Combine everything we love about Lake Tahoe hiking and beaches… and ta da! You have Chimney Beach! Chimney Beach is located approximately 12.7 miles from King’s Beach, along the east side of Lake Tahoe. It is just south of Sand Harbor State Park. The sign for Chimney Beach can be tricky to find if you…

On the eastern shore of Lake Tahoe, NV is Sand Harbor State Park. A beautiful peninsula jutting out into the crystal blue waters and lined with soft white sands. A true gem for families and adventurers of all ages! It isn’t every day you get to visit one of the most beautiful beaches you’ve ever…

One year ago we decided to take a chance. Life is full of “chance” when you decide to make good on your “I wish” list. Like when I wished one day to run a half marathon. And then thought it would be fun to do my first triathlon. Or when later I wished I could…

If I am going to keep it real, we never intended to stay at Dead Horse Point State Park on this trip. We intended to visit Island in the Sky/Canyonland National Park, and had a variety of campgrounds on BLM land that we were going to check out. For a full account of our mis-adventures visit…

Not all adventures start off pretty. This one began with a whimsical dream. We literally decided to leave town for the weekend, jumped in the Xterra, hooked on the camper and were on the road within an hour. It was awesome. As a mom that struggles with a hyper-scheduled life, I often dream of the…

If you’ve been following along on Instagram, you’ve no doubted noticed we’ve been touring around the desert southwest a bit during the last few weeks. Most of this was due to my first ultra race, the Antelope Canyon 55k.  This is one thing I love about racing! It opens up so many opportunities to explore new…

Anticipation built all week for our trip to the Midway Ice castles. We even watched Frozen the night before, and like a good mother I endured “Let It Go” at ear shattering decibels for the hour-long ride into the Utah mountains. Every year, the temperatures drop, the holidays pass, and everyone begins posting photos of…

This last year of adventures has truly been remarkable. In looking back, I am filled with overwhelming thankfulness. If I could, I would fill another year up with the same adventures and not find it lacking. So I figured I would share our best and most favorite destinations of 2015 in hopes that someone out…

The snow is accumulating all around the state of Utah, and our family is making the most of winter! This year, for the holiday season, we made reservations at the Homestead Resort in Midway, UT (only a 25 minute drive from Park City Mountain), with plans to ski and explore Park City Mountain. If you are…

Country roads, take me home To the place I belong… -“Country Roads” by John Denver The work day ending early, we jump in the already loaded car and hit the road. I laugh (and cry) a bit inside when the kids whine about a 50 minute drive. We are so spoiled in Utah, with the…

What is it that drives you out in to the mountains, on to the water, or in to the storm? This is a question that I ask myself a lot. And my answers are usually different depending on the day. But this day, in July, my reason to load on a 40+ lbs. backpack and…

This last weekend we embarked on a mission. To hike Mount Raymond with the kids. Our trusty adventure pals joined us, bringing the kid total to 5, all between the ages of 4 and 8 years old. For most the adults, this was not the first time to have summited Raymond. [ I had done…

If you live in the Salt Lake Valley near Corner Canyon, you’ve undoubtedly noticed all the work, additions, and improvements to the Draper Bike Park over the last year. What was once a sleepy neighborhood bike park, is bustling with energy… and people. Currently there is a large plan to continue development of the area…

This time of year is always a bit of an anomaly for me. Stuck somewhere between winter and summer we find so much beauty. Waterfalls, flowers, green mountainsides crowned still with snow. I find myself yearning to launch into our normal summer menu of backpacking and summitting mountains. And yet, it is still too rainy,…

The hot air shimmers off the pavement, blurring the orange and pink rocks off to the east of us as we travel south on I-15. I am overcome by the beauty of the landscape but also its inhabitable nature. It is summer and temperatures are in the mid-90s. But the lack of shade makes it…

It is only one week until the St. George Ironman 70.3, a race I enthusiastically signed up for 5 months ago, when it was snowing outside and the thought of actually training for it was hidden behind Christmas vacation and general holiday busyness. But we are headed down to Snow Canyon for a weekend of…

Today’s trip report is courtesy of Kristen Bonkoski, a local Utahn and owner of Rascal Rides, an online bike retailer. She is passionate about getting families out on the trail and opening up opportunities for that to happen! ————————————————————————————————————————- Finding family-friendly mountain bike trails can be a challenge. You want a trail that isn’t too technical,…

Earlier we posted on our fun and low-key hike to Delicate Arch late last fall. Fall and early spring are amazing times to visit Arches National Park. The air temperatures are cool or pleasantly warm, and there are less crowds. Two days prior to our Delicate Arch hike, we took on the longer Black Angel…

The air was crisp and cool, requiring down vests and fleece jackets. But the sun was strong, promising warmth as we hiked into the day. For once, instead of refereeing an argument all the kids were geared up for our hike. We had one of those rare moments of bliss as parents where no one wants…

Note: Winter recreation in the back-country comes with inherent risk. Avalanche education and gear is a must. Visit the Utah Avalanche Center or your local center for more information. At the very least, watch this video and educate yourself about avalanche terrain, risks, and awareness: Know Before You Go All tours embarked on with our kids so far…