Once we left Carefree, we picked up our pace again, bouncing quickly first to Acrosanti as it was somewhat on the way and fit the themes of counter-cultural living that we’ve been exploring. From there we passed through Jerome and took a stretch break in Sedona. Then it was onto the Grand Canyon. We scored… Read More The Great American Southwest Part 2: Greatest Hits, Goblins, and Gods
The first time I stood at Tunnel View, Yosemite brought me to tears. Again, on the valley floor, I cried in gratitude, craning my neck to look at the wild and dramatic waterfalls and the immortal, towering El Capitan. Never have I felt so small and insignificant and fleeting and been so joyful to feel… Read More Yosemite
We did not originally have Pinnacles on our bingo card for this year of nomading. But when the circumstances of our stay in Salinas changed (see the Salinas post for those details) we pivoted. We camped at a super interesting and beautiful ranch within striking range of the park. We woke at 6am and drove… Read More Pinnacles National Park side quest
It was a hard choice, but we opted to leave our Palm Springs lodging to take a weekend in Joshua Tree National Park. This park was absolutely worth the trip over. There was so much to see and so many great hikes through two distinct deserts, the Colorado Desert and the Mojave Desert. We saw… Read More Side quest to Joshua Tree
We continued our march across the country and chose to stay a week in Tuscon, Arizona, in a rental home that abuts the Saguaro National Park. In fact, to get to the home we needed to drive through a winding portion of the park itself before getting onto a rutted dirt road for the last… Read More A week in Tucson and a night in Yuma
No one accidentally ends up at Big Bend, despite it being so large it sounds impossible to miss. At over 800,000 acres (1200 square miles) on the Texas/Mexico Border, you would think it would be readily accessible from all directions, but the vastness of our country is shockingly apparent when you realize how long and… Read More A weekend in Big Bend National Park
We made it safely to South Dakota, a new state for both of us. And while this is our first time here, we both sincerely hope it will not be our last. We are briefly staying in Rapid, City, and today we got to explore the charming old-styled downtown. It was quintessential Americana: Flags waving,… Read More Our South Dakota interlude
From Friday afternoon to Sunday evening, we were surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty, geological wonders, and more wildlife than I’ve ever seen. I’m completely blown away by what Yellowstone offers its visitors. Sure, it’s a dangerous place. “Low-key terrifying,” to quote one friend. And my mom has been sure to keep me apprised of all… Read More A Weekend in Yellowstone
Sometimes there are no words and the pictures are not enough. But they are all I have, so I’ll offer them here for our weekend at Glacier National Park where we hiked 9 miles on Saturday and 11 miles on Sunday. Over the weekend we saw glaciers, Iceberg Lake, moose, deer, hares, gophers, bison, and… Read More Sometimes there are no words
Empty Nest Wanderings 