The Best of 2024

The year just ending, 2024, was an exciting one full of adventure and amazing experiences. Over the past year, Rosie and I traveled over 16,000 miles, visited 28 states, and toured 21 national parks. I thought it might be fun to make some “Top 5” lists of some of my favorite experiences.

As you look through the lists, items that are underlined have a hyperlink which means you can click on that item to open my blog post about that particular experience. Thanks for viewing and enjoy.

Top 5 National Parks

1. Glacier National Park – Montana
2. Bryce Canyon National Park – Utah
3. Grand Teton National Park – Wyoming
4. Yellowstone National Park – Wyoming/Montana
5. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore – Michigan

Top 5 Museums

1. The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation – Dearborn, Michigan
2. Buffalo Bill Center of the West – Cody, Wyoming
3. Gettysburg National Military Park Visitor Center – Pennsylvania
4. National Museum of Military Vehicles– Dubois, Wyoming
5. Biltmore Estate – Asheville, North Carolina

Top 5 Campgrounds

1. Fruita Campground – Capitol Reef National Park – Utah
2. Grand Haven State Park – Michigan
3. Watchman Campground – Zion National Park – Utah
4. Mather Campground – Grand Canyon National Park – Arizona
5. Atlatl Rock Campground – Valley of Fire State Park – Nevada

Top 5 State Parks

1. Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park – North Dakota
2. Bannack State Park – Montana
3. Valley of Fire State Park – Nevada
4. Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park – Montana
5. Big Bay State Park – Wisconsin

Top 5 Sightseeing Trips

1. Antelope Canyon – Arizona
2. Monument Valley – Arizona/Utah
3. Mackinac Island – Michigan
4. Shoshone Falls – Idaho
5. Pompeys Pillars National Monument – Montana

Top 5 Roadside Attractions

1. Wall Drug – Wall, South Dakota
2. Crazy Horse Monument – South Dakota
3. Buc-ee’s – Sevierville, Tennessee
4. Grave of Evil Knievel – Butte, Montana
5. Dollywood – Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Top 5 National Monuments

1. Devil’s Tower National Monument – Wyoming
2. Gettysburg National Military Park – Pennsylvania
3. Antietam National Battlefield – Maryland
4. Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument – Montana
5. Minidoka National Historic Site – Idaho

Top 5 Drives

1. Going to the Sun Road – Glacier National Park
2. Hayden Valley – Yellowstone National Park
3. Monument Valley – Navajo Nation
4. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway – Grand Teton National Park
5. Cades Cove Auto Loop – Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Top 5 Hikes

1. Highline – Glacier National Park
2. Jenny Lake/Hidden Falls – Grand Teton National Park
3. Hidden Lake – Glacier National Park
4. Avalanche Lake – Glacier National Park
5. Rapidan Camp – Shenandoah Nation Park

Top 5 Wildlife Viewing

1. Yellowstone National Park
2. Great Smoky Mountains National Park
3. Theodore Roosevelt National Park
4. Grand Teton National Park
5. Glacier National Park

Top 5 Eats

1. Murdick Fudge – Mackinac Island, Michigan
2. Huckleberry Ice Cream – Glacier National Park
3. Elk Burger – West Yellowstone, Montana
4. Apple Pie – Capitol Reef National Park
5. Pronto Pup – Grand Haven. Michigan

Top 5 Cool Things

1. William Clark’s 1806 Inscription – Pompeys Pillar National Monument – Montana
2. Scotty’s Castle – Death Valley National Park
3. Evel Knievel’s 1974 Snake River Jump Site – Twin Falls, ID
4. Minuteman ICBM in Silo – Minuteman Missile Historic Site – South Dakota
5. Gen. Patton’s Ivory Handled 1911 Colt – National Museum of Military Vehicles – WY