Traveling is something that my family has always enjoyed doing together. Over the past few years, we have decided to switch our typical family adventures: visiting beaches, historical sites, and other popular east coast tourist locations, and ramp them up to become "the adventure family". We traded our beach bags for backpacks, our flip flops for athletic shoes and became amateur hikers.
Since then we have taken a few trips out west and have fallen in love with the splendor that the west has to offer. Accordingly, here are my top 7 wonders of the west.
1. Zion National Park
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Zion is truly one of the greatest places I have ever been to. The views are outstanding and the hikes are amazing. Red rocks, tall cliffs, and towering canyons, what could be better. There are many amazing hikes which the park has to offer, however, my absolute favorite is the Narrows. The Narrows is a hike through the Virgin River in the narrowest section of the Zion Canyon. This hike was hands down one of the coolest things I have ever done and I cannot recommend it more! You literally hike in a river, not in the river banks, but in the river. Definitely do your research though before going because it is challenging. Throughout the hike, you come across rapids, rocks and the possibility of flash floods but don't let that scare you, it is so worth it and I can't wait to go back!
2. Grand Canyon National Park-North Rim
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When people think of the Grand Canyon, they often think of the south rim. However, the north rim is truly the place to be! It's traditionally cooler and just as pretty. On top of the great views of the actual canyon, the drive into the park is amazing! The land is green and full of trees so you don't think you're anywhere near the Grand Canyon and then boom you're there. Go take a visit and see the Grand Canyon from a whole new perspective.
3. Channel Islands National Park
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The Channel Islands are located right off the coast of Southern California and are made up of five different islands. When I visited the park, my family took a boat from Ventura to Santa Cruz Island, the largest of the five islands. The boat ride took about an hour and a half and we were fortunate to see some breaching whales along the way. It felt like National Geographic was happening in front of us. We spent the majority of the day kayaking in the caves surrounding the islands, which made our annual Wakulla Springs kayaking look like a walk in the park. The park also has some hiking trails with breathtaking views of the island. Get away from the busyness of SoCal and visit the Channel Islands, Hollywood feels like a world away!
4. Yosemite National Park
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Yosemite is truly something. The waterfalls are breathtaking and the mountains are one of a kind. I mean just look at Half Dome, there is truly nothing like it. When my family visited the park, we hiked Sentinel Dome and the PanoramaTrail. These hikes took us almost all day and totaled about 15 miles. Honestly, it was one of the hardest things I have ever done, but it was amazing and worth the work. I will say though, after my family's day in Yosemite, we decided that we are no longer amateur hikers, we now have some experience under our belt. Yosemite is definitely a bucket list experience!
5. Lake Powell
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Located on the border of Arizona and Utah, Lake Powell is a beautiful reservoir fed by the Colorado River. The lake is a popular hot spot among boaters and has many visitors yearly. Being from Florida, this lake was different than any lake that I have seen before. Rather than being surrounded by swampland or forest, the lake is surrounded by different rock formations and cliffs. One popular sight located on Lake Powell is the Rainbow Bridge National Moment. This beautiful bridge is a large arch often described as the world's largest natural bridge. I had never heard of the lake prior to visiting and my family is already thinking about going back.
6. Mammoth Lakes, California
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In the mountains of California lies Mammoth Lakes, a popular ski town. My family visited here on the 4th of July and had one of the coolest experiences ever; we built a snowman in tank tops and shorts in the middle of the summer, not many people can say have done that! You would think that because there is snow there that it would be chilly but no, the weather was absolutely beautiful and the only thing cold was the snow. If you're looking for a cool town with snow-capped mountains, not too far from Yosemite, check it out!
7. Death Valley National Park
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Death Valley is the lowest spot in North America, which makes it quite warm. Wouldn't say it's the best place to go for a hike, but it is a fun place to drive around and see. A cool spot at Death Valley is Dante's View. It is a mile higher than the valley floor and for all you Star Wars' fans, it's where Mos Eisley was filmed in Star Wars: A New Hope. Which is what we are recreating above! Death Valley also has a Visitor's Center on the Valley Floor where they display the temperature. When we were there it was over 100 degrees, even us Floridians were hot!
