Month: April 2016

National Park to Park Highway Adventure

We’ve got BIG news for you today, the first day of National Park Week 2016. I mean blow your mind, I wish I were you, experience of a lifetime BIG. Are you ready for it?

Good. Here we go.

Did you know that 2016 is the centennial anniversary of the National Park Service? 100 years is no small feat. It deserves a celebration of epic proportions which is exactly why Mountain Dad and I have spent the last several months planning something HUGE.

I’m talking 5,000 miles, 7 weeks on the road, 15 National Parks and 3 National Monuments huge. That’s right. This summer, we’re taking our Mountain Family on an epic road trip visiting some of the greatest outdoor wonders of the world. Using the National Park to Park Highway as our guide we will be hiking, biking and camping our way through 15 iconic National Parks (and 3 National Monuments) of the West and you’re invited to come along for the ride!

The Original National Park to Park Highway Tour 

Spearheaded by Stephen Mather, our nation’s first National Park Service Director, the National Park to Park Highway was created in 1920 to link 12 National Parks on a loop of mostly dirt roads spanning over 5,000 miles.

The goal was to promote the National Parks by capitalizing on the country’s booming automobile craze. In August of 1920, 12 vehicles set out on a 76 day tour to see the Parks as no others before them had. Roads were rough and cars were not very reliable 100 years ago, so not everyone finished the journey, but the publicity from the tour helped increase tourism to the National Parks.

Almost 100 years later, we have decided to drive the National Park to Park Highway in honor of the National Park Service’s Centennial celebration. In addition to the 12 original parks pictured here we will also include 3 new National Parks (Great Sand Dunes, Olympic, and Grand Teton) as well as 3 new National Monuments (Hovenweep, Canyons of the Ancients, and Devil’s Postpile) on our tour.

Mountain Mom and Tots National Park to Park Highway Tour

If you’ve read this blog you know we’re no stranger to family camping, but this project is a whole different level of camping commitment. To accomplish the lofty goal of sagebrushing (the 1920s term for car camping) through the wild lands of the west we’ll be turning our Chevy pickup into the ultimate camping vehicle. 

 No RVs or tents for us. We’ll be sleeping our family of five in a full sized pick up for weeks on end. Even as I write that it sounds crazy, but that’s the plan and if anyone can pull it off it’s me and Mountain Dad.

For seven weeks we will be hiking and biking through some of the most beautiful spaces in the United States, dragging our 7, 4 and 1 year old with us. Literally. Baby L will be riding in the bike trailer or the hiking pack most of the time.

Join Us

Have you ever had a hair-brained idea that you’re so excited about you want to tell the whole world? That’s how I feel about our National Park to Park Highway Adventure. I want to share all the experiences we have along the way with as many people as will listen.

If you’re one of those people, sign up for the Mountain Mom and Tots newsletter for exclusive info on our explorations and discoveries. I promise I won’t bombard your inbox or sell your email address. I just want you to come with me on this exciting adventure and I don’t think anymore people will fit in our pickup truck.

Sign Up for Current Updates of Mountain Mom and Tots and get a FREE Scavenger Hunt for Kids! Just put your name and email in here. Right here in the box after this sentence:

You can also follow along on twitter, instagram and facebook. I’m telling you it’ll be awesome.

Sponsors

This National Park to Park Highway Tour wouldn’t be possible without some amazing gear sponsors. Throughout the trip we will be highlighting the gear that makes this undertaking possible. You can check out all the awesome companies in one place on our Sponsors page, but I have to give a special shout out thank you to Burley and Woom Bikes. Without their elite sponsorships of gear this trip wouldn’t be possible.

So buckle up, hang on and join us for an adventure of epic proportions! Woohoo!

Interested in becoming a sponsor? Contact me at susan@mountainmomandtots.com.

What’s Your Kind of Wilderness?

Don’t forget to enter my Style in the Wild Kids Giveaway! Today’s your last day. Click here.

Over spring break, my Mountain Fam had a mix of outdoor experiences. We played at a park, biked on a local trail and camped in a beautiful, forgotten corner of the Utah desert. It brought to mind the question, What’s my kind of wilderness?

Urban Jungle
For some people getting outdoors just means a stroll to the neighborhood park. A chunk of manicured green cut out from concrete streets and brick buildings may be all the outdoor love you need.

When Little G was first born, before we moved to the mountains, this was the extent of my outdoor experience. I walked to the park around the corner to push my two tots on swings and spend hours watching Big E dig in the sandbox in our backyard.

A backyard sandbox, herb garden or hammock might be just enough wilderness to get all the benefits of being outdoors without leaving home. It was nice. But it wasn’t enough for me.
Suburban Wilderness
After moving to the mountains near Sundance Mountain Resort in Utah, my daily outdoor experience changed. I live with a forest right outside my front door and a ski hill just down the road. We live far enough out of town to be surrounded by trees but close enough that grocery shopping isn’t an all day ordeal.

In the canyon near my home is my favorite Go To Outdoor Space – the Provo River Trail. I love it because the flat paved trail runs along a river on one side and mountains on the other. It’s nothing if not beautiful.

Since one of my goals this year is to teach my kids to ride bikes, we hit this trail last week on a balance bike from WOOM (pronounced VOOM). Technically its Little G’s WOOM 3 with the pedals removed but since Big E has yet to learn to ride a bike even though he’s in first grade, I put it to use like a balance bike. Big E loved it.

I’m grateful for locations like this suburban wilderness bike trail. It’s only a 15 minute drive from town, easily accessible at multiple parks and it even passes Bridal Veil Falls, a 200 foot tall waterfall. Many hikers and bikers enjoy this trail all year long and sometimes the trail heads and parks can be overly crowded, especially on weekends.
Outdoor Destination
Think of the outdoor spaces within an hour or two of your home. Those places you could drive to for a day activity – beach, mountain, river. People go there for a day or two to enjoy the outdoors and relax.

Most of my camping adventures fall into this category. We live in the vast Wasatch Uinta National Forest where there are loads of hiking, mountain biking, and camping all within an hour drive. These destinations are great for day or overnight trips, to really get out of the norm. I could camp if I want but I usually don’t since it’s close enough to get back home fairly quickly.

These kinds of spaces are usually more remote than the local park or Suburban wilderness. They allude to vast wild spaces before man walked the earth, but the trail heads are still full of people. I like these places because it puts me in a vacation mentality when I go there. They’re far enough away that you take the day off work and do something out of the norm. But they’re not what calls to Mountain Dad.

Utter Isolation
Last weekend we took our first camp out of the year in the San Rafael Swell desert area of Utah. We explored sandstone rock spires, hoodoos, a gypsum sinkhole and desert washes and canyons. We camped on BLM land without seeing another person for more than 24 hours.

This remote kind of wilderness is what Mountain Dad craves. The vast natural beauty and utter lack of people is exactly up his alley. As we explored Cathedral Valley and the Buckhorn Wash pictographs he said, “Any other state, this would be a National Park.” He might have something there. 

Although beautiful, the remoteness of this destination makes it difficult. You must feel comfortable providing for your own needs. Water, bathrooms, lodging, food – there’s no resources nearby. You have to take care of that on your own. The closest ‘town’ to our adventure in Cathedral Valley had two gas stations and no stoplights. Not exactly a destination location.

Yet Mountain Dad was effusive in his praise. Something about getting away from people and enjoying beautiful scenery is like magic for him. I agree it was beautiful and fun to feel like we found something special that few people experience. But when the thought, “What would happen if we got a flat tire?” popped into my head, I wondered if I needed THAT much isolation.


What’s Your Kind of Wilderness?
For me, I prefer the adventure of getting away from home for several days, but I don’t mind sharing my outdoor space with other nature lovers either. For Mountain Dad, the more remote and beautiful (and crowdless) the better.
So what is it for you? Are you content with a stroll in the local park or do you crave to leave the crowds (of whatever size) and find that untouched wild space? Leave a comment and let me know. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

I contacted the companies above to ask for items to review unless otherwise noted. I chose those companies because I thought their products were uniquely designed for outdoor families and relevant for you, my readers. My opinions of their products are my own. I received no compensation other than the product to review.

Kids Style in the Wild Part 2

As the final installment of my Style in the Wild series I wanted to share some of these great Kids’ outdoor fashions. Just like in my 6 Tips for Style in the Wild Post I couldn’t forget the feet for my kids, so this post is all about keeping those toes protected from the elements.

Don’t forget to read Kids Style in the Wild GIVEAWAY and enter the Real Shades and Fawn and Foal Giveaway by April 13, 2016!


Farm to Feet

We love Farm to Feet who sent socks for Big E, Little G and Baby L to try out. Their Kid’s Kittery Hiker Socks have a cute stripe pattern in a variety of colors and their Park City Ski Socks are great for keeping cold toes from freezing on the slopes. Little G especially gets cold so good base layers for skiing are a must.

What’s awesome about Farm to Feet is their 100% Made in America commitment. From ingredients to manufacturing, their Merino wool is sourced right here in the US. Even the paper and ink in their packaging comes from the USA.
We got a pair for the whole family to try. The Farm to Feet Kid’s Kittery Socks smallest size was still too big for Baby L, but I didn’t mind. For once she couldn’t pull the socks off her feet – her favorite thing to do – since they went up to her knees.

Butler Boots
April showers may bring May flowers, but they also make great puddles to jump in. And for that you need a good rain boot. Butler Emperor Overboots are made from flexible material and can be worn directly over your kids own shoe. Great for picky, accessory conscious kids like my daughter. Or so I thought.

When we first got these Butler Overboots to review, Little G loved them, wearing them to preschool and showing off her colorful fashion sense. The bright colors are great for the preschool kid crowd. Like Butler says, these boots are like gumballs for your feet.

They are very waterproof, a major plus, and the included machine washable liner keeps feet warm if you don’t want to use them with their own shoes. I love the selection of bright colors, which adds happiness to every wet weather day.

Unfortunately for me and the Butler Emperor Overboot, Little G’s interest failed again. After wearing them a few times she said the boots were too heavy. Again with the offering, bribing and begging. Again with the refusing. I could not get her to wear them over her own shoes or alone.

I still think the Butler Emperor Overboot is a great kid product since it gives you the option of wearing them over the kids shoe or with the enclosed liner. Little G will just have to get wet in the next rain storm.
What about those non rainy days? When you need something quick to protect your bare feet? You could try Flopeeze.

Flopeeze gave me some of their flexible sandals to try out. The design is simple, just put your foot through the hole and hook the strap around your toes. The protective footwear is similar to a sandal, but the specially formulated rubber is squishier. They pack up small and are easy to take anywhere you go.
It all sounds good in theory, but I don’t like them. The space between my toes hurts after I wear them longer than ten minutes and the rings around my ankles felt too tight. Although the cushion is adequate, their use is still a mystery to me. I could see maybe taking Flopeeze to travel if you I needed something ultra thin to wear in a communal shower, but truthfully flip flops aren’t that much more space and you can wear them in so many more scenarios.
My kids loved the Flopeeze at first, again with the new toy syndrome, but they quickly lost interest as well. 
Thanks for reading. Make sure to check out my 6 Tips for Style in the Wild and Kids Style in the Wild GIVEAWAY Posts too!
I contacted the companies above to ask for items to review unless otherwise noted. I chose those companies because I thought their products were uniquely designed for outdoor families and relevant for you, my readers. My opinions of their products are my own. This post includes affiliate links. I receive a small commission if you purchase something by clicking through these links. 

Style in the Wild Kids GIVEAWAY

Last week I posted 6 Tips for Having Style in the Wild as a Mom. This week it’s the tots turn! 
I have a range of fashion feelings with my kids. Big E could care less what he wears while Little G will change her outfit three times a day to find that perfect fashion combination. These pieces have the whole family covered. Plus you have a chance to win a pair of Real Kids Shades or a Fawn and Foal shirt in this GIVEAWAY!  

There is nothing so cool as kids in shades, and these sunglasses are the best I’ve tried. Real Kids Shades offers sunglasses for kids using flexible, shatter resistant materials that really stand up to kids use and abuse. 
The flexible frames are kid proof, easily bending but still bouncing back to their original shape. They’re durable and the elastic band for sizes 0-2 keeps them on baby L, even when she’d like to rip them off. I love these sunglasses. Unfortunately my kids don’t. 
When Real Kids Shades gave me these sunglasses to review, I was sure my kids would be overjoyed. At first they were, especially Little G who loves to accessorize. But after the newness wore off, my opinionated kids refused to wear them, except Baby L who didn’t have a choice. 
Even though Real Kids Shades offers 100% UVA and UVB protection, Big E decided he wouldn’t wear them. All winter long I tried to get him to wear sunglasses or ski goggles on the slopes. Sun glinting off the snow can really strain the eyes, but he wasn’t interested. And if Big brother E doesn’t want to do something you can be sure Little G will be quick to follow. I offered, bribed, may have even begged. But forcing them to wear sunglasses, even cool ones, wasn’t worth the fight.
Maybe it’s a matter of setting a better example. My own sunglasses broke a while ago – they didn’t have the same flexible frames that Real Kids Shades have – so I’ve gotten used to not having them. When I get around to replacing them for the summer, maybe Baby L and I can set the fashion standard for the whole crew. C’mon Big E and Little G. If you’re cool, you wear sunglasses! 
This summer I hope to put Real Kids Shades to work. Prices range from $14.95 to $29.95 but if you order before April 30th you get 10% off your whole order! They just launched their new line for Young Adults and You have a chance to win a pair in the giveaway below! Enter by April 13th!
  

Fawn and Foal Textiles

Someone in Utah loves Big E. I’ll give you a hint – it’s the woman who birthed him. Last summer I was introduced to Fawn and Foal Textiles at Outdoor Retailer. Walking by their trendy booth I wasn’t even going to stop because owners Juliana and Ben McLenna seemed way cooler than me. But then I saw an adorable onesie and since Baby L was strapped to me I had to stop and check it out.

I’m so glad I did! It turns out they have so much more than just baby clothes. Fawn and Foal Textiles is a small screen printing business based out of Boise, Idaho. They print state shirts made in the USA as well as cute designs related to the outdoors. Every state in the union is available in their ‘Someone in ‘your state’ Loves You’ line, with sizes for the whole family from baby onesies to adult.

Fawn and Foal sent me a shirt for Big E to try out and he loves it. The other day I took it out of the dryer and handed it to him. This is what he said:

E – Yes! This is my favorite shirt! (Pulled off his other shirt and put this one on immediately)
Me – Really? Why?
E – Because it’s so comfortable!

It’s odd to see my otherwise fashion oblivious son suddenly care about what shirt he’s wearing. But I get it. Fawn and Foal shirts are made from soft cotton, comfortable, durable and machine washable. Prices range from $18 to $26. And they’re obviously easy to move around in.

Now you have a chance to win your own! Adult and Baby sizes for Giveaway available only in grey. Enter the giveaway below before April 13th for a chance to win a shirt from Fawn and Foal. Go ahead. #BeTheSomeone.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I contacted the companies above to ask for items to review unless otherwise noted. I chose those companies because I thought their products were uniquely designed for outdoor families and relevant for you, my readers. My opinions of their products are my own. This post includes affiliate links. I receive a small commission if you purchase something by clicking through these links.