Evergreen Lodge: Not only did it have everything I was looking for, but activities for the kids, a rustic, but comfortable cabin, a solar-heated saltwater pool--and onsite restaurants. This meant less time cooking after a long day, and less frustration of hauling and trying to store food.

I came to this country as a 5-year-old little girl with just my small suitcase...

Sipping morning coffee in the mountain air at Half Dome while watching the sunrise in Yosemite is one of the greatest moments I've ever had. I've written previously about my goal not just to see Yosemite, but to experience Yosemite. There is nothing like the experience of mixing fresh, hot coffee, with cold pine air, watching the light bounce off the icy needles in the trees.

Wandering The Loneliest Road in America, otherwise known as Highway 50 across Nevada, is going back to remembering what a road trip was supposed to be.

Hiking through the McDowell Mountains. We never thought we would say that and JD in the same sentence. Previously, we shared the story of JD's initial hikes through her new surroundings in Arizona, and how her reluctance turned to a love to trek up rocky terrain and explore.