
-My 140+ recommendations  to stay, eat, do and shop. 

“Wherever you go, go with all your heart.”

Playa del Rey

Laguna Beach

Los Angeles

Redondo Beach

Commerce

Buena Park

Dana Point

Newport Beach

Long Beach

San Francisco

Cerritos

Venice

San Pedro

Glendale

Malibu

San Marino

Altadena

Rancho Palos Verdes

Hollywood

Calabasas

Culver City

Santa Monica

Beverly Hills

Anaheim

Explore Los Angeles

The United States currently has 63 protected areas known as national parks that are operated by the National Park Service. I’m on a mission to see as many of them as I can. I’ve been to 28 so far. Following is a list of where I’ve been in chronological order. To learn more about my journey, please visit darkskyoverland.com.

National Parks

Every detail about how I pulled off a trip around the Western United States and saw some of the country's most incredible natural wonders for less than $1,300 total. 🤯 Of course, this is the exact route that we used, but there are plenty of other options to choose from. Keep in mind, this is definitely not the itinerary to follow if you are looking to spend a significant amount of time in one specific area. We intentionally planned to see some major highlights along the trip and knew going into it that we would miss a lot of what these parks have to offer.

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Mount Baker–Snoqualmie National Forest, Washington, USA

Yosemite National Park, California, USA

San Francisco, CA, USA

Sequoia National Park, California, USA

Olympic National Park, Mt Angeles Rd, Port Angeles, WA, USA

Horseshoe Bend, Arizona, USA

Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA

Glacier National Park, Montana, USA

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA

Seattle, WA, USA

Antelope Canyon, Arizona, USA

Fresno, CA, USA

Chicago, IL, USA

Denver, CO, USA

Amtrak USA Rail Pass: 14 Day Itinerary 🇺🇸

Okay, so these parks are huge. And driving through them is a long drive, but if you want to know which spots are the best (in my humble opinion) to stop the car, keep reading! I took two different trips to these parks, and I personally think driving NORTH to SOUTH (seeing Kings Canyon and then Sequoia) is the best way to do it.  For some reason, if you drive south (and therefore downhill) through Sequoia, you will see more sequoias!

Cedar Grove

Mount Whitney

Fresno

California

Three Rivers

Sequoia & Kings Canyon in 2 days

Welcome to my completely unorganized but oh-so-helpful map of Yosemite! An absolute smorgasbord of my own travels and research, suggestions from friends and strangers, and many treasures found along the way, this is where I compile all things Yosemite for my future trips and yours. Things I particularly love that you’ll find a lot of:
☕️ Coffee shops & bakeries
🌮 Local cuisine
🏛️ Museums of all kinds
🌳 Gardens & parks
🛏️ Boutique hotels
🍕 Small regional chains with good reputations

All my guides in this category are $5 per 100 places included, but since I add to these constantly, you can lock down the lowest price today and gain a lifetime access!

Yosemite Valley, CA, USA

California, USA

Yosemite

United States

Springville

Friday Harbor

South Dakota

Spokane

Washington

San Diego

Montana

Dallas

Gold Beach

Nashville

New Mexico

Seattle

Portland

Memphis

Chicago

Laguna Niguel

US Road Trip 

Discover the best of the West Coast's national parks with this diverse itinerary. From majestic Crater Lake to stunning Redwoods, picturesque Napa & Sonoma, and iconic Yosemite and Sequoia, this road trip has it all! Enjoy scenic drives, breathtaking hikes, and indulgent wine tastings. With carefully planned driving times, you'll wake up at each destination ready to explore.

Sequoia, CA, USA

Redwoods, CA, USA

Portland, OR, USA

Sonoma, CA, USA

Monterey, CA, USA

Napa, CA, USA

West Coast American Road Trip: 10 Day Itinerary

This guide takes you through central California, starting from Fresno. I was able to find cheap flights from my hometown to Fresno. You could also fly into Sacramento and make this loop work just as easily!
This guide uses mainly Marriott hotels, where if you're a member, you can use points to save money. Otherwise, there are tons of other lodging options at each stop.

Outdoorsy (and beachy!) 7 days through Central California

Sequoia National Park

About an hour and half east of Fresno, you’ll get the chance to walk among the giants in Sequoia National Park! See the General Sherman Tree and admire the groves of the largest trees on the planet!

Next up, travel back along the Scenic Byway and into Sequoia National Park

Sequoia National Park

What people say

Mentioned in these guides

About Sequoia National Park