gay families

Visiting Disney’s California Adventure for Gay Families – 2TravelDads

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Disney’s California Adventure for Gay Families - 2TravelDads

In this podcast episode, Disney’s California Adventure for gay families is our hot topic. Truth be told, we tend to spend more time in DCA than in Disneyland. Maybe it’s the smaller crowds; maybe we like the big attractions more… maybe it’s the food… Either way, this is our complete run-down of all the rides in this fiun theme park and what YOU just can’t miss!

Tips for Disney’s California Adventure for Gay Families

Everyone asks us if California Adventure (DCA) is worth adding to their Disneyland trip. The answer is YES! OMG, yes! Over the years it’s actually become our favorite theme park, and not just favorite of the Disney Parks. To follow along or just get familiar with DCA, download the park map first.

These are our top tips for beating the lines, what’s really worth waiting for, and even some insider info about what’s coming to this amusement park (hint: it’s MARVELous).

Full Story at 2TravelDads

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Visiting the Oregon Cascades With Kids – 2TravelDads

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Oregon Cascades With Kids - 2TravelDads

We love our road trips, you know that, and living in the Pacific Northwest, we’re at the gateway to some of the best road trips in the United States. Oregon is our neighbor and we visit it a lot, but it’s rare that we really explore the south part of the state. This is our Oregon Cascades with kids road trip that takes the best of the Cascades and pairs it with the coast. This road trip itinerary is ideal in Spring and Summer and is great with kids!

Visiting the Oregon Cascades With Kids

When we found out we were heading to the southern part of the state, we knew two things: the Umpqua National Forest and the southern coast are going to be fun and drastically different. The Cascade Mountains run from British Columbia to Northern California. They’re dotted by snowy peaks and dense forests, which when put together make for an epic collection of waterfalls. Doing a road trip with kids, we knew that we needed to pack in some big wow items, and beautiful waterfalls always do the trick.

Full Story at 2TravelDads

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Exploring Oregon Caves National Monument – 2TravelDads

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Exploring Oregon Caves National Monument - 2TravelDads

If you’ve not hear of Oregon Caves National Monument before, that’s not surprising. There are other, more famous caverns in the National Parks system and even outside of it, such as Lewis and Clark Caverns, but these Caves are really something special. From the amazing Chateau to the really well put together Visitors Center, a visit to Oregon Caves National Monument is a great adventure for family travel or solo road trip around the state.

Although this attraction is relatively unknown, it is really an amazing gem of a park. If for nothing else, go experience the calm of the mossy forest, quiet streams, waterfalls and beautiful rustic architecture of the Chateau and Visitors Center. It’s one of the most beautiful, albeit difficult to get to, places in the Beaver State and it needs to be on your bucket list!

Where is Oregon Caves National Monument

Like we said in our article about the Chateau, getting to Oregon Caves National Monument can be done two ways: coming from the coast or from Grants Pass and the Interstate. Traveling from I-5 and heading west is a short half hour to Cave Junction and then the winding drive through the hills. Wherever you’re coming from, the drive and time you’ll spend there is well worth it.

Full Story at 2TravelDads

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Our California Coast Road Trip – 2TravelDads

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California Coast Road Trip - 2TravelDads

There is nothing like a California Coast road trip. That California life is so awesome with all that nature and sunshine. What better way to experience it than by doing a coastal trip along the Pacific Coast Highway? This road trip itinerary begins at the northern border, but reverse this travel plan and you’ll have just as amazing of a time by starting in San Diego.

These are our best ideas for a CA road trip. Lots of things to do along the coastal drive including California lighthouses, hikes in state parks, beach stops along Highway 1 and even awesome foodie finds along the way.

So you’ve just crossed the border from Oregon into California on the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), aka Highway 1 (and sometimes 101). Get ready because your journey is going to be totally different than what you experienced in Washington and Oregon. This road trip itinerary visits Big Sur and Monterey as you drive from San Francisco to LA. You’ll visit the Redwoods, missions and more along the PCH.

California Coast Road Trip – Up or Down?

Is it better to drive up or down the coast? Your starting point for this journey also determines your ending point. So if you want to do the Pacific Coast Highway from San Diego and enjoy the LA to San Francisco drive, you could do a 7 day trip itinerary and end in SF without doing the northern route.

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Gay Montana for Families – 2TravelDads

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Gay Montana for Families - 2TravelDads

A Montana road trip is such an adventure. I’d call it one of the great American road trips. The roads and sights are amazing, even just along I-90, the main highway. This gay Montana road trip itinerary takes you from west to east (we do this as a WA to MO road trip) stopping in mining towns, National Parks and even antique candy stores. You’ll love it!

Gay Montana Road Trip

Our love of road trips is clear. Our most common that we do nearly every year is an Oregon Coast road trip, but our other most frequent road trip itinerary is through Montana and the Yellowstone National Park area. Whether you want to make this a 5 day itinerary or a 10 day itinerary, there are plenty of great things to do and road trip stops.

Some of the best places to visit in the state are found in the southwestern part of the state, called Yellowstone Country, so that’s where we’ll focus. Ghost towns, hikes, craft distilling and more attractions lie ahead, so buckle up and take notes!

By Chris and Rob – Full Story at the 2TravelDads

Montana Gay Travel Resources

Six Great Cities for Visiting Canada in Winter – 2TravelDads

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Visiting Canada in Winter - 2TravelDads

Visiting Canada in winter is not for the faint of heart, but if you know how to do it right and where you can find charming warmth, it’s not so bad. Canada from coast to coast is a treasure trove of mountain getaways and historic cities. Here are six beautiful places to embrace the Canadian winter (and they’re pretty great in summer too!).

Visiting Canada in Winter: Banff

I could just say “the Rockies” as the whole mountain range between Alberta and British Columbia is an outdoors-man’s paradise in the winter, but Banff has a special place in my heart so I’ll focus on that location.

Banff National Park is home to the stunningly beautiful Banff Springs Hotel – one of Canada’s most iconic buildings. This luxury hotel was built during the 19th Century in a cross-country effort to make the vastness of Canada more appealing to tourists, and it worked. The hotel offers suites anywhere from $300 to $1,000 a night, but with over 300 rooms available, there’s always a place for you! There are also many cabins in Alberta around Banff these days, so finding a more affordable option is easier than ever.

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Visiting Estes Park With Kids – 2TravelDads

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Estes Park with kids - 2TravelDads

Colorado is full of all kinds of wonderful small towns, from old mining towns to ski villages, the prairie and the mountains. Our favorite Colorado mountain town is Estes Park. It’s cute, surrounded by epic landscapes and is the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park. We escaped the bustle of Denver for four days and have come up with our best activities for families planning to do in Estes Park with kids.

If you aren’t into lounging by the pool, this mountain town is going to be your new favorite getaway (and I know there are a few pools to lounge by there too). Check out our top things to do in this Colorado village.

Exploring Downtown Estes Park with Kids

In Washington State we have a great town called Leavenworth that’s really great to wander through and explore, and it’s done up in a Bavarian style which just adds to the fun. This place is a little like that in that it’s been built and designed to echo some of the picturesque mountain villages of Europe while still being characteristically Colorado.

Full Story at 2TravelDads

Estes Park Gay Travel Resources

Big Sky for Gay Families – 2Travel Dads

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Big Sky for Gay Families - 2Travel Dads

Big Sky, Montana brings to mind epic ski trips and exclusive mountain getaways in the snow, but did you know that it’s much more than that and it’s actually an incredible summer destination? There are remarkable, fun things to do in Big Sky, MT in summer months. Although it may be considered the off-season there, summertime is just another cycle of fun.

Big Sky for Gay Families

While there are some great guest ranches and small hotels, the Big Sky Resort is the ideal home base for fun things to do, and visiting off-season is perfect for getting the best deals and having the most diverse experiences. Here’s a complete plan for spending 4+ days here and it’s all the best things to do in Big Sky for gay families.

We actually went twice in one summer, so we know this town well. Whether it’s a part of your Montana road trip or you’re adding onto a trip to Yellowstone National Park, the resort is easy to work into your Montana travel plan. Check it out!

Full Story at 2TravelDads

Montana Gay Travel Resources

Olympic National Park’s Ruby Beach – 2TravelDads

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Olympic National Park's Ruby Beach - 2TravelDads

Does anybody think of Washington State as a beach destination? Not hardly, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have the most beautiful ones around. True, Olympic National Park is missing the palm trees, but we make up for it in other ways. Of all of the sandy shorelines in the Pacific Northwest, the most beautiful one in Washington is without a doubt Ruby Beach in Olympic National Park.

What makes Ruby Beach so beautiful and dramatic? It’s the sea stacks, the weathered wood, the wildlife, the perfection of it all. We’ve got the scoop for how and when to visit to have an unforgettable time at the most beautiful beach in Washington. And if you’re lucky, maybe you’ll find some of the red rocks and garnets that give Ruby Beach its name.

How to Get to Ruby Beach in Olympic National Park

One of the things that makes the most beautiful in Washington is its remote location. Located just over three hours from Seattle and a little more than 2 hours from Olympia, it’s not exactly an impromptu day trip, which keeps the crowds down. If you’re making the trek that far you should plan on spending a few days both on the sand and in the Hoh Rainforest nearby.

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Manatee Encounters at Blue Spring State Park – 2TravelDads

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Blue Spring State Park - 2TravelDads

Blue Spring State Park is our most common activity with friends visiting Florida, and it’s the best place to see manatees near Orlando or Daytona Beach. Florida has over 1000 natural springs and they’re all a little different. Some are in high traffic areas like on the Crystal River and others are so strange to pronounce that you might not have ever heard of them… like Ichetucknee Springs. This is everything you need to know about visiting Blue Spring State Park, including the best time for manatees, handicap accessible wildlife viewing, and kayaking / standup paddleboarding information.

Where is Blue Spring State Park?

Blue Spring State Park is a little over a half hour away from Daytona Beach in Orange City, Florida. It’s actually really easy to get to and quite simple to make a day trip out of. Blue Spring State Park is easy to pair with the trip to De Leon Springs State Park or Gemini Springs. It’s a bit further from Cocoa Beach if you’re heading to that part of the Florida coast, but it’s still worth the visit.

If you are visiting Orlando this is also an easy trip to add on (45 minutes drive) and is a nice alternative to theme parks or crowded hotel pools. After a whole bunch of time at Disney World or Universal Orlando no doubt you’ll be ready for some nature and Blue Spring State Park is just perfect for that. Also, the manatees and alligators are real, actual wildlife vs being animatronics, so they’re more exciting!

By Chris and Rob – Full Story at the 2TravelDads

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