We have been dreaming of overseas travel for most of our life.  Traveling through the states of Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and Wyoming in the Summer of 2024 really enforced the idea of taking our adventures to the next level.  Now we know we are ready for more adventuring outside the continental U.S. 48 states.

What really cemented our idea of traveling overseas was our chance meeting of Chris from Switzerland.  Luckily, we were all traveling through Utah at the same time.  He ended up boondocking with us for the night.  We were all staying only one night.  However, we started chatting and continued visiting the entire next day into the evening.

Our gentleman, in his thirties, had already visited more of the U.S. than we had.  In addition, he had traveled to a lot of countries that we have only been dreaming of visiting.  His encouragement of “Just buy the ticket” really put a fire under our butts for more adventurous travel.

So, now we are planning our 2025 trips and we are focusing on traveling overseas.  We still have adventures in the continental U.S. on our bucket list and plan to visit them a month or two each year.  However, our main plans involve airlines, hotel or condo accommodations, and rental cars overseas or in Hawaii and Alaska.

With this new found bravery in traveling, we also had to revamp our budget.  In addition to lodging and plane tickets, we want to dine out more and try the local cuisine, visit markets, and tour more historical buildings.

Learning About Overseas Travel

Traveling outside the United States is a whole new concept to us.  Neither of us has been outside the U.S. in all of our many years.  We know many friends who book a resort for a week vacation and never leave the resort.  But this sounds completely boring and is not our type of travel.

Part of our fascination with traveling to other countries is interacting with the local culture, learning new languages, and visiting historical buildings and places.  And, of course, in many places, snorkeling is at the top of our list.

Because worldwide traveling is new to us, we are trying to learn more about how to travel efficiently and safely.  We are reading books by travelers and watching YouTube Videos.  Also, we are trying to learn more about the confusing credit card points and using them efficiently.  Forget expert hacking tips yet; we are still trying to earn our promotional points!

Because we are newbies at the overseas travel gig, we are only planning a week or two in different countries to get our feet wet.  Luckily, many of our bucket list places are considered safe for traveling, speak english, and we do not yet have to get a Visa.

However, as we gain more knowledge and feel more comfortable, we expect to travel to less safe areas.  Especially as many of our snorkeling bucket lists are in more dangerous countries.  But some of bucket lists are once in a lifetime experiences that we don’t want to pass up.

Some ideas we have gathered so far from reading the accounts of full-time travelers are:

1. Don’t try to see everything – book a week or two and see your highlights
2. Don’t check in baggage – carry-ons are the way to go
3. Be flexible
4. Plan for fraud and theft
5. Learn a few polite words in every country you visit
6. Research the country you will be visiting

Don’t Try to See Everything in Overseas Travel

When we plan our RV adventure for a year, we try to include a lot of sights and hikes that we want to do.  Usually, they are on our bucket list.  However, sometimes it is because we get bored sitting at a campground.

During our truck camping adventures of 2024, we missed a lot of our hikes and sights on our list.  We were sometimes too antsy to get to the next spot or the weather was miserable.  As we were traveling through the desert for most of the summer, the weather was often miserable.  Especially for sleeping in the back of the truck.  And we didn’t expect the price of ice to kill our budget.

Initally, while considering overseas travel, many times we thought we would have to book a month in a country to see everything.  We discussed finding public transportation or renting a car, booking two or more hotels/condos, and how to travel to different areas.  Our friend from Switzerland simplified overseas traveling for us.  He told us to pick a few bucket list items that we must see or do and then leave.  It sounds simple, but it was an “Ah-ha” moment for us.

What a relief this was!  It is way easier to book a week or two for the main places we want to see rather than planning luggage, clothes, and travel for a month!  And, we can include a couple of days for rest and just walking the town.  Because we are not go, go, go travelers, having a few days of downtime is very important for us.

So, now in our planning for 2025, instead of booking a month in one country and traveling all over it, we are planning a week or two visit in one area.  We hope to see our main attractions in the one area and interact with the local culture.  If we have time, we might venture out a little further.  However, we can always book another trip to a different area later.

The planning of only a week or two in one area makes the overseas traveling a whole lot simpler.  We only must book one hotel or condo and do not have to travel throughout the entire country.  We expect to stay in one location, see the sights, and learn a little of the local culture and food.

Simplifying the travel to another country has made our trip planning more fun and relaxing.  We may have to plan more than one visit to a country to see everything we want in the country, but we don’t have to try to cram everything into one trip.  Whew!

Don’t Check in Baggage

We are not baggage checking travelers anyway.  I have this fear of my luggage being lost and I like to keep it all near me when I fly.  I am like Scrooge with his money. And reading books by full-time travelers supported this decision.  Full-time travelers we have read and watched recommend not checking baggage.  Instead, they suggest following the one carry-on and one personal item for airport check-ins.

Since studying the recommendations of frequent flyers, we have purchased one small suitcase that meets the requirements for under the seat luggage.  We also plan to purchase two small traveling backpacks for our overhead compartment.  We plan to pack light.  As we don’t wear jeans anyway, we will pack some nice pants and shirts for both of us and maybe a couple of light dresses for me.  As one YouTube traveler recommended, “pack your bag, take half out, and then go.”

One recommendation given by another YouTuber is to make sure your bags stand out.  You do not want someone else to take your luggage without you noticing.  So, make sure your luggage cannot be mistaken for another.  I am still looking for the most goofy, colorful way to decorate my luggage.  Also, we will put locks on everything, including our day backpack, to deter theft.  From what we have read, pickpocketing is the most frequent crime in overseas travel.

Because we will be traveling to other countries and, sometimes, visiting churches and other historical buildings, we will pack nice, presentable clothing.  After all, we do not want to offend citizens of these countries or be denied access to something we really want to see.   And, let’s face it, no one wants to see two fifty-years old walking down the street with their private wrinkles showing anyway.

As for shoes, we love our hiking sandals.  In addition to hiking in them, I can also wear mine with dresses or skirts.  The only other pair of shoes we plan to pack are our tennis shoes  To make our packing lighter and our decision of what to wear easier, we plan to purchase neutral colored pants, shorts, and skirts.  We can then choose more colorful tops to accessorize our plain jane bottoms.

Hopefully, our packing plan works for us.  We don’t want to do laundry or have sweat stains under our armpits.  The more we travel overseas, the more we will learn what clothes and personal items we really need to be comfortable and presentable.

Be Flexible

In addition to traveling overseas, this is sound advice for RVing Full-Time.  You don’t know what will happen that could potentially change your plans and even make you slap your forehead.  Sometimes, crap just hits the fan.

During the Summer of 2024, we took our travel trailer to Arizona during the hot month of July.  We expected to stay only a week or two and then head back to the cooler weather in Colorado.  We really didn’t like the heat, but we wanted to do a couple of bucket list hikes in the area.

Unexpectedly, our truck broke down.  It just wouldn’t start one morning before a hike.  So, we had it towed to the nearest dealership.  For a month we sat in our travel trailer in the over one hundred degree heat while our truck was fixed.  This was not in our plans and took us by surprise.  We had to reschedule campgrounds and change our plans.  This was our first major mishap in four years of RVing Full-Time, but we handled it.

We assume overseas traveling will also hold some surprises for us.  Our planning in some countries involves using pubic transportation.  We know this will take us some time to learn and we will have some hiccups.  So, we want to add a few days to our trip to find our way back to the hotel, just in case.

However, we also know that things we never even considered will probably occur.  Our best action is to have a few backup plans and to search for other opportunities, if necessary.  Some of our best learnings have been from life’s curveballs.

Expecting Theft in Overseas Travel

I did not even really consider this until I read a book written by a full-time traveler.  Both she and her husband have had their credit cards frauded while traveling overseas.  And their bank closed the account.  If the bank closes the account due to fraud, they will only reissue the new credit card to your physical address back in the states.

Another YouTuber traveler we watch was pickpocketed while touring a country.  She also had her luggage taken from the overhead compartment on the airplane.  It seems there are many ways to be targeted for theft and fraud in our travel overseas.

We are still researching ways to make our travels safer.  Our first plan of action is to carry most of our important items in cut proof day backpacks with locks.  We each plan to carry one so we can divide credit cards, money and important documents.  Hopefully, we also remember to keep records of the customer service numbers of our banks, just in case.

A couple of worldwide travelers that I have read also recommend carrying backup copies of important documents, including passports, in other suitcases.  One author recommends three copies of ids carried in different suitcases.  Because we are only part-time travelers, we are still researching how much actual paper backup we should carry with us.  We don’t want to set ourselves up for more identity theft for only a week of travel overseas.

Also, to make it easier on us, we are not carrying laptops or other electronics on our trips.  Of course, we will have our cellphones and a backup for our photo storage.  But we really do not want to worry about how to carry or where to store other devices while we are having fun.

Luckily, our bank allows us to exchange dollars for euros in the U.S. before traveling.  To get our feet wet, we decided our first country for overseas travel will be in Europe.  We love the idea of leaving our Debit Cards at home and not using foreign ATMs.  Hopefully, this removes some exposure to fraud and theft.

As newbies, we are still learning.  We continue to read and watch videos on scams others have been exposed to and recommended safety precautions by full-time travelers.  Our first line of defense now, before visiting a country, is to check out the travel.state.gov website and learn more about the crime, restrictions and locations of U.S. embassies in each country.  And, of course, once we begin overseas traveling, we will have a better idea on protecting ourselves.

Although we realize no one is immune to theft and fraud (and every day company hacking proves it), we plan on limiting our exposure by simply not carrying too many items that can be stolen, dividing the necessary credit cards and cash, having copies of our passports and ids, making sure we are always aware of our surroundings and our personal effects, and anticipating what our backup plan is if something does happen.

Learning Polite Words and Behaving Respectfully

Oh, yes, we have met them, the travelers that everyone warns you about.  We met them at the pool while RVing in Virginia.  Originally, we thought it was going to be a great conversation.  After all, the man was originally from Missouri, and we usually love meeting fellow Missourians.

However, the conversation soon took a wrong turn.  We began discussing the subject of overseas traveling.  We were so jealous as they had traveled to loads of countries.  Of course, us being us, we started asking a lot of questions, trying to learn more.  We really thought they would teach us tips on overseas traveling and ideas for some adventures.

What we really learned from them was: (1) they did not like the food, (2) the weather was not ideal, and (3) their favorite part of one trip was staying in a hotel with a view of the Eiffel Tower.  They were arrogant and always comparing the country they visited to the United States.

Words cannot begin to describe how disappointed we were.  I am surprised our faces did not give us away as we grimaced on every detail of their travels.  We still have no idea if they ever truly enjoyed any of the countries they visited.

We know enough about ourselves to realize we will have to make some adjustments in our normal behavior while in other cultures.  For example, I am loud.  It is not that I do it on purpose, my voice is just loud and carries.  Especially if I am excited about a new sight or adventure.  I am working on it.  But it may take me a little bit to change a habit of fifty years.  I know I must soften my voice because not everyone in my vicinity wants to hear, “Wow, baby, check that out!”

However, we hope we are open to meeting various people from lots of different areas without prejudging them.  We love meeting, talking, and learning from others.  Sometimes it is difficult not to make comparisons between other countries and the United States.  However, there is really no reason to compare unless you are deciding whether to move to another country.  Afterall, we are just temporary visitors right now.

We want to travel overseas to learn and see amazing sights.  Duolingo is teaching us a few languages.  More importantly, we are trying to learn a few simple phrases such as  “hello,” “please,” “thank you,” “good morning,” and “where are the bathrooms.” in all of the countries we will visit.   Afterall, it is very important for us to know where the bathrooms are.

We know that English is spoken in many countries, especially in the touristy areas.  However, we do not want to assume that everyone will understand us.  Also, we hate to miss amazing opportunities to learn new languages, even if it is just simple phrases!  We would kick ourselves if we did not take advantage of hearing the local language and learning a bit of the culture while we are visiting.

Even though native speakers may laugh at our attempts of pronunciation, everyone we have met to date has been so friendly.  I have been laughed at while trying to roll my Rs and other speakers have explained conversations in English to us.  But, everyone we have met was happy that we were trying to learn their language and very nice about our faults.  It is a joy to us to talk with friendly, amazing people from all different walks of life.

Research Your Desired Location

This is how naïve we are about traveling.  We did not realize that the U.S. federal government maintains the website travel.state.gov to research different countries you will be traveling to.  I learned it recently while reading a book written by a full-time traveler.  You can aslo register with the website to let the U.S. government know when you will be in another country.

While planning our overseas travel, we try to read up on and watch a lot of YouTube videos about the specific country we are visiting.  And we will continue to learn more about traveling in general.  Windell loves watching YouTube and I love reading.  So, you can guess who does the research in each area.

When we travel to a country, we want to do our best not to offend anyone.  Also, we realize the laws in that country can differ from what we are used to in the United States.  So, we do a little research.  Although we know we will make mistakes, our research makes us feel more prepared for our travels.  We are probably overthinking it.  We sometimes do.

Yet, because we want to learn and experience some of the culture as well as see some sights, we expect to put ourselves in more uncomfortable settings than just relaxing in a pool at a resort.  Who wants to relax in a resort pool?  Especially if there is an ocean nearby to snorkel!  So, we research to teach us some basics of how to visit a country politely.

The most fun research is determing the bucket list items to do!  We make a list of the sights we want to see, any markets we want to visit, recommended authentic restaurants, and the main areas we want to tour.  It is also interesting to research festivals and cultural events that may occur while you are there.  I will never forget jumping up to dance in Colorado with Hopi family members when permitted!

Preparing Ourselves for Traveling Overseas

We are so excited.  When we started RVing, we made a strict budget to retire early.  Our initial budget was so strict that it required us to stay on Thousand Trails campgrounds for two to three weeks without much adventuring.  However, we have expanded our interests since then, our budget, and our work experiences.  The more exploring we do, the more we hunger for new and more exciting adventures.

Although we have not seen all the continental 48 states yet, we have decided to start exploring via overseas travel in the upcoming years.  We still plan on traveling in the U.S. a few months out of the year.  But we will be limiting this adventuring and travel to fewer, more specific areas.

Luckily, we can start exploring together while we are still physically able.  We are grateful for this chance to meet people, learn cultures, and try things we never dreamt of while working full-time.  And we expect our overseas travel in 2025 to further expand our interests and memories.  Thanks to our friend from Switzerland and some research, we will soon be able to start this new journey.

We really enjoyed our visit to the Rocky Mountain National Park.  Although we only stayed three days, we completed two amazing hikes and tented for the first time in a national park campground.

How We Managed Our Visit to Rocky Mountain National Park:

1. Book a campground
2. Get there early
3. See the sunrise while hiking and avoid the crowds

Our Hikes:

1. Nymph, Dream, & Emerald Lakes and Lake Haiyaha
2. Andrews Glacier & Tarn that we didn’t complete

Timed Entry Pass

2024 was our first year we had to book timed entry passes for some national parks.  Arches and Rocky Mountain National Parks both required timed entry passes to enter the park during certain times of the day.

Arches National Park was pretty straightforward.  If you were entering the park between the hours of 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. between April 1 – October 31, 2024, you had to purchase a timed entry pass for $2.

We would wait until the day before we wanted to visit, get on the Recreation.gov app at 7 p.m. and book a pass for the next day.  Easy peasy.  Although you have an hour from the initial time of the pass to enter the park, we always showed up right at the beginning of our time.

However, Rocky Mountain NP is a little more confusing.  Firstly, it has two different areas with different entry pass times.  If you are visiting any area besides Bear Lake Road, you must have a timed entry pass to enter the Park between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.  You can enter the park before these hours or after these hours without a timed entry pass.

Our hikes were, unfortunately, on the Bear Lake Road, and has its own timed entry system.  Bear Lake Road reservations are required to enter the Bear Lake Road Corridor between the hours of 5 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The timed entry passes for the Rocky Mountain National Park are also valid for 2 hours.  So, if you purchase a timed entry pass for 8 a.m., you have from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. to enter the park with your pass.  However, I will say, if you are entering at the Bear Lake Road, 8 a.m. is probably too late to find a parking spot at the trailheads.  You will probably have to catch the shuttle.

Glacier Basin Campground

Because our planned hikes were in the Bear Lake Area, and we knew the trailheads would be very busy, we decided to book four nights at the Glacier Basin Campground.  Your timed entry pass is included with the booking of the campsite.  So, we could avoid purchasing timed entry passes separately.  Also, it was easier for us to wake up early to park at the trailheads.

We have the America the Beautiful Annual Pass and we should have been able to book the campsite for half price.  However, I was trying to book it on my Recreation.gov app and, for some reason, it wouldn’t accept the numbers on the back of the card.  If you intend on booking this campground, please make sure you receive the half-price discount from your card.

The campground is very noisy.  I believe quiet hours are from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.  We went to bed around 8 p.m. every evening because we knew we were getting up at 4 a.m.  However, our neighbors banged around until 9:30 p.m. every evening.  The campground is the quietest during the day when everyone is out exploring.

If you are staying at the campground, like us, to arise early for hiking, be aware it is not quiet.  We realize we are an anomaly as we go to bed really early for our morning hikes.  But, we also know we are not the only ones!

Generators can be run between the hours of 7:30-10 a.m. and 4-8:30 p.m. However, some sites do not allow generators.  When we arrived, we spoke with the ranger on duty checking us in.  We asked a lot of questions as this was our first national park campground.

There is a solar shower in the D Loop at this campground.  After smelling ourselves, we probably should have checked it out after hiking.  But, we didn’t.

Our Hikes

The two hikes we wanted to try were the Nymph Lake, Dream Lake, Emerald Lake and Lake Haiyaha trail and the Andrew Glacier and Tarn Trail.

Our first hike of the four lakes we began at the Bear Lake Parking Area & Trailhead.  We knew both of our hikes were in popular destinations and the parking lots would fill up fast.  Although there is a shuttle stop right across from the Glacier Basin Campground, we decided to get up early to find a spot.

We arrived at both parking lots around 4:30 a.m. and there were already vehicles in the lots.  I don’t know if you will be able to find a spot after 7 a.m.  Because of the timed entry system, we expected a lot of traffic before the 5 a.m. timed entry requirement and we were not disappointed.

Our Four Lake Hike

Our hike to the four lakes was gorgeous.  We didn’t start out on the trail until after the sun had risen.  However, I imagine watching the sunrise at one of the lakes would be amazing.  Although we enjoyed Dream Lake and Emerald Lake, our favorite was Lake Haiyaha.

You must do some rock scrambling when you arrive at Lake Haiyaha.  I am not going to lie, rock scrambling is not my favorite type of hiking.  But the absolute blue glacier water of the lake is worth climbing over the big boulders.

Give yourself some time to sit and really take in this lake.  We could not get over how gloriously blue it was.  A couple of young men, braver than we were, jumped in for their cold plunge.  Although one said, “how refreshing,” the other young man did not say too much but tried to put on his clothes quickly!

We took our epic lunch spot for the day at this beautiful lake.  We just enjoyed sitting, enjoying the lake, and taking in the surrounding views.  However the lake itself is the real reason to visit this area.

If you don’t want to hike the other lakes, but only see Lake Hiayaha, you can also reach the lake via the Glacier Gorge Trailhead.  Our second hike to Andrews Glacier and Tarn also begins at the Glacier Gorge Trailhead.  You can also hike to Alberta Falls, Timberline Falls, and Sky Pond from this trailhead.

Andrew’s Glacier and Tarn

So, you can imagine, this parking lot also gets full quickly.  For our second hike, we decided to begin the trail in the dark and hike during the sunrise.

Wow!  We began hiking around 5:30 a.m. or a little before.  Before we reached Alberta Falls, we were already experiencing some of the amazing effects of the sunrise over the trees and on the rocks.  The sun rise was still occurring when we reached Alberta Falls.

I would not change that moment for all the world.  To witness Alberta Falls in the glowing pink of the sunrise while the rocks around you reflect that color was one of the prettiest sights we can remember.

If you are hiking this trail, and if possible, begin the hike in the dark and see the sunrise.  It will be a forever memory that you will not want to forget.  Also, there is not a crowd at this time of day.  We were by ourselves for most of the hike.  The hikers who had started before us were hiking to other areas to view the sunrise.

Alberta Falls is in and of itself gorgeous.  We were taken aback by the amount of water that flows at this waterfall.  And the large, surrounding rock makes it stunning.  We recorded it on the way back, as it was too dark for the GoPros during the sunrise.  However, by then, there were crowds everywhere.

While hiking to Andrews Glacier, you also get to hike around The Loch.  Oh, my goodness, this lake took our breath away.  When you arrive at the lake, you can see the waterfall on the far distant rock wall, with snow or ice above it.  On the day we hiked, a mist was gently rolling down the mountains towards the lake.  We had to sit and take in its beauty before continuing.

For most of our hike, we followed the same trail as the Sky Pond Trail.  In fact, we were the only ones hiking to Andrews Glacier.  Although we did meet one young woman hiking back who had watched the sunrise from there.

The trail for Andrews Glacier separates from the Sky Pond Trail after The Loch.  We had to make a right at the fork towards the Andrew Glacier Campground.  The next sign we saw on the trail only officially marked the campground.  However, someone had carved an arrow pointing to the left that said Tarn.  There is another blue arrow on the rock when you turn to the left for the Tarn.

We did not make it to the Glacier and Tarn, which is the small lake below it.  However, we hiked with views of a glorious meadow up the hill.  We had to climb over some large boulders.  But we had talked with the young lady hiking down earlier, and she had told us to stay to the right.

We followed her advice, staying to the right while climbing over the boulders up the hill.  We climbed over a beautiful stream that led down into the valley, with blooming wildflowers on the hill.  It was gorgeous.

Finally, we reached the real rock-scrambling portion of the hike.  We could see the top of the mountain where the glacier and tarn were located, but we could not see them ourselves.  The climb to the top required hiking over loose rock.  Windell was already feeling the effects of the altitude.

Although I wanted to see the Glacier, I did not want us to hurt ourselves or hike on all fours just to reach a glacier and lake.  Besides, the hike was already amazing.  We saw Alberta Falls in the sunrise, The Lock with a waterfall, and the hill and valley with a stream and wild flowers.  We were extremely content with our amazing adventure.

Rocky Mountain National Park

We really enjoyed our two hikes in the Rocky Mountain National Park, and we are glad we visited it.  Booking the Glacier Basin Campground for a few nights made it easy for us to arrive early and park for our hikes.  Be aware that the park fills up fast!

Arriving early, hiking during the sunrise, and seeing some of the amazing features made this trip worth the cost of the campground and the drive.  Although it was not our favorite national park, we really enjoyed this short side trip.

During 2023, we spent our summer touring Michigan and Wisconsin.  It was the first time for both of us to see the Great Lakes.  Although the Great Lakes do not contain the ocean life we love (sharks, whales, manta rays, etc.), the vastness of them took us by surprise.  The Great Lakes are amazing to kayak and explore.  There are many shipwrecks and cool geological features that you must check out when visiting.

Kayaking to Turnip Rock in Lake Heron

When my husband said he wanted to kayak seven miles to a rock in Lake Heron in Port Austin, Michigan, I was skeptical.  After all, I am not the strongest kayaker and lakes are not my favorite places to kayak.  I prefer springs and salt water.  But you hate to miss an adventure.  So, I said I would try.

You cannot reach Turnip Rock in Michigan by land.  It is all privately owned.  So, you must kayak Lake Heron to see this unique rock feature.  However, Lake Heron is a beautiful lake to kayak.

We launched our kayaks at Bird Creek County Park GPS 44.04798, -82.99296.  We had no issues finding parking at this cool little park where we could launch for free.  And we appreciate the public bathrooms before the seven-mile kayak trip.  Once we left the sand beach, we turned right and headed to the rock.

It was a rough kayak trip for me, with the wind and currents.  But it was worth it.  Turnip Rock is a neat rock to see in Lake Heron.  And we had a lot of fun kayaking around the rock, playing, and filming each other.

It took us several hours to kayak there and back from the Bird Creek County Park and I was worn out.  The trip took longer because Windell had to wait on me a lot while kayaking back to the beach.  But Lake Heron is gorgeous and turnip rock is a fun feature to kayak.

Booking a Kayaking Tour for Pictured Rocks in Lake Superior

Our favorite kayaking in the Great Lakes was with a Pictured Rocks kayaking charter.  The Pictured Rocks in Upper Michigan are gorgeous!  When we visited, we booked the boat ride with Pictured Rock Cruises, LLC and the kayak tour with Pictured Rocks Kayaking.  Afterwards, we hiked the Lakeshore-North Country Trail to see Lovers Leap and the other rock features from the shore.  FYI, though, when we hiked a fog rolled in and we couldn’t see some of the amazing features we wanted to see.

We booked the Pictured Rocks Kayaking charter because the boat takes you out into Lake Superior near Pictured Rocks.  Supposedly, you can kayak Pictured Rocks without a guide.  You can carry your kayak from parking lots to Lake Superior at the following locations: Sand Point Beach, Miners Beach, Twelvemile Beach Campground and Day-Use Area, and Lower Hurricane River Campground and Day-Use Area.  However, this is recommended for expert kayakers only.

Because we wanted a boat to take us closer to pictured rocks and we wanted a guide, we booked the charter.  We really enjoyed our tour with Pictured Rocks Kayaking.  They ferry you out to near Lovers Leap and then put you into tandem sea kayaks with a guide to follow.  We went through and in caves, under Lovers Leap, and so much more.  You really get to see Pictured Rocks from the water level with this tour.

Windell’s favorite was Rainbow Cave.  The colors inside the cave with the water dripping mesmerized him.  My favorite was kayaking all the caves.  It is a blast to go underneath the rock formations and see the colors of the rock and the water from this perspective.  Our video of this experience doesn’t do it justice.  Firstly, we didn’t record everything we saw.  And, secondly, we were mesmerized by the ceilings of the caves, so we took a lot of shots overhead instead of around the entire rock.

You do not have to be an expert kayaker to enjoy this tour.  Many of our fellow kayakers were beginners, and the tandem sea kayaks are easy to steer and paddle quickly.  We were not sure about kayaking together in one kayak.  After establishing who was steering and who was paddling, we finally got the hang of it.  At the end of the tour, on the way back to the boat, we were having fun going as fast as we could and playing around.

We had so much fun with this tour.  To really experience Pictured Rocks, you must book the boat tour for the history and a different view of the rocks.  However, the kayaking tour will enhance your visit to this marvelous place.

Apostle Islands Main Shore in Lake Superior

Unfortunately, we did not kayak the mainland Apostle Shores in Wisconsin.  Instead, we hiked the Lakeshore Trail to see the amazing rock formations.  Although we do recommend the hike to see the upper level of the caves and rocks; we wished we had kayaked them also.

We saw many kayakers on our hike.  There are a lot of amazing caves and geological features that you can explore both on the shoreline hiking and in the kayak.  The kayakers were entering the caves and seeing the rock features that created many of the sounds of the water that we could only see from above.   If we return to this area again, we will be kayaking it.

You can launch your kayak at Meyers Beach at GPS 46.88376, -91.04874.  The parking lot for Meyers Beach is the same one we parked on for the Lakeshore Trail.  The parking was $7 when we visited.  From Meyers Beach, you make a right and kayak the gorgeous rock features.  We also saw many kayak tours in the parking lot.  If you wanted, you could book a tour for the Apostle Island mainland kayaking.

Wisconsin Cave Point and Whitefish Kayaking in Lake Michigan

Initially we visited this state park and hiked around.  However, we knew we had to kayak this area when we saw kayakers playing in the caves and rock formations that we could only see from above.

So, we launched our kayaks at the Schauer Park Beach & Boat Launch GPS 44.94512, -87.18556.  I believe it is $5 per kayak to launch.  However, it is an easy launch and kayaking to Cave Point is gorgeous in the clear, beautiful Lake Michigan.  After we launched our kayaks, we turned right to head south to Cave Point and Whitefish Dunes Parks.

When we reached the Cave Point Park, we kayaked into the fascinating rock formations that we had seen from above the day before.  To hear the sound of the water entering the underwater caverns is something that still thrills us!  We also found another cave that we entered that you could not see from the shoreline.

From there, we continued our journey towards Whitefish Dunes State Park. This is a lovely place to easily visit and explore with kayaks.  Take your time and enjoy the amazing rock features at these parks.

Kayaking Door Bluff with Shipwreck in Lake Michigan

Also, while in Wisconsin, we decided to kayak the bluffs near the Door Bluff Headlands County Park and check out the Fleetwing shipwreck.

We launched our kayaks at the Garrett Bay Park kayak launch, GPS 45.2857, -87.05127.  There is a small parking lot and we had no issues finding a spot.

There are tours that will take you out, tell you the history and point out the main points of interest.  However, if we are comfortable kayaking the area ourselves, we like to save that money for other adventuring.

We decided to head left from the sandy beach to kayak the bluffs before the shipwreck.  Although Windell was fascinated by the clarity of the water and the rocks below, I really enjoyed the gorgeous bluffs.  We didn’t have to kayak very far to see the amazing shoreline.

On the way back, we bypassed the boat launch to see the Fleetwing shipwreck.  Only the bottom boards of the boat remain.  A local swimmer told us he could stand on the shipwreck.  However, it was our first shipwreck that we kayaked and we spent a lot of time going over and over it again.

This is another great, easy spot to kayak while you are in Wisconsin.  After kayaking the area, you can hike the Door Bluff Headlands County Park for a different perspective.

Kayaking the Great Lakes

You have so many fun opportunities to kayak the Great Lakes in Michigan and Wisconsin.  If you enjoy kayaking, check out unique places to launch and explore the Great Lakes.   Also, don’t forget about all the shipwrecks and cool boat tours that are accessible in these lakes.  The Great Lakes, although still not salt water, wowed us with their beauty and amazing features.

Dragaon Fountain in the Asian Garden at the House on the Rock

Our Favorites in the House on the Rock:

1. 1. Carousel Room, Section 2
   2. Heritage of the Sea, Section 2
   3. Musical Machines, all Sections
   4. Circus Room, Section 3

A Little History on the House on the Rock

Sometimes we find the most awesome, quirky things to do.  The House on the Rock in Wisconsin is one of those places.  This place amazed us beyond belief, and we recommend everyone who has an imagination to visit and enjoy it as we did.

The House on the Rock started in the 1940s when Alex Jordan began building a house in Spring Green, Wisconsin on Deer Shelter Rock.  He purchased 240 acres to build his dream house, after his tent blew away while camping there.

He built much of the house himself from his imagination.  People came to visit the curiosity and the frustrated Alex decided to start charging admission.   The money he earned from admissions was reinvested in the house. In 1960, he opened the house up to the public.

In 1988 Alex sold the House on the Rock to Art Donaldson.  The family of Donaldson still operates the house as a privately held business and charges admission fees to tour the original house and add-ons.

We were not sure we wanted to pay the admission fees, which are pretty steep for our budget.  We decided to go ahead and buy the tickets based on the webpage for the House on the Rock and comments on the Internet.  After touring all three levels on the Ultimate Tour, we would gladly pay this admission fee again in a hearbeat!

Touring the House on the Rock

We knew we were going to love this museum when we stopped at the entrance to record our introduction for our YouTube channel.  The entrance has two gigantic urns covered with dragons and filled with flowers.  As you continue to drive down the driveway, you will see more gigantic urns with many different types of dragons and all filled with flowers.  The beauty and uniqueness of these urns piqued our interest immediately.

There are two things you must bring when you visit the House on the Rock.  Number one is your imagination.  You will be blown away by the creativity that defines every room and corner of this house.  The second item you must bring is one-dollar bills for tokens.  We wished we had brought more one-dollar bills to for all the music machines.  I don’t know if $10 will even be enough.  We wanted to put tokens in every music machine we saw, enjoying the variety and the mechanics.  You will not be disappointed spending your tokens!

No outside food or alcohol are allowed in the House on the Rock.  You can bring sealable bottles for nonalcoholic drinks while you tour, and we recommend you do.  The House on the Rock does have food areas on the tour.  However, we didn’t purchase any food or drinks but simply brought our own bottles.  It is best to remember that you will be exploring for several hours.  It took us over three hours to tour all three sections, and we could have stayed longer if we had purchased more tokens.  So, you will need to bring something to drink.

3 Different Tour Sections

There are three sections to the House of the Rock and you can purchase tickets for different self-tours.  We recommend purchasing the Ultimate Tour.   You must purchase this tour online.  When you purchase this ticket, make sure to give yourself at least three hours for all three sections.  Tickets are almost $34 per person plus tax.  Yes, it is expensive.  However, for the approximate $90 we spent on the tickets and tokens, we toured the house for several hours.  And we could have stayed longer.

The House on the Rock is not a quick walk through a house.  Instead, it is an exploration.  You cannot possibly take it all in.  The details, artistic creation, and the entire wowness of the tour will have you gently strolling from one area to another.  And, of course, you must stop and take in the musical shows as you spend your tokens.

Section 1

Section one of the tour is the Asian Garden, the Alex Jordan Center, the Original House, and the Gate House.  Included in Section one is also the Infinity Room.  Before entering the house, you will pass through the Asian Garden.  The garden contains a water spouting dragon with more sculptures, shrubs, and flowers.  The garden is small but gorgeous.

After the Asian Garden, you will begin your tour of the house.  You are overwhelmed by the artistic decorative touches and collections everywhere. I cannot really remember exact details from the tour of the house as we were just beginning our tour and it kept getting better.  In this level of the self-guided tour, the Infinity Room was our favorite part.  It is really cool to see the 3264 windowed room decrease in size the further it extends away from the rock.

The Original House and the Gate House spurred our imagination.  However, the second and third levels blew us away.

Section 2

The second section of the tour includes the Tribute to Nostalgia, the Spirit of Aviation, the Music of Yesterday, the Streets of Yesterday, the Carousel, and the Heritage of the Sea.  We really slowed down beginning on this section of the tour.  We were overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude and creative genius of this section.

You will not believe your eyes when you enter the Carousel Room.  Initially, your eyes are diverted to the largest, most glorious carousel you have ever seen.  The lighting, the music, and the detail of the carousel will hold your attention for several minutes.  Eventually you can tear your eyes away to behold the other amazing features of this room, including the orchestra and the carousel rides on the ceiling.  Unfortunately, you cannot ride this work of art.  However, the beauty and magnitude of this carousel will entertain you to no end.

After gazing with your mouth agape for several minutes, trying to take it all in, you are ready to leave the Carousel Room. To exit the room, you must enter the mouth of a monster.  I love so many of the zany features of this tour, including this monster.

The Heritage of the Sea is another room you will enter where you will be blown away.  The centerpiece is the whale and kraken that is several stories tall!  You cannot see all of this huge display until you eventually walk the ramp up all the way to the top!  However, when you first enter this room, you must check out the octupus orchestra!  We loved this musical machine and every time a token was played, we stopped, listened and watched.

In this room, you will walk up several stories with displays of miniature ships, sailing memorabilia, etc. all the while taking in the immensity of the whale and kraken. At the top story, you can see the boat in the whale’s mouth and take a picture of yourself standing in front of the mouth of this gigantic whale.  There are also more displays at the top for you to take in.

Our favorite part of the entire tour of the House on the Rock was all the music machines.  We did not bring enough one-dollar bills for tokens, and we soon ran out.  However, luckily, the couple in front of us had more knowledge of touring the House on the Rock.  They bought a lot of tokens and played many of the orchestras for us.  We really appreciate their patience and sharing their money with us!

The musical machines are so much fun!  You can’t help but want to play every machine with your tokens.  The different orchestras play everything from country to classical and the mechanics will astound you.  However, remember to save some tokens for Section three and the circus orchestra, which was by far the best to us!

The Tribute to Nostalgia in Section Two is also an amazing walking tour.  You will see unique classic cars, an imaginative factory, hearses, etc.  We had a lot of fun visiting this portion of section two although we went through it more quickly.  In fact, there really is not a section you will not enjoy on this tour.

Section 3

Section three of the Ultimate Tour includes The Organ Room, The Dollhouse Room, The Galleries, and The Circus Room.  I could not get over how much effort went into setting up these displays, especially the miniature dollhouses and circus performers.  As you wander through them, you will return to your childhood.  However, you cannot play with them although you really, really want to.

The Organ Room has many paths that makes exploring fun.  Although amazing, we really loved the dollhouse and circus displays.  We couldn’t believe how lucky someone had been to set up the acrobats, lions, and audiences for the big show.  The quality of the dollhouses, furniture, and features made me wish I was a little girl again.  Thank goodness they were behind glass!  Otherwise, I don’t know if we could have stopped ourselves from playing with all the figurines and toys.

But what is really going to blow you away in this section is the Circus display with the huge, I mean huge, orchestra.  Passing by the pyramid of elephants, where we had to stop for a photo, you enter into another area that will carry your imagination away.  You need tokens here!  When you first start climbing, you will see part of the orchestra in the circus trailers stacked in the center.  Yes, you need to stop and take it in.  However, you must continue to walk up in order to play your tokens and see the entire orchestra!

We could not seem to leave this area for an amazingly long time.  Every time someone would play a token for the orchestra, we just stared with our mouths hanging open trying to take it all in like children, watching the figures and instruments as the circus theme played.  I cannot describe the sheer joy of watching this display over and over. You must see this for yourself!

Included in Section 3 is the doll carousels and a small Japanese garden with a waterfall.  The large carousel in Section 2 was our favorite.  However, the small Japanese garden was a nice, small place to sit quietly for a few minutes and reflect on what we had seen.

We Would Visit Again

Usually, after we have visited a place, we mark it off on our Google Map.  Been there, done that.  However, the House on the Rock is one place that we will always visit if we are in the area.  The sheer joy and childlike indulgence of this place made it very special to us.  We will, though, bring more dollars for tokens so we can play repeatedly!  We learnt our lesson the first time.

If you are ever in this area, visit this amazing place.  You will not be disappointed if you love quirkiness, imagination, and sheer childlike wonderment. You will not remember everything you see – there is just too much.  But you will remember your favorite parts and, as you recall these, it will be difficult to remove that smile on your face!

No one ever said we were the sharpest knives in the drawer.  And traveling through Arizona in July and August supported this fact.  While planning our truck camping adventure for this year, we originally planned to visit Arizona, Utah, and Colorado while sleeping in the back of our truck.  We thought we would be more flexible in our travels and adventuring without the camper.

However, our plans did not work out.  Although we loved all the cool things we did in Utah and Wyoming, we hated truck camping.  So, we decided to pick up our travel trailer in Colorado and head to Arizona for some of our planned adventures.  Traveling through Arizona in July and August was a whole experience unto itself that we hope to never repeat.

Although it was blazingly hot, we did see some bucket list things and have some fun in Arizona.

Our Traveling through Arizona:

1. North Rim Grand Canyon
   • Bright Angel Point Trail, .5 miles
   • Uncle Jim Trail, 4.7 miles, 730 feet elevation
2. Navajo National Monument
3. Tuba City Dinosaur Track
4. Antelope Canyon
   • Upper Antelope Canyon
   • Lower Antelope Canyon
5. Sedona
   • Devil’s Bridge Hike via Dry Creek Road, 3.9 miles, 521 feet elevation
   • Subway Cave Hike via Boynton Canyon Trail, 7.1 miles, 1100 feet elevation

Boondocking and Campgrounds:

1. Kaibob National Forest – Lots of free camping per our Campendium App
2. Navajo National Monument – free paved campsites, maximum stay at one time 7 days
3. NavajoLand Tuba City R.V. Park – less than $40 a night with full-hookups, AARP discount
4. Thousand Trails Verde Valley, Cottonwood, AZ – super friendly staff who helped us out a lot

Why We visited Arizona in the Heat of Summer

Although we knew it was hot, we started traveling through Arizona in July.  We had already booked tours for both the Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon and we didn’t want to cancel them. So, after our tours we decided to continue traveling in Arizona to the Thousand Trails in Cottonwood.  There are a couple of hikes that we really wanted to do in Sedona.  Originaly, we planned to stay only a week in the heat and then book it back to Colorado.

Our plans took a nose-dive when our truck wouldn’t start at the campground.  Luckily, the Ford Dealership is only five miles away from the TT campground and we easily had it towed.  Lucky enough (or maybe unlucky as our truck is not that old), the repairs were all covered by warranty.

However, this unexpected curve-ball meant we had to stay in the heat for three more weeks, a month in total at the campground.  We are not used to this level of heat during the day!  When you Full-Time RV, you have more choice about climates.  So, we had become accustomed to milder climates.  Needless to say, we had to adjust our daily routine while sitting in Arizona.

For the entire month we sat at Cottonwood, we hiked early in the mornings.  Then, we sat in the camper with the Air Conditioner on all afternoon.  After 6 p.m., it cools down enough again to enjoy being outside.

The Stunning Places We Saw in Arizona

The North Rim Grand Canyon

Arizona has some amazing geological features and remnants of ancient life.  We finally saw the Grand Canyon at an age when we could both remember it!  We did not travel to the South Rim, but we did visit the North Rim.  A few people we met recommended the North Rim as it is less busy.  We completed two hikes that we enjoyed immensely at the Grand Canyon.

Bright Angel Point Trail

Our favorite hike on the North Rim was the Bright Angel Point Trail.  It is accessible right past the Lodge.  The views on this trail took our breath away.  Returning from the Bright Angel Point Trail, we also took the Transept Trail a little ways to walk out to some more amazing overlooks.  I believe the Bright Angel Point Trail is currently closed for some repairs.

Uncle Jim Trail

While at the North Rim, we also hiked Ken Patrick Trail to the Uncle Jim Loop Trail.  The parking lot for the Ken Patrick Trail is also the parking lot for the North Kaibob Trail.  Vehicles longer than 20 feet are not allowed in the parking lot, so we had to find some side parking around this area.

We walked clockwise on the Uncle Jim Trail.  The best views of the Canyon are towards the end of this trail if you also hike clockwise.  We stopped for our epic lunch spot while taking in the view.  This trail surprised us with the views at the end.

One thing you do need to be aware of on this trail is the horses and mules.  You will be walking through the wastes left behind.  Although not ideal, we didn’t let it spoil our fun.

We did have on our list to also hike the North Kaibob Trail to the Supai Tunnel.  However, our boondocking site was forty minutes away in the Kaibob National Forest and we decided to save this trail for another trip.  I believe there is dispersed camping closer to the park but we really like our cell service.

While visiting the North Rim, we did see buffalo.  They crossed the road right in front of the truck.  This made the adventure even more incredible.  Can you ever get tired of seeing buffalo or bison?

Navajo National Monument

We knew nothing about the Navajo National Monument.  We actually discovered this little gem by accident while traveling through Arizona.  When we pulled up our Campendium app to find a place for the night, and this national monument campground popped up.

The Navajo National Monument has a paved, free campground that you can stay in for seven days.  Although the sites are not level, they do provide heated restrooms and trash receptacles.  We ended up staying at this campground for three nights, relaxing and exploring the park.

On our second day we visited the Visitor Center, bought some postcards and chatted with the employee for a while.  We hiked the three self-guided trails in the Monument.  The Sandal Trail is 1.3 miles roundtrip.  At the end of the trail, you can see the Betatakin Cliff Dwelling.  It is better to see these cliff dwelling in the afternoon, as later in the day, the sun exposes the cliff dwelling.  Whereas in the morning, the dwelling is in the shadows.

The Aspen Trail is .8 miles, but it is a little steeper.  We really enjoyed this trail and the views of the canyon.  The Canyon View Trail, also .8 miles, would have better views if they allowed you to walk across the rock to really see the Canyon.  However, debris was placed to disallow walking on the rock.  So, we behaved ourselves and hiked back.

If you are traveling through Arizona, Monument Valley, you might want to stop in at the Navajo National Monument.  Check out the cliff dwelling, talk to the friendly employees, and stay the night in the campground.

Antelope Canyon

Originally, we were apprehensive about the tours we booked for Antelope Canyon.  Because we did not know if we would ever return to the area, we booked both the Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon Tours.  We heard horror stories of being crowded like cattle into the back of trucks to visit the Slot Canyon and walking through the canyon squished like sardines.

I am not going to lie.  We were herded into the back of the truck for the Upper Antelope Canyon Tour.  The ride to the slot canyon was very bumpy, and I did say “moo” at one time as we laughed at our predicament.  However, once we arrived, our guide was amazing.

She made sure we had plenty of time to see the Slot Canyon, while not running into any other groups.  She took pictures and explained different features of the Canyon.  We were pleasantly surprised by the tour.

There is only one thing that bothers me about slot canyon tours; guides always point out rocks saying they look like something else.  All the slot canyons we visited are gorgeous and you are excited just to be in them.  I don’t need to see a giraffe in the rock. But I assume other people like that kind of thing.

The Upper Antelope Slot Canyon is beautiful.  It was worth being packed into the back of a truck.  However, the Lower Antelope Canyon blew us away.

We booked our tower for the Lower Slot Canyon with Dixie’s Lower Antelope Canyon Tours.  We were still led by a guide.  However, you walk straight from the tour building down to the Canyon trail with no bumpy ride.

We both thought the Lower Antelope Canyon was prettier and more of a slot canyon than the Upper Antelope Canyon.  We believe that the amazing pictures we associate with Antelope Canyon must have been taken in the lower Slot Canyon.  This canyon tour is also cheaper than the Upper tour.

If you do visit Lower Antelope Canyon, though, be careful!  As usual, I bumped my head on a rock because I was talking and not paying attention.  If you can only do one tour, book the Lower Antelope Canyon tour.  You will not regret it.

Sedona

Cottonwood, Arizona is only a half an hour away from Sedona, Arizona.  If you research amazing things to do in Arizona, you probably will run across a lot of unforgettable hikes in this area.

Because our truck breakdown was a major one, the Ford Dealership kindly lent us a car for over a week.  So, instead of lamenting our situation, we decided to go hiking.  Now, there are a few things I must warn you about hiking in Sedona.

Firstly, it gets hot quick.  If you are not used to heat, go early in the morning.  By ten a.m., the heat is miserable.  We started our hikes around 6:30 a.m.

Secondly, hiking in Sedona includes some climbing over slick rocks.  For me, it meant crawling up some of the rocks on all four or scooting down on my butt.  Just be aware.  On every hike we did, I climbed on all fours in at least one portion of the hike.

The Devil’s Bridge Hike

To access the Devil’s Bridge Trail, you must park at the Dry Creek Parking lot located at GPS 34.89042, -111.82074.  If you have a 4×4 or UHV, you can drive all the way to the trailhead.  If not, you can park in a parking lot and hike the Dry Creek Road to the Devil’s Bridge Trailhead.  You will need to buy a day pass or display your America the Beautiful Pass at the parking lot.

You can easily find your way to Devil’s Bridge with all the signs and other hikers enroute.  The most difficult part of the hike to the Devil’s Bridge is climbing the rocks towards the end.  However, it is well worth a little rock scrambling to walk out onto the arch and feel that sense of accomplishment.  While you are there, take the short hike to the bottom of the bridge for a different perspective.  You will enjoy it!

The Subway Cave

The Subway Cave has been on our bucket list for a few years now.  Being inside the cave and looking out at the splendid scenery is exactly how it looks in the internet pictures.

To access the Subway Cave trail, we parked at the Boyton Canyon Trail Parking Lot, GPS 34.90767, -111.84904.  The parking lot is located in the Cocino National Forest.  You must purchase a day pass or use your America the Beautiful Pass.

You hike the Boyton Canyon Trail for two miles until you turn right at a large Alligator Juniper tree.  The side hike to the cave is easy to find and chances are, you will meet other hikers also hiking to the cave.  The most difficult part of this hike is definitely the entrance of the cave.  If you do not want to hike around the edge of the cliff, be prepared to do some crawling up the cave entrance.

To crawl up the entrance of the cave, we started on the left side with the crevice.  You can find a few footholds on this side.  However, the crevice narrows and you have to switch to the right side of the entrance.  Windell had to push me up by my butt a few times.  To come back down, we schooched on our butts down the original right side without the crevice.

Other hikers are super helpful and will pull you and push you to get into the cave.  Or, you can walk along the cliff side to enter it.  Either way, you must get up into that cave because you will be amazed.

Cathedral Rock Hike

Okay, open disclaimer here.  We did not complete the Cathedral Rock Hike.  Firstly, I incorrectly thought we were hiking to the Church of the Holy Cross.  But we were not.  It was actually located across the valley.

There are some amazing views from this rock, and we decided to attempt it.  However, when we reached the point of scaling through the crevice with small footholds, we both quickly gave up.  Remembering our difficulties in scaling the Subway Cave entrance, we decided only the most epic view would be worth trying to come down that small crevice.

So, we hiked around the rock on a different trail to see some views and headed back to the parking lot.  Sometimes it is good to know your limits.

Soldier Pass Trail

After our failure of trying to hike Cathedral Rock, it was still only seven in the morning.  So, I thought, heck let’s try the Soldier Pass Trail to the Hidden Cave.  We had heard from other hikers that the trail and the cave were both worth seeing, although the sacred pools were dry.

We headed to the small parking lot at GPS 34.8843, -111.78377.  However, the parking lot is closed Thursday thru Sunday, and you must take the shuttle.  On the rest of the days, the gates do not open unil 8 a.m.  When we arrived, there was already one car waiting for the gates to open.  If you want to hike early, your best option is probably the Sedona Shuttle from the Possee Grounds Park and Ride.  The first shuttle is at 7:00 a.m. and arrives at the trailhead is 7:08 a.m.

However, as we sat at the closed gates at the trailhead, we looked across at each other.  We didn’t want to start a Sedona hike at 8 a.m. in the heat.  And we had already finished our two bucket list hikes.  So, we headed back to the campground to sit in some AC.

Thousand Trails Campground at Cottonwood, Arizona

Because our truck required major repair, we had to buy an extra week while staying at this Thousand Trails Campground.  We had no idea when we would be able to leave Arizona.  The employees at the Campground were very friendly to us and worked with us to ensure we had a place to stay.  We appreciate all of their help.

Luckily, the campground has a lot of hiking paths that kept me busy early in the mornings.  I could continue exercising and we had plenty of cell service with our signal booster.  So, we sat tight until our truck was fixed, taking some time out to make videos, do online classes, and write blogs.

Heading North to Cool Off

After traveling and sitting in Arizona for over a month, our truck is finally fixed.  We appreciate the amazing sights, canyons, and hikes we have enjoyed.  But we are ready for cooler weather!

We learned a lot about ourselves this year.  Firstly, we don’t like truck camping.  We are not those people who want to shower and poop outside for any extended period of time.  We are a little too spoiled by programmed coffee and a bidet.  However, we are glad we found this out about ourselves before we tried it in Alaska or Canada, where our little camper was not nearby to give us relief.

The second item we discovered is that we are not nearly as fond of the desert scene as we are of oceans and snow covered-mountains.  Yes, there are lots of geological features and landscapes in the desert that you will not find other places.  And if you enjoy seeing dinosaur tracks and ancient pueblo cliff dwellings, this area of the U.S. is perfect.  However, after a summer in the desert, we are ready for cooler temperatures and some ocean adventures.  Our plans for the next several years do not include any red rocks or cactuses.

Location

Goblin Valley State Park is located in what looks like the middle of nowhere in Green River, Utah.  Not knowing what laid in store for us, we stopped by this remarkable state park while traveling from Moab, Utah to Capital Reef National Park.

We learned about this small state park from a YouTube video of hikers we watch.  We traveled West on Highway 70 and turned off on State Route 24.  We had to take a couple of turns in the long stretch of Utah desert to reach it.  In fact, on our way we questioned our GPS several times.

The mostly bleak landscape prior to reaching the park provides no indication of the amazing geological sandstone features that lie ahead.  Even when arriving at the Visitor Center, you will question whether it is worth the $20 day entrance fee per car to visit.

However, hold onto your hats, because once you pay the fee and head inside the park, you will discover a playground that will hold your attention for hours.

Day Visit

By looking at the pictures of this astonishing park, you cannot imagine how fun it is to play among the goblins.  There are signs that warn about falling and it seems there have been some injuries in the park.  I can see why, as all I wanted to do when we arrived was climb around the goblins.  Just pay attention and be aware while you are running amuck that the goblins, like any landscape feature, are eroding.

I am afraid we did climb and run and play amongst the goblins, against the sign warning.  As you hike the valley past the smaller goblins, you reach the back walls where your imagination runs wild.  I saw castles, moats, and fountains that must be investigated and explored.

As soon as we reached the back, we both went separate ways, searching, wandering, and climbing.  We investigated crevices, walked bridges, and climbed hills.  There is nothing quite like Goblin Valley State Park to make you feel five years old again.

We spent several hours traversing the goblins, laughing and playing.  We only left when we heard thunder and saw rain in the background.

Hikes

If you must hike a designated route at the park, you have several choices.  You have the ominous sounding Goblin’s Lair, which is 1.5 miles one way and considered strenuous.  The moderate Carmel Canyon Loop and Entrada Canyon trails are both only 1.5 miles roundtrip.

And, if you want easy trails, you can hike the Curtis Bench Trail, 1.5 miles one way, or The Three Sisters which is only 250 yards.

We didn’t hike any of these trails.  As soon as we parked at the main parking and saw all the goblins, we could not contain our excitement to go play among the goblins!  Even Jessica did not want to hike on the outskirts or climb to views of the Valley.  Instead we took off straight down to Goblin Valley.

Camping

Unfortunately, we only spent a day in this park.  However, we believe it would be a great place to spend the night.  Goblin Valley State Park is part of the International Dark Sky Park and we imagine the night sky at the park would leave you in awe.  You can visit the park’s website for the Dark Sky Forecast to plan your uninterrupted views of the celestial sky.

The nightly fee for camping at the park is $45.  This does include the $20 entrance fee.  There are no hookups at the campground.  But at the Visitor Center, the park has a water spigot that anyone can use to fill their fresh water tanks.

We would have stayed in the campground for a night if we had been pulling our travel trailer.  To see the open night sky at this park and spend more time playing with the goblins would have been a blast!  It was definitely better than the boondocking spot we picked right before Capital Reef National Park.

Conclusion

It may not look like much when you are driving to this state park and you may not think it is worth visiting.  But you will be surprised.

If you want to run, laugh, and play like children again, do not bypass this park.  It is in the middle of nowhere and you might not think it is worth visiting.  But you would be wrong.

When you do visit, plan on at least several hours to play among the goblins.  Leave your adult self in the car.  Instead, let the park transport you back to your childhood, where your imagination and playful nature takes control.  You will be running, climbing, and giggling before you know it.

2024 will be our second year Workamping the Sugar Beet Harvest in Minnesota.  Although we are not experts by any means, we do have some tips that we used last year and we plan to use again.  Don’t get me wrong, working the harvest wears us out.   About the fourth or fifth day in, I could curl up onto the beet pile and just sleep.  I don’t even care if I am buried or not.  But, I had only one really bad day where I cried over everything and then it was done.

Our main concern while working is to get as much sleep as possible.  Sleep is very important to us.  The less sleep you get, the more likely you are to get hurt or hurt someone else.  So, the tips below are ones we will again be using this year to make our harvest easier.

Wear Shoes You Have Already Broken In

Because we hike a lot, we buy new hiking boots every year before we start adventuring in the Spring and Summer.  We have done this for four years.  However, now, instead of saving our old boots as backups, we use them at the Beet Harvest and then throw them away.

The safety ladies at the Beet Harvest recommend leather shoes.  They provide more protection than the cloth hiking boots.  However, we have had no issues with our waterproof Keen hiking boots.  And, by October when we are working the harvest, our boots are well-broken in and very comfortable.

Wear Old or Used Clothing

By the end of the harvest last year, I was wearing red, bell-bottom yoga pants rolled up so I wouldn’t trip on them.  Windell took a picture of me covered in dirt, red pants rolled into my white socks, and my hard hat on.  Then he sent it to people I knew.

No one cares what you look like while working the harvest.  You are going to be dirty and nasty.  If you have to buy clothing, buy old ragged clothing from a yard sale or thrift store.  Don’t spend a lot of money.  This year I saved my orange yoga pants with holes in them.  Again, I will be breaking a lot of fashion rules!

Also, I don’t wear bibs.  While you are working, you have to use a porta potty.  They do keep it pretty clean, but it is still a porta potty.  I don’t want to have to undress too much to use the toilet.  So, rather than wear bibs, I like a sweatshirt or coat and separate pants.

Layers, layers, layers.  You will get cold, warm, and maybe even hot during your working shift.  Don’t be afraid to wear lots of layers as you can always take one off if needed.  And find an old jacket that will keep you warm in rain.  You will be working in the elements and you don’t want to be miserable.

Last year, I actually found a long, waterproof coat to my ankles that had a hood.  Everyone jokingly called it my bathrobe.  Although we threw away most of our clothing, it was so comfortable that I kept it for this harvest.

We save our old clothing throughout the year as they rip or no longer fit.  Even if we have to wear a belt to keep our pants from falling down, we keep them.  Then, after wearing the same clothing for a few days while working the harvest, we simply throw them away.  We don’t wash them.

We don’t do laundry while we are working.  At our age, sleep is much too important and the clothes are not worth it.  So, shop for cheap, separate tops and bottoms, lots of layers, and very old clothing that you don’t want to save.

Buy Hand Warmers

There is nothing better than having hand warmers in your gloves and shoes on a cold day.  Purchase more than you think you will need.  I was so thankful last year that we had stocked up on these small bits of warm and fuzzy.  We had so many that if I wanted to put one in the lining of my hard hat on a really cold day, I did.

Bring lots of hand warmers and use them.  I promise you will appreciate that little bit of comfort.  Because Windell was in a heated forklift while I was standing in the elements, he didn’t need the handwarmers.  Not that I’m a little jealous.

Food Preparation

I cook homemade soups in my electric pressure cooker.  I love homemade soups because I can add all the spices and veggies that I want.  Before we start working the harvest, I cook my soups, divide them into portions, refrigerate some, and freeze the rest.  I love my beef and veggie soup and my cabbage soup with beef.  Yum, yum!

Don’t plan on cooking or shopping while you are working.  Have enough food already prepared for two weeks.  Windell prefers canned food to my homemade soups.  So, we also load up our pantry with canned beef stew, ravioli, etc. that is easy to heat up.

Having warm food on cold days will improve your mood tremendously while you are working.  We both have a Stanley Soup Thermos that we put our hot food in for lunch and supper, and it stays warm for us.  Again, it is just that little bit of warm and fuzzy that will make a big difference in your day.

While you are working, don’t forget your drinks.   We have a seven-gallon jug in the back of the truck that we fill with water.  I then easily fill my water bottle all day.  Of course, Windell always has his sweet tea.  Sometimes, just for a little extra coziness, I will heat up some hot tea before my shift and stick that in a thermos also.

Workamping the Sugar Beet Harvest is long hours outside in the elements for a few weeks.  The job itself is not difficult.  But, you do get tired and it can really dampen your mood, if you let it.  Just a few preparations will make you feel a little better and may help you get through the harvest.

You will get tired and have bad days.  Having a great team that you can rely on and they can rely on you will make this workamping job smoother for everyone.  So, plan some creature comforts, forget domestic chores for a little while, and just focus on the job.  Good luck and be safe!

The Sugar Beet Harvest is an amazing opportunity to earn quite a bit of money in just a few weeks.  You can find out more information on Workamping the Sugar Beet Harvest at https://www.theunbeetableexperience.com/.

While visiting Sedona, Arizona we decided to hike to the Subway Cave.  You have probably seen gorgeous pictures of this split floor cave and its amazing views.  The pictures are correct.  The cave is gorgeous with scenic views, and you will be glad you visited it.  However, the hike to the cave and accessing the cave are an adventure unto themselves!

When we planned our 2024 trip, for some reason we decided to visit Arizona in July and August.  It is hot!  And, unfortunately for us, there is no ocean to play in nearby.  So we made sure to arrive early for all of our hikes in Sedona, AZ.

The Subway Cave Trailhead

We found the parking lot, GPS 34°54’28.1″N 111°50’56.6″W, for the Boynton Canyon Trail and parked around six in the morning.  The parking lot is easy to find, and has a vault toilet.  There is a day fee, but you can use your America the Beautiful Pass.

Of course, all of the trail guides we read for the Subway Cave began by hiking the Boynton Canyon Trail until you reach the magic tree on the left.  When you reach the magic tree, you turn right.  Actually, we thought it would be harder to find the trail to the right, but we had no issues.

The Boynton Canyon Trail that you start on from the parking lot is a pretty easy to moderate trail.  We enjoyed hiking it and taking in the views of the gorgeous canyon walls.  As we hiked, we recorded the rock around us.

I kept a picture on my phone of the tree where we were to turn right to hike to the cave.  However, Windell had downloaded the trail map from Alltrails for the Subway Cave and it had the correct turn on its trail guide.  The trailhead is easy to find and the path is easy all the way to the cave.

Getting into the Subway Cave

Once you reach the cave, then the trail becomes more difficult and sketchier.  Windell and I knew from our research that there were two ways into the cave.  When we first arrived, we attempted to climb the slick rock to the cave.  However, midway we decided we might need to search for another route.  However, this is when we became a little confused.  The companions we had met on the trail continued on around the other side of the rock.  We stopped, looking up at the slick rock entrance, contemplating what we should do.  Neither of us wanted to fall and break something.

Our companions finally returned, saying they had not found a back way into the cave.  Since being in the cave, we now know why.  There are two entrances to the cave.  You can climb up the slick rock to the middle of the floor of the cave.  Or, you can hike up the trail to the cave ruins to the left, make a right, and walk along the edge to enter the Subway Cave.  There is no back way.  With my fear of heights, I looked up at the slick rock and knew I had to go up that way.

If you are a shorter person with not much upper body strength, like me, it helps if you have someone stronger with you.  Luckily, Windell climbed behind me, grabbing my butt and lifting me onto the next area when I couldn’t reach it.  I don’t know if I would have made it up the rock without his help.  We were not the only ones climbing up the rock with difficulty, and I had no embarrassment issues crawling for part of the way.

To get back down the cave, we took the opposite side down, putting our butts against one side and using our legs to side scramble down the other side.  I am sure if you research it a little more someone will have the best way of climbing up and scrambling back down the cave entrance.  But we did the best we could.  If Windell was recording while I was scrambling down, it is going to be a lot of fun to watch that YouTube video.

The Subway Cave in Sedona, Arizona is as gorgeous as the pictures online.  The views from the cave mouth that is divided makes it a unique experience.  If you, like us, have seen the pictures and want to hike it, do it.  However, don’t be afraid to take someone else along if you think you might need help up the cave entrance. I would suggest you take someone that you don’t mind if they grab your butt.  However, if you arrive at the cave entrance and do struggle, you will not be the only one.  Other hikers will help you reach the cave floor!