November is NaNoWriMo time!

It’s November 1^st and I have decided to participate in my first NaNoWriMo event.

You may wonder what this is. November is National Novel Writing Month and it’s a push for writers to write and edit their novel. You can find out more details HERE

My goal has been to record the events as I learn how to become a Girl Camper from scratch. My big picture goal is possible publication of my journey into a book. Since school started back in August my writing has taken a back seat. As Victor Hugo said, “There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come”.

Projects I can work on
- Catch up on my Campbrarian journaling 

- I have an idea for a picture book that is written in the perspective of a library book.

- I love a good scary story or mystery. I believe in the paranormal and want to write a YA novel that has a ghost hunting element.

- I have some pictures from an abandoned watering hole that I turned black and white and they are literally haunting me to write a story about them. 

As you can tell I need some focus and I am hoping NaNoWriMo can give me some.

Up for another challenge?

I finally have a Saturday where I have no plans until this evening. It's perfect timing because
1. I'm trying to beat a cold and I need some rest.
2. I desperately need some down time.
3. It's Dewey's Readathon today, and my first one!

Can I spend the whole day reading, unfortunately no but I'm going to see what I can get done.

You can sign up and read more details here.


HOUR 0 ANSWERS

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?Rockvale, TN

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?

The Hate You Give

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?

Chocolate

4) Tell us a little something about yourself!This is my 16th year as an elementary school librarian. I am the mom of two boys. My hobbies include reading, scrapbooking, running, photography, and ghost hunting. An eclectic mix I know! I also love to travel. We bought a travel trailer this summer and we've started camping. My ultimate goal is to be a self-sufficient girl camper and take a year off of work to travel the US with my children.

5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to?

This is my first read-a-thon. I am just hoping to get some chores done in between reading. I'm hoping I don't feel guilty for how I am choosing to spend my time today.

Spookathon Readathon

Despite how this post on Twitter by @thespookathon starts, now is the time to join me and hundreds of other readers.

The #spookathon reading challenge starts tomorrow and runs until the 22nd. I'll be making posts on Instagram and you can follow me there @campbrarianintn

What will you be reading?

Library Orientation - Book V & VI

Books #5 & 6
Whose Afraid of the Big Bad Book? by Lauren Child
Beware of the Storybook Wolves by Lauren Child
Second Grade, Lessons Two and Three

These books are hidden gems! 

The main character Herb does NOT know how to take care of his books and one night he tumbles into his story when he falls asleep with the book on his head. The fairy tale characters aren’t happy to see him. Will he be able to escape this nightmare and fix his mistakes? I tie this book in with library book care for my second graders. They should know how to treat a library book but this book serves as a good reminder. I will end the story by going back and identifying fairy tale characters in the book.

What I love about these books
- That the characters are easily recognizable from favorite fairy tales.
- Lauren Child created her book with pages upside down and holes in the pages. The kids are in awe!
- I can use a variety of voices to really create the mood. You should too!
- That I can follow up this story the next week with Beware of the Storybook Wolves. The little wolf plays a major role in this book and you’ll have to go back and point him out to the students when he makes a cameo in Whose Afraid of the Big Bad Book. Here’s a hint; check the ball room dancing page. The kids love seeing him again because they probably didn’t notice him the first time.

Library Orientation - Book IV

Book #4
Miss Smith’s Incredible Storybook by Michael Garland
Third Grade, Lesson One

A magical storybook where the characters come out of the book? That’s Miss Smith’s Incredible Storybook. Miss Smith isn’t like any other teacher Zack has had before. When she reads from her magical storybook the characters come out of the story and come to life. The kids enjoy seeing familiar fairy tale characters take over the school when Miss Smith is running late and Principal Rittenrotten is left to read to the class from the book.

There are more books in the series so it’s easy to continue to excite your students with another Miss Smith book. As a lover of a good scary story you might be able to figure out which one is my favorite. You can consider bringing that title out in October. We always have that crazy week before Halloween when the kids are overly excited.
Miss Smith Reads Again!
Miss Smith and the Haunted Library
Miss Smith Under the Ocean

Library Orientation - Book III

Book #3
Stella Louella’s Runaway Book by Lisa Campbell Ernst
Second Grade, Lesson One

Meet Stella Louella. A young book lover who reads her library book everywhere, which leads her to lose it one Saturday morning.

I always start off telling the kids that this is a book about a little girl who loses her book. I love to hear the collective gasp! I tell them that I hope what happened to Stella never happens to them.

Author and Illustrator Lisa Campbell Ernst did such a good job leaving clues in the text that will tell the children the name of the book Stella lost. I admit that I read this book for a year and never noticed until one day a student pointed out the clues. My mind was blown! Since it is our first story I review what I expect to see the kids doing while I am reading. I tell them that if they are listening they might be able to pick up on the clothes that will reveal the book title. When I am done I always ask someone to tell us the title.

Lisa Campbell Ernst also doubles as the illustrator so she drops clues in the book illustrations too. After the story is over I always flip back through some of the pages and point out clues. At the end of the book you see the crowd of people each leaving the library with a book of their own. I love to tell the kids some of the book titles that the characters checked out. It always gives my students the giggles.

To end the activity, I repeat the same Yes/No activity that I did with my first grade. You can read more about that in my previous blog post.

Library Orientation - Book II

Book #2
Penelope Popper, Book Doctor by Toni Buzzeo and Jana Christy
First Grade, Lesson One

This book has a more recent publication date than my other books. It was co-written by a fellow school librarian so you know the book will cover the topic of library book care well.

Penelope dreams of becoming a doctor but most of her classmates don’t like it when Penelope practices patient care on them. On a visit to the library she is told there are many different types of doctors, including a book doctor. Penelope is excited to become Ms. Brisco’s first resident. As Penelope discovers damaged books she learns how to care for them in the Book Hospital. All of the repair procedures she learns to perform comes in handy one day when the class dictionary falls behind the radiator. Can she save her patient?

Although this book is a little lengthy for my wiggly first graders they do a pretty good job listening to it. After we are done with the story I do the “Yes/No” activity on the SMART Board. I have two categories posted on the screen; Yes and No. I have a bunch of pictures at the bottom of the screen. We discuss each one and I move it into the correct category. 

Don’t have a SMART Board? When I first started teaching and this kind of technology didn’t exist I used two shoe boxes and pictures. I wrapped one in green paper and wrote YES on the top and I wrapped the other in red paper and wrote NO on the top. I found pictures of items, like a dog, a drink, a baby that show things that we don’t want to happen to our library books. I also included pictures of good things. Another option is to include the actual item, like scissors, along with the pictures. Once I had some damaged books I tore one apart and did various things to the book. I put dirty finger prints on a page, on another page I poked holes in it. Once I had a class set of items I could pass out an item to every child in my class. I would then call each child up, we would discuss their item/picture, and they would place it in the correct box.

I purchased the book from Upstart. You can find some lessons HERE

Library Orientation - Book I

It’s that time of year and I’m digging out my beginning of library books. Over the years I have fallen in love with these books and repeatedly use them. I find that my students are captivated by them. I use a specific book for a specific grade level to ensure that my students haven’t heard the story before.

Book #1
The Library Dragon by Carmen Agra Deedy
Kindergarten, Lesson One

 Practice your dragon voice and get ready to entrance the kindergarten students. I start off by warning them that the first book I am going to read to them is a scary book. I tell them it’s about a fire breathing dragon and then ask them to raise their hand if they are afraid of dragons. I then inform them that the dragon in the story lives in a school library.

I will admit that over the years I have omitted certain parts of the story and added my own text in places. The story has a lot of puns that I don’t think the kindergarten students will pick up on them. One change I make is using my schools name and the name of the kindergarten teacher’s class that I am reading to. Some kids pick up on it, some don’t.

After reading the story I introduce the students to my sidekick Shelly. She is a sleepy, silly, chocolate loving snail puppet I bought from Folkmanis HERE when I first became a librarian back in 2002. Shelly comes out of her bag screaming and telling the kids I am really a dragon. I try to tell her not to scare the new students but she keeps insisting I am a dragon and pointing out how I am like a dragon.

I have found a library dragon coloring sheet HERE.

I also found this Teacher's Guide in the Resource section of Carmen Agra Deedy's website HERE.

I can follow up next week’s lesson with Return of the Library Dragon the following week. Mike Krochip and his eReaders better watch out in this sequel!

A new school year begins

A new school year started for me on July 31st.

We ended summer in style with a trip to Mammoth Cave National Park. It was the furthest trip we have taken our camper on so far.  It's hard to believe that two weeks has already gone by since we went on that trip. We're back to school activities, soccer games, and stressful jobs.

My 7-year-old son told me one day last week, "Mom, it was a really long time ago that we went camping". I had to break the news to him that it hadn't even been a week. It's comments like that that reinforces our decision to buy a camper.

We don't have another trip planned until the first week of October. We're going to take the camper to Pigeon Forge for Fall Break. I'm not sure I can make it that long.

Summer Reading Programs

Have you signed your child up for a summer reading program?

Let’s talk for a minute about how important it is for your child to be doing at least some learning over the summer. According to the report “Lasting Consequences of the Summer Learning Gap” by Karl Alexander, Doris Entwistle, and Linda Steffel Olson, in April 2007, “Teachers typically spend between 4 to 6 weeks re-teaching material students have forgotten over the summer.” I sometimes wonder what it would be like for a teacher to start with a class in August that had done some work over the summer. I imagine what it would be like to jump into new material quickly.

There are two summer reading programs I will focus on. There are many more.
1. A summer reading program offered by your local public library.
2. Barnes and Noble Summer Reading.

Any person, adults included, in the state of Tennessee have the ability to join a summer reading program through their local public library. You are required, on our state, to read 600 minutes over the summer. Students can keep track on paper but the program is mainly hosted online. I like recording our reading online because I am less likely to lose the paper. I can also log into the program anywhere I can get Wi-Fi. As we log our minutes we earn points that we can use to change the clothes on our Avatar. Once we reach our required 600 minutes of reading we can print off a certificate, take it to our public library, and collect our prizes. If you have a younger child who isn’t reading, then you are able to read to them and count those minutes. Check with your local public library to find out about the program they run.

Barnes and Noble is celebrating its twenty-first year of summer reading. This program is limited to students in grades 1-6. Stop by a store near you to pick up a summer reading journal. Children are required to read any eight books, record the titles on the journal along with what their favorite part of the story was, then bring the completed journal to the store. You can bring it in anytime between May 16 and September 5^th. Your child will then get to choose a free book off a selected list located on the back of the journal. You can find out more Here.

If you are going to do one summer reading program it becomes easy to count any reading you do for other programs too.

Now that you have two summer reading program options take a look at these tips on how to beat the summer slide.

https://blog.allaboutlearningpress.com/summer-slide/

We are now camper owners!

It’s been awhile since I posted and as I read back on my last post I am happy to admit that we are now travel trailer owners. We didn’t go with the Jayco I mentioned though. After countless posts on a variety of camping Facebook groups I was made aware of a Fleetwood model made by Forest River. I then discovered there is a “better” version, called a Rockwood, with the same layout. I researched the specific model and realized it was a strong contender.

Rockwood Mini Lite 2509S

We wanted to make the decision soon so I visited nearby RV dealers that had Jayco and Forest River brands, just not the models we were looking for. I hate having to make big decisions. I sat down one afternoon to compare the two. We had found the best deal on the Jayco up in Michigan. A 7.5 hour drive wasn’t something I looked forward to but we were willing to drive for a deal. My husband wanted to drive up to Michigan, buy the camper, haul it back, and then leave for vacation the next morning. I called the dealer to ask some questions about the model we liked and it turned out that in a matter of a week both of the ones they had were sold. Well that helps with the process of elimination!

The closest model of Forest River that we liked was just down in Alabama about 2.5 hours away. We decided that on the way back from our Gulf Shores vacation we would stop by Camping World to look at them. This particular branch had three of the models for sale. When we looked at it we really liked it. We felt it had a lot of the features we were looking for, and some extras. The only thing it lacks is a direct entry bathroom. That was the one thing on my list that I would have compromised on. It’s two feet less than the Jayco which I think will give me more confidence when I learn how to haul it.  Five hours later she was hitched up to my car and we were starting the drive home.

   

Could this be "the one"?

Spreadsheets and notes.

           Being a RV newbie it’s hard to know what I really want in a travel trailer. I think I may know what I want but it may be a totally different story when I get out on the road and am living in it. I also have no concept of what the actual length is going to be. I have never hauled anything so my husband gave me a reality check last week. I had researched models for weeks, created a detailed spreadsheet, and was finally ready to reveal to him what my top 3 favorites were. When it came time to tell him what the lengths of the trailers were, we came to a screeching halt. He informed me that he didn’t want me hauling anything longer than 26’. Slam on the breaks, what? I had spent weeks researching trailers only to find out that he wasn’t comfortable with us being in. And smaller? We all have to fit in comfortably and I want a travel trailer that sleeps at least 6 people in case we had any guests staying with us.

After digesting a quick dinner, and this new requirement, I took my oldest son to his Cub Scouts meeting. It was probably the most productive meeting only because I downloaded the RV Trader app and typed in my new length restrictions. I was relieved to find out there were some nice options. I grabbed a scratch piece of paper out of my purse and started recording model numbers and brands of trailers I wanted to see on a bigger screen.
These are the features that I think I want

- Must sleep at least six.
  We are a family of four and I want a little extra space in case we have visitors.
- Designated beds for the boys.
  I don’t want to have to worry about them picking up their bedding so I can turn their bed back into     my table.
- An outdoor kitchen.
  A simple outdoor kitchen has a mini fridge, a cook top, and a sink. More living and can be done    
  outdoors.
- Direct entry bathroom.
  When one of us has to go to the bathroom we can just open up the door and go straight into the  
  bathroom. There would be no need to tromp mud and dirt through the trailer to go.
- Plenty of storage.
  If the boys and I leave for the whole summer we’ll need storage space.

jayco.com White Hawk 24MBH

            When I looked at these shorter models I found some that either have a direct entry bathroom or an outdoor kitchen. Most didn’t have both. Then I discovered the Jayco White Hawk 24MBH. It has all of the features I am looking for! Jayco is the number 1 selling brand of travel trailers. From what I have heard they are the brand that most others try to imitate and they sell at a reasonable price and come with a 2-year warranty. Their beds are typically longer and mattresses thicker. This model fits my vehicle’s towing capabilities but it is longer than Todd’s 26’. It’s actually 27’8”. I showed him a video of the model that a RV
dealer made and he was impressed by it.

            We may have found a winner!  Now to research the other details of this model.              

Book Review: Yellowstone Moran

Book Review #2 - Yellowstone Moran: Painting the American West
Author: Lita Judge
Publisher: Viking

“Tom Moran had dreams as big as the Montana sky.” This is the first line of the book Yellowstone Moran: Painting the American West by Lita Judge. Written in picture book format it tells a brief story of artist Thomas “Yellowstone” Moran and his dream to paint landscapes of places most people have never seen. Tom already drew illustrations of the west for a magazine story but he wanted to see it himself with Dr. Hayden and a group of scientists in their 1871 expedition.

For a city boy life out west on the expedition wasn’t easy. As he adjusted to life in the wilderness he was teased by the other men. He was able to find a friend in the team’s photographer, Will Jackson. When they discovered what is now Yellowstone on July 21^st they described seeing “blinding white terraces that looked like giant frozen steps of ice leading up the mountainside. These steps held cauldrons of boiling water from underground hot springs. Steam heavy with the rotten-egg stink of sulfur filled Tom’s lungs.” Their friendship proved strong when the rest of the team moved on leaving Tom and Will to make their way to the canyon floor to explore the base. The climbed, and slid down, the side carrying their painting and photography gear.

The story details and corresponding illustrations made me recall my two visits to Yellowstone. Maybe I stood where Tom and the explorers once did. I know that beauty found there is like no other and I can’t forget the sulfur smell.

The Author’s Note at the end of the book gives information into some of the things the author discovered while working on this book. I found it interesting that Dr. Hayden encouraged his men to write journals to record their experiences. They proved helpful in the author’s research and she mentions where you can find some of Tom Moran’s paintings and sketches. I love how the author designed her illustrations to look like Tom’s.

I recommend this book for elementary age students and families that might be traveling to Yellowstone. I am always intrigued by the “little known” stories in history.

I am obviously not Will Jackson.

Glacier National Park

National Parks Week is coming to an end and my park posts have slowed down as I've tried to find some of my photos. A few years ago I had my purchased a Groupon to have my physical photos scanned and put on CD so I just had to located them amongst the 2000+ photos I had scanned. Toay I will tell you about Huckleberry and Glacier National Park.

Back in 2004 or 2005 my mom wanted to take my brother and I back out west with our Aunt Jan. We would revisit a couple of national parks from our childhood, Yellowstone and the Tetons, and then explore some new parks. I was excited and nervous to go.

You can see why I was nervous to go.

Blackfoot

One of our stops was Glacier National Park. I was able to see the park from both the US side and the Canadian side. It is a spectacular place with great natural beauty. We stayed in a cabin not far from one of the US entrances. The visitor’s center was having dancers from the local Blackfoot tribe come in and my brother and I made the walk over to watch. They were amazing! They explained the traditions behind their dances and costumes and we heard them play instruments. National Parks put on some great programs so always check their event schedule when you visit one. I highly recommend them!

Trails and scenic drives are plentiful through Glacier. I would hate to be the driver because I would have to concentrate on the road and not the scenery. Driving the Going to the Sun Road is a must. There are pull over spots and I remember a center that we pulled over at and we caught a trail going up the mountainside and we saw snow! For a girl who spent 18 years growing up in South Florida that's a big deal.

We took a day trip to the Canadian side of the park. It is called the Waterton-Glacier National Peace Park on that side. It is where we saw our first bear. It was dubbed the “catch of the trip”. I admit I sometimes had my face in a book as I rode in the back of the minivan but I just happened to look up and I swore I saw a tuft of brown fur. I hollered for my mom to stop and we pulled over and backed up. Sure enough there was a bear! He was eating berries as he made his way down the hillside. As we observed him from the safety of our car we could hear voices and we realized we were not far from a popular tourist spot in town with a waterfall. We realized that the bear was making his way down the trail to this spot so we quickly drove down and parked. A couple happened to be making their way up the trail and we told them to reconsider. By then we had spotted the bear so we pointed him out and they made the right decision to turn around. Word quickly spread and people were gathering around to see the bear. We ended up watching him for over an hour as he made his way down to the waterfall spot, down through the creek, and though people’s yards. We named him “Huckleberry” after the food he was eating.

"Huckleberry" next to the trail.

Glacier National Park is a one that should go on your “must see” list. To plan you visit you can go to https://www.nps.gov/glac/index.htm

It's Earth Day

April 22 is Earth Day! 

Started in 1970 as a way to educate people about environmental issues. This holiday was started by Senator Gaylord Nelson, a Democrat from Wisconsin, as he worked to convince the federal government that the planet was at risk. Inspired by the anti-Vietnam War “teach-ins” that were taking place on college campuses around the U.S. the first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22^nd. He borrowed the concept and the event was a “national teach-in on the environment” and events were held on college campuses. Nelson worked to bring environmental causes into the national spotlight by raising awareness of air and water pollution.  Earth Day is now celebrated around the world.

To find out more about Earth Day you can visit http://www.earthday.org/earthday/

We did our part this morning by taking our recycling to a local recycle center. It’s a rainy day here in town so that may be the extent of our celebration. If you are having better weather get out there and do something for the Earth today. This is the last weekend for free admission into the National Park system as we close out National Park Week.

Happy Birthday John Muir

Today I celebrate the accomplishments of John Muir.

John Muir lived from 1838-1914 and is known for advocating for the idea of National Parks. Born in Scotland he moved his family to a farm in Wisconsin in 1849. He studied Botany and Geology and the University of Wisconsin and he loved to invent things. He had a promising career in industry until a factory accident left him temporarily blind. After recovering his eyesight he walked from Indiana to Florida making botanical sketches as he went. He also walked from San Francisco to the Sierra Nevada. This is supposedly the event that turned him into a nature lover.

Since that life changing walk he worked as a sheepherder, then he took a job in the Yosemite Valley, and he married. Life’s obligations left him longing to be with nature and his wife urged him to travel to Alaska and Washington state. After moving to Oakland, California in 1873 he began to write articles for popular magazines. His writings brought national attention to places he had visited and convinced people why it was important to set aside land for conservation. He even went on a three-night camping trip with President Theodore Roosevelt. He was able to convince President Roosevelt to return land to federal protection as part of Yosemite National Park. It is said that the trip had a lasting impression on the president.

Muir believed God is revealed through nature. He has many inspirational quotes and I picked my favorite tonight.

Created by EverInTransit.com

Source - http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/people/historical/muir/

Everglades National Park

I grew up in South Florida so we made frequent trips to Everglades National Park. Our favorite way to see the Everglades was riding on the Shark Valley tram. There were times when we biked the entire trail but you can’t beat the comfort of sitting down and leaving the driving to someone else. 

The Shark Valley entrance to the park offers guests the option to buy tickets for a guided two hour narrated tram tour. The “River of Grass” trail loop is 15 miles long so you can see why we enjoyed riding the tram in the Florida heat. If you would rather bike the paved trail you can bring your own or rent one of theirs at the visitor’s center. Reservations are recommended during the busy months of November – April.  

Newest Junior Rangers

The boys worked on their Junior Park Ranger badge at this park. We got the activity books before departing on our tram tour. It helped keep the boys entertained on the trip and there was a page to write down the wild life you encountered. We added quite a few tallies to the alligator row and even got to see some baby alligators. 

Two short walking trails are located off the main trail. I can’t emphasize enough that you leave wild animals alone this park. There were many times when I visited that an alligator would be on, or very close to, the River of Grass loop. Alligators are not for petting and your tram guide will probably tell you a horror story or two.

This snapping turtle was right along the tram trail.

The Shark Valley Visitor Center offers guests educational displays, a park video, and brochures. There is also a gift shop that sells the typical books, postcards, and souvenirs. Rangers work the desk to answer questions and swear new junior rangers in. They were kind enough to let the boys borrow their hats for the ceremony. Bathrooms are housed in a separate building next to the visitor center and they were very modern and clean.

For reservations, prices and hours, call 305-221-8455 or check out more details about the park at https://www.nps.gov/ever/index.htm

Mount Halealakla National Park

One year ago I went from sea level to 10,023 feet above sea level at Mount Halealakla National Park. We went on a whim and I’m so glad we did.

My husband was sent to work in Maui, Hawaii for 3 weeks in April 2016. I took full advantage of the opportunity. I would drive the guys to work each morning and while they worked, I played. Earlier in the day I had gone to the Maui Ocean Center to see the aquarium. My husband called to say they were finished early for the day so I made the 45-minute drive to pick them up. We discussed our plans for the evening and decided to head up to Mount Halealakla.

The drive up the mountain is full of twists, turns, drop-offs, and large tour buses so having an experienced and comfortable driver at the wheel is beneficial. It was evening at the time we went so the visitor’s center was closed. The drive to the summit took us through different habitats; dense forests, mountainous terrain, and desert like conditions at the very top. Rumor has it that NASA tests vehicles at the summit that they will send to the moon because conditions are very similar. I must agree that the terrain resembled moon pictures that I had seen in books.

Scientists still do research on the summit.

The summit wasn’t very crowded so we chose a place to sit. We didn’t have long to wait to watch the sun make its descent. I was glad Todd lent me his hooded jacket because we really weren’t prepared for the chilly temps and wind. Weather conditions at the top vary greatly from the base. You have to pack warm clothes because temperatures can get down to freezing. It really is amazing to be up above the clouds and to see the rays of the sun shining across the mountain. It would recommend you put it on your “must see” list if you plan on ever being in Maui.

A Silversword that we saw at the summit.

Read more about this National Park at https://www.nps.gov/hale/index.htm To watch the sunrise you now must buy a ticket. The cost is only $1.50 a car plus the cost to enter the park. Be sure to dress warmly and pack food and drinks. Get comfortable and watch the most amazing sunset, or sunrise, anywhere.

Above the clouds!

Denali National Park

Less than 5% of visitors to Denali National Park get to experience what we did during our visit on July 22, 2015. We experienced what our bus driver called a “Grand Slam”. You might be wondering what that is when there isn’t much baseball in Alaska. A “Grand Slam” is when you get an uninterrupted view of Mt. McKinley and get to see all of the “Big 4” animals in the park. What four animals might that be?
- Bear
- Moose
- Caribou
- Dall Sheep
In the eight years that our driver had been giving bus tours this was his eighth grand slam.

My husband made the first “spot” on the bus. Way up on the hillside he saw a brown puff ball moving and he shouted to the bus driver to stop. We got out our binoculars and sure enough it was a mamma bear with a cub. We watched them for a little bit and then we saw mom move to the side and we discovered she had another cub – twins! Binoculars are a must have item when you are traveling in Alaska. The bus guide will give you tips on what to look for and how to spot wildlife and before you know it you’ll be seeing lot of animals. We also spotted an eagle and a family of Ptarmigans, which is Alaska’s state bird. The Dall Sheep were actually the hardest to spot but on our return trip back to the bus center Todd again spotted the animal that sealed our “Grand Slam”!

Let’s back up a bit and talk about the buses. There isn’t much of the park that you can drive a vehicle into. Automobiles can go the first 15 miles and then it’s time to turn around. The best way to see the park is to book a ticket, well ahead of time, on one of their buses. Buses can go much further into the park and you want a trained driver taking you on all of the twists and turns. You’ll sit much higher up and you’ll be able to really keep an eye out for animals. If you holler out the drivers are likely to pull over and stop so everyone gets a chance to see what you spotted. Overall you don’t cover many miles but you can expect to be gone a minimum of 5 hours. Some bus routes go further than others. The Denali website has a handy chart that will help you decide which bus trip is best for you. At first I was nervous taking my young children on the bus. You can bring drinks and snacks but bathrooms are limited. The boys ended up doing great and it was nice to sit back, relax, and take in the views!

Our bus that drove us into the park.

Bus rides aren’t the only things you can do. You can take trails, stop off at one of the two visitor centers, or watch a sled dog demonstration. At bigger visitor’s center the boys worked on their Junior Ranger badges. It was a very nice visitor’s center with a variety of rooms showcasing the history, plant life, and animals that you can see at the park.

Today I was asked by a co-worker if I could go back to either Hawaii or Alaska where would I go. That’s a tough question but it didn’t take me long to say Alaska. It is a place like no other!

You can find out more about the park and plan a visit here
https://www.nps.gov/dena/index.htm

Virgin Islands National Park

My husband and I have been blessed to travel to a few islands; Jamaica, St. Lucia, and the USVI. Hands down we love St. John the best!

Virgin Islands National Park Visitor's Center

My husband is an elevator mechanic and he was sent there to work on a job back in 2013. His room, flight, and rental car were paid for by his company so it was a no brainer that I would leave Tennessee in the cold of January to join him for a week.

Annaberg Sugar Plantation

One of my favorite things about St. John is that the Virgin Islands National Park covers about 60% of the island. It allows the island to remain largely undeveloped. There are plenty of beaches on St. John  and I couldn’t find one I didn’t like. You'll find that each beach has it's own unique "specialty". One has remains of an old sugar plantation, one beach is known for its sea turtle population, at one beach we watched pelicans dive bomb schools of fish.

The Cruz Bay Visitor Center is open daily from 8 a. m. to 4:30 p. m. It is a short walk, about two blocks, from the public ferry dock so even if you are staying on one of the other US Virgin Islands you won’t have far to walk if you go to St. John for a daytrip. A lot of taxis wait for visitors at the ferry dock but I would suggest walking to the visitor’s center if you want to stop there.

The center is very simple. It offers exhibits, brochures, maps, educational materials, books and an activity schedule. The park rangers at the information desk can help you plan your visit, including hikes, historical tours, snorkeling, and other programs. I picked up a map and some postcards there and then hit a trail that starts about another block past the visitor’s center. The views from this trail were spectacular! Be warned that it is an uphill climb so make sure you have proper footwear.

Another cool feature this national park is Trunk Bay. You can find an underwater snorkeling trail there. This is a great place for beginners and anyone who wants to learn about marine life because as you snorkel you can read underwater plaques along the trail to learn about life that inhabits the reef. The trail follows the west side of Trunk Bay Cay for about 300 feet before making a U-turn back to the beach. There are lots of coral and fish here and while I was swimming my brother and I saw a huge barracuda. 

Trunk Bay underwater snorkeling trail.

If you would like to find out more about Virgin Islands National Park you can visit
https://www.nps.gov/viis/index.htm

It's National Parks Week!

It’s National Parks Week! The celebration runs from April 15 – 23. That means that on the weekends of April 15-16 and 22-23 all of the 400+ National Parks are free. Not all parks charge a fee but 117 of them do. The fee waiver includes entrance fees, commercial tour fees, and transportation entrance fees. Other fees such as reservation, camping, tours, concession and fees collected by third parties are not included unless stated. National parks are such a great idea so get out there and visit a new place or one of your old favorites and #findyourpark

You can find out more here
https://www.nps.gov/findapark/national-park-week.htm

Throughout this week I will be sharing some of my favorite National Parks. I thought about counting down my favorites but it’s hard to put a number on them. I love each one for a different reason.