http://www.livewiselytravelwell.com/

LIVE wisely, travel WELL, 290 Macon Ave, Asheville, NC (2026)

01/02/2026

Shenandoah National Park was our final National Park visit in 2025.

This makes 22 out of 63 National Parks. Do you think we will reach our goal of all 63 within the next 6 years?

🏢Where we stayed:
The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C. Can't go wrong with the Club Level with kiddos. Message me if you want to know how I find reasonable rates!

🥾What we did at Shenandoah National Park
▶️Skyline Drive
▶️Stoney Man Hike
▶️Little Stony Man

🇺🇸 What we did in DC.
We LOVED our experience with Old Town Trolley Tours. Next time, we will book for 2 days & spend more time at each stop.

🍽️Where to Eat (after visiting Shenandoah NP)
Lunch in Front Royal at Vibrassa Beer & Kitchen. The vibe, the food, the beer selections....so good & kid friendly! Make sure you spend some time expoloring this adorable town...Front Royal, Virginia.

💡NOTE: Most of the NP attractions were closed during our visit due to off season & weather.

💡Attractions to experience:
▶️Dickey Ridge VC
▶️Harry F Bryd VC
▶️Manssanutten Lodge
▶️Big Meadows Area

LIVE wisely, travel WELL! ✌️🧡🌎

01/02/2026

PART 3 of Fall Break 2025:

Extra day to visit San Francisco. When you travel hack & know which credit cards to use, it can pay off. Message me if you are curious what I do! We got a great rate & used my free upgrades to stay at the Ritz San Fran on the Club Level. With kids who can eat, this is most definitely the way to go!

San Francisco was better than I expected….even though the boys got to see what drugs can do to people, because upon entering the city, we saw folks in action right on the side of the street. 😵‍💫😮 Oops! And also random dog p**p on the side walks. Not near the Ritz though-lol!

But seriously, most of what we saw was clean & I would love a chance to spend more time in the city.

Just so many people (and traffic). Alcatraz has always been on my list, so we were able to knock that out as a family.

We even met the last living Alcatraz former inmate (Mr. Bill Baker), who is now 90. We bought his book & plan to read about his experience.

The Waymo rides were highlights for my boys. Whoa. Self driving Ubers. It was really cool, but I don’t want to think about all the extra EMF exposure. Yes. I said it.

Grateful we get these breaks together. I never leave vacation days on the table anymore. 🤪

My motto is always work hard, play hard.

Wonderful memories made with my family. And that’s what it’s all about.

🎥 Full Fall Break Video ➡️ https://youtu.be/mNbx020yNrk?si=Z110xW4oetzde6al

🎥San Francisco Video ➡️ https://youtube.com/shorts/MRA-J15RBFs?si=qoMahkT8o2xZwb3G

LIVE wisely, travel WELL! ✌️🧡🌎

01/02/2026

PART 2 of Fall Break 2025!

🌲 #20 | Yosemite National Park
Wow, I get it now. Truly an incredible sight to see. My fascination was on El Capitan! We saw climbers in action! Just wow.

🏡Where we stayed. An AirBnB in Oakhurst (25 minutes to the VC), but this park is huge, so everything is a good drive. Oakhurst was a great for to base camp though & we loved thos AirBnB!
Cabin in Oakhurst ➡️ https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1280690220834880586?viralityEntryPoint=1&s=76

Gotta see:
▶️El Capitan
▶️Bridalveil Falls
▶️Lower Yosemite Falls
▶️Marioosa Grove

Views:
▶️Tunnel View
▶️Valley View
▶️Drive Glacier Road
▶️Drive Tioga Road
▶️Drive Hetch Hetchy Road

🥾Hikes:
▶️Half Dome
▶️Mist Trail
▶️Four Mile Trail
▶️Yosemite Valley Loop
▶️Upoer Yosemite Falls
▶️Mirror Lake

💡This park is huge, and if I could do it over, I would have stayed IN the park, and gotten more familiar with the bus system. It was so crowded though. 😳

🌲 #21 | Pinnacles National Park
This reminded me so much of Guadalupe Mountains in AZ. We hiked Condor Gulch Overlook & actually got to see a Condor (largest bird in CA according to my 10 year old), so that was cool. It’s a very small NP, so won’t take you long to take most of it in.

🥾Things to do:
▶️Bear Gulch Reservoir & Nature Center
▶️Hike Prewett Point Trail
▶️Bear Gulch Cave
▶️Balconies Cave
▶️Hike Condor Gulch Overlook
▶️Hike Moses Srping to Rim Trail Loop

🎥Full video recap here ➡️ https://youtu.be/mNbx020yNrk?si=Z110xW4oetzde6al

LIVE wisely, travel WELL! ✌️🧡🌎

01/02/2026

PART 1: An overdue post documenting our Fall Break 2025 trip taken in early October. Let’s recap it!

Lots of driving all over California, but we set out to visit 4 National Parks & mission was accomplished. 🙌 The government shut down didn’t really affect us other than a few visitor center’s being closed. Each park entry was free though! 🤪

This now puts us at 21 of 63 National Parks in the United States. My goal is to visit all of them before my boys graduate high school. We have 6 years left to accomplish this. We are going for it!

This post is broken into 3 parts since we visited so many parks, stayed in multiple locations & added a bonus day in San Francisco. Happy Travels!

We visited:
🌲Sequoia NP
🌲Kings Canyon NP
🌲Yosemite NP
🌲Pinnacles NP

✈️Nashville to Burbank (nonstop on Southwest Airlines)
We stayed at Residence Inn by Marriott Santa Clarita the first night.
🍣If in the area, amazing sushi just across the street at KINZA SUSHI

🚗Travel the next day to Three Rivers, CA | 3 hour drive

🏕️ Stayed at AutoCamp Sequoia

🌲 #18 | Sequoia National Park
Ok, so I was super stoked to see the largest tree (General Sherman) in the world & it truly was amazing, but you could honestly make a long day of it & hit the highlights here. Plus, given the very curvy (and busy) road up to the park, we weren’t super motivated to continue that path. With an all day effort, you can hit ALL of the highlights in my opinion.

🥾Things to do:,
▶️Foothills Visitor Center (we love doing the Jr. Ranger program, but the VC was closed).
▶️Drive through Tunnel Log: Another iconic thing that finds itself on probably every “what to do in Sequoia National Park”. Instead of moving the tree, they just carved through it. There will likely be a line, but the kids loved driving through it.
▶️Sunset at Moro Rock: This is a steep 300 stairs to get to the top. I really wanted to do this, but my kids were over it, so we just drove by it instead. If I make it back though, it’s on!
▶️Visit General Sherman Tree: General Sherman Tree is the biggest tree in the world, and it’s honestly incredible.
▶️Explore the Giant Forest: Since you’ll already be here having just visited General Sherman Tree, exploring the Giant Forest around it is another must do for things to do in Sequoia National Park. Obviously General Sherman Tree is the biggest tree, but there are so many other massive trees in this area you just have to spend a few hours wandering through this amazing fairytale of a forest.
▶️Hike Congress Trail (recommended)
▶️Lakes Trail
▶️Marble Falls Trail

#19 | Kings Canyon National Park
This is such an underrated NP, & I wish we had more time there, but it’s just so beautiful. Saw the 2nd largest tree in the world there too (General Grant). Glad we pushed through & went all the way to the bottom of the canyon. There’s a hotel & cafe down there right next to the creek. So cool.

🥾Things to do:
▶️King Canyon Visitor Center
▶️Cedar Grove VC
▶️Panoramic Point Overlook
▶️Visit Redwood Canyon
▶️Visit General Grant Tree
▶️Kings Canyon Scenic By-Way
▶️Go ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM. Eat lunch at the café & grab a beer. Beautiful spot!

🎥Full video recap ➡️ https://youtu.be/mNbx020yNrk?si=Z110xW4oetzde6al

LIVE wisely, travel WELL! ✌️🧡🌎

12/07/2025

Another great experience with Honeyhole Camping with our Winter Float! ❄️🍯🐝 ❄️

☎️Call or text to schedule a time to float with them. 615-543-4918

We left from The PERRY on The Buffalo near Short Creek Bridge.
🚣‍♀️3.5 mile (average 2-3 hour float)
*for reference, we can do this float in 2 hours, with no stops in the summer.*
*we shaved off 30 minutes on our Winter Float today. 😜

Rental Pricing:
Kayak drop offs: $20
Tent camping with electric and water: $20
RV site: $35 nightly 30 amp, water, dump station

📍 Location: 16 Spruce Lane, Linden, TN
615-543-4918

LIVE well! ✌️❤️❄️

11/26/2025

Gift yourself a visit to The Omni Grove Park Inn & The Biltmore, especially this time of year….and don’t forget your spa day! ✌️❤️🎄

08/18/2025

☀️🍯🐝 🌞I found a new kayaking spot on the Buffalo River! 👏

Part of the challenge for me is getting a ride either to/from the launch area with our kayaks.

These folks were great to work with! Check out Honeyhole Camping!
➡️ Honeyhole Camping

☎️Call or text to schedule a time. 615-543-4918

Float option from Short Creek Bridge
🚣‍♀️3.5 mile (average 2-3 hour float)
*for reference, we did this float in 2 hours, with no stops.*

Rental Pricing:
Kayak drop offs: $20
Tent camping with electric and water: $20
RV site: $35 nightly 30 amp, water, dump station

📍 Location: 16 Spruce Lane, Linden, TN
615-543-4918

LIVE well! ✌️❤️🌞

07/13/2025

Continuing into our Spring Break 2025 Adventures with our 17th National Park Visit as a family. This was an extra special visit since my sister & brother-in-law joined us!

You can’t go wrong with this one because most of the island is THE National Park. So awesome.

🌲Virgin Islands National Park
🏡Where we stayed. This was home base & it worked for us. Kim was a fantastic host & this was a great location near Cruz Bay.

https://www.airbnb.com/l/UqLjSAoz

🍽️EATS!

Cruz Bay:
💡Extra Virgin Bistro: Upscale dining with fresh, locally sourced ingredients. This can be pricey though.
💡Morgan’s Mango: Caribbean flavors with great seafood and cocktails.
💡The Lime Inn: A long-time favorite with a tropical garden setting.
💡The Longboard: Coastal Cantina, Caribbean-inspired small plates and craft cocktails.
💡Woody’s Seafood Saloon: A lively bar and grill, great for seafood and nightlife.
💡The Beach Bar : Laid back beachfront spot with drinks and live music.
💡High Tide Bar & Seafood Grill: Oceanfront dining with fresh seafood and island vibes. (RIGHT BY people
FERRY)

🍽️Coral Bay & Beyond:
💡Skinny Legs Bar and Grill: Legendary burgers and a laid-back local vibe.
💡Rhumb Line: Caribbean and Asian inspired cuisine
💡Lime Out VI: Floating taco bar at Hansen Bay, only accessible by boat.
💡The Windmill Bar: Stunning views, cold drinks, and live music.
💡Pizza Pi: Floating pizza restaurant in Christmas Cove. Need a boat to get there.

🥾THINGS TO DO:
💡 Stormy Pirates Day Trip (Food Tour)
💡Visit Cinnamon Bay, Trunk Bay (my fave!), Watermelon Cay.
💡Private charter to Jost Van D**e (just do it)!

LIVE wisely, travel WELL! ✌️🧡🌏

07/13/2025

As we continue down our National Park Adventure, we visited 2 more during our Spring Break 2025 Trip!

Flew into Charlotte, NC to visit the 1st one!

🌲Congaree National Park
✈️Southwest Airlines & a Marriott Points User over here. 🙋‍♀️

🍽️EATS!
💡 https://whenincolumbia.com/best-restaurants-in-columbia/
💡 The Gourmet Shop
⭐️SO GOOD! I was loving the French vibe, the wine list, food was excellent & so was the cheese shop attached to it along with a wine store!

🥾THINGS TO DO:
💡 Boardwalk Loop Trail
💡Jr Ranger program for the kiddos
💡Go check out USC Gamecocks Stadiums

LIVE wisely, travel WELL! ✌️🧡🌏

07/13/2025

Christmas Break 2024 Part II:
🌲White Sands National Park
🏡We stayed in a VRBO in Las Cruces. After glamping most of the week, we were pumped about a hot tub & washer/dryer. Very cute VRBO. Would recommend! https://t.vrbo.io/wDH10kLEYUb

🥾THINGS TO DO:
💡Scenic Dunes Drive
💡Go Sledding!
💡Pack a picnic & watch the sunset

*Wow! I loved this park! Not a ton to do, but WOW, the sand dunes were a sight to see & I will never forget that family memory of picnicking and watching the sunset together in the park. 😍

🌲Carlsbad Caverns National Park
🏡Where we stayed that was “kind of” in the area.

🚫Don’t stay here though! I hate to ever say negative things that could hurt a business, but we’ve had some good KOA experiences, and this was not one. Our cabin was freezing. Heat issues. Even after asking for it to be fixed. Just not very well maintained and felt like the place was dirty. Would gear you towards an AirBnB/VRBO unless you have your own camper.

🍽️EATS!
💡Blue House Bakery (adorable & really good!)

🥾THINGS TO DO:
💡Explore Big Room Trail
💡Jr Ranger program for the kiddos

🌲Guadalupe Mountains National Park

🥾THINGS TO DO:
💡Hike Smith Spring Trail
💡Hike Deva Hall Trail

Til next time…..
LIVE wisely, travel WELL! ✌️🧡🌎

07/13/2025

A very overdue post from our Christmas 2024 Break!
Part 1:
We visited 4 more National Parks. Big Bend, Guadalupe Mountains, Carlsbad Caverns & White Sands! 🌲🌲🌲🌲

We still think we can hit our goal of visiting all 63 before our youngest graduates high school (in 8 years). We are currently at 15 of 63 National
Parks in the United States. Let’s go! 👊

This post will be broken into 2 for breaking up the trip.

Looking back, we could have used more time in Big Bend to explore more.

💡Pro Tip: if you have a 4th grader, get the 4th grade National Park Pass for FREE entry into parks all year!

✈️Flew into Midland/Odessa Airport (Southwest fan)
✈️ Flew out of El Paso Airport

🌲Big Bend National Park
🏡Where we stayed while visiting Big Bend National Park.

https://www.instagram.com/spacecowboystx?igsh=MXR6emV1cDhpazIzNw==

https://bookspacecowboys.com/

⭐️VERY COOL EXPERIENCE! These were little domes that were so cool! The star gazing was AMAZING. Both the sunrises & sunsets were incredible up on the hill with the greatest views. Take note, we had community bathrooms, but a really cool glamping experience. Would love to go back with friends!

🍽️EATS!
💡Venga - Very nice and large coffee shop with great breakfast and lunch options.
💡Gordo’s - Food truck just down the road.
💡Starlight Theater - Oldest restaurant that used to be a theater with no roof. We went & the wait was over an hour, so passed on this one, but go if you get the opportunity!
💡Longdraw Pizza

🥾THINGS TO DO:
💡 WATCH THE SUNSET & SUNRISE FROM SPACE COWBOYS
💡Stargaze
💡Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive
💡Scenic Santa Elena Canyon
💡”Cross into Mexico”
💡Jr Ranger program for the kiddos

Now, off to Carlsbad Caverns….

LIVE wisely, travel WELL! ✌️🧡🌏

LIVE wisely, travel WELL

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