While I wrote a post about our families’ experience renting an RV and driving through Grand Teton and Yellowstone, I wanted a chance to also write about the incredible vacation we had in the parks themselves. I think they are two of America’s greatest treasures and if possible, something everyone should see.

We started off our vacation by flying from the east coast to Salt Lake City, which was a great option because our flights were very reasonable and the drive from Salt Lake to Jackson was beautiful. The first night we headed out of Salt Lake, had a fun pizza dinner in Park City at Main Street Pizza and then drove up and spent the night at Bear Lake. If we weren’t headed to Grand Teton and Yellowstone, we could have spent our vacation at Bear Lake. Bear Lake is stunning and is often called the “Caribbean of the Rockies” for its bright blue water.

We then headed to the charming town of Jackson, WY. Highway 89 is one of the most beautiful drives I have ever been on. The first stop along the way there was the Snake River. My oldest asked, “Why is the river named that?” I answered, “It was, of course, named the Snake because of the way it winds.” We then saw not one, not two, but THREE snakes sunning themselves!

The first day we spent at Jackson Lake, we went on several hikes, listened to ranger talks and then rented a 16 foot skiff and did a little fishing. My kids were dying to swim in the lake, which was in the low 70s! There was no one out on the lake and the views of the Tetons were spectacular.

The second night we were celebrating an anniversary and had dinner in the Mural room at Jackson Lake Lodge. The food was fabulous and the view unrivaled as we looked out on one of the most photographed mountain ranges in the world. After dinner we walked out in front of the lodge to the willow flats and spotted a cow moose and her calf about 200 yards out. My husband was the first to see the calf and was quite proud to point it out to others. A great set of binoculars is a must for this trip.

Knowing that it can get very crowded, we headed out bright and early to drive into Yellowstone to see Old Faithful. Having the RV was great, the kids stayed asleep until we were almost there. When we arrived we were almost by ourselves, we spent a few hours walking along the geyser trail and visiting the Old Faithful Inn. When we left at noon the park ranger said they were expecting 7000-9000 people to view the next Old Faithful eruption!

We then headed to the Madison campsite and stopped at every turnout along the way and saw amazing geothermal displays. Madison turned out to be our favorite campsite, we spent the afternoon where the Madison and Firehole Rivers merge. The Firehole has many thermal areas along the bank that warm the river nicely and the Madison is one of the top trout streams in the country.

Quick story, my husband waded across the Madison River and went for a short hike. From across the river, he held up a recently eaten elk leg to show the kids and I (gross!). We had a good laugh. A man fishing came over to me and pointed up at the ridgeline and explained that there was probably a cougar up there guarding the rest of her kill she couldn’t finish. I waved my husband down from across the river, held my two hands up like claws, grabbed myself around the neck and pointed up to the ridge line. He quickly came back (amazing after 17 years of marriage, he instantly knew what I meant) and the kids will now tell you how their dad almost got killed by a cougar for trying to steal her food.

As we left the next morning we stopped at the Artist Paintpots and then at the Obsidian Cliffs roadside exhibit, both were well worth the stop. The town of Mammoth Falls was really charming. It was very nice and orderly in a park service kind of way.

Neither of us had ever been to Montana and so we went into the town of Gardiner for lunch and a quick look around. It was a true wild western town on the edge of the park right at the Roosevelt Arch. The Arch is the only entrance to the park open year round. After a great lunch at the Sawtooth Deli, we happened upon the Wagon Wheel Trading Post. My kids loved the store. It was full of all things from the”Wild West”, including pelts, fossils, leather goods, and Native American Craft items. Where else can you buy a bison jaw and get a picture of your littlest holding her doll with a coyote pelt hat on?

That night we stayed at the Mammoth Campground. The view was amazing and we hiked down to Lava Creek, which may be one of the coolest (actually warmest) things from the trip. Lava Creek flows above ground for only 100 feet through a crack in a rock. The massive flow goes into the Gardiner River right below the Mammoth Campground. The 140-degree water flows in the river making it one of the only inviting rivers to swim in. The area open to the public has a crude rock wall surrounding the warm water and keeping the ice-cold water at bay. The parking lot for the short flat hike is right on the WY/MT state line.

The next morning we went back to Gardiner to go whitewater rafting on the Yellowstone River. It was a great experience with a wonderful river guide named Sam. I think some days my husband might abandon us all to trade lives with Sam. He lives his life with his dog as a guide in the summer and running cattle over the winter. He was the epitome of the Marlboro man.

The last night of our trip we went to Hayden Valley and passed hundreds of bison on the way to the overlook. The night before a pack of wolves were spotted hunting elk in the Hayden Valley. At the overlook, there were probably 50 people looking for elk and wolves. Some of them had massive spotting scopes and binoculars to reach out over the 1-2 mile vistas searching for game. Everyone was very kind about showing each other and especially children what they were seeing. We were so sorry we did not see the famed Yellowstone wolves, but we did see many elk and either a beaver or an otter. The “roadside experts” agreed that it was likely a beaver. I only wish we would have had night vision goggles at Yellowstone.

This was a trip of a lifetime for our family. I knew when I planned it that it might be. I was only seven when I went as a kid and remember the trip clearly. Where else can you watch things explode out of the ground in an amazing assortment of colors, stand on a mega volcano, enjoy a natural hot tub, see hundreds of elk and bison and possibly see a bear, cougar, wolf, bald eagle, or (my favorite) wolverine?

It’s time for the fall migration of hummingbirds. While not all hummingbirds will head south for the winter, those in the northern climates will.  The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird flies up to 2,000 miles every fall when they migrate from northern climates east of the Rockies to their wintering grounds in Mexico and Central America.  This amazing distance includes a 600-mile crossing over the Gulf of Mexico.

A Few Facts:
Hummingbirds are among the smallest of birds, and include the smallest living bird species, the Bee Hummingbirds.  Hummingbirds can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings 12–90 times per second.  They can also fly backwards, and are the only group of birds that are able to do so. With the exception of insects, hummingbirds in flight have the highest metabolism of all animals, a necessity in order to support the rapid beating of their wings.  Hummingbirds drink nectar, a sweet liquid found inside flowers. Like bees, they are able to assess the amount of sugar in the nectar they eat; they reject flower types that produce nectar that is less than 10% sugar and prefer those whose sugar content is stronger. They also consume more than their own weight in nectar each day, and to do so they must visit hundreds of flowers daily.

The National Audubon Society has their annual Hummingbird Migration Celebration in mid-September. You can join with other hummingbird fans and celebrate the birds as they begin their long journey. If you are lucky enough to be in the southwestern pat of the country, you may have these jewels all year.  But, no matter where you are, now’s a great time to get outside, stroll around a park and look for hummingbirds.

This weekend we were having a family over to dinner and I really wanted to make something everyone would like. When the kids were younger, we would usually make something fancier for the adults and then have a kid friendly option. Now that the kids are getting older, I really love having the kids at the table with us talking about dinner just like we always do with our friends. On the menu this weekend were grilled flat iron steaks, twice baked potatoes, corn on the cob and wedge salads with a super easy homemade ranch dressing.

While ranch is not my favorite, I knew the kids would all like it. I also realized I had only ever tried ranch from a bottle. Here’s what I came up with, I think it’s so much better than anything from a bottle.

2 Cloves Garlic
¼ cup Italian Flat-Leaf Parsley
2 Tablespoons Fresh Chives
1 Tablespoon Fresh Oregano
1 cup Real Mayonnaise
½ cups Sour Cream, Low-Fat worked great
½ teaspoon White Vinegar
½ teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
Dash Cayenne Pepper
¼ teaspoon Paprika
Buttermilk (as Needed To Desired Consistency)
Salt To Taste

Mince the garlic with a knife and then sprinkle about and 1/8 to ¼ teaspoons of salt on it and mash it into a paste with a fork. You have to mash it or you will end up with garlic pieces that are to bold in the dressing. Chop the parsley, chives and oregano very finely and add to the garlic.
In a bowl combine all ingredients, tasting frequently and adjusting seasonings as needed. Chill for a couple of hours before serving, thin with buttermilk if desired.

My husband and I make it a point to stop for lunch somewhere on long drives so the kids can stretch their legs and get a bit of energy out. We pack a big picnic lunch to carry with us in the car so we have the flexibility to stop anywhere that we want.

A few months back we were in the middle of an 8 hour drive, and we stopped at Falls Lake, a North Carolina State Park. I was testing out A Day’s Outing’s iPhone App when it was in development and found the park as we were driving down the road.

Falls Lake is quite large and offers camping, boating and fishing. We were just at the park for lunch and headed to one of the picnic areas. If we were fisherman, we could have made it a long lunch break and caught something wonderful for dinner. Instead, we ate under a tree and watched kayaks and motorboats make their way around the lake. It was wonderful to have lunch somewhere so beautiful and unexpected.

Recently we got this great review submitted to us by Debbie an A Day’s Outing fan.  We love fan submitted tales of their day trips!

The Museum of Life and Science in Durham is a great place for children and adults alike. There are lots of outside activities like climbing stations, a real caboose, a sound area with drums and other percussion instruments. The butterfly house is wonderful. There are two areas, a large tropical rainforest with butterflies from around the world and a smaller domestic butterfly section. Children can watch the butterflies as they emerge and take flight.

There is also an insectarium with a variety of unusual living bugs, even live black widow spiders. Exhibits are carefully arranged so that the insects and be viewed up close. There are tropical frogs in a variety of colors. There is also a dinosaur exhibit, but I didn’t get a chance to go through it.

Prepare to spend several hours when visiting- there are lots of hands on activities both inside and out.

On the way back from a family visit to my mom’s, I made a last minute decision to follow a state tourism sign to the Montebello Fish Hatchery. It was a beautiful day and I usually like taking these kind of unexpected side trips. I now realize that I should have pulled out my trusty iPhone and check my own app for A Day’s Outing to see exactly where the sign for the fish hatchery might be leading me, but I didn’t.

Instead, we turned at the sign and started our journey down a lovely country road. I began to have doubts when the lovely road began to narrow and we started to climb the mountain. How far away could the hatchery be? Turns out it was miles and miles away. Twenty-five minutes later, we ended up at the very top of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

When we finally arrived, I realized that the Montebello Fish Hatchery is near Crabtree Falls, an amazing place to hike with the whole family. Since we had never been to a fish hatchery before, we didn’t know that there would be separate holding pens for the different species of fish, as well as the different sizes. This hatchery produces and stocks streams around Virginia with 150,000 Brook, Rainbow and Brown Trout each year. The fish are stocked in public waters from October to the end of May. During these months, the water is cool enough for the fish to survive the transition and adjust to their new environment.

My favorite part of the whole adventure was watching the kids jump out of their socks when they tossed their first handful of fish food into a pen. The trout exploded into a swarm as they all raced for the food. The kids screamed and I laughed. That was certainly worth the curvy roads and the extra time.

There are fish hatcheries all across the nation. Here are a few:

Thompson State Fish Hatchery, Manistique, MI

Makah National Salmon Hatchery, Sekiu, WA

Montebello State Fish Hatchery, Montebello, VA

NYS Salmon River Fish Hatchery, Altmar, NY

Nimbus Fish Hatchery, Rancho Cordova, CA

Orangeburg National Fish Hatchery, Orangeburg, SC

Wells Dam & Fish Hatchery, Pateros, WA

Earlier this summer while off Daufuskie Island in South Carolina, we came across a treasure trove of sand dollars on a sand bar. There were literally hundreds of them bleaching in the sun after a very low tide. We carefully picked some of them up to bring home with us. And yes, we only choose sand dollars that were dead. Below is a YouTube time-elapsed video showing the way a live sand dollar moves that my kids enjoyed.

Once we got our sand dollars home we gently rinsed, cleaned any sand or mud off of them and set a few out on the deck rail to bleach a little longer in the sun. Mix 1 part bleach with 2 parts water and soak the sand dollars for no more than 20 minutes or they will become to brittle. Place them carefully on a towel to dry.

After they are completely dry, mix 1 part white glue and one part water. We then dipped each of our sand dollars in the glue solution and sponged them smooth after we took them out. Place them on a smooth surface with the back down to dry. Once they are dry, you can decide if they are hard enough for your project. If not, just repeat the process.

It’s sunny and hot outside, and the tomatoes are ripening on the vines. Not in my garden, but in luckier people’s gardens across the country. My garden had been ravaged by deer this year. The fence I put up to keep them out didn’t work, and as my husband said, my fence really created a jungle gym for the deer with tasty snacks in the middle.

In year’s past, my tomatoes grew well and I canned sauce for our winter pizzas. My mom and I would make an afternoon of picking Italian tomatoes, pressing the seeds out and then cooking the sauce down to perfection. But this year, with no tomatoes of my own, I’m heading out to the farmers’ market to buy several different kinds of tomatoes to make my sauce. I’m also going to go to our regional Tomato Fest to see the variety of specialty and heirloom tomatoes that can be grown here. I’m hoping to come home with a bunch of seeds for next year’s garden. And if I am lucky, I won’t be growing the tomatoes for the deer.

You can look for a local farmers’ market on A Day’s Outing. If you want to make a day trip of it, here are a few tomato festivals around the country:

Heirloom Tomato Festival Westminster, MD  Saturday, Aug 21st

Tomato Fest Sterling, VA  Saturday, Aug 21st

Tomato Festival Harris, GA   Saturday, August 21st

Fredericktown Tomato Show Fredericktown, OH   Wednesday, September 8th - 11th

Reynoldsburg Tomato Festival Reynoldsburg, OH   Friday, August 20th & Saturday, August 21st

Last week while visiting Hilton Head Island, we took a tour by zodiac to visit a sandbar off Daufuskie Island and watch the local dolphins. On our way out from the Sea Pines Marina the dolphins immediately came up to the zodiac, they seemed to enjoy swimming with us as much as we liked watching them. We then headed out to a huge sandbar that sits between Sea Pines and Daufuskie Island. The tide was very low and as we walked out there were hundreds of sand dollars lying on the sand, there were also beautiful cat eye shells, starfish, and tiny horseshoe crabs. The kids and I were in heaven!

Even if this had been the end of our tour, it would have been great. As we got in the boat our guide asked us to hurry and he would take us back into the tidal creeks and see if we could catch dolphins “Strand Feeding”. As we pulled into the creek, dolphins once again came right up to the zodiac. The creek was narrow and shallow and we loved being that close to the dolphins. As the dolphins swam in front of us, we could see large schools of bait fish scrambling to get away from them. There were also 3-4 foot sharks swimming close to shore and birds that seemed to know what to expect next.

Our guide, asked us to watch for the dolphins to start to head bob and begin to circle. As they began to circle the school in tighter circles, it trapped the 6-inch fish into a tighter and tighter ball. Then they created a powerful bow wave that rushed the prey out of the water and onto the muddy bank of the creek. The dolphins actually came all the way out of the water onto the bank and ate as many fish as they could. We then watched them wriggle back into the water, cruise around until they found another school of fish, and repeat the process. The two sharks that followed along with us waited with the birds until the dolphins finished eating and then ate everything that was left.

Bottlenose dolphins in Mexico and Portugal have also been observed strand feeding, but only the dolphins along the low-country coast of South Carolina and Georgia strand feed daily. Strand feeding is apparently a learned behavior and not instinctual. Young calves pick it up by observing their mother. No one knows why, but the dolphins always land on their right sides when they come up on the bank to feed. It looks like a synchronized trick.

So sorry my pictures of this are not better, I could not stop watching.

We went out with Commander Zodiac and our guide was Heath. The trip was amazing and something none of us will forget.

I confess to having 8 quilts, 10 hostess aprons, 9 saltcellars and 2 chandeliers from antique and thrift stores.  I simply love to stop into antique malls in small towns and to slip into thrift stores in big cities.  I still miss the huge thrift store in the Mission district of San Francisco. I don’t know of anywhere else that has fun and funky clothes sold by the pound.

My latest finds are 2 cut crystal coasters that were made to hold drinking glasses on a table.  I realized when I picked them up that old coasters are the perfect size to hold pillar candles.  My dining room table now has two beautiful and elegant candle holders that were just 2 dollars apiece.  My guess is that so few people use the crystal or silver coasters anymore that there isn’t much of a market for them… but as candle holders, they are perfect.

I always keep my eye out for old silver plate flatware.  I have a collection of mismatched forks, knives and spoons that I use for backyard parties. This is a fun and inexpensive item to buy at flea markets.  Since I haven’t tried to match patterns and simple buy a fork or knife here or there, I have quite a collection now.

Shopping must be in the air, because the thrift shops and antique stores are calling my name.  I guess it’s time to hunt for more crystal coasters.