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Exploring Kamikochi and Mount Yake

Exploring Kamikochi and Mount Yake

Chubusangaku National Park

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While our misadventures in Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi were over, the rain from Typhoon Prapiroon continued. But it was time to head to Chubusangaku National Park (中部山岳国立公園, Chūbusangaku Kokuritsu Kōen). We’d be spending almost a full week exploring the park, which encompasses the Northern Japanese Alps, so there are many opportunities for hiking and backpacking. Our first hike would be to Mount Yake (焼岳, Yakedake), an active volcano, near the town of Kamikochi (上高地, Kamikōchi). Located in the southern part of…

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Arriving at Rainy Mt Fuji Subaru 5th Station
Exploring Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi

Exploring Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi

Fuji Hakone Izu National Park

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Back in 2018, we explored several regions of Japan, and we were particularly excited to finally visit some international National Parks. And we decided to start by hiking the big one: Mount Fuji (富士山, Fujisan). After that, we planned to stay in the town of Fujikawaguchiko (富士河口湖町, Fujikawaguchiko-machi), located beside Lake Kawaguchi (河口湖, Kawaguchiko) at the base of Mt. Fuji. Spoiler alert: we weren’t able to climb Mt. Fuji, but we had fun anyway. This post details the bit we did get to experience…

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Arches: In Skyline Arch
Best Hikes, Itinerary and Planning Guide

Best Hikes, Itinerary and Planning Guide

Arches National Park

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Our trip to Arches National Park was an adventure. We’ve captured our favorite hikes, dislikes, what we wished we had done, and other tips. We also provide information about visitation statistics and weather which are important considerations when visiting any national park. Here are our takeaways – we hope you can use it as a planning guide for your trip to Arches. Overview Arches National Park, located in eastern Utah near the town of Moab, was established to protect the…

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Redwood: Seaquake Brewing
Restaurants & Accommodations

Restaurants & Accommodations

Redwood National Park

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For us, vacation planning includes making a list of restaurants we’re interested in, along with a rating of how interested we are in each one. Some places turn out to be duds, while others are truly amazing. We’ll visit anything from a hole-in-the-wall to a food truck to the occasional higher end establishment in search of great food. There are no restaurants or lodging (aside from campgrounds) in Redwood National & State Parks. In 2010, Redwood Hostel, previously the only…

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Saguaro: Sunset at Desert Discovery Trail
Best Hikes and Planning Guide

Best Hikes and Planning Guide

Saguaro National Park

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The desert was kind of a new experience for us.  It had been a long time since either of us had hiked in it.  Kristin went in with a bit of trepidation, and she ended up loving the park.  So you never know what you’ll find.  And Saguaro National Park definitely surprised us as we explored.  Not really knowing what to expect, and going in with no expectations.  Here were our favorite spots in the park, as well as some tips for visiting.  We hope they help you plan your trip…

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Saguaro: Front of Manning Camp
Backpacking to Manning Camp

Backpacking to Manning Camp

Saguaro National Park

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On our second to last day in Saguaro, we went to a “Star Party” at the Rincon Visitor Center.  We like astronomy, planets, and stars, so we made sure to go.  Before going outside to stargaze, the ranger at the visitor center gave us a rundown on the history of the park.  He explained how the park was created by President Herbert Hoover as a National Monument.  The ranger then said, “The park has a lot of diversity, not just the desert environment, but also the Rincon Mountains at 8,000 feet.  Up there is Manning Camp, but nobody really goes there.”  We sat there feeling slightly miffed, but also smug, because we had been at Manning Camp just two days before…

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Saguaro: View of the saguaro on King Canyon Trail
Planning and Overview Spring 2017

Planning and Overview Spring 2017

Saguaro National Park

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When you think about our national parks, Saguaro probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind.  Unless you live in Tucson, Arizona, since the park straddles the city.  Established in 1933 as a National Monument, and upgraded in 1994 to a National Park, Saguaro was formed to protect its namesake – the Saguaro Cactus (Carnegiea gigantea).  Pronounced Sa-WAH-ro, the cacti grow very slowly, but can get as tall as 40 feet and live for more than 150 years…

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Our Favorite Spots and Visiting Tips

Our Favorite Spots and Visiting Tips

Acadia National Park

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Our trip to Acadia was wonderful, and we wished we had more time there.  This post serves as our reflections looking back on Acadia – our favorite spots, things that we wished we did, tips for traveling to the park, or things we didn’t like.  It can also be used as a guide to the park, with links to more detailed posts if you want to dive in.  We’ll definitely revisit Acadia someday.  But there are a lot of other…

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Schoodic Point & Schoodic Head Trail

Schoodic Point & Schoodic Head Trail

Acadia National Park

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It was our last day in Maine, and we had gone to Schoodic Peninsula to check out the newest addition to Acadia NP.  We had already explored the Schoodic Institute and Sundew Trail.  Before our trip, we had seen photos of waves crashing onto rocks at Schoodic Point.  And a ranger at Schoodic Information Center had recommended hiking up to Schoodic Head, which would be the last hike of our trip. Schoodic Point The drive to Schoodic Point from the…

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Southwest Harbor Shops and Restaurants

Southwest Harbor Shops and Restaurants

Acadia National Park

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Southwest Harbor is small town on the southern end of MDI’s west side. Our first taste of it was seeing the harbor itself on the drive in. There are several piers, and one had a small pulloff. It looked so picturesque with boats scattered around, and we just had to stop and take some photos. The harbor is small, so we definitely recommend stopping to take in the views. To us, this was quintessential Maine. Southwest Harbor is also the…

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