Across our U.S. public lands are more than 130 national monuments, each protecting a unique natural or cultural treasure. In this episode, we’re diving into ten that feel a lot like visiting a national park, but without the crowds.

We share a mix of places we’ve visited over the years, and each one surprised us with just how much they have in terms of scenery, hiking, and overall experience. From towering rock formations and remote desert canyons to cultural sites with deep historical meaning, these monuments offer many of the same “wow” moments you expect from a national park.

In this episode, we talk about:

If you’ve ever felt like the national parks are getting a little too crowded, or you’re just looking for new places to explore, this episode will give you a list of destinations that deserve a spot on your radar.

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We recently returned to Pinnacles National Park, a place we hadn’t visited since our first trip in 2013. Situated about 75 minutes south of Monterey, California, Pinnacles is known for its dramatic volcanic rock formations, remnants of a once 8,000-foot volcano.

When we first visited, Pinnacles had just become a national park, and we stopped there as part of our journey to visit all the U.S. national parks. This time, we had a different reason to return. Karen wanted to explore one of the park’s talus caves.

In this episode, we discuss our visit to the park, where we hiked into the lower portion of Bear Gulch Cave, then to Bear Gulch Reservoir, and finally into the high peaks.

We also dive into the park’s fascinating geology, its history as a national monument established by Theodore Roosevelt, and the role of the Civilian Conservation Corps in building many of the trails and structures still used today.

And of course, no visit to Pinnacles would be complete without talking about California condors. Pinnacles is the only national park that actively manages a condor release site, and we explain how these remarkable birds were brought back from the brink of extinction.

If you’re planning a visit to Pinnacles, this episode is for you, as we also share practical tips to help you make the most of your time in the park.

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Having visited all 63 U.S. national parks, we felt it was time to broaden our scope and explore one of the most popular and biologically diverse national parks outside the United States: Galápagos National Park. Located hundreds of miles west of mainland Ecuador, this archipelago of tropical islands straddles the equator.

Because the islands were isolated from other landmasses for millions of years, many plants and animals evolved into species found nowhere else on Earth. Much of the wildlife you encounter in the Galápagos exists only there.

Galaxy Cruises recently hosted our visit to this remarkable national park for four days and five nights aboard their EcoGalaxy catamaran. If you’d like to learn more about Galaxy Cruises, follow this link. And if you use the promo code MattandKaren at checkout, you’ll receive a 5% discount. If you use this code, we may earn a marketing fee, but you won’t pay anything extra.

Here are some of the topics we cover in this episode:

· A brief overview of the Galápagos, including a bit of history

· Our stay in Quito, Ecuador’s capital, for a couple of days before the cruise

· The flight from Quito to the islands and the process of getting through immigration, customs, and paying the park entrance fee

· Our daily activities during the cruise, including what we did and what we saw - like snorkeling in deep water for the first time while sea lions swam alongside of us

· Our impressions of the EcoGalaxy, the crew, and the accommodations

· And more!

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#171: An Epic Road Trip Along California’s Highway 395

The 150-mile stretch of Highway 395 from Bridgeport to Lone Pine takes travelers through a landscape of wide valleys, alpine lakes, volcanic wonders, and Old West history. Running along the eastern edge of California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains, this is one of the most scenic drives in the West.

On our recent trip, we revisited some of our favorite places along the route, including towns and landmarks that feel like the land that time forgot. From the ghost town of Bodie to the alpine beauty of June Lake and the resort town of Mammoth Lakes, every stop had a story to tell. We explored hot springs, ancient forests, and film locations that have been featured in hundreds of Hollywood movies.

In this episode, we share the highlights of this unforgettable road trip, including:

· The eerie allure of Bodie Ghost Town, frozen in time,

· Where to find the best fish tacos on the planet (hint: inside a gas station),

· The alpine lakes, fall colors, and mountain views that make the June Lake Loop so special,

· Hidden gems like Hot Creek and Convict Lake,

· The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, home to trees nearly 5,000 years old,

· The sobering history of Manzanar National Historic Site,

· And our favorite way to end the trip – eating a pancake the size of a hubcap at Whitney Portal beneath the tallest peak in the lower 48.

If you love mountain scenery, quirky small towns, and fascinating history, Highway 395 is one of America’s great drives. And one that every traveler should experience at least once.

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Don't want to take notes while listening?

We’ve created a companion blog post for this episode with all the Highway 395 stops and details, so you don’t have to take notes while you listen. You can find the blog post by following this link: https://www.mattandkaren.com/highway-395-california-road-trip/

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Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show.

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Nestled below the granite cliffs of Yosemite Valley is a village bustling with visitors year-round. For over a century, Curry Village has welcomed guests who want to stay in this magnificent valley yet are looking for an affordable option to the other pricier accommodations nearby, namely The Ahwahnee Hotel and Yosemite Lodge.

With over 500 rooms and tents, several eating options, a grocery store, a mountain outfitter, and more, visitors have everything they need to enjoy the valley without having to venture out of the park to find a place to stay.

On our recent trip to the park, we spent a couple of nights in one of their cozy tents (ours had an optional heater) while we hiked to the nearby gushing falls during the day. While the place was packed with visitors, our experience was better than we expected, and we will for sure go back again.

In this episode, we discuss the good, the bad, and the scary of Curry Village, including:

- An overview of all the accommodations at Curry Village,

- What our tent and the adjacent facilities were like,

- The eating options within the village (spoiler alert - there were many, and all fantastic),

- The proximity of the village to many of the activities in the valley,

- Some of the aspects of the village that could have been better (the bad),

- A couple of events from the past that might put a fright into even the most intrepid travelers,

- And more!

We now post ad-free versions of our episodes on our Patreon account (search for mattandkarensmith). If you are interested in joining, follow this link to check it out.

Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please

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This episode is sponsored by GO RVING™

Nothing says “All American Road Trip” more than loading up an RV, hitting the road, and having an adventure. And that’s exactly what we did recently with the help from our friends at GO RVING™

In the spring of 2025, we rented an RV in Phoenix and drove up to Page, Arizona where we spent five days and four nights enjoying the Roam America Horseshoe Bend campground and exploring this incredible part of the Southwest.

The trip was an epic adventure, and in this episode, we’ll discuss our experience as newbie RVers, the activities we did in the area, and some of the camping recipes we enjoyed cooking at our site. All this and more, coming up next!

Activities we discuss in this episode include,

·     Touring Cardiac Canyon (part of Antelope Canyon),

·     A visit to the Navajo Bridges on Highway 89A,

·     Kayaking the Colorado River from Petroglyph Point below Horseshoe Bend to Lees Ferry,

·     Seeing petroglyphs at Petroglyph Point on the Colorado River,

·     Hiking in Waterhole Canyon,

·     Viewing the dam from the Glen Canyon Dam Overlook,

·     Visiting the Carl Hayden Visitor Center at Glen Canyon Dam,

·     Hiking the Beehive Trail, (also known as The Wave 2),

·     Snaping our pic at the Shell Sand Cave,

·     And a few more suggestions for activities on Lake Powel!

Links to organizations and activities we mentioned in the episode:

·     GoRVing.com (our sponsor for this episode – check them out!)

·     RVShare (the site we used to rent our RV for this adventure)

·     Taadidiin Tours (for the Cardiac Canyon hiking tour)

·     Kayak the Colorado (for the kayak rental and backhaul taxi service on the Colorado River)

·     Roam America (we stayed at their “Horseshoe Bend” campground in Page, Arizona)

·     Lake Powell Resorts & Marinas (for the Rainbow Bridge boat tour)

·     Carl Hayden Visitor Center (at the Glen Canyon Dam)

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In our Mailbag! episodes, we answer questions from listeners about the national parks, ranger-led tours, road trips, hiking, camping, backpacking, gear, relationships, and pretty much whatever anyone wants to ask us.

In this episode, we cover these topics:

·     An alternative to visiting the Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park while the road is closed due to flood damage,

·     Road trip suggestions for visiting the Washington and Oregon coasts,

·     How to deal with crowding in the parks and the consequences of reservations becoming so difficult to get,

·     Which district of Saguaro National Park we’d choose to visit if we only had one day,

·     Whether you need bear spray when visiting Washington State’s three national parks,

·     And more!

We now post ad-free versions of our episodes on our Patreon account (search for mattandkarensmith). If you are interested in joining, follow this link to check it out.

Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show.

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Visitors flock to Sedona, Arizona, for a multitude of reasons: the red rock landscape, the concentration of incredible hiking trails, the culinary scene, and the focus on spiritual wellness. In this episode, we'll share some of our favorite experiences on our recent trip.

We'll give you an overview of Sedona, including where it's located, the optimal times to visit, and some great food we discovered, like the best donuts, margaritas, and pizza. But the main attraction, where we focus much of our time, is talking about some of the most popular trails surrounding the town throughout Coconino National Forest.

Hiking trails we discussed include,

·     Soldier Pass / Seven Sacred Pools

·     Devil's Bridge

·     Bell Rock / Courthouse Butte

·     The Birthing Cave

·     Munds Wagon Trail (Hangover Trail)

·     Airport Trail

·     Plus a few more!

 Whether you're a seasoned hiker or just looking for a scenic stroll, Sedona has something for everyone. Join us as we explore this breathtaking area of Arizona!

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National parks, forests, and other federal lands are not the only incredible outdoor destinations in America. Wherever we travel, we make a point to check out the state parks along the way, and we’re constantly amazed at the ones we find. 

In episodes #30 and #121, we discussed some of our favorite state parks. In this episode, we bring you five more we’ve visited recently. From a spectacular cave in Montana to a dramatic rock spire on the edge of the Columbia River in Washington state, these five state parks hold wonders that are bucket list worthy.

The parks we cover in this episode include,

·     Lewis and Clark Caverns – Montana,

·     Beacon Rock State Park – Washington,

·     Ecola State Park – Oregon,

·     Kodachrome Basin – Utah, and

·     Catalina State Park - Arizona

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Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show.

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There’s a reason to visit Olympic National Park any time of year. While summer is best, each season offers visitors a chance to enjoy this incredibly diverse natural resource. Regardless of how often we visit Olympic we always leave wanting to go back as soon as we can find another couple of free days.

Olympic National Park might be more popular than most people realize. In 2023, it was the tenth most visited U.S. national park, with 2,947,503 visitors. Yet despite the number of visitors, it doesn't feel as crowded as some of the other national parks.

Places on our top ten list include,

·     Hurricane Ridge,

·     Devil’s Punchbowl,

·     Lake Crescent Lodge,

·     Marymere Falls,

·     Sol Duc Falls,

·     Rialto Beach,

·     The Hoh Rain Forest,

·     Ruby Beach,

·     The lodge and beaches in the Kalaloch area, and

·     Quinault Rain Forest

Check out our companion blog post for this episode here. You’ll find a summary of the items we discussed in this episode, a few photos, and a map.

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The best way to support our podcast is to become a member of our Patreon account. Follow this link to check it out.

Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show.

Follow us on Instagram at @mattandkarensmith, on Twitter at @mattandkaren, on Facebook at dearbobands, or check out our blog at www.mattandkaren.com.

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