Two lesser known National Parks are up next on our year-long adventure, and they are no less spectacular than their more famous counterparts. We explored the badlands of Theodore Roosevelt National Park at dawn, paddled through the aquamarine waters of Voyageurs National Park and then toasted our travels with pints of craft brews in Duluth, Minnesota…all while keeping up with the steady stream of Destination Tree custom orders.
Early Mornings at Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Dawn is the best time of day for a national park drive or hike for a couple of reasons.
1) Fewer crowds. Trust me, I’m not a naturally early riser, and I think most people cringe at the thought of getting up before the sun while on vacation. And while technically we’re not on vacation per se, I still want to hit snooze rather than get up at 4:30. But, so does everyone else, so enjoy having normally busy trails and roads to yourself when you peel yourself out of bed early.
2) Sunrises. Epic, soul-stirring sunrises that confirm getting out of bed while it was still dark was a great idea.
3) Wildlife! They’re often up and moving early, not mid-day, so we’ve seen some of our best wildlife sightings just after dawn.
So, during our visit to Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota, early mornings were a key to success in having the entire place to ourselves with gorgeous sunrises alongside bison, deer, wild horses and prairie dogs.
We’ve been lucky with bison sightings. We saw these enormous creatures in both Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone, but our closest and only one-on-one encounter was at Theodore Roosevelt National Park. I was ready to pour coffee on my eyeballs we got up so early, but I was wide awake once we drove by this herd enjoying a little sunrise breakfast with that little baby bison who pretty much stole my heart. And the wildlife viewing continued as we journeyed through the park…along with panoramic vistas of badlands…
While exceptionally windy (which you can tell from the video!) the panoramic views are astounding.
If you’re like me, you may have never even heard of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, but if you’re ever on an epic road trip, or just happen to be passing through North Dakota, you wont’ be sorry you stopped to explore the natural wonders of this off-the-beaten-path park.
Paddling Voyageurs National Park
After TRNP, we shot east straight through North Dakota to Minnesota with our hearts set on the blue waters of Voyageurs National Park.
Situated on the border of Minnesota and Canada, near the small border town of International Falls, the park is primarily undeveloped forests accessible only by water. And so, the best way to explore Voyageurs is by boat…our vessel of choice: kayaks.
However, finding kayak rentals at short notice was a lot harder than I anticipated, but Northern Lights Resort came to the rescue and made a perfect port on Kabetogama Lake. It was such a beautiful setting on the water, with cabins, boats and views we wanted to stay right here and never leave! But Tracy got us all setup with our rental, gear and overview of Kabetogama Lake and all the little islands we could kayak around and explore. But before we set off she also went above and beyond giving us recommendations for hikes, breweries and even sketching a map of Minnesota’s north shore and Duluth highlights. A true kindred spirit!
Paddling out on the open water on Kabetogama Lake in Voyageurs National Park!
Voyageurs is actually named after the French-Canadian canoemen who traveled these waterways as part of the trade route between Montreal and the Canadian Northwest in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Being out on the water, paddle in hand, we imagined what that might have been like and were grateful the area has been preserved and protected through the national park system.
Pints in Duluth
We’ve done lots of exploring and adventuring up to this point, and by the time we made it to Duluth, Minnesota on the shores of Lake Superior for 4th of July weekend we were ready to relax and enjoy some tasty pints from some local craft brewers. Our adoration of cobalt waters continued, especially along the shore near Canal Park, an area with a boardwalk, pier and easy access to skipping stones in Lake Superior. And we found refreshing pints at Bent Paddle, Canal Park and Fitger’s Brewhouse.
Before leaving Duluth, we did get a laugh out of their highways…all numbered in 3’s and 5’s. Not confusing at all! Just another fun road trip memory. It’s kind of unreal, but we’re closing in on the end of our epic year-long road trip. But it’s not over yet, so stay tuned for adventures in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and a preview for what will follow this amazing journey.
Cheers!
Kristin
Stubs says
WOW What natural beauty and fun adventure. Thank you for getting up early and taking all the great pictures and videos, so I can sleep-in!