Be part of our journey by way of our prime 10 pure wonders of the US From the Oregon Coast to the Florida Springs, uncover breathtaking landscapes.
Two and a half years in the past, my household and I launched into an journey that fully modified our lives. We swapped our every day routine for the liberty of the open street, the confinement of lecture rooms for the vastness of the nice outside, and the hustle of cityscapes for the great thing about nature.
As a father, witnessing my sons develop and be taught by way of these experiences has been nothing wanting magical. From the rugged shores of Oregon to the crystal-clear waters of Florida Springs, every vacation spot has been a chapter in our household’s storybook of journey.
On this article, I wish to take you on a vivid journey by way of probably the most breathtaking pure wonders within the US we’ve encountered. It’s not simply concerning the locations themselves but additionally concerning the unimaginable magnificence that left us in awe, the laughter that echoed in opposition to the majestic backdrops, and the priceless moments that unfolded in these gorgeous settings.
These landscapes will not be simply lovely sights; they’re the canvases that maintain our household’s most cherished recollections, every a testomony to the awe-inspiring great thing about the pure world we have now been lucky sufficient to discover as we’ve mastered RV life.
10. Saguaro Nationwide Park
First up is Saguaro Nationwide Park exterior of Tucson, AZ. We don’t have cacti like this on the East Coast, so this was loopy to see. In the event you don’t know, Saguaro NP is known for its giant saguaro cacti, the biggest cacti in america. These giants can reside for as much as 200 years.
The park can be dwelling to abandon tortoises and quite a lot of fowl species, which was fairly enjoyable for the children to identify. It’s additionally dwelling to roadrunners, however we didn’t see any getting chased by a coyote, sadly.
Like lots of the nationwide parks we visited, Saguaro had a pleasant Junior Ranger Program for the boys to be taught concerning the desert atmosphere and its inhabitants, which is why Oregon is without doubt one of the finest states within the US that we visited.
9. Carlsbad Caverns Nationwide Park
Let’s go from the desert to an enormous underground cavern at Carlsbad Caverns Nationwide Park. The park has over 119 caves, shaped from sulfuric acid dissolving limestone, creating an interesting underground world.
You actually should see it to imagine it.
We had been additionally lucky sufficient to look at the Brazilian free-tailed bats fly out of the cave entrance at sundown. The boys thought we had been at Batman’s bat cave!
8. White Sands Nationwide Park
Simply down the street in New Mexico is White Sands Nationwide Park. If I needed to describe this place, strolling over the white dunes felt like stepping out of Luke Skywalker’s Starfighter.
It actually felt like we had been in one other world. The dunes are made from white gypsum, which is seemingly fairly uncommon, and creates a shocking white desert.
We purchased some sleds from the customer middle and had a blast sledding down the comfortable sand dunes.
7. Redwood Nationwide Forest
If you wish to really feel insignificant, simply go to the Redwood Nationwide Forest. This forest in Northern California is understood worldwide for its redwoods, which had been simply as mind-blowing for me and my spouse because it was for the boys.
There are many family-friendly trails by way of the forest, and I like to recommend mountaineering as many as doable to develop an appreciation for the large, historic timber.
And when you hold your eyes open, you may even spot an elk or two.
6. The Drive By way of Utah (Canyonland, Arches, Moab)
This one on the checklist is a little bit completely different. Sadly, we didn’t have time to cease and actually get pleasure from this space, however the drive by way of was lovely sufficient to say.
Simply driving by way of, we loved numerous landscapes, from deep canyons to towering rock formations and arches like those you’ll see at Arches NP sculpted by erosion. My largest remorse up to now is just not with the ability to spend extra time on this space.
5. Florida Springs (Three Sisters, Weeki Wachee)
Florida is identified for Disney and its seashores, however our absolute favourite a part of the sunshine state is the Springs. The springs are crystal clear, good for swimming and snorkeling, they usually keep a brisk 72 levels year-round.
That’s good to chill off within the scorching Florida solar. We received to swim with some Manatees at Three Sisters Springs, and the boys liked the vastly standard mermaid present at Weeki Wachee.
4. Bonneville Salt Flats / Silver Mountains
The Salt Flats are one other place that feels out of this world. We appreciated it a lot right here that we visited twice. Apart from being a superbly distinctive, otherworldly panorama that’s fascinating to discover, the flats are additionally well-known for being a web site the place quite a few land pace information have been set.
The boys completely liked it once I floored it in our truck and pushed it to the max on the speedway. The huge, flat space is ideal for enjoyable perspective images, and we had lots of enjoyable taking photos.
Our campsite within the shadows of the Silver Island Mountains was a stark distinction to the Salt Flats, however extraordinarily lovely in its personal proper.
3. Yosemite Nationwide Park
Phrases can’t describe how lovely Yosemite Nationwide Park is. Till you’ve seen locations like El Capitan, Half Dome, and Yosemite Falls, you simply gained’t perceive. I might simply sit and stare at these landmarks for hours.
The park can be dwelling to numerous wildlife like black bears that the boys liked studying about (from a protected distance).
2. Pinnacles Nationwide Park
Earlier than attending to California, we had by no means heard of Pinnacles Nationwide Park, however I’m glad we discovered it. Pinnacle NP is understood for its spectacular rock formations and spires, remnants of an historic volcanic area.
Our favourite half was grabbing the flashlights and exploring the talus caves. They had been darkish, chilly, and damp, however we had a blast. It’s additionally an incredible place to see California condors, one of many world’s largest birds, however we weren’t fortunate sufficient to see one.
1. The Oregon Coast
My absolute favourite a part of your complete nation is the Oregon Coast. We spent a while on the dunes in Florence and plan on visiting the pure bridges in Brookings, however my favourite spot is the coast in Seaside and Cannon Seaside.
Haystack Rock is an iconic 235-foot sea stack, the third tallest on the planet. At low tide, we liked exploring the tide swimming pools, and in the summertime, we liked watching the Puffins.
Seaside has a large seaside subsequent to Tillamook Head, and the realm has numerous hikes, every with implausible forest and ocean views. The realm is breathtaking.
The seashores are good for constructing sandcastles, flying kites, beachcombing, and clamming, a brand new exercise we discovered with the children. The 2 cities supply family-friendly eating and buying, making it an entire household vacation spot.
I feel that is the place we are going to ultimately ditch the wheels and challenges of RV life and put down roots.
Wrapping Up The Pure Wonders of the US
As I write this closing, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude and nostalgia.
The previous two and a half years of exploring America’s pure wonders with my household have been greater than only a sequence of journeys; they’ve been a journey of discovery and bonding.
Every park, path, and sundown has taught us one thing new concerning the world and ourselves. We’ve got shared tales beneath starlit skies, marveled at nature’s grandeur, and discovered to worth our planet’s treasured presents.
Watching my boys’ eyes gentle up with surprise and curiosity has been my most treasured expertise as a father. Our journey doesn’t finish right here; we proceed to look ahead to extra adventures.
To households dreaming of their very own adventures, get on the market and discover. Life is brief, however the world is huge, lovely, and ready to be found.
Your checklist of favorites will likely be completely different from ours, however the pleasure of exploring with household is a common treasure everybody ought to expertise.