Category Road Trip Adventures

We have zig-zagged across the country and, boy-oh-boy, do we have some gems to share! Browse campsites, off-road trails, scenic outlooks, oddities, museums, hiking trails, and more.

Mountain Farm Museum

The dawn mist lay heavily over the Mountain Farm Museum in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The Mountain Farm Museum is an oasis of calm in the chaos of the Great Smokey Mountains, America's most visited National Park. Located on the North Carolina side of the park, this living history museum doesn't experience the same traffic density as similar attractions like Cades Cove. The Museum shares a parking lot with the Oconaluftee Visitor's Center with plenty of easy parking.

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Ritchie Hollow Hiking Trail

Man and woman looking out over the Tennessee River Gorge of Prentice Cooper State Park from Snoopers Rock.

Ritchie Hollow hiking trail is a 2.7-mile point to point trail connecting a parking lot along the Tennessee River to the Davis Pond campground in Prentice Cooper State Forest. The route covers a 1,200-foot elevation gain that ramps up from a relatively level terrain to extended stretches of stairs and steep inclines. While there are occasional trail markers, junctions can be confusing, and it helps to tackle the trail with a map to cross-reference. Even so, for all its challenges, the Ritchie Hollow trail is awash in waterfalls and, with a well-deserved detour, it can conclude with one of the best views of the Tennessee River Gorge.

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Lost Dutchman State Park Campground

Lost Dutchman State Park may be crowded and noisy, but it has a view that you cannot find anywhere else.

The Lost Dutchman State Park may be located in a remote stretch of wilderness, but it is notable enough (and close enough to Pheonix, Arizona) that the campsites fill up fast. Between the views and the southwest weather, It's a popular haunt for snowbirds in the winter. Those who are lucky enough to nab a campsite, often hunker down for an extended stay. We can't really blame them. We would have too if we could.

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Tuttle Creek Campground

A Cotton Candy Sunrise, Overlanding On Movie Road, And Campfire Cooking In The Alabama Hills - Lone Pine, California

After tearing through the American west, it is a relief to finally take a bit of time to relax in the Alabama Hills. Those familiar with the location are envious. Those who are not familiar probably question what a place called “Alabama Hills” is doing outside of the state of Alabama. But, I assure you, you are familiar with these hills, even if you didn’t already know it.

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Islay Creek Campground

The Islay Creek Campground is a primitive wooded campground Montaña de Oro State Park, near Morro Bay, California. The grounds include 50 camp sites, some of which sit right next to the eponymous Islay Creek. Most enjoy some degree of shade from the surrounding oak trees. The camp grounds have a wide selection of unoccupied camp sites on the off-season weeknight that we visit.

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Ruby Falls

Discovered in 1928, Ruby Falls is the tallest and deepest falls in North America that are publicly accessible, just outside of Chattanooga.

Ruby Falls is the tallest and deepest waterfall in North America, just outside of Chattanooga. See stalactites, stalagmites, and other rock formations.

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