OUR TOP 5 (OR 7) SO FAR…

Posted by  Brooke Tower on Wednesday, January 21, 2015

NATIONAL PARKS*

  1.       Glacier National Park, Montana
  2.       Yellowstone National Park/Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
  3.       Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
  4.       Yosemite National Park, California
  5.       Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Park, California
  6.       Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
  7.       Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico

*We LOVE the National Park Service, and think they do an incredible job. We haven't been to a park we haven't enjoyed yet. $80 for the NPS park pass for the year has been one of our best investments ever.

STOPS

  1.       Columbia Falls, MT
  2.       Portland, OR
  3.       Rapid City, SD
  4.       Coeur d'Alene, ID
  5.       Medford, OR
  6.       Sioux Falls, SD
  7.       Eagleville, MO

Each stop has its own charm and mini-culture. We loved exploring around these places, and appreciated their locations the most.

MUSEUMS

  1.       OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science & Industry), Portland, OR
  2.       MIM (Musical Instrument Museum), Phoenix, AZ
  3.       Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN
  4.       Fossil Discovery Center, Chowchilla, CA
  5.       Springs Preserve, Las Vegas, NV

We have been very impressed and learned so many random and interesting things. Getting an ASTCS membership through the Grand Rapids Public Museum has also been one of our best investments.

STATES

  1.       Oregon
  2.       California
  3.       Montana
  4.       Wyoming
  5.       South Dakota
  6.       Arizona
  7.       Idaho

Disclaimer--while we really enjoyed our time in these states, we still plan to move back to Michigan this summer, to stay.

RESTAURANTS

  1.       Sake Hibachi Grill in San Jose, CA
  2.       Three Forks Grill in Columbia Falls, MT
  3.       Shadowbrook Restaurant in Capitola, CA
  4.       Disney Dream cruise food
  5.       Los Gatos Brewing Company in Los Gatos, CA

We eat out fairly regularly, but often look for kid-friendly familiar places most of the time. We have enjoyed many different restaurants and experiences, but these were the first ones that came to mind.

 It is an incredible opportunity to get to see and experience so many places, and we are very grateful.

1 Comments

  • Swansons

    1/22/2015 at 5:32 AM

    I love this list! It does make me want to hear more about each one and what was unique about it. Would there be a five or seven best view or best moment list?