Category: State Parks

Idaho Summer is in Full Swing

Post author By Jess
Post date July 7, 2019

Did you miss us? Wowzers. I never thought that trying to be “normal” during a summer and sitting still could be so busy! Summer has finally arrived in Teton Valley Idaho and we are enjoying every last minute.

A few highlights from the last month or so:

70 Mile Bike Ride at Little Red with My Oldest

Proud of this girl!! As Sam and I talked leading up to the ride I told him that my goal was to get her over the finish line. I was there to pace, pull, cheer, remind her to drink, and be her cheerleader every step of the way. I’ve done long rides before. I knew I could do it, but SHE didn’t know her capabilities.

It was an honor to watch her set this goal and then fight to accomplish it. Helping my kids excel at their goals is one of my most favorite things about being a parent.

Cara is already talking about training for 50 miles next year and Rachel is eyeing Goldilocks for a 100 miler later this year. Heaven help us. 💪🚴‍♀️

Teton Valley Composite Mountain Bike Team & NICA Coach Certification

There are a lot of things we can give our kids traveling, but organized teams are not one of them. We used to laugh it off (not really being sports ball people ourselves) but as our young ones grow into teenagers I’m becoming aware of how valuable being a member of a positive, goal driven, and FUN group can be. Especially when the coaches are this freaking amazing.

There’s a lot more to come this summer about the Teton Valley Composite mountain bike team here in Idaho because we are going to enjoy every minute of it. I’m officially a Level 1 NICA certified coach which means I also get to ride and learn from these dedicated coaches and athletes.

Floating the Teton River

Sunshine? ✔️ Friends ✔️ Beautiful scenery? ✔️ Our inaugural float of the Teton River this week was a complete success! @annaraej and I managed to wrangle 7 kids from South Bates to Rainey Bridge and not lose anyone…barely. 😂 Luckily the river is fairly shallow and the current wasn’t incredibly strong.

Kind of hoping to make this a weekly occurrence especially as the temperature heats up this summer!

Volunteer Coaching at Teton High School Volleyball Camp

After attending a Gold Medal Square Volleyball Coaching camp in Long Beach, CA last month I was stoked to find out the high school team was bringing in coaches to run a local camp for the girls. I was incredibly impressed with their teaching techniques and excited that Rachel was old enough to attend! I learned a lot about coaching in action and am excited to put these skills to use this winter when club starts back up!

Camping at Jordanelle State Park for a Week

Not too shabby of a place to call home for a week.

We’ve never explored much of the Park City, Utah area but I’m really liking it. Thinking maybe we should make this an annual spring trip. Mountain biking, paddle boarding, and maybe throw in some sailing lessons?

Level 1 PMBI Mountain Bike Instructor Certification

Becoming a certified mountain bike instructor has been a dream of mine ever since I attend Outessa a few years back. Not only did I want to improve my own skills, but being able to coach and teach others is incredibly fulfilling. As Rachel put it the other day, “Wow, mom. Its like I get a free private lesson every time we ride together.”

Yes, yes you do.

“Riding in my happy place today. Rachel and I had a date on some singletrack while Sam took the other kids to a Flying Eagles event at the airport.

We worked on her climbing position, cadence, and then ready/neutral position on the descents. Plus we got a workout. 💪

Next time I’ll remember to wear the fancy new shoes MTB shoes I bought.”🤦‍♀️ @grandtargheeresort @deuter @shredly

-@currentlywandering

Family Reunion Shenanigans in Victor, Idaho

My family came to visit for a week and my mom rented a house in nearby Victor, Idaho so we could all stay together. Anyone else’s reunions crazy fun and utterly exhausting?

We hiked in Grand Teton National Park, floated the Teton River, visited a local farm for a wagon ride, took family photos, road the lift to the top of Fred’s mountain at Targhee, ate ice cream at the Victor Emporium, and played lots and lots of games. We loved showing off our little valley!

4th of July Crazy + All the Rivers

Sometimes all we do is play. Local parade, floating with lots of friends down the south fork of the Snake, Family Night lift riding at Grand Targhee Resort, and topping off the weekend with a whitewater run down the Hoback section of the Snake River. Whew. We need some sleep!

Idaho Outdoor Adventures Wyoming

Grand Targhee Resort Family Guide: Summer Edition

Post author By Jess
Post date July 23, 2018

Grand Targhee Resort is located on the western slopes of the Teton Mountains in Alta, WY. Technically in Wyoming, the resort can only be accessed through the Idaho side via Driggs which is where we now have a home base.

A relatively small resort, Grand Targhee is known for its incredible powder during the winter, but also has plenty of activities to fill a summer vacation!

We recently were invited up for a 3 night stay to check out the summer activities and came away incredibly impressed. If you are thinking about taking a trip to the Tetons, definitely bookmark this page as we’ll take you through the resort from a family perspective!

Directions:

Grand Targhee is located 12 miles from Driggs, ID right on the Idaho/Wyoming border (more lovingly called “Wydaho” by the locals). It takes about 20 minutes to drive up to the resort from downtown.

If you are flying in, the Jackson Hole Airport is 1.5 hours away and the Idaho Falls Airport is about 2 hours. Drive time, Targhee is also about 4-4.5 hours from both Bozeman, MT and Salt Lake City, UT.

Lodging:

There are a lot of options both at Targhee and in the general Driggs are for accommodations (we run an AirBnb listing ourselves when out traveling). However, we loved being right at the resort for a few days. The views were incredible, the vibe was perfect, and we had access to the swimming pool. Total plus for any kid or family on vacation.

We stayed in the Sioux Lodge, which has a loft and sleeps 6 which is great for bigger families. Cara and Andrew claimed the bunk beds, Sam and I took the queen bed upstairs and Rachel slept on the pull out bed in the main living space.

There’s not a full kitchen, but the room does have a mini fridge, microwave and coffee maker. We were able to buy groceries in town (cereal, frozen burritos, instant oatmeal, etc.) to balance eating out. With a larger family is just isn’t cost effective to eat out every meal so we appreciated the amenities.

The Sioux Lodge is next to the Shoshone lift which made mountain biking a breeze, and also across the parking lot from the swimming pool.

Camping

Another option is to camp in your RV! We’ve talked about making our AirBnb available for rent and spending a few nights in the Airstream up at Targhee next summer. There’s just something to be said for mountain biking straight from camp! #amIright?

Camping is $25/night and permits are sold at the front desk. Dry camping only and we did see an average of 5-6 trailers out in the parking lot while we were there.

Activities:

The temperatures tend to be about 10 degrees cooler than the valley which is great as Driggs usually stays about 85 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer. The crisp, mountain air is perfect for outdoor activities.

Mountain Biking

I wrote an entire blog post about our experience mountain biking with kids at the resort, so make sure to check that out if you haven’t seen it! Targhee has both cross country trails (free) or you can pay to take the lift up and bike down. Plenty of options to keep everyone busy!

Sam and I were also able to grab some rental bikes (Thanks Targhee!!) and ride the trails down from the Dreamcatcher lift. They are definitely more technical but doable at an intermediate level. At one point we got ourselves onto a black trail and did okay but had to walk a few things (seriously – how does anyone ride those drops?!). I figure we aren’t pushing ourselves enough if we can ride everything so it felt great.

On our last ride my brother in law ended up putting a hole (or three) in his tube so we had a little siesta trail side. As we sat there, bike patrol caught up to us and since she was sweeping the trails to make sure everyone got off okay we all hung out for a bit. Nice to know there are patrols up there in case anything happens!

Summer Day Camp for Kids

Our kids had the opportunity to participate in summer camp for a day. Most of the participants are bused up from Driggs & Alta, but they had no problem including our kids right from the resort as well.

Camp is run Monday-Friday and includes activities like swimming lessons, horse education (Tue/Thur), mountain biking (M/W/F), disc golf, arts & crafts, bungee trampoline, climbing wall, hiking, nature instruction and more! I dropped the kids off at 9am and then wandered back about an hour later to find them learning about raptors! They were enthralled.

When we picked them back up around 4:3opm we had mixed reactions. Cara thoroughly enjoyed herself, Andrew had fun but was exhausted (and maybe slightly sick? He totally passed out afterwards), and Rachel was maybe a little bored. Lol! At 12.5 years old she was definitely one of the oldest participating so maybe stick to slightly younger kids and they’ll do great!

Swimming

We loved having a pool practically out our front door. Targhee heats the pool in both summer and winter, so even when the weather is a bit chilly the water feels great! Due to the day camps, the daytime hours were a bit hectic but our first evening there we practically had the pool to ourselves from 6-8pm.

The hot tub also feels great after a day on the trails. Just sayin’.

Scenic Chair Lift, Hiking, & More

Riding up the lift to the top of the mountain is actually one of my favorite things! Sure you can hike up – but taking the lift up and hiking from there is also incredible. Once you get up to the top there’s a small nature center and then up past that is my favorite view of the Teton mountain range. I expected it to be cold at the top so we went with jackets and windbreakers but the temperature was actually quite pleasant. We totally lucked out! The trail up to Mary’s Saddle is also beautiful and fairly easy. For more hiking information check it out here on Grand Targhee’s website.

Grand Targhee also offers horseback riding and they have an 18 hole disc golf course. I kept thinking that we’d go out an play disc golf in the beautiful evening light after dinner but then we were so exhausted we never managed. I think having ONE more day up there would have been perfect and we could have fit it all in!

Dining

The dining options are more limited during the summer, but what they have is great!

Snorkels is a little bakery, breakfast, soup and sandwich spot. After dropping the kids off at day camp, I grabbed a $9 breakfast burrito to share with Sam. Super filling for the two of us and tasted fantastic!

There’s a General Store located across from the bike shop where I grabbed some muffins one afternoon to tied us over until dinner.

The Branding Iron is a more fine dining experience. They have options from Elk Burger to grilled New York Steak, but also have a kid’s menu (Pro tip: the burgers are the same as the regular menu). On the recommendation of a friend we tried the Fried Brussel Sprout appetizer, and then Sam ordered a Philly Cheese Steak sandwich while I got a burger. Both were delicious! We ate out on the patio and enjoyed the view of the mountain – which is something you don’t want to do in the winter!

There’s also the Trap Bar and Grill which is popular for adults, but as its a bar no one under 21 is allowed. Not a great family friendly option, so we didn’t try it out but I’ve heard good things.

If you are staying for an extended period of time, definitely take the time to drive down into Driggs for food. For a small town, it has quite a few dining options from Mexican, Thai, sushi, pizza, and burgers.

We are incredibly grateful to Grand Targhee Resort for hosting up on the mountain. We thoroughly enjoyed our time and activities and it was nice to have a bit of a “vacation” right as we transitioned out of the condo and into the Airstream this summer. We can’t wait to explore more of what they have to offer in the future!

Biking Driggs Outdoor Adventures Wyoming

Mountain Biking at Grand Targhee Resort with Kids

Post author By Jess
Post date July 12, 2018

Its no secret we love to mountain bike. One of the reasons we love living in Teton Valley, Idaho is the plethora of outdoor activities and trails. Oh, and its not hot in the summer. That’s a huge plus.

We spent the winter skiing at Grand Targhee Resort (and loved it!) so when I started talking to their marketing department about potential partnership opportunities we threw around the idea of bringing the family up during the summer to test out the new beginner mountain biking trails off their Shoshone lift.

Yes, please.

After a couple of days testing out the trails, Grand Targhee is now officially our favorite in the summer as well as the winter. Keep on reading to see the reasons why!

Love these little humans! We are spending a few days at @grandtargheeresort. Living it up in the lodge, eating yummy food, and riding ALL the trails. First time for the kids to take the lift up and ride down and they love it! I worry they’ll get spoiled. 😂 The beginner trails off the Shoshone lift are fast, flowy, and super fun. Cara was crazy nervous but after a one on one lesson with a fabulous instructor, her form is better and enthusiasm is way up!

A post shared by Jess Curren | Outdoor & Travel (@currentlywandering) on Jun 27, 2018 at 1:13pm PDT

Beginner Lift Serviced Trails

For those that have never experienced mountain biking at a ski resort this could be an entirely new concept. Many resorts convert their facilities over to mountain biking trails in the summer and enable guests to take their bikes up to the top and then just ride down back to the base. Pretty sweet, right? All the fun of downhill without having to bust a lung climbing back up again.

The lifts at Grand Targhee open for bikes at 10am as the staff needs to ride the trails early to make sure everything is clear and safe. This is great since I’m not a super morning person anyway. Plenty of time to sleep in, let the dew melt off the grass, and have the weather warm up just a smidge. Our kids were chomping at the bit to get going, so we were lined up ready to load at 10am sharp.

We dropped Cara off for her mountain biking lesson (more on that in a minute) and then Sam and I loaded up on the lift with the two older kids. The lift is slightly different in the summer as they have dedicated bike chairs – so you have to get your bike on and then you follow it around before being picked up by the next chair. The lift attendants were great, and totally helped my kids get their bikes on when needed.

After a short 10 minute ride to the top we were ready to tackle the trails. We had picked out Bring it On Home as our first trail – the easiest green one down the mountain. It was fast, flowy, fun and my kids couldn’t wipe the grins off their faces.

We then spent the rest of the day alternating between riding, the swimming pool, riding, eating, and more riding.

The trails off Shoshone are great for beginners as they aren’t too technical. There are plenty of berms to practice cornering, while Chutes and Ladders has plenty of jumps for those looking for a challenge. The trails are smooth single track which helped our kids gain confidence along with speed.

Mountain Biking Lessons

I’ve talked quite a bit lately about our “divide and conquer” mode of operation when it comes to family mountain biking. Anything the older two kids can ride ends in tears for Cara, and anything she enjoys riding completely bores the others. Usually we’ll start together but then split as one adult rides faster with Rachel & Andrew, while the other lags behind with Cara.

When we planned our trip up here, we decided that a lesson might be exactly what Cara needed to push to that next level. She struggles to take direction from us (Stop telling me when to shift, mom!), but as evidenced by skiing lessons, she’ll do anything for an instructor. Our Targhee contact scheduled a 1.5 hour intro to Targhee lesson first thing in the morning and we were set!

Cara was nervous to be by herself, but her instructor, Chris, immediately put her at ease. They started out in the parking lot going over basic skills, then moved to some of the easier cross country trails, and finally ended up on the lift practicing what she learned on the downhill.

We met up with them in between runs and the girl was all smiles.

I followed behind the two of them for a bit to get a feel of how it was going, and listened as Chris called out “Ready position!” and “Get high on the berm” as they flew down the trail. Cara did awesome! She was full of confidence and couldn’t wait to show us all she had learned.

I feel like the mountain bike lessons at Targhee are affordable and a great way for kids (and adults!) to improve their skills. We’ve always been impressed with the instructors at the resort both in winter and a summer. They are patient, confident, and know how to work well with kids.

Targhee also offers a 3 hour lesson that I’ve got my eye on for next summer. You can do just a lesson or a combination of lesson, rental, and lift ticket. Plus, its a great way to help your kids improve (and be supervised – ahem) while you go out and tackle some of the bigger trails! Find out more information on their website here.

Skills Park

New this year, Grand Targhee just added a small skills park to their trail network. While not expansive, its super fun and a great way to spin your tires at the end of a day. There’s a pump track around the outside, some plank walks in in the middle, a rock garden, and boulders to hop. Andrew had fun doing a few laps after dinner our last night there.

Cross Country Trails

In addition to the lift serviced downhill trails, Grand Targhee has miles of cross country trails that are free to ride. There are some easier ones west of the lodge (where Cara had part of her lesson), which Sam and Rachel did a lap or two on after some downhill riding.

The rest of the cross country trails aren’t necessarily more technical (still pretty smooth) but have more elevation gain and loss. Sam and I had a biking date a few weeks earlier and rode out to Quakie Ridge. It was enough climbing to get my heart rate up with some flowy downhill and beautiful views mixed in.

Having both kinds of trails is great as they are different forms of exercise and use a variety of skills. We spent most of our time on the downhill trails since we had a lift ticket for the day, but living so close I can guarantee we’ll be back to tackle more of those trails with our kids.

We’ve been to a few other resorts that have downhill mountain biking (Steamboat Springs, CO, Sundance, UT, & Snowbird, UT) and really just love Grand Targhee – especially with kids. Having easier trails specifically designed for the beginner crowd is pretty unique and we felt we could enjoy the experience together as a family!

We are super grateful for Grand Targhee and their partnership with us! They provided the lift tickets, bike lesson, and accommodations but as always, all opinions are our own. We love the ‘Ghee!

Hawaii Hiking State Parks

Ka’ena Point Hike & Bird Sanctuary – Oahu

Post author By Jess
Post date November 16, 2017

We’ve desperately been missing hiking (well, at least Sam and I are) so we decided to drive to the dry side of the island and check out the Ka’ena Point Trail. You can hike two different ways to the point (from the south or Farrington Hwy) and while I’ve heard the south trail is preferable it was also an extra 45 minutes away. So north it was.

Our poor little beach car has seen better days (the passenger side window is no longer rolling up, and the the driver’s side won’t open from the inside) so we rented a car through the university Car Share program and drove a Nissan truck out there instead. Let’s just say we a) liked being back in a truck and b) immensely enjoyed the air conditioning.

This was a 5 mile return trip with most of it being a long a 4×4 dirt road. We were…disappointed. I think maybe if we had lowered our expectations or done a little more research we would have been better prepared. There were a lot of people driving vehicles (I’m pretty sure you have to have a permit or code to get past the gate) for some 4-wheeling and quite a few fisherman set up along the coast. We were ready for some “wilderness” and didn’t really get that.

Still, we explored the coast a bit on the way out and loved watching the waves. The weather over there is definitely more dry and we even saw a CACTUS! I can’t tell you how in heaven I was. It felt a little like a combination between the Oregon & Northern California coasts. As winter approaches the north shore waves are getting bigger and they are pretty spectacular.

At the end of the road we arrived at the Seashore and Albatross Sanctuary. The are is enclosed by a large black fence to keep out predators (and NO dogs), but its easy to open and slip through the gate once you’ve cleaned off your shoes. We were surprised to run into a ranger (the fact that this was part of a state park somehow eluded me) but she was super friendly and knowledgeable about the area. She even let us step off trail to see a baby wedgetail shearwater chick hiding in the bushes. The parents come to land and lay one egg and then once it hatches take turns flying out for food. This chick is almost fully grown and when they are this size the parents will leave for up to two weeks! It was pretty curious about us (thinking maybe we were mom with some food?) so we didn’t stay too long.

The trail through the sanctuary was more what we expected. Combination of rocky and sandy turning to sand dunes once we got out to the point. Kind of cool that you can look back towards the islands and see both the north and south shores at the same time.

After arriving and taking in the view we sat on the concrete base for the old lighthouse and dug into our @trailfoody bags for some snacks. We are really loving the Nut Butter Nation peanut butter/cracker combination we learned from these guys!

Depending on the time of year, there are hundreds of albatross that come and nest out here on the point. They typically lay their egg in January so were were a bit early. There’s also usually Hawaiian monk seals laying around but either they blended in *really* well with the rocks or they were absent. Instead we inspected the coral and climbed some rocks while taking in the view & sunset.

We hiked the loop inside the sanctuary and then had to book it back to the truck so we could get home on time. We made it in just over an hour which for 2.5 miles is a pretty decent pace! Overall, I’d say we enjoyed ourselves. We love hiking with the kids as it gives us a chance to move our feet and spend quality time together. I love the random topics we discuss – lots of programming between Sam and Rachel, while Cara & Andrew prefer anything Minecraft related.

It was nice to explore a different part of the island. This hike has zero shade so if you are going in the summer definitely take a hat, sunscreen and lots of water!

As we reached the parking lot, the sky decided to put on a show for us. Bold move, Hawaii. Bold move.

Tags hiking, hiking oahu, kaena point, oahu

Backpacking Michigan Minnesota National Parks State Parks Wisconsin

Best Summer Road Trips: Lake Superior Circle Tour

Post author By Jess
Post date May 22, 2017
6 Comments on Best Summer Road Trips: Lake Superior Circle Tour

Loading up the kids in a minivan and hitting the road over summer break is a rite of passage. I figure if you can all survive being crammed together for days or weeks on end, you can do anything, right? Traveling in the Airstream is a bit different, since we mix in school & work year round but occasionally we hit upon just the right schedule to create an epic road trip.

We visited my brother and his family in Minnesota one summer, and after taking a look at our schedule and the time available we decided drive around Lake Superior. Turns out its a thing. There are patches, stickers, maps, and even a website for that, something we didn’t realize until we started seeing the street signs pop up. The aptly named Lake Superior Circle Tour is a 1,300-mile drive that completely circumnavigates the lake, including the North East shore in Canada.

You can start the tour anywhere and travel in either direction. Most people take about a week, we just happened to stretch it out into 42 days. Our tour started at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan and traveled clockwise. While our adventures on the shores of this great lake could fill a book, we’ve picked out a few of our favorite destinations to get you started.

Stop 1: Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

We spent 10 days exploring the “UP” as the locals call it. We started in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, ate a lot of pasties, learned about mining on the Keewinaw Peninsula, and hiked in the Porcupine Mountains. There’s definitely something for everyone!

Stop 2: The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

The Apostles are a beautiful cluster of islands that sit just off the coast of Wisconsin’s section of Lake Superior. You can learn about the islands from visitors centers on the shore, but a rich experience awaits those willing to board a ferry. We opted for a two-night backpacking trip on Stockton Island. A ferry trip from Bayfield let us off onto the docks. We explored, hiked, and even celebrated Andrew’s birthday there! Other popular activities include kayaking to the sea caves, and lighthouse tours.

Stop 3: The City of Duluth

Duluth has a rich history in shipping activities, and you can watch huge cargo ships navigate in and out of port. Check the schedule before you arrive, and you can get an up close look as they come and go. There’s also some great mountain biking in the hills, a decent children’s museum, and a cute downtown with great food.

Stop 4: The North Shore

There are numerous spots along Minnesota’s North Shore worth stopping for, but Gooseberry Falls State Park was a favorite. We enjoyed our time on the shore here, appreciating the magnitude of this lake we were driving around. Split Rock Lighthouse is just a short drive away and don’t miss Betty’s Pies located to the south. We ordered the Pig Trough to share, complete with three slices of pie, four scoops of ice cream, a banana, and whipped cream and toppings. We liked it so much we returned a few days later and had the same thing again!

Other stops along the shore included Tettegouche State Park, Grand Marais, and Grand Portage. Check out our post here for more details.

Stop 5: Sleeping Giant Provincial Park

We had heard amazing things about Sleeping Giant Provincial Park and knew we wanted to spend at least one night there. It was mid-September so fairly off season for this part of Canada and the campground was not busy. The park hosts amazing hikes and beautiful views. We also enjoyed our lakeside campsite on the smaller Marie Louise Lake.

Stop 6: Sault Ste Marie

Our visit to Sault Ste Marie was punctuated by two things: Poutine (on the Canada side) and the boat locks (on the US side). Watching the huge lake boats move through the locks was enthralling, and everybody’s bellies were fat and happy after we ordered (and ate) far too much from Smoke’s Poutinerie.

Even having driven around it, I still don’t think I full appreciate the vastness of Lake Superior. It literally looks and feels like you are standing on the edge of the ocean, but there’s no salt smell. Something about it just drew us in and we were smitten from day 1. It was hard to narrow it down to just a few places on our journey! Maybe we will write that book….

What to Wear:

The weather around the lake is constantly changing. There’s sunshine and warmth, then there’s fog & rain. We had crazy wind and were wearing all our layers on the Apostles, and then up along the north shore it was t-shirts and shorts. Its best to plan on layering your wardrobe and taking pieces that are versatile! Check out some of my favorites from Aventura’s spring line: