The Tar Heel State is home to some of the most breathtaking waterfall views east of the Mississippi. Many of them are so accessible that you don’t even need to get out of the car. Others require some get-away-from-it-all hiking. With nearly 250 waterfalls, North Carolina is one of the best waterfall destinations in the US. Squeezing them all in on a single North Carolina vacation probably isn’t practical, so here are the falls we think should be at the top of your bucket list. Whitew...
Pitching a tent right on the beach allows you to fall asleep listening to crashing surf and wake up to a stunning sunrise over the ocean. Wide open spaces, salty ocean breezes, and sand under bare feet allow us to relax and recharge. Many people consider camping on the coast to be the ultimate beach getaway. However, beach camping presents a unique set of challenges. Thankfully, a little knowledge and preparation can help keep your beach camping trip from turning into a sandy nightmare. &nb...
When summer hits, everyone and their brother seems to head for the beach. If you love the sun, surf, and sand, but aren’t a fan of beach crowds, Cape Lookout National Seashore could provide the breathing space you’ve been searching for. The northern portions of North Carolina’s Outer Banks, including Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, and Nags Head have blossomed into touristy destinations over the past few decades. If you want a wilder, natural, more private beach adventure, you’ll want to hea...
Camping on the coast is altogether different from camping in the mountains. Falling asleep to the sound of crashing surf, waking to the song of seabirds, and walking from your tent straight into the ocean are just a few unique experiences beach camping has to offer. The Cape Hatteras National Seashore provides some of the best coastal camping opportunities on the East Coast. This tract of public land features 70 miles of uninterrupted coastline, stretching from Oregon Inlet to Ocracoke Inl...
North Carolina is home to some fabulous state parks. Although iconic parks like Jockey’s Ridge , Carolina Beach , Hanging Rock , and Grandfather Mountain earn most of the outdoor love in the Old North State, NC is actually home to 34 parks, four recreation areas, and three staffed state natural areas, all of which fall under the North Carolina State Parks umbrella. Whether you need some inspiration for a quick day hike or a week-long outdoor get-away, here are five often-overlooked North C...
Well, we are off to Lake Tahoe tomorrow. It will be a long driving day with an interesting drive between the desert floor and the 11 mountain passes to traverse along the way. Needless to say, I think we will drive separately. We have been at Great Basin NP for the last 3 days. What a different environment and scenery than where we came from in Colorado. The Great Basin stretches from the California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, through most of Nevada, to Utah’s Wasatch mountains. It is HUGE! The G...
Sometimes you want to grab your things last minute and head out of the city for a night or two of camping to reconnect with nature and unwind. Unfortunately, many campsites (at least here in BC) are booked up months in advance, so it’s impossible to get a site last minute. You’re stuck trying to plan your camping trips so far in advance that you may be stuck with bad weather or other plans. Is there another option? If you know where to find them, there are free, user-maintained campsites t...
You love spending time with your family and friends in nature. But you also know that you must be prepared to make these adventures a success. And there’s no better way to get ready for your next venture out into the wilderness than with Camping.Tools. Here’s how this app is changing the game, not just for chronicling memories of your adventures but for being ready to take on new ones whenever the mood strikes. Jot Down Your Thoughts and Keep Them Organized You may forget small details when you ...
If you enjoy the outdoors or the freedom of the road ahead, you may think that buying an RV is a great idea - and it is! But there are some things you should know before you make the investment because while it may seem like a dream come true, there are realities to the situation that are rarely seen by those who do not own RVs. Maintenance, tank emptying, and route planning will become your new normal if you buy an RV, but if you want to make memories on the road there is no better way to do it...
Rocky Mountain NP We are once again back to one of our “happy places”! We love Rocky Mountain National Park! This is our third trip back to the park, as we travel further west to California. We have stayed on the Estes Park side in a cabin years ago, before we had our camper, and that was terrific. There is so much to see and do in that area. The little town is awesome, and if you’re a Stephen King fan, the Stanley Hotel in Estes is where some of the scenes of his famous movie “The Shining...
