa Falls. This is a very easy access waterfall. There is a paved parking lot right in front of the falls and very short walk takes you to the lookout area. You can walk around a bit and get different views. You can also see why they call Kauai "The Garden Isle"! Everything was so lush and green....a very welcome sight after all the snow in Northeast Ohio this winter!

View across from Opaekaa Falls

Make sure you take time to walk across the street from the falls also. The view is almost as beautiful in that direction! It's a very short walk with a huge payoff.

We didn't stay here long...maybe 20 - 30 min but it was a stop I would definitely recommend.

Wailua Falls

Wailua Falls

Our last stop of the day before heading back to the resort was Wailua Falls. This is the falls that was shown during the opening of the TV show Fantasy Island for those of you old enough remember that show! It was a bit of a drive to the falls and parking was a little difficult but again this is an easy access waterfall.

The only problem is that what you can see from the viewing area is a side view the falls. There is also a high barrier here so if you are short (like me!) you will have a hard time getting pictures of the entire stretch of the falls. Luckily my husband is taller than I am so we were able to capture the moment! I have a feeling that a helicopter ride may give you a better view of these falls. But for the few minutes it took...it was worth the stop.

Back to the Resort

Our Surroundings and Room

Once we finished up with our drive it was late afternoon. We had reservations at Dondero's for dinner but we had a little time to look around the resort before we had to get ready. We hadn't had much time to see where we were staying in the daylight!

Lobby View

When you first walk into the lobby of the Grand Hyatt Kauai...this is the beautiful view that greets you through their "picture window". Let me tell you....I never got tired of seeing this view!

Seaview Terrace

The Seaview Terrace lies just beyond the picture window. They served breakfast and coffee in the morning and snacks and drinks in the evening. There was live music each night in this area. It was a very relaxing way to end your day. It was also quite popular so be sure to arrive early if you want a seat!

Our room was fantastic. It had plenty of room for the three of us. It actually offered one King bed and one Queen which was perfect for the three of us traveling together. It is a little more than a regular two queen room but worth the difference!

The bathroom was large with plenty of room to move around. It had a separate water closet so multiple people could get ready at one time. The hair products and lotions were all from their spa and were Coco-Mango scented. They were heavenly!! You will want to take some home with you. Products are available to purchase in the spa!

The bathroom also had a "surprise". I don't want to ruin it for anyone but I will say just make sure you check out the "cleaning action" of the toilet!

View from our Lanai

We finally got to see the view from our Lanai in all it's glory. We had a Partial Ocean View room but we found it to be perfect for us! We spent much of our downtime relaxing on the lanai and just watching the waves roll into shore. We didn't see too many whales in Kauai. I'm not sure why that was...there were a few...but not nearly as many as we ended up seeing on the Big Island.

Our Lanai

Dondero's

Just before we were ready to head down to dinner it started to rain and the winds picked up quite a bit. We were able to walk around a bit and explore on our way to dinner.

Outdoor Seating at Dondero's

We made it to Dondero's in plenty of time for our reservation. The restaurant didn't seem overly crowded but we had to wait in the waiting area. The menu is Italian. The food was good (not great) and service was slow and not very attentive. I would rate it a 3 out of 5 stars. The outdoor seating looked amazing and very romantic. Unfortunately the weather kept us from dining outside this particular evening.

By the time we finished dinner we were ready to relax for the evening. We stopped and listened to the live music in the lobby for awhile and then headed to bed. Tomorrow is another day and once again we have some big plans!!

Coming Next: Journey to Hawaii 2015 - Day 2 Polihale State Park and More

Follow me on Twitter @travelswithmelb

Like my blog on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/travelswithmelb

More Budget ideas for Colorado - Exploring the Western Side of the State.

2014-08-28T14:40:00.001-07:00

"Go West Young Man"

So we had been to Denver/Colorado Springs many times and decided that we wanted to venture a little further west in the state to see what we could find. What we did find was very interesting!

We decided to drive from Denver to Grand Junction, Colorado where we stayed for a few days while we explored the Western Colorado/Eastern Utah areas. It is almost a 4 hour drive to get to Grand Junction and the terrain makes several changes as you go west.

Rocky Mountains

When you think of Colorado (or at least when I do) images of the Rocky Mountains probably come to mind. The mountains, while visible from Denver along the skyline of the city, are actually about an hour and a half drive west of the city itself. Of course if you are an avid skier you know this fact well! So the first hour and a half of our drive took us directly into the mountains. I-70 is dotted with numerous well known skiing venues such as Copper Mountain and Vail. Even if you are traveling during the off season, it is fun to make a stop and look around these famous venues.

Beyond the Rockies

Once you get past the Rocky Mountains, the terrain changes dramatically. Yes there are still mountains but they are a totally different type. They are folded mountains and look totally different. You will also notice that the distance between towns gets much further! You can travel past many exits that have little to no services before you actually get to Grand Junction. Towns are small, scenery is not quite as interesting as the Rockies in my opinion although there is a nice river that flows along I-70 for some time.

There are a couple scenic routes that branch off of I-70 as you get close to Grand Junction. They are well marked along the roadway. I would highly recommend that if you chose to take the detour onto the scenic by-way that you do it when you know there is enough light left in the day. The roads are winding, long, add quite a bit of time to the drive, and are a little frightening after dark! Also, there isn't a whole lot of scenic anything that you can see once the sun goes down. The only thing we saw were the headlights gleaming off the eyes of the wildlife that came near the roadway after dark! My opinion of the scenic drive may be skewed by this fact....so check it out if you are in the area and have a desire to do so!

Grand Junction

Once you arrive in Grand Junction you will be happy to see civilization again. This is a fairly large city (huge compared to the ones you have seen for the past several hours) with real services, restaurants, hotels and even a Sam's Club! The downtown area is really cool and a must see if you are in town. It's very "old fashioned" looking and has numerous shops that are just fun to walk by or to stop in and browse.

Just outside of town to the west is a beautiful canyon. The area is called Colorado National Monument and has many different types of terrains within it's boundaries. There is a canyon, towering monoliths, and even a plateau. There is a $10.00 fee/vehicle to enter the "park" and a paved roadway with pull off areas where you can stop and take photos. There are 12 trails throughout the monument area if you would like to hike. Again I would caution that you should start out (even if you are just driving through) before it is dark. It took us about an hour and a half with stops to get through the area. Here is a link to the website for further information http://alltrails.com/parks/us/colorado/colorado-national-monument

Eastern Utah

When we were scoping out our trip to the western part of Colorado, we discovered that Grand Junction is only about an hour and 40 min drive from Arches National Park. This was definitely on our bucket list to visit and Grand Junction made a great place to establish our base as there are few lodging options once you get near Arches. You will also notice a big change in terrain once again as you get into Utah.

Arches National Park ($5.00/individual $10.00/vehicle)

This is is a MUST DO if you can find a way to get to this park! It is so different than anything you will see elsewhere. Yes there are red rocks in other places but the arches here are absolutely stunning! The park itself isn't really close to anything (as most National Parks tend to be) so finding a base is an important thing. Moab, UT is the closest town and there are services there. You can also

Once you get to the park, there is a paved roadway that will take you through the park as well as several trails that you can take to get up close and personal with the arches. These trails range in difficulty. We only had the day so we chose a few of the easy trails and it was well worth the time spent.

Parking is limited at popular trailheads so you may want to check out alternative transportation such as bikes, shuttles, etc. There are several ATV rental facilities in Moab if you would like to rent a vehicle and take it on the trails. Remember to hold onto your pass as it is good for 7 days!

It really is an amazing park and words just don't do it justice. Take a look at some of the photos of the area!

Canyonlands National Park ($5.00/individual $10.00/vehicle)

Canyonlands National Park is only a few miles from Arches. As good as Arches is....that's how bad we found Canyonlands to be. I have to say this is my least favorite National Park that I have visited in my travels (followed closely by Great Basin National Park). I feel badly saying that I didn't care for this park, but I have talked to others that have visited Arches and Canyonlands and have had the same reaction. It is quite possible that Arches is so stunning that anything would pale in comparison but the park just seemed underwhelming to me.

However, the parks are so close in proximity and if you want to see as many National Parks as you can, go ahead and make a stop. I would not plan on a large amount of time to view this. If you have a short time and can only choose one......go to Arches and skip Canyonlands.

In Summary:

My last few blogs have given you many options for visiting various areas of Colorado that will not break your budget. Other than the cost to travel to the state itself, there are many things to do that are so economical. Very few places that I have visited offer so many different things to do and see at such a great price. I would recommend taking a look at Colorado and see all there is to do!

Coming Next: What's New at Disney?

Follow me on Twitter @travelswithmelb

An Inexpensive Day Trip from Denver or Colorado Springs: Rocky Mountain National Park

2014-08-28T11:31:00.000-07:00

When my husband and I travel to Colorado we usually are based in Colorado Springs because of his business travel. However in order to get to and from Colorado Springs you most likely will be flying into Denver. While Denver is a great city and offers lots of shopping, dining and nightlife options, the reason that I like staying in Denver for at least a couple nights of our stay is it's closer proximity to one of my favorite places to visit:

Rocky Mountain National Park ($20.00/vehicle)

Rocky Mountain National park is one of my favorite National Parks. If you have followed me at all you know that I love traveling to the National Parks. They are all unique in their landscapes and offerings but few of them pull me back for multiple visits. This is one park that I just can't get enough of so I have to visit any time I am in the area!

We have visited in multiple seasons but the park is best viewed when the roadway is open all the way through. Make sure you check the official website at http://www.nps.gov/romo/index.htm for road closures. Timing of the opening of the roadway varies by year depending on snowfall so always be sure to check before you head out there!

When we travel from Denver, my favorite route is to start in Estes Park and take the roadway straight through to the western Side of the Park and Grand Lake. There are many quaint local places to dine in Grand Lake and the town has a western small town feel. There are also shops and it's great to take a walk around and check out the town. I usually try to hit Grand Lake for lunch and then head on back through the park and out again at Estes Park before nightfall. There are no lodging accommodations in the park itself. There are options both in Grand Lake and Estes Park. Planning ahead is essential especially in the peak tourist season.

All of the seasons are beautiful in the park. Fall is one of my favorite times. The changing leaves are beautiful and animals are plentiful as mating season begins.

Whether you simply drive through the park and enjoy the scenery or hike and get closer to nature, this is a great way to spend a day and not break your budget!

Estes Park - The Stanley Hotel

You can not drive to Rocky Mountain National Park and go through Estes Park without noticing the beautiful hotel that dominates the city. This is the Stanley Hotel. We drove past this hotel many times on our way to the park on various visits and every time I would tell my husband the same thing. "I REALLY want to stay there someday!" I mean who could not be drawn in by the architecture and the beautiful setting for the hotel? Well one October as a late birthday gift my husband had me book the hotel for a night!

As I was booking the hotel, I started reading about the Hotel's history. If you are unaware of the history, in a nutshell it is listed as one of America's most haunted hotels and is the inspiration of Stephen King's "The Shining"!

While this intrigued me it didn't deter me from booking a reservation here. The hotel rates are rather steep so this is a splurge and is NOT a budget friendly stay. It is however a once in a lifetime stay so was worth the extra money to us. Here are a few things to keep in mind when booking your room. Room 217 is the room that Stephen King stayed in when he got the inspiration for The Shining. There is a ghost that has been seen in that room...Mrs. Wilson...who is said to take special care of the guests who stay in that room. If you stay on the Fourth Floor, you may hear the ghosts of children laughing. All the rooms have had some out of the ordinary experience so you never know what you might encounter.

We didn't know what room we were going to be given but

when we arrived we ended up with a room on the Fourth Floor! I wasn't sure if this was good or bad! The accommodations themselves are decent....definitely not what you would expect for the cost but you are paying for the ambiance and history of the hotel.

Now the ironic part of our stay was that it was Halloween weekend! We didn't even think about it when I booked the room. Well as you might imagine there were several people who came to the Stanley looking for ghosts that weekend. We did not see any ghosts nor did we have any really strange experiences, although the furniture in the hallway was moved during the night. They even have one TV station that plays The Shining 24/7!

We had a wonderful Sunday Brunch in the morning complete with Mimosa's and Champagne. It was a really cool place to stay and a "must do" if you are a Stephen King fan or a ghost hunter!

Colorado - Full of Fun Inexpensive Things to Do!

So whether it is Colorado Springs or Rocky Mountain National Park, there are some major attractions in Colorado that are inexpensive and provide a lot of entertainment value for the entire family. Some states may have inexpensive attractions but they don't hold your attention or some may have expensive attractions that limit what a family can do....Colorado is really a great place to visit where you can get a lot of bang for your buck!

Coming up Next: More Budget ideas for Colorado - Exploring the Western Side of the State.

Follow me @travelswithmelb

Colorado Springs on a Budget - Part 2

2014-08-27T12:40:00.001-07:00

More Recommendations for things to Do in Colorado Springs

In part one of Colorado Springs on a Budget we visited Pike's Peak, Garden of the Gods and the U.S. Air Force Academy. In Part 2 we will continue to discover some of the many attractions that are in and around this amazing city that are Free or Low Cost.

U.S. Olympic Complex (Free)

What American doesn't love the Olympics? Here is your chance to visit the place where our athletes are trained! When you arrive you will be assigned a time for your tour. The tour starts with a movie that shows some of the greatest highlights of the Olympics and shows some of the training that the athletes go through. You are then taken on a walking tour of the facility. You are welcome to take photos and your guide is informative and will be happy to answer any questions you may have. Plan on about an hour for the movie and the walking tour.

The facility is open from 9 AM - 4:30 PM Monday - Saturday during the summer and from 9 AM - 4:00 PM Monday - Saturday in the Winter.

You are welcome to walk around the facility on your own to see displays and there is a gift shop. Donations are accepted but not required.

This was a really interesting visit and one that I am so glad we made. It's just not something that you see everyday! Definitely a stop to consider if your schedule allows. I would allow 2-3 hours for a visit here.

For more information visit the website at http://www.teamusa.org/about-the-usoc/training-centers-and-sites/colorado-springs/visit

Cave of the Winds (Small Fee)

The Cave of the Winds is located in Manitou Springs which is just outside of Colorado Springs. This is a great way to spend a couple hours exploring a cave. Parking is free and tours are offered throughout the day. The Discovery Tour is the most popular tour. It is a 45 minute walking tour of the cave. You get to see many of the rooms and the guides are very informative. The cost is $20.00/adult and $12.00/child (6-12) Children 5 and under are free.

While this may not be my first choice of attractions, it was an interesting cave to explore. They do offer a photo at the end of the tour but purchase is optional.

There is also a large gift shop and clean restroom facilities.

Cave Temperature is around 54 degrees F year round so make sure you dress appropriately.
For more information and directions check out their website: http://caveofthewinds.com

Royal Gorge (Free)

Royal Gorge is about an hour from Colorado Springs but is a whole different area. There are many things to do at the gorge that are free. Walking across the suspension bridge is an amazing feeling as you look down into the 1,200 foot deep canyon below you! There is no fee to walk across the bridge and you can spend as much time as you want.

There are shops around and a brand new visitor's center set for opening labor day weekend 2014.

If you would like more information on the gorge please visit the website at http://www.royalgorgetravel.com

Royal Gorge Route Railroad

If you would like to spend a little more money while you are in the area, there are two things that I would highly recommend. The first is to take a ride on the Royal Gorge Railroad.

Fares start at $39.00/adult and $28.00/child and go on up depending on which class of service and which tour you are taking. It is a streamliner from back in the 1950's and it takes you back in time while taking you on a 24 mile journey through the Gorge itself. The scenery is amazing and ride is memorable. It is ranked as one of the top 8 scenic railways in America.

For more information on rates, schedules and special train rides (murder mystery, special dinners, etc) please check out their website at https://www.royalgorgeroute.com

White Water Rafting

The other thing I would highly recommend if you are in this area and up for some adventure is white water rafting on the Arkansas river at the bottom of the gorge. We decided to give this a try when we were there...had never been rafting before and had one of the best adventures ever! There are many rafting outfitters in the area. We chose Arkansas River Tours and Dave, our guide was awesome. We started out choosing the 1/2 day adventure and ended up staying on for the full day adventure. They were kind enough to bring us helmets and gear for the second half of the day as that was a little more challenging than the half day adventure.

The half day adventure is good for novices and offers Class III- IV rapids. The full day continues into the gorge where you will encounter Class IV+ rapids. You definitely notice the difference when you get into the larger rapids! We were there in August so the river was not at it's deepest. For those of you who are looking for a big adventure, our guide told us to come back in May when the snowmelt causes the river to be at its highest and most rapid!

Half day trips run around $70.00/person while the full day trips are around $115.00/person. It is well worth the money and time if you are interested at all in this type of adventure!

Check out their website at http://www.arkansasrivertours.com

The Broadmoor

Colorado's 5 star resort is located in Colorado Springs! Now if you stay here it is far from free (but well worth the money) but you can stop by just to walk around the grounds, check out the shops and see how beautifully maintained this property is!

We have been lucky enough to stay at this property twice.....both in the middle of winter

Tip: Rates are much cheaper in the winter since this is golf resort!

The views from the room are amazing and the service can't be beat. The spa is pretty wonderful too! Like I said, if you can find a way to stay for a night here.....do it. Otherwise, make sure you at least drive by and take a look around!

Rumor has it that the Broadmoor has purchased the 7 Falls property also which is nearby. This property was damaged in the recent flooding in Colorado and is being repaired. This is also a great attraction in the Colorado Springs area so here's hoping that it is up and running soon!

Check out the Broadmoor website at http://www.broadmoor.com

Final Recommendations for Colorado Springs

There are just a couple more things that I would recommend if you are in the Colorado Springs area.

Food

If you are a steak lover and love to check out the local establishments, The Famous in downtown Colorado Springs is a must! The steaks are amazing, the cocktails strong, the desserts decadent and the atmosphere lively. This is a a local gathering place and the bar is in the middle of the dining room so it tends to get a bit noisy if you are there on a weekend evening. There is also live piano music and it's just a fun place to visit. The prices are bit on the steep side so make sure that you plan accordingly. Visit their website at http://www.thefamoussteakhouse.net for menu and pricing as well as directions.

Inexpensive Lodging

If the Broadmoor is just a bit above your budget, no worries here are a couple of great options for lodging that won't dent your wallet and will give you a quality stay.

Hampton Inn Colorado Springs Air Force Academy and the Hilton Garden Inn at Briargate

Hilton Garden Inn Colorado Springs

Hampton Inn Colorado Springs

both offer excellent rates and are close to I-25 so you can easily get to all of the attractions that the city has to offer. They are close to shopping and dining options that will fit all budgets. We have stayed at both hotels and have found both to be a great place to stay affordably.

Travels With Mel

The Great National Park Adventure: Day 8: Old Faithful and Beyond

Back to Yellowstone - Day 2

Lower Geyser Basin

Midway Geyser Basin

Upper Geyser Basin

Old Faithful Inn

Village Area

Beyond Old Faithful

Grand Teton National Park

Homewood Suites Jackson

Jackson Historic District

Silver Dollar Saloon

End of the Day

Coming Next: The Great National Park Adventure: Day 9: Grand Teton and on to Park City, UT

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @travelswithmelb

The Great National Park Adventure: Day 7: A Whole New Look at Yellowstone National Park

Changing Directions on the Fly

The Drive to Yellowstone

Yellowstone National Park

The Visitor's Center in Mammoth Hot Springs

Mammoth Hot Springs

Sheepeater Cliff

Norris Geyser Basin

Virginia Cascade

Canyon Village

Hayden Valley

Places to see within the Hayden Valley

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Tower Falls

Back to Mammoth Hot Springs

Bozeman

Homewood Suites Bozeman

A Long Day but very Satisfying

Coming Next: The Great National Park Adventure: Day 8: Old Faithful and Beyond

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @travelswithmelb

The Great National Park Adventure Day 6: Glacier National Park - A Gem of a Park!

Sunrise over Lake McDonald - Glacier National Park Sunrise

Going to the Sun Road

Many Glacier Road

East to West on Going to the Sun Road

Tips for Viewing Glacier National Park

Montana Club

Back to the Hampton Inn

Coming Next: The Great National Park Adventure Day 7: A Whole New Look at Yellowstone National Park

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @travelswithmelb

The Great National Park Adventure Day 5: Custer's Last Stand and Beautiful Western Montana

Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument ($15.00/vehicle)

Let the Driving Resume

Hampton Inn Kalispell, MT

Coming Next: The Great National Park Adventure Day 6: Glacier National Park - A Gem of a Park!

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @travelswithmelb

The Great National Park Adventure -Day 4 - North Dakota!

North Dakota! - #49

Theodore Roosevelt National Park ($20.00/vehicle)

Painted Canyon

Medora, North Dakota

South Unit

Hampton Inn and Suites Billings West I-90

What's Next

Coming Next: Day 5: The Great National Park Adventure - Custer's Last Stand and More Driving....

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @travelswithmelb

The Great National Park Adventure 2015 - Day 3 - We Get to A National Park!

Badlands National Park (Entry Fee: $15.00/vehicle)

Wall Drug, Wall, South Dakota

Wind Cave National Park (Free to Drive Through, Fees for Cave Tours)

Custer State Park ($15.00/Vehicle) - **Must See**

Iron Mountain Road

Crazy Horse Memorial - (Fees vary...$28.00 vehicle over 2 passengers)

Mount Rushmore ($11.00/vehicle - National Park Passes NOT accepted)

Hampton Inn Rapid City, South Dakota

Coming Next: The Great National Park Adventure 2015: North Dakota!!

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @travelswithmelb

The Great National Park Adventure - Day 2: Hay, Windmills, Corn Palaces and Lots of Driving

The Original Plan

The New Plan

Off We Go!

Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center - Sioux City, Iowa (Free)

Nebraska

Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Sunrise over Lake McDonald - Glacier National Park

Sunrise

Custer State Park ($15.00/Vehicle) - Must See