*This is a collaborative post When it comes to travel, many people tend to flock to popular destinations like Paris, Bali, or New York City. While these more mainstream destinations offer incredible experiences, countless hidden gems around the world offer equally amazing, if not more unique experiences – with fewer people. In this guide, we’ll explore some of the most …
Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the most popular national parks in the country. There is a ton of options for hiking, from shorter day hikes with great alpine lake views to longer backpacking trips. One of the most popular and scenic places to spend the day is along the Bear Lake Road Corridor. Here you can explore multiple …
I think that anyone with a serious love of wildlife has Africa on their bucket list. It is the mecca, one of the last places on earth to witness species of that magnitude in their natural setting. I was extremely fortunate to have visited South Africa, specifically Durban, as a graduate student. One of my conferences was being held in …
The Turks and Caicos islands are great place to get away and escape the winter months. The crystal clear water, the perfect weather, and being on the beach. We went to Turks and Caicos to escape the winter and were not disappointed. We booked a condotel (yeah, I didn’t know what that was either) but it was the perfect choice. …
There is a lot of data out there that getting out into nature is good for our mental health. And it is. A short hike on an easy trail is a great way to explore nature as beginner hikers. You don’t have to be hiking the Pacific Crest Trail to be a hiker or to even enjoy nature. There are …
In 2008 we hiked Mount Katahdin. It was my first time attempting a real hiking challenge and the hardest hike I had ever done. We were heading to Maine to attend a wedding and decided to hike the 5,267-foot mountain the day before the wedding. I had no prior major hiking experience, heck I didn’t even really work out at …
Lake Twentytwo is one of my favorite day hikes in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and only about one and a half hour northeast of Seattle. But because it’s such a beautiful alpine lake and perfect day hike, it is also one of the most popular hikes along the Mountain Loop Highway. Getting to Lake TwentyTwo The Lake 22 trailhead …
As I stood misty eyed in the early morning just after the sun had peeked over the hoodoos, looking into the amphitheater in Bryce Canyon national park, I remembered how everyone kept saying that hiking all of the Utah Mighty 5 National Parks on one trip was not easily done. Not unless you have extra time to spend in the …
I saw a commercial one day touting the beauty of Utah’s Mighty 5 National Parks and it was instant love. I had to hike Utah’s national parks. It became a serious bucket list item, right up there with “Hike the Camino” and “Climb Mount Kilimanjaro.” The best time to visit the parks is in the fall and for good reason; …
Grand Canyon National Park is not only a beautiful national park the grand canyon is one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. There’s a lot to see here and plenty of ways to enjoy the park, from hiking the rim to rim, to kayaking the Colorado river. You can even just take a scenic drive through the park …