ROAD TRIP: WISCONSIN TO YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK (Part 1 )

                                                

Yellowstone National Park, located primarily in the US state of Wyoming, is a place of unparalleled beauty and stunning natural wonders. It is a destination that offers something for everyone, making it an ideal choice for a family vacation. Recently, my family embarked on an unforgettable trip to Yellowstone, and it exceeded all our expectations.

A road trip is an exhilarating way to explore new places and create lasting memories. Our journey from Wisconsin to Yellowstone National Park included stops at Badlands National Park, Mount Rushmore, Devils Tower, Red Lodge Montana, breathtaking Bear Tooth Pass, and a few quirky places in between. Our hope is that we inspire you to embark on your own adventure.

Bayfield Ice Caves

 

Bayfield, Wisconsin is home to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Under the right conditions, the beautiful mainland sandstone sea caves are turned into stunning ice caves in the winter by the wave action of Lake Superior.

SNOWMOBILING YELLOWSTONE NP

 

This adventure began with a flight to Boise, Idaho, landing in the dark, to meet our besties. From Boise we DROVE in the dark over 5 hours to West Yellowstone, Montana to the West Entrance of Yellowstone National Park.

Dry Tortugus National Park

 

After reading about Dry Tortugas National Park online, I decided to fly over the park with Google Earth and was immediately intrigued. Soon after learning about this park, we started planning a trip to the Florida Keys with our besties, so I booked the trip to one of the country’s most remote parks. While there are plenty of online resources, the park is also mentioned in the book: Fifty Places To Camp Before You Die, by Chris Santella.

Florida Keys Fishing

 

During both of our trips to the Florida Keys we booked chartered fishing trips through Bamboo Charters in Islamorada. Captain Matt Bellinger has a variety of trips for you to choose from and the expertise and experience to help you catch a Lunker (aka Big Fish). Rods, tackle, licenses, bait, water, ice and fish cleaning are included in the price; sunglasses, hats, and snacks are not. You are welcome to bring beverages of your choice along for the trip.

Mammoth Cave National Park

EXPLORATION OF MAMMOTH CAVE

This past summer I had the opportunity to take a course that has been on my bucket list for sometime. Exploration of Mammoth Cave is a Karst Field Studies course offered through Western Kentucky University. This five day course covers the history, explorers, cave wars and discoveries of the World’s Longest Cave. Participants spend 6-8 hours a day underground exploring undeveloped passages and tourist trails that have been closed or never opened after construction.

Tyranena Brewery: Lake Mills, WI

 

The two of us really enjoy checking out craft breweries when we are On Adventure. On our way to Madison, WI we stopped at Tyranena (Tie-ruh-knee-nuh) Brewing Company located in Lake Mills, WI. This microbrewery and taproom offers a variety of signature and seasonal brews, with great names such as Bitter Woman IPA, Chief BlackHawk Porter, and Headless Man Amber Ale.

Belize

 

If you’re looking for a unique adventure while in Belize, then the Belize Jungle Trek Cave Tubing and Zipline Tour through Cave Branch River System, Nohoch Che'en Cave is not to be missed. The tour company will pick you up from hotels and resorts on San Pedro, Ambergris Caye and take you  to this one-of-a-kind adventure. The small airplane ride from the island is an adventure in itself!

Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia

Plitvice (PLEET-veet-seh) Lakes National Park is the oldest and largest National Park in Croatia. It includes 16 turquoise colored lakes, joined by hundreds (at least it seemed like that number!) of waterfalls that run through a karst landscape (in other words, limestone and caves...lol). Walkways and hiking trails wind around and across the water: an electric boat links the upper and lower lakes.

Ireland

 

Ireland had never really been on our radar, but it WAS on the radar of our besties, so to Ireland we would go! When we began planning our trip, we discussed in great detail the type of tour we wanted to do and, being a group that likes to be On Adventure we decided on a tour, but not just an ordinary tour. While a big ole coach bus would get us to the typical sites, which we wanted to see, but we wanted to see and do some things that weren’t as typical on a tour and do that in an active way. Chosen by National Geographic Traveler Magazine in 2013 as one of the Top 50 Tours of a lifetime, the Vagabond 8 Day Wild Irish Rover Tour was the tour we ultimately selected and it did not disappoint!