Kelly Krause

Winter Hike to Alberta Falls in Rocky Mountain National Park

Flying out of Northwest Arkansas regional airport (xna) to Denver

Last week we took a spontaneous trip out to Rocky Mountain National Park to play in the snow. It was the first time that I flew out of the airport in Northwest Arkansas. I was impressed with the ease of the small airport. We were able to walk from our parking spot right into the airport. Parking was less than $10/day. We easily found our gate and there were several places to grab a meal or purchase a magazine.

Family amenities at XNA include a giant chess board.

It was also the first time I attempted to fly with both girls without my husband. Since we were flying out of a small airport, the plane we traveled in had two seats on each side. The girls (ages 5 and 2) sat on one side of the aisle, and I sat on the other. Loaded with Kindles and Halloween leftovers, we happily made it through the two-hour flight to Denver.

Ready for take off from Northwest Arkansas Airport to Denver Colorado — Ready for take off!

The contrast between the airport in Northwest Arkansas and the busy Denver International Airport was huge. Luckily, I have some experience navigating the Denver airport. We were happy when we spotted my husband waiting for us at arrivals after getting off the train between concourses. With work visits scheduled along the way, he drove out to Colorado on his own, bringing our luggage and vehicle with him.

Hiking in the snow – alberta falls

Once in Colorado, we were ready to get out in the snow. We bundled up our family and headed into Rocky Mountain National Park. We decided to hike to Alberta Falls beginning at the Glacier Gorge Trailhead which sits at 9,180 ft. in elevation.

Glacier Gorge trailhead to Alberta Falls in Rocky Mountain National Park

At this altitude, there was a lot of snow and ice on the trail, so my husband and I both wore Yaktrax on our shoes to help with traction.

Yaktraxs help with traction in the snow — Yaktraks on hiking boots help with traction in snow.

The hike gains 220 ft of elevation and is a little under 1 mile each way. Our oldest daughter was able to hike most of it on her own. She did some slipping and sliding, so we were careful to hold her hand in spots we thought might be precarious.

winter hiking in rocky mountain national park

The weather was cold, but since we bundled up and kept moving, we felt pretty comfortable with the trees protecting us from the wind and the sun shining above.

kid friendly hiking in rocky mountain national park

The trail to Alberta Falls is well maintained, even in the snow. This is a very popular trail during the peak summer months. Many times when the Glacier Gorge parking lot is full, we have started this hike from Bear Lake.

trail signage to alberta falls and bear lake in rocky mountain national park.

We think Alberta Falls is one of the Best Waterfall Hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park. This was my first time hiking to Alberta Falls during the late fall/winter season. The snow and ice looked like a layer of sparkling white icing on the cliffs and boulders.

ice and snow in rocky mountain national park.

Alberta Falls is a powerful waterfall, but on this visit there was little visual evidence. Buried under the snow and ice, we could still hear water rushing underneath.

The trip back down to the trailhead was equally as beautiful as the journey up. I didn’t mind when my daughter frequently stopped to practice writing her name in the snow with a stick ‘wand’ she found, because I could look up and see snow dusted mountains towering in the distance.

snow covered mountains in rocky mountain national park

The highlight of the trail for the girls was when their Dad slid down the final steep hill with them.

sliding down snow covered hill in rocky mountain national park

I highly recommend hiking to Alberta Falls in Rocky Mountain National Park anytime of year. If you want a quiet hike and a front-row seat to see this landmark, winter is a great time to visit.

If you plan to hike during the winter, make sure to keep an eye on the weather and talk to the helpful park rangers about trail and road conditions. I got the trail stats for this post from one of our favorite guide books, Rocky Mountain National Park: The Complete Hiking Guide by Lisa Foster.

More snowy hikes in rocky mountain national park

A Winter Walk in Moraine Park That’s Worth Freezing For

Frozen river in Moraine Park — We chose Moraine Park because at 8,080 ft of elevation there is substantially less snow compared to areas of the park with higher altitude.

Lily Lake Loop on a Snowy Spring Morning

Winter hike around Lily Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park — Snow covered hike around Lily Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park

Hallett Peak Rocky Mountain National Park

Kids make trips to the mountains fun in so many ways. However, with two young girls, the number of long distance hikes my husband and I can go on are limited. One of the keys to our vacation happiness, is giving each other time to go on adventures while the other person stays back and plays with our kids. On a recent trip, I was excited that my husband could take my brother on one of our favorite hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park.

I was pretty jealous of their adventure, but not jealous about their alarm clock. They woke up before dawn and started the hike up to Hallett Peak in the dark with head lamps on. Since they arrived so early (5:25am), they were able to find a parking spot near Bear Lake which can be difficult to do on holiday weekends. (we went on Labor Day weekend)

Early start to hike up Hallett Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park

Hallett reaches 12,713 ft in elevation. The hike is 10 miles round-trip and involves a bit of class 2 scramble to reach the final destination. From the Bear Lake trailhead, the route follows the easy to follow trail to the summit of Flattop mountain for the first 4.4 miles, passing scenic overlooks of Dream Lake and Emerald Lake (link) along the way.

Sunrise view of Longs Peak from Flattop Trail in Rocky Mountain National Park

Sunrise view of Bierstadt Lake and Sprague Lake in the distance from Flattop trail

To reach Hallet from the aptly named summit of Flattop, hikers must do a bit of route finding, following cairns off-trail (trying to stay on hard surfaces to avoid damaging the fragile tundra flowers and plants). The route is relatively flat as it skirts around Tyndall Glacier on the left, but then gains nearly 400 feet of elevation in the last quarter-mile scramble to the summit. Its a fun challenge, with minimal exposure to steep drop-offs, though a turned ankle this far away from the car would still be miserable.

My brother hiking to Hallett Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park

The views from the top are amazing in all directions, from the Estes Valley, to Longs Peak, and even over to Grand Lake and the Never Summer Mountains to the west.

Eric on the summit of Hallett Peak — My husband on the summit of Hallett Peak

After snapping a few photos and taking a brief rest, they headed back down the mountain to Bear Lake with a round-trip time of just under 5 hours. I was very impressed that they were back in time for us all to go out to lunch together!

Arkansas Hike: Triple Falls (Twin Falls) near Buffalo National River

The leaves are beginning to change and the morning air is crisp and cool. We set out last weekend to drive through the scenic towns of Ponca and Jasper which sit along the Buffalo National River in Arkansas. This drive features towering bluffs, river views, fall foliage, and even a chance to spot elk which live in the Boxley Valley near Ponca.

triple Falls (twin falls)

The highlight of our day trip was a hike to Twin Falls, also known as Triple Falls. To get there, take highway 74 and turn on to Camp Orr road by Kyle’s Landing. The gravel/dirt road is well maintained, but very steep. Don’t attempt to drive down this road without a 4-wheel-drive vehicle. We stopped several times to rest our brakes so they wouldn’t burn up.

how to get to twin falls near ponca and jasper, buffalo river area hike. — Steep gravel road leading to Triple Falls (Twin Falls) hike

There is a small parking lot and signage to point you in the direction of the falls. The hike is only .3 miles each way. I still can’t believe that we walked such a short distance to find such a gorgeous spot.

twin falls near ponca and jasper, buffalo river area hike. waterfall hike. — Twin Falls signage

Perhaps the most confusing part of this hike is that it’s referred to as Triple Falls Trail on hiking sites such as AllTrails, however the official name is Twin Falls.

twin falls near ponca and jasper, buffalo river area hike. waterfall hike. short and family friendly hike in arkansas. — We held their hands to cross over slippery rocks near the falls. I’ve learned (the hard way) that I’d rather get our feet a little wet than falling on rocks.

twin falls (also known as triple falls) near ponca and jasper, buffalo river area hike. waterfall hike. short and family friendly hike in arkansas. — Our daughter enjoys taking her own pictures on short hikes like this one

When we turned back towards our car to continue our drive, our girls asked if we could stay longer. That’s a big win! If you are looking for a fun family-friendly adventure near Ponca and Jasper, I highly recommend checking out Twin Falls.

For a slightly longer adventure, check out the Lost Valley hike which is located nearby.

Texas Girls Trip

In the beginning of the year, I sat down and came up with a list of 19 things I wanted to do in 2019. I got this idea from the Happier with Gretchen Rubin podcast. Last month, I got to check ‘girls trip to Dallas’ off my list. My mom, sister, and I took a weekend away to visit old friends, indulge in a little pampering, and take a day-trip to Waco to shop at Magnolia Market.

I decided to drive to Dallas from my home in Fayetteville, Arkansas which took about 5 hours. During the drive, I appreciated the rare alone time and listened to an audio book. The hours passed by quickly, and soon I was at the airport to pick up my mom and sister who flew in from Kansas City. This was my first time driving to the airport in Dallas, so figuring out the airport toll and which terminal to go to, was the most stressful part of the journey. Luckily, I arrived at the right place at the right time.

harbor district in rockwall, texas

We chose to stay at a hotel close to our friend’s home in Rockwall, Texas which is 25 miles away from Dallas. Our room had views of Lake Ray Hubbard – one of the largest lakes in north Texas. We also enjoyed the hotel’s proximity to restaurants along the Harbor.

Harbor District on Lake Ray Hubbard in Rockwall, Texas

Enjoying authentic Tex-Mex was a priority item on my Texas to-do list, so we ate a late lunch at Gloria’s Restaurant at the Harbor. We also went to Hollywood Nails & Spa to get a pedicure. It was nice to get pampered! We headed back to our room to freshen up before meeting our friends at their lovely home.

road trip to Waco, texas

Visiting Waco on a Saturday in September, we knew we had to get an early start to arrive before the Magnolia attractions got too crowded. We ate breakfast at our hotel and drove nearly 2 hours to Waco. The time went quickly as we chatted.

When we arrived in Waco, we found off-street parking a couple blocks away from the Magnolia Silos. On the walk there, we stopped in fun decor shops called The Findery and the Findery Marketplace.

magnolia market

Once inside the Magnolia Market, it was difficult to decide what to look at first. How does Joanna Gaines design spaces that feel both crisp and cozy at the same time? I guess that is why so many people (including me) are drawn to visit the HGTV designer’s shops. Besides taking time to smell every type of scented candle, my favorite section was their beautiful garden. I’m inspired to plant daisies, lavender, and roses!

I love the sweet combination of Blackfoot Daisy and Fernleaf Lavender found in the Magnolia Garden.

Waxahachie, Texas

After a delightful morning in Waco, we headed back towards our hotel. On the way, we stopped for a late lunch in a quaint town called Waxahachie. On the town square we decided to try Farmluck. I wish we would have come with larger appetites. The ice cream desserts served from their old-fashioned soda fountain looked absolutely amazing. There is a vintage candy store in the back where I purchased kid-sized aprons for my two little girls.

downtown rockwall, texas

Once back in Rockwall, we took some time to relax and change clothes before heading out to dinner with our friends in downtown Rockwall. We enjoyed eating at Zanata where we shared a flavorful house salad and a ‘Spiked Happy Hour’ pizza cooked on their wood burning oven. Downtown Rockwall was bustling with live music and families taking pictures of their kids all dressed up for homecoming.

We ended our girls weekend with a final stroll around the Harbor and a glass of wine at a restaurant that had an outdoor patio. Great food, nice views, fun pedicures, amazing shopping, a little wine, and the best companions made our Texas trip a perfect girls weekend.

the best of texas

I hope you enjoyed reading about our girls trip to Texas. From Dallas to Austin and San Antonio – there are a lot of big destinations to choose from when planning a trip to the Lone Star State. The smaller city of Rockwall surprised us with its charm and walkability. We fit in a lot to our weekend getaway, but I know there is more to experience in Texas. I’m excited to go back.