Category Road Tripping

Double Arch Trail

Double Arch - Arches National Park

We wing things. That's what we do. I've made a map of places we would like to go to and then base our routes on our final destination and what mapped points fall between our current location and destination. Exactly how our trip plays out each time is something we play by ear. In this case, we had ten days to travel to Oregon. Half way in, we discovered that we would be swinging by Arches National Park. Arches ranks as one of the most exciting National Parks that neither of us has ever visited. So, of course, we went.

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Devil’s Garden Trail

Woman in front of Landscape Arch in the Devil's Garden of Arches National Park, Utah.

The Devil's garden boasts a notably high concentration of arches, spires, and fins (narrow rock walls) in Arches National Park. Between the main loop and its many offshoots to iconic spots such as the landscape arch and the Double O Arch, hiking the Devil's Garden Trail can take anywhere from 1.9 to 7.9 miles with easy and difficult routes. If you are only going to make one spot in the Devil's Garden, it should be the Landscape Arch.

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Calaveras Big Trees State Park

Hiking the North Grove Trail in the snow of Calaveras Big Trees State Park in the Sierras outside of Murphys, California and Highway 49.

The Sierra Nevada mountains range is host to a stunning range of natural diversity. With the ocean to the west, the desert to the east, and glacial mountaintops in between, there are new surprises to be encountered with each change in ecosystem. At about 4,700 feet in elevation and just off Alpine State Highway is a collection of giants that can grow to 325 feet tall and 33 feet wide - some as old as 2,000 years. Despite a turbulent, tragic, and occasionally uncertain history, these giants are now protected for all to enjoy in the Calaveras Big Trees State Park.

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Mark Twain Cabin

The Mark Twain Cabin on Jackass Hill, Tuttletown, California was home to Samuel Clemens while writing "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County"

I thought my directions were wrong when we turned up a steep incline and wandered down a rough but clearly residential road. I don't expect historic sites to be flanked by rural homes with horses and chicken coops. Yet, standing across the street from the accusatory glare of a neighboring donkey is the Mark Twain Cabin.

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Murphys, California

Camping in the Acorn Recreation Area

The California foothills are full to bursting with beautiful historic towns but Murphys takes a place of special prominence. The "Queen of the Sierra" is quintessentially Californian. It traces its origins to the California Gold Rush but retains its relevance thanks to its proximity to the outdoor draws of Calaveras Big Trees State Park and Bear Valley Ski Resort while surrounded by vineyards. Over two dozen wine tasting rooms line the main street. While the rest of the world visits Napa and Sonoma, Californians in the know visit Murphys and other neighboring appellations .

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20 Road Trips For 2020

The vastness of the United States frontier has made road trips a classic piece of Americana. It is the ultimate way to the explore the states. But that said, there are so many routes to take. In celebration of a new decade and the 50th birthday of our Avion, we are sharing 20 road trips—from half day excursions to multi-day epic quests—that you should add to your bucket list.

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Lone Rock Campground

Beach camping along Lake Powel for off-road vehicles at Lone Rock Campground in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area just north of Page, Arizona.

Lone rock campground on Lake Powell is listed as a primitive campground. But primitive campgrounds don’t have running water in my book. Lone Rock does. Granted, even primitive campgrounds tend to have fire rings and solid, if unpaved, roads. Lone Rock does not. That is because Lone Rock is a beach campground and anyone that wants a scenic, lakeside site has to contend with loose sand.

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