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The MIGHTY 5

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When it comes to National Parks, not many states can beat Utah’s “MIGHTY 5”. In fact, only California and Alaska have more parks, with a total of nine and eight, respectively. Unfortunately, raging wildfires in the west and a closed border to the north limited our travel  in those areas this summer. Nonetheless, we took full advantage of the free rein in Utah spending time in the hiking paradise of Bryce, Zion, Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyonlands National Parks…the MIGHTY 5! Though connected by a common theme of red petrified sediments, each of these parks has a uniqueness that will make your visit well worth the time. So put on your hiking boots, venture out into some of the Earth’s greatest masterpieces and be prepared to be amazed.  

Grand Teton National Park & Yellowstone National Park

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Leaving Montana, we headed southeast through Idaho and into Wyoming to visit the Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park. Captivated immediately by the stark, rugged beauty of the Teton range and the amazing diversity of Yellowstone’s geographical features, we knew saying goodbye to this paradise would not be easy. There are 84 named mountains in the Teton Range, with the Grand Teton peak reaching 13,770 feet.  Supposedly, it's one of the most accessible and fun mountains to hike in the Lower 48. We chose to admire it from below! Bentley really enjoyed his time here as well, especially the lakes. He loved swimming in Jenny Lake in the Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone Lake in Yellowstone National Park.  To date, Yellowstone National Park has been our favorite park with so much to see including hot springs, geysers, wildlife and beautiful mountains valleys. If all that wasn’t enough, we had the “No Fear” tourists providing us with lots of excitement as they m

Montana In The Rear View Mirror

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It was our plan to spend the summer in Montana to see what “Life on the Open Range” was all about. After two months of traveling north, south, east and west within the state, we only scratched the surface of what Montana had to offer. Setting up at Indian Creek Campground in Deer Lodge for most of our stay, we opted to make this our hub. With no schedule or agenda, we set out daily to explore and conquer. One of our first stops was to tour the historic “Grant-Kohrs Ranch” right in Deer Lodge. A working ranch operated by the National Park Service and supported by a host of volunteers, this was an opportunity to take a step back in time to see a cowboy’s life around 1850. Hard work and long hours was no deterrent for those who romanticized about this simple, peaceful way of life.   Unfortunately, it takes much more than a good work ethic today to have a taste of the good life, with Montana ranches listing in the tens of millions of dollars! The Tri-County Fair, a celebration showcasi