Traveling with family requires checking a lot of boxes. You want to get outside and see the enormous spaces of the Rocky Mountain West. Your partner is eager to check out Americana art and culture and to learn about Utah’s history. The kids want to be amused, and you want them to learn. Fortunately, the area surrounding Salt Lake International Airport—just 20 minutes away, in fact—can provide all of this and more.
From the views from the prehistoric route up Picacho Peak to the sights in the subterranean Kartchner Caverns, Arizona’s state parks are all set for early season vacations.
Explore the lower elevation state parks of Arizona this spring, from caves to peaks, from ancient dwellings to fresh wildflowers, from bass fishing and tubing to hiking and horseback riding … and much more.
California’s Central Valley is the heartland of California. It stretches past farm stands, along country roads, and through uniquely artistic communities right to the gates of some of the nation’s most renowned national parks such as Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon. Follow this itinerary to explore the southern portion of this 400-mile long heart of California.
The North Platte River in Casper, Wyoming runs through history, from Indigenous people to the Oregon Trail, to world-class fly fishing.
Go beyond Yellowstone National Park. Slow down in Wyoming’s Wind River Country and discover your own unforgettable holiday moments.
Arizona is chock full of incredible state parks, from border to border in each direction. Some of the best water-based state parks trips can be found on either the eastern or western border of the state. In this case, we decided to visit them all—down the western border and up the eastern border—in one itinerary for a summer full of rivers, lakes, and reservoirs.
Thanks to the waters of Arizona, these parks are great destinations in the summer. You can explore on foot or on bike in the cooler morning and evening hours, then beat the sunshine and heat by jumping into the Colorado River or Lake Havasu.
Dinosaurland, or Vernal, Utah is the adult playground you didn’t realize you have been craving. Dinosaurs, counting stars, dancing, splashing in the water, and did we mention dinosaurs?
Whether you’re out to earn your turns or braaap it up, Laramie is high on “we’re coming back next winter” lists all over the country. But we’re here to make the case that it should be on “we’re coming back this summer” lists.
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Find out the location of the hidden gem pictured below in our next newsletter!
