Southern California Beaches
San Diego is one of our favorite places to visit because of all the activities to do. The beaches are one of the best parts of Southern California. Torrey Pines State Park is a great place to hike, plus great beach access. La Jolla Shores has sea kayaking, plus seals and sea lions aplenty. We haven't spent a lot of time in San Diego during the summer (we have school vacations in October and April) and so we often have these beaches to ourselves --if you don't count the crazy surfers, that is.
San Diego is one of our favorite places to visit because of all the activities to do. The beaches are one of the best parts of Southern California. Torrey Pines State Park is a great place to hike, plus great beach access. La Jolla Shores has sea kayaking, plus seals and sea lions aplenty. We haven't spent a lot of time in San Diego during the summer (we have school vacations in October and April) and so we often have these beaches to ourselves --if you don't count the crazy surfers, that is.
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is another beautiful place to visit. We have only done quick visits for the views, but there is a lot of different things you can do. Lake Tahoe is just outside of Reno, NV. It borders California and Nevada. The color of the water is amazing and another place that should be seen.
Lake Tahoe is another beautiful place to visit. We have only done quick visits for the views, but there is a lot of different things you can do. Lake Tahoe is just outside of Reno, NV. It borders California and Nevada. The color of the water is amazing and another place that should be seen.
Washington Beaches
Washington state also has a lot of beaches that are very different from California. Many of them are more rocky, but they have very interesting looks. The huge rocks and boulders create a different landscape. When we visited the beaches it was in early June and a little cloudy, but we had the beaches to ourselves. A couple of the beaches we visited were Ruby Beach and Rialto Beach as well as the beach below Deception Pass.
Washington state also has a lot of beaches that are very different from California. Many of them are more rocky, but they have very interesting looks. The huge rocks and boulders create a different landscape. When we visited the beaches it was in early June and a little cloudy, but we had the beaches to ourselves. A couple of the beaches we visited were Ruby Beach and Rialto Beach as well as the beach below Deception Pass.
Rigby Lake
The official title of this lake is Jefferson County Lake, but all of the locals call it Rigby Lake. It is located in Rigby, Idaho, about 10 minutes from where we live. It is a great place to spend a hot summer day, or even a rainy day. It costs $5 per car and there is fun for everyone. You have to bring your own flotation devices (we usually rent canoes and kayaks from BYU-Idaho) or we just bring inner tubes to float on. People of all ages can have fun as well even if they decide to sit and enjoy the weather. There is also sand volleyball and a slide you can use to slide in the water. Plus, if you are a camper, there are camping sites as well.
The official title of this lake is Jefferson County Lake, but all of the locals call it Rigby Lake. It is located in Rigby, Idaho, about 10 minutes from where we live. It is a great place to spend a hot summer day, or even a rainy day. It costs $5 per car and there is fun for everyone. You have to bring your own flotation devices (we usually rent canoes and kayaks from BYU-Idaho) or we just bring inner tubes to float on. People of all ages can have fun as well even if they decide to sit and enjoy the weather. There is also sand volleyball and a slide you can use to slide in the water. Plus, if you are a camper, there are camping sites as well.
Lighthouses
Lighthouses
Whenever we plan a trip to a coast, we look to see if there are any lighthouses to see. We are always looking for one that will give us a Thomas Kinkade-like picture. Lighthouses are usually near beaches which are always great places to travel to.
Whenever we plan a trip to a coast, we look to see if there are any lighthouses to see. We are always looking for one that will give us a Thomas Kinkade-like picture. Lighthouses are usually near beaches which are always great places to travel to.
Packsaddle Lake
Packsaddle Lake is a great hike to a beautiful lake. The hike is not very difficult. We went with kids as young as 5 years old. The hike is less than two miles and is a lot of fun. People also bring their ATVs in and camp at the lake. Here are the directions to the trailhead:
Take Highway 20 east out of Rexburg. Near Sugar City, take Highway 33 east towards Driggs for about 25 miles. As you start to enter and descend into Teton Valley, leave Highway 33 by turning right at the Ehco (we think it is really suppose to be Echo, but it is not) Ranch sign. The sign has also faded a little and the road is called Hoopes Rd. Follow the gravel road for 6 miles. You will come to a place where the road makes a 90 degree turn toward the east. At the turn there is a road heading into the trees with a sign. This is the trail head and where you can park your car (there are some wooden corrals there too). If you have a high clearance vehicle you can drive up the road about a mile more until you get to a clearing and can hike from there. The hike is about 2.7 miles roundtrip from the clearing and almost 5 miles roundtrip from the corrals.
Packsaddle Lake is a great hike to a beautiful lake. The hike is not very difficult. We went with kids as young as 5 years old. The hike is less than two miles and is a lot of fun. People also bring their ATVs in and camp at the lake. Here are the directions to the trailhead:
Take Highway 20 east out of Rexburg. Near Sugar City, take Highway 33 east towards Driggs for about 25 miles. As you start to enter and descend into Teton Valley, leave Highway 33 by turning right at the Ehco (we think it is really suppose to be Echo, but it is not) Ranch sign. The sign has also faded a little and the road is called Hoopes Rd. Follow the gravel road for 6 miles. You will come to a place where the road makes a 90 degree turn toward the east. At the turn there is a road heading into the trees with a sign. This is the trail head and where you can park your car (there are some wooden corrals there too). If you have a high clearance vehicle you can drive up the road about a mile more until you get to a clearing and can hike from there. The hike is about 2.7 miles roundtrip from the clearing and almost 5 miles roundtrip from the corrals.
Florida Beaches
Florida Beaches
Florida has miles and miles of coastline (over 1200 miles) and with the coastline comes lots of beaches. We enjoy walking on the beaches and we got to see a lot of them on a trip to Florida. Key West has multiple beaches, as well as Ft Myers. Along the keys, you can stop many places and see different beaches as well. If you have kids and they want to get shells, Sanibel Island is the best place for that. Shells are all over the beach and many people are there picking up shells. Clearwater is another beach that you can visit. Many people were there when we went to that beach. (Heads up: If you are planning on staying in the Clearwater area, steer clear of the North Sunrise Motel. We made the mistake of staying there. We call it our "Myrtle Manor" hotel after the TLC show based on a trailer park. It was in a scary area, plus the managers were dishonest in their policies. We ended up in a room with one bed and we could touch the wall and the bed on all four sides, plus we had to sit sideways on the toilet in order for our legs to fit.)
Florida has miles and miles of coastline (over 1200 miles) and with the coastline comes lots of beaches. We enjoy walking on the beaches and we got to see a lot of them on a trip to Florida. Key West has multiple beaches, as well as Ft Myers. Along the keys, you can stop many places and see different beaches as well. If you have kids and they want to get shells, Sanibel Island is the best place for that. Shells are all over the beach and many people are there picking up shells. Clearwater is another beach that you can visit. Many people were there when we went to that beach. (Heads up: If you are planning on staying in the Clearwater area, steer clear of the North Sunrise Motel. We made the mistake of staying there. We call it our "Myrtle Manor" hotel after the TLC show based on a trailer park. It was in a scary area, plus the managers were dishonest in their policies. We ended up in a room with one bed and we could touch the wall and the bed on all four sides, plus we had to sit sideways on the toilet in order for our legs to fit.)
Lake Pend Oreille
Lake Pend Oreille (pronounced pond oray) is the largest lake in Northern Idaho near the town of Sandpoint. This was just a stopover point for us during a trip and we were sad that we had not planned to spend more time here. The lake and surrounding area is amazingly beautiful. We stayed in a hotel right on the lake called The Lodge at Sandpoint. It was a great hotel and we would stay there again. There are a lot of opportunities for outdoor recreation (even though we didn't have time to do any of them) on and around the lake. The only negative for us when we stopped here in 2013 was the horrendous road construction. Hopefully, that is complete by now.
Lake Pend Oreille (pronounced pond oray) is the largest lake in Northern Idaho near the town of Sandpoint. This was just a stopover point for us during a trip and we were sad that we had not planned to spend more time here. The lake and surrounding area is amazingly beautiful. We stayed in a hotel right on the lake called The Lodge at Sandpoint. It was a great hotel and we would stay there again. There are a lot of opportunities for outdoor recreation (even though we didn't have time to do any of them) on and around the lake. The only negative for us when we stopped here in 2013 was the horrendous road construction. Hopefully, that is complete by now.
SURPRISE LAKE
When we hiked to this lake in Grand Teton National Park, we did have a big surprise: SNOW! We did this hike in July 2014 and were shocked when we had to hike across snow for the last half mile. As you can see in the picture, there is still a lot of snow in and around this lake. It was a tough hike to get there (even before we hit snow) involving 4.6 miles (one way) and 3000 feet of elevation gain starting at the Lupine Meadows Trailhead. It is beautiful though!
When we hiked to this lake in Grand Teton National Park, we did have a big surprise: SNOW! We did this hike in July 2014 and were shocked when we had to hike across snow for the last half mile. As you can see in the picture, there is still a lot of snow in and around this lake. It was a tough hike to get there (even before we hit snow) involving 4.6 miles (one way) and 3000 feet of elevation gain starting at the Lupine Meadows Trailhead. It is beautiful though!
Oregon Coast
Oregon Coast
Rocks, driftwood, and lighthouses can be found along the Oregon Coast. You can find the sandy beaches too, but the rocks really add character to the coastline. You can find lighthouses to see as well. You can also find tide pools where, if you are lucky, you can see anemones, starfish, and other sea creatures. There are a number of beaches we did not stop at as well as some sand dunes.
Rocks, driftwood, and lighthouses can be found along the Oregon Coast. You can find the sandy beaches too, but the rocks really add character to the coastline. You can find lighthouses to see as well. You can also find tide pools where, if you are lucky, you can see anemones, starfish, and other sea creatures. There are a number of beaches we did not stop at as well as some sand dunes.
Prince Edward Island Beach
Red, red, red! That's what is so different about the coast of Prince Edward Island. The coastline has red rocks and red sand that makes it beautiful. The dirt all over the island has a reddish color to it. We went in early June and so we had the beach to ourselves, but I am sure later in the summer it has a lot more people. It is also amazing to cross the Confederation Bridge to get to the island as well. Plus, nothing beats being near the home of Anne of Green Gables! |
Jenny lake
Jenny Lake is not the largest lake in Grand Teton National Park, but it is probably the most popular. This in due, at least in part, because of the fairly easy hike to the Hidden Falls (which are pretty awesome) on the far side of the lake. But, it is a beautiful lake in its own right. In addition to the 0.6 hike to Hidden Falls, you can also hike all the way around the lake which is about 7 miles. We often will go from the boat dock to Hidden Falls and then ride the boat back to make it a little shorter. There is also a short, but steep, hike up to Inspiration Point where you can get some great views. There are several other trails that branch off of these shorter hikes including Cascade Canyon (which can be VERY long) and the String Lakes.