We are adventurers, explorers, and wanderers. We travel in a 30-foot Airstream Flying Cloud Office towed by a Chevrolet Express 3500. We hike, we ride, we paddle and we try to prove everyday that "Not all who wander are lost." 

Ari and Jessi Adler

Encompassing one national park and three state parks, this California gem shouldn't be missed, especially if you're a fan of Jurassic Park! 

Most people know Redwood as home to the tallest trees on Earth. But the Parks also protect vast prairies, oak woodlands, wild rivers, and 40 miles of rugged coastline. People have lived in this verdant landscape since time immemorial. Together, the National Park Service and California State Parks are managing and restoring these lands for the inspiration, enjoyment, and education of all.

Redwood

Experience the majesty of Redwoods National and State Parks

Joshua Tree NP is unique because of the quantity of Joshua Trees there, but don't miss the Cholla Cactus and the impressive rocks and vistas, too. 

Joshua Tree National Park is one of the most iconic and beautiful places in the United States. The park is home to Joshua trees, which are twisted trees that grow to be about 40 feet tall. The trees are named for the Old Testament prophet, stretching out his hands in prayer. Joshua Tree National Park is also home to rugged rock formations and stark desert landscapes. The park straddles the cactus-dotted Colorado Desert and the Mojave Desert.

Joshua Tree

Joshua Tree has more than just trees

Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona has fossilized trees that had fallen and started becoming petrified BEFORE T-Rex walked the Earth! 

Nature, geology, archaeology, paleontology and even architecture meet at this high-desert park. Stretching for miles on both sides of Interstate 40 and located near the town of Holbrook in Northern Arizona, Petrified Forest National Park is a high-desert geologic treasure chest. You’ll see loads of petrified wood, not to mention eye-popping views of The Painted Desert, which sweeps through the park. Two visitor centers — the Painted Desert Visitor Center on the north and the Rainbow Forest Museum to the south — offer exhibits, books and gifts, limited food service and restrooms. Both sides of the park are connected by the 28-mile-long Main Park Road, which winds past viewpoints, trailheads and other attractions.

Petrified Forest

The age of Petrified Forest trees is mind-blowing

We did two cave tours at Mammoth Cave National Park and want to go back to do even more. 

Mammoth Cave National Park in west-central Kentucky is the longest cave system known in the world with more than 420 miles of surveyed passageways. The park is 52,830 acres and two rivers - the Green River and a tributary called the Nolin River - flow through it. The caves are located just below the water table, which means that they are constantly being replenished with water. This also means the caves are subject to flooding, and many have been closed to the public for safety reasons. The national park is open year-round and offers a variety of activities for visitors to enjoy.

Mammoth Cave

Mammoth Cave is mammoth, but watch your head! 

Long or short hikes and small or steep hills for sand sledding -- it's all available at White Sands National Park in Alamogordo, New Mexico! 

Rising from the heart of the Tularosa Basin is one of the world's great natural wonders - the glistening white sands of New Mexico. Great wave-like dunes of gypsum sand have engulfed 275 square miles of desert, creating the world's largest gypsum dunefield. White Sands National Park preserves a major portion of this unique dunefield, along with the plants and animals that live here. Occasionally the Dunes Drive may be closed on short notice when a missle test is scheduled. Keep an eye on the skies and check with NPS before you go. 

White Sands NP

Hiking and sledding in White Sands! 

Guadalupe Mountains National Park offers visitors a chance to hike to Guadalupe Peak -- the highest point in Texas -- plus some tamer trails. 

Guadalupe Mountains National Park is a truly unique place, home to a 400-mile long fossil reef that dates back to the Permian period. This ancient reef is one of the most well-preserved in the world, and provides a rare glimpse into a time when giant reptiles roamed the earth. The park was long home to the Mescalero Apache Tribe, who lived here until the US military drove them out by the 1880s. Today, visitors can enjoy stunning views from Guadalupe Peak, the highest mountain in Texas. The Guadalupe Mountains offer something for everyone, with ample opportunities for hiking, camping, and wildlife watching. Whether you're interested in geology or history, this national park is sure to impress.

Guadalupe Mountains

The highest point in Texas!

We recently discovered something new: we must classify our favorite national parks based on whether they are above ground or underground! 

Carlsbad Caverns National Park is one of the most unique and exciting places in the world. Located in the Chihuahuan Desert of southern New Mexico, Carlsbad Caverns is home to more than 100 caves. The most famous of these is the Big Room, a massive underground chamber that is adorned with stalactites clinging to its roof. In addition to the Big Room, Carlsbad Caverns also features the Walnut Canyon Desert Loop, a drive that offers stunning views of the desert landscape. And for those who want to get up close and personal with some of the park's resident reptiles, the Rattlesnake Springs wetland is a must-visit.

Carlsbad Caverns

Diving deep into Carlsbad Caverns

We camped without hookups in Big Bend National Park for five nights in 105-degree weather, but that didn't stop us from taking amazing hikes! 

Big Bend National Park is a place of big skies, big views, and big adventures. The Santa Elena Canyon Trail offers visitors the chance to experience the park's 1500-foot-high stone walls up close. For those looking to relax, the 105-degree hot springs are the perfect place to soak away your cares. And don't miss the Fossil Discovery Center, where you can see a giant pterosaur, the largest flyer ever. Birdwatching is also a popular activity at Rio Grande Village, and sunset seekers will want to hike to Window View for one of the best views in the park. Finally, don't forget to canoe along the Rio Grande at Santa Elena Canyon for an unforgettable experience.

Big Bend NP

Big Bend is remote, hot and stunning!

We were lucky enough to score a permit to hike Angels Landing on our first try and discovered first-hand how difficult but amazing this hike is! 

Follow the paths where native Paiute people and Mormon pioneers walked. Gaze up at massive sandstone cliffs of cream, pink, and red that soar into a brilliant blue sky. Experience wilderness in a narrow slot canyon. Zion’s unique array of plants and animals will enchant you as you absorb the rich history of the past and enjoy the excitement of present day adventures.

Zion NP

The Amazing Angels Landing Hike at Zion

Maybury State Park has an interesting history - it was originally home to a sanatorium for tuberculosis patients from the 1920s through the 1960s.

This beautiful state park just west of Detroit was once a quarantine destination for thousands of tuberculosis patients, created under the direction of real estate tycoon William H. Maybury to keep the infectious isolated and give them a place where nature could help them heal. Today, it's a marvelous place to cross-country ski in the winter or hike and bike at other times of year. The park also hosts demonstrations of life at the turn of the 20th century, such as honey extracting and sheep shearing.

Maybury State Park

Visit a Former Sanatorium in Southeast Michigan

Home of Kitch-iti-kipi -- or "Big Spring" -- Palms Book State Park is a must-see destination in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. 

Palms Book State Park is a publicly owned nature preserve encompassing 388 acres in the eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The state park is noted for Kitch-iti-kipi, the "Big Spring" of the Upper Peninsula. Michigan's largest freshwater spring, spanning 200 feet across and 40 feet deep, can be seen from above as it wells upward through the pond's bottom of bedrock limestone and sand, creating a continual pattern of random eddies and cross-currents in the depths of the pond. To the Anishinaabe people who were the original inhabitants of much of the Upper Peninsula, this site was a place of mystery and wonder. The flow continues throughout the year at a constant 45 degrees Fahrenheit, gushing more than 10,000 gallons of water a minute from fissures in the underlying limestone.

Palms Book State Park

Palms Book State Park and The Big Spring

Hartwick Pines State Park has a lot to offer for those looking to hike or bike, plus it offers an old growth forest trail and a logging museum. 

The largest state park in Michigan's lower peninsula, with nearly 10,000 acres, Hartwick Pines is a wonderful place for hiking, camping, mountain biking, hunting and fishing. Famed for its old-growth white pines, the park features four lakes and a 100-site campground. Fishing is allowed along the East Branch of the AuSable River. The park also features the Michigan Forest Visitors Center and an old-time logging camp, with summer demonstrations of crafts like carving and blacksmithing.