Dead Horse Point State Park, Utah, USA
If you are in Moab to visit Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park, don’t miss the small but dramatic Dead Horse Point State Park.
Yellowstone National Park, USA
Planning a trip to Yellowstone National Park can be a bit overwhelming due to the size of the park (over 2 million acres) and the figure-8 Grand Loop road system (Grand Loop 142 miles). It can be difficult to know how to best navigate the park to see the sights – especially if you have limited time.
We spent just over two days in Yellowstone and this is a bare minimum! There is so much to see and many walking opportunities. There are boardwalks for viewing amazing thermal areas, scenic drives, wonderful overlooks and wildlife viewing.
We hope this blog will assist you in planning your trip.
Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA
Leaving Yellowstone National Park through the southern boundary we are about to take one of the most beautiful drives in the USA – through the Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.
Take a look at our slideshow of Grand Teton National Park and Jackson.
The drive begins on the John D. Rockefeller Jr Memorial Parkway along Jackson Lake with views of the Grand Teton mountains on our right. This sets the scene for our stay in this beautiful area – the Grand Tetons rise up and dominate the landscape.
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
A visit to Salt Lake City was an unexpected highlight of a recent trip to the USA. Our biggest mistake was only allowing a morning to see the city!
Salt Lake City is the location of the world headquarters of the Mormons (the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). There is much to see in and around Temple Square.
Take a look at our photos of Salt Lake City
Alaska
Alaska is a paradise for nature lovers, a place to experience beautiful scenery and amazing wildlife.
Have a look at our slide show of Alaska.
With just a short time to experience Alaska, we rented a car for 5 days from Anchorage and travelled to Homer, Seward, Girdwood and finally Denali – a highlight. To visit the Inside Passage we took a 7-day cruise on the Star Princess – sailing from Whittier (near Anchorage) to Vancouver.
To avoid the crowds, we like to travel out of high season when possible, so this trip we took in mid-May and spent about 12 days in Alaska.
While we chose to do a self-drive trip, if you prefer not to drive, Alaska has excellent rail tours – www.alaskarailroad.com
Alaska Cruise – 7-day Voyage of the Glaciers – Star Princess – 19-26 May 2018
The 7-day Voyage of the Glaciers by Princess Cruises is a spectacular trip between Whittier (Alaska) and Vancouver (Canada). It is an excellent way to experience the highlights of the natural wonders and charming towns along the coast of Alaska and the Inside Passage – many of which can only accessed by sea.
Take a look at our photos of the 7-Day Voyage of the Glaciers
Summary of Itinerary (Southbound):
Whittier (Anchorage) – Yakutat Bay (Hubbard Glacier)
Yakutat Bay – Glacier Bay
Glacier Bay – Skagway
Skagway – Juneau
Juneau – Ketchikan
Ketchikan – Vancouver
There are also cruises that offer this itinerary northbound.
Victoria, Vancouver Island, Canada
The city of Victoria, located on Vancouver Island, is the capital of the Canadian province of British Columbia. Victoria is a charming city where we stay a couple of days – primarily to visit the beautiful Butchart Gardens.
Sea to Sky Highway (Highway 99): Vancouver to Whistler, Canada
The Sea to Sky Highway is a wonderfully scenic drive along the coast between Vancouver and Whistler. While the non-stop drive only takes about 1.5 to 2 hours, leave plenty of time to make stops along the way for beautiful walks, a gondola ride and lots of photography opportunities.
Vancouver in One Day
We arrived in Vancouver having taken a 7-day cruise through the Inside Passage. With just one day in Vancouver we got an early start, as there was much to do!
We rented a car from Hertz, located in the car park under the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel – a few minutes walk from the cruise terminal.
A quick stop at the nearby Tourism Vancouver Visitor Centre gave us some invaluable tips on how to spend our day.
Denali National Park, Alaska
At 20,310 feet, Mount Denali is North America’s highest peak and the national park is a spectacular wilderness area of just over 6 million acres.
A visit to Denali is a highlight of a trip to Alaska – don’t miss it!
Take a look at our Denali National Park photos.
We drove to Denali from Anchorage with a lunch stop at Talkeetna – a quaint town with some interesting shops and good places to eat.
Another stop not to miss on the way to Denali National Park is the McKinley South Lookout – wonderful views of the Alaska Range. Not far beyond the Lookout, the George Parks Highway traverses Broad Pass around Mile 195 and the scenery is spectacular.