For families driving through Southern Idaho en route on I-84 or toward Yellowstone National Park, a stop at Craters of the Moon National Monument is well worth the time. This park of lava tubes and geological displays is visually stunning with its rocky volcanic landscape and cinder cone, but the true wonders are below ground. The highlight for our family was certainly the cave exploration within … [Read more...]
Search Results for: yellowstone
Our top ten national park travel moments
February 21, 2011 By
The Pit Stops for Kids family does our best to do more than 'talk the talk' of family travel: we pack up the kids and walk the walk...through rainforests and woods, deserts and beaches, striving to take our kids beyond the boundaries of what they know of our corner of the natural world. I suppose it's no surprise that our top travel moments have occurred on just such 'foreign' soil as our own … [Read more...]
Hidden
February 11, 2011 By
(Inspired by our travels to Death Valley National Park.) The first thing anyone notices (or at least the first thing I always notice) about Death Valley is its unapologetic inhospitality. You drive over the rise of the highway from Beatty, Nevada and a vast, cracked valley of barren land stretches out before you, and you cannot help but think of empty hands extended. Of cupped palms dry … [Read more...]
Western U.S. national parks road trip
Touring Glacier, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Zion national parks, as well as Portland, OR, Spokane, WA, Big Sky, MT, Park City, UT, and Laguna Beach, CA. Day 1: Arrive in Portland, OR (or start there!) and enjoy a Portland Spirit River Cruise. Overnight at Hyatt Place Portland. Day 2: Drive I-84 and I-90 from Portland OR to Spokane WA (5 hours). Day 3: Check out downtown Spokane, including … [Read more...]
National Parks with Kids
One goal of the Pit Stops family is to visit every National Park in the United States. We're not there yet...not even close...but below you'll find our extensive reviews of the parks we've seen firsthand, including where to stay, what to do, and when to go! And if you're thinking of combining more than one national park in one trip, check out our Road Trips page for planned … [Read more...]
Junior Rangers: One of the Best Kept Secrets of National Parks!
August 14, 2010 By
In honor of this weekend's free admission to National Parks, Pit Stops for Kids would like to remind readers about one of the best programs the National Park system offers: Junior Rangers! It's easy to sign up, it's (usually) free, and it's an excellent way to learn about aspects of the park you might otherwise miss. Signing up is simple: you can find Junior Ranger booklets at nearly any park's … [Read more...]
A Pit Stop a Day (Day 15): Westgate Park City Resort and Spa
July 11, 2010 By
On Day 15, we traveled down Hwy 89 from Grand Teton National Park to Park City, Utah to stay overnight at the Westgate Park City. The Westgate Park City is a beautiful resort nestled against the base of The Canyons ski resort about five minutes from downtown Park City. Winter is their peak season (no pun intended!), which makes it a great choice in the summer months to beat both high prices and … [Read more...]
Road Trips
Need a selection of tried and true road trips at your fingertips? Below is a sampling of family road trips either Pit Stops for Kids or other travel bloggers have personally tested and approved with their families! Adapt them, shorten them, lengthen them, and suit them to fit your best road trip with kids...then report back on the new road trip stops you'll inevitably find along the … [Read more...]
A Pit Stop a Day (Day 12): Colter Bay Village, Grand Teton
July 8, 2010 By
Day 12 found us crossing the national park border from Yellowstone to Grand Teton to check in at Colter Bay Village Resort. Located within the park boundary and managed by Grand Teton Lodge Company (go through them when booking), Colter Bay Village Resort comprises of a campground, tent village, and cabin village clustered around the shore of Jackson Lake. The resort also includes a marina, … [Read more...]
A Pit Stop a Day (Day 10): Big Sky High Ropes Course
July 6, 2010 By
Before we started our session on the High Ropes Course at Big Sky Resort, I wasn't sure whether it would be too challenging for my kids (ages 11 and 8)...and myself! The apparatus--a maze of ropes, logs, planks, and even tires suspended in the high alpine air--was certainly intimidating! But from the moment I saw Calvin and Nate shimmy up the rope ladder to enter the array of elevated challenges, … [Read more...]
