Category Archives: Waterfalls

Trying to Escape the Crowds in Yellowstone

  By Anne Patrone | September 27, 2011 - 9:26 am | , , , , , , , , , ,
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Lovely Lewis River in Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park is MASSIVE (spanning three states – Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho) and I knew it was going to be a challenge to even get a taste of this National Park in the short amount of time I had budgeted for it during our Western US road trip (a short half day).

I knew we would see Old Faithful (because, really . . . how can you go to Yellowstone and NOT see Old Faithful) and thought we might do a short hike or two (which we sort of did), but what I wasn’t prepared for was the crowds.

Okay, I know that we were going in the height of the summer season and that we were also heading into the park during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally (more about that in a later post . . . ), but the amount of people EVERYWHERE, the full parking lots, and the lines of cars slowly inching along single lane roads (excuse me, slow person, look in your rear view mirror occasionally . . . they make pullouts for a reason . . . ) made me want to scurry out as quickly as possible.

And that’s a shame because Yellowstone, as the first National Park (established in 1872), was worth more of our time.

We still saw some amazing scenery . . .

Lewis Falls in Yellowstone National Park

. . . and crossed the Continental Divide . . .

The guys at our first crossing of the Continental Divide

. . . and even saw some bison far, far away . . . (what you don’t see are the nearly 30 cars lined up along the road trying to take a picture of this guy!)

A male bison in Yellowstone

But at the end of the day, we never felt like we were getting in touch with nature like we did on even short walks at Valley of Fire State Park or Arches National Park. 

My travel suggestion for Yellowstone? Don’t go in the summer and find a way to get out of the car to take even a short hike . . . you’ll be glad you did.

Niagara Falls & Canadian Kitsch

  By Anne Patrone | August 23, 2010 - 10:59 am | , , , , , , , ,
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Niagara Falls is about a two hour drive from Toronto (and less with my DH driving), so this was an easy day trip for my gang.

Once there, we got in line and ponied up the cash for the classic Maid of the Mist tour.  The tour is a wet one, but so iconic, you can’t miss it.

Basically, after donning rain ponchos, you take a 30-45 minute boat ride REALLY close to the falls and depending on where you stand, you can either get wet or really wet.  The noise is deafening and you have to shout to be heard, so keep the young ones close.

The experience can also be frightening to little ones.  My youngest was definitely glued to my side as the spray hit him in the face.

Once we returned to dry land, everyone was all smiles and ready for lunch.

Cue the tourist trap music.

We settled on the Hard Rock Cafe and paid outrageous prices for hamburgers.  Unfortunately, our options were limited and the kids were starving.

And after lunch?

That’s when the Canadian kitsch factor came in.

After driving two hours to see the falls, we didn’t want to turn right around and return to Toronto, so we decided to explore the main street – an area filled with a carnival-like atmosphere specifically designed to separate parents from their money.

Rides, haunted houses, and stores are bunched up next to each other along a strip less than a mile long.

My kids suckered DH into a haunted house tour, then ran screaming out before they got half-way through (and no, we didn’t get our $30 back).

Sigh.

There are other, less touristy spots in Niagara that are worth a visit, but let’s face it.  Once you’ve seen the falls, everything else is a let-down.

Twenty-four places visited, 476 to go.

Hana Highway and Guidebooks

  By Anne Patrone | June 18, 2010 - 1:19 pm | , , , , , ,
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Using guidebooks to plan a trip is a double-edged sword.  On the one hand, you look to the book’s expert advice to provide a template to create an itinerary, reserve excursions, and decide on activities. But guidebooks are focused on a narrow niche – the area you are traveling to without taking into account that it might not be the only place you are going.  Often they are written by people with agendas (as in companies getting kickbacks for people visiting the recommended sites).  Plus, they can’t cover all  the different travel possibilities – travel with kids, travel without, honeymooners, older couples, etc.

I thought I had hit on the magic combination with three books:  Hawaii with Kids, Maui Revealed, and 500 Places to Take Your Kids Before They Grow Up.

  They were good.  They were great.  They were wrong.

Hawaii With Kids gave an excellent bit of advice:  One island per week.  How I wished I had heeded that advice.  But travel sites, forums, and tours made me think otherwise.  Besides, when they tout all these “must-sees” what do they expect a Type A personality to do?

Try to see all the “must-sees.”

A word to the wise.  The Road to Hana, though given an entire section in Maui Revealed, is not the most kid-friendly drive.  Heck, it’s not the most friendly drive even if you aren’t a kid.

Forty miles took almost THREE HOURS.

Yes, it was gorgeous.  Yes, the views were unbelievable.  But the road is narrow (in spots only one car can pass at a time), its twists and turns are tight, and if you are the driver, you’ll see nothing of the gorgeous views.  You’ll be too busy concentrating on the road.  And that’s not fun.

If you want to stop and take pictures, you better plan ahead (which means having a guidebook open so you know where you are) – signs are few and far between.

And did I mention that the road is one-way?

Fortunately, we spent the night in Hana, so we had time to recuperate before driving back the same way we came – for another THREE HOURS.

On our last day in Maui, we spent exactly 30 minutes at Ohe’o Gulch (aka Seven Sacred Pools) which is part of Haleakala National Park before heading back to Kahului Airport to catch our flight to the Big Island.

So, what did I learn?

Sometimes guidebooks are right (Hawaii With Kids and Maui Revealed) and sometimes they’re wrong (Hawaii With Kids and Maui Revealed).  Use your best judgment, hope for the best, and plan for the worst.

And in the end, be grateful when you have indications (like rainbows in the sky) that things will get better.

Next:  Hawaii Volcano National Park