Beautiful and stunning coastline made world-famous by numerous movies, including King Kong and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the Nā Pali Coast on the beautiful Hawaiian island of Kauai is truly a sight to behold. Its uniquely jagged and forested landscape gives it an otherworldly vibe, not found (probably anywhere) on Mainland, U.S.A. …
One of the most famous prisons and islands in America, and a major San Francisco tourist attraction, Alcatraz is a must-visit if you’re ever in the Bay Area. Historically speaking, few prisons within the United States hold water to Alcatraz, where the likes of Al “Scarface” Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelly, Robert "The Birdman" Stroud, …
Of all the preserves and parks in Phoenix, the Phoenix Sonoran Preserve is by far the closest to my house. It’s super accessible and the only problem with getting to explore this vast preserve has been the scorching Phoenix summer heat (and working full time, but that’s a different story). I was able to get …
Found within the North Etiwanda Preserve in Southern California, near the cities of Fontana, Upland, and Rancho Cucamonga, the preserve is a fantastic place for a day hike. Located at the very tip-top of Etiwanda Avenue, in Rancho Cucamonga, it’s not hard to find (just get on Etiwanda Avenue and follow it up until it …
Before I visited Idaho, I always pictured it like Iowa or Ohio - just flat, nothing, boring, potatoland. Pleasantly surprising, Idaho is none of that, at least not the areas we went to. We drove through the entire eastern half, south to north, starting at the Utah border and driving approximately 2 hours north to …
A swamp tour has been at the top of my bucket list for many moons. Sure, there are bugs, snakes, and alligators lurking, but that’s all part of the fun. We looked at around 8 tour companies, all located close to New Orleans (New Orleans: The City of the Dead.), finding that all were pricey …
At the beginning of the trail, near the top and parking lot area. Located about 15 minutes outside of Flagstaff, Sandy Canyon is a great day hike. Officially called the Sandy Canyon Trail, it’s located inside the Coconino National Forest, tucked back off the typical touristy path. It could easily be overlooked or missed if …
Continue reading Sandy Canyon: A Picturesque Portion of the Arizona Trail.
Since I love visiting geographic wonders and have a great love for hiking, Ross Creek Cedars was right up my alley. In fact, one of my life goals is visiting all of the National Parks, as well as all the giant trees in America. So, naturally, visiting the mighty cedars in northwest Montana was a …
Continue reading Ross Creek Cedars, Montana: Some Really Big Trees.
Around 5 miles outside the teeny “town” of Glenwood, New Mexico, is an outdoor recreation area that is both family-friendly and super-duper cool. Located within the Gila National Forest (pronounced “hee-la”), it’s a super easy, approximately 2-mile in-and-out trail. The metal catwalk begins around .5 miles into the trail, which starts at the parking lot. …
Continue reading Glenwood, New Mexico: Catwalk Recreation Area.
Prescott, Arizona’s three most popular lakes - Watson, Lynx, and Goldwater - could not be any more different from one another. Watson is a geographical wonder, with rocks that look like they were transported straight from another planet. Lynx and Goldwater are much more typical lakes, pretty and relaxing, but nothing crazy. These are not …
Continue reading Lakes of Prescott, Arizona: Watson, Lynx, & Goldwater.