The Tongariro Alpine Crossing, a 12 mile day hike on New Zealand’s North Island, is one of the most popular day hikes in the country.
New Zealand is where the Hobbits live!
Located inside The Tongariro National Park, the alpine crossing is part of a larger 3-4 day hike that is one of New Zealand’s Great Walks.
Tongariro National Park was made famous – like so many places in New Zealand – by it’s appearance in the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy.
The park’s alpine, volcanic scenery is the setting of Mordor, home of Mount Doom – aka Mt Ngauruhoe – the object of Frodo and Sam’s quest throughout the series.
I had the opportunity to take this trek as part of an active group trip to the North Island early this Spring.
(Fortunately, I was able to return home before travel became restricted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.)
Here’s how hiking the Tangeriro Alpine Crossing went for me, and some information that will help if you want to go try it for yourself!
Home school kids need to get outdoors in the sunshine and play – for their physical and mental health and for ours, too.
If you’ve recently become a remote worker AND a home-schooler all at once, courtesy of COVID-19, you’re probably already running short on patience.
Getting outdoors, either in your own yard or in a local park or forest, can help boost the entire family’s mood and immune system.
Footpath in Lake Crabtree County Park
Sitting still for long periods of time is hard for everyone, but it’s especially difficult for energetic young ones who may have shorter attention spans.
When children have the space and freedom to move around, they can work off their excess energy and be more focused on learning when playtime is over.
Through physical outdoor learning activities children can improve their speed, strength, stamina and motor skills, too.
Here are some ideas for incorporating outdoor time into your new at-home daily schedule, and some tips on places to go for outdoor fun where you can still avoid crowds, for social distancing purposes.
We started in Barcelona and made our way across the country to end the tour in Madrid – all in 8 days!
For me, the highlight of the tour was a short day hike in the Aragonese Pyrenees.
Gaudi house museum in Barcelona, Spain
Don’t get me wrong – the rest of the tour was great, too.
But I’m not usually a fan of big cities, even cities as beautiful as Madrid and Barcelona.
I usually like to spend my holiday time away from cities, sweating in a desert canyon, searching for ruins in a rainforest, or hiking up a steep slope to a mountain view.
To be honest, the hike in the Pyrenees was the main reason I signed up 🙂
I’d been planning another trip that cancelled at the last minute, so I decided to take a chance on a different sort of trip for me. I’m very glad I did!
Spring can be the best time to try out some coastal trails, before it gets too hot or or crowded with Summer visitors. One great place to visit is First Landing State Park.
Situated at the juncture of the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, First Landing is the most visited State Park in Virginia and includes one of the most endangered habitat types in the world – the maritime forest.
I first visited First Landing State Park several years ago, on a long Spring weekend with That Man and the puppy.
We hiked several of the park’s trails on that visit, including the Cape Henry Trail – which is the longest trail in the park.
Spanish moss on the Cape Henry Trail
The 6.1-mile (one way) Cape Henry Trail winds through many diverse habitats, including the rarely-found maritime forest.
This past October, I had some free time and took a day trip to the park from where I was staying in nearby historic Williamsburg, specifically to hike the Cape Henry Trail again.
I wasn’t disappointed – both the park and the trail were just as beautiful as I remembered!
If you’ve never seen the stunning views at Bryce Canyon National Park, get ready for a breathtaking experience!
View from the rim at Sunset Point
I’d seen the rock formations called “hoodoos” at other parks in the American Southwest, but never so many clustered so close together.
And never with such spectacular views of the vivid red, orange, and white rock towers within such easy access to park visitors.
You don’t have to hike for miles to see the hoodoos – which is great news for families with smaller kids or people short on time.
The most spectacular views into the canyon are literally just steps away when you pull into the Visitor’s Center parking lot.
View of the descent via the Queens Garden Trail
Bryce Canyon National Park was a good stopping place on our springtime tour of southern Utah, and a place we were excited to visit!
Bryce is just a short, hour-and-a-half drive northeast of Zion National Park, so it would be an easy drive to get to our lodgings there at the end of the day.
In a perfect world we would have had a longer stop, but Bryce is on the smaller side for National Parks, so we were able to hit the highlights.
I literally couldn’t stop taking photos, because it was so beautiful – and I’ve included probably way too many of them here 🙂
Our half-day in Bryce Canyon was enough time for a 3-mile hike and stops at the most popular view points.
Here’s what we did, and info about some other trails and park attractions we’ll see on our next visit – maybe you’ll get some ideas for your visit, too.
The Shenandoah National Park is right on the edge of the areas of North Carolina and Virginia that were hardest hit by Hurricane Helene.
That said, the Park is open and many of the surrounding communities are open for business and could really use your Fall vacation dollars to help rebuild!
Go to my Hurricane Helene page to get the latest updates on the latest Park, Trail and road repairs.
Smoky Mountains get their name from the mist that settles in the valleys.
Shenandoah National Park first opened to the public in December of 1936. It’s located in Virginia’s Blue Ridge mountains, less than a half days’ drive from home for me.
Though I’ve lived in the area for more than 20 years, I’ve never had the chance to spend much time in Shenandoah – until this past summer.
Bridge over the trout stream at Rapidan Camp
With 200,000 acres of protected land, Shenandoah National Park has some of the best hiking in Virginia – and the entire mid-Atlantic region of the US – so you can imagine how excited I was to visit!
I had a great time exploring on my own, but the park hosts a variety of trails and attractions for everyone from expert hikers to families with small children.
Where is Shenandoah National Park?
Shenandoah National Park is only 115 miles from Washington, D.C., 95 miles from Richmond VA, and 250 miles from Raleigh NC.
That’s close enough for a great long weekend or longer family vacation, without getting on an airplane!
I allowed a week for my trip – 2 days for travel, and 5 whole days to explore 🙂
Signpost on the Green trail at the edge of the NCMA park.
The North Carolina Museum of Art Park has been a tremendous gift to the whole Raleigh community.
The park’s trails and open lawns, ponds and pools, larger than life outdoor art, plus the amphitheater and outdoor movie screen provide a beautiful open air gathering place for everyone.
NOTE: We were just named a local NCMA expert on ApartmentGuide.
I’ve gotten a lot of good use from the safe – and inexpensive – outdoor activities for kids the Museum Park has made available over the years.
From the time my daughter was in kindergarten through her college years – and even now as a young adult in the community – the North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) and the Museum Park events and grounds have been a big part of both of our lives.
From the moment I heard the phrase “llama trekking”, I was hooked. I love to hike – and who doesn’t love a llama??
Even better, when you go llama trekking at Divine Llama Vineyards, there could be wine involved 🙂
Divine Llama Vineyards is equally famous for its wine and for the Llama Treks they host together with their neighbor, the Four Ladies & Me Farm.
I stopped by for a visit one afternoon after a day of hiking at nearby Pilot Mountain State Park. It’s so close, you can see the mountain from the vineyard, and they’ve put Pilot Mountain on their label.
Pilot Mountain State Park views from the top are especially spectacular when the Fall colors come out! It’s a great place to take a family trip any time of year, with miles of trails, camping, climbing, canoeing, and lots of Ranger programs.
I’ve been visiting this park for many years, first with my daughter when she was young, and later with hiking friends or on my own.
View from the Ledges trail
Like the rocky escarpments in nearby Hanging Rock State Park, Pilot Mountain is a remnant of the ancient Sauratown Mountains.
In fact, the Sauratown Trail, a 22-mile (30 miles with spurs) trail for both hikers and equestrians, crosses the range and interconnects the two state parks.
This is a hike I’ve been dreaming of tackling for a while now – you’ll hear all about it when I do!
Perfect for Day Trips
Map of NC State Parks within an easy drive of Winston-Salem
Several NC State Parks are just far enough away to be special trips but still close enough to make good day or weekend trips from the Raleigh area.
Pilot Mountain SP is an easy 2.5 hour drive from Raleigh, so you can easily get there, hike all day and still make it home before bedtime – especially on longer summer days. Of course, if you live in Winston-Salem it’s an even shorter trip 🙂
Every time I visit, there’s something new to see, and the view from the summit never loses it’s charm.
If you want to spend more time to thoroughly explore the park and visit local attractions like Horne Creek Farm or Divine Llama Vineyards, you’ll need to find a place to stay.
There are camping sites and canoe-in camp sites available in the park. You can reserve a campsite on the ReserveAmerica site.
The Flume Gorge natural area in New Hampshire’s Franconia Notch State Park is spectacular and pictures just don’t do it justice.
Avalanche Falls in the Flume Gorge
Eight hundred feet long and about 20 feet from side to side at its widest, with granite walls 90 feet high, the Flume feels like you’ve entered a different world or stepped back in time.
It’s something you really have to see for yourself to appreciate.
I returned last week from my second visit (in the past year!) to the area – the first was early last November, and a freak storm had covered the place deep in snow, so I wasn’t able to hike very far.
But my most recent visit, in early May, was perfect weather for visiting the gorge, and well worth the return trip!
I went on my own, but walking the self-guided 2-mile Flume Trail through the Flume Gorge is a great way to spend some time outdoors with the whole family.
Bear Cave near the Flume Trail boardwalk
Though there are many more difficult hikes in the Franconia Notch area for seasoned hikers, the Flume Trail is an easy manicured walk for hikers of all ages and abilities.
But don’t think you’ll be bored because it’s an easier hike.
In addition to the prehistoric beauty of the gorge, you’ll be splashed by waterfalls and cooled by mist, see huge Ice Age boulders, walk through historic covered bridges, and take in some beautiful mountain views. Continue reading Explore the Flume Gorge in Franconia Notch State Park
