Yellowstone National Park: Adventuring with Kids

by Harley McAllister, Abby McAllister

Overview

• All activities certified “kid tested” by the authors’ four rambunctious sons
• Each includes best hikes, mountain bike routes, features to climb on, places to see wildlife, and more
• Natural history learning opportunities also included

The parents of four boys, Harley and Abby McAllister have spent the last few years figuring out the best way to explore our national parks with restless kids in tow. These first two books in this new series help families plan their vacations in Yellowstone National Park and in Utah’s “Big Five” national parks (Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, and Zion)—so that everyone has a memorable trip.

With an easy to follow organization based on park geography, an emphasis on outdoor fun and education, and an approach that zeroes in on the very best options for families, each guide fully explores the national park it covers. Family-friendly hiking trails for a range of age and skill levels; major natural sights, ; the best wildlife viewing spots, including wildlife checklists for kids to mark off; fishing, biking, climbing, and rafting opportunities—and much more are all detailed. The guides also promote the popular Junior Ranger programming found throughout the National Parks system, as well as other park programs that appeal to kids. And they provide basics on access, trip planning, and overnight options from campgrounds to lodges to cabins.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781680511130
Publisher:	Mountaineers Books, The
Publication date:	10/23/2017
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	192
File size:	65 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

As a family the McAllisters began to realize the value of the national heritage we all have in our National Parks when they lived overseas in the Dominican Republic for four years. Although Dominican Republic has its own national parks, too, they are under-protected and expensive to visit, usually requiring a human guide to lead you. And other than these few parks, there really is no public land. Realizing how much they had taken their own public lands for granted, Harley and Abby McAllister determined upon returning home to help their kids experience these lands more fully. They wanted their four boys to understand the value of our parks, to come to love and connect with them, so that they would also learn to protect the parks in the future. As they researched their park trips, they found a distinct lack of resources that were kid focused. Since they home school their boys and therefore spend a lot of time with them, Harley and Abby felt uniquely equipped to fill in this resource gap—and help other families by providing kid-focused guides that made it easy to plan visits to national parks. A trained educator and a strategic planner, Abby is the primary homeschool teacher for their children. Hers is a unique vision for trip and travel planning that is tailored to kids and their enjoyment. She loves the outdoors and travel and the joys of researching their books with the boys. She squeezes guidebook writing in wherever and whenever she can. Harley works as a project manager but is most alive when he is outdoors, especially with his wife and boys. He has lived in seven different states and on three different coasts including four years with his family in the Dominican Republic teaching at a nonprofit school. He has rafted, skied, snorkeled, backpacked, mountain biked, and camped in diverse locations in both North and South America. His goal is to to inspire others to get outside more often, and have fun doing it. • Hometown: Spokane, WA • Website/Blogs: www.our4outdoors.com www.nationalparkswithkids.com • Published books: See info, above. • Of special note: The McAllister boys are Kaden (15), Tavin (13), Logan (11), and Isaac (4). They are active and busy and getting them outside often is the only way to maintain sanity in the home! Homeschooling them allows their family to be flexible with their schedule so that they can travel to parks for extended periods of time and really engage in their natural surroundings. In addition to exploring nature, the boys love soccer, football, theater, legos, and Playdoh.

Editorial Reviews

Their [Harley and Abby McAllister's] expertise at researching, compiling and presenting useful information is outstanding, as displayed in their entire Adventuring with Kids guidebook series.... Travelers can benefit from checklists and sample itineraries to get the most out of one-day or multiday visits. The McAllisters filter out the best of the Park Service offerings and the most interesting activities an active family can do on its own.

The Spokesman-Review - Rich Landers

Featuring the best trail options for kids, complete with packing and wildlife checklists, the [Adventuring with Kids] books lay out fun, educational plans for your dream outdoor family vacation.

Seattle's Child - Sydney Parker

Every parent knows that traveling with kids can turn a seemingly idyllic vacation into a serious challenge. Harley and Abby McAllister would like to change that.... Their guides tend to focus on a number of factors that people don't typically consider when they travel — how long it can take to drive to a specific landmark, for example, or how to find a convenient place to stay for a night.

The Inlander - Nathan Weinbender