- Chris and Rob Taylor launched the first LGBTQ family travel blog
- Together they have visited more than 48 states and their goal is to “visit them all.”
- Its highlights include Hatcher Pass in Alaska and the Maine Highlands.
If you’re up for a road trip but want to avoid the crowds, two parents who have collectively visited 48 US states have shared their top picks off the beaten path.
Florida-based Chris and Rob Taylor launched the first LGBTQ family travel blog with their site 2Traveling Dads and they plan to reach all 50 states.
With her two young children, her goal is to visit lesser-known destinations so that everyone can learn something new from the experience.
Talking with Business informationRob sorts Alaska as one of their favorite hidden gems.
After living in the 49th state, he recommends skipping the popular Parks Highway route from Anchorage to Fairbanks and opting for a more rugged stretch of road that takes you toward Palmer and up to Hatcher Pass.
Florida-based Chris and Rob Taylor are proud to launch the first LGBTQ family travel blog with their site 2TravelDads. Pictured above in Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska
He said of this route: ‘There’s a whole scenic side to the state that people overlook because everyone drives on Parks Highway.
‘On the other hand, you can drive through the wilderness and experience the tundra. It’s not a very popular destination… (and) it’s worth the detour.’
Some of the family-friendly activities include bird watching, moose watching, and there is also a mining tour that covers some of the history of the area.
If you’re headed to Montana, Rob recommends visiting Glacier National Park, but coming from the east side, where there are “a lot less people” and you can have an “experience separate from the rest of the world.”
In Utah, if you’re short on time, the avid traveler advises skipping Zion National Park and visiting its less-visited neighbor, Canyonlands.
He describes the landscape there as “very red, orange and gold,” with lots of “canyons and landslides” to explore.
Capitol Reef, which gets about a quarter of Zion’s traffic, could be another option, with “really big sandstone monoliths” and “natural bridges” among its attractions.
Jumping over to the East Coast, Rob offers Columbia, South Carolina as a great getaway town.
The metropolis has “a lot of wonderful history in terms of civil rights and Civil War Reconstruction,” while Conagree National Park is just a short drive away.
Commenting on the area of natural beauty, Rob says: ‘It’s an incredible cypress swamp full of snakes, alligators, birds and fireflies.
“It’s beautiful, it’s creepy and it’s squishy. It’s a unique park visit to do with kids.”
Finally, instead of heading to the coast of Maine, which fills up quickly when it’s warmer, Rob prefers to head to the Highlands.
If you’re heading to Montana, Rob recommends visiting Glacier National Park, but approaching it from the east side.
He says of this picturesque spot: “It’s really a wonderful place for wildlife, and you get to see what the Northeast was like before all the cities were booming.”
He Visit Maine The tourism website notes that the Highlands are home to “more than 200 waterfalls, countless miles of hiking trails, excellent hunting opportunities and some of the best snowmobile trails in the world.”
Through their website, the Taylors offer travel advice throughout the United States, as well as to various international destinations.
They estimate that they drive around 4,000 miles each year with their vehicle.
In terms of their mission statement, they say, ‘Our mission is to normalize non-traditional families and promote acceptance of loving and caring people regardless of family composition.
‘Our goal is to encourage families like ours to be visible in the world, traveling beyond their comfort zone with confidence and paving the way for the next generation of LGBTQ people to have confidence that they are creating the right family for themselves wherever they are.’