Duckwyn's Travel Blog

Walnut Canyon National Monument is located in northern Arizona, near the city of Flagstaff. This beautiful park is known for its stunning canyon and ancient cliff dwellings built by the Sinagua people. These homes were carved into the canyon walls, creating a unique historical site. Early History and the Sinagua People Walnut Canyon National Monument The history of Walnut Canyon begins with the Sinagua people, who lived in the region from around AD 600 to 1400. The name "Sina

Beautiful weather is upon us and it's that time of year when we load the family in the car and get out and explore nature. If you live in the northeastern part of the United States or plan to visit over the next few months, here are 3 state parks that you should consider visiting. Franconia Notch State Park in New Hampshire Franconia Notch State Park is located in the White Mountains in northern New Hampshire. Its stunning landscape has brought artists and tourists here for

Your family drives six hours to Zion. You park at the visitor center. Your kids ask what there is to do. You pull out a map with 47 numbered stops and vague descriptions. Your seven-year-old loses interest before you finish reading the first paragraph. Two hours later, you've seen three viewpoints. Your kids are complaining. You're not sure if you're missing the best parts or just hitting the obvious spots everyone else photographs. The park ranger said something about hidden

Your kids can now collect Acadia National Park . The newest card in the DuckAbroad Travel collection celebrates Maine's coastal treasure. Acadia holds a special place in national park history: the first national park east of the Mississippi River and still the only one in the northeastern United States. President Woodrow Wilson established it as Sieur de Monts National Monument in 1916. It became Lafayette National Park in 1919, then was renamed Acadia in 1929. Why Acadia wor

Stand on the Yorktown battlefield where cannons once thundered. Walk the Jamestown shoreline where English settlers first landed. At Colonial National Historical Park in Virginia, your family traces 174 years of American history from fragile colony to independent nation. Two sites tell this story. At Jamestown, you see where it all started in 1607. At Yorktown, you stand where it was won in 1781. Together, they bookend two pivotal moments in early American history — colonial

Planning an unforgettable family adventure? California has nine incredible national parks filled with giant trees, otherworldly landscapes, and wildlife your kids will never forget. If you’re looking for a mix of nature, learning, and hands-on exploring, these parks are some of the best places in the United States to start. A few summers ago, we rented an RV and road-tripped our way through Sequoia and Yosemite with the kids — and it quickly became one of our favorite family

Maine is home to some of the most iconic lighthouses in the United States, and our new infographic brings six of them together in one easy guide. From postcard-perfect towers to rugged coastal beacons, each lighthouse has its own story to tell, and its own place in your DuckAbroad collection. This infographic features: Bass Harbor Head Light  – A classic Acadia landmark perched on granite cliffs Cape Neddick Light (Nubble Light)  – One of the most photographed lighthouses in

If you love visiting lighthouses , Boston Light belongs on your list. Located on Little Brewster Island in Boston Harbor, this lighthouse marks the first lighthouse station established in what would become the United States. The first light from this site began on September 14, 1716.  A lighthouse with deep roots The original Boston Light tower was destroyed during the American Revolution.  The current lighthouse was rebuilt in 1783 and is the second oldest working lighthouse

If you’re looking for rugged mountains, sweeping glaciers, and wild wilderness your family will remember, the North Cascades deliver in every way. Located in northern Washington, this dramatic region is home to the most expansive glacial system in the contiguous United States, making it a standout destination for nature-loving families.  Long before modern trails and viewpoints existed, Native American people explored and lived in this mountain landscape. Archaeological evide

Great Basin National Park lies along Nevada’s eastern border with Utah, in a remote and beautiful mountain-and-desert region. The park takes its name from the Great Basin, a vast arid watershed between the Sierra Nevada and the Wasatch Mountains, and offers your family a unique mix of high peaks, ancient trees, underground caves, and clear night skies.  All 63 US National Parks have their own unique badge to collect in the DuckAbroad Travel app. What to See and Do with Your

Channel Islands National Park is located off the coast of California, just west of Los Angeles. The park protects five of the eight Channel Islands and features rich natural beauty and deep human history.  Archaeologists have found evidence of human activity on the northern Channel Islands stretching back more than 10,000 years. On Santa Rosa Island, remains known as Arlington Springs Man were dated to around 13,000 years ago.  The islands were later home to the Chumash peopl

63 national parks in the US. Your family can drive to most of them. You can plan a summer road trip, hit three or four in a week, collect the stamps in your DuckAbroad Travel Passport. Then there's the National Park of American Samoa. You can't drive there. You need a passport (the real kind) to visit. Around 10,000 people made the trip last year—meaning you're more likely to summit Mount Whitney than visit this park. We just added it to the passport. And it might become your

Saguaro National Park is one of the most unique desert landscapes in the United States, and it’s now a new destination in the DuckAbroad Travel Passport. The park is split into two areas just outside Tucson: the Tucson Mountain District to the west and the Rincon Mountain District to the east. Each one protects a different side of the Sonoran Desert, but both are filled with the park’s iconic giants — the towering saguaro cacti. Saguaros can grow more than 40 feet tall and li

Capitol Reef National Park is one of Utah’s most beautiful surprises. Tucked between red rock cliffs and winding desert canyons, it’s a place where families can explore colorful ridges, towering buttes, and miles of wide-open sky. The park gets its name from its unusual white sandstone domes, which look like the rounded tops of capitol buildings. These dome formations rise above the landscape like giant stone waves, creating some of the most distinctive scenery in the Southwe

Makapuʻu Point Lighthouse is the newest addition to the DuckAbroad lighthouse collection , and it’s one your family will love seeing in person. Located on the southeastern tip of Oahu, this bright white lighthouse with its striking red roof stands above some of the most dramatic coastal scenery in Hawaii. Built in 1909, Makapuʻu Point Lighthouse was designed to guide ships traveling between California and Honolulu. Its giant hyper-radiant lens is one of the largest of its kin

Fort Pillow State Historic Park in Tennessee marks the site of one of the most devastating and significant events of the Civil War. On April 12, 1864, after Union forces were defeated at the Battle of Fort Pillow, Confederate troops killed large numbers of surrendering Union soldiers — most of them members of the United States Colored Troops. The brutality of the attack shocked the nation. Survivors reported that many Black soldiers were shot after attempting to surrender, an

We’re excited to announce the first new destination for 2021 in the DuckAbroad Travel Passport: Joshua Tree National Park . Located in southern California, the park is home to the distinctive Joshua trees—and the protected area sits across two deserts, mostly within the Mojave Desert at higher elevations.  Joshua Tree was originally declared a national monument in 1936 and later redesignated as a national park in 1994 under the California Desert Protection Act.  For families