Wisconsin Camping Trip Scrapbook Cover Page with Map

This summer our family took a 10 day/9 night camping trip to northern Wisconsin. We stayed at 3 different campgrounds for 3 nights each, and from those campgrounds we toured different areas of the state. It was kind of a camping trip and road trip all in one! We had a great trip and visited several State and National Parks and trails. I began scrapbooking it as soon as we got home and started with a cover page. I wanted to include an interesting map of the state to show where we went.

 

 

After finding a suitable map online, I printed it out and began to lay out the page, adding 3 polaroid frames down the side and debated whether to put pictures or text in the boxes. I went with text and decided to label each frame with the 3 campgrounds we stayed at, and then listed some of the things we saw and did in that area. 

 

 

On the map itself, I used small banner tags to label the State and National Parks we camped at or visited along the way, and used metallic brads to mark the locations on the map. I also added some larger metallic brads to the corners of the map to frame it out, and added a banner at the top that mimicked the look of the smaller tags on the map.

 

 

 

Here it the final layout - thanks for looking!

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South Dakota Album Cover Page

Sometimes one good idea leads to another. And then another. And pretty soon you have so many ideas that you don't know what to do with them all.

After working on the cover pages from our DC trip last week, I had several more ideas for new designs for cover pages, so I jumped in and started working on our South Dakota trip. I've really been trying to think of different ways to make cover pages for these travel albums, so for this one I wanted to create a "table of contents" in a sense, because there will be a lot of different places covered in this album.

I had picked up a South Dakota postcard while we were out there that I knew I wanted to use, and I had already chosen the paper and embellishments that I was going to use for this album. I really loved the We R Memory Keepers Shine collection and had already purchased it several months ago to use for this trip. Even though I didn't know what my photos would look like, I thought the Shine collection had the right feel...kind of natural/rustic/western without being totally in-your-face about it.

I again had to find a map online that I liked, and with the map chosen, the postcard, and the idea for the table on contents (destinations list) I was set to go.

This layout took me a little longer than I expected, partially because I needed to go through all of my folders of photos on my computer and make sure I didn't miss anything that I would later want added to the table of contents. Once I wrote out that list, there was no changing it. With the table of contents was set, I knew what layouts would be following the cover page and in what order, and I could put it all together. 

For the actual table of contents, I used 3 journaling cards stacked on top of each other. These cards had open slots to write in so they worked perfectly, but you could create the same effect with plain colored cardstock tags applied on a patterned paper. I also thought it would be fun to add the locations to the map with a numbering system for a visual of where we went.

And here is the final layout:

Road Trip Series #3: Virginia City Ghost Town

After leaving Glacier, we drove about 9 hours to Yellowstone National Park. On the way we stopped at Virginia City, Montana, an old 1860's mining town. Technically a ghost town since there are no permanent residents, Virginia City is now a tourist attraction and there are businesses there, but it is considered one of the most intact towns from that time period, and definitely worth stopping at. There are 2 towns just a couple of miles apart - Nevada City and Virginia City, we stopped at both.

(click on layouts for a larger view)

I actually had a really hard time choosing paper for these layouts. How do you scrapbook a ghost town? It's not like there are papers and supplies with a ghost town theme, and I didn't want it to have a halloween type feel. I choose some rustic papers that had a little bit of a modern design and added a few pieces of paper with some old fashioned patterns - almost like old wallpaper, and decided to blend the two. The color combinations went together, so I decided to go with it. I added some photo corners to a few of the photos for a little bit more of the old fashioned feel.

We stayed in Virginia City for an about hour, then got back on the road to get to Yellowstone. It was a good stop, the kids really liked it and we would have stayed longer if we could have. 

Next stop - Devils Tower National Monument
We went to Yellowstone from here, but again that's not in this album so I'll skip it. On with the road trip!

Scrapbooking National Park Trips

I've been spending a lot of time these last few months scrapbooking several different National Parks. National Park trips are a must-do vacation for many people and families at some point. Whether it is a day trip to a park near your home or a week long vacation out west, National Parks are not only great to visit, they are great to scrapbook! There are so many iconic photos you can take of the beautiful landscapes and surroundings – mountains, canyons, waterfalls, nature trails, old lodges, unique buildings, and interesting wildlife.

If you are planning a National Park trip, there are many different things you may want to add to your scrapook. Here are a few things to keep an eye out for or think about adding to your book:

1. National Park Sign - a picture of the National Park is a must! Whether it is the sign alone, you with the sign, your family and friends with the sign, or all of the above, just get a picture of it...or several! National Park signs are iconic and instantly recognized and you'll want one on your scrapbook.

2. Park Maps and Brochures - be sure to pick up any park maps and brochures that you find along the way. You'll most like use these as you travel, and they are great to add to your scrapbook. I always pick up 2 so that I can keep one intact and cut the other apart if needed.

3. Visitor Centers - many National Parks have great Visitor Centers and Ranger Stations. Stop in at these and take a few photos of the old structures or great exhibits. While you are there, look for brochures and maps, and get a Passport stamp!

4. Passport Stamps - our National Parks system has a Passport Stamp program that is available at almost all parks and monuments, and it is free. In most visitor centers and ranger stations there will be a small booth that has the passport stamp (sometimes they are at the info desk or by the checkout of the gift shop.) The stamps are free and can be stamped onto whatever you have - can you use a book or piece of paper. These can be fun to collect and many parks have multiple stops for stamps at the various visitor centers throughout the park.

5. Pull-outs and Turn-outs - most scenic drives will have various pull-outs and turn-outs for you to stop and take in the scenery. Some parks have a lot of these and it's easy to lose track of what you saw where. Most will also have a sign of what that particular pull-out is named or what you are looking at. Snap a picture of the sign before you start taking scenery pictures...when you get home, you will know exactly which pictures were from which overlook. You can also use those sign photos as labels in your book!

6. Trailheads - if you do any hiking, the trail should be marked with a trailhead sign. There will most likely be additional signs showing distances and directions on the trail. Snap a photo of the sign before you head out on your hike.

7. Lodges - many National Parks have historic lodges on site, and all of these are open to the public - you don't have to be staying there to walk through the lobby, eat at the restaurants, or shop in the gift shops within them. Visiting the old lodges can be a fun part of your trip, just like seeing the rest of the sites in the park. We try to stop at any of the lodges we are not staying at to check them out or grab a meal, but also to sit on the porches overlooking a lake, walk along the beach or lakeshore behind them, and just take in the scenery. Some of these lodges have great architecture and huge old logs that you may want to get photos of for you book.

8. Postcards - the National Park Service has some great postcards - many depicting historic artwork of scenes in the parks. Pick up a couple of your favorites - there are tons to choose from and the art makes a great addition to your scrapook!

9. Junior Ranger Badges - if your children want to participate in the Junior Ranger program, pick up the booklet at the visitor center and work through the booklet during your visit. Before you leave, stop back to the visitor center where a Ranger will check over the booklet and award your child their Junior Ranger badge. Some places also have a Junior Ranger Patch that you can purchase after you earn the badge. We've participated at several parks - they can range from fairly easy to quite difficult to earn! But they are fun to do, make for great photo ops, and once home you can take a photo of the badge or patch and add it to your book.

10. Scenery shots and detail shots - most people travel to national parks and monuments to take in the sights and see the monuments. When taking photos of these places, be sure to get a lot of scenery shots, but also detail shots. I've talked about detail shots before in this post, but take a few minutes to walk around and really notice the little details - bark on a tree, texture of old bricks, smooth rocks on the lakeshore. These can be great and unique additions to your scrapbook.

With so much to see at our National Parks, it can be hard to get it all in. If you miss a photo of a place or a sign, you can often find them online by doing an image search. I often copy or download images from the web and use them in my books if I've missed a photo that I later realized I wanted for an album. 

Most importantly, enjoy your trip to the national parks!  They are amazing places and so much fun - take tons of pictures and experience all that you can - then when you get home you can make an amazing scrapbook!