Yellowstone: then and now

Yellowstone was the first National Park that I visited as a child and it remains an American favorite today. 

Haven't visited Yellowstone yet?  I can get you there.   Email me to start planning today. 

on the top bunk of our beloved Shasta

I first visited Yellowstone as a 7-year-old.  I was with my family in a Shasta camper - one of those white boxes with an orange stripe down the side (I'm the cute one in red).   We drank warm Tang, gathered with the crowds around Old Faithful geyser, and - believe it or not! - cracked the windows of our Rambler station wagon to feed oreos to the bears.  Yes, our parents instructed us to do this, and the rangers stood by and watched, to make sure it all went smoothly.   That was 1971.

Now, it's 2014 and I'm 47 (about).  Now, the wildlife is well protected by rangers who enforce strict food storage rules and the national park service has launched campaigns, like this one: 

Don't make your car into a bear lunchbox!

Yellowstone's BIG attraction:  
Old Faithful
In 2014, you can plan your trip to watch Old Faithful do its thing by tracking the eruptions on your phone's app, Geysertimes.   

Sleeping and hiking in Yellowstone
And you don't have to sleep in a Shasta.  Stay at the Roosevelt cabins (although they might not be much more luxurious.  They describe their Roughrider cabins as "sparsely furnished" and one visitor walked in and said "Is this even legal?")
At the other end of the luxury spectrum, consider Yellowstone National Park's Old Faithful Inn, the largest log structure in the entire world.  On the list of Historic Landmarks, offering a towering lobby with giant stone fireplace, decorated with copper and iron features, this 1903 lodge is so popular that they offer daily tours. Stay in one of the 350 rooms for about $350/night.

Things to do in Yellowstone National Park

Favorite activities include hiking the steep but short trail down Tower Falls, or driving up to the Mammoth area to view the hot springs.

Wondering how to spend 1-day in Yellowstone, on daytrip up from Jackson?   Start at Old Faithful's geyser, grab a quick snack in the classic Old Faithful Inn, head over to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and stop by Hayden Point (a lookout over Hayden's sub-alpine Valley, which is along the Yellowstone River between the lake and the Falls) for a chance to peek at bison (and maybe even a bear) -- dusk is best!

Secret Swimming hole at Yellowstone? 

3 miles into Yellowstone NP from the north entrance, before you reach Mammoth Hot Springs, there's a small parking lot on your left.  Park and walk down the trail 400m to the confluence of the Gardiner and Boiling River, and you'll find a small swimming hole known mostly to locals. It's a rejuvenating mix of hot Boiling water and chilled Gardiner water.  This is what it looks like: 

Off-the-beaten-path in Yellowstone?

With over 3 million visitors last year in Yellowstone, you might be thinking "How do I get away from it all to really SEE the park?" 

You can llama trek, horsepack, or even sea kayak to the outer reaches of the wilds, and I have just the guide to escort you. (email for details)

Want a map of the park?

Want to see ALL the highlights? 

Call Melanie's custom design service to make it happen!
(609)923-0304

And stay tuned to my next post about a different season in Yellowstone:  WINTER!

Acadia National Park: carriage roads, sailing, and lobsters!

For help with your Acadia National Park vacation, contact Melanie @ Tough Love Travel!

7 things you should NOT miss at Acadia National Park:

ACADIA HIGHLIGHT #1:  The Carriage Roads

57 miles of rustic carriage roads were created by Rockefeller between 1915 and 1940.  He was living on Seal Island, and imagined a network of lovely wooded trails and granite bridges over which Desert Island (which is now Acadia NP) could be explored by horse-drawn carriage.

Today, these broken-stone roads remain, and allow YOU to totally escape the automobile!

Rent a bike out of Bar Harbor, strap it onto a park bus, and ride to your starting point of choice.  The Jordan Pond House is a central, though crowded, option.
Here's a map - the dotted lines are the carriage roads and the red arrow is the town of Bar Harbor.


ACADIA HIGHLIGHT #2:   Meet a real lobsterman, and then submit to a lobster-only diet
Captain John will take you on a 2-hour "run" to check his traps, teaching you about the local lobster industry, shipping and pricing, and giving you a chance to see sea lions along the way!
His boat is called LuLus Lobster Rides and costs $33.  Reservations are required for this tour that departs right out of Bar Harbor.

Afterwards, make sure you sample some of this local delicacy.  My family went on a lobster-only diet for 3 straight days:  lobster omelette for breakfast, lobster bisque for lunch, a lobster boil for dinner.   Lobster eggs benedict the next morning, followed by lobster fritters and a slider, then lobster linguine for dinner.  I could go on and on...


ACADIA HIGHLIGHT #3:  Kayaking to the Cranberry Islands

Out of the Southwest Harbor area, you can launch kayaks for a 45 minute paddle over to the Cranberry Isles.  There, you can wander the island's sandy lanes, take a photo of the good old fashioned general store, wave to some locals (are they summer or winter folks, you'll wonder), visit the historical museum (both Great and Little Cranberry Island have museums open in summer), and eat some shellfish at this dockside spot.

Don't have a kayak?   There's a wonderful outfitter right in Bar Harbor, named Coastal Kayaker.

Don't want to kayak?  There's a mail boat/ferry service that runs out of Northeast Harbor, with stops at both islands (and a motor by the lighthouse, too!) for about $28pp.

ACADIA HIGHLIGHT #4:  Your own private island
Want more than just a day trip to the Cranberrys?   You can stay on your very own island!  Only minutes from the national park, on your own 15 acres, for just you and your group (of up to 10), your caretaker and your private boat captain - because, of course, you'll need to get ferried out to this most exclusive spot.   Call Melanie to hear more:  (609) 923-0304

ACADIA HIGHLIGHT #5:  A good hike, like the Precipice
Many hikes of different lengths and levels are waiting for you in Acadia but my favorite -- for challenge and for views -- is the Precipice. Not for young hikers or for people with fear of heights, this hike is not actually technical but does require you to use iron handholds in the rock for certain sections. But it's not that hard -- I knew a family who took their pug on this hike!   It's hot up there on the bald face, so take lots of water.

ACADIA HIGHLIGHT #6:  Walking "the bar"
At low tide, the sand bar connecting Bar Harbor to the little offshore rocky islet is exposed, and you can walk or ride your bike across the sea!  Once on the island, a 12 minute hike to the top will give you great views, as well as a super spot for lunch picnic or sunset photos (depending on tide schedule)

ACADIA HIGHLIGHT #7:  Ferry to the Schoodic peninsula
A mere 4 miles (as the crow flies) or a 1 hour ferry ride from Bar Harbor will land you in Winter Harbor,  from where you can take the free Island Explore Shuttle Bus for a tour of the peninsula.

FUN PHOTO:  horse-drawn carriages, back in the day...

Back in time:  Maine's Carriage Roads

Wondering whether to stay in Bar Harbor or Southwest? 

Would you like to sail? 

What some hints for best restaurants for that lobster-only diet?

To get set up on the insider's track for Acadia, so YOU can experience all the hidden gems of this northern paradise, talk to Melanie Tucker, owner and chief designer at Tough Love Travel. 

Select your complimentary 20-minute appointment today.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park: bats, caves, and aliens

Quick facts:  

WHERE:  southeastern New Mexico

HIGHLIGHT:  caves and bats

QUESTIONS?:  email Melanie @ Tough Love Travel

I traveled to Carlsbad National Park with my sons in 2004.  That summer, a new backcountry cave had recently been opened which we toured with special permits, but the highlight of our visit was the sunset show of the bats.  They spiraled out of the cavern each and every evening, counter-clockwise (the same way that toilets flush and eucalyptus trees grow in the northern hemisphere) and we were quite amazed!  (check out video at bottom of blog)
  

Getting to our remote NPs is often a dilemma for the traveler.   How should you physically arrive at Carlsbad and why?

We drove, but you can also fly into Roswell (100 miles away) - the home of the aliens!

By driving on a long road trip, we visited Carlsbad after Big Bend NP in TX and before Saguaro NP in AZ.  (read blogs later this week for these parks)

If you have only one overnight in the park (2 days, 1 night), where would you stay and what would you do?

I'd see the main caverns and stick around for the bat exit at sunset.  Then I'd pre-reserve a special tour for Day 2, like Slaughter Canyon (see below) or the 3-dimensional maze, Spider Cave.

Best wildlife viewing opportunity?

The bats!

Best food?

You'll only find cafeteria food in the park, but in Carlsbad village, there's a sushi spot called Blue Ocean Robata.  Located more than 6 hours from the nearest ocean, it offers quite a unique experience.

Best photography shot?

The Christmas Tree formation inside Slaughter Canyon Cave.

What problems have you encountered there (or heard of others encountering)?

Be ready for close screening prior to entering the caves, because our noses, footwear, and clothing sometimes carry diseases harmful to bats.

What is the “rare find” within Carlsbad NP?  

the road out to remote Slaughter Canyon

The private tour of Slaughter Canyon Cave is extra special.  There's no illumination, no paved walkways.  You have to have a flashlight or headlamp to enter this underground space!  It's a true, wild cave, accessed only by a 1/2 hour hike up the desert mountain, to crawl though the small circular opening.  And, in addition to the untouched stalagmites, there are anthropological remains from ancient peoples who used to collect the bat guano here.   Cost:  $15pp

Any words of warning, or wisdom, for the Carlsbad NP planner?

Take a jacket.  The desert may be 120* outside but the cave is 50* inside. 

Did you know?

The limestone rock that holds Carlsbad Caverns is full of ocean fossil plants and animals from a time before the dinosaurs when the southeastern corner of New Mexico was a coastline similar to the Florida Keys. 

waiting for the bats to fly

If you're looking for a road trip though some of our country's most spectacular scenery and most intriguing National Parks, I would love to talk to you. 

I'm Melanie Tucker, owner and chief designer at Tough Love Travel, where I offer complimentary 20-minute get-acquainted sessions.  Select yours right here.

Glacier National Park: scenery, summertime snow, and big-horned sheep

Today begins a series of blogs featuring our US National Parks. 

Here's the first installment, an interview with Bernie, who loves Glacier National Park. 

Have questions?  I am here to help.  Email me here.

Bernie, welcome to the Tough Love Travel blog.   I hear you’re a Glacier NP expert, so tell us...

Q:  Did you know that people often confuse Glacier National Park with Glacier Bay National Park? 
A:  Yes, some people find it confusing, but I have visited Glacier National Park in Montana, for 3 different summer vacations!

Q:  Getting to our remote national parks is often a dilemma for the traveler.   How did you physically arrive at Glacier, and why did you choose this method?

A:  We flew in to Kalispell, MT, the closest airport to the park.   

This minimizes travel time (it’s only a half hour by car to the west entrance), but airline tickets to FCA can be expensive.

Q:  If you have only one overnight in the park (2 days, 1 night), where would you stay and what would you do?

A:  If you are the hiking sort, I would drive the Going To The Sun Road to the east side of the park (assuming you are coming from the west) and spend the night at the Many Glacier Hotel.  There are many beautiful day hikes in the area.  

boardwalk trail over tundra by pass

The famed road is a treat.  It bisects the park from west to east, covering 53 miles.  Allow 2-2.5 hours driving time, plus stops at viewing points along the way.  Stop at Logan Pass and hike a mile or two on the Hidden Lake trail or the Highline trail – both are flat and easy, and the views are stunning!  In the Many Glacier area, there are numerous trails – the Swiftcurrent Pass trail is virtually flat for the first 3-4 miles and passes two lakes along the way.  There is also the Iceberg Lake trail, a 9-mile out and back to a pristine, blue lake that actually has icebergs on it until early August!

down, down, down to Wonder Lake

trail down to Wonder Lake

If you’re not into hiking, you could stay at McDonald Lodge and take one of the red “jammer” bus tours.  The busses are fully restored 1930’s White busses.  They got the nickname “jammers” because the drivers were constantly jamming the gears going up and down the grades on the road.  They have modern engines and automatic transmissions nowadays, so the jamming factor is no more.  They have open tops so that you have an unobstructed view of the peaks as you ride along listening to the guide.  Blankets are provided, because even in the summer it can be chilly early in the morning in an open vehicle.

Q: What is the optimal length of time to spend at the park in your opinion?

A:  It depends on how much you like to hike.  If you are “road bound”, perhaps a day or two is fine.  But with only one road, yet over 700 miles of maintained trails, Glacier is a hiker’s paradise.  I go for a week.

Q:  Best wildlife viewing opportunity?

A:  The wildlife will best be encountered away from the road, which gets a lot of traffic.  On an 8 mile hike on the Highline trail from Logan Pass to Granite Park Chalet, I walked to within a few feet of a mule deer doe, saw a small herd of big horn sheep from a hundred yards, mountain goats, and hoary marmots.

Q:  Best of most unique meals/foods?

A:   Just about anything that comes off my backpacking stove is guaranteed to be “unique”.  

But for lodge guests, I’d suggest the dining rooms at McDonald Lodge or Many Glacier Hotel, which offer a varied menu similar to other national parks.  But honestly, you don’t come here for the food; the mountains are the star of the show.

Q:  Best photography shot?

A:  Probably the one of a mule deer buck sniffing the hand sanitizer at the door of the restroom at Granite Park Chalet.  He looks as if he is waiting to go in.  

But if you like landscape photography, just point the camera in any direction.

Q:  What problems have you encountered there?

I haven’t encountered a grizzly on the trail…yet, but if you spend much time in the back country, you need to take the usual precautions.

 Q:  I hear you think that Glacier NP is a rare find.  What is the rare find within Glacier NP?  (this can be a lodge, a trail, a moment, a program)

A:  That’s easy.  The two remaining chalets built by the Great Northern Railway in 1914 as part of an 8- or 9-chalet system, each one a day’s ride by horse apart, by which the early visitors used to experience the park.  The two that remain are the Sperry Chalet and the Granite Park Chalet.  

Sperry Chalet

Sperry can best be reached by the iconic 13.3-mile Gunsight Pass Trail, which begins at the Jackson Glacier Turnout on the Going To The Sun Road about half way between Logan Pass and the St. Mary Visitor Center. This trail is on any hikers bucket list.  It’s another 6.5 miles from the chalet down to McDonald Lodge via the Sperry trail.  Sperry Chalet is rustic, with no electricity, no heat, no showers.  But they provide dinner the night of your arrival, breakfast the next morning, and boxed lunch or the trail when you depart.

Granite Park is a similar set up, except that you have to bring your own food, which you cook in the kitchen there.  The best way to get there is by another of Glacier’s iconic trails, The Highline, which departs from Logan Pass and travels 7.5 miles along the Garden Wall all the way to Granite Park.  The ridge of the Garden Wall is the Continental Divide, and you have breathtaking views every step of the way.

Q:  Any words of warning, or wisdom, for the Glacier NP planner?

A:  Although Glacier is technically open year round, the road is not completely plowed clear of snow until late June or early July, and the higher elevation trails are not clear until then too.  So, the best time to visit is July-August better to assure full access to the park.  Because the season is so short and lodgings are relatively limited, PLAN EARLY if you intend to stay within the park.  Reservations typically open a year in advance and book up quickly.  Reservations for the two chalets open in October for the following season, and will completely book up within a few days.

The other thing is the weather.  Although daytime summer temperatures are usually comfortable, nights can be chilly, dipping into the low 40’s and upper 30’s at higher elevations (around 6500 ft.).  Bring rain gear and even a couple of items of warmer clothing.  You never know what kind of weather Glacier is capable of – in mid-June this year, they received 15-20 inches of snow above 6500 ft!

If you're interested in National Park experiences, stay tuned to this Tough Love Travel blog over the next 10 days. 

Coming up:   Carlsbad Caverns,  Isle Royale, the Channel Islands, and Katmai!

Would you like to have the help of an expert? 
I'm Melanie Tucker, owner and chief travel designer at Tough Love Travel.

Select a complimentary 20-minute appointment today.

Wind and Wine: family lore in Hood River!

Here's another great family vacation idea: HOOD RIVER!  offered by Melanie at Tough Love Travel!    Email her today, to get your OWN family out, making memories!

They call it the "Walk of Shame".

Hood River, on the Columbia River's horizontal border between Oregon and Washington, is famous for it's beginner-friendly windsurfing area called The Hook, Those who have learned at Hood River have, sooner or later, been initiated into the Walk of Shame.

The Columbia's relentless eastward breeze at Hood River gives a newbie a steady firm push as he practices his turns, tacking downward, but if he can't yet manuveaur his board upwind,  he eventually has to get off, and walk it:  the Walk of Shame.

At some point (usually day 2 of windsurf camp), he'll master the upwind skill, but until then, the layout of the Columbia river here by Hood River is a perfect training ground.   The Hook --  this arm of shoreline that sticks out into the Hood River current -- resembles a biker's arm, signaling a left turn.  In its enclosure is a large body of river where, on a board, you still enjoy the wind to surf, but you're contained by the Hook so you don't get swept downriver from Hood River to Idaho!

As a mother of 4 sons who had the lack-of-impulsiveness common to teenage boys and were just learning to windsurf, I was very grateful for the Hook!

Here are a couple of shots from surfcamp at Hood River...



In the evening, we sat on the banks by Hood River and watched a wind-surfing competition.  I was amazed at their 30-40mph speeds, and even more by their absolute control, executing airborne stunts and cutting frighteningly close to one another as they challenged each other and the wind.
Later, we wandered up the steep gorge-side streets of Hood River and found healthfood cafes, outdoor gear shops, and a few tattoo parlors.   Hood River is a true windsurfer's mecca!


After a couple days of windsurfing, my sons were sufficiently adept that I could leave them in the hands of their Big Winds instructor, and head across the bridge to Columbia River's  wine country!

Only 60 minutes from Portland, this area is known as "a world of wine in 40 miles".

From Hood River, you can make wine country a simple daytrip,
but there're more than 30 vineyards!  So this area, that's on the same general latitude as European's storied wine countries and which benefits from the volcanic soil of our Northwest' Ring of Fire, can also be a multi-day trip from Hood River.

You can take a river cruise on the UnCruise Line, a small ship that plies the gorge with stops at vineyards, onboard wine seminars, food-wine pairings, and guest speakers.

Or you can embark on your own roadtrip from Hood River.  One great place to start is Cathedral Ridge Winery, in easy reach of Hood River and named Oregon's 2007 Winery of the Year!

In the shadow of snowy Mount Hood!

Message from Melanie, owner of Tough Love Travel...

Summer is not endless!   What do you have planned for yourself, and your family, this summer?  

I am here to help!  Want a 20-minute phone call to talk about the possibilities?  It's free!   Grab one right here!