Mount Philo State Park: a Vermont day trip from Montreal at peak yellow foliage
A fall drive from Montreal into Vermont: an hour at the border, Chipotle in South Burlington, a walk up Mount Philo on foot, then Trader Joe’s and Costco.
Las Vegas at Christmas with a kid: two nights on the Strip, KÀ and the STRAT
Two Christmas nights on the Strip after a winter Grand Circle road trip: Bellagio fountains, the now-closed Mirage volcano, a same-day KÀ ticket and the STRAT.
Gardens of Light at the Montreal Botanical Garden: a walk from sunset at the end of fall color
A Saturday evening at Montreal’s Botanical Garden festival: lit fall trees, three cultural gardens and lanterns, plus hours, fees, parking and timed tickets.
Death Valley day trip from Las Vegas: Christmas Day in the desert with our kid
On Christmas Day we drove from Las Vegas into Death Valley for Zabriskie Point, the Mesquite Flat dunes, a Junior Ranger badge and Artist’s Palette at dusk.
Zion in December: A Rainy Night at Zion Lodge, the Emerald Pools Trail and the Riverside Walk
A snowy drive from Bryce, a night at Zion Lodge, then a rainy day on the Emerald Pools Trail and Riverside Walk, plus winter shuttle and fee notes.
Bryce Canyon in winter: snowy hoodoos from Sunrise Point to the Navajo Loop
A December afternoon at Bryce: icy Sunrise Point, the Rim Trail to Sunset Point, part of the Navajo Loop, then snow at dusk and dinner outside the park.
Goblin Valley State Park and Capitol Reef National Park, then Utah’s Scenic Byway 12 to Bryce Canyon
Dusk among Goblin Valley’s mushroom rocks, a night in Torrey, then Capitol Reef’s petroglyphs, Hickman Bridge and Byway 12 to Bryce Canyon in December.
Arches National Park in December: Delicate Arch, Skyline Arch and Landscape Arch in One Winter Day
A frosty morning in Moab, the 3-mile Delicate Arch hike with our kid, a roadside stop at Skyline Arch, then Devils Garden to Landscape Arch before lunch.
Canyonlands Island in the Sky in December: Mesa Arch and a Green River Overlook sunset
We missed the turn for Island in the Sky and drove UT-211 toward the Needles. Then we walked to Mesa Arch and watched dusk at Green River Overlook.
The View Hotel, Monument Valley: a December night facing the Mittens, then the Valley Drive
One December night in the Navajo tribal park: sunset and moonrise over the Mitten Buttes from our room, then the dirt Valley Drive in our own SUV.
Horseshoe Bend and Upper Antelope Canyon: a December morning in Page, Arizona
A late drive up Highway 89, a frosty morning walk to Horseshoe Bend, then a timed tour of Upper Antelope Canyon. Parking, fees, rules and what we’d change.
Grand Canyon in winter: a night on the South Rim, sunrise, and Hermit Road by car
A December night at Bright Angel Lodge, sunrise steps from the cabin, then Hermit Road by car (winter only) and Desert View Drive. Fees and road notes.