Why I love the America the Beautiful Pass

I was cleaning out my car today and found America the Beautiful passes dating back to 2018. We'e always had one as a couple and it's a money saver, if like us you enjoy spending time outside and have a road trip bug. 

This is my reminder to everyone who likes to enjoy the great outdoors, that it's worth it to have an American the Beautiful Pass. If you are between 16 and 62 its $80 for an annual, over 62 $80 for LIFE, Member of the armed forces, a 4th grader or disabled FREE. 

Here is your one stop shop for the COST of visiting a national park without the pass- This list is for people ages 16 and older entering with a car. There are also countless historical sites and recreational spaces you can visit for free with this pass. 

Alaska:

Denali $15 per person

Gates of the Arctic- Best of luck getting here but free to enter if you can

Glacier Bay- Best of luck getting here but free to enter if you can

Katmai-Best of luck getting here but free to enter if you can

Kenai Fjords- No national park fee- but you're going to want to do a boat ride to enjoy it. 

Kobuk Valley-Best of luck getting here but free to enter if you can

Lake Clark- Best of luck getting here but free to enter if you can

Wrangell St. Elias-Best of luck getting here but free to enter if you can

American Samoa- Best of luck getting here but free to enter if you can as most of the island is a National Park

Arizona

Grand Canyon: $35 per car

Petrified Forest: $25 per car 

Saguaro: $25 per car

Arkansas:

Hot Springs: Fee Free park 

California:

Channel Islands: Fee Free Park- Requires a ferry ride to access-cost associated

Death Valley: $30 per car

Joshua Tree: $30 per car

Lassen Volcanic: $30 per car in the spring/summer, $10 per car in fall/winter

Pinnacles: $30 per car

Redwoods: Fee Free Park

Sequoia & Kings: $35 per car

Yosemite: $35 per car

Colorado:

Black Canyon of the Gunnison: $30 per car

Great Sand Dunes: $25 per car

Mesa Verde: $30 per car in the summer early fall, $20 the rest of the year

Rocky Mountain: $30 per car (1 day), $35 per car ( 1 week)

Florida:

Biscayne: Fee Free park

Dry Tortuga: $15 fee per person

Everglades: $30 per car

Hawaii:

Hawai'i Volcano: $30 per car

Haleakala: $30 per car + $1 sunrise or sunset reservation 

Indiana:

Indiana Dunes: $25 per car

Kentucky:

Mammoth Cave: Fee Free Park

Maine:

Acadia: $30 Per car 

Michigan:

Isle Royal- A struggle to get there and once you do its $7 per person

Minnesota:

Voyageurs: Fee Free Park- Do you own research on camping fees and permits 

Missouri:

Gateway Arch: Free to visit- but if you want to go up the pass gets you a $3 per person discount on your ticket. 

Montana:

Glacier: $35 per car

Yellowstone: $35 per car

New Mexico:

Carlsbad Caverns: $15 per person

White Sands: $25 per car

North Carolina:

Great Smokey Mountains: Fee Free Park

North Dakota:

Theodore Roosevelt: $30 per car

Nevada:

Death Valley: $30 per car

Great Basin: Fee Free Park

Ohio:

Cuyahoga Valley: Fee Free Park

Oregon:

Crater Lake: $30 per car

South Carolina:

Congaree: Fee Free Park

South Dakota:

Badlands: $30 per car

Wind Caves: Fee Free Park

Texas:

Big Bend: $30 per car

Guadalupe Mountains: $10 per person

US Virgin Islands- Fee Free park- May have additional Fees depending on where you go

Utah:

Arches: $30 per car

Bryce Canyon: $35 per car

Canyonlands: $30 per car

Capitol Reef: $20 per car

Zion:  $35 per car

Virginia: 

Shenandoah: $30 per car

Washington:

Mount Rainier: $30 per car

North Cascades: Fee Free Park

Olympic: $30 per car

West Virginia:

New River Gorge: Fee Free Park

Wyoming: 

Grand Teton: $35 per car

Yellowstone: $35 per car

In the summer of 2021 I would have spent over $150 in entrance fees to parks, forests and historic sites, but saved over 70 (a tank of gas in California) by having this pass. 

I have a few roadtrips over the next few years planned for Colorado and Utah and my National Park Pass is on the top of those packing lists. 

Solo Camping- Trip 2

For my 2nd trip I went out into the Olympics. The original plan was for 4 nights and 5 days. I ended up doing 3 nights 4 days. 

And with that Lesson 1: If you gut tells you something feels off, it probably is, and you should leave. Twice on this trip my gut told me to leave and both times I did.  

The first time was night 3, I was at a mixed use camp site/motel in Copalis WA. I want to make very clear that this issue was not with the camp ground itself or the staff. They were lovely and I would be happy to stay at the motel or stay here in an RV, but in the tent space I was left exposed to people who made me feel unsafe.  The way the site is set up is that the Motel is in the front, followed by the RV sites with all of the camp ground amenities and then the tent sites in the back. I was the ONLY tent camper so no one had any reason to be anywhere near my site or my car. It had been a really windy day and rainy night and I had been unable set up my tent, so I slept in my car.  On several instances people shined their lights into my car, knocked on my car and were being loud past quiet hours and into the wee hours of the morning, so I left that site at 2am and drove down to Long Beach, WA were I was actually able to get a few hours sleep in my car- under a street lamp with no interruptions. 

The 2nd time was what should have been night 4. I had booked a camp site on hipcamp and it was supposed to have river view tubs and a bath house, the person who ran the site was out of town but gave me information.  When I got there the tubs were filled with spider webs and animal feces, and the shower looked like someone had been murdered in it- finger prints on the walls and all. So I canceled my stay on the spot and drove home.  This had already been a really long day, after not sleeping much the night before and doing A LOT of driving, but I felt unsafe, and lied to about the site and it's not worth it. I wouldn't have been able to sleep any way. 

Lesson 2: Maybe State and National Park Camp Grounds aren't so bad after all.  For as much as the state park camp ground had it's draw backs of a lot of people, I felt safer there, so this was a good set of lessons to learn, I think with limited exceptions I will stick with more established park sites. 

Lesson 3: Rain Gear.  I have a really great rain jacket that I love and it definitely got used this trip. My first hike was up Hurricane Hill at the Hurricane Ridge section of the Olympic National Park.  I hiked over 3 miles and 50 flights of stairs only to be greeted by no view (Fog and Clouds) and freezing rain.  My sweatshirt and rain jacket kept my core warm, but being in shorts meant my legs felt all of the pelting frozen rain pellets. It hurt so I will be looking into rain pants or at least long hiking pants for future outings. 

Lesson 4: Making a list and checking it twice is great, but don't expect your 4:00am brain to remember things.  Whenever possible get EVERYTHING packet into the car the night before. I again forgot my pillow and worse yet I forget the camping pillow- so I stopped at a Walmart and got myself a cheap pillow but it certainly was not what I was hoping to have. 

Lesson 5: Having a base camp. I'd had the most enjoyable time when I had a base camp to come back to and didn't have to worry about packing up and setting up later. I'd like to try another trip where I have a base site in the middle of a lot of things and come back to that every night rather than picking up a moving, as that in and of itself is draining and stressful. 

Lesson 6: I don't have to cook every meal for myself. There are some wonderful restaurants and bakeries in small town across America, why not enjoy them?  

Lesson 7: I really understand the appeal of a van or trailer that has some form of bathroom in it, and know that it would open up more options for me as someone traveling with IBS and an ever expanding list of allergies. 

Lesson 8: The Ocean has restorative properties. I knew this already, but after my night 3 fiasco, walking onto Cannon Beach in the morning, was instantly restorative. I felt made anew. 

Lesson 9: Pace yourself. (Flights of stairs are based on elevation changes experienced) My first day I did over 7 miles and 58 flights of stairs.  Day 2 I did 5 miles and 9 flights of stairs, Day 3 I did 2 miles and 13 flights of stairs, Day 4 I did 4 miles and 2 flights of stairs.  I was sore after day 1 and really sore after day 2. As I plan for long trips I think it's important that I plan grace days. Days where I explore in nearby towns, or do simple things in order to not burn myself out. 

Lesson 10: I can do hard things. That's this summer's motto and I plan do do at least 1 more camping trip this summer continuing to take the lessons that I've learned and seeing more amazing things across the Pacific Northwest. 

Signing off for now

C

Car Set up for Camping

 I am a fair weather human. I am someone who likes all the comforts. I am not a backpacker or an unltralighter or a minimalist. So when I go out in the wild, I like to have comforts of home.  Here is what I bring with me to help provide that.  I am traveling in a 2018 Subaru Outback. I travel alone so I have both seats folded down and the front seat moved up far enough to fit my cooler behind it. 

I want to start by saying that I've been collecting gear since my early 20s and so has my husband.  You by no means need to go out and buy a lot or high end things to camp.  Sleeping in your car is one of those things thats cool if your rich but not if you're broke. Which is ridiculous. If you want to get outside and explore the world, do that. So much can be found at thrift stores and gear swaps.  REI has their used gear site that can be super helpful.  

First layer- Society6 Outdoor Blanket I got this in a Fabfitfun box and it works perfectly as a way to start my set up. I love the bright colors and graphic pattern as a way to offset mostly dark and neutral gear. 

Layer 2: Storage

Small Car organizer: Yet another Fabfitfun find, this small organizer fits nicely in the back of my car under the small table I have. 

Large Car Organizer- I use this for my dry food, small camping gear/cooking gear and clothing storage. It fits perfectly on the seat back behind the drivers side. If I didn't have the smaller one, I'd have gotten 2 of these. 

Yeti Roadie -24 My husband has a very large Yeti that's nearly 2x the size of this on wheels and it's way to big for me to handle on my own. It's also way more than I need for what I do as a solo camper. So he got me this as an anniversary present this year.  When I move my passenger seat up I can slide this in perfectly and it nearly levels out with the backseat, which is useful should I sleep in my car.  I can carry this by myself when it's fully loaded with food and ice. 

Stasher Bags These are great for food storage. I have 2 sandwich sized and 2 1/2 gallon size. I can bring pre-cooked meets, or use it as storage for left overs if pre-cooked meals that I can heat up when I get to camp. I can also use them at home so that's nice. 

Packing Cube I use a single cube from this set for clothing storage and it works fine. I have it in lime green, which was nice for easy access, but really use whatever you already have- there is no reason to buy something new. 

Kevu Toiletry bag This is the bag I use every day. I took out my make up and took it camping. 

Layer 3: Sleep and Table

Single Folding Mattress- I can sleep in my car, but I have chosen to also bring a tent and sleep in that. This mattress makes that experience better. It's a single so it's the same size as the larger fold down in the back of my car- hence allowing me to sleep in the car if needed/wanted. I also use that set up to lounge at the beach and watch the waves. 

tri-fold Mattress Fitted Sheet- Keep your bed clean. 

I used a camping blanket the first weekend out- it wasn't warm enough. So now I use a Columbia Omni Heat 40-degree bag that opens up nearly entirely so I can use it more as a blanket which I prefer. 

Lap desk/ Table This is the newer model of the one I have- I got it when we first started teaching from home in 2020. It was great back then but I think for me it's true calling is as a table for my car camping set up. When I'm in car sleep/lounge mode it is a flat level surface for my cooktop to go on and in the tent it serves as a desk if I'm stuck inside and a bed side table, and I can bring it outside to use as a table when I'm sitting in my camp chair. It also fits perfectly over my small car organizer and provides a second level for storage that would otherwise be lost. 

I used a travel pillow on my first trip out- that wont be happening again, the luxury of car camping is the ability to bring the pillow you already love. 

Camping Gear

2 person half dome tent by REI. It's color coded and easy enough for me to set up solo. It takes me about 5 minutes. 

Camp Chef 2 burner stove which has been super easy to use for a beginner. 

GSI Cookset is bigger than I need, but it's what we have, so it more than does the trick. 

Added Touches:

Solar Powered String Lights I got these through Fabfitfun, but they are available on Amazon. They string up perfectly in the tent or car and can charge by USB or solar.  They have a variety of colors and are a fun touch to a normal tent. 

Rechargeable Fan If you are camping somewhere cool with a nice breeze, you don't need this, if you are camping somewhere warm, stuffy, humid or are stuck in a raining tent, you want a fan.  This one can be used with our without the tripod- I think I prefer it without but it sits nicely on my table both in the tent and in the car. 

Bug Screens for Windows are a wonderful thing when I park at the beach and don't want sand to blow in but I want cross ventilation. Its also great for sleeping in the car so it's not so hot and humid or claustrophobic. 

REI Flexlite Chair - There is nothing better than kicking back in a comfortable chair, enjoying your dinner and a beer or cider after a long day, that doesn't change when you're in nature- at least it doesn't for me.   I find this chair comfortable and don't mind how low it is- but you should bring something you like. 

I don't really feel like I have "Food" figured out yet- like I have been making things that are edible, but nothing I'd serve to others. 

Solo Camping

 This was neither my first solo trip or my first camping trip, but it was my first solo camping trip; lessons were learned. 

Lesson 1- Make and print a packing list- especially for food.  There's nothing like getting half way through your drive only to remember what you forgot stopping thinking you got what you missed, getting to camp and realizing you forgot more. So my next trip will have a check list for food at minimum. 

Lesson 2- Bring your pillow from home.  I have a camping pillow and for lounging in the car its fine, but on the ground I really need the big fluffy thing.  I'm car camping, I maybe have to carry my gear 20 steps from car to tent, and I have plenty of room for a bigger pillow. 

Lesson 3- Always bring warmer layers than you think you'll need.  How I longed for sweatpants when waking up at 5am with the birds to a dew covered sub 50 degree tent and camp ground. I brought a quilt which met the minimum temp needs, but not the comfort ones so I will be bringing my 40degree bag with me next time. 

Lesson 4- A beer or cider at camp at the end of the day is a treat, and also helps you fall asleep and forget about the things that go bump in the night. 

Lesson 5- State parks may not be for me.  I thought I would feel safer being around so many people camping, but that just wasn't the case. My next trip has 3 sites through hipcamp and I'm interested to see how private land camping that is more spread out makes me feel. 

Lesson 6- I may be more comfortable sleeping in my car.  I sleep at a significant incline at home, it helps with my headaches and sinus issue, so flat on the ground in a tent especially with the crappy pillow left a lot to be desired, this next trip I will try staying in the car at least 1 of the nights and see how it goes.  

Lesson 7- The fairy lights are worth it.  I have LED fairy lights that I strung up in the tent and it may seem frivolous but it made it feel like me and was 100% worth it. 

Lesson 8 - Pack more stacks than you think you'll need and more variety of snacks.  I forget salty and regretted it. 

Lesson 9- Coconut milk is not for me.  I had a matcha latte mix I took with in lieu of coffee, but the coconut flavor already in it ruined the experience and left me without a warm drink in the morning.  I think I'll stick with Chai and just bring oat mylk in the cooler- its worth the space for a warm morning drink I'll actually enjoy

Lesson 10- I can do hard things. I can do things I've never done before, things that scare me. Just because I'm not a expert and will likely never be an expert doesn't mean I shouldn't have fun and try new things. 

In a week I will take the lessons I've learned and use them on a 5 day trip, and hopefully come back with more lessons to share. 

Signing off for now

Claire