Speaker 1: 0:00

Hi, I'm Alexa and I'm Rory, and together we are the Romies we are married. To each other.

Speaker 2: 0:08

Right, we are a touring musical duo.

Speaker 1: 0:11

And our music has taken us to all kinds of places all around the world and keeps us always on the go, so we hope you enjoy our stories and adventures while running around working to keep all your plates spinning.

Speaker 1: 0:22

And we hope to facilitate your busy lifestyle and feed your inner travel bug. Hi everyone, we are so excited to have Jennifer Broom on our episode, on this podcast episode and this whole entire month. We are very excited and honored to have her as our guest and I got to meet her at the Travel and Adventure Show. I've mentioned that to you guys a few times before.

Speaker 1: 0:51

Jennifer, we are recording now because you have been a major globetrotter and you like Even though you're not from Harlem still you've been a globetrotwer for many years, but it's really amazing what you have been doing, so you want to give us a little recap before we dive into our main content today.

Speaker 2: 1:11

Yeah, I mean, I guess the biggest thing that I've done recently, as you are correct. I mean I've been everywhere ping pong and the globe but the big thing I just recently did was to stand on top of the roof of Africa, the tallest freestanding mountain in the world. I trekked Kilimanjaro and made it to the top of it, 19,341 feet high.

Speaker 1: 1:36

Wow, Did you have to have oxygen that high?

Speaker 2: 1:40

No, I didn't, and ironically, I've also trekked to Everest base camp. But when you see people that are trekking to Everest base camp and you see that iconic shot of the rock that people stand in front of, that's actually at 17,200 feet. So I got special. Yeah, our trek group, which is Dr John Kudrowski, is a very, very dear friend of mine. It's Dr John Adventures. He has summited Everest multiple times. I trust my dear friend a lot with my life on the mountain. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2: 2:16

So on Everest, we went in and had special permission to go into base camp, so I actually made it to 17,500. So 17,500 feet was the highest I had ever, been powered by my own two feet, woo.

Speaker 1: 2:29

Nice.

Speaker 2: 2:30

Still hitting the top of Kilimanjaro, so I don't know. So now it's kind of like well, what's next? What am I going to do? What's my next big trek or big adventure? But I'll figure that out soon, I guess Outer space baby. Hey, if somebody says Jen do you? Want to go.

Speaker 1: 2:49

I am in Come on the next ride of SpaceX up into space.

Speaker 2: 2:52

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 2:53

I love it.

Speaker 2: 2:54

That would be awesome.

Speaker 1: 2:55

Yes, well, jen, we wanted to dive in this month and bring you back to the US and let's talk national parks. And what we're going to do y'all just to kind of give you an overview is this month we're going to talk about where you can visit national parks, like the best time of the year for each one. So we're going to go through each season and so each week we're going to bring you a new season of the year and have Jennifer share with us what are the prime national parks to go visit at these certain times of year. So do you want to just give us a quick little intro on what got you interested or passionate about state parks or national parks in the first place?

Speaker 2: 3:39

Yeah, I think folks are kind of surprised when I say I'm going for all 433 National Park Service units. I am well on my way. I am over 250 of those and that does include the 63 national parks. I am at 48 and counting, hoping to quickly add a couple of others before the snow settles in, even though there are some parks that are, I think, better in the winter, some of them with snow. But yeah, I do spend a lot of time in the national parks and really taking advantage of the public lands that we have. Each one is unique, Each one is special. I love national parks, but I also truly do love things like the national monuments, the historic sites, the battlefields, those because those are a little bit more approachable, that you can actually visit a national historic site or a national monument and really take in that whole thing within a half day or a full day. National parks you need typically more than a day.

Speaker 1: 4:38

Yes, yes. So you've got to. You have to plan them out well. So if you can plan them according to season, then you really can kind of plan your year, plan out your wardrobe, all of the things, know what to expect. And so let's dive in this episode into spring.

Speaker 2: 4:57

Okay, so spring is kind of that season of rebirth, it is the season of growth. I'm going to start you first of all at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in Colorado. So it's the tallest sand dunes in North America. They kind of just come out of the high plateau, the high valley floor and they're just incredibly gorgeous. But the reason that I picked spring is because, although I will tell you, I also really love them in winter, like if you want to get away for solitude and see no one around, then go in the winter, because I've done that too. But in particular for spring it's because of a special phenomenon that happens and it's called surge flow. So there is a creek it's Medno Creek that's at the base of the sand dunes and in the late spring, even going into early summer so kind of prime time, for it is May going into early June you get that snow melt, runoff and so that increases that creek and it's the surge blow. So it's basically that there are little tiny waves and ripples that happen in this creek and they're rolling backwards. So it's a rare phenomenon.

Speaker 2: 6:04

It's one of the best places to see it in the world, so you can go. You can go all the way up and hike in the sand dunes. You can take, you know, you can ride a board. You can ride the dunes, if you want, on kind of like a like a snowboard or it's kind of a fun thing that people do. You can hike through them, you can run through them and then you can enjoy the creek. And I mean when it's at the peak flow you're going to see people there like in their inner tubes, kids having a great time, and even when it's low you can still see it a little bit throughout the year. But it's just kind of. I think the Great Sand Dunes are a little bit of a hidden gem, especially when you're talking about national parks in the West, because it is a lesser visited national park. So it's certainly one to put on your list.

Speaker 2: 6:49

Yeah, sounds pretty awesome. I bet the water's a bit chilly. Huh, it can be a little on the cool side. Let's call it refreshing. How about that phrase? I mean you can get a little bit of like, like the nature's cryotherapy. You know your cold plunge. Yes.

Speaker 1: 7:08

Yes.

Speaker 2: 7:10

Yeah. So, kind of keeping with that water theme a little bit, I'm going to take you to a couple of other places, and the first one being let's go to Florida. In particular, we're going to go to Key West and we're going to go 70 miles off of Key West and drive Tortuga's National Park. So this one does take some planning because there's only two ways to get there by boat, or you can take, like, the ferry, which is a fun way to do it for an all-day adventure, or you can do what I did, and it's go in a seaplane. The reason I did the seaplane is because they fly at about 500 feet, so on the way out there, I think it's about a 20-minute plane ride, if I remember correctly.

Speaker 2: 7:49

On the way out there you can see things like sea turtles and dolphins and really see the marine wildlife as you're on your way to the fort. And the fort itself that you get to visit is the largest masonry structure in the Western Hemisphere and you'd think it's kind of like well, it's out in the middle of nowhere, but it was built to protect a very significant waterway because it is the entrance into the Gulf of Mexico. Go back in history and think about how important that Gulf of Mexico and then going on up towards places like New Orleans and all the ports, all the ports that reside in the Gulf, how significant that waterway would have been. So it's a fun way that you can go and learn a little history. Take the tour and you're kind of on a self-guided tour, so it's you get that time to walk around and then you can go snorkeling or swimming afterwards and then either catch the ferry ride or catch the plane back. So that's that's another great one.

Speaker 1: 8:48

Or if it's you, you're going to be swimming back. I was. I was surprised that you took a plane. I just figured you were going to swim there and back.

Speaker 2: 8:56

Oh no, no no, I'm taking that seaplane on the way back, okay, but another one I also think too. You know I mean so many people. Hawaii is a dream destination for a lot of people and it's easier than ever to get to Hawaii with now so many nonstop flights, including my base in Denver, so including right out of Denver. Multiple airlines now have nonstop flights. But in particular, you guys have probably seen, of course, all the buzz with the volcano erupting on Hawaii Island and in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Yes, you know, I mean all of us. If you're going, if you're interested in volcanoes, that's kind of a mecca spot for you to go visit. But I'll honestly tell you I was so pleasantly surprised my cousins and I did this adventure and we spent a day driving through the park so it's called Chain of Craters Road and you just get to see the volcanic landscape, but also not just seeing it, you can kind of immerse yourself in it. So we did a couple of hikes, including going into a lava tube and getting that experience and then walking out onto a lava bed floor where you can still see the uneven surface you know from an eruption years and years and years ago. So there are things like that to do along this incredible scenic drive in a national park, but it also takes you all the way to the coast. So it's kind of going from you know the hot bubbling lava to listening to the ferocity of the waves of you crashing on this extremely jagged and beautiful coastline. But at the same time as you get closer to the coast you get an opportunity to experience some Hawaiian history and learn a little bit about that. There's a word in Hawaii called ohana and it means family and it is kind of synonymous with aloha and just the welcoming vibe that you get when you do get to go to Hawaii. But that family Ohana extends to an area that's very close to the coast. You can get out, do a short hike on or short walk really on some boardwalks and see petroglyphs, and that was a huge surprise. I was like wait, what Hawaii has? Petroglyphs? Yeah, so kind of an unexpected thing. You expect to see the volcanoes and if you're lucky you also get to see an eruption, which is a phenomenal thing to see. I love watching the webcams and things from there, but that's a great one.

Speaker 2: 11:28

I would also say Haleakala on Maui. I recently did it and I did it in the spring and I did not do the sunrise. I didn't get the permit because I decided too late that I was going to do it. But I'm kind of glad I didn't because I went a little bit later and I feel like that I got it without the crowds because the sunrise is the time that everyone wants to go. And I started asking a lot of locals about it and they said, oh, the secret time to go is actually sunset. So I was like, well, that's good to know. It's also great to be able to share that. But I just really enjoyed it. It's an incredibly beautiful scenic drive that does take you from kind of a rainforest experience all the way up to, you know, the very barren 10,000-fe landscape that you experienced there. So that's a great one to do if you happen to be on Maui. And then I just want to take you into California Kind of.

Speaker 2: 12:23

I think a little lesser known national park is Pinnacles National Park. It's less than two and a half hours from San Francisco. I did this on a solo adventure and went and did one of my favorite hikes ever in a national park, and the reason being I asked a ranger. I said hey, here's what I'm looking to do and he said, ok, do this, and he's like connect these couple of trails. And I went through. It was called Condor Gulch Trail and going through the weather had been kind of off and on raining. So of course you want to make make sure as you should with any national park and you're venturing make sure you have the proper gear.

Speaker 2: 13:02

No bad weather, there's only bad gears make sure you have, make sure you have rain gear, make sure you also have, um, you know, some layers and some snacks and water those are kind of and sunscreen. But I go and all of of a sudden I'm like the only one on the trail because the weather had been iffy and it had been raining off and on. So I'm going along and all of a sudden I spot what looks like a huge bird and tentacles is known for the endangered Californian condor. And not only did I get to see one, but I started noticing two, and then three, and they're swirling, they're riding the thermals and it is just, I mean it's jaw dropping. I mean it's that awestruck moment of watching, you know, just this beautiful, incredibly stunningly beautiful large bird, and not only get to see one but get to see multiple. So then getting that, and then it started to rain. So not only did I get to see the condors flying, I also started watching them and seeing several others watching them land and then really watching and going, others watching them land and then really watching going. Whoa, those birds are huge.

Speaker 2: 14:13

And of course, you know, kind of continued up this great hike, got to the ridgeline and it is notorious, the trail that I went on the ridgeline, one notorious for some steep, narrow passageways and really almost like hand and foot kind of holds that you have to go through. And if that's the time you know true to form being a meteorologist getting smacked with crazy weather, you know it's part of it and getting that adventure of really having to navigate and enjoying this rocky terrain, this beautiful terrain, feeling the elements. But I think that's a special one too, that it is definitely worth that drive to go and I actually, the way I did it was I went and spent a night in Hollister and then went on in and hiked those trails. So there's a cave if you want a little bit less of a strenuous hike. You know the bear cave there, that's another area to do, but I would definitely put that one on your spring list too. I love it. Yeah, it, yeah.

Speaker 2: 15:10

Condor some of the biggest birds in the world. Those things are enormous, they are. And to get to see them in their natural habitat and to get to see it with without droves of other people, yeah, I just I felt like they put on a special show just for me. I don't know what I did that day to deserve it. I literally just stopped. I just stopped on the trail and just watched nature at its finest and enjoy that moment of just seeing something that's pretty spectacular, because you're not always guaranteed. You guys know I mean you're in national parks, as much as people would like to say whatever the national park is, if they want to see whatever kind of wildlife that national park is known for, because of course it does vary across the country, there are no guarantees that you will see anything.

Speaker 2: 15:58

And to be treated to a show like that it was just something spectacular, but I did that in March, so I kind of consider that a prime. If you can put up with the possibility of some rain showers, go and march it and get that.

Speaker 1: 16:12

Get that national park to yourself, yeah love it well I guess it is a great time well, jennifer, do you have any other spring tips for us?

Speaker 2: 16:22

I think if you were going to national parks in the springtime, of course you know you might have to deal with some spring break crowds, especially into some of those more popular parks. I'm just going to throw that out there, you know. I mean, if you're going to a place, say, for example, big Bend National Park, march is a prime time that you will encounter, going to encounter those spring break crowds at that national park. But it's also a great time to think about some of those that so many people flop to in the summertime, to kind of think about maybe going into a different month. So in going into that springtime in particular, if you can go outside of those few couple of like primetime spring break weeks in March, you can do like April To me.

Speaker 2: 17:03

I spend a lot of time going to some of the national parks, especially the Mighty Five in Utah. That is my favorite time of year and almost every April you're going to find me hiking in at least one of those Mighty Five because you get great weather, you get the longer days and if it's during the week especially, you're going to get less crowds. So you know, if you can, it kind of parlays, I guess, for any time of year, especially for late spring, summer and early fall, the most popular times in the parks, with July and August being your prime time. You know, if you can go during the week, you're going to be treated to solitude in those parks, or at least be able to find it somewhere Not everywhere to solitude in those parks, or at least be able to find it somewhere, not everywhere. But you know. But in of course, in the springtime, make sure you are prepared that you do still have at least a puffy jacket and have a raincoat.

Speaker 1: 17:52

You're going to need those potentially yeah, and this from the meteorologist you got to trust what she says, that's right.

Speaker 2: 17:59

That's right, baby all right y'all.

Speaker 1: 18:02

So you need to be following jennroom if you are not already. Her website goes with the whole Broom thing of her last name. She's Jennifer Broom with an E at the end, and her website is sweptawaytodaycom. That's her main platform for her travel stories, weather insight, environmental journalism and destination guides. So we will put that on the show notes, as well as how you can connect with her on her socials. On Instagram, she's at Jennifer Broom Travel Again, broom is with an E and on Facebook she's Jennifer Broom TV. So check her out there Again. We'll put all her socials and her website on our show notes and we can't wait to see you next week when we take you to National Parks in the summer. See you then. We hope we've inspired you this episode, so join us next time. Please subscribe to rate and share our podcast with your friends or you know whomever?

Speaker 1: 19:03

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Speaker 2: 19:05

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Speaker 1: 19:10

We're also on X and on all social platforms. We are at TheRomies that's T-H-E-R-O-A-M-I-E-S, and our main hub is our website At wwwtheromiescom.

Speaker 2: 19:19

That's right, that's.

Speaker 1: 19:20

T-H-E-R-O-A-M-I-E-S dot com. We'll be there until next time. Yeah, thanks for listening. Bye, thank you.