Here at Gypsy With a Day Job we truly love our US National Parks. The US offers a vast landscape filled with a variety of natural features. It is good to know that these wonders are government protected so that not only we can enjoy them, but so can our grandchildren, and their grandchildren.
All US National Parks are operated and maintained by the National Park Service, which is supported by both tax dollars, donations, and attraction fees at some parks. This means that most parks are very economical destinations. It also that roads, facilities, and services, are well maintained.
US National Parks are typically staffed by several rangers who are highly trained in the history, geology and biology of their specific park. They share this knowledge through ranger led talks and tours that expand the visitor experience. The also typically offer a Junior Rangers Program for children, with learning activities set up at their own level.
US National Parks are vastly diverse, from subterranean caves to the continental divide, to the lowest point in the hemisphere; from isolated island locations to cityscape landmarks.
If you’re looking for an easy day trip from South Carolina’s capital, Columbia to Congaree National Park is a perfect fit. A day trip to Congaree can easily be managed from not only Columbia, but from popular vacation cities such as Charleston, Savannah, Augusta, Myrtle Beach, Charlotte, or Asheville. You can spend a day in […]
Long before Las Vegas became Sin City, Hot Springs, Arkansas was home-away-from-home to many of the mob rulers and shakers. After all, if soaking in the hot thermal springs is good for aches and pains, it should help heal old bullet wounds, right? Tracing the gangster history will take us to some more notorious places
This post was most recently updated on May 1st, 2024. If you are looking for one of the most magical road trips in the United States, perhaps the world, a Redwoods road trip is a perfect choice. Imagine 6 full days soaking in the Redwoods Zen. The best major city access to the Redwoods is San
Only have time to visit Yosemite for a day? We can help! Our Yosemite Day Trip Planner helps you with the perfect Yosemite one day itinerary!
This post was most recently updated on May 1st, 2024. Around the world there places of mystery and intrigue, sites which have an aura of mystique about them, sites that conjure up the need to know. Some are “Dark Tourism” sites, others places of myth. These places draw visitors, those hoping to find an understanding, hoping
This post was most recently updated on May 12th, 2024. There are a lot of gorgeous places in the world, but Yosemite National Park may be one of the most beautiful. There are epic views in Yosemite everywhere you look, but there are some extra special places, that are over the top. Whether you think of
This post was most recently updated on June 27th, 2024. Want to go to the moon? I can clue you in on a much cheaper–and much faster–method for getting there, than hitting up our friends at NASA. Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in south-central Idaho, and visiting Craters of the Moon is the
This post was most recently updated on April 11th, 2024. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, managed by the National Parks Service, was the first of the US National Lakeshores. This Pictured Rocks trip planner will provide all the details you need. We’ll talk about hiking at Pictured Rocks, boating, and kayaking, among several other things.
This post was most recently updated on May 25th, 2022. Home to some of the tallest trees on earth, Redwoods National and State Parks are a string of protected forests, beaches and grasslands hugging the Northern California coastline. The stars of the show of course, are the giant Coast Redwood trees that are the tallest
This post was most recently updated on June 13th, 2022. The Black Hills are a small mountain range in the West of South Dakota, rising from the Great Plains and extending North into Wyoming. The Black Hills are home to millions of acres of forest & mountains, prairie and monuments like you’ve never seen! There
This post was most recently updated on May 27th, 2022. When I was a kid, I have to tell you, the idea of going to Death Valley scared me a little bit. We all heard the stories. But perhaps in my case, these stories were exacerbated by the fact that my dad loved a good
This post was most recently updated on July 7th, 2024. What’s the first thing you think of when you hear mention of Yellowstone National Park? For me, it’s Yogi Bear – Yabba Dabba Doo folks! You might be aware that the fictional Jellystone Park, Yogi’s home, is a variant of the real Yellowstone National Park. If
This post was most recently updated on July 7th, 2024. Lassen Volcanic National Park is a hidden gem of the National Parks system. Within its 106,000 acres are some diverse landscapes, from towering volcanic mountain peaks to hydrothermal areas. I found Lassen on a list of lesser visited locations that you shouldn’t miss. They couldn’t have
This post was most recently updated on June 9th, 2024. A National Park in the middle of a city? I thought the same thing upon discovering there was a National Park in downtown St. Louis. A stop at the Arch has long been a part of many day trip and weekend in St. Louis itineraries. But visiting Gateway
This post was most recently updated on April 7th, 2024. Death Valley isn’t one of those National Parks that is high up on the travel list of every American, but I think should be. Recent times have begun shifting that assessment, and if you are traveling to Las Vegas, you may have considered adding some time
