If you’ve watched the comedy Tropic Thunder, then you’ve seen the jungles of Kauai, Hawaii. This movie was entirely filmed on this island, and after kayaking down the Wailua River and hiking to Secret Falls, I fully understood why the producers chose Kauai as the “Vietnam backdrop”. As we worked our way down the river, …
While the better-known Garden of the Gods is located in Colorado, this one is Southern Illinois' main claim to fame. By far the most popular hiking spot in the area, I firmly believe that the Illinois Garden of the Gods is worthy of its name. Beautiful and unique, it's a favorite go-to spot of out-of-towners …
Located along Highway 89, approximately 2 miles south of the small town of Yarnell, Arizona, sits the Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial State Park. It’s a unique state park, dedicated as a memorial site to a mass tragedy. On June 30, 2013, 19 members of the 20-man Granite Mountain Hotshots died fighting the Yarnell Hill Fire. …
Continue reading Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial State Park.
Rainbow Falls Trail. As far as hikes go, hiking within the Great Smokey Mountain National Park was a wonderful and beautiful experience. I didn’t get to hike inside this famous National Park with the famous hazy mountains either time I previously visited, and I certainly wasn’t passing up the opportunity a third time! We researched …
Continue reading Hiking in Great Smokey Mountains National Park.
The Narrows. Lovers of Zion National Park know the name well. If you’ve heard of this majestic park, you’ve likely heard of The Narrows. It’s one of the park’s most well-known hikes, alongside Angels Landing and Temple of Sinawava, which, unfortunately, also makes it one of the most popular. The first time we visited Zion …
Jetting high into the sky, Thumb Butte sits proudly as a distinctive landmark of Prescott, Arizona. Nestled in the Prescott National Forest, Thumb Butte is so prominent that it’s almost impossible to miss, even from many miles out. Hiking Thumb Butte is popular, although we only came across about 8 people along the entire 2ish-mile …
Continue reading Woot, woot, in the butte (Thumb Butte, Arizona).
"The big tree is Nature's forest masterpiece... the greatest of living things." - John Muir Fun fact: out of the 61 national parks in the United States, California is home to 9, which is more than any other state in the nation. Some well known ones include Yosemite, Joshua Tree (Joshua Tree National Park.), Death …
Continue reading Sequoia National Park: Largest Trees in the World.