Until I looked into seeing the sign myself, I had no idea it required a hike to get to! If you want to get up close to the sign, it is a two-mile walk on a hot, exposed, uphill trail. I had seen so many glamorous pictures of the landmark that I thought it would be so much easier to access. Turns out that most of those pictures are taken on private property, and unless you have permission, it is highly frowned upon.  View from the passenger side window as my mom drove up Mulholland Highway. In fact, even stopping along the road where you can see the sign is frowned upon. The Hollywood Sign sits high up in the mountains of Beverly Hills, and the roads are narrow, winding, and not ideal for stopping and for photos. Please do not do this. It is extremely dangerous!
This tiny neighborhood park has a nice and open grass space ideal for a picnic, frisbee toss, or pick up football game and an outstanding view of The Hollywood Sign.  There's The Hollywood Sign! My mom and I enjoyed the view and fresh air from the park for a while before continuing on with our day in Hollywood. We were so happy to have found this spot and to have avoided the hike to see it, because we had much more to do that day, and we were not dressed for a strenuous hike.  Mom and me and The Hollywood Sign! If you want to see more of what we did during our day in Hollywood, read my blog post “How To Spend a Day in Hollywood”
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Joshua Tree National Park is roughly two hours from Los Angeles depending on where in the city you are and which entrance of the park you choose. It’s also only about an hour from downtown Palm Springs making it the perfect one or two-day vacation spot from either one! We stayed at The Saguaro Hotel in Palm Springs before visiting the park. Check out my, “Where to Stay in Palm Springs,” post to learn more!
We woke up before the crack of dawn to drive out and get to the desert before sunrise. It should go without saying, but the desert gets especially hot in the summer, and that’s when we visited. Here are a few tips before visiting the desert:
We only spent one day in Joshua Tree National Park, so this is by no means a complete list of things to do, but we saw some amazing highlights during our drive through the park, and here is a list of where we went:  Selfie at the entrance sign at the south entrance. Sunrise in The Cholla Cactus GardenWe started at the south end of the park and worked our way north. As I mentioned above, we started early to beat the heat of the midday sun in the desert. The first place we stopped, aside from the welcome sign, was the Cholla Cactus Gardens.  Cholla Cacti.
 The sun coming over the mountains in the background. Arch Rock We continued up the road and pulled over at any viewpoint and parking lot that looked cool. Arch Rock was really amazing, because the rocks were right up close to the parking lot, and we were the only people there.
 I waited a while for this silly picture. Finding Joshua Trees The ecology of this National Park is absolutely fascinating. It’s the convergence of The Colorado and The Mojave Desert surrounded by The Little San Bernardino Mountains. The Cholla Cacti are in the Colorado Desert, and the Joshua Trees are in the Mojave Desert. When you cross from one to the other you can really tell; the landscapes look completely different, and the Joshua Trees are very different from the cacti. 
Visit The Visitor Centers I always recommend visiting Ranger Stations or Visitor Centers in National Parks. We stopped into The Western Entrance Station of Joshua Tree National Park and learned all about the different deserts and landscapes, the wildlife living in the harsh ecosystem, and finally figured out the names of the plants we had been seeing all morning.
Ending at the visitor center made me want to explore the park more with my newly learned information. Instead, I will just have to keep it in mind until my next trip back.  See you next time Joshua Trees! After our day in the national park we stopped at The Noah Purifoy Outdoor Desert Museum of Assemblage Sculpture and then Pioneertown. Read both of my guides below to check out these cool roadside stops!
Read about our entire vacation to Palm Springs and Joshua Tree National Park in my “48-Hours in Palm Springs” article here!
We explored nearby Joshua Tree National Park before exploring Noah's art exhibit. Click to see more! This was quite a wild place to discover in the middle of practically nowhere. It was almost as if the artist found all these things in a landfill nearby and assembled it into an interpretive art project.  Assemblage art is the art of putting pieces together to make them into something else altogether. An example is the infamous toilet thrown! There are over 30 installations at this interactive art museum. I will say that it doesn't seem to be as well kept as it maybe once was when the owner, Noah Purifoy, was alive. The harsh desert really seems to be taking a toll on some of it.
See more of the two days we spent in The Palm Springs and Joshua Tree Areas in my guides below, and comment if you find them useful in planning your own trip! 
The coolest part of the ride was that the car rotated! It's actually one of the largest rotating tram cars in the world.
The ride takes you from the desert floor to a wooded, rocky wilderness that is completely different from below. It’s an incredible change of landscape to go from one to the other in such a short time.  The rocks are so spectacular. We hopped off the tram at The Valley Station at the top, and immediately started taking in the views from all around. We spent a good amount of time staring out into the desert then turning around and admiring the forest behind us just absolutely baffled the two could be this close together.
Being atop the mountain also means a change in temperature from the desert below. It can sometimes be up to 20-30 degrees different from Palm Springs. While sitting and enjoying a snack we actually wished we had brought wind breakers with us, even though it was well over 100 degrees down below!  Selfie in the woods. Can't believe the desert is down below!
Until next time, read what other things we did in Palm Springs below!  
We spent just one night in Palm Springs, but after doing a lot of research, we found, hands down, the best hotel in town to stay at!  Love the vibes here! The Saguaro Hotel has been rated the best pool, best atmosphere, best restaurant, and a dozen more titles in Palm Springs. We just couldn’t pass it up. Plus, our weeknight stay only cost us $200 for the night making it one of the more affordable hotels in Palm Springs. Book your own stay directly on The Saguaro's website, here!  The outside of The Saguaro!
 Our view down onto the pool area. Even on a Monday afternoon, the pool area was full. It is one of the best pools in town, and that is saying a lot, because... Fun fact: Palm Springs has the highest concentration of recreational pools in the entire United States!  Swimming in the pool with a provided float from The Saguaro.
See what's on the menu and make a reservation for the weekend on their website here!
Check out these other things to do in Palm Springs: 
Pioneertown is located on the edge of The Mojave Desert making it the perfect backdrop for any American Western story. Sadly, it seemed that the town is rarely used anymore for movies or really much of anything.  The most photographed post office in the USA! I visited in the middle of the day on a Tuesday in mid-June. It probably wasn’t the most “happening” time to visit a ghost town. Even the saloon was closed! For us, it was just a quick stop and walk through time and history instead of a true taste of a wild-west town.
We were really hoping to see a shootout on Main Street or get a shot of whiskey at Pappy and Harriet’s, but unfortunately, those things didn’t happen. Even though tumbleweeds could have rolled in front of us, it was still a great stop, and I would recommend stopping on your way out of Joshua Tree National Park and seeing if you can have a better time than we did.  While you’re at it, read all about Joshua Tree and other things to do in the Palm Springs area in my guides below! 
Shows officially started Friday afternoon with The WinterWonderGrass All-Stars taking the main stage. Members from The Travelin’ McCourys, Trampled by Turtles, and other WWG bands played bright and cheery tunes during the long-awaited return to the stage.  The festival moved quickly, alternating between artists on the main stage to three bands at a time in the side stage tents. After The WWG All-Stars, the three-side stages included shows from The Drunken Hearts, The Sweet Lilies, and the Jay Roemer Band. All three side stage tents were rocking at the same time which made it difficult to catch every show over the course of the weekend, but most bands played more than once allowing fans to see everyone.
The last two main stage acts for Friday night were The Travelin’ McCourys then Lukas Nelson and The Promise of The Real.
Listen to my recording of their opener as the background to my highlights video!
Saturday, day two, opened with shows on the side stages by Buffalo Commons, Morsel, and members from WinterWonderGrass’s sister production RiverGrass. They got things going off on the right foot for a Saturday afternoon before Dustbowl Revival brought a brass-packed act to the WinterWonderGrass main stage. This wouldn’t be the last show for Dustbowl Revival at WinterWonderGrass, but after they finished on the main stage, Molly Tuttle and her band came on to bring back the classic bluegrass sound to the mountain base.  Molly Tuttle rocking on Saturday afternoon. After Molly Tuttle’s sunset show, the side stages housed The Kitchen Dwellers, Chris Jacobs, and The WonderWomen (Molly Tuttle, Lindsay Lou, Sierra Hull, and others). The Kitchen Dwellers have a stacked residency with WinterWonderGrass this year playing three sets in Steamboat and additional sets at WinterWonderGrass Tahoe. The night started with a soulful show from War & Treaty. Not only this show but the entire festival revolved around the theme of “hope on the horizon”, and War & Treaty encapsulated it perfectly with their song “5-More Minutes”. The accompanying story revealed the lead singer, Michael Trotter’s, struggles with suicidal thoughts. The mood wasn’t dampened as the people of WinterWonderGrass hugged and danced to the band’s upbeat tempo and message of perseverance. Saturday night’s headliner was Trampled by Turtles, a WinterWonderGrass veteran. They kept things hot in the freezing temperatures by opening with a crowd-pleasing “Victory”. Banjo Dave picked it up even more with “Help You” followed by “On My Own” to kick off their fast-paced show.  Trampled by Turtles. The night didn’t end when Trampled by Turtles did. There was one more set of RiverGrass on the side stage and plenty of Grass After Dark shows around Steamboat to keep the dancing going early into the next morning. Yonder Mountain String band played an intimate show at the top of the gondola at The Thunderhead Lodge, while Ghost of Paul Revere played at Shmiggity’s, and Big Something played at The Grand Hotel ballroom.  Big Something at The Grand Hotel. Things got started early Sunday morning with Big Richard playing at the top of the mountain before The WinterWonderGrass festivities actually kicked off down below. As they say, “Never miss a Sunday show,” and a Sunday at WinterWonderGrass is most certainly not to be missed. Sunday featured a loaded schedule of headliners starting with Lindsay Lou opening the day in her electric pink jumpsuit which matched perfectly with her funky sound. Lindsay Lou was followed on the side stages by Pickin on the Dead, who played four sets that day, Morsel, and Big Richard. Each band had its own distinct sound in their designated tent, and they played their hearts out until time for the next headliner on the main stage. Watch more about the layout of WinterWonderGrass and how the stages were arranged, in this video below: The Kitchen Dwellers played their third and final set of the weekend on the main stage bringing their funky “Galaxy Grass” sounds to the masses. They opened with “Shadows” and played tunes off their upcoming album, including the title track, “Wise River”.  The Kitchen Dwellers. The next shows on the side stages included Ghost of Paul Revere and the return of Dustbowl Revival. Both played passionate, quick 40-minute sets to keep the crowd hyped and ready for the next-to-last main stage act. Yonder Mountain String Band took the main stage for a much-anticipated return to WinterWonderGrass. Lead violinist, Allie Kral, wore a bright purple trench coach and the lights matched her look perfectly as the night rolled in.  Yonder Mountain String Band. They opened with a cover of Tom Petty’s “I Need to Know” starting off on a high note and keeping it there with “Left Me in a Hole”. The band jammed through a mix of their own songs and covers during the entire 90-minute set including a cover of The Grateful Dead’s “Mississippi Half-Step”. After YMSB’s energetic show, the side stages of WinterWonderGrass came back alive with the sounds of Pickin’ on the Dead, Ghost of Paul Revere, and Dustbowl Revival before the final main stage show.
The fireworks signaled the conclusion of the festival, and the crowd whooped and hollered in celebration of the incredible weekend put on by The WInterWonderGrass team and the town of Steamboat Springs. Now, on to WinterWonderGrass Tahoe in exactly one month! Checkout my other articles for things to do in Steamboat and around Colorado:
We arrived close to 7 p.m.It is free for people who have an Ikon season pass, but for those without a card, the ticket price is roughly $50. Checkout Steamboat's website, here to purchase tickets - buy them in advance and save $10! There is a limit amount open at night.There are only two runs lit for night skiing, with a trick park between them, which was perfect for our limited amount of time. The runs open for night skiing are not for beginners. They are blue and black runs. If you aren’t confident on your skis, you can hop off the lift halfway and do a very small children’s run back toward the lodges, but it's recommended you just sit out. As far as slope conditions, skiing at night wasn’t much different than skiing during the day. The air was a bit nippier at night with temperatures near freezing. We squeezed in as many runs as we could before getting too cold. Steamboat’s lights were sparkling against the darkness of the mountains, and they were calling our name to go hang out with our friends out at the bars! So we stopped at the bottom and hopped back in the car. I found the experience of whooshing down the mountain with darkness surrounding me so exhilarating and worth the wet socks I had to wear while hitting the town for the night. Try it for yourself and book a ticket here before you get to town! See more from our other ski trips:
It took me a while to get out to The Maroon Bells, but I made my first trip this summer after I completed The Four Pass Loop. That 30-mile hike started from a different location, though, and we were never too close to the iconic viewpoint. This meant that I had to plan another trip back to see the Bells in all of their glory. Watch my documentary from this four-day long journey around Colorado in my video below! On October 1st, 2021, that trip happened. I was staying nearby in Carbondale in a Kuku Camper Van and planned my visit all out the night before - and it wasn't the easy process to figure out. You can rent your own Kuku Camper Van with code TACOS5 for 5% off and unlimited miles!
Rules and Regulations:There are lots of rules in place now to try to protect the sanctity of the wilderness near The Maroon Bells. You can see a complete list of all the regulations here - but below are some of the biggest obstacles:
I arrived around 6 AM and parked my van in one of many open spots. I did not do enough research beforehand to know that reservations were still required before the guard station opened at 8 AM, so I pulled in not far from the trailhead... It was pitch black out and only about 35 degrees. I would be lucky to see the sunrise before I had to leave, so the temperature would remain pretty cold. I zipped into my Selk Bag and grabbed all of my camera gear.  My Selk Bag might be my favorite purchase. You can purchase your own warm and snuggly, wearable sleeping bag with code TACOS15! There were tons of other photographers arriving with tripods and bags of gear. I looked quite silly walking around these professionals with just my phone and my GoPro, but that didn’t stop me. I knew I was in the right spot at the right time if they were here too! It was a quick walk from the trailhead to the lake about 2,000 yards. I quickly snagged a spot along the fence and set up my GoPro for a time-lapse video. Sadly, this late in the year, the sun rises later and the surrounding mountains keep it from rising until even later. See my video from my morning at The Maroon Bells in my video below! There are several trails I could have walked, but I stayed near the lake fence mostly hoping to catch the first rays of sunlight on the mountains, but the sun never came out behind the clouds. Once I realized it wouldn't peep out for a while, I picked up my gear and walked around to get some different views.  The views were still stunning. The freshly snow-dusted mountains stood out in contrast to the grey clouds with their streaky white and black features. The leaves were just starting to change and shone bright yellow through the fog.  I took it all in, and captured it on both of my cameras before I had to get back in my Kuku Camper Van before 8 AM. I left so happy to have started my day in such a special way, and to be able to mark this Maroon Bells view off my list of wishlist Colorado locations.  On the way out, I stopped at a great viewpoint I hadn’t seen coming up the road in the complete dark. I pulled over and snagged a few pics before heading to work!
See more from my morning at The Maroon Bells in my YouTube video below. See where else I went on this Fall road trip in my guides below:
I spent a wonderful night there with one of my girlfriends on the first weekend of October 2021. We road tripped in a Kuku Camper Van from Aspen to Big B’s and had ourselves an absolute time. You can book your own weekend in a Kuku Camper Van with the code TACOS5 for 5% off your entire booking! My friend loves coming here and has been a few times, so she knew the ins and outs of what to do. She reserved our campsite the night before our arrival on www.BigBs.com. It cost us $25 for the spot, and we were pumped to get over there, though we were in no rush to arrive. We would be spending the next day there, so we took some time to leaf peep on the drive over.
She took me to Kebler Pass which is Colorado’s largest and oldest aspen grove and is debated to be one of the largest living organisms in the entire country! Watch more from this absolutely gorgeous drive in my YouTube Video below, and read about my top places to “leaf peep” in my blog post here!
 Our "campsite" in Big B's overflow lot. We had a few rounds of the sweet, delicious ciders, and I signed up for karaoke. It wasn’t pretty, but it was a lot of fun. The entire night was a pleasure actually. Everyone was kind and friendly dancing and talking to each other late into the night. Eventually, they cut us off, and we all went to our respective campsites with bellies and full of good food and hard cider.
 Picking out some chard. After we filled our van, we said goodbye to the adorable place that had filled our hearts and bellies. Big B’s Hard Cider Fest 2021 is coming up October 29th-31st, and I highly recommend reserving a campsite at www.bigbs.com and booking a Kuku Camper Van for the weekend! See more from our weekend at Big B’s in my YouTube video below:Find other Colorado Road Trips on my Colorado Page!
Here is some information taken from the forest service’s website:
These permits go on sale on a set date in March every year and sell out almost instantly. They also release any returned permits three days in advance. Sadly, we have not been able to get permits any of the three years we have tried. Instead, we chose to hike to Lone Eagle Peak on the first weekend after permits were required, September 17th - 19th 2021. Watch our journey to Lone Eagle Peak in my YouTube video below: Friday Night:We arrived at the Monarch Lake Trailhead around 6 PM Friday night. The goal was to make it as far as we could and setup camp about halfway up the trail to Crater Lake and Lone Eagle Peak. We only had a few hours before dark, so we quickly strapped up our backpacking gear and hit the trail.
 Picture of my backpacking gear from The Four Pass Loop earlier this summer. From Monarch Lake, we went north on the trail as long as we could until it got dark and cold. The hike was a fairly gradual incline, and we sped through the first stretch in under 2 hours. We made it near the four-mile mark and found a flat spot to camp along the side of South Boulder Creek.  Saturday:
The trail opened up into a massive boulder field and leveled out a bit. We completed the last three and one half miles in under 2 hours and arrived at Mirror Lake below Lone Eagle Peak absolutely stunned by how distinctly unique Lone Eagle Peak stood out against the rest of the mountain range.  Lone Eagle Peak from Mirror Lake. The view from the lake was nearly surreal. Even though it was an overcast day, there was a perfect reflection of the peak in the lake that made us see just how fitting the name Mirror Lake is. Before we sat down to enjoy the views for an extended period, we found our campsite and set up our tent.  Our campsite under Lone Eagle Peak.
Read about the dehydrated meals I prepared for all of our trips this year in my “Healthy Dehydrated Meal Prep Guide” here!
When the sun started to set, we cooked another dehydrated meal for dinner and crawled into our sleeping bags for the night. We went to sleep so content with the day we had had and how much this place had lived up to its hype.  One very happy family! Sunday:
We were so proud to have completed this unreal hike and so excited to share our photos with our friends to let them know what is out there to explore. We hope to be able to come back and actually scale the mountain via a route called “Solo Flight” one day. This will take some planning and preparation, but we want to continue making our goals and plans bigger and better! Watch more from our trip to Lone Eagle Peak in my video below, and see more Colorado adventures on my YouTube Channel! Read more of our Colorado backpacking adventures below:Backpacking Yellowstone National Park Camping Among the Dunes of Great Sand Dunes National Park Completing the 30-mile Four Pass Loop - Backpacking from Aspen to Crested Butte
How to get to County Cork:There are flights in and out of Cork Airport, but John and I have never found the flights feasible. Instead, we have traveled to and from County Cork by train, bus, and rental car.
Where to stay in County Cork:If you want to stay in Cork we recommend finding a room on Airbnb near The English Market or in the "Victorian Quarter" area. Check Airbnb's website here for available stays!
Book your own stay at The Oriel Hotel on their website here! Things to do around County Cork (in alphabetical order):
 More from the Ballincollig Royal Gun Mills.
Learn more about all the theories behind The Blarney Stones magical powers in my more detailed blog post, here!
We learned all about the old fortress and how the city was protected during wartimes, plus we also learned about some astronomy and saw their research facilities. It was very cool! Learn more about our visit to The Blackrock Castle, here!  Blackrock Castle.
Read more about this interesting formation, here!
Read more about The English Market in my separate blog post, here!
See more from our afternoon in Kinsale in our more detailed blog post here!  The Kinsale cliffs! We have enjoyed every minute of every place we have visited, and there is surely much more to see and learn in County Cork. We cannot wait to continue our journeys around County Cork and the Emerald Isle. Until then, Cheers!
When you find yourself exploring around The Emerald Isle, here are some places we recommend staying!
Explore Airbnb.com and find your own room to stay! Cork:
Discover more things to do in County Cork and Ballincollig in my blog post here, and book your own stay at The Oriel House Hotel on their website, here! Glenbeigh:This beach town is a popular vacation spot for the Irish for good reason! We stayed at the historic Glenbeigh Hotel during our visit and had other friends stay at The Kerry Ocean Lodge. Both were quaint bed-and-breakfast-styled hotels with less than 20 rooms each. Check them both and decide with which one you want to stay!
Book your own elegant stay in The Muckross Park Hotel and Spa on their website here! Discover more about each of these towns, things to do, and places to eat around Ireland on my Emerald Isle page here!
The Village is a few houses and structures that have been recreated and maintained to show what life was like for farmers and families in the area years ago. We walked through homesteads, blacksmith’s quarters, stables, and even an illegal alcohol still and barroom.
It was an interesting and educating quick walk through the exhibit. The area is small, because the rest of the land is a bog, or ancient swamp. The Bog Bodies...The bog has a specific chemical makeup that creates Peat soil prime for building, burning, and fertilizing. This bog Peat was essential to the people who lived here. It must has been essential to people for a long, long time, because ncient bodies have been found mummified in the water. The bog is extremely acidic and efficiently mummifies what are now know as “bog bodies”.
After learning about the bodies, we decided it was enough for us, and we had seen just about everything else at the village site. It was a very nice and quick stop during our trip through Ireland. Read about other places we went in County Kerry in our more detailed blog post here!
It is an extremely rich area in its history and its geology, and we wish we could have seen more. Since the park is so large, it’s difficult to fit all of its highlights into one day and especially one afternoon like we had. Read about other places we visited during our summer 2021 trip in my "Things to do Around Ireland's Southern Region" blog post here! We were staying nearby at The Muckross Hotel and discovered that the hotel offers carriage rides through the park to some of its most notable attractions on the east side of the lakes. Read about all of the places we stayed across Ireland in the “Where to Stay around Ireland” blog post here!
Torc Waterfall
The carriage ride eventually brought us back to The Muckross Hotel, and we were sad that our horse-drawn tour was over. There was still so much to see, and we wanted to find it all. The rest will have to wait until another trip to Ireland, and until then, we will be dreaming of this beautiful national park. Read more about all of our adventures around Ireland in our blog posts about Dublin, Kinsale, Ballincollig, Killarney, and more on our Ireland page, here! 
Where to stay in County Kerry:
Book a stay in one of Ireland's oldest operating hotels on their website, here!
Learn more about The Kerry Ocean Lodge on their website, here! You can see more about all the places we have stayed around Ireland, including Dublin and Ballincollig, in our “Places to Stay” blog post here! Towns to visit:
We recommend taking a carriage ride through Killarney National Park to see all of the highlights including the Muckross House and the Torc Waterfall. Read more about Killarney National Park in our extended blog post here!
Glenbeigh
We also recommend The Kerry Bog Village. The village site dates back to the 1700’s and is now the site of a restaurant, bar, and historical exhibit.
Kilorgalin We didn’t spend much time in this very small town, but we did grab a delicious lunch from a pizza pub. It was worth the stop after visiting The Kerry Bog Village Museum and walking around Glenbeigh beach. Limerick Limerick was the last town we visited in County Kerry, and we didn’t spend much time here either. We grabbed a nice breakfast from a cafe and drove around in the pouring rain. We hope to come back soon to explore more! County Kerry has so much to offer, and we’re happy we were able to see so much in our short time. We love Ireland, and every time we come back, we find more and more to discover. We hope to discover the rest of County Kerry in trips to come! See more from all of our journeys around Ireland:
6:00 am - Our arrivalWe arrived at the trailhead at 6:00 a.m. on the dot, and the parking lot was already full. We parked down the hill from the trailhead parking lot and walked up about a quarter of a mile up the road.
7:00 am - Starting the trail
 After the water, the trail started to head up the mountain and progressively became steeper. The next mile of the trail remained above the tree line and was a lush green landscape. We walked through rows of short bushes before we broke out into vast fields of blooming wildflowers.
8:15 am - 2/3 of the way up, here come the crowds
The path became more difficult to navigate as more rocks littered the ground. This caused people to slow down for the sake of safety, so things became very congested the higher up we hiked. Traversing the rocks wasn’t difficult to manage, since there was no climbing or scrambling required. We slowly continued up the trail and eventually reached the summit.  9:00 am - Reached the summit
9:30 am - Started the hike downThe descent took us just as long as the hike up, primarily because we stopped a lot to take pictures of the flowers and beautiful valley below. Now that the sun was out the views were even more spectacular!
12:00 pm - Finished!
Read about my other 14er experiences below:
We walked back down the path and made a right turn off the main trail to see a different view of the bridge. The view from underneath was, I think, more beautiful than seeing it from above. The sun was also lighting it up at just the right time so that the rocks were glowing bright red for us. It was unbelievable.
After we gazed and gawked for a good while, we found a rock to sit on and do some more viewing of the landscape. We sat and looked until we realized the time and that we needed to wrap up our time in Sedona and head to our next destination, California! We saved the best hike for last, and we couldn’t have left Arizona any happier. See more from our entire trip to Sedona!
We began at the Boynton Canyon Trailhead and hiked roughly three miles to "The Secret Cave" also known as The Subway.
The cave isn’t really a cave at all. It is a horizontally eroded, circular space that exists between two massive, vertical rock walls. Some call it the Subway due to its similar appearance to a subway tunnel. It is truly unique and a sight to behold.
Not far from the Secret Cave, there are awe-inspiring sights of a different type. Just around the corner from the cave formation, a ledge leads to ruins built by the native people of Sedona. Often referred to as cliff dwellings, these ruins consist of stacked blocks of stone constructed to enclose an area of the cliff. While walking around these rooms on a ledge overlooking the calley, I couldn’t help but to wonder about what it may have been like to call this place home.  As I was thinking what it may be like to live in this beautiful canyon, I began to climb around and explore the higher cliffs. Reaching the next platform of cliffs, I stopped to hear a sound that, at first, made me question my own sanity. I though I had heard a native-sounding flute, and after a few moments of listening, I knew that I wasn’t hallucinating. After soaking up the glorious sound, I started my descent to meet the flute player. Back at the cliffs with the Secret Cave and ruins, I was greeted by the flutist. He asked how far up I’d gone and introduced himself as a Sedona local. We spoke about the serenity of the site until a loud group of people began making their way up the climb to the cave. He suggested it was time to leave given the new visitors, and I agreed. Taylor had recently joined us in conversation and the three of us made our way down to meet up with Taylor’s family.
See more from our entire trip to Sedona!
Montezuma Castle is a large pueblo structure built high into the cliff face of riverside limestone rocks. This formation is believed to have been built between the years 1,110-1,400. It is one of hundreds of formations discovered along the lush 800 mile-long Verde Valley, but it is one of the best preserved.  The signs in the park discuss how the construction was named by explorers long after its inhabitants had abandoned the area. They are now referred to as the Sinagua people. Sinagua means “no water” in Spanish, because the watersheds were believed to be dry when the Spanish explorers arrived.  Learning about the assumed lifestyle of the time as we walked around the concrete walkways that line the park boundaries was extremely interesting. Sadly, the public can no longer explore the pueblo formations, and they can only be viewed from the ground below. What is more tragic, though, is that we learned some of the formations are recreations.
Montezuma Well is a natural limestone sinkhole filled with carbon rich water, and it is another part of the UNESCO World Heritage site. It is also believed to have served everyday and ceremonial purposes. Plus, there is a legend that a large water serpent lives inside the well.  The well is the only place like this in this area, but just like Montezuma Castle there are ancient pueblos in the cliffside. Though these are much smaller and not as well preserved, they are located in the walls of the sinkhole itself. Just like before, the natural life of this area was more interesting than the ruins.  The most interesting part about Montezuma Well is that the well is home to some species of life that have never been found anywhere else! There are five unique organisms that call the oxygen-deprived water home.
 Both Montezuma Castle and Well were very interesting to explore and learn about. We still have so many questions about the way of life back when the people of this area flourished. It also introduced us to more ancient sites to explore the next time we are in Sedona! See more from our Sedona vacation below:
We followed the AllTrails App to keep along the trail because it was a bit difficult to find. Click here to find the route we followed!
We eventually connected to the main portion of the trail on the eastern side of the mesa and continued our loop hike. As the sun rose, the views only improved. We could eventually see all of the familiar formations of Sedona like Bell Rock, Cathedral Rock, Battlement Mesa, and Snoopy Rock!  The best view of some of Sedona's famous rock formations. Eventually, when the trail rounded the southern and western portion of the mesa, we started walking closer to the airport. This part of the trail was not our favorite, because we had gone from wide open spaces back to short desert trees, and the trail follows close to the airport fence surrounding houses, offices, and other airport buildings. It wasn’t very nice, but it was the last bit of the trail.
We eventually arrived back at the parking lot with our car. It was around 7:30 when we finished the hike. The Airport Mesa Loop Trail was a great introductory hike for us to see all of the places we would be exploring over the next few days. Read about our entire trip to Sedona, here:
We came to take a swim after a long day of exploring Montezuma Castle National Monument. Taylor knew that the park featured natural slides, but we were unaware of the park’s history and agriculture.
As we passed the apple orchards and historical buildings on our way to the creek, we realized the popularity of the park and wondered if we would be able to find a somewhat secluded place to swim.
After walking for about 15 minutes, we heard loud splashes and cheers and soon discovered people cliff jumping into a deep pool. We couldn’t wait to join. We climbed the cliff and waited our turn to jump into the pristine waters of Oak Creek.  After the exhilarating dip into the water and a little time spent swimming, we realized the park would be closing soon and started making our way back to the park’s entrance. We walked back downstream to the rocks where kids were sliding down the smooth rocks, and Taylor jumped right in to join them. Taylor claimed that sliding down the rocks was more fun than cliff jumping, but I couldn’t believe it, nor did I let her prove me wrong by sliding down the rocks. We had a great few hours in this wonderful little park. Watch our video below to see how much fun we truly had! See more from our trip to Sedona:
We were not only able to stand on this brand new stage, but we also toured areas that most fans don’t get to see and went backstage where thousands of performers have walked and autographed before hitting the stage. 
After our backstage tour, we enjoyed the acoustics of the this one-of-a-kind amphitheater filled with the groovy music of Lotus. Lotus was the last band to play on the old Red Rocks stage and the first to play on the new stage. To say the least, it was a great way to start this epic anniversary season! Watch more from this once-in-a-lifetime experience in my YouTube video below - and book yourself some tickets ASAP before they sell out!! Read some of our other Colorado adventures:
The Royal Gorge Bridge is The United States’s highest suspension bridge, and used to be the highest in the world!
You can see more from our exhilarating zip line across Royal Gorge in my YouTube video below. All these fun activities being said - I must warn that the park can be very windy, and sometimes park management has to shut down the attractions.
Royal Gorge has always been a major attraction in Colorado even before the bridge and park were built! Not only are the rocks stunning, they are filled with valuable minerals. For this reason, railroad companies fought to lay track inside the gorge. The Royal Gorge was the intersection of the Rio Grande and Santa Fe Railways, and it is a truly historical and remarkable location. You can walk around the park and learn all about the history of the bridge, the land, the wildfires, and the railroad, or you can ride the train and experience it for yourself!  Ride the scenic Royal Gorge Route Railway!
Riding the train is the most expensive way to see the canyon, but the experience is worth every dollar. We paid to have first-class, “Vista Dome”, seats with floor to ceiling windows for the best seated view on the train. Book your own seat on The Royal Gorge Route Railway, here: https://www.royalgorgeroute.com
See more from our romantic ride on The Royal Gorge Route Railway in my video below! Climb it or Raft it!There are a few other ways to see the gorge that I haven’t tried. You can whitewater raft down the Arkansas River or take the Via Ferrata climbing routes up the gorge’s walls. These both seem incredibly fun, and I plan to do both soon! Until then though, my memories at Royal Gorge will always be so special to me thanks to all the fun and excitement I've had in this unique Colorado landscape. I hope you take a trip out there yourself to enjoy the views with your own two eyes, it's absolutely worth it!  Read some of my other Colorado Guides below:
It's FREE!!!
Just take a scenic drive around and enjoy the views!
Go for a hike!
Try out rock climbing.Given this place’s popularity, I can understand why they ask you to stay on the pavement. With a permit, it is possible to go off the less-popular trails, and if you want a much closer experience, you can rock climb some of the formations! I have never done it, but you can read about the process online at The Garden of The Gods Website here: https://www.gardenofgods.com/things-to-do/things-1/rock-climbing Take in ALL of the views, *hint* there's more than the red rocks!
It is a bit of hike down to the main structures from P9, so I usually drive to a different lot if I want to head into the heart of the park. The main parking lot and the few just past it provide the easiest access to the primary formations and have paved leading inside. No matter what parking lot you chose, the scenes are unbelievable.  Go horseback riding!
You can see more from our fun ride in this YouTube video below! No matter what way you choose to visit Garden of the Gods you can't go wrong. Take your take, and enjoy all the views you can handle. I hope my guide helps you enjoy your time in Colorado Springs! Enjoy! Check out my other Colorado Guides, here: The Top 5 Places to Take Engagement Picture Across Colorado My Favorite 3 Hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park Where to Take Your Family On Spring Break  |
Talkin' 'bout Tacos:
I'm Taylor, aka Tacos! I am sharing my journeys and experiences from across the world, hoping to inspire travel and adventure in all who read! Archives
July 2024
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