When autumn arrives in Colorado, we love to visit the high country to enjoy the vibrant colors that light up the mountain sides. One of the best places to enjoy the leaves of gold is Rocky Mountain National Park.
My 19-year-old, college student son Daniel and I spent the prior night in Estes Park, right outside Rocky Mountain. I had planned out the trip in advance and got Bear Lake Road reservations on August 1st, the moment the reservations become available for dates in September (they are gone within minutes for weekends in the summer and fall). We stopped briefly to get some gas and a quick bite of fast food breakfast, then entered the park at first morning’s light.
After passing the checkpoint to verify our access reservations we drove up to the parking area near the Glacier Gorge trailhead (which leads to Sky Pond), but unsurprisingly the small parking area was already full. We then continued onward to the much larger Bear Lake parking lot further up the road and found it was already completely full as well. We were far from the only early morning hikers ready to enjoy the fall colors.
On the drive up I saw a small parking area just below Glacier Gorge and told my son to drive back down to it, hoping that there would still be a place left there while cars passed us heading up to the full lots above. Sure enough, there was a spot left for us at this little parking area about 3/4 miles below the trailhead. A little extra hiking wouldn’t hurt us a bit.
We started down the trail and made fairly good time as we passed by Alberta Falls in the first mile, then The Loch at about 3 miles, the first of the lakes along the way to Sky Pond.
The trail passed alongside The Loch and after another mile we arrived at the point where the trail becomes a bit more challenging. You must climb a small cliff alongside Timberline Falls with cold water tumbling onto the rocks along the way. We made it fairly easily to the top of the cliff where we were rewarded with the sight of The Lake of Glass.
Many hikers mistake the smaller Lake of Glass for Sky Pond, but the trail continues onward past some boulders that obscure the path at the outset. Following alongside the Lake of Glass we ascended a bit further to arrive at Sky Pond.
With the jagged Shark’s Tooth piercing the sky above the lake, we knew we had arrived. Years before, when he was a seventh grader, we had tried the very same hike but had been turned back at deep snow at Timberline Falls. This time, at the right time of year, we had succeeded and could cross this bucket list Colorado hike off our list.
On the hike back we saw some pika hiding amid the rocks and some trout swimming casually in the Loch. The weather was pleasantly warm and and we would be well ahead of any afternoon rain that might move in.
It was a pretty easy-going hike for the both of us, and a good way to usher in the fall.
Our last day of the trip we had intentionally left fairly open as far as our itinerary. We had gone to the visitor center the day before and saw that there was a ranger-led hike at Taggart Lake on the southern end of the park at 9AM.
Since we had never been to Taggart Lake this seemed like a good activity for the morning. The ranger-led portion was just to the lakeside for about 2 miles. Then we could continue on our own to complete a 4 mile loop back to the trailhead.
Instead of the usual cereal and protein shakes in our cabin, we decided to have a hot breakfast at John Colter’s Ranch House. It was a nice change of pace on a less busy day. Yes, we save quite a bit of time and money by not dining out every meal, but sometimes it’s good to have pancakes, eggs, and bacon.
Taggart Lake
It was about a 45 minute drive from Colter Bay to the Taggart Lake trailhead (with another stop for air in my right-front tire). Once we arrived we waited for the ranger to appear along with the rest of our group then started the guided hike.
It was a bit windier and chillier early in the day as a cold front began to move into the area. That was ok though, it was still a very nice day and we had just gotten really lucky to have such ideal weather the whole trip.
As we made our way along the route the ranger would ask questions of the group. We answered most of them. And he had no qualms about letting us answer them all :).
We’ve been teaching our youngest to not feel embarrassed about ‘showing off’ his knowledge and intelligence. Some kids at school made him feel awkward in science and other class for being a nerd or know-it-all. Let them feel stupid all day long.
So we answered the name of the plant with the yellow flower as ‘arrowhead balsamroot’, that grizzlies love to eat moths, and every other assorted question the ranger had. We also walked into the forest off trail with the permission of the ranger to remind us to take time to let our senses appreciate nature free of all the noise and distractions of life.
As we continued from the lake shore around the loop we saw plenty of vistas of the Tetons, wildflowers, and butterflies, but no significant wildlife.
The Taggart Lake area leads upward to many more trails that I might try in the future such as Delta Lake.
Jackson Hole
I know the town is called Jackson, but everyone calls it Jackson Hole. Which sounds cooler.
We decided to have lunch in JH since we were fairly close to the south entrance and hadn’t been in JH since 2010. Back then we stayed in Jackson, which I realized was pretty distant from the park’s main areas and a bit unsatisfying if you want to enjoy the park.
Jackson has changed a lot in the past couple decades with all the billionaires moving in. We drove past the city park with the elk antler arches (which are pretty cool) and parked on a side street.
We decided to eat at the Merry Piglets because we wanted Mexican food. I had heard of the Merry Piglets because of a famous, recent missing person, murder case that ended in the Tetons not long ago. But regardless of that sad notoriety, we just wanted some burritos.
My food was lukewarm when served, and Shelley’s and Evan’s was almost cold. We sent their food back. I was too hungry to stop and think that my food should have been warmer. They got their remade dishes, which were correctly piping hot. But overall, I can’t really recommend it.
After eating we drove back north into the park and along the way we saw a bison herd. Plenty of junior bison as well.
That was pretty cool and made up for a lackluster lunch.
Colter Bay
We drove back into Colter Bay and parked at our cabin. We wanted to go to the two-mile loop trail that leads to a peninsula off of Colter Bay and afterward we could visit the gift shops one last time.
Shelley and Evan had hiked this trail the day before and were able to point out many things along the way, such as the bear claw marks on a tree (a warning to other bears) and some frogs lurking the mud near the Jackson Lake waterline.
Wile we were hiking back a few people told us a black bear was just seen crossing the path where we were walking. But unfortunately, we missed it.
We walked over to the general store to get some ice cream and met an unusually unfriendly, odd looking guy behind the counter. Almost all the staff we met working at the resorts were nice. This guy was not. Oh well.
We stopped at the visitor center and while inside we heard that the juvenile grizzly had just run past the marina. We stepped outside and there was a crowd there, as well as some rangers at the far end of the marina path. The grizzly was in the woods and the rangers seemed to want it to continue going in that direction.
Well, I had seen bears 6 days of the trip, but so far had struck out today.
We returned to the cabin to start packing up in preparation for departure the next day. We rested a bit, then at dinner time made our way over to the Ranch House again for dinner. It was good and we like it. As far as national park eateries go it’s a good place.
Day 9: Tetons and Wyoming
The next morning I got up early to do the morning hike around the loop trail, hoping to see some wildlife along the way. It was a very chilly 30F degrees and other than the random squirrel or bird in the dim light, the animals were not out and about.
I finished reloading the truck and walked to get some coffees at the coffee shop in Colter Bay. It’s always nice to start a drive with some good coffee. And it helped warm my hands after the biting chill of the hike. The weather had certainly changed overnight.
We left Colter Bay and made one last stop at a pullout before exiting the park.
We’d had a great trip and enjoyed ourselves. But we could still stop along the way at anywhere that looked interesting.
As we were ascending Highway 287 to cross the continental dive, it started to snow. June can still be winter in northern Wyoming.
As we made our way back down toward Dubois, Wyoming the temperatures increased and we were back in summertime.
Entering Dubois we saw a sign for the National Museum of Military Vehicles. Sure. Why not?
The National Museum of Military Vehicles
This museum blew us away. We were thinking we would have an hour stop and peruse the museum like most any other. Instead, after two hours we still weren’t done.
The museum is absolutely huge and full of historical military vehicles, rifles, and everything else related to American military history. It is laid our in chronological order and delves into the experiences of war at places like The Battle of the Bulge in WWII, in Korea, and Vietnam.
Included in the exhibits are German, Soviet, Japanese, and Chinese equipment from the various theaters of war. It was fascinating to see and we wondered how this immense, impressive museum had remained under the radar since it apparently opened in 2020.
Whatever the reason, this museum is a definite stop to make in Dubois, Wyoming.
I will be make a video of the museum and will be posting it here when it is ready.
After the museum we were pretty far behind schedule and needed to make up some time on the drive back.
We tried to get coffee again at the Buffalo Bean in Casper, but it had close for the day by the time we arrived. We had to settle for coffee at the travel center down the road (not as good but decent).
Final Thoughts
We really enjoyed this trip overall, and it was a good change of pace back to a roadtrip after several years of plane travel. I was also glad that we gave ourselves a few more days and this made it a bit more relaxing, allowed us to see and do more, and never feel rushed.
I always have a number of goals for a trip and this trip really met and exceeded in everything we hoped to accomplish. We saw more wildlife than I could have hoped for and all the major ones (bears, moose, wolves, etc). We completed all the hikes that we had planned out. We used our new cooler and hiking equipment to save time and money and to improve our overall experience. We got great photographs and video footage. We did fun activities and still left some places and activities for future visits.
I don’t know when we will be back, but it won’t be six full years again. These parks are only 1-2 days away and I’d be curious to visit in the fall even if visitor services are starting to close for the season. I’d definitely return in June though.
I woke up at 5:30 AM to eat a quick breakfast in the cabin and gather up my backpack and gear for the Lake Solitude hike. Shelley and Evan had a couple more hours to sleep before they were to meet the ranger by the Colter Bay visitor center for their 2 hour hike.
I stopped off quickly at the Colter Bay service station for yet more air for my tire, then drove south toward Jenny Lake, hoping to be on the 7AM ferry boat across the lake.
As I was approaching the Jackson Lake Dam, two grizzlies ran across the road right in front of my truck and into the brush on the side of the road. I stopped and grabbed my camera, hearing them rustling in the bushes.
I saw them briefly once more from behind before they took off into the dense brush where I couldn’t see them any longer. I waited a few minutes longer before deciding to drive on. And called Shelley to tell her about the grizzlies.
Jenny Lake
Once I arrived at the Jenny Lake visitor center parking area I found it was already half full of cars. I parked fairly close to the ferry boat entrance and then got in the line. I wouldn’t be on the 7AM ferry, but did make it onto the 7:30 ferry.
Crossing Jenny Lake on the ferry boat
Technically, you don’t need to take the ferry to access the Cascade Canyon trailhead that leads to Lake Solitude, but it will cut 2.5 miles off the trip in either direction. However, if you want an earlier start you should skip the ferry and just add the extra miles to your hike.
The Cascade Canyon Trail to Lake Solitude
Arriving at the boat dock for Cascade Canyon I was in a familiar place. We’d started this trail twice before in 2010 and 2019. In 2010 my eldest son was soon to be four-year-old and it was literally snowing on the boat ride over Jenny Lake, so we went no farther than Inspiration Point (but saw a cool moose there).
In 2019 my eldest son and I made it halfway down the Cascade Canyon trail when he was 12 going on 13. We had a nice hike and saw a moose cow and calf, but he was pretty tired after that distance and so we cut the hike short.
In planning this trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton I was pretty much dead set on making this hike all the way to Lake Solitude, short of a monumental blizzard. I had already heard the trail reports of a lot of snow along the route higher up, but I was mentally prepared for it.
The first several miles were a breeze. Beautiful weather, beautiful scenery. A few miles beyond Inspiration Point the trail somewhat levels out too, making it a fairly easy-going hike. There was a cool marmot, Hidden Falls was rushing, and I was making good time.
Then there was a big gust of wind and the skies began to darken. To save weight in my backpack (due to my already tired back), I made a really stupid decision not to pack my rain jacket. I pretty much bought it just for this hike. But there was no rain in the forecast. But that forecast wasn’t for this high up.
Oh well. Let it rain. I won’t stop. At least not yet.
There was a moose cow and calf on the trail. I’ve been on this trail three times and every time I’ve seen moose. And it added to the baby animal list for the trip!
I was actually getting pretty wet the further I went, and stopped under several conifers to eat and wait out the rain a little. I was getting a tad dejected, believing that the rain would only worsen and inevitably force me to turn back.
But despite the rain, I was pretty determined to continue as long and as far as I could. Thus far I had encountered no snow, and when I got to the trail junction that leads to Lake Solitude, I pressed onward passing several hikers that were turning back at that point.
Then…hallelujah! The rain ceased and the clouds began to part. I began to smile with a feeling of redemption. I might make it all the way after all. No matter if my long sleeve t-shirt was soaked.
The next several miles were some of the most beautiful hiking miles I’ve ever done. Up there with Glacier for sure.
I could turn 360 degrees around and see astounding beauty in every direction (watch the video linked above).
Not long after that, however, I started to hit the snow fields. At first they were just stretches of hard snow across the trail. Then they grew longer and deeper. They hid the trail entirely. And they were exhausting.
Several hikers ahead and behind me began to turn around. This was slow, hard trudging. I thought about turning around too. But then what? I needed to finish this.
I finally came to a little sign half buried in the snow that said “Lake Solitude 200 Yards”. I could make it another 200 yards uphill in the snow.
A long stretch of snow surrounded the mostly frozen-over Lake Solitude. But I carefully approached the shoreline and felt the mountain lake waters in my hand. Bucket list hike achieved.
This felt good. The whole trip felt good. This hike was important to me and really capped what I felt was a very memorable and successful trip. I needed to make this hike and I had done it.
The hike back, going downhill in the snow, was much easier. Once I passed the last snowbank I could relax and just amble down the trail, offering advice to others hoping to make it to Lake Solitude. Yes, you can do it.. But it’s not easy.
When I got back to the boat dock I found a line of people stretching quite a ways up the hill. There was an hour and a half wait to board the ferry. Really?
My back was really killing me and I could barely tolerate the pain of just standing in a long line. I talked to fellow travelers who had no idea just how far I had hiked and had been content to just see Inspiration Point.
At one point a black bear appeared near the trail and many of us left the line briefly to see if we could see it. I saw it, just for a moment. Not long enough to photograph it.
I debated leaving the line and hiking around the lake. Many did. But the longer we waited, the more it felt like a huge waste of time to have been in it. I went from hiking 14.5 miles through snow, to now standing in an amusement park line.
Finally, I got my turn, boarded the ferry and sank onto the seat. Ah, relief at last for my back. Once back at the opposite shore I trudged back to my truck, set my backpack on the opposite seat, and called Shelley. I was on my way back to Colter Bay.
Colter Bay
Once back at Colter Bay I was happy to see Shelley and Evan and hear about their ranger-led hike. They would take me on the trail tomorrow to see the bear claw marks and frogs and other fun sights they had seen on Colter Bay’s loop trail.
What we all were was hungry, tired, and ready to celebrate. So we went to Colter Bay’s main restaurant. A place we had eaten at before in 2017 and 2019: John Colter’s Ranch House.
We had a nice waitress from Kentucky and again I thought of my eldest son who is 18 going on 19. Wouldn’t it be cool for him to work in the parks next summer? The staff looked happy and they were all his age. I wish I had done that when I was a college student.
After three beers and plenty of food we walked back to our cabin to crash for the night. I really was pretty tired. I needed a good night of rest now. And I was glad we still had one more full day to enjoy before heading home.
In Colorado there are four national parks and numerous national monuments, historic sites, and recreation areas. Florissant Fossil Beds is a small national monument in central Colorado, just west of Pikes Peak.
Florissant Fossil Beds is a unique and enjoyable place in a relatively quiet spot in Colorado. This December we made our second ever visit to the monument and saw that it had a new visitor center and a more expansive trail system.
We were last at Florissant Fossil Beds in 2012. At the time Shelley was pregnant with our youngest son Evan, who was born in December of 2012, almost exactly twelve years prior to our most recent visit. For Evan, this was his first real chance to visit the monument even though he was phyically there the last time 🙂
We found that in the intervening years a nice new visitor center had been built and we took some time to peruse the exhibits inside, learning quite a lot about the history of the monument and the many fossils that have been found at the site. We learned for instance that more butterfly fossils have been found at Florissant than anywhere else in the world.
Once we stepped out of the visitor center we made our way to the primary attraction that makes Florissant famous: the great, fossilized redwood stumps.
Redwoods?
Yes, Fifty million years ago the climate of central Colorado was warmer and more humid, though the elevation was still quite high. The climatic conditions allowed huge redwood forests to thrive in what is now a dry, alpine environment.
The redwoods were fossilized by a volcanic eruption that happened about thirty miles from the current site of the monument. That volcano is now extinct, but the ash fall that accumulated at their base ensured that the stumps would remain to the present day.
There are several redwood stumps to be seen within a one mile perimeter of the visitor center. Two are only about one hundred feet away, covered by the protective roof. One of these is a triple trunk that originates from a single base.
To see the others, we took a leisurely stroll along the one mile Petrified Forest Loop Trail. Along the way is the most famous of the stumps, called the “Big Stump”. This stump still bears the rusted remnants of a saw blade from a century old attempt to cut into it. Fortunately that attempt failed and the stump remains for our enjoyment today.
I highly recommend visiting Florissant if you are in this area of Colorado. It’s quiet and relaxing compared to many of the more famous attractions in the state and quite interesting. For us it was also kind of fun to bring Evan there so close to his birthday to reminisce and give him the chance to appreciate the park.
Colorado has many terrific national park sites and we decided to try our best to visit as many as we can in 2025. We think we can visit all four national parks in 2025, and we’ll hit many of the national monuments as well. We’ll share our journeys as we go.
After a great day visiting Olympia our next stop was the small island of Santorini, one of the Cyclades Islands of Greece.
In the preceding year when Shelley and I researched things to do on a cruise stop for Santorini, we were often left without a clear answer. There were a couple small museums, some small wineries, and further away the site of Ancient Akrotiri and the town of Oia. There were also a couple very small beaches.
The cruise ship offered some horribly overpriced excursions, but we were also looking at the overall budget for the trip and were picky about what we spent our money on. For the most part we had either decided to make our own day like we had in Cannes and Rome, or used a transportation only tour to visit places like Lucca, Taormina, and Olympia.
But when it came to Santorini, knowing we had two kids with us, none of the attractions seemed to warrant the effort and expense to go out of our way. The most intriguing and popular activity to me as a hiker, was the Fira to Oia trail, which followed the cliffside around half of the island (6.5 miles one way).
We watched a video together of the hike and Shelley admitted it didn’t look very exciting to her. A lot of the trail follows passageways in crowded tourist areas of Fira before it finally opens up to a very dry, cliffside trail the rest of the way to Oia. The videos also made it clear that it was usually very hot, and just getting to Fira from the tender port meant ascending a switchbacking trail right up the cliffside.
So when we arrived in what was once the island of Thera before a massive eruption destroyed most of the island, I was not surprised when Shelley told me that partly due to her arms, she was going to take a day to rest on the ship.
But not only was Shelley in need of a rest day, 17-year-old Daniel also had a sore throat and wanted to rest. Typically, he’s been excited to do a hike, but he was simply feeling under the weather and wanted to relax.
And finally 11-year old Evan, who I would have happily brought with me onto Santorini had he been interested, wanted to take a day to chill out on the ship. Which left me alone going to Santorini. If I chose to go.
I debated staying on the ship too. It was going to be another day of 100F+ degree weather making the full hike to Oia in direct sun somewhat of a no-go. But I did know what I was getting into if I at least started out on the hike, and it wouldn’t hurt to try for a less distant objective like Skaros Rock…
Well, I could decide when I got there. But whatever I did I would go it alone.
Arrival in Santorini
When the ship arrived in the caldera of Santorini the sight of the island with the whitewashed buildings and surrounding volcanic islands was rather fascinating. Most of the ship gathered on the decks to watch the ship make its way to anchorage.
So, using the priority access we had to board the early ship tenders (they were backed up all day and when I returned from the island many people were still waiting to depart), I departed the ship with my backpack and water bottles for a day of hiking.
On arrival at the Old Port which sits at the halfway point on the coast of the half moon of the island I realized I would benefit from a hat before starting on the journey. As a rule I usually don’t buy food or souvenirs right at the point where cruise ships unload tourists since the prices are usually terribly overpriced, but I did find a fairly nice Greek fedora for 10 Euros.
With that done is was time to start the steep ascent up the donkey trail to Fira.
The Donkey Trail to Fira
Hiking Santorini: From the Old Port to Skaros Rock
The ascent up to Fira was a long section of switchbacks straight up the cliff to Fira above. It’s the equivalent of 800 steps (or so I’m told). It kind of reminded me of hiking up to the rim of the Grand Canyon because of the heat and exposure.
You can take the gondolas as an alternative and I would recommend this for anyone with mobility issues. The donkeys are both a blessing and a curse on the trail. They are fun to see but they do leave stinky manure on the pavement. Also the surface gets hot and a little slippery. I saw one guy fall, and with all the manure remnants it’s not a good place to lose your footing.
Fira to the Skaros Rock Trail
The Fira to Oia trail to Skaros Rock
Once I arrived in Fira I was met by a throng of cruise port travelers all packed into the narrow alleyways of Fira. It was a little discomfiting, to be honest, but by walking a little ways further I was able to get some much needed breathing space.
At first I admit that I found the hike to be a bit frustrating. The sun’s heat radiating off the white walls around me and the crowds of people made for a very uncomfortable experience. Fortunately, I think the heat had pushed a lot of people back indoors because the further i walked from Fira the quieter and more relaxed it became.
There was still quite a climb even after reaching Fira to reach the high point of the trail at Imerovigli just before the Skaros Rock spur Trail. Finally, at Imerovigli I was able to enjoy some of the unique and historical architecture of Santorini: the old churches with blue domes, the windmills, and the striking views back over the town and over the ocean where far below the cruise ship sat in the blue ocean of the caldera.
I didn’t come to see souvenir shops and cranky cruise ship passengers. I came to see a Greek island. Now I found it. Even if I was sweating like crazy and needed a cold drink.
Skaros Rock
The trail to Skaros Rock
To get to Skaros Rock you need to take a spur trail of about a half mile down from the Fira to Oia trail. Since I had decided the Oia hike would take too long and I lacked the water and resolve to complete the journey to Oia, Skaros Rock was a perfect option.
The descent down to Skaros Rock was my favorite part of the trail. You have views in every direction to the surrounding seas and islands and back up to Imerovigli, the town that sits above it and has the blue-domed churches I mentioned earlier.
Skaros Rock itself appears to just be a promontory jutting out to the sea from the caldera rim. But there was a Venetian fortress built on the site that no longer exists (or at least I could find no indication of it even after hiking to the opposite side). Signs also indicate that earlier archaeological artifacts were found dedicated to Athena from the Classical era.
After my brief foray at the rock I started back, first stopping for a cool drink then a Greek pita lunch. The heat by now had really driven people indoors because the areas that were previously packed with tourists were calm and largely empty.
With my lunch eaten, it was time for a souvenir shot glass in the more peaceful souvenir shops. With one in hand I returned to Fira, and then hiked back down the donkey trail.
Santorini Sunsets
One thing we had heard prior to coming to Santorini was that the sunsets were something to behold, particularly from Oia. The trouble was that Oia was reputed to be very crowded every evening at sunset, and whatever majestic value was to be found was lost while standing in a packed crowd.
So before departure we made reservations for a restaurant on the NCL Getaway called Cagney’s Steakhouse. The nice thing about Cagney’s is that it has outdoor seating and the ship is aways oriented while at anchor at Santorini with the restaurant facing to the west. Toward the sunset.
So we had our romantic dinner (the only really great meal we had on the ship) watching the sunset. We’ve seen some very beautiful sunsets in our lives and I’m not sure where Santorini ranks. It was certainly charming. But it was the ambience of the moment that made it particularly great.
The following day would take us to Mykonos and an journey to the ancient city of Delos.
In October of 2023 we took a road trip to Oklahoma and Arkansas. It was part family visit, but also a chance to see a part of the country which was entirely new to us. We had a good time overall, with a few surprises along the way.
As you can see from the map we traveled through Kansas as well, but due to time constraints we weren’t able to see any sights in Kansas, though we did spend two nights in the Sunflower State along the way. Don’t worry though, we’ll travel that way again in the future and give Kansas a closer look.
Day 1: Tulsa and Owasso, Oklahoma
Evan in the Gathering Place rope course
Our primary purpose in visiting Tulsa and Owasso was to visit family. But we did venture to Tulsa’s Gathering Place park. The Gathering Place is a huge urban park full of fun outdoor activities for kids and adults. My kids really enjoyed the very, very vast playground attractions which cover many acres.
We walked around the park, enjoyed the koi at a lake, traversed the many trails, enjoyed the nature and bought some ice cream and drinks. This is a good place to go to spend some free time while in Tulsa. The park has free admission too.
Day 2: Owasso, Oklahoma to Hot Springs, Arkansas
The second day was one that would involve a number of stops as we traversed a portion of the Talimena Scenic Highway to Queen Wilhelmina State Park, Mena Arkansas for lunch, the Crater of Diamonds (a longtime interest for the family, and ending at our hotel in Lake Catherine outside Hot Springs.
Queen Wilhelmina State Park
Overlook at Queen Wilhelmina State Park
My original plan for our stop at Queen Wilhemina State Park (just across the border in Arkansas on the Talimena Scenic Highway) was to take the short trail to the Lovers Leap Overlook.
Unfortunately when we arrived it was very windy and chilly and we were not prepared for the weather as this short video shows.
So instead we took a few photos from the overlook and made a visit to the lodge and gift shop.
Afterward we walked over to the historic 1920s steam train engine nearby, and then the odd Wonder House, which is a multiple story historic house made of stone that was built in the 1930s.
Somehow this little house has nine stories. You can only look into the windows but you can start to understand that the stories are not conventional ten-foot floors as you would normally expect, but are rather split-level floors at staggered elevations of the house as it sits on a slope.
Mena, Arkansas
Our next stop was Mena, Arkansas which is a small town in west-central Arkansas. It is the end point in the Talimena Scenic Highway and a great place to visit on its own.
I had one place in mind for lunch and it turned out to be as good as advertised: The Ouachitas.
Bar at the Ouachitas
I’ve seen the Ouachitas called Ouachita Coffee Roasters as well, but it’s a pretty cool mix of coffee shop, beer brewery, and pizzaria. The pizza was exellent and if we weren’t heading onward to the Crater of Diamonds I would have loved to have tried the beer and coffee as well. The interior is cool too with a lounge area and long tables for dining. It’s one of the few places that seems to do many different things well.
Crater of Diamonds State Park
I have to admit that my plans tend to be a bit ambitious and time is always my worst enemy. The Crater of Diamonds State Park closes at 6 PM but the diamond mine (the crater) closes at 4PM. So in other words we had to hurry.
Driving in Arkansas is slow going over most of the roads. They are long and windy and traveling 50 miles takes over an hour. When we arrived at the Crater of Diamonds we had less than an hour to dig, but we were not going to miss out. I had packed digging tools with us for the trip just to dig for diamonds.
Evan and Daniel digging in Crater of Diamonds
The garden tools turned out to be pretty good at turning over the hard soil quickly. The best tool was actually a weeding tool that I could push down into the hard surface soil to break it up.
We found some quartz and jasper and brought home a few rocks that we found interesting. I’ve heard there can be diamonds within the rocks so we may break a few open to see if there are hidden gems.
Despite the rush, this was a fun stop for us and we made another stop at a gift shop to add to my shot glass collection.
The drive to Hot Springs from Crater of Diamonds was a bit more relaxed and easy. When we arrived at the Staybridge Suites at Lake Hamilton (just south of Hot Sprinsg) we had a two room suite and two days to relax a bit after the rushed day of driving and site-seeing.
Day 3: Hot Springs National Park and Garvan Gardens
I have to admit that our first impression of Hot Springs was a bit underwhelming. The town south of the national park appears a bit run down and congested. On arriving in the historic town we saw a lot of buildings that appeared to be historic but many were in a vacant state of disrepair.
After finding a place to park in a parking garage just off the Bathhouse Row, we ambled down to the Pancake Shop, another often-recommended restaurant that we fit into our itineray.
There is no shortage of food at the Pancake Shop and the food is delicious. I ordered the Deep-Fried French Toast with eggs and bacon. It’s a little more expensive than typical breakfast restaurants but I still think it’s a good morning breakfast before exploring the national park.
Hot Springs National Park
Hot Springs National Park is an unusual national park considering it focuses on historic bathhouses and has a relatively small natural area amid an urban setting. But that has a lot to do with the history that surrounds its establishment.
Long before the idea of national parks existed in the 1830s the hot springs of Arkansas were considered a place of special importance. The United States government under Andrew Jackson decided to create a “Hot Springs Reservation” to protect the hot springs. The town grew up alongside the reservation.
When the national park service was established and the first national parks were established, Hot Springs Reservation was absorbed into the park system as Hot Springs National Park. Unlike most national parks the focus is on man-made structures and history, but the natural features (primarily the hot springs) are well worth seeing.
Our first stop was to the hot springs on the Grand Promenade. But before visiting the bathhouses we wanted to hike up to the mountain tower. It was a short uphill hike on the Peak Trail as you can see in the video.
I decided to take the stairs up to the tower museum and viewing area, which was a bit of an added challenge but there is an elevator to the top. The views of the surrounding mountains and bathhouse row are pretty impressive. You’ll learn a lot more about the history of Hot Springs and it’s importance to the early days of baseball in the museum.
After hiking back down from the mountain tower we walked the Grand Promenade to the Bathhouse Row. The bathhouses are an amazingly beautiful representation of Gilded Age luxury and we walked through the Superior Bathhouse Museum run by the national park service.
Ceiling stained glass in the Bathhouse Museum
Garvan Gardens
After touring the museum we left Hot Springs National Park for arvan Gardens. Garvan Gardens is a huge outdoor garden area operated by the University of Arkansas on a peninsula southeast of Hot Springs.
I have to warn you that Garvan Gardens is not small and really takes a couple hours to fully explore. We walked about through about half of the total park before fatigue started to wear on us from all the previous hiking.
The park is not only full of plants of every imaginable kind but also unique structures and even interesting wildlife, like a green snake. We hoped to see the chapel too but unfortunately there was a wedding going on at the time of our visit.
After a long, tiring day we were ready to eat a good dinner. Since we were also celebrating my birthday the next day I chose the German restaurant Steinhaus Keller. It was great and they brought be a desert cheesecake with a Roman candle 🙂
Day 4: Hot Springs to Eureka Springs
The next day we woke up and had breakfast in the Staybridge Suites before starting off on the slow, windy, but scenic drive north to Eureka Springs. My initial plan was to go first to Mount Magazine State Park, then to Whitaker Point, and then to finish the evening at Eureka Springs where we would also see a magic show at the Intrigue Theater.
So heading north we made our first stop just before noon at Mount Magazine Lodge. My sons and I set off for a hike to Signal Hill which marks the highest point in the state of Arkansas while Shelley called in for a work meeting.
Mount Magazine State Park
We made a video of our hike and as you can see from the video we had a good time. The fall colors were by now really starting to show and that made this trek in the Ouachita Mountains highest point particularly enjoyable.
After returning to the lodge we met up with Shelley and had birthday lunch (for me) at the lodge. The lodge restaurant was meh and if there had been other options nearby I would have considered that instead. Still, the view was nice.
At lunch I decided against stoping at Whitaker Point, which is arguably the most photographed spot in Arkansas. Even had fallen and cut his leg right at the end of the hike to Signal Hill, Whitaker Point is considered a semi-dangerous hike for kids (there have been fatal falls on the trail), and I wanted to get into Eureka Springs a little earlier so we could amble around town and eat dinner before the magic show.
The drive north was on the Pig Trail which is Highway 23. It is a very scenic drive through a forested canopy. The trees were fully at the height of fall colors as I had hoped, but it was still a really pretty drive. Along the way a groundhog crossed the road and I got a quick photo of him as we were passing.
Overlook on the Pig Trail
Shortly thereafter we arrived at the historic town of Eureka Springs.
Eureka Springs
Eureka Springs is one of the major tourist spots in Arkansas and I was looking forward to seeing it. It mostly lived up to my expectations but I did find it a bit difficult to fully grasp.
We stayed at the Quality Inn and I was wise to make reservations early since we would be there on a Friday evening in the fall, the height of tourist season. After we checked in we changed into clothes for the evening and drove into the downtown district.
Family photo in Eureka Springs
The downtown district is very popular and the sidewalks and streets were full of people ambling from one location to another. I was hoping to stop at a restaurant in the town but I found it a bit difficult to find a good place for the family and we ended up driving to a different spot outside the downtown area.
Eureka Springs is a bit eclectic and has a varied crowd. Not every place seems very family-friendly (one place I walked into was the New Orleans hotel which had a 21-and-over sign at the bar). But it is a really cool downtown architecturally and historically so it’s worth walking the very uneven sidewalks and crossing the bridges from one side street to another.
We ended up going to the Rockin’ Pig Saloon. Truth to tell, I was a little disappointed with the Rockin’ Pig despite the good reviews online. The crowd was a bit edgy (two types of people seemed to hold sway in the restaurant and if you were neither than you seemed a bit out of place). The BBQ food was good overall but the service was also overwhelmed by the number of people in the restaurant. It was a bit disappointing too since it was my birthday.
After the dinner, we drove quickly back to the hotel before going to the magic show at the Intrigue Theater.
Intrigue Theater
I don’t have any photos of the Intrigue Theater but I will tell you that it’s a small old church that’s been converted into a venue for a magic show. The show is really good and with so few people in the audience almost everyone gets to be involved. My son Evan was brought up on stage for one of the tricks.
If you really want to be in the show pay the extra for front row seats. He called on the front row many times more than the rest of the audience.
I figured out how a few of the tricks worked but most of them are really baffling. I highly recommend it.
Day 5: Eureka Springs to Haysville, Kansas
The next day would be a drive back to Oklahoma for another visit with family, followed by an evening drive to Haysville, Kansas for the night. I truthfully had trouble sleeping and woke up at 4 AM to walk outside and took this picture of the Orion Constellation over the forests by the hotel.
After finally returning to the room for a last few hours of sleep and a pretty good breakfast at the hotel, we started west from Eureka Springs toward Owasso, Oklahoma.
There was one stop I really wanted to make sure to do before we left Eureka Springs and that was to the Thorncrown Chapel. Fortunately the fall colors were really taking hold by now and I was able to get some nice photos of the chapel at its seasonal best.
Thorncrown Chapel
The chapel is right off US 62 west on the way toward Bentonville so it was an easy stop on the drive. It was nice and peaceful and well worth the stop.
After the chapel we continued on our way back to Oklahoma. I had one more stop in mind before we arrived back in Owasso to visit with family. The Natural Falls State Park in Oklahoma.
Natural Falls State Park
If there was one place that truly exceeded my expectations it was this state park in Oklahoma. I hadn’t read much about the park and my older brother who lives only an hour away had never heard of it. But we found the scenery and the trails there to be very nice. The falls and the grotto of dripping water along the cliff face were stunningly pretty.
The attached video shows our exploration of the park. This time Shelley was able to accompany us as we went low and high to see the falls and surrounding nature.
After the falls we headed onward finally ahead of schedule to visit with family and we did have birthday cake at my brother’s house. It was a nice visit, including testing out his swimming pool.
Finally we drove onward through the Osage Reservation north of Tulsa to our final stop in Haysville, Kansas.
Day 6: Haysville, Kansas to Home
I was hoping to stop off at a museum or two on the drive back through Kansas. Unfortunately,, it seems most everything along the way is closed on Sunday and we had limited time to make the long drive. Kansas, we will be back and see you in more detail.
Overall it was a good trip. I do feel that all the driving was a bit exhausting especially in such a short amount of time. Covering 1400 miles in a week is a bit exhausting. Additionally, I would have liked more time to relax and see more in places like Eureka Springs, the Arkansas Ozarks, Oklahoma and along the way in Kansas.
So I’m going to back off for a little while on long road trips and focus more on shorter drives and flights to locations. Having your car is nice however as you can be as spontaneous as you want and don’t need to worry about returning a car.
I had never been to Arkansas and it was nice to finally see this last of the states west of the Mississippi River that I had never visited. Additionally I had only just barely been to Oklahoma and that was just across the western panhandle in 2018. Finally, it was good to see Kansas again after 23 years. It was almost as though the entire trip was one of new discoveries.
I have a new hike to add to my list of The Greatest Day Hikes in the USA. The DeCaLiBron Loop is a 7.6 mile hike that leads to the summits of four of Colorado’s 14er mountains. The trailhead is located at Kite Lake, which is up a 4-wheel drive road from Fairplay, CO.
7.6 miles isn’t usually that difficult, but the elevation changes as you summit one mountain, descend and reascend the next one make it challenging. My teenage son and I were both pretty tired after completing the hike.
You can complete the hike in either direction, starting with Mount Democrat, then continuing to Mount Cameron, Mount Lincoln, and finally Mount Bross. Or you can do them in reverse, as we did. I don’t think there is an advantage in going in either direction, but the scenery might be better going in the reverse direction.
There are a couple things to know in advance before starting this hike. The first is that once you start it and advance past the first summit there is no quick return to the trailhead. Thus you must keep an eye on the weather and start early to avoid afternoon thunderstorms. We saw people arriving at 10AM and hopefully they weren’t trying to hike more than one mountain.
The other thing to know is the trail and the mountains themselves are on private land. Because of a recent lawsuit private landowners are reluctant to allow the public to use trails on their land. Fortunately the landowner is allowing the public to use the trail as long as they complete this online form the day of the hike: https://waiver.smartwaiver.com/w/c2d3wpisftzvbznpjhsbnb/kiosk/ .
My son and I battled through the wind and cold, the altitude, steep terrain and later the heat and loose rocks to complete the loop. Overall it’s something to be proud of once you finish it.
My wife and I decided to spend an anniversary evening down in the Colorado Springs, Colorado area. Though we only live about 40 miles away and have been to Colorado Springs many times, we had never been to Seven Falls. I decided to get us reservations at the Restaurant 1858 at the base of the falls and we could then walk up the stairs alongside the falls.
The food at Restaurant 1858 was a bit pricey and we were a tad underwhelmed, but we enjoyed our dinner nonetheless. I climbed the stairs to the top in nice clothes while many other visitors were dressed in hiking garb. No problem for me, of course, surmounting the 300 steps dressed for success.
The Seven Falls are the property of the Broadmoor which owns quite a lot of Colorado Springs tourist properties including the Pikes Peak Cog Railway. The charge $18 per adult just to see the falls and to go to the restaurant. The Broadmoor’s power in Colorado Springs is controversial but it doesn’t appear to have any desire to relinquish control of the Seven Falls or the Cog Railway.
After enjoying dinner and the falls we drove to Manitou Springs and our hotel: The Cliff House. The Cliff House is a historic hotel in the historic town of Manitou Springs.
The Cliff House dates back to the late 1800s and has rooms dedicated to many of its past famous guests: Buffalo Bill, Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Edison, and more. We initially had reserved a Junior Suite for the night but received a free upgrade to a King Deluxe room. I made a room tour video as well (there was a wedding at the hotel and I think they upgraded us to be away from the noise at the other end of the hotel as a courtesy).
The following morning we had some time to walk around the small town of Manitou Springs and had a quick breakfast at a coffee shop. It’s a nice little town although it does get very crowded in the summer tourist season.
Overall we had a very good anniversary evening and enjoyed our time at the hotel.
