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Tag: road trip

  • Buffalo, Minnesota

    Buffalo, Minnesota

    Best Minnesota Cities to Explore

    We are exploring Minnesota this summer! Buffalo, Minnesota, is a city that’s been on our list not only for fun but a possible move location. Buffalo is only 45 minutes from Minneapolis and is a beautiful city nestled on Buffalo Lake. As we explored, we got a sense of community here. From the Buffalo, Minnesota, city website, “Buffalo is a mix of small community charm and suburban amenities with a charming downtown area and various large retail located on the main highways of Highway 55 and Highway 25.”

    We started the day at the Forget-Me-Not Cafe. The food is delicious, and they offer excellent service. This cafe started with an adorable love story. See their website to read more. ❤️

    Things To Do in Buffalo, Minnesota

    After breakfast, we walked over to the Buffalo Farmers’ Market. The market is every Saturday from 8am-Noon through October. It looks small, but there is a lot to choose from…fresh produce, meats, homemade bread, BBQ sauces, coffee, crafts, and more.

    People walking through Buffalo, Minnesota Farmers' Market

    Next, we headed over to Sturges Park to find Musical Trail. The park is such a great spot by the lake and we loved playing all the instruments along the trail. Such a great idea! There are two park shelters, picnic tables, benches, cooking grills, basketball court, playground, 1,297 feet of lake frontage, a fishing pier, and a boat landing. The park also offers a super cool HealthBeat® Outdoor Fitness System. We’ve only seen one of these in Sedona, Arizona, so it was cool to see one here in Minnesota. Great way to workout!

    There are also free concerts at the Sturges Park bandshell throughout the summer. See the calendar here.

    A view of Buffalo Lake in Minnesota

    You have to get a shot in the big chair!

    A woman sitting in a big chair that says Buffalo

    I didn’t get a picture but we stopped at Buffalo Nickel Antiques too. This is a must stop if you like antiques!

    We ended the day at Hayes’ Public House Brewery & Taproom. The taproom is cozy with really cool antiques, tables, and chairs. The rooftop gives you a fantastic view of Buffalo Lake. Hayes’ offers a lot of events and live music; keep an eye on the Hayes’ Public House Facebook page for more. Cheers to adventures!

    For another fun day trip from the Twin Cities, check out our Afton, Minnesota, blog post here.

    Life is short, never stop searching for what stirs your soul. ❤️

    ©Tracy Blowers

  • Capitol Reef National Park – Utah

    Capitol Reef National Park – Utah

    Capitol Reef National Park

    Celebrate National Park Week in April and explore a new park! Capitol Reef National Park surrounds a 100-mile-long “wrinkle in the earth” known as the Waterpocket Fold and is located in south-central Utah. It is part of Utah’s Mighty 5 National Parks, including Arches, Zion, Canyonlands, and Zion. If you love to escape the crowds, this park is for you!

    Top Things To Do – Capitol Reef National Park

    Get homemade pies and cinnamon rolls at the Gifford Homestead!! The pie is homemade from fruit grown in the orchards. The green orchards among the red rocks are so beautiful. Get there early because the pie goes fast! It’s the best pie I’ve ever tasted. So fresh and delicious! Our favorite flavor was the strawberry rhubarb.

    After pie, explore the Historic Fruita District. There are historic buildings, a visitor center, campground, and many hikes and trails. Eight families lived in the Fruita District until 1969 (Capitol Reef became a National Park in 1971) and lived completely off the land including the orchards and drinking unfiltered water from the Fremont River. There have been people living in this area for thousands of years as you will see by the petroglyphs below and they believe the first Latter Day Saints settler in this specific area was around 1879. At that time it was known as Junction and mail was delivered to the Fremont Cottonwood tree (“mail tree”), which still stands today.

    Scenic Byway 24

    Drive Scenic Byway 24 – This is the main road that runs through the park and the views are breathtaking. Some of the top sights along this route are Panorama Point, Sunset Point, and Goosenecks Overlook.

    See the Petroglyphs carved by the Fremont Culture in the 300-1300 Common Era. The more you look, the more you will see.

    We stayed at Rim Rock Inn located in Torrey, Utah at the entrance to the park. It’s a great location! There are regular hotel rooms and individual cabins. We loved the cabins, the view is incredible. The cabins are super spacious with cool antique furniture and are dog-friendly. There is a very good restaurant onsite plus an awesome bar/patio with outdoor patio with live music.

    There’s so much more- we only had one day to visit so this barely scratches the surface. There are a lot of scenic drives and hikes to do in this park. I can’t wait to go back and explore more! 

    While in Southern Utah, another fantastic drive is Cottonwood Canyon Road at Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Read more HERE. Life is short, find what stirs your soul. ❤️

    © What Stirs Your Soul Media

  • Cape Cod, Massachusetts

    Cape Cod, Massachusetts

    Road Tripping through Cape Cod, Massachusetts

    Add Cape Cod to your Vermont road trip! While road tripping through Vermont and Upstate New York, we drove down to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and stayed for a couple of nights. It was nice exploring during the off-season (we visited in the fall) with fewer people. Of course, it wasn’t as warm, but it was still amazing. Top on my list- visiting the Cape Cod National Seashore and Provincetown.

    Girl with her dog at the Cape Cod National Seashore
    “My life is like a stroll upon the beach, as near the ocean’s edge as I can go.“ —  Henry David Thoreau

    Cape Cod National Seashore – Marconi Beach

    The Cape Cod National Seashore is a must-see. These 40 miles of protected rugged and pristine sandy beaches along the Atlantic Ocean with six swimming beaches and unique lighthouses offer so much to do. You can hang out at the beach, swim, kayak, bike/walk/run the trails, hike the sand dunes, explore historic areas, and more.

    Marconi Beach is gorgeous. The salty air, sand in my toes, dunes, and ocean views made for an unforgettable day.

    Cape Cod National Seashore sand dunes
    ocean view at Cape Cod National Seashore

    Wellfleet, Massachusetts

    There are many quaint villages to choose from with Provincetown being the most popular. We decided to stay in Wellfleet because it was close to Marconi Beach and only minutes from Provincetown. We stayed at Endless Coast, A Boutique Hotel. Endless Coast is dog-friendly and offers a lovely lounge/picnic area in the back of the hotel to hang out. We liked the hotel, but there was a large group staying next to us that were very loud partying late- plus, if you’re on the lower level, it’s pretty noisy with people going up and down the stairs. We left early because this made it difficult to work and rest during our stay. The staff was accommodating to our request.

    We ate at Wicked Oyster and Mac’s Shack. We really loved both and I especially enjoyed the “nester” from Wicked Oyster.

    Wicked Oyster – The Nester

    We visited Uncle Tim’s Bridge. Built in 1783 and listed on the State Historic Register, the bridge crossing Duck Creek connects Hamblen Island to Wellfleet. The island is beautiful, offering trails and beaches to explore. Timothy E. Daniels, known as Uncle Tim, had a retail shop across from the bridge in the 1800s and the bridge still bears his name.

    Uncle Tim's Bridge in Wellfleet, Massachusetts
    Uncle Tim's Bridge in Wellfleet, Massachusetts

    Provincetown, Massachusetts

    It was so fun to walk around Provincetown and see the houses, architecture, shops, and vibe.

    row boats in Provincetown, Massachusetts

    Race Point Beach Provincetown, Massachusetts

    After walking around town, we headed out to Race Point Beach.

    This is another incredible spot to explore and watch for dolphins!

    Race Point Beach Provincetown, Massachusetts

    We grabbed a pizza from Ptown House of Pizza and then headed to the beach. The pizza was fabulous!

    If you’re planning a Vermont fall road trip, click HERE for our favorite stops.

    And make sure to add a couple days to visit the Cape!

    Life is short, keep searching for what stirs your soul. ❤️

    ©What Stirs Your Soul Media

  • Glenwood Springs Colorado

    Glenwood Springs Colorado

    The Best Colorado Mountain Town

    If you’re going to get stuck on a road trip, Glenwood Springs, Colorado is the place! Vail Pass (10,666′ mountain pass over the Rocky Mountains) was closed due to a snowstorm so we were lucky to enjoy an extra day. We loved it so much, now we always make this a two night minimum stop. *Note- make sure to plan for unpredictable weather when traveling through Colorado in April.

    Welcome to Colorful Colorado sign

    We’ve stayed in a few different hotels in Glenwood Springs and so far Hotel Denver is our favorite dog-friendly hotel. Their service is consistent and above and beyond every time. It’s a super convenient location- walkable in town with an attached brewpub and in-house coffee shop. There’s also great community space which we love to hang out or work.

    The rooms are historic (Doc Holliday stayed at The Hotel Denver) and so pretty with beautiful views.

    Colorado Hot Springs – Glenwood Springs Resort Hot Springs

    The Glenwood Hot Springs are right across the river with a walkable bridge to enjoy all the health benefits of a dip.

    The springs at Glenwood Springs
    Hot mineral water at Glenwood Springs

    It’s so easy to walk around town and enjoy restaurants, shopping, and the Colorado River.

    Downtown picture of Glenwood Springs

    The beautiful views of Hotel Denver.

    Winter picture of Hotel Denver in Glenwood Springs
    View of Hotel Denver in Glenwood Springs

    We loved the food from the Brewpub too. It’s great atmosphere and I appreciate gluten free options. The coffee shop rocks too!

    Gluten free burger at Brewpub at Glenwood Springs

    Next time you’re driving through Colorado, make sure to visit Glenwood Springs!

    Allen gives Hotel Denver 5 paws up! The cozy bed is his favorite.

    Dog sleeping on bed at Glenwood Springs

    We always stop in Glenwood Springs on our way road tripping to Utah. Click HERE for another awesome dog-friendly hotel in Southern Utah. Enjoy the road and keep searching for what stirs your soul. ❤️

    Life goes fast, never stop searching for what stirs your soul.

    ©What Stirs Your Soul Media

  • Montana Camping Near Yellowstone

    Montana Camping Near Yellowstone

    Montana Camping Near Yellowstone National Park

    Are you looking for Montana camping near Yellowstone National Park? We really enjoyed the Livingston/Paradise Valley KOA Holiday.

    The campground was the perfect stop on our way back to Minnesota. It is nestled on the Yellowstone River with 500 feet of frontage and beautiful mountain views. It is also a great base camp while exploring Yellowstone National Park.

    camper cabin, hammock, and dog at koa campground in montana

    Livingston, Montana KOA Campground

    The campground was really busy during our stay but we felt tucked away in the deluxe cabin by the river. We really liked that there was an Albertsons grocery store down the road (about 11 miles) and other conveniences (a coffee shop 😁). The store at the KOA also offered groceries and pretty much all the essentials that you would need.

    The KOA offers deluxe cabins, camper cabins, RV sites, and tent sites.

    yellowstone river at livingston, montana koa

    We loved listening to the river flow, it was awesome for sleeping especially after filling our bellies with s’mores.

    The cabins and campground are dog-friendly including a dog park. Allen loved going for walks by the river, watching people fishing, and just chilling. Other amenities include a pool, wifi, pavilion, fishing, basketball, playground, laundry, and bike rentals.

    As the sun set, the views of the river and mountains were breathtaking. Nothing better than the golden hour.

    yellowstone river

    More Montana Camping

    This stop was on our way home after exploring Montana. Read about our Glacier National Park visit and West Glacier KOA stay here: https://tracyseesstuff.com/2021/06/27/glacier-national-park-and-west-glacier-koa/.

    We were only here for one night on our way through but next time we plan on exploring historic Livingston. There are museums, fine-dining, live music, and a pro rodeo. This time, it was nice just to enjoy the campground and a quiet night by the fire.

    Life is short, never stop searching for what stirs your soul. ❤️

    ©Tracy Blowers

  • Virginia City, Montana Ghost Town

    Virginia City, Montana Ghost Town

    If you’re into history and ghosts towns, add Virginia City to your bucket list when road tripping through Montana.

    Virginia City – Montana’s Living Ghost Town

    Virginia City, Montana, is a National Historic Landmark District and a living ghost town. A piece of the old west frozen in time. After gold was discovered in Alder Gulch in 1863, the stampede to this area was on. Many cities popped up during this time but Virginia City is the only sole surviver. As I stood on the wooden sidewalk and looked around, it’s amazing how well-preserved the town is and there is so much to take in. You can imagine, visualize, and feel the history.

    virginia city ghost town

    After reading and learning about Virginia City, we decided to add it to our route traveling from Butte to Ennis. We stopped for breakfast at the Virginia City Cafe and had the delicious Miner’s Breakfast. The food, atmosphere, and service was great. People also recommended a stop at Cousins Candy Shop. We stopped in for dessert and a haul for the road. It was fun watching them making the home-made treats and taffy in the front window.

    virginia city cafe signage

    The gentleman at the Indian Trading Post was so nice, patient, and helpful. A great story teller.

    indian trading post in virginia city

    We didn’t stay long due to time constraints but from what I hear, there is always something going on in town if you stick around.

    The oldest courthouse in the state built in 1863 and still used for its original purpose. Can you imagine the stories this building could tell?!

    Virginia City court house

    This was such a beautiful route, and don’t forget to stop in Whitehall and check out their murals on your way.

    montana landscape

    If you’re looking for lodging in the area, check out Sportsman’s Lodge in Ennis just 20 minutes away. Read more https://tracyseesstuff.com/2021/07/11/sportsmans-lodge-yellowstone-country/

    You can learn more and see events here – virginiacity.com.

    Enjoy the road and never stop searching for what stirs your soul. ❤️

    ©Tracy Blowers

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