'In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.' – Aristotle The Icefields Parkway is widely considered one of the most beautiful roads in the world. It runs between the towns of Banff and Jasper and cuts through their respective national parks. It offers stunning views of the Canadian Rockies, glaciers, and glacial … Continue reading Adventures in Canada: The Icefields Parkway
'Life changes in the instant. The ordinary instant.'-Joan Didion I have usually used this Joan Didion quote in reference to grief and living a life in the before and after. A before and after I have had for nearly 30 years. But this year, it took on a deeper resonance and one filled with joy … Continue reading A Life Changing Year
“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” – John Muir I had decided to visit Jasper and Banff National Parks (Canada and country 26!) in the spring before I had even thought about leaving Spokane. Then I got an amazing opportunity and accepted a job in West Texas. I kid you … Continue reading Adventures in Canada: Jasper and Banff National Parks
'(Forrest Gump) What's my destiny, Mama?' '(Mama) You're gonnna have to figure that out yourself.' Near my campsite of Many Glacier, was Saint Mary Lake. I actually went twice, once for the sunset and again for a boat tour the following day. It may have been my favorite part of my three days at Glacier … Continue reading Adventures in Glacier: Saint Mary Lake
'The Montana sunset lay between the mountains like a giant bruise from which darkened arteries spread across a poisoned sky.' – F. Scott Fitzgerald In order to get a campsite at Glacier National Park, you need to be ready the moment reservations open. I had googled 'what is the best campground at Glacier?' and the … Continue reading Adventures in Glacier: Many Glacier
'It seems to me Montana is a great splash of grandeur. The scale is huge but not overpowering. The land is rich with grass and color, and the mountains are the kind I would create if mountains were ever put on my agenda.'-John Steinbeck Glacier National Park is widely viewed as on of the most … Continue reading Adventures in Glacier: Glacier National Park
'Though the road's been rocky it sure feels good to me.'-Bob Marley I have been very far behind on all thing The Next Great Adventure and for good reason...a major life change...again, ha! I have been an adjunct professor for ten years and have moved states and regions over that period. I always applied for … Continue reading Dispatches from the Road: I Moved…Again!
'I encourage everybody to hop on Google and type in ‘national park’ in whatever state they live in and see the beauty that lies in their own backyard. It’s that simple.'-Jordan Fisher I used my campsite at Kalaloch Beach as the jumping off point to explore Olympic National Park and it is huge! I only … Continue reading Adventures in Washington: Olympic National Park
'The ocean stirs the heart, inspires the imagination, and brings eternal joy to the soul.'-Robert Wyland After a great first night car camping at Cape Disappointment, I headed a few hours north to Olympic National Park's Kalaloch Beach! There are two beaches available to camp at Olympic, Kalaloch and South Beach. The latter is only … Continue reading Adventures in Washington: Kalaloch Beach
'Dance with the waves, move with the sea, let the rhythm of the water set your soul free.'-Christie Anne Martine With the arrival of spring, I decided to hit the road and car camp for the first time. My plan was to go during my term break, celebrate a bit before the grind of the … Continue reading Adventures in Washington: Cape Disappointment
'There will never be a photograph of the Grand Canyon that can adequately describe its depth, breadth, and true beauty.' –Stefanie Payne The Grand Canyon has a very special place in my heart. I don't remember the first time I visited but the photograph from that day is my favorite picture. It is me and … Continue reading Adventures in the American West: Grand Canyon National Park
'Please, for the good of your soul, travel west.'-Daniel J. Rice Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is massive. It encompasses much of Lake Powell and the areas around Page, Arizona. It is famous for several things, Horseshoe Bend and the Rainbow Bridge. The former I visited twice and the latter can only be accessed via … Continue reading Adventures in the American West: Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
'I would rather have 30 minutes of "wonderful" than a lifetime of nothing special.'-Julia Roberts To be completely honest, I'm not entirely sure why Horseshoe Bend became a top place to come and visit. Perhaps it is the uptick in popularity with Antelope Canyon and Page, Arizona as a whole but it is not a … Continue reading Adventures in the American West: Horseshoe Bend
'Be still and the earth will speak to you'-Navajo Proverb When scoping out things to do in Page, I knew I wanted to check out Horseshoe Bend and came across a tour to the Secret Canyon. Horseshoe Bend Tours combined both locations and I truly had no idea what to expect as Horseshoe Bend is … Continue reading Adventures in the American West: The Secret Canyon
'I see my path, but I don’t know where it leads. Not knowing where I’m going is what inspires me to travel it.' – Rosalia de Castro When I was planning my holiday road trip, I had never heard of Cathedral Canyon. As I scoped various tour companies for Upper Antelope Canyon, Antelope Slot Canyon Tours … Continue reading Adventures in the American West: Cathedral Canyon
'We still do not know one thousandth of one percent of what nature has revealed to us.' —Albert Einstein Ordinarily, my posts go in order of things I did on any given trip but, this week, I made an exception. My last post was about my very early morning at Lower Antelope Canyon so it … Continue reading Adventures in the American West: Upper Antelope Canyon
'The Purpose of life is to live it, to taste it, to experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experiences.'-Eleanor Roosevelt The impetuous for my entire trip was the to hike Antelope Canyon. If you make a similar choice, there is a lot of planning that needs … Continue reading Adventures in the American West: Lower Antelope Canyon
'Mama always said dying was a part of life. I sure wish it wasn't.'-Forrest Gump One of the reasons I was so keen on coming to Monument Valley was my deep love of the film Forrest Gump. It is my favorite film and by a significant margin. In my opinion, it is the perfect movie. … Continue reading Adventures in the American West: Forrest Gump Point
'So this is where God put the West.'-John Wayne To say that I loved Monument Valley would be an understatement. While I only spent one day at Monument Valley proper, I visited a total of three times! I was really excited about visiting for many reasons. Forrest Gump is my favorite film and the landscape … Continue reading Adventures in the American West: Monument Valley
'For West is where we all plan to go some day...It is where you go to grow up with the country. It is where you go to spend your old age. Or it is just where you go. It was just where I went.'-Robert Penn Warren I cannot pinpoint when visiting the Four Corners was … Continue reading Adventures in the American West: The Four Corners
'The landscape of the American West has to be seen to be believed and has to be believed to be seen.' - N. Scott Momaday Due to Covid, I have spent the last two Christmas' at home...alone. So this year I was determined to hit the road. As I saw my dad in October and … Continue reading Adventures in the American West: Seen to be Believed
'I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring.'-D. Bowie I can honestly say that where 2021 has ended is beyond anything I could have imagined. In January, I was going through a hard time. Covid had made things uncertain, I missed my family, live anything, and trying to … Continue reading A Year in Review: Life Changes
'And now I'm glad I didn't know/The way it all would end, the way it all would go/Our lives are better left to chance/I could have missed the pain/But I'd have had to miss the dance'-Garth Brooks (Lyrics by Tony Arata) I wanted to do a lot of things on my first real visit to … Continue reading Adventures in Nashville: The Bluebird Cafe
'Follow your heart. That’s what I do. Compassion is something I have a lot of, because I’ve been through a lot of pain in my life. Anybody who has suffered a lot of pain has a lot of compassion.'-Johnny Cash Since I had Saturday to myself, I packed in as much as I possibly could. … Continue reading Adventures in Nashville: The History
'I get the same feeling walking into the Opry House as I do when I see one of my heroes.' — Blake Shelton That I was going to a show at the Grand Ole Opry was something that took a moment to grasp. As a kid, I remember watching CMT and TNN and seeing commercials for … Continue reading Adventures in Nashville: The Grand Ole Opry
'Sometimes its tough traveling around/But who I wanna be still seems so far away/But I know I'm gonna get there someday...'-Dierks Bentley (this is my favorite Dierks song) I love country music and have since I was quite small. Growing up high in the mountains near Los Angeles, in the early 90s, I remember getting … Continue reading Adventures in Nashville: The Mother Church
'Once you find that inspiration, you shouldn't be afraid to follow it. Because anything is possible.'-Dave Grohl I apologize about the very long delay in posting the conclusion of my Adventures in the Pacific Northwest trip! I finally moved into my new place in Spokane and immediately left for Nashville, Tennessee-truly one of the greatest … Continue reading Adventures in the Pacific Northwest: Seattle
'Of all the fire mountains which like beacons, once blazed along the Pacific Coast, Mount Rainier is the noblest.'-John Muir After our morning at Mount St. Helens, B and I planned on meeting up again at Mount Rainier National Park, about two and a half hours away. We would not meet each other, ha! I … Continue reading Adventures in the Pacific Northwest: Mount Rainier National Park
'At the same time, there's something magnificent about volcanoes; they created the atmosphere that we need for breathing.'-Werner Herzog If you have read my blog, you will know that I have a fascination with volcanoes. This dates back to when I was quite small and watched a National Geographic video on the 'Ring of Fire' … Continue reading Adventures in the Pacific Northwest: Mount St. Helens
'The ocean is a central image. It is the symbolism of a great journey.'-Enya The next leg of the B and my trip was to drive the Oregon Coast and for his sake, I hoped the weather cooperated! B really wanted to see Face Rock in Bandon. We had a couple of options from Ashland, … Continue reading Adventures in the Pacific Northwest: The Oregon Coast
'I used to dream about escaping my ordinary life, but my life was never ordinary. I had simply failed to notice how extraordinary it was.'-Ransom Riggs B and I talked a lot about what we planned to do when he got here. I knew I wanted to show him my favorite spots...Smith Rock and The … Continue reading Adventures in the Pacific Northwest: Central Oregon
‘I have learned that to be with those I like is enough.’― Walt Whitman I am incredibly grateful to have a family that I not only love but like a lot. I remember the first session with my therapist, she asked who I considered myself to be closest to and that did not necessary have … Continue reading Adventures in the Pacific Northwest: Dispatches from the Road
'Let us step into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure.'-J.K. Rowling Life is a funny thing, you make plans and are content but then something happens and everything changes in an instant. In a single moment, you receive word about the perfect opportunity for a fresh start, a new adventure and you simply … Continue reading Dispatches from the Road: Life Changes
'The desert, when the sun comes up...I couldn't tell where heaven stopped and the Earth began.'-Tom Hanks One of the hidden gems of Central and Eastern Oregon is the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. That an area like this exists is remarkable! The (free) park is actually three locations, Sheep Rock, Painted Hills, and … Continue reading Adventures in Oregon: John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
'Don't go through life, grow through life.' - Eric Butterworth If you had told me in January, as I was learning to embrace my new town while mending a broken heart, that that would be the high point of normalcy, I would have laughed because, well, look around. But I (and we) made it! This … Continue reading A Year in Review: Life in the Time of Corona
'I am furiously happy. It’s not a cure for mental illness … it’s a weapon, designed to counter it. It’s a way to take back some of the joy that’s robbed from you when you’re crazy.'-Jenny Lawson As I mentioned at the start of my Adventures in Utah series, I was in desperate need to … Continue reading Adventures in Utah: Salt Lake City
'Land really is the best art.' —Andy Warhol After an evening in Moab, I hit my last 'Mighty Five,' Arches National Park early in the morning! Arches is considered the gateway to the Mighty Five and it was supposed to be mine but it was my final stop (due to Covid restrictions at Zion). It … Continue reading Adventures in Utah: Arches National Park
'Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.' —Rachel Carson Of the all the 'Mighty Five,' Canyonlands was my favorite. Located outside of Moab, it is usually paired with Arches National Park. I went in the afternoon and it was quite crowded! You … Continue reading Adventures in Utah: Canyonlands National Park
'Capitol Reed is filled with geology that takes shape, color, and dimension to a level beyond comprehension.'-Stefanie Payne My third 'Mighty Five' is the hidden gem of the lot, Capital Reef National Park. It is the least visited, mostly because it is out of the way. As I mentioned in my previous post, SR-12 connects … Continue reading Adventures in Utah: Capital Reef National Park
'The gladdest moment in human life, me thinks, is a departure into unknown lands.'-Sir Richard Burton When I was talking to my brother about my trip, he said that I had to take this road he had heard about that was supposedly the most beautiful road in the United States. A quick google search led … Continue reading Adventures in Utah: Scenic Route 12
'Nature is the art of God.' – Dante Alighieri After my morning at Cedar Breaks National Monument, I headed to Bryce Canyon National Park, my second 'Mighty Five.' Actually, I picked up SR-12 which starts just before Bryce but all of that will be in my next post (and trust me when I say there is … Continue reading Adventures in Utah: Bryce Canyon National Park
'The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man.'-Unknown Much like my decision to visit Great Basin National Park, I stumbled upon Cedar Breaks National Monument by looking at a map and seeing what was cool! Cedar Breaks is about 40 minutes from Zion and just a slight … Continue reading Adventures in Utah: Cedar Breaks National Monument
'No matter the risks we take, we always consider the end to be too soon, even though in life, more than anything else, quality should be more important than quantity.'–Alex Honnold Zion National Park was the first stop of my quest to visit the Mighty 5 and, boy, did it not disappoint! A few things … Continue reading Adventures in Utah: Zion National Park
'Afoot and lighthearted I take to the open road, healthy, free, the world before me.'–Walt Whitman Originally, I was planning on starting in Moab and working east. Since I had to go to Zion first, I looked at the new route to see if there was anything to explore and there was...Great Basin National Park! … Continue reading Dispatches from the Road: Great Basin National Park
“There’s a whole world out there, right outside your window. You’d be a fool to miss it.” ― Charlotte Eriksson As I've written about, this year has been hard. I knew for my mental health, I needed to get out of town and hit the road. I'm incredibly fortunate that Bend has nearly no cases of COVID, … Continue reading Dispatches from the Road: Southern Utah
'You only need one ray of light to chase all the shadows away.'-Fredrik Backman Things I have learned this summer...summer in Bend lasts about three weeks and during those weeks, it hovers around a hundred degrees. It's a Catch-22 because I've discovered that I need more weeks of it being warm but that it allows … Continue reading Adventures in Oregon: Mirror Lake
‘You’ll learn, as you get older, that rules are made to be broken. Be bold enough to live life on your terms, and never, ever apologize for it. Go against the grain, refuse to conform, take the road less traveled instead of the well-beaten path. Laugh in the face of adversity, and leap before you … Continue reading Adventures in Oregon: One Year in Bend
'Roads were made for journeys, not destinations.'-Confucius Sometimes, you just need to get into your car and drive. I was feeling overwhelmed and needed to get out of my head and out of Bend. As I've said before, my favorite place to do this is the Pacific Coast...so I went. I worked Saturday morning and … Continue reading Dispatches from the Road: The Northern Oregon Coast
'Crater Lake is the greatest asset to southern Oregon. It is worth traveling hundreds of miles to see. I thought that I had gazed upon everything beautiful in nature as I have spent many years traveling thousands of miles to view the beauty spots of the earth, but I have reached the climax. Never again … Continue reading Adventures in Oregon: Crater Lake National Park
'Nature loves courage. You make the commitment and nature will respond to that commitment by removing impossible obstacles. Dream the impossible dream and the world will not grind you under, it will lift you up. This is the trick. This is what all these teachers and philosophers who really counted, who really touched the alchemical … Continue reading Adventures in Oregon: Tumalo Falls
The Next Great Adventure 