The Eberles Cross the Country - Part 2

So far into our adventure, we have all hiked in the Rocky Mountains (very briefly) and put lots of miles on our boots in the desert… and watched The Parent Trap 8 times.

Day 6

While we were in Moab, our oldest had expressed to us that she really wanted a fossil. But she didn’t want just any fossil. She had to dig it up herself to “earn it".

Knowing that there was no way she was ever going to dig anything up in Moab, Jonathan had the brilliant idea of researching places to stop and dig up fossils. Luckily, he found a spot that was semi-on our way to through Nevada (11.5 hours)!

This spot was in, what I have to say is the most middle-of-nowhere place I have ever been in my life. Literally NOTHING for miles and miles and miles around. I felt like we were heading into The Hills Have Eyes, but that I was weirdly ok with it.

When we got to U-Dig Fossils: Quarry, in Delta Utah, it was by far the coolest place ever. Here was what looked like a random construction site, complete with excavators, where they would give you rock hammers, bring you over to the spots they had dug up fresh rock slabs and let you go to town pounding the crap out of them in the hopes of finding Trylobites (the worlds oldest, multicell organisms - roughly 500 million years old). We spent about 3 hours here, with Jared showing us where to dig and how to best look for the fossils. We ended up with way more fossils than we would have ever hoped for and had to figure out how to fit them in our already over-stuffed truck.

So next time you are going through Delta, Utah (you won’t be), you absolutely need to venture out to the foot of Swasey Peak and dig yourself some fossils!

After this gem of a find, we drove across Nevada on Route 50 (literally named “The Loneliest Highway in America”), where again there was absolutely nothing but miles of mountain passes and valleys.

It was in this stretch of our trip that we (the girls) decided that we wanted to switch from binging The Parent Trap to Free Willy, another of my favorite 90’s classics with which I had no issue indoctrinating my children.

Free Willy Count: 2

Day 7

Day 7 we finally made it to California (7 hours)! Stopping at Lassen Volcanic National Park for lunch, we then drove through northern California to The Redwoods!

Total Free Willy Count: 3

Total Free Willy 2 Count: 1

Back into our camping vibe, we were lucky enough to be able to camp in The Redwoods! The first night, we stayed on the beach at a campground called Gold Bluff Beach, were we made dinner, went out to watch sunset and I inadvertently photographed a peeping seal (or sea lion?… I’ll be honest, I don’t know the difference, if there is one).

Days 8 & 9

The Redwoods are now one of my favorite places ever, as I suspected they would be. I mean, 70 degrees, rocky beaches, gorgeous, giant, old growth wooded areas, and slimy banana slugs? Talk about heaven.

Since we stayed in the Gold Bluff Beach campground, we were lucky enough to be able to hike Fern Canyon, a trail that is only accessible with a permit and reminded me of Zion’s narrows… accept with ferns.

Nights 2 and 3 in the Redwoods we stayed inland at the Elk Prairie campground, where we took nighttime walks through the woods to hear a Park Ranger talk about the Redwood ecosystem, ventured north to more of the Old Growth woods with massive trees that made my woodworking husband nearly soil himself, and got a one-on-one daytime Ranger tour to walk through a hollowed out Redwood and hear more about the plants and animals that live there.

The Eberles Cross the Country - Part 1

It’s been an absolutely crazy July. As those who know us are aware, we love to travel. I had the normal lull in Weddings this month, and Jonathan was able to get a good chunk of work off, so we planned a big, 3-week trip to National Park hop.

As a family of 5 with 3 small children, it was only natural for us to decide to drive from Pennsylvania to Calfornnia, then up to Montana and back home… while tent camping. Obviously*.

*If you’re not feeling the eye rolling, then let me tell you - it’s coming on strong.

Day 1

Day 1 saw us drive from Central PA to just outside of St. Louis (about 12 hours), camping at a State Park called Horseshoe Lake State Park in Illinois.

There are many tips and tricks I’ve found during the years we have driven long distances with the kids. You know, bringing lots of crayons/paper, word searches, travel pillows. Playing games that promote the kids to look out the window and gain points by spotting different things (animals, tumble weeds, windmills, etc.)… Aaaaaaand, inevitably about 5 hours in, you will reach the point where (even when you invest in Loop earplugs), you will resort to an iPad or tablet.

This year, I decided to download several nostalgic 90’s-00’s movies that I could tolerate listening to on repeat, along with some staple Disney movies. I’m not a monster.

The start of this trip saw us watching The Parent Trap… and the first day we were able to watch it: 3 times.

Parent Trap Counter: 3

Once we got to the park, it was a great time - making dinner at the campsite, playing card games in the tent and just exploring the park.

Day 2

Day 2 we decided that it would be in everyone’s best interest if we made it to Denver (13 hours). However, the heat index for that evening was well into the 100’s and there ain’t no way I’m sleeping outside in that. So a cheap hotel it was!!

13 hour drives are no joke, especially with 3 kids crammed in the back seat. So we made sure to keep things cheery by indulging in ice cream at multiple stops and keeping the kids game-motivated by changing the steaks - they would receive 1 cent per point that they could put towards buying souvenirs on the trip.

In the end, it was a great decision, as it let us get a spot in Boulder, CO right around the corner from an old favorite brewery, Avery Brewing Company! And it provided us with a park for the kids to play in.

Total Parent Trap Counter: 6

Day 3

On Day 3, we ventured through the Rocky Mountains and into Utah. eventually making it to the first big stop on our trip, Moab Utah; an absolute favorite of ours. When I was growing up I never thought I would love the desert, but oh em gee, it’s absolutely breathtaking.

Total Parent Trap Counter: 8

While it was a shorter day of driving, it was also the third straight day. People may scoff at how many movies we allowed our kids to watch. But 1) believe me, they were also reading, drawing etc. 2) you do what you have to to keep the peace in such a confined space with limited energy outlets. If putting Lindsey Lohan to work for an 8th time means that the kids stop poking each other and keep their hands to themselves or that they stop yelling at each other, I’m taking that on Day 3.

We were able to enjoy Utah for a few days once we got there, so sometimes you have to be flexible and reasonable, and allow the kids to throw the rules out the window for a few hours. If they feel a little more in control of the smaller stuff, then they’re more likely to be more calm and cooperative.

Days 4-6

Moab was spectacular as always. Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park are very much worth the visit and I can always find a reason to go there.

Pro tip: Arches has a ticketing system that only allows a certain amount of cars in from 7am-4pm…. However, if you get in before the park opens, you can get in without a ticket and just fly on through the ticket booth!… and when the forecast is calling for 109 degrees, you want to get in as early as humanly possible to get your hikes in before the heat is enough to cook your breakfast on the hood of your car. So we ended up getting up at ungodly hours and getting into the park before the sun rose…. which incidentally made it possible for us to get AWESOME sunrise photos!

We even purposely went in super early to try for some night photography!

Lively Wedding at The Barn at Boone's Dam | Elizabeth and Tyler | Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania

On a beautiful May day, Liz and Tyler renewed their vows to one another in the presence of their family and friends before celebrating in the most epic fashion - a party that was absolute fire from start to finish!

Since moving to another country, Liz and Tyler had not had the opportunity to see many of their family and friends and their celebration turned into the best excuse for a large family reunion, with many guests coming from all over the US and abroad!

After meeting on Tinder in Texas during COVID, Liz and Tyler could tell almost from the start that they were a great match. From the good conversations and comfort they felt with the other, it was love pretty much right from ‘go’!

Liz and Tyler make a great team who enjoy traveling together, cooking and partaking in local activism where they can and they cannot wait to develop more into their hobbies as they become more established in their careers and their new home!

We had the absolute BEST time celebrating with these two and their amazing friends and families! This was one that we will always remember!

Venue: The Barn at Boone’s Dam

Florist: Blossoms in Bloom by Megan

DJ: KC Sound

Videography: James Singleton in partnership with Eberle Images, LLC

MUA/Hair Stylist: Blush Bloomsburg