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Upper Peninsula Michigan Vacation

Upper Peninsula Michigan vacation has always been on our bucket list and after viewing so many beautiful pictures of it, we decided it was time for us to go. We took 2 weeks and drive with our camper attached from New York to experience the land of the waterfalls and boy we weren’t disappointed.

After a long ride on Route 80, we started to head north and finally stopped for the night in a campground just north of Ann Arbor. Wow, we made it to Michigan but to get to the Upper Peninsula was still going to be a ride but now it was time to start enjoying our vacation.

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Things to Do in Shenandoah National Park

Shenandoah National Park was established in 1935 so there would be an outdoor playground for the growing east coast and the Washington DC metropolitan area. The park is one of the few on the east coast with dense forest and Skyline Drive which began construction in 1928 before the park was established, was built solely for the enjoyment of the park.

Today, Skyline Drive stretches 105 miles with stunning overlooks. This two land road brings 1.5 million visitors through the park each year. With 195,000 acres, this park has over 200 species of birds, a large population of black bear, deer, turkey and other small mammals.

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Hiking Shenandoah National Park

With 195,000 acres and over 500 miles of trails hiking Shenandoah National Park can be enjoyed by everyone. There are hikes from easy to strenuous, from ridgeline mountain views to cascading waterfalls and everything in between. Along Skyline Drive you can hike over 100 miles of the Appleciahnan trail to get a glimpse at what it might be to accomplish such a feat.

Although I don’t consider myself an expert hiker, I love hiking and over the years visiting Shenandoah experienced some of the best hiking on the east coast. There is nothing better to fuel the soul than walking through the woods on a beautiful sunny day.

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Best Hikes from Bear Lake Trailhead in Rocky Mountain National Park

The best hikes from Bear Lake trailhead in Rocky Mountain National Park are the stunning lake series of Nymph, Dream and Emerald Lakes as well as Alberta Falls and Mill Lake. It is also nice to hike Bear Lake itself.

The Bear Lake trailhead located in the heart of the park has easy access and spectacular views. The road to the trailhead is beautiful especially in the morning and evening when elk are grazing in the fields.

The Bear Lake Trailhead is located at the end of Bear Lake Road about 10 miles from the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center (be sure to stop there first for detail hiking trails of the park). The elevation of the trailhead is 9,475 ft. and if hiking here during the summer peak season and on weekends I would definitely take the park bus shuttle to this area as it gets very crowded even in the early morning (although we got lucky twice during on stay and parked in the lot at the trailhead).

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11 Tips for Visiting the US National Parks

Tips for visiting our national parks could make your vacation go smoothly and make it more enjoyable. Let’s face it most parks can get crowded especially the popular ones and the fact that most people visit when school is out making peak season at the parks crazy at times. The most popular months are from June to September with more than half of the visitors during this time. So here are some tips to make your national park vacation enjoyable and fun for the whole family.

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Old Fall River Road

Old Fall River Road is a must-see when visiting Rocky Mountain National Park. This one-way, 9-mile narrow dirt road begins outside the entrance to the park and runs parallel to the Fall River. There are no guide rails and is very steep at times. The road starts at 8,558’ above sea level and ends at the Alpine Visitors Center which is at 11,796’above sea level.

We allowed a full day for our trip on Old Fall River Road. We drive a 23’ long crew cab pickup truck and at times we were not able to make the turns without maneuvering our truck several times. It is recommended that no vehicles over 25’ be on this curvy road and absolutely no trailers.

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Visit Assateague Island Virginia

Visit Assateague Island Virginia and experience the Assateague Island National Seashore and the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. Together there are over 14,000 acres on unspoiled beachfront, marsh, dunes and maritime forest. The island has over 300 species of birds depending on the time of year as well as Chincoteague Ponies.

This is an amazing place, the beach goes on forever and is clean and beautiful.  If you love nature and quiet beauty this is a place for you to visit.

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