Capital Reef Hiking

We are Mike & Karla Hayes, traveling together since 2007. We enjoy spending time in national and state parks, but are just as comfortable in towns and cities of all sizes. In 2012 we got our first RV. We enjoyed RV’ing so much that in April 2017, we decided to become full timers. We sold our house, moved into our full time RV and hit the road. After two great years on the road, we made the hard decision to go back to part time RV’ing. We love a wide range of outdoor activities, as well as meeting new people, good food and exploring attractions. We hope our travel experiences provide inspiration and helpful information.

Spotlight On …

National Parks of the US

Spectacular scenery, wilderness, caves, volcanoes and other geothermal features, glaciers, rivers, oceans, mountains, lakes, forests, and wildlife are featured in our 63 National Parks. Learn about the National Parks and access our blog posts from those we have visited in one convenient collection.

Travel Plans for 2022

We’ve made our travel plans for the rest of 2022. During our planning we pulled out our US/Canada Road Atlas and looked for new places to visit and regions with lots of outdoor recreation. We spent January & February in the desert Southwest. Between April and October, we will spend time at our RV site in Pagosa Springs, CO, in addition to visiting Yellowstone National Park, St.George, UT, Angel Fire, NM (near Taos), and a 7 week trip in the Pacific Northwest.

Alaska and Canada

In 2016, we completed a 5 month trip through Alaska and Canada. Alaska and Western Canada were beautiful and offered lots of adventures including wildlife watching, hiking, fishing, visiting glaciers, kayaking, and biking. We also learned about the rich history and culture of Alaska and the people who have lived there. Access our planning and trip posts.

Favorite Posts

Bus Tour To Wonder Lake, Denali NP

One of the best ways to see some of the six million acre Denali National Park and Preserve is by bus. There is one road, Denali Park Road, into Denali National Park and Preserve. The Park Road is paved for the first 15 miles to Savage River.

4X4 in Moab, Utah

Moab, Utah is considered by many to be the mecca of off-roading. Combine a staggering number of trails involving a range of mild to gnarly rock crawling, with outrageous scenery, and a town culture that supports and caters to off-roaders, what’s not to love.

Halibut Fishing from Valdez

As some folks say, we went fishing “just for the hal-i-but”. One of my bucket list items has been Pacific Halibut fishing in Alaska. These sea bottom dwelling fish can grow to be monster size, with a state record catch of 495 lbs.

Attractions

Walt Disney World

We visited Walt Disney World Orlando including Magic Kingdom, Epcot Center, Animal Kingdom, and Disney Hollywood Studios. Amusement rides, shows, animals, parades, and Disney characters work together to create a memorable trip.

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

The Capilano Suspension Bridge Park is built around the Capilano suspension bridge, and while that is indeed an impressive structure, the park encompasses so much more.

Glacier Bay Flight Seeing Tour

One of the top things we did during our entire Alaska trip was this eighty minute flight-seeing tour over Glacier Bay National Park by Paul of Mountain Flying Service in Haines, Alaska.

Hiking

Hiking Capitol Reef Utah

Capitol Reef National Park is my favorite park in the National Park System, and great hiking abounds throughout. It’s located near the town of Torrey, Utah. One of the best aspects of hiking here is that the park is not very busy, even in the summer months.

Rescue Creek Trail Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone Day Hiking

Yellowstone National Park offers a wide range of hikes that range from boardwalks around geyser basins to multi-day backpacking adventures. For those who want more exploration than the boardwalks, but are not up for backpacking, there are many day hikes available.

Keyhole Longs Peak Rocky Mountain National Park

Hiking Longs Peak

Longs Peak is a right of passage for summit freaks the world over; an essential “14er” that is so visible from Denver it compels many — locals and visitors alike — to attempt a hike that is likely beyond their skill level, both physically and mentally.

Wildlife & Landscape Photography

Yellowstone Wildlife Viewing and Photography

My favorite place to watch and photograph wildlife is Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming/Montana. It provides me with the best opportunity to see a wide range of wildlife in the same area.

Dall Sheep

Dall sheep are a Thinhorn sheep (Ovis dalli), a species of sheep native to northwestern North America, ranging from white to slate brown in color and having curved yellowish brown horns. They can be found in Alaska and Canada.

Brown Bears Hallo Bay Katmai National Park

Brown Bears in Hallo Bay

Grizzly bears or brown bears as the coastal grizzlies of Alaska are referred to, are my favorite animal to watch and photograph. Since developing my love of the Grizzly, I have dreamed of going to the holy grail of brown bear viewing, Katmai National Park.

Recent Blog Posts

Portal Hiking/Biking Trail

May 5, 2022

Moab, UT - Many visitors to Moab, Utah focus on the two nearby National Parks, Arches and Canyonlands, and view the town as simply a place to sleep and eat. But if you’re looking for a less crowded hike (Arches National Park commonly closes its entrance due to crowds...

Indian Waters RV Resort

May 2, 2022

Indio, CA - It's always a bad sign when an RV park needs a gate, and this one has a gate. I believe all RV Parks in Indio have gates, which tells you something about the area. But the park itself is nice, having all the amenities a resort name implies, including the...

Kingman KOA

Apr 25, 2022

Kingman, AZ - We stayed here just one night enroute from Grants, NM to Death Valley, and this rv park failed the most basic of RVing tests: we had to unhook our tow vehicle in order to fit. We had reserved a spot for a 45' class A motorhome with a vehicle in tow...

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