South Dakota Hikes: Buzzard’s Roost

Despite a late start on what ended up being a rainy morning, we managed to get out of the house and over to the Black Hills to check out a hiking area we've been eyeing since we moved to the area called Buzzard's Roost. The multiple trails in this area can be connected into various …

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South Dakota Hikes: Silver Creek-Flume Loop

The temperature finally dipped below 85 degrees for a day so we headed for the (Black) hills to do some hiking on the Silver Creek Trail and part of the Flume Trail. It was an interesting stretch of relatively flat trail with some creek crossings and lovely wildflowers in bloom. There were lots of people …

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Manitoba: Riding Mountain National Park

We decided to take a short road trip to southern Manitoba - our first time in this Canadian province! - for my birthday this year. While our move to South Dakota a couple weeks prior didn't leave me with tons of planning time, I did map out a four-day itinerary that included spending a couple …

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Hiking in Great Basin National Park

We concluded the national park portion of our recent road trip through Utah and Nevada by visiting Great Basin National Park. I wasn't familiar with Nevada's Great Basin, which is an area that stretches from California's Sierra Nevada to Utah's Wasatch Mountains. This expansive landscape has very few trees or rivers, lots of wide open …

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Winter Weekend in Zion National Park

Much as we found in Bryce Canyon National Park, February was a great time to experience Zion National Park. We were able to drive our personal vehicle rather than take the mandatory shuttle that runs from spring through fall, we were not held to any reservation system for entry, and while there were more people …

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Winter Hiking in Bryce Canyon National Park

After a great couple days exploring Capitol Reef National Park, we headed south on Utah's Route 12 Scenic Byway toward Bryce Canyon National Park. While there were some services closed for winter, it didn't negatively impact our time in the park. In fact, we chose this time of year specifically so we wouldn't have to …

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Hiking in Capitol Reef National Park

Last spring we spent time in Moab, Utah, so we could explore Canyonlands National Park and Arches National Park. We decided to check out the remaining national parks in Utah this spring via a two-week road trip to explore Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, and Zion, beginning with the former. When to Visit Capitol Reef National …

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