While up north for my class reunion I stopped into the Mall of America in Minneapolis before my flight on Sunday. I was pleasantly surprised with my finds the last time I was at the Mall and happened upon Forever 21. I thought I would check in there to see if I could find any more of the kimonos like I had purchased when I was up there this past Spring: Style: Boho Kimono Look

Forever 21 surpsied me again! Not only did I find another two Kimonos, but I also found a casual look there for our upcoming 8 National Parks road trip! I love leggings. I could live in them. The problem with wearing them as active wear is most workout tops aren’t long enough. Even the ones classified as tunics are never long enough for me! I am tall, but my height is in my legs, as I have an average torso length. Therefore, I know that other ladies must have this same problem.

I want to wear leggings when I am doing active things, but I also want a top that has decent coverage. I found exactly what I have had in mind for over a year now. Forever 21 is amazing!! They have T-shirt mini dresses. They are technically longer than a tunic, but shorter than a regular dress. They come down mid to upper thigh which is comfortable for me. That way I can hike, bend down to help kids, and do everything active on our upcoming trip while being comfortable. I bought a total of 6 of these t-shirt mini dresses at forever 21.

Next I had to find leggings. I went shopping on Amazon and found super soft leggings in a variety of prints. I bought mostly Capri length and then a few longer ones as well. Here is the link to the leggings I am wearing with the purple top. Amazon Leggings

They are the softest leggings and I like that they are more breathable and more comfortable than spandex leggings. You can’t beat the price either!! They are a true bargain and are great quality too.

While at TJMaxx the other day I found that they had sleeveless t-shirt dresses in their activewear and beach cover up sections. I am thrilled with these finds as well.

While out visiting the National Parks I find that sometimes I need a backpack and other times I need a bag/purse. I bought a Baggallini cross body purse for this trip. I also picked up a North Face backpack. I am a fan of both of these brands as they make products that last for years and years and can take heavy use and abuse. My friend Jan introduced me to Baggallini while in Guatemala about 10 years ago. I went and bought one based on her recommendation and I still use that bag on a regular basis! It is one that zips into a little pouch when not in use so it is super handy to take along as an extra bag.

Here are my two new bags for this trip, I bought based on quality and their ability to hold up in the elements and over time.

My favorite find on this shopping venture to the Mall of America was this colorful pair of Adidas sneakers. They have rugged enough bottoms to be used on our trail hikes too.

I like planning my outfits for each day before we even hit the road. We do many 5am mornings (or earlier) on our trips. Instead of calling it a “vacation” we like to call our trips adventures! We make the most use of our time , so mornings I don’t like to waste time picking out clothes. I have a system for packing that works well for us: Packing for Family Trips: Some Tips to Make it Easier

Using this packing system makes it very easy to get up, ready, and on the road quickly each morning.