Stone Mountain

This last February I was able to visit my sister and her family in Atlanta, GA. One morning, my sister, oldest niece, and I went out to hike Stone Mountain.

This is an easy hike that almost anyone could do. The hardest part is at the end where it gets steep. But they do have handrails to make it easier. My sister (pictured below) is climbing without the handrails and was 5 months pregnant with her 4th child. She's a champ.

The view is amazing. It's pretty much the only spot IN Atlanta where you can have a view like this. 

I know, I know, we're awesome.

I loved being able to see the city and then on the opposite side you could see the Appalachians through the clouds.

Stone Mountain is a great hike for those visiting Atlanta who want to get away from the city, plus I know there's a lot of other things to do inside the park as well.

Exit Glacier

One of my favorite spots in Alaska was Seward, and just outside of there is Exit Glacier. There's a specific trail that leads right up to the glacier, the hike has a few difficult spots/ a few spots where you want to hold the hands of little ones, but overall it's a hike that most people could do.

There are little signs along the trail that teach you about Exit Glacier and glaciers in general, which makes the hike interactive for kids.

Then after you've hiked to the glacier, there's just a short drive back to town where they have restaurants and other things to do.

It's about a 2 hour drive from Anchorage, but completely worth it if you have the time.

Multnomah Falls

One of the highlights of Portland, Oregon would be Multnomah Falls. The Falls stand at a total of over 600 feet, trails climb up along the side of the falls stopping at the bridge and continuing onto the top of the waterfall. There are also trails that venture off from the falls in every direction, most are paved, and there's a variety of lengths- something for everyone.

Out of everything I saw in Portland, Multnomah Falls was my favorite. It's one of the only (if not the only) tourist traps I found. The Lodge has a restaurant which I wasn't able to try, but I'll tell you, the smell was amazing. Below the restaurant on the ground level is a souvenir shop with a variety of treasures. I am still in love with the things I brought home.

I recommend Multnomah Falls to everyone that finds themselves in Portland, Oregon.

Cedar Breaks

Southern Utah has many famous spots, but there's one spot that isn't as popular yet deserves to be. Cedar Breaks is a State Park named for the cedar trees and the breaking away of the canyon. This place is breathtaking, The green of the trees, the red of the dirt, and the blue of the sky create so much color it's almost hard to look at.

There are lots of hiking trails here. The one my sister and I did was a beautiful trail that led to a pond. The path was lined with wildflowers and natural treasures.

I could have taken a nap in that bed of flowers.

I think "Utah" doesn't sound appealing to some- but Utah alone is home to 5 national parks (making it the capitol of national parks) and multiple state parks, plus it's gateway to many other national and state parks. We are a hidden gem and I'm excited to share more with you!