Encouraging women to try adventurous travel
“Disneyland rock formations with a bananas view” is exactly how my partner describes the Lizard’s Mouth hike in Santa Barbara. I have trouble even calling it a hike because it is such a short walk, but there is a trail to follow with uneven steps, …
“I’m still falling!!!(!!)!!!” I clearly remember internally screaming while mid-bungee jump. Perhaps it shouldn’t surprise me, but it’s a long fall! Since you’re reading this post, you can believe I did it. I went bungee jumping to celebrate my birthday while on the South Island …
If there is ever a place to take a scenic helicopter flight, it’s New Zealand. Honestly, the word “scenic” feels like an understatement when describing the dramatic landscapes that make up the Fiordland area of the South Island. So for this blog post, when I …
After experiencing the magic of the fjords in Norway, I knew I NEEDED to cruise the Milford Sound on the New Zealand South Island. Milford Sound is technically a fjord carved by glaciers and features dramatic mountains, waterfalls, and ocean wildlife. You can experience the …
With iconic Instagram sights like Roy’s Peak and #ThatWanakaTree, you might be surprised to find out that Wanaka is NOT an over-run tourist stop. Sure, there will be a line of photographers with tripods during each sunset to capture the #ThatWanaka tree, but the small …
When arriving at any new big city, it’s a bit overwhelming. This time, in order to combat the overwhelm, I arranged to go on an Old Havana Walking Tour to better understand the city… guess what?! It worked! Walking around the city with a local …
Immediately drawn to the icicle archways that I saw online and on Instagram, I knew I needed to go to Ice Castles when I first discovered it a couple of years ago. Each time I visited a cold place, I would check to see if …
The Stegastein viewpoint is a platform, which hangs from a cliff, giving you 180-degree views of the Aurlandsfjord and village below. The platform juts from the rock and ends in a rounded shape. The rounded shape makes it look like you can easily walk off …
Of the cities we visited during my first trip to Norway, I think Fjaerland was the most darling! Situated at the top of one of the arms of the Sognefjord, this peaceful little town has spectacular views and books. Yes, you read that correctly, Fjaerland …
Railay beach is ridiculously beautiful. It has white sands, clear warm water, and vertical limestone karsts that shoot up from the ocean on either side of the beach. The only way to get to Railay Beach is by boat. With the long tail boats pulled …
It can be tough to decide which small town to stay in when visiting the castles, Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau. We opted for Füssen and were not disappointed! The size of the town is small, cute, and walk-able, but big enough to have a variety of …
We headed to Garmisch-Partenkirchen with the hopes of paragliding, but with back-up plans to hike or explore. The stars must have aligned because everything worked out and I’ll come right out and say it: Paragliding Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Germany was incredible. For the following couple days, …
If the first thing you learn about Salzburg is that it was the home of Mozart, then the second thing you will learn is that this is where the story behind the Sound of Music began. The Sound of Music is an American classic, so …
Königssee is technically in Germany, but only about a 45-minute drive outside Salzburg, Austria and we decided to make a day trip to see the beautiful lake. Königssee or the “Kings Lake” is a stunning alpine lake with steep mountainous walls. There are no hiking …
One of the first things you will learn about Salzburg is that it was the home of Amadeus Mozart. You will see everything from Mozart chocolates, music notes on scarves, and an ever-present crowd outside the place he was born. It is Mozart-mania and the …
Kodachrome Basin is a sweet little state park that sees much less traffic than nearby national parks and has a mysterious past. We decided to dip into Kodachrome Basin while driving back from Escalante National Monument to our campground in Bryce Canyon National Park. To …
In comparison to nearby national parks and monuments, Bryce Canyon National Park is petite, yet packs in unique geological formations and views. Being at a higher elevation, camping in Bryce Canyon is comfortable and cool – even cold at night! It also tends to be …
If you’ve done any research for a trip to the American Southwest, then you’ve seen a picture of Horseshoe Bend in Arizona. Located just south of Page and Lake Powell area of Arizona, Horseshoe Bend is a horseshoe-shaped meander of the Colorado River. By walking/hiking …
The Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park has a very apt name with a series of warm pinkish sand dunes to frolic and explore. It is a lesser visited park in the southern Utah area, but can be a nice reprieve from the crowded National …
The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is covered in pine trees, with a lot of shade, and some green grass, which is a completely different vibe than the south rim. At around 8,000 feet elevation, it feels and smells like pine. There is an …
Lower Antelope Canyon is just as beautiful in person as in all the pictures. Walking through the canyon, you experience the natural shapes of the canyon walls reflect light to create golden, orange, red, and violet hues. Looking toward the sky, the high canyon walls …
Valles Caldera is a National Preserve in Northwest New Mexico, known for its expansive meadows and wildlife. It is one of the newer national preserves and truly embraces preservation, which means you can expect to experience nature nearly alone and see the abundant wildlife. We visited …
Tuolumne Meadows of Yosemite is a breath of fresh air when visiting this increasingly popular National Park. This area of the park sits at a higher elevation than the Yosemite Valley and covered in snow from October to May. But from June to September, you …
“The Salton Sea used to draw a larger crowd than Yosemite as a tropical lakeside getaway.” It’s baffling to see a statement like this because of how bizarrely abandoned it now stands. Like Death Valley, The Salton Sea is well below sea level. Once a …
Besides the cenotes, the archeological site of Mayan ruins are one of the most popular things to do in Tulum. And boy are they popular. We only had a short time in Tulum and opted to have a morning at the Tulum ruins. Although beautiful, …
The Tikal Ruins in Guatemala are massive Mayan structures that reach above the treeline in the Peten jungle. When we found out they are 2 hours from the Belize border and saw the pictures…. I knew a trip needed to happen. Although close by, most …
One of the most visited areas of Death Valley National Park, Zabriskie Point is an overlook of light, sand-color badlands. Zabriskie Point is near the southeastern entrance to the park, so great to stop by when entering or leaving Death Valley. Popular and easy-to-access, this …
Artist’s Palette, Death Valley If you are visiting Death Valley, absolutely do not miss Artist’s Drive and Artist’s Palette. Artist’s Drive is a nine mile gorgeous drive that is one way, heading north. The drive is a meandering road with a variety of views – …
During our trip to Utah, I wanted to include a day-long activity. I looked into whitewater rafting (will HAVE to do next time we visit) and longer hikes. The problem with longer hikes in the middle of summer is the amount of gear required and …
We almost didn’t go to Monument Valley, while visiting Utah, but boy and I am happy we made the trip. On the drive in, you begin seeing the enormous sandstone buttes in the distance. As you get closer, you try to find the spot Forest …
Dead Horse Point State Park has one spectacular view of a U-shaped bend in the Colorado River, surrounded by red canyon walls. Beyond this viewpoint, I believe the main attractions are pet-friendly trails and mountain biking. In National Parks, mountain biking is generally not allowed, …
I am no expert. I am no scientist. But I do know how to use the internet to research. And I made it a personal mission to see the elusive Aurora Borealis. Part of my determination originated from being unable to see the Northern Lights …
This should be a short, but explosive post about visiting Geysir (you see what I did there?). I am solely focusing on Geysir, so if you are planning a visit and you are not going on a tour, you may be asking yourself: Geysir, is …
Iceland – Southeastern Coast Drive When traveling to Iceland in winter, one main attraction is to drive the ring road along the southeastern coast or at least a portion of it to see gorgeous waterfalls on one side and the ocean with black sand beaches …
Iceland – To do in Akureyri Akureyri is the second biggest city in Iceland and located in the center of the northern coastline. I am here to make the case for visiting Akureyri in winter and what you can do there. The biggest reason for visiting is …
If you are in Waitomo, consider taking a caving tour. There are quite a few glowworm and caving tour companies, but I’m happy we chose Spellbound! We almost went for the blackwater rafting, but ultimately decided to do the Waitomo Glowworm Caves tour. First tours …
The story is that Peter Jackson was flying a helicopter over NZ when he spotted the Alexander sheep farm. He insisted that it needed to be the filming location for the Shire. The farmers allowed him to insert some temporary buildings for the first set …
Seward is a delightful small town at the top of Resurrection Bay. It’s about 2.5 hours outside of Anchorage and its pronunciation is not sexy (not SEEward, it’s SEWard (ew sound, like in sewage)). But do not let the pronunciation or distance stop you, the …