We hopped on the Zion Canyon shuttle bus expecting to take the whole tour, but didn't realize it was 80 minutes round-trip, and after about 15 minutes, our toddler was too restless to continue. It would've been great without him, the views are incredible up the canyon, and there is running commentary playing about the history, geology, and other facts. We ended up getting off and doing some hikes, then heading home. The shuttle bus is SO nice for getting around though, we used it during our entire stay. You have to use it to get to most of the popular hikes.

We stayed at Horsehead Lake Campground on a road trip cross-country a few weeks ago, and were impressed with both the camping facilities and the day use ones as well. The camping grounds had nice tent pads, fire pits and grills, picnic tables, and vault toilets. The area was surrounded by trees, but there was little privacy between campgrounds. We went on a weekend in May, and it was not crowded at all, just a few other families. It is a little pricey ($10 for camping) since there are only vault toilets in the camping area, but just through a little path, you get to a playground, nice beach area, and flush toilets with hot showers. Not bad! We took our 2.5-yr-old and baby with us camping, and we were comfortable in the campground and our toddler LOVED the beach area. It was sandy, but you had to wear shoes because there were stickers in the grass. The lake was a little cold in May, but that didn't stop our son from jumping in. I bet it is perfect in June and July. There were boats on the lake fishing, and it seems like they caught quite a bit when they came in. We also met some teenagers who were out kayaking (looked like SO much fun, alas, our kids are too small for that quite yet...)

When we walked into the Iron Gate Inn for the first time to check in, we were greeted by CR and Susan at the front door with warm smiles and handshakes. They showed us around and to our rooms, then offered beverages and asked if we needed anything. This welcome was a good precedent for the two nights we would spend there, and the service we would receive.

The Inn was clean, and our room was large and comfortable. We opted for a king-sized bed since we have little ones that tend to end up in our bed with us, and Susan provided us with a twin-sized rollaway for our toddler that he loved (he actually slept on it ALL night, which is not usual for him). Our favorite part about the room was the shower, it was large and had three showerheads... it was amazing. The bathroom again was large with two sinks and a quaint little pitcher and bowl for washing up. There were plenty of towels and toiletries, and CR was quick to replenish our supply when we ran out.

Breakfast was right at 8:30 and delicious!! The portions were perfect, not too small but not too much for that early in the morning. The first morning was amazing stuffed french toast and berries. Our hosts even made a cute child-sized portion perfect for our son. There was also a variety of coffees and teas available, plus juice and milk. The second morning we were served yogurt parfaits followed by cheesy pastries topped with baked apples. Both meals were absolutely scrumptuous and were the perfect start to our day. I was paranoid about our toddler spilling on the pretty white tablecloths, to which Susan replied: "you'd be surprised how many adults spill!" and urged me not to worry, but to relax and enjoy ourselves. I was a little nervous to stay in a fancy bed and breakfast with our two little ones, but we were made to feel absolutely at home and comfortable, and even when our toddler became a little unruly and was running around and playing, I didn't feel like we were intruding at all. Most bed and breakfasts don't allow children under a certain age at all, and I loved that we could enjoy a semi-romantic few nights and not worry about leaving our toddler or two-month-old at home with someone.

Overall, our stay was lovely, and we were well taken care of. Susan was constantly asking if we needed anything, and was always around to offer us suggestions on where to go out to eat (she suggested a Mexican place for Cinco de Mayo, and it was FABULOUS and close by) and even brought up a small TV and some children's movies for our son when he didn't want to settle down to go to sleep one night.

I would recommend this bed and breakfast to anyone, but especially if you have young children. The prices are reasonable as well, considering how beautiful, clean, and spacious the rooms and sitting areas are.

We received a complimentary two-night visit to the Iron Gate Inn for the purposes of reviewing for Trekaroo. We were not asked to express any particular opinion.

Sesqui has a lot of great features for the area, especially the decent campgrounds. Having grown up in the area, we usually just went to the mountains in upstate SC for great camping, but if we just wanted a day trip, we went to Sesqui (now that I live in Utah and am completely spoiled by the mountains nearby, I'm really sad to be moving back to SC this spring). Not as picturesque, but the campgrounds are decently maintained. Since they don't require a long drive or hike to get to, you'd sometimes get rowdy crowds of drunk teenagers or college students. There was also a crime spree in the area a few years back, but I think they have been doing a lot to improve safety recently. In the summer, nights are very, very hot so bring lots of water and make sure you have a tent with good ventilation! Or, if you are going to sleep under the stars, wear lots of bug spray or you will get eaten alive by mosquitos!

Being from Columbia, SC, unfortunately there is not a lot of "hiking" in the immediate area, you have to drive a ways. This swampy outdoors oasis is not too far from the capitol and provides a nice days worth of being out in nature without the long drive. There is a long boardwalk over the swampy water that you can explore, and then there are parts where you are hiking through woodsy areas as well. We went a few summers ago, and though it was a hot day, under the canopy of trees in the shade the temperature was rather mild. We saw a lot of wildlife, including wild boars! Just make sure to wear sunscreen and LOTS of bug spray. I've never tried the canoeing, but would love to in the future when my kids are older.