Stay at Southland Casino & HotelJust on the other side of the river in West Memphis, Arkansas is the newly (2023) renovated Southland Casino and Hotel. The playing floor is the size of two and a half football fields, and the smoking section is separated – which is not common in most casinos! They also have a world class steakhouse on site, along with a never ending buffet, and multiple bars, including a whiskey bar stocked with over 100 different brands. You could honestly have your own little mini vacation here without ever needing to leave the property!
Visit Elvis Presley's Mansion - GracelandElvis Presley’s estate has been turned into a multitude of museums that showcase the fabulous career the “King of Rock and Roll” had! There are five different showcase areas designated to different parts of his life: his home, his planes, his cars, his music career, and his acting career. Plan to spend at least four hours, if not more, wandering between the different buildings they have built on his property. Make sure to spend plenty of time admiring each and every one of his intricately made white jumpsuits!
The National Civil Rights MuseumLocated at The Lorraine Motel, where Martin Luther King Jr. was fatally shot, is The National Civil Rights Museum. It walks through the tumultuous history of our country from its founding to modern day. It’s a very moving museum that ends with a call to action and reflection on the past, showing where the most famous civil rights leader spent his last living moments.
Happy Hour at The Peabody Hotel
Go out on Beale Street
Eat at Overton SquareLooking for a calmer place for drinks and dinner? Try Overton Square’s calmer atmosphere. It’s a great place day or night. If you want a great cocktail try the rooftop bar, Tiger and Peacock, at The Memphian Hotel. See the PyramidCan’t travel to Egypt? No problem! Visit the tenth largest pyramid in the world, which just happens to house a Bass Pro Shop! You can also stay at the lodge inside, go bowling at The Fishbowl, eat at one of the restaurants, or talk a ride to the top and walk out onto the observation deck. It truly is a wonder of the modern world! Go to a riverfront concert If you’re in Memphis during the summer, catch a concert at Mud Island or one of the many riverfront festivals like Mempho or Memphis in May. The city always brings in the best artists from around the world.  There’s always something to do in this happening town, watch some of my TikTok’s below to see more.
See more things to do in Tennessee:
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I remembered this epic YouTube video I had watched years ago. I pulled it back up and we rewatched it. Less than ten minutes into the 45-minute show, we decided we wanted to attempt The Grand Sawtooth Loop – a 75 mile trail around Redfish Lake and Grandjean. Watch our own epic YouTube video from our trip, here! It was definitely not your typical honeymoon and every person who asked us where we would be going responded with either “why Idaho?” or “y’all are crazy”. The later became a very accurate statement as we went along the trail and questioned a few times why we weren’t just sipping daiquiris on the beach and instead camping in 45-degree weather. But the first question was so easy to explain to people, “because the mountains are calling us and few people are bold enough to venture out there”. My now husband, John, and I have lived in Colorado for the last five years. That was until two weeks before our wedding in May, when we decided to change our lifestyles completely and move back home to Mississippi to be closer to family and start a homestead farm. It has been a complete whirlwind since about February with planning the move and our wedding in Mississippi, so our honeymoon was pretty much the first break either of us had while in the midst of packing, unpacking, painting, and then celebrating.  The view of our entire route via AllTrails.com - click to see more information! It all seemed a blur until we crossed the state line from Nevada into Idaho and those mountain views we had grown so accustomed to in Colorado, came back into our line of sight. In that moment, I think we both realized how special this journey would be. It finally felt like the start of our new life together when we talked about how much we had missed seeing mountains and decompressed from the stress of the last few months. It was surreal how calming the site of a mountain range we had never seen before could be, but it felt so welcoming to witness after a few months hiatus in our new home among the pine forests. Read and watch other things we did during our entire honeymoon road trip from Mississippi to Idaho! We had spent about a month after our wedding planning and packing for this trip, yet when we arrived at the trailhead I couldn’t help fear that we had forgotten something or not packed enough. Some of that nervous fear came from the fact that it was only 47 degrees at 10 am when we arrived at Redfish Lake and I grew concerned that the clothes I packed weren’t going to be warm enough at night. The other part of me knew that what we were embarking on was something we hadn’t done in an entire year together, and those first backpacking trip of the year jitters really sunk in after I lugged my nearly fifty pound pack onto my back.  Our bags before we left the car and hit the trail. Those concerns of being warm enough quickly faded as we started our first ascent from The Redfish Trailhead up to The Alpine Way Trail. By noon the temperatures were approaching the 90s and I couldn’t believe that as we were climbing in elevation it kept getting hotter, but it did. The wildflowers were still out strong even though it was approaching the end of July. Each bright yellow, white, and magenta bloom stood out to me. I was so excited because we had specifically delayed our trip in hopes of catching their blooms. Seeing each new flower reminded me how much I truly loved the high alpine summers.  Beautiful wildflowers along the trail. The most surprising part of the start of the trail wasn’t the warmth or how strenuous the initial grade of elevation felt on my body, instead it was the smells. The sage brush surrounding us filled my nostrils with the most beautiful aromatics. Then, as we approached the heavily wooded forests we could smell the pine trees in a way we don’t get in the muggy heat of Mississippi. These pine trees instead almost stung my nose with a piercing clean scent. It brought me right back to some of our first trip memories through The Great Smoky Mountains and other places with little to no pollution, cars, or people around. I held my husband’s hand as he filled out our wilderness permits at the backcountry line. I knew that this trip was going to mean something unforgettable to us and help me officially close the chapter of my single Colorado life, and prepare us for our new journey into marriage. I was both nervous and excited.  John getting ready to fill out our wilderness backcountry permits. Not long after we entered into the wilderness the first views of the peaks we would be circling came into view. We gawked along the ridgeline with an elderly couple who shared with us that this year was going to be their 39th wedding anniversary. They congratulated us and wished us good luck on both our marriage and the trail we were starting. The rest of the day, we didn’t see anyone else on the main trail. That was until we set up camp at the base of Thompson Peak and hiked with minimum gear to Thompson Lake. We saw one woman on the thin and narrow trail and one other couple leaving the lake when we arrived after the steep and sketchy scramble. The bright blue water was unlike anything either of us had ever seen and the pointed rock spires above it jutted out of the ground like a hand reaching for the sky. We stood at the first viewpoint just amazed that a place like this could exist in the world, and that we were blessed enough to be standing there together, alone, in such a peaceful place. We had never been in a place so beautiful.  Thompson Lake below Thompson Peak. That moment only lasted so long, because my husband decided to strip down and take a nice cold plunge into the water. When he did, I placed our condensed bag down and accidentally set off our bear spray can. This mistake would become the bane of my existence the entire duration of our trip. We both felt nothing at the time it went off, but slowly throughout the trip different parts of my body would feel like they were on fire when they came in contact with the expelled spray. Including my lips which burnt first as I took of sip of water on our way back down to our campsite. I slept that night with a burning feeling in my left arm and lips that tingled, but I still felt refreshed after a night under the stars with our rain cover off, just breathing in the fresh mountain air.  Our campsite below Thompson Peak. Our second day was a fairly uneventful day compared to our first. Luckily, this time without any negligent firings of our bear spray. We hiked towards Goat Creek through the dense forest and blazing heat again until we set up camp around 4pm. Exhausted, hot, and hungry. I forget how strenuous backpacking can be on my very frail 115-pound body, and sometimes I do not eat more calories than I burn carrying my over-packed 85L backpack. So that evening while I complained how tired I was, my husband cooked up a huge pot of homemade dehydrated gumbo. We ate and were in our sleeping bags around 7:45 just waiting for the sun to go down and the temperatures to cool off enough that we could get some rest. We agreed it would be a good idea to get up earlier the next day and to beat the midafternoon heat on our ascent up to Sawtooth Lake. The next morning we managed to get up and climb the roughly 4-miles up to Sawtooth Lake before 11am. Our plan was to do a little fly fishing and eat some lunch before heading over The McGown Lakes to make our descent towards Grand Jean.  Sawtooth Lake. After I caught four fish and my husband got fed up and tangled up with his line and lack of production, a storm started to roll in. We could see lighting and thunder off in the distance heading our way. It was only about 1pm but we decided we needed to go ahead and bunker down. We tried at first just setting up a makeshift shelter with our big blue tarp, but when the winds started to pick up we realized that wouldn’t be enough. We quickly got our tent up right in the nick of time before the rain started. We cooked up some taco soup that we were saving for dinner and pulled out our map, knowing good and well there was a slim chance we would be able to hike anymore that afternoon. We started to reevaluate our route because I knew that there were a few trail options that led out from Sawtooth Lake.  Our new route from AllTrails.com We had given ourselves a 7-day window to complete the entire Grand Loop, but we had plans on the backside to visit our friends in Colorado at a concert we already had tickets to, so we had to stay firm on this deadline. Having only done 4 out of the 12 miles we had planned for that day, we grew afraid that if we encountered any other storms like this that we wouldn’t make it out in time. We made a decision that evening to cut about 25 miles off of the route and take The North Fork Baron-Sawtooth Lake Trail to Baron Lakes and circle back to Redfish Lake from there, instead of going all the way around and up from Grand Jean. It wasn’t a decision either of us necessarily wanted to do, but we felt it was necessary.  Our campsite at Sawtooth Lake. It continued to rain and storm the entire evening. We woke up early the next morning to get on the trail so that we wouldn’t get caught in another midafternoon downpour. We were glad we did, first of all because even though the rain had cooled the temperatures down that morning they began to rise steadily before noon. But secondly, because that day of hiking would turn out to be one of our favorites, and we had it all to ourselves for several hours. The views leaving Sawtooth Lake were some of the most spectacular. The two unnamed lakes behind Sawtooth were unexpectedly stunning. Then, as we descended down the trail Moolack Peak popped out from behind the trees and we stood in its glory, just mystified by how an object so tall could be hidden for so long from view until just the right moment.  Moolack Peak. It was in that reflection I remembered why I loved backpacking and hiking so much. There are some truly remarkable places in the world and you have to be willing to go out of your way to see the most special. That was really how this entire trip had felt. I felt eternally grateful that we both have a love for finding those spots that many people will never see in their lives, just because of the sheer will it takes to get to them. We are also both incredibly lucky to have our health and each other. We overlooked the valley below us and started our descent to Moolack Creek, simply awestruck how vast the forest below us seemed. When we arrived at Moolack Creek a few hours later we stripped our packs off and enjoyed a lunch in the shade before removing our clothes and taking a wonderful freezing cold dip into the small rushing creek. We felt refreshed and recharged after the frigid plunge, so we decided to keep hiking a few miles to knock off some of the incline we would have the next day. We got about three or four miles up the Redfish Creek-Baron Creek trail before a few raindrops fell on our faces. Within minutes of the first drops, fortunately, arrived at a beautiful campsite. We set up, threw our bear bag up in a tree, and were settled in right as the rain rolled into the valley.  Our campsite on The Baron Lakes Trail. We woke the next morning with fog still clinging to the nearby peaks and ate our breakfast in a chilly gray setting. Based off our maps we were afraid we would have a tough day of climbing up to the lake, but instead we found the wet and bushy trail easier than some of the other days. The only bad thing was that our boots and pants became soaked by the rain still clinging to the thick low lying underbrush. This valley seemed so different from the others. My husband said it reminded him of a scene from Jurassic Park with all the thick ferns and fog surrounding us. He was just waiting for a raptor to pop out and scare us. We arrived at Baron Lake around 11am without another soul in sight. We couldn’t believe it. We knew this was a popular area for day hikers, backpackers, and horse trail riders alike. Somehow we timed it perfectly where the campers from the night before had already left and the groups for today hadn’t arrived yet. The rain and gloomy weather could have also held off some people, but regardless of the reasons we were so fortunate to enjoy this peaceful lake alone.  Baron Lakes. The clouds were looming in the air but there was no wind. The reflections of the mountains onto the water were a clear duplication. It was overall my favorite place on the trip because I had never witnessed the stillness of water like that in an alpine lake. Usually they are so windy. We ate our fish packs and fruit snacks for lunch, before strapping back in and climbing over the pass to the other Baron Lake and down towards Redfish Lake Creek. The two and a half miles to our campsite felt like the longest miles of my life. Maybe because my feet were wet and the switchbacks were steep and unrelenting, but the entire time I couldn’t wait to arrive at our final campsite and be off the trail for the day. We finally arrived and found a spot in the crowded creekside area and cooked a hefty dinner under the thick tree canopy while the rain came pouring down. We played a few rounds of cards in the shelter of our tent while discussing the experiences we had over the past five days.  Our final campsite. We intended to do a day hike up to The Temple the next day, but when we woke up the fog and mist were still lingering around and our boots were still wet from the day before. We decided to scratch our plans and go ahead and leave the backcountry completely to try and catch a boat ferry at Redfish Lake back to our car. It wasn’t a decision we made light-heartedly but we felt it was going to be the most rewarding and safest. It only took us an hour and a half to hike the quick four miles to the inlet of Redfish Lake. We timed it miraculously. Just as a boat was getting ready to pull away we heard, “Hey! Do you all need a ride?” and we quickly jumped aboard. We rode the ferry back with a sweet family we had met the day before. We shared our stories about dodging the rain and the places we camped, before we fell silent and just enjoyed the luxury of riding on a boat and not hiking the five miles around the lake. My husband and I held hands and looked back at the shoreline from where we had come, not quite ready to be back in the “real world” but feeling so proud and accomplished of what we had done the last six days. We have never done this many miles and spent this many nights in the backcountry. Even though the trip didn’t go exactly as we had mapped it out, I felt so grateful to have been able to walk through that wilderness with him and now, as we sat on this boat, I looked forward to our next steps into marriage, excited to see what our future holds for us. If we can handle the stress, pain, and difficulties we went through on the trail we can make it through a lot of things life will throw at us. We learned how to support each other both mentally and physically, how to nourish each other, and how important it is to protect the other. But mainly, we fell back in love with each other and our adventurous spirits. See other places we went in Idaho while on our honeymoon road trip below:
The Bryce Canyon Country parks and protected lands are home to hoodoos (which cannot be found in any other National Park), ancient petroglyphs, dinosaur bones, and thick, wooded forests. There are nearly endless exploration opportunities between the monuments. In fact, the last named mountain and river in America are in these remote areas of the country. See all the areas Bryce Canyon Country covers here: https://www.brycecanyoncountry.com/ Because of their remote nature, Bryce Canyon only sees around 2.5 million annual visitors, Capitol Reef only hosts around 1.5 million, while not even one million visit Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument every year. Their lack of popularity compared to the nearby Grand Canyon means a much less crowded and possibly less stressful experience for visitors.
There are so many different ways to see Bryce Canyon Country depending on the kinds of activities you like to do or the activities you’re open to trying. You could spend a lifetime exploring this area like John Weseley Powell did, but most people usually only have a few days or a weekend to spare. Here are a few must see attractions and things to do during your journey through Bryce Canyon Country: Go horseback riding with Canyon Trail Rides
On both their two and three hour tour, the guide will share information about how the hoodoos were formed, the bristlecone pines that carpet the floor, and the cowboy legends that have rode through the canyon walls. Not only is it a stunning ride, it is so much more fun to be riding a horse than hiking down then back up the steep canyon trails.  It’s always important to know that even though the bottom of the canyon can be up to 20-degrees hotter, you should wear long pants to prevent rubbing as you ride and you should secure all hats before departure. No bags of any kind are allowed on the tours. Reserve a horse to take you through Bryce Canyon National Park on their website here: https://www.canyonrides.com/ Canyoneer with Expeditions of Escalante
Make sure to read and sign all of the waivers before arriving, or Rick will not take you out if you have not come prepared and dressed. You must wear long shorts or pants; leggings are not recommended due to tearing, long sleeves can be necessary, and sturdy hiking shoes are an absolute must! If you are ready to go on an extremely different but rewarding adventure, reserve a day with Expeditions of Escalante here: https://www.excursionsofescalante.com/ Take a ride with Grand Staircase ATV An easy way to explore the wonders around Bryce Canyon Country is by ATV or UTV (side-by-side). With Grand Staircase ATV’s Justin and Bree Shakespeare, you can either drive your own four-wheeler or have them show you around on theirs. Regardless, they will share their knowledge of the area and take you to all of their favorite places. Bree and Justin have been guiding tours for almost 20 years, and both grew up in the small town of Tropic. They truly know the ins and outs of the monument, the public lands, and Bryce Canyon National Park. They have miles and miles of trails they can take you through on one of their one-day expeditions, or you can get adventurous and take a three-day trip that includes lodging and all your meals. Cover some ground and see as much of Bryce Canyon Country as you can on a customized tour with Grand Staircase ATV here: https://www.grandstaircaseatv.com/ There is so much to do and see in Bryce Canyon Country. It can feel overwhelming while planning a trip. Don’t feel like you have to squeeze it all in, because honestly, you will never truly see it all. No one ever has. With this seemingly endless beauty, history, mystery, and good people, Bryce Canyon Country is a guaranteed great time. When considering a trip to Southern Utah or Northern Arizona, you would be doing yourself a disservice if you didn’t consider visiting Bryce Canyon Country. Read more guides on how to plan a trip to Bryce Canyon National Park, Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, and Capitol Reef National Park below:
The town of Roswell has completely embraced this story. Every storefront, piece of graffiti, and sidewalk is riddled with pictures of little green beings or UFO landings. It is incredibly fun to walk explore. Here are things you can do to get the most “alien encounters” out of a trip to Roswell: UFO Festival
 International UFO Museum
 Take a Tour
Try to locate the crash site
Other interesting, but not alien-related things to do close to Roswell: Atlas Missile Silos
 Photo from Airbnb Walker Aviation Museum
The Trinity Site
 White Sands National Park
 Photo from NPS.gov
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 | Indiana Dunes National Park is America’s newest National Park. Joining the ranks as the 63rd park across the country, it was designated in 2019 with much debate. It is located only an hour and a half from Chicago and just on the other side of the railroad tracks from Gary, Indiana. The area was already preserved under the designation of a state park, and the banks of Lake Michigan were classified as a national seashore, but the federal government stepped in and expanded the existing protections for the incredible biodiversity of plants and animals that call this area home. |
John and I spent one very quick day visiting the park, and we both agreed that it is a special place that deserves protection. Should it be a national park? We still aren’t quite sure because we didn’t see the entire park, but what we did see was not what we expected...
See more from our afternoon in The West Beach area in my YouTube video!
Indiana Dunes National Park is split into multiple areas with a State Park in the middle. We spent a half a day in the West Beach area hiking and then swimming in Lake Michigan. We chose the West Beach portion of the park so we could hike through dunes and access the water without having to drive from point to point.
We did the “The Three Loop Trail” which connects The Long Lake, West Beach, and Dune Succession Trails in a 3.5-mile loop that leads right to a beach on Lake Michigan. We had very low expectations for the park after reading all the mixed reviews online, but we were blown away by the wildflowers and wildlife we encountered on the trail.
We did the “The Three Loop Trail” which connects The Long Lake, West Beach, and Dune Succession Trails in a 3.5-mile loop that leads right to a beach on Lake Michigan. We had very low expectations for the park after reading all the mixed reviews online, but we were blown away by the wildflowers and wildlife we encountered on the trail.
Image from NPS.gov
The Long Lake trail starts with a sandy hill that leads to the top of a dune, but these dunes aren’t your typical barren sand dunes. Instead, the dunes are home to wooded forests filled with ferns, mushrooms, coyotes, and snakes. We were amazed. It was nothing like The Great Sand Dunes National Park which we had frequented during our time living in Colorado. Every few feet we walked, we noticed some sort of new flower, seedpod, or plant.
The start of the Long Lake Trail after the initial ascent from the parking lot.
A hog nose snake sunbathing on the trail.
 | Long Lake itself is more of a swamp, at least, it was when we visited in June. It was a vast marsh filled with lily pads and cranes situated along the train tracks. While we were checking it out from an overlook, a freight train passed by killing the serene, peaceful feelings we had looking out over the landscape. Even though it disturbed the serenity of the park, it reminded me why these natural habitats are well worth protecting. |
The lupines had mostly bloomed in May, but a few still lingered.
We continued onto The West Beach Trail where we encountered prickly pear cacti, puzzle plants, and tons more wildflowers. This part of the trail was much flatter between the dunes and more exposed to the sun without the heavy forest around it.
A prickly pear cacti flower with a horsetail aka "puzzle"plant next to it.
Finally, we climbed the stairs up the Dune Succession Trail. From here, we caught glimpses of Lake Michigan peeping through the Jack Pines that were all over the sandy dunes. I had never seen a tree actually growing in sand before, much less a pine tree with pine cones and everything! It was baffling.
The stairs leading up The Dune Succession Trail.
We walked the platformed path through the forest, up, and over many little dunes until we finally reached the shores of Lake Michigan. When we arrived on the beach, we were amazed to see dozens – if not a hundred – beachgoers enjoying the sunshine and cold water. It was a bit different than the peace and quiet we had been experiencing on the trail where we only saw four other people.
Lake Michigan in the background of The Dune Succession Trail.
The crowd didn’t stop us from striping off our hiking boots and hoping in the freezing cold water. We both wanted to enjoy a cold dip after working up a sweat on the trail. Off in the very far distance we believed we could make out the Chicago skyline. That was pretty cool, but what was not cool and didn’t make us feel that the water was very safe were the steel mills and power plants on either side of West Beach. They were eye sores and sad reminders of what “progress” looks like. Those mills and plants use water from the lake whose ecosystem millions of fish, birds, insects, snakes, butterflies, and countless more call home.
Getting ready to swim in Lake Michigan!
Standing in Lake Michigan looking at those industrial plants and the distant outline of The Windy City made me reflect on the true importance of our National Park system. Sure, this park might not be as spectacular as the Grand Canyon, but who are we to judge the natural landscapes and withhold protection from a place because it’s not quite as grand as others?
After walking through the trails of The West Beach area, I realized why this place was so important to protect. If we don’t stop and look around us, many of these places will be destroyed if we don’t stand up for them.
Indiana Dunes National Park is a treasure to many, and we thoroughly enjoyed our short time here. I applaud the National Park System for standing up and stepping in to protect areas like this all across our beautiful nation. If not for them, who would?
After walking through the trails of The West Beach area, I realized why this place was so important to protect. If we don’t stop and look around us, many of these places will be destroyed if we don’t stand up for them.
Indiana Dunes National Park is a treasure to many, and we thoroughly enjoyed our short time here. I applaud the National Park System for standing up and stepping in to protect areas like this all across our beautiful nation. If not for them, who would?
See more from other National Parks on my Parks Page here!
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 | Tulum, Mexico, was my dream destination for my bachelorette party, and it exceeded all of my hopes and expectations in every way imaginable. The girls I went with made the trip even more special by planning theme nights, coordinating outfits, and decorating our Airbnb with affectations out the wazoo. If you want to read more about where we stayed and more details about each place we went, check out my “Full Guide to Tulum” here! |
Friday
- Travel from Cancun to Tulum
- We arranged transportation from the Cancun Airport with USA Transfers. It’s a 2 hour drive to Tulum, so we were very glad the ride came with a bottle of tequila and a six pack of beer!
- Dinner at our Airbnb
- Read more about Casa Cosmo Tulum in its own post here. We were welcomed with drinks and a four-course meal to get our weekend started right.
Saturday
- Beach Club at Vagalume
- Dinner at The Funky Burrito Garden
- Drinks at Taboo
- Clubbing at Confessions
 Vagalume Beach Club.  Drinks at Taboo. |  Our cabana at Vagalume.  The Funky Burrito Garden. |
Sunday
- Brunch at Fresco’s
- Swimming at the “secret” cenote our Airbnb host recommended
- All I can say is it’s behind the Kratom and Coffee shop across from the beach ;)
- Dinner at Tseen Ja above Azulik
- This was my top bucket list item and the entire reason we came to Tulum.
 Dinner at Tseen Ja. |  The secret cenote from above!  Our nest at Azulik's Tseen Ja. |
Get more details, opinions, and planning tips in my full “Guide to Tulum”, here - where I also share some places we didn’t quite make in our short time in Mexico.
Read more here!
See more about Tulum, Mexico:
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 | Having my bachelorette party in Tulum had been a dream of mine for years possibly even before getting engaged. John and I have been dating over 8 years before getting engaged, so I have been thinking about these things for a while. I was finally able to take a group of my closest girlfriends in January of 2023, and Tulum was everything I had hoped it would be and even went above and beyond my wildest dreams. |
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Since I had been planning for so long, I felt that I had created a fantastic itinerary, then the girls and my Maid of Honor included fun themes, planned outfits, and really took the concept of a bachelorette party to extremes.
Overall, I could not have asked for a better weekend in the Mexico sun. Here is what we planned, a few tips and tricks, and a couple of additional places I wish we could have made it to but just couldn’t squeeze in during our short weekend vacation.
Overall, I could not have asked for a better weekend in the Mexico sun. Here is what we planned, a few tips and tricks, and a couple of additional places I wish we could have made it to but just couldn’t squeeze in during our short weekend vacation.
Getting to Tulum
Tulum is located on the Yucatan peninsula about two hours south of Cancun. Cancun is the closest and cheapest airport to fly in and out of, so we all flew there from our various home cities.
I had arranged for a shuttle to pick us up and drive us to Tulum. I didn’t know how expensive or difficult calling taxis would be from the airport, and I was very happy with my decision to book both ways, because it made things so easy with our luggage. I will say that we could have easily found a ride, because there were lots of companies offering at the airport, but I have no idea what their costs would have been.
I had arranged for a shuttle to pick us up and drive us to Tulum. I didn’t know how expensive or difficult calling taxis would be from the airport, and I was very happy with my decision to book both ways, because it made things so easy with our luggage. I will say that we could have easily found a ride, because there were lots of companies offering at the airport, but I have no idea what their costs would have been.
I used USA Transfers to and from the airport, and it only cost $250 round trip. We had nine people in our party, so this equaled out to about $25 each. USA Transfers was very easy to find in the airport, but we didn’t know there were different terminals, and you cannot easily walk between them. There was some confusion while looking for our driver at first, because the last of us to arrive was at a different terminal than the rest of us.
The best part about booking in advance with USA Transfers was that I was able to add on a package to have a bottle of tequila and a six pack of beer waiting for us in the van! That helped ease the small bit of stress we encountered finding the ride and get the party started!
For the return, a driver met us right outside our Airbnb to get us back to the airport. He was even 20 minutes early to make sure we got loaded up in plenty of time for the first girl’s flight home. It was perfect!
The best part about booking in advance with USA Transfers was that I was able to add on a package to have a bottle of tequila and a six pack of beer waiting for us in the van! That helped ease the small bit of stress we encountered finding the ride and get the party started!
For the return, a driver met us right outside our Airbnb to get us back to the airport. He was even 20 minutes early to make sure we got loaded up in plenty of time for the first girl’s flight home. It was perfect!
Us on the bus with our bottle of Tequila and Coronas heading to Tulum.
Where to Stay in Tulum
We chose to stay near the beach instead of Tulum’s town center. In fact, we never even went into the town of Tulum! Everywhere I wanted to go was right on the water, so staying near the places we wanted to go was much easier and safer than having to hail taxis every night.
*Note* that there are no Ubers or Lyfts in Tulum, so taxis are the only other option. Drivers can charge whatever they want, so be forewarned that you can be up charged while trying to get a ride especially if you have had some drinks. It could be late at night, and you may not understand the peso to dollar conversion rate as well as you do early in the day.
*Note* that there are no Ubers or Lyfts in Tulum, so taxis are the only other option. Drivers can charge whatever they want, so be forewarned that you can be up charged while trying to get a ride especially if you have had some drinks. It could be late at night, and you may not understand the peso to dollar conversion rate as well as you do early in the day.
Beautiful sunrise from our Airbnb.
Staying on the beach versus staying in town comes with a higher price though. For us, the pros of being able to walk everywhere was too good to pass up. The place we found was 100% worth the money we paid for it, especially because our Airbnb came with a private 24 hour guard, gated doors, a private chef for hire, and a pool!
Views from the master suite of Casa Cosmo.
 Looking down onto the pool and eating areas. |  One of the cabanas. |
Things to Do During The Day
Tulum is a stunningly beautiful area with new and old architecture forming a harmonious combination with the stunning natural landscape. Aside from the beaches, which of course are gorgeous, there is a lot of other stuff to do and see around Tulum!
Cenotes
Fresh water springs, called cenotes, are found all over Mexico, and Tulum is no exception. There are dozens of cenotes all over the area. Some are located inside caves while others are just large open-air pools.
We didn’t get a chance to explore too many since we didn’t have a car, and weren’t really willing to pay to enter one, but our Airbnb host let us in on a “secret” locals’ cenote located behind the kratom and coffee shop. This cenote was free, but it was encouraged that we purchase a cocktail or coffee, so we did just that!
 Margarita at the "secret" cenoté. |  We had the entire cenote to ourselves! |
See more from our fun afternoon in this swimming hole, here, and see more Tulum Cenotes I saved on my Pinterest board here!
Ancient Aztec Ruins
One thing we were really hoping to do was tour some of Tulum’s Aztec ruins. Sadly, we just did not have the time without a car, bike, or Moped. They were too far away for us to walk to in a short afternoon.
There are several different places to tour in Tulum’s Archeological Zone and south along the beach. We also could have toured Chicen Itza, one of the wonders of the world, outside of Cancun before our flights, but we just really didn’t plan to squeeze this into our itinerary. We will just have to save these ancient cities for another trip!
There are several different places to tour in Tulum’s Archeological Zone and south along the beach. We also could have toured Chicen Itza, one of the wonders of the world, outside of Cancun before our flights, but we just really didn’t plan to squeeze this into our itinerary. We will just have to save these ancient cities for another trip!
Photo from Island Life Mexico.
Where to Eat
Tulum’s food scene is as exquisite as one might imagine in such a high-end tourist destination. The location on the water gives way to freshly caught seafood with, of course, an authentic Mexican flare, and there is also a good bit of Asian influence in the town. We found both high-end and inexpensive, hole-in-the-wall places to grub, and everything we found was delicious!
This restaurant was the sole reason I wanted to come to Tulum. I cannot deny it. The nests above the jungle are the most picture-perfect tables I had ever seen in my life. This spot put Tulum on my radar based on Instagram alone. This was, by far, the nicest and most expensive meal we ate in Tulum.
My bachelorette group at Tseen Ja above the jungle at Azulik.
| Tseen Ja is a Latin-Asian fusion restaurant serving up sushi, hot stone steaks, and delicious cocktails. We passed around plate after plate of freshly caught seafood rolls, and I think we tried nearly everything on the menu including the deserts! It was remarkable. |  |
 | We reserved one of the larger nests which comes at a hefty price of $700, but it was completely worth the price to check this place off my bucket list. We also had a minimum of $150 per person for food and drinks. At the end of the meal, the price for the reservation of the table was taken off the final tab, and we each spent just a bit over our minimum not including tip. |
See more from our dinner above the trees in my TikTok video below and make your own nest reservation online or by giving them a call, here!
We found that Fresco’s was a great, easy place to grab brunch. Their menu changes weekly or monthly depending on the season and the ingredients they are able to get, and I loved that! Everything was super fresh and delicious making it a great place to cure a hangover.
Funky Burrito Garden
 | This alleyway restaurant is crazy! We were the only patrons in the restaurant when we went, and the servers went all out to show us a good time. They brought us round after round of shots, hookahs, and were pulling us onto the bar to dance with them by the end of the meal. It was a dance party with dinner on the side. The food wasn’t anything to remember, but the service and experience sure were. The food was inexpensive, the drinks kept flowing, and we all left very happy to have found this funky little place! |
Another place we didn’t make was Casa Jaguar. A friend said she made reservations at this restaurant months in advance during her trip to Tulum, and it was her favorite place to eat. It looked like a nice, 5-star restaurant outside and under beautiful greenery, but we just didn’t have time to make it.
Pablo Escobar’s former mansion is now turned into a luxury hotel and restaurant. We had reservations to eat here one night, but canceled our plans after having a bit too much to drink during the day.
I was very excited to see this gorgeous estate, but wasn’t too bummed when we changed our plans. It is a bit pricey, so it helped us save money by not going!
I was very excited to see this gorgeous estate, but wasn’t too bummed when we changed our plans. It is a bit pricey, so it helped us save money by not going!
Photo from Travel and Leisure.
Where to Party Day or Night
Tulum is full of so many beach clubs, bars, and late-night spots. This is by no means a definitive list of places to party. We were only able to explore so many during our three-day weekend, but I did a lot of research beforehand, and these were the places I found that I felt were absolute must-do’s:
This photogenic beach club is one of the first things that pops up on Google when you search Tulum. These famous pool hands were something I made sure we saw during our trip.
Vagalume's famous pool hands.
We booked a pool day here for Saturday afternoon, and luckily, got a covered cabana spot. Our reservations were from 1 - 6 pm, and had we not had a cover, I feel like we would have all been sunburned.
Fortunately, the club wasn’t terribly crowded or rowdy when we were there. This was both a pro and a con, but we were a touch hungover from the night before, so it was nice to not have blaring music and tons of people around. We had ourselves a nice, secluded spot and could get as wild as we wanted without feeling forced. I have seen photos and videos on their Instagram when the place gets lit for certain DJs or events.
Fortunately, the club wasn’t terribly crowded or rowdy when we were there. This was both a pro and a con, but we were a touch hungover from the night before, so it was nice to not have blaring music and tons of people around. We had ourselves a nice, secluded spot and could get as wild as we wanted without feeling forced. I have seen photos and videos on their Instagram when the place gets lit for certain DJs or events.
Inside our beach cabana at Vagalume.
There was a $150 per person minimum which was not expressed to me when we made the reservation. It was a little hard for us to actually hit that minimum with nine people, but we purchased cocktails, a bottle of champagne, two bottles of Titos, and some food and only went over the tab by $100 total (not including tip)! The quesadillas were AMAZING. We talked about how good the sauce in them was literally all weekend.
The group at Vagalume!
This place is awesome! I will say it was a bit different than we expected at night. We thought it was going to be a club, but instead, we were seated at a table just like any other restaurant. The music, though, was fantastic, and there was a live violinist who would play along to the hip-hop music getting everyone up and into their chairs dancing and singing along!
Sparklers for everyone at Taboo!
I wish we would have also made a daytime reservation here, because this beach club gets WILD! They have saxophone players and bottle girls with sparklers lining the pools. If the day club is anything like it is at night, this place is crazy no matter when you go!
Confessions
For a more traditional club vibe, we found Confessions. This sandy floored club was just what we were looking for – a good house DJ with lots and lots of dancing. We were advised to come here by our bartender at Taboo, and we were very happy to have found it. We stayed here till closing time at 3 am and had an absolute blast.
Dancing at the DJ booth at Confessions.
This is one party place we did not make, but it was on my list and recommended by one of the girls on my trip who had been. It is on the north end of the beach, so it would have required a taxi ride for us to get to. They have lots of concerts and DJs here nearly every night of the week.
Check out their website, here, to see their schedule of events, hotel room pricing, and to make a reservation.
Check out their website, here, to see their schedule of events, hotel room pricing, and to make a reservation.
Photo from GQ Magazine.
Our trip to Tulum was honestly too short. There was still so much I wanted to explore and see, but overall, what we did and where we went was perfect. I have no complaints or regrets although my bank account was hurting after the trip, but that was expected. Tulum is a magical place, and I hope to come back to explore it and more of the Yucatan Peninsula!
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Read more of my Tulum detailed guides below:
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 | Telluride is annually voted as one of Colorado’s most beautiful mountain towns. It is set in the heart of The San Juan Mountains with a picture-perfect backdrop of stunning, snowcapped peaks. There are many things to do in Telluride in any season. Each month features different festivals, outdoor activities, and unique places to visit. |
I have visited Telluride a handful of times in each season, so this is by no means a definitive guide for all there is to do but a list of things I have personally enjoyed or strive to accomplish during future visits to Telluride.
Before diving into the list, there are a few things to note:
Telluride is EXPENSIVE! It is probably one of the more expensive places to visit in all of Colorado. Skiing day passes start at over $200, and hotel rooms can be $300+ even in the “off-season”. If you are traveling on a budget, Telluride might not be the most ideal town to visit.
Secondly, Telluride is very far from Denver. It is nearly a 7-hour drive from The Denver International Airport, and weather conditions can make this drive even longer. (You can fly directly into Telluride or make it a shorter trip from Grand Junction or Durango’s regional airports.) It is a mountain town, so please make sure you have a proper car if visiting in the winter and obey Colorado’s traction laws before embarking on your journey. Read those 4WD and chain laws here!
Where to stay:
As mentioned before, Telluride is pretty expensive. I have both a “boujee” and a cheap option for places to stay near town, and camping is always an option as well. There are plenty of campgrounds in the national forests. You can find campsites online here.
*If you plan to stay in a van, NO overnight parking is allowed downtown. Do not attempt to sleep in your car on any streets within city limits. You WILL be ticketed!
*If you plan to stay in a van, NO overnight parking is allowed downtown. Do not attempt to sleep in your car on any streets within city limits. You WILL be ticketed!
- The Hotel Telluride
- If you are looking for a very nice, 4-star hotel, The Hotel Telluride is the perfect place for you! Located right in town, The Hotel Telluride is walking distance from all the restaurants, bars, and shopping your heart could ever desire, and it’s just a few blocks from the gondola that will take you up the mountains for sightseeing, skiing, or mountain biking. The hotel has a great restaurant inside plus hot tubs and a bar for all the après activities you crave.
- I stayed on Friday, December 2nd, and my rate was $350. Book a night for yourself at The Hotel Telluride here: thehoteltelluride.com
- The Bivvi Hostel
- For the cheaper, money-saving option, I recommend The Bivvi Hostel! I had never stayed in a hostel before, and The Hostel Bivvi made me feel so safe and comfortable. I stayed in a six-person bunk room but only ended up having one roommate. Each person receives their own locker, ear plugs, and towel.
- Read more about my stay at The Bivvi Hostel here!
- My bed in a six-person bunk room was $55, and a private room started at $120. See what kind of room fits your needs here: www.thebivvi-telluride.com
And finally, things to do In Telluride by season:
Summer
The summer is my favorite season in Colorado. Many people visit Colorado in the winter, but I recommend visiting in the summer. You can hike, bike, fish, and do so much more! Sure, you can do those in the winter too, but there won’t be any wildflowers!
| Hike to Bridal Veil Falls
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- Climb a Fourteener
- Telluride is surrounded by mountains. If you are an experienced hiker and looking for more of a challenge, hike a “14er” like Mount Sneffels. Make sure you are prepared for the weather, check trail conditions, and are well-adjusted to high altitude. Hikes like these are no joke, but very rewarding.
- Watch more from Mount Sneffels and other nearby 14ers here.
- Attend a Music Festival
- Every summer, Telluride builds an incredible outdoor stage for festivals like The Ride Fest and Telluride Bluegrass. The red rock background of the nearby mountains is remarkable. If you can get tickets for a show here, I cannot recommend it enough.
- We attended The Ride Fest in summer of 2019. See more from that amazing Widespread Panic concert here.
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Fall
The next best time to visit telluride, in my opinion, is the fall. When the Aspen tree leaves change, Telluride completely transforms into an explosion of bright yellows and oranges. The leaves usually peak somewhere between the middle of September and middle of October depending on the weather the previous seasons. Check local news sites and social media channels for up to the minute updates!
- Ride the gondola
- The gondola service in Telluride is free and my favorite way to get around town. The gondola will take you from downtown up to the mountains and to The Mountain Village. It is always free, and when the fall foliage changes, these cars above the trees give you the best views of the town period.
- Take a scenic drive or go off-roading
- If you have a vehicle with 4WD and high clearance, take a ride up a mountain pass like Black Bear or Imogen Passes, and you can visit some other nearby towns by the most scenic routes. Get to places like Ouray or Silverton, but beware. These are some of the most dangerous off-road trails in the state. Hire a guide, or go with someone knowledgeable. These roads are nothing to underestimate!
Winter/Spring
One of the more popular times to visit Telluride is in the winter for world-class skiing. The best time to come for snow is from January till nearly April. There are a few other things I recommend besides skiing and snowboarding just in case those aren’t in your wheelhouse.
- Fire Festival
- The first weekend in December, Telluride hosts its Fire Fest. It’s a weekend full of circus performances, music, and of course, lots of fire. The family-friendly, mini-Burning Man event is extremely fun!
- Look for tickets and announcements on their website here: www.telluridefirefestival.org
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- Try Ice Climbing in nearby Ouray
- This is something I have never done, but I really want to! Ice Climbing looks like an incredibly fun sport, and every year, Ouray hosts an entire festival and competition around it. Ouray is less than an hour away from Telluride and absolutely worth the drive.
- See when the festival is taking place this year here: www.ourayicepark.com/ouray-ice-festival
- Skiing
- When you watch my video below, you might not think I would still recommend skiing, but it’s impossible for me not to. It is the main attraction in Telluride! Plus, I have many friends who swear Telluride is their favorite place in the world to ski. I just do not recommend going in December. January through March are the prime times to ski here.
- Also be warned that it is expensive! If you plan to ski more than 3 days, look into getting an Epic Pass to be able to ski Telluride and other resorts across the world for the same price as Telluride day passes.
- Watch more from my failure of a day in Telluride here.
I hope this guide helps you plan a trip to Telluride no matter when you visit. It is an amazing town full of wonderful people and beautiful scenery with a plethora of activites and scenery.
See other places I recommend visiting in Colorado:
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 | Las Vegas has never quite appealed to me. I am not a big gambler, and I don’t like to spend money in general, so expensive clubs, bottle service, and ritzy clothing just don’t call my name. I had always put Vegas off as a wild place to save for a fun adventure like a bachelorette party or somewhere to go with a large party, but when my parents said they wanted to take us for our first time, we couldn’t pass up the invitation! |
We used a previously purchased Hilton Grand Vacations package to get a much cheaper-than-usual hotel rate just down the strip near Circus Circus, and then booked our flights. Before we knew it we were touching down in Vegas! It was surreal.
You can learn more about how we stayed in Las Vegas for three nights for only $99 TOTAL in my TikTok video below!
After spending four days in "Sin City", here are a few places we feel that for first time visitors to Las Vegas must see, things you shouldn’t do, and a few things we wish we’d had time to do!
After spending four days in "Sin City", here are a few places we feel that for first time visitors to Las Vegas must see, things you shouldn’t do, and a few things we wish we’d had time to do!
Me, my mom, and my sister at The Chandelier Bar.
Day One:
The Welcome to Las Vegas Sign
The first thing we did after landing was take some pictures at The Welcome to Las Vegas Sign. When we pulled up, we all thought, “Holy crap? What is the deal with this?” There was a line of people about 50 or so long and what appeared to be a full parking lot. We luckily found a spot and walked up to assess the situation.
It turned out that every single person in line was waiting to get a straight on shot, but you can just walk right around them and take pictures from the side of the sign! We took probably 50 photos if not more and were in and out in less than 15 minutes. No line at all!
It turned out that every single person in line was waiting to get a straight on shot, but you can just walk right around them and take pictures from the side of the sign! We took probably 50 photos if not more and were in and out in less than 15 minutes. No line at all!
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See more The Las Vegas Sign tourist trap in my TikTok here!
The ARIA Resort & Casino
We checked into our Hilton Grand Vacation to spruce up for dinner before meeting my parents at their hotel, The ARIA. My parents had made dinner reservations at Jean Georges Steakhouse inside The ARIA. We all enjoyed a wonderful dinner of steak, seafood, bone marrow, and all the sides we could share before heading down to the casino for a little gambling.
 Me and my sister outside Jean Georges. |  The seafood tower at Jean Georges. |
Book a room, pool cabana, or make dinner reservations at The Aria Resort or any other MGM Resort through my link, here!
*This is an affiliate link, The Traveling Tacos will receive a commission with bookings*
*This is an affiliate link, The Traveling Tacos will receive a commission with bookings*
| As I mentioned earlier, gambling isn’t my thing, but it is a fun time to be around people who are willing to spend some money and get invested into the game. Especially when that person is your dad and the game is a Wheel of Fortune slot machine. I must’ve watched him nearly hit the jackpot a dozen times. It was fun, but luckily it didn’t last long! |  John broke a slot machine. |
Next, we walked to the Cosmopolitan to grab drinks at The Chandelier Bar. It was standing room only, because all the tables were reserved. It was beautiful to see, but we didn’t stay long enough for a cocktail.
The Chandelier Bar.
Here is where we should have stopped walking around for the night. We ended up walking over TEN MILES just looking for “the best” place. Each hotel had a casino, each was huge, and they were all pretty much the same.
| | We walked past The Bellagio Hotel to see one of the famous fountain shows. We stopped and watched with sheer joy as the water synced up with “Singing in the Rain”. |
We continued walking and made it over to Caesar’s Palace. Little did we know that the place was huge and we ended up walking for what felt like hours inside Caesar’s.
At this point, we were exhausted from all the walking and decided that we needed to turn it around and walk back to The ARIA before our feet fell off.
At this point, we were exhausted from all the walking and decided that we needed to turn it around and walk back to The ARIA before our feet fell off.
The entranceway to Caesar's Palace.
Day Two:
The next morning, we met up with my parents at The ARIA pool to spend a day in a cabana relaxing outside. We checked in, found our space, unpacked our stuff out, and got comfortable. We had the cabana all day from 10-7.
We ordered some lunch platters, a few cocktails, and my sister even ordered a poolside massage! It was a very relaxing, stress-free day beating the heat in luxury at The ARIA.
We ordered some lunch platters, a few cocktails, and my sister even ordered a poolside massage! It was a very relaxing, stress-free day beating the heat in luxury at The ARIA.
 Outside our cabana. |  The Aria Hotel in the background. |
Fremont Street
When we had enough of the sunshine, we convinced our parents to drive us to Fremont Street aka “Old Las Vegas”. They didn’t really want to go, and now we understand why.
Old Las Vegas isn’t quite what it used to be. The glamor and glitz have been taken over by street performers and cheap tourists looking for loose slots and dollar tables. It was nowhere near what we expected.
We didn’t stay as long as we thought we would at all. We didn’t feel very safe after being accosted a few times, so we left Fremont Street and grabbed a quick bite at Evel Pie.
Old Las Vegas isn’t quite what it used to be. The glamor and glitz have been taken over by street performers and cheap tourists looking for loose slots and dollar tables. It was nowhere near what we expected.
We didn’t stay as long as we thought we would at all. We didn’t feel very safe after being accosted a few times, so we left Fremont Street and grabbed a quick bite at Evel Pie.
 The Fremont Street Experience. |  The LED Lights! |  The lights were pretty cool. |
After an afternoon nap, we barely missed the last gondola ride at The Venetian Hotel. We arrived just after midnight, and the last riders were exiting their boats. It was a bummer, but we kept walking through The Venetian and wandered the “streets” of the luxury shops and sipped on drinks from the casino bar.
 The lobby of The Venetian Hotel. |  The indoor canals of The Venetian. |
| We decided we would stick to one place on our second night. Our feet were sore from the night before, so we stuck to The Venetian. John and my sister learned how to play craps, and they walked away with a few hundred dollars each. It was so fun to watch them hoot and holler while the dice rolled back and forth. It was the best way we could have spent an evening. |  My sister at the craps table. |
Day Three:
 | Like I mentioned earlier, we had to attend a seminar at The Hilton Grand Vacations to get our three nights for $99. We attended the sales presentation then parked our very tired behinds at the pool. We enjoyed the slower paced day and eventually got ready for dinner that evening. |
We had passed signs for Biwon all around The Hilton, so I insisted we try it out. It was a score! For $100, tax and tip included, we got to eat all the sushi and appetizers we could stomach plus a bottle of sake. We ate all our stomachs could handle and ordered round after round of rolls, sushi, and soups.
The Nerd
We’d made plans to meet a friend of ours in Las Vegas, and he recommended meeting at The Nerd just off Fremont Street. We got a ride back to Fremont, found The Nerd, and enjoyed a night of laughs and stories.
Day Four:
Our final morning, we stopped at another all-you-can-eat restaurant, but this time it was a brunch buffet! We went to The Cosmopolitan Hotel and enjoyed their brunch bar at Wicked Spoon.
This was another steal. For only $38 each, we were able to eat all the bone marrow, crab legs, pancakes, desserts, lox bagels, and steaks we could handle. It was unreal, and we gorged ourselves.
We could not have found a better final stop in Las Vegas.
This was another steal. For only $38 each, we were able to eat all the bone marrow, crab legs, pancakes, desserts, lox bagels, and steaks we could handle. It was unreal, and we gorged ourselves.
We could not have found a better final stop in Las Vegas.
There were a few things we missed:
- We planned to go to Area15 after Wicked Spoon but spent too much time enjoying the food and never made it over to this immersive virtual reality space.
- After Biwon, we had planned to go see the retired neon signs at the Neon Museum, but instead, we hung out at The Nerd and never made it to this nighttime showcase.
- I wanted to visit night clubs like Omnia or XS, but we chose to spend time at the casino instead!
- John really wanted to go to Battlefield Las Vegas and shoot some crazy guns. We didn’t have the time nor the money to really enjoy this excursion.
 Area15 photo from Vegasmeansbusiness.com  Neon Museum photo from neonmuseum.org |  Omnia Nightclub photo from visitlasvegas.com |
We had the most incredible introduction to Las Vegas, and we cannot wait to come back and explore more of what this incredibly vibrant city has to offer us. We only saw the parts most tourists see. On our next trip, we will find some places off the beaten path!
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 | This area of Utah and Colorado called “Dinosaurland” is one of the most fascinating, untapped, geologic meccas in The United States if not the world. I call it untapped, first, because one of the country’s largest oil reserves sits under the shale in this area and is completely untouched. Then, the dinosaur fossils around and near Dinosaur National Monument are only partially discovered. In fact, they have found so many that they stopped digging for new bones; they are currently overwhelmed with the amount of data! |
 Split Mountain in Dinosaur National Monument. |  The "Wall of Bones" fossil display. |
Plus, there are thousands and thousands of Native American petroglyphs and pictographs around, and as the landscapes change, more and more are discovered. It’s a seemingly endless landscape with so much left to uncover. It is truly remarkable.
Nine Mile Canyon petroglyphs.
I spent a week roadtripping and rafting through Dinosaurland and Dinosaur National Monument over the Fourth of July holiday week in 2022. I learned a ton about the country’s makeup and the rich history of the rocks around me, I did things I’ve never done before, and I spent a week by myself being constantly blown away by the scenery.
Dinosaur River Expeditions:
My trip started with Dinosaur River Expeditions. We spent four incredible days rafting down The Green River through Dinosaur National Monument.
More than half of Dinosaur National Monument is only accessible by raft. I was unbelievably fortunate to have been able to join one of the few charters that gets to enter The Gates of Lodore each day.
More than half of Dinosaur National Monument is only accessible by raft. I was unbelievably fortunate to have been able to join one of the few charters that gets to enter The Gates of Lodore each day.
 One morning with Dinosaur River Expeditions. |  Steamboat Rock from Echo Park. |
Words can never describe how humbling the landscape is with its thousand-foot-high canyon walls, raging white water rapids, and relentless sun. It was a journey unlike anything I’ve ever been on, and the guides did everything for us including cooking our food and rowing our boats. It was awesome!
The view of Mitten Park from The Green River.
Back in Vernal:
| When we arrived back in Vernal, Utah, I checked into The Dino Inn. I highly recommend this motel during any Dinosaurland adventure especially the day your river expedition ends. Trust me; you will be tired. The Dino Inn is conveniently located near the heart of Vernal. It’s within walking distance to restaurants, coffee shops, and the rodeo when it’s in town (read more below). |  Rainbow over The Dino Inn. |
The Dino Inn.
The Vernal Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo:
Vernal, Utah, is a relatively small town. I don’t know the actual population, but when the Fourth of July and the rodeo were in town on back-to- back weekends, the town didn’t feel so tiny anymore.
For the Fourth of July, the town shuts down its downtown to assemble stages for bands and tents and tables for local vendors. It's a true hometown throwdown!
Every year on the second full weekend of July, Vernal hosts its annual rodeo, The Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo. In 2022, that weekend was conveniently right after The Fourth of July, so the town stayed buzzing. The rodeo is a classic show with bull riding, barrel racing, calf roping, and all the pageantry you could imagine - rodeo clowns included.
For the Fourth of July, the town shuts down its downtown to assemble stages for bands and tents and tables for local vendors. It's a true hometown throwdown!
Every year on the second full weekend of July, Vernal hosts its annual rodeo, The Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo. In 2022, that weekend was conveniently right after The Fourth of July, so the town stayed buzzing. The rodeo is a classic show with bull riding, barrel racing, calf roping, and all the pageantry you could imagine - rodeo clowns included.
The Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo was my first ever rodeo, and I had an absolute blast going by myself plus tickets were only $15.
See more from the rodeo at minute 5:30 in my YouTube video below:
Blind Frog Ranch Outpost:
While in Vernal, I learned about a lot of things nearby that I wasn’t originally planning to see. One of those was Bling Frog Ranch. During my river expedition, a guide told me that the infamous Skinwalker Ranch was located close to Vernal. My jaw dropped. One of the most paranormal sites in the world was just miles down the road from my hotel. I knew I had to go.
Our tour of Blind Frog Ranch outpost.
He told me it had been rebranded to be “Bling Frog Ranch”, so I booked a tour as soon as I was back in cell service. The guide, unfortunately, had given me some false information. Blind Frog Ranch was real, and they do tours, but it’s not Skinwalker Ranch. In fact, it's 40 miles from it by road.
Blind Frog Ranch has had “other-worldly” things happen here, but the tour guide from BFR said himself, “Skinwalker Ranch is like the dark energy, and this is more healing”. I wanted the darkness. I was prepared for crazy government conspiracies and wacky stuff, but got a very calm tour much more based around the Discovery+ Television show instead.
Blind Frog Ranch has had “other-worldly” things happen here, but the tour guide from BFR said himself, “Skinwalker Ranch is like the dark energy, and this is more healing”. I wanted the darkness. I was prepared for crazy government conspiracies and wacky stuff, but got a very calm tour much more based around the Discovery+ Television show instead.
Our tour guide "Cactus".
It was entertaining and fun, because there were some mega TV-show fans on the tour who knew every place we went and saw. For the price, I wouldn’t recommend it to those who haven’t seen the show, but it was fun.
Nine Mile Canyon:
The next morning, I left Vernal to go search for petroglyphs and pictographs. Another place I learned about while in Vernal was Nine Mile Canyon. It is one of the world’s largest collections of ancient Native American artwork also known as “The World’s Longest Art Gallery”.
I spent all day looking at these petroglyphs.
It is a 40-mile canyon full of artwork from a thousand years ago. The Fremont Indians left tens of thousands of pieces of artwork along the rock walls in this stretch. They show fascinating scenes of owls, snakes, buffalo, portals, rivers, and so much more.
There were so many petroglyphs in Nine Mile Canyon.
Fantasy Canyon:
Before sunset I quickly made it to Fantasy Canyon to fly my drone and take some photos. It is a very small area, the entire hike is only a half-mile, so it was easy to walk around and shoot all my content in under two-hours.
Back into Dinosaur National Monument:
My final day, I finally went back to Dinosaur National Monument. It was time to see, from the top, what I had seen from the river a few days earlier.
I started at The Wall of Bones and worked my way through the Utah side stopping at every scenic viewpoint along the roadside. Then, I circled back into Colorado to enter from the other side of Dinosaur National Monument to hike at Harpers Corner.
I started at The Wall of Bones and worked my way through the Utah side stopping at every scenic viewpoint along the roadside. Then, I circled back into Colorado to enter from the other side of Dinosaur National Monument to hike at Harpers Corner.
The Wall of Bones in Dinosaur National Monument.
Harpers Corner could not have been a more special viewpoint for my final moments inside the monument. I stood there and admired the swirly rocks below and watched the water for rafters as I stood there in sheer awe at the beauty of it all.
 The view of The Green River from Harpers Corner. |  The view from Harpers Corner. |
In those final moments inside Dinosaur National Monument, I reflected on a sign I had seen in the visitors’ center which said the park, “has the most complete geological record of any National Park Service Site,” and it made me think about other places I have been like The Grand Canyon and Zion National Park. Truthfully, I don’t think they even compare to Dinosaur National Monument.
I ended this trip feeling amazing, inquisitive, and sheerly dumbfounded. I had never felt like this about another place. Dinosaurland, USA, you stole my heart. I will be back to do some more exploring. You can count on that!
I ended this trip feeling amazing, inquisitive, and sheerly dumbfounded. I had never felt like this about another place. Dinosaurland, USA, you stole my heart. I will be back to do some more exploring. You can count on that!
See more from this road trip and other Utah road trips!
 |  |  |
 | Social media is such a blessing and a curse. Most people who frequent the outdoors know that places are getting more and more crowded, and it’s harder to find places to truly be alone. This is all because social media has shown us just how truly incredible our planet is, and people are able to highlight and locate some spectacular places. Utah is full of these incredibly epic, scenic spots. |
I found some of these on different social media sites, and they inspired John and I to get out and find them. We were so worried that since we had found these cool spots, others would have too, especially since we chose to go out Memorial Day Weekend, one of the most popular travel weekends in The United States.
 The "Blue Hills". |  Factory Butte. |
See more from our entire Utah Road Trip in my video below!
| Yet, for the most part, we accomplished our goals and went to a few places without seeing too many other people. In fact, until we crossed into Arizona at the end of our trip, we had seen less than 10 people in three days! It was pretty remarkable. |  |
Our road trip didn’t quite go as planned partially because we found some off-our-radar places that were unbelievable to explore and also because of some things that caused us to cut it a day or two short. We still went to some remarkable places, saw some jaw-dropping things, flew our drone a whole bunch, and managed to get away from the masses on a popular weekend.
Here is how we did it:
First Stop: Hanksville, Utah
 | Thursday evening, we drove from Denver down to Hanksville, Utah, searching for the “Blue Hills”. We arrived right before sunset not knowing where we were really going other than to look for some crazy colored rocks. These “Blue Hills” are actually called The Bentonite Hills. Bentonite is a type of clay that forms from volcanic ash layering upon itself. That’s what makes the hills so colorful and rainbow-like. |
We drove the long, rocky road up through the strange, barren, desert landscape and arrived at our first spot. We saw another car, so we decided to keep driving. We did a lot of driving, then some more driving and searching, before eventually circling back and parking near the other car we’d seen earlier.
We were lucky and arrived right before what photographers call “the blue hours”. The blue hours are the hour before sunrise and the hour after sunset. During these times the blue and purple hues really pop on these stratified hills. We spent some time on the hills during both the sunset Thursday night and sunrise Friday morning.
See more from these unreal, rainbow hills in my YouTube Video below!
Second stop: Burpee Dinosaur Quarry
As I mentioned earlier, some stops we made were planned and we just stumbled upon others. The Burpee Dinosaur Quarry was one we found but had heard of through geology podcasts and YouTube videos.
This was at the end of the dirt road where we saw The Bentonite Hills. When we pulled up, we were greeted by a nice but slightly confused man. He explained that this is an active dinosaur excavation site and that he was waiting on the rest of his crew. He showed us a few things that they had recently dug up including a dinosaur joint and a petrified tree. Then, he let us know we were free to walk around, because this is all public lands.
This was at the end of the dirt road where we saw The Bentonite Hills. When we pulled up, we were greeted by a nice but slightly confused man. He explained that this is an active dinosaur excavation site and that he was waiting on the rest of his crew. He showed us a few things that they had recently dug up including a dinosaur joint and a petrified tree. Then, he let us know we were free to walk around, because this is all public lands.
Cool rocks in The Burpee Dinosaur Quarry.
With the very limited knowledge we had of digging dinosaur bones, we walked around this massive, dried up river for hours hoping to luckily find something. Sadly, we did not, but it was still really cool.
Some petrified wood!
Third Stop: Factory Butte
Still near Hanksville, we drove over to another spot I had seen a lot on Instagram and have seen even more since we visited. Yet, there was pretty much no one here when we went exploring.
We drove as close as we could to Factory Butte and flew our drone where we couldn’t drive. This place featured a bizarre and barren pit at the foot of the Butte. It was actually a big motocross track! It was super cool.
We drove as close as we could to Factory Butte and flew our drone where we couldn’t drive. This place featured a bizarre and barren pit at the foot of the Butte. It was actually a big motocross track! It was super cool.
Next Stop: The Wild Horse Area
Another place we found just by driving around was The Muddy Creek and Middle Wild Horse Wilderness Area. We continued driving past Factory Butte just staring at the white, pink, and red cliffs in front of us. We kept driving toward them and found a hidden gem.
We found even more rainbow colored cliffs, a nice beach area along a shallow creek, and trails upon trails heading into the canyons.
We were not prepared to spend days and days exploring here like some people who passed on dune buggies and ATVs were. Instead, we just flew our drone for a little bit and cooled off in the creek with our dog.
We found even more rainbow colored cliffs, a nice beach area along a shallow creek, and trails upon trails heading into the canyons.
We were not prepared to spend days and days exploring here like some people who passed on dune buggies and ATVs were. Instead, we just flew our drone for a little bit and cooled off in the creek with our dog.
Stop Number Five: The Cosmic Ashtray
The Cosmic Ashtray was our next planned stop. This had been recommended to us by friends and again, I had seen it a bunch on social media. Yet, this was one of the most difficult places for us to find.
The Cosmic Ashtray!
We tried our hardest to follow the All Trails app directions, but I put what I thought was the wrong trailhead in my GPS, and the trail itself was virtually non-existent. The “path” was pretty much walking along smooth, rolling rock hills leaving us to scramble along the hot and exposed rock for miles. Keeping an eye on the map, we eventually made it to the Cosmic Ashtray, and it was well worth it!
So beautiful, but so windy and sandy.
We were hoping to get to fly our drone at this scenic spot, but we were welcomed by a massive wind and sand storm upon arrival. We took turns going down into the sand pit and holding back our dog. Afterward, we scooted out as quickly as we could to get away from the pelting grains of sand.
What Would Be our Final Stop: Arizona
John and I left Utah and drove right to the border of Arizona. We had every intention to spend the last few days of our trip in The White Pocket / Vermillion Cliffs area. Unfortunately, our trip did not go as planned from here on out.
Getting to White Pocket required a long drive down a sandy and windy road. There were multiple signs warning about vehicles needing 4X4 and high-clearance. We thought my Jeep Cherokee was built for it, but the clearance just wasn’t enough.
Getting to White Pocket required a long drive down a sandy and windy road. There were multiple signs warning about vehicles needing 4X4 and high-clearance. We thought my Jeep Cherokee was built for it, but the clearance just wasn’t enough.
 | We got stuck in the sand in the middle of the night. We tried multiple ways to get it out for hours, but decided to just set up camp and wait for help in the morning. We were rescued by a nice passerby and decided we needed to turn around and not continue down the road. Sadly, White Pocket will have to wait for another trip. |
Photo from AmericanSouthwest.net
Next Attempted Stop: The Wave
We didn’t really attempt The Wave, because the permit system seemed like a pain, but we were right nearby it. We actually drove right past the trailhead, so we definitely contemplated it.
Learn more about what is required to see The Wave on the recreation.gov website, here!
Learn more about what is required to see The Wave on the recreation.gov website, here!
From thewave.info
Next Failed Stop: White Ghost Hoodoo
After the White Pocket setback, I quickly looked for things to do in the area. Several things and places came up, and we wanted to go to The White Ghost / Wahweap Hoodoos outside of Paria.
This was another place whose Google Maps location in the GPS was different from the trailhead, and they were over an hour apart from one another.
This was another place whose Google Maps location in the GPS was different from the trailhead, and they were over an hour apart from one another.
From onlyinyourstate.com
Once we reached a dead end, we turned around and decided to end our trip.
We drove through the night back to Denver feeling slightly defeated about how the second half of our trip ended up, but looking back, we realized we had done and accomplished so much in such a short amount of time and neither of us could be too disappointed.
When we awoke the next morning back in the city, we both had the weird feeling in our stomachs that we were back in the “real world” and how special our time alone in the desert had been.
Hopefully, our next trip will be just as secluded and even more successful than this one.
When we awoke the next morning back in the city, we both had the weird feeling in our stomachs that we were back in the “real world” and how special our time alone in the desert had been.
Hopefully, our next trip will be just as secluded and even more successful than this one.
Watch my entire vlog from our trip highlighting each spot, campsite, and our complications on our Memorial Day Weekend trip.
Read my other Utah road trip guides here:
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 | Los Angeles, California, is home to Hollywood, movie stars, beaches, and mountains. It’s one of the most popular cities in America, and there is so much to do. There are so many famous places to see and trendy places to try. It can seem overwhelming to figure out what to do in a short amount of time. My parents recently moved outside LA, to Orange County, and I frequently fly “home” for weekend visits. Here are a few things I have done during quick trips out to California: |
Visit One of California's Oldest Areas -
| San Juan Capistrano is a spot often overlooked by many tourists. It is a bit out of the center of Los Angeles and Hollywood located in Dana Point, but it is well worth a visit. It is home to the oldest incorporated street in the state, Los Rios Street, which is arguably one of the cutest streets in L.A. too! |  Exploring San Juan Capistrano. |
The Mission was once an agricultural and religious center founded back in 1776. You can tour the church, go shopping, have high noon tea, and hop on the train in and out of town.
 Getting tea at The Tea House on Los Rios. |  Shopping on Los Rios Street. |
 | Spend a Day in Hollywood - Some of the most famous landmarks in Los Angeles are in Hollywood. You can spend days and days exploring here and only scratch the surface of movie, music, and celebrity memorabilia. All the most touristy things can be squeezed into one busy day. |
Here’s how I recommend exploring Hollywood in one day in driving order:
|  The Hollywood Sign!  The Walk of Fame.  Beverly Hills. |
Photo from www.santamonicapier.org
 Shopping on Lido Island at Newport Marina. | Go Shopping in Newport Beach Explore Lido Island and do some local high-fashion shopping. Get lunch at Billy’s On the Beach before driving over to Balboa Island or Fashion Island to keep the shopping going before spending the afternoon at the beach in Newport Beach. |
Los Angeles’s Best Beaches
There are plenty of great beaches to visit in Los Angeles, and this is not a complete list, but these are ones I've visited that I enjoyed:
There are plenty of great beaches to visit in Los Angeles, and this is not a complete list, but these are ones I've visited that I enjoyed:
*Personal warning: California beaches are a bit windy and the water is always cold. If you are used to East coast or Florida beaches, these are very different.*
Very cold on march 23rd, 2021.
 On the pier at Newport Beach. |
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Shake Shack at Crystal Cove.
Where to Eat:
Plan a really special dinner and splurge on some of the highest quality meals you might ever enjoy at these places. There are always trendy new spots popping up, but these ones have been around for years, so I feel I can recommend them without issue:
Plan a really special dinner and splurge on some of the highest quality meals you might ever enjoy at these places. There are always trendy new spots popping up, but these ones have been around for years, so I feel I can recommend them without issue:
Family dinner at La Brisas.
- La Brisas, Laguna Beach - Sit right near the water and enjoy some California dishes with a Mexican twist. Reservations are highly recommended especially for outdoor seating!
- Mastro’s, Newport Beach and Costa Mesa - My parents frequent this restaurant for business trips and family celebrations. It is an upscale steakhouse where they frequently see Real Housewives and saw Kim Kardashian once! Reservations can be made on their website here.
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|  Lunch at Off Vine. |
I hope this helps you plan a trip to Los Angeles and the surrounding areas!
If you are looking for a quick road trip from L.A., check out my guide “48-hours in Palm Springs and Joshua Tree” for a fun desert adventure!
If you are looking for a quick road trip from L.A., check out my guide “48-hours in Palm Springs and Joshua Tree” for a fun desert adventure!
Checkout my other California Guides below:
 |  |
 | Palm Springs, California, the man-made desert oasis built for movie stars and Hollywood producers, was the perfect place for a mom and daughter trip when I was visiting my family in Los Angeles. On a Monday morning in mid-June, we loaded up the car and set out eastward from L.A. bound for a girly two days of sightseeing, poolside sitting, and desert exploring. |
This was my sister, my mom, and I's first time visiting Palm Springs. We tried our hardest to squeeze in as much as we could, but of course, we couldn’t do it all in 48 hours.
The three of us atop the Palm Springs Aerial Tram.
Here is what we managed to do and a few things we wish we had seen. Enjoy!
Where to Stay in Palm Springs: (read more here!)
 | The Saguaro Hotel came up many times during our quick search for “Best Pool”, “Best Places to go on a Girls Trip / Bachelorette”, and “Best Restaurants”. We quickly found availability online and booked a weeknight stay for only $200. For Palm Springs, at the last minute, it was pretty reasonable. |
The colorful neon theme made for the most fun atmosphere as we enjoyed the DJ by the pool and explored the playful grounds. There were hammocks, giant games, horseshoes to play, really good drinks being served from the poolside bar, plus delicious food from El Jefe as well (read more below). It really was the best hotel!
 Enjoying the pool floats!  The colorful poolside view. |  Our pool view balcony room. |
Where to Eat in Palm Springs:
| El Jefe In the Saguaro Hotel, there is a great Mexican restaurant, El Jefe. We ordered food from there and had it delivered to us poolside. Later that night, we ordered late night tacos as well! Make a reservation here! |  Drinks form El Jefe by the pool. |
Azucar
We did not go here, but it was highly recommended to us. Its rooftop looks amazing and the drinks look delicious. It’s on the list for next time for sure!
See what I mean here!
We did not go here, but it was highly recommended to us. Its rooftop looks amazing and the drinks look delicious. It’s on the list for next time for sure!
See what I mean here!
Bootlegger Tiki
Another place we couldn’t fit in was Bootlegger Tiki. It looked like the cutest happy hour spot with a nice, light menu and bright, colorful cocktails.
Checkout their menu here!
Another place we couldn’t fit in was Bootlegger Tiki. It looked like the cutest happy hour spot with a nice, light menu and bright, colorful cocktails.
Checkout their menu here!
Things To Do During The Day:
It should go without saying that the desert is hot. We knew this and thought we were prepared, but it was about 115 degrees when we were there, and it was unbearable!
There was an extreme heat wave in the summer of 2021, but on average in the summer, Palm Springs gets freaking HOT.
We should have planned to be inside during the mid-afternoon instead of walking around, but we planned our trip focusing on locations instead of weather. We didn’t get to quite as much stuff done as we planned.
There was an extreme heat wave in the summer of 2021, but on average in the summer, Palm Springs gets freaking HOT.
We should have planned to be inside during the mid-afternoon instead of walking around, but we planned our trip focusing on locations instead of weather. We didn’t get to quite as much stuff done as we planned.
| Ride The Aerial Tram Our first activity of the day was riding the Palm Springs Aerial Tram. It was a beautiful ride on the oscillating tram. It provided for 360 degrees of stunning views of jagged mountain rocks that contrast with the vast desert to the east. |  The Palm Springs Aerial Tram. |
Riding the tram!
The top of the mountain was nice and cool, and surprisingly wooded. When walking around the Visitors Center, I learned about backpacking trails and the wildlife atop the mountain here. I will have to look more into this and plan a trip back up.
Cost: $16.95 - $28.95
Hours: Monday - Friday 10 am - 8 pm, Saturday & Sunday 8 am - 8 pm
Recommendation: Go during the heat of the day, The top of the tram is sometimes 20 degrees cooler than the desert below! This means it gets chilly in the morning.
Hours: Monday - Friday 10 am - 8 pm, Saturday & Sunday 8 am - 8 pm
Recommendation: Go during the heat of the day, The top of the tram is sometimes 20 degrees cooler than the desert below! This means it gets chilly in the morning.
 The view down onto Palm Springs. |  Looking the other way, towards the mountains! |
Shopped on Palm Canyon Drive
We wandered in and out of shop after shop on the main street of Palm Springs. It was so fun looking at all the brightly colored clothing and high fashion stores!
We wandered in and out of shop after shop on the main street of Palm Springs. It was so fun looking at all the brightly colored clothing and high fashion stores!
 The NEW Marilyn Statue in Palm Springs. | Saw Marilyn Monroe Right in front of the Palm Springs Art Museum is a brand new statue of Marilyn Monroe. We walked over to see her just two days after the unveiling! We sadly didn’t get to go inside the Art Museum, because it’s closed on Mondays. Cost: Free to see Marilyn, $6 - $14 to enter the Art Museum |
| Swam in the Pool Palm Springs has the highest concentration of man-made pools in the entire USA! I recommend finding a hotel that has one, so you can cool off during the late afternoon. It was so hot when we were in Palm Springs that all we really did the second half of the afternoon was sit poolside at The Saguaro Hotel. We drank frozen cocktails, listened to the DJ play, and floated on the giant inflatables. |  The pool at The Saguaro Hotel. |
Visit The Robo Lights
One thing we wanted to do was visit the Robolights Exhibit. It is a quirky art installation by artist Kenny Irwin.
Appointments are required to enter due to COVID-19. Please check his facebook page for contact info!
One thing we wanted to do was visit the Robolights Exhibit. It is a quirky art installation by artist Kenny Irwin.
Appointments are required to enter due to COVID-19. Please check his facebook page for contact info!
Photo of the Robot Lights from AtlasObscura.com
Take an Architecture Tour
One thing Palm Springs is really famous for is its architecture. It has a very distinct, modern style of white, sleek houses with colorful accents around their straight lines. The style comes from when the town was booming during the 50’s-70’s.
We could have explored town to just view the beautiful designs, but we wanted to get information from a guide who could share details about the designers and owners of the homes. We especially wanted to learn about celebrities', like Frank Sinatra’s, estates and stories!
One thing Palm Springs is really famous for is its architecture. It has a very distinct, modern style of white, sleek houses with colorful accents around their straight lines. The style comes from when the town was booming during the 50’s-70’s.
We could have explored town to just view the beautiful designs, but we wanted to get information from a guide who could share details about the designers and owners of the homes. We especially wanted to learn about celebrities', like Frank Sinatra’s, estates and stories!
Photo of Palm Springs architecture on California.com
Other Things We Did in the Area:
| Day Trip to Joshua Tree National Park Our second day in the area, we went out to explore the desert. We woke up at the crack of dawn and left our hotel around 4:30 a.m. |  |
Joshua Tree National Park is about an hour from downtown Palm Springs, and we wanted to beat the day’s heat. We arrived in The Cholla Cactus Gardens right at sunrise. It was perfect.
 The Cholla Cactus Garden in Joshua Tree National Park. |  At sunrise there was no one else around us. |
We spent half the day exploring this spectacular preserve and barely scratched the surface of exploration.
Skull Rock in Joshua Tree National Park.
If you only have a short amount of time inside Joshua Tree National Park, check out my blog post "One Day in Joshua Tree" to see all that we did!
 | Find The Noah Purifoy Desert Art Museum The town of Joshua Tree is an extremely eclectic art town. Out in the middle of the desert, outside of what they call the town, is The Noah Purifoy Outdoor Desert Museum of Assemblage Structure. It truly encapsulated the bizarre spirit of Joshua Tree and even features a toilet throne! |
| Visit Pioneertown As mentioned before, Palm Springs was built for movie stars and Hollywood producers, because a slew of western films were filmed out near Joshua Tree. Pioneertown was built for The Silver Screen and to be the set of movies and tv shows for decades. It’s not really used for filming anymore, but you can still walk around the famous, old set that was graced by western actors like Roy Rogers, Bob Nolan, and Gene Autry. |  |
 Pioneertown, California - the set of dozens of Westerns. |  |
| Take a Selfie with a T-Rex The last thing I recommend doing during your road trip is stopping by the giant dinosaurs in Cabazon on your way home. They have been deemed the largest concrete dinosaurs in the world and are recognized as some of the most famous roadside attractions in the world. Featured in movies like Pee Wee Herman’s Big Adventure and The Wizard, the Cabazon Dinosaurs are a must-see attraction. |  The Cabazon Dinosaurs. |
The dinosaurs were the last thing on our road trip before we made it back home. It was a lot to cram into two days, but we did it and had a blast!
Our last selfie of the trip!
I hope this guide can help you plan your perfect getaway to Palm Springs and the surrounding Joshua Tree area especially if you only have a limited amount of time to explore.
Please let me know in the comments if you find this guide or any of my other California Guides helpful. Thank you for reading!
| | |
 | Frozen Dead Guy Days returned with a more muddy than frozen welcome in Nederland, Colorado, this year. The mud didn’t stop the wild celebrations of Frozen Dead Guy Days from happening after a long two-year hiatus! |
Frozen Dead Guy Days is one of Colorado’s most unique festivals. It celebrates the town of Nederland’s cryogenically frozen man known as Grandpa Bredo.
Grandpa Bredo sits atop the town tucked away in the mountains in a Tuff Shed filled with dry ice hoping to one day be thawed and brought back to life. He has been frozen in Nederland since 1993 after being transported from his home country of Norway and has been waiting to come back ever since.
Every year, nearly 30,000 people ascend to the town of Nederland to spend the weekend celebrating the fascinating story of Grandpa Bredo at this three-day festival. The celebrations of Frozen Dead Guy Days revolve around the themes of death and Winter. There is frozen turkey bowling, polar plunges, human foosball, and, of course, coffin racing.
 Team Banana Hammock during the parade. |  More coffins during the parade. |
Lining up for the parade! This crowd was just the beginning.
| The coffin races are the main event at Frozen Dead Guy Days. Teams construct coffins to carry a “corpse” teammate through a tough-mudder styled course. This year, almost 30 teams participated in the grueling race including our own team The Revenge of the Lobsters! |  THE REVENGE OF THE LOBSTERS! |
Sadly, our team didn’t quite make it to the final heat, but we did make it all the way to the semi-finals ending in third place. The Revenge of the Lobsters isn’t over yet, and we will be back next year to win the cup!
The winning team Feeling Nauti'.
| The festivities didn’t end after the coffin races and polar plunges concluded. There were concerts into the night and festivities occurring all around town. Events continued Sunday too with activities like frozen-hand fix-a-flat where competitors soaked their hands in ice water for 60 seconds then tried to change bike tires, frozen t-shirt contests, and many, many more concerts. |  One of the concerts after the race. |
The entire weekend really brings the small, mountain town of Nederland to life even though the celebrations are centered around death. It’s quite a funny thing when you think about how someone’s death brings so much joy year after year.
Our third place team!
The festival takes place in March every year and be sure to check out their website for the announcement of next year’s dates.
You won’t want to miss this!
Checkout these other Colorado festivals:
 |   |
 | New Orleans, Louisiana, The Big Easy. It might be known for the wild festivities at Mardi Gras and on Bourbon Street, but there is so much more to this truly magical and historical American city. |
Sure, drinking and partying are a huge part of the culture in New Orleans - it can’t be denied. There are local watering holes on almost every street corner, the drinking age barely exists, and you can go just about anywhere with a drink in hand – including in your car after going through a drive-thru daquiri place!
 Fish bowls!! |  More fish bowls! |
There are sides of town and stories that most people who visit New Orleans don’t know anything about. From its antebellum upbringing through Hurricane Katrina and the reformation afterwards, this city has a truly unique story. Different from the rest of the world, operating almost separately from the rest of the country. It’s one place that is so captivating in its beauty and its charm.
I love coming back to New Orleans, time and time again.
 2015. |  2022. |
Here are things I recommend doing to help you better understand the true New Orleans, beyond just the surface of Mardi Gras and the famous Hurricanes and Hand Grenades. Spend a little time to take a deep dive and truly discover the soul of New Orleans.
Things to do during the day:
Ride the trolley! One of the easiest ways to get around New Orleans is the free trolley system. You can ride up and down Canal Street and all over town to see the city in a quick, traffic-free, way.
Photo from NewOrleans.com
| Take a tour! As I’ve mentioned, New Orleans has a fascinating history. It is full of voodoo, hauntings, fires, and pirates. Learn from the best historians about what makes New Orleans, New Orleans! Whether you want something scary and haunted or something diving deeper into history, or even about the food or art culture of New Orleans, there is a tour for everyone! | |
I recommend a catacomb tour that includes The Voodoo Queen, Marie Laveu’s, final resting place or a haunted history tour that would share stories of serial killers, vampires, and other crazy stories.
Visit Jackson Square! If your tour doesn’t take you around Jackson Square be sure to spot by this national landmark to see the statue of Andrew Jackson in front of St. Louis Cathedral. Plus, see the street performers and purchase some local art. It’s an eclectic place to walk around, learn a bit, or grab a bite to eat or drink.
Jackson Square and St Louis Cathedral.
Go to the market! Try some authentic Cajun cuisine at The French Market. Buy pralines, boudin, or some right near the banks of The Mississippi River. Watch women weave traditional sweetgrass baskets and create beautiful masterpieces with their hands.
Learn more about this long-running marketplace, here: https://www.frenchmarket.org/
Photo from NewOrleans.com
Visit a Voodoo Shop! Hopefully you will learn all about the religion of Voodoo on your tour, but if not, check out a voodoo shop. Marie Laveau has a store and then there is Voodoo Authentica. Buy a spell or a voodoo doll and summon some good things your way!
 Candles inside Voodoo Authentica. |  Voodoo Authentica.  Spells for purchase in Voodoo Authentica. |
Where to eat:
Café Du Monde - Try some beignets at this world-famous New Orleans restaurant. This New Orleans staple, doesn’t come without a wait, though. Be prepared to stand in line for a few hours if you are visiting any time during the day, especially on the weekend. The restaurant is 24 hours, though, so I always recommend stopping by to end the night on a sweet note. Plus, it’s fun to watch them sweep up all the powdered sugar at 3 am!
Read the Café Du Monde menu, here!
 Having fun in Cafe Du Monde. |  One of their famous beignets. |
| NOLA PoBoy - For a traditional PoBoy sandwich this is a great shop right on Bourbon Street. A poboy is a sandwich made on a baguette with usually friend seafood, a remoulade sauce, and some greens on it. They are delicious and all over the south. You can get a good one for cheap at this pretty decent hole-in-the-wall restaurant. Find it on Google Maps, here! |  The colorful menu at NOLA Poboy. |
| Lucy’s Retired Surfer’s Bar and Restaurant - This fun bar serves some of the best brunch in town! Sip on some strong cocktails while enjoying a good egg skillet inside this cozy little shack. |  Huevos Rancheros from Lucy's/ |
| SoBu - For a nicer sit-down dinner I recommend the hip-creole restaurant inside The W Hotel, Sobu. This sleek spot serves a modern take on classic cajun fares like cracklins, gumbo, and meat pies – and if you ask they will serve you Hooch in a gigantic foot-tall flask! Book a reservation here. |  Our hostess let us keep the flask. We clearly had too much fun at Sobu! |
Jack Rose - Another nicer dinner spot is the trendy Jack Rose inside The Pontchartrain Hotel. It’s an upscale dining spot full of eclectic artwork and bright colorful feelings. It’s a great place for a girl’s night out or a bachelorette party. Plus, the rooftop, Hot Tin, is a great place to checkout afterwards!
See more about Jack Rose, here.
 My friends bachelorette dinner at Jack Rose. |  More from Jack Rose. |
Where to go at night:
Bourbon Street! No trip to New Orleans would be complete without at least one stroll down Bourbon Street. This famous stretch is home to some of the wildest bars in the country. People are on this street 24-7 sipping on the famous bright green Hand Grenades or giant fish bowls of liquor.
 Bourbon Street 2022. |  Bourbon Street 2016. |
Here are bars I recommend visiting, though 99% of bars on Bourbon Street won’t leave you disappointed:
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- Saints and Sinners – Channing Tatum owns this fun two-story nightclub
- Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar – this is the oldest operating bar in the COUNTRY. It has a deep history of pirating and debauchery, and the city-saving owner is believed to still haunt the bar. I recommend visiting during the day or as part of your ghost tour to learn all about it!
 Ons tage at The Cats Meow. |  Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar. |
Frenchmen’s Street – the better Bourbon Street alternative!
If you like live music then Frenchmen’s Street is your area. Nearly every bar in this area has live music almost every night. This isn’t as wild as Bourbon Street, but in my opinion a way more fun time. Check out The Spotted Cat for jazz music, Café Negril for Reggaeton vibes, and Adolfo’s for some of the best Italian and creole dishes in the area!
If you like live music then Frenchmen’s Street is your area. Nearly every bar in this area has live music almost every night. This isn’t as wild as Bourbon Street, but in my opinion a way more fun time. Check out The Spotted Cat for jazz music, Café Negril for Reggaeton vibes, and Adolfo’s for some of the best Italian and creole dishes in the area!
 Cafe Negril. |  The Spotted Cat. |
Take another tour! Seriously, I cannot recommend enough hiring a guide and going on a tour. There is so much to be seen in New Orleans, and some of the best stuff only comes out at night. Ever wanted to see a ghost or wanted to hunt for vampires? There is a night tour out there that can show you a whole new side of NOLA once the sun goes down.
| Go gambling! If the thrill of New Orleans hasn’t been enough for you yet, try your luck at Harrah’s Casino at the end of Canal Street. Get a drink, win some money, and stay late becuase the casinos never really seem to close here! Learn more about Harrah’s Casino, here! |  |
This is by no means a complete list of things to-do, but just a launching point for those who know nothing about Nawlins. I hope this guide helps you plan a successful, fulfilling trip!
Enjoy and Laissez Les Temps Bon Rouler!
Checkout my guides for other U.S. Cities below:
Leadville, Colorado is the highest incorporated city in the United States. Sitting at 10,200 feet above sea level, this old mining town holds a rich history and features a cute town center in a beautiful mountain setting.
Whether you visit in summer or winter, there are many places to explore around the Leadville area. Being only an hour and a half from Denver, this is the perfect place to plan a quick trip into the Rocky Mountains!
Photo from The Leadville Ski Joring Festival.
Year-round activities:
Ride the train! Learn about the fascinating pioneer and mining history aboard The Leadville, Colorado & Southern Railroad. Take a scenic train ride up a 19th century mining track and discover what made Leadville a booming city, one that only lost the vote for capital of Colorado by two votes!
Soak in a hot spring! After a long hike or day skiing, there is nothing more relaxing than soaking in naturally hot spring water. Enjoy one of Mount Princeton's many relaxing pools, including natural pools along the river side. You can also stay in a cabin on site and enjoy the waters all day long!
Eat or stay in a yurt! Hike or ski up Tennessee Pass to find quaint yurts inviting you to dine and spend the night on the mountain pass. You can enjoy brunch, lunch, or dinner in the main dining yurt after the quick, one-mile hike or skin up from The Nordic Center.
 Photos from The Tennessee Pass Instagram. |  Photos from The Tennessee Pass Instagram. |
Visit Downtown! No trip to Leadville would be complete without some shopping and downtown dining. Walk down colorful Harrison Avenue to get a feeling of walking through an old western town. Pop into all of the downtown shops and stop at the historic Golden Burro or Silver Dollar Saloon to grab a bite to eat.
 Downtown Leadville. |  The Golden Burro Cafe. |
Winter:
See Ski Joring! Every year, Harrison Avenue transforms into a snow-packed ski course on the first weekend of March to host The Annual Ski Joring & Ice Crystal Festival. Watch skiers be pulled down main street by horses as they try to jump off of ramps and collect hanging rings in this fast-paced Nordic competition.
The 2022 Leadville Ski Joring Festival.
Hit the Slopes! Ski Joring might not fit your skiing skill level, but no matter if you are a beginner or expert, there are places for you to go enjoy the slopes! There are two places to ski or snowboard near Leadville: Copper Mountain and Cooper Mountain. They may have similar names, but they are very different mountains!
Discover which mountain best fits your ski level and get out to hit the slopes:
Check out Ski Cooper's website here and Copper Mountain's here!
Check out Ski Cooper's website here and Copper Mountain's here!
 Ski Cooper's map. |  Copper Mountain's map. |
Go Dog Sledding! Leadville’s high elevation in the mountains makes it perfect for different modes of exploration. One way to see the mountains in the winter is by dog sled! Visit a dog-sledding ranch and take an expedition through the snowy wilderness.
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Summer:
Checkout Twin Lakes! When the weather turns warm, take a mountain swim in nearby Twin Lakes. You can kayak, canoe, or boat around the conjoined alpine lakes. Spend the day fishing, picnicking, and relaxing and stay nearby at a campsite or in a rental cabin.
 Camping above Twin Lakes. |  Twin Lakes in the summer. |
Hit The Trail! There are many trails around the Leadville area perfect for hiking, backpacking, and mountain biking. I recommend downloading the AllTrails app to find one near you that fits your goals and skill level. You can even follow the trail map offline to keep you on track when you lose cell service!
Climb a Mountain! For the more experienced adventurers, try hiking or climbing a 14’er. A 14’er is a mountain that peaks over 14,000 feet above sea level. Mount Elbert is nearby and a great first peak to bag. You can also check out Mount Massive or La Plata Peak for more intense ascents. Be sure to check the weather and be prepared!
Watch our attempt of nearby Mount Sherman in winter of 2021.
As you can tell, there are activities for everyone during every season in Leadville, Colorado. Start planning your trip today!
Checkout these other places to visit in Colorado:
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 | Leadville, Colorado, is known for being the highest incorporated city in the United States and for being home to one of the most interesting competitions I have ever witnessed. Ski Joring is a fast-paced skiing event where horses drag skiers through a course and over jumps. |
Leadville has perfected this fascinating Nordic sport over its 74 years of hosting the Leadville Ski Joring & Crystal Carnival.
Checkout my recap of the 2022 Leadville Ski Joring Festival in the video below!
| The History of Ski Joring: The sport of ski joring was brought to Leadville by two locals looking to jazz up the town’s winter festival. They had driven up to Steamboat Springs for the Winter Carnival hoping to get some ideas. The two came back after witnessing ski joring as a mode of transportation and decided to make it into a competitive sport. |  |
The Ski Joring they saw was nothing like it is in Leadville today. Ski joring as transportation is the traditional form of ski joring from Nordic countries like Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Traditional skiers were also pulled by reindeer instead of horses like Santa Clause if he lost his sled.
The Growth of the Sport:
Over the decades, the sport underwent changes. Competitive Ski Joring rose in popularity and was featured as an exhibition sport in the 1928 Winter Olympics in Switzerland. When Denver put in a bid to host the Olympics in 1976, they tried to bring it back. Denver never hosted the Olympics, but many are hoping that ski joring might make a return on the 100th anniversary of its Olympic appearance.
 | Leadville has had its ski joring festival since 1949, and dozens of competitors register every year. Skiers, horses, and riders came from across the country for the return of this year’s festival. This year, over 50 people competed in the various events throughout the two days of competition. Different categories of competition include an open division and a sport division awarding competitors for hitting jumps, collecting rings, and staying within the route’s boundaries. Competition moved quickly rotating through skiers and horses all day Saturday and Sunday. |
Hundreds of spectators filled the streets of Leadville, and the festival made a successful return to main street Leadville. Last year, due to COVID, the festival was held at an alternative location.
The Leadville Ski Joring & Ice Crystal Festival is a fundraiser for the local Elks Lodge, and thousands of dollars are raised every year through the competitors, sponsors, and raffles. The festival takes place on the first weekend of March every year snow or shine. 2023 will be the 75th anniversary year, so start planning your trip now to witness this awesome local competition!
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Read about other things to do in Leadville year-round!
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 | As I am writing this post, I have just completed my seventh visit to Rocky Mountain National Park. This, I have deemed, makes myself just slightly worthy of writing a blog post about this incredible sanctuary! |
Every time I have been to the park I hav been with a different friend, family member, or hiking partner to explore this rugged wilderness with, and every time I am left feeling thankful and blessed to be so close to some place so special.
Living in Denver gives me many opportunities to see truly incredible places near home, and Estes Park, where Rocky Mountain National Park is located, is one of those magical places. Sadly, I don’t come here enough, but when I do, it is a special occasion.
Living in Denver gives me many opportunities to see truly incredible places near home, and Estes Park, where Rocky Mountain National Park is located, is one of those magical places. Sadly, I don’t come here enough, but when I do, it is a special occasion.
There are many ways to travel throughout the park - by car, bus, foot, bike, or even horseback, I am going to lay out the ways I have traversed through the park and give some insider recommendations!
Looking down into Rocky Mountain National Park!
Know Before You Go:
Entry Permits
New in 2020 and remaining through 2021 is a permit system to enter the park. You must have a timed entry permit to make it through the Ranger's gates.
Permits can be purchased, here: https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/timed-entry-permit-system.htm
Permits can be purchased, here: https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/timed-entry-permit-system.htm
| Permits go on sale a month before and sell out quickly. Do not panic! They release HUNDREDS of permits at 5 p.m. the night before and it is still very easy to get it. Also, if you enter before 5 a.m. or after 6 p.m. there is no permit required. Please note there is always permits required for any camping or over night stays in the park! |  |
Entrance Fees
 | There is a $25 entrance fee to enter into Rocky Mountain, and many other National Parks. I recommend purchasing the $80 annual park pass to avoid paying every time. Bonus - if you enter before 6 a.m. where there is no ranger you don't have to pay the fee! |
Summer Vs. Winter
Rocky Mountain National Park is open year round from the east side, or Estes Park entrances, but certain roads close at the start of winter and the entrances from Grand Lake become far less in the winter. This includes leading up to The Alpine Visitors Center, which is also closed in winter. (It took me seven trips to the park to time make it there!)
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I personally do not think you can go wrong in either season, but one time of the year definitely has more open and accessible - and that would be summer.
To handle the influx of people in the summer, there are more visitors centers and restrooms open, and the towns are bustling with people and open shops. It's a plus and minus to have people and operating businesses, but its nice when you are with other tourists just bumping around!
Things really pick up after Memorial Day and stay busy through August. I personally like May (if you are okay with the chill!)
To handle the influx of people in the summer, there are more visitors centers and restrooms open, and the towns are bustling with people and open shops. It's a plus and minus to have people and operating businesses, but its nice when you are with other tourists just bumping around!
Things really pick up after Memorial Day and stay busy through August. I personally like May (if you are okay with the chill!)
Photo taken in March during my sister's spring break visit - click to read more!
Driving Around The Park:
The easiest way to the most of the park is drive yourself! There is a bus you can take from point to point but I have never personally ridden.
I recommend starting from Estes Park and working over towards Grand Lake, or even turning around at The Alpine Visitors Center or at the winter gate of Highway 34. There is a lot more to do near Estes Park, and as of 2020 the wildfires have really closed off the western park of the park.
I recommend starting from Estes Park and working over towards Grand Lake, or even turning around at The Alpine Visitors Center or at the winter gate of Highway 34. There is a lot more to do near Estes Park, and as of 2020 the wildfires have really closed off the western park of the park.
I usually just drive clockwise around Highways 36 and Highway 34 and only one time did I make it up the road during the right season to go to The Alpine Visitor Center.
 A big horn sheep. |  View from the car window.  |  Sitting at the parking lot that becomes the point of turn around during the winter on Highway 34. |
Watch more from the time I drove my grandparents through the park! This is the only time I have ever drive all the way through to the Grand Lake side.
Hikes I Have Been On Inside The Park:
Brainard Lake
 Snowshoeing up to Brainard Lake. | The first hike I took in Rocky Mountain National Park was also my first time snowshoeing! I met up with a fellow hiker through the Women Who Hike Colorado Facebook Page, and we hit the “trail”. |
I say “trail”, because we would find out that we were not following the trail at all! Instead, we were just following another group's shoeprints in the snow. We knew that the lake is at the top of the hill, so we kept trekking and eventually made it to our destination and back onto the proper trail.
| It was a stunning and steep hike up, but the frozen lake at the top was well worth the confusion and difficult walk! The only thing to note is that the squirrels and marmots are relentless up there and will steal your snacks. Don't be like us and have your food stolen while you're taking pictures! |  Standing on a frozen snowy Brainard Lake. |
Bear, Nymph, Dream, and Emerald Lakes
 | My next venture into the park was in the summertime and it was a totally different experience than my first time. This time, there were no snowshoes or heavy coats involved, because it was hot--very hot--and buggy, but yet we still encountered the snow and had to hike across it at some points! It was a wild experience and the views were just jaw-droppingly beautiful. |
| My now fiance and I had such a wonderful afternoon trekking up the mountains, stopping at all the different lakes to catch our breath, and trying to take in the scenery. We absolutely loved this hike, and so do many others. It’s one of the most popular in the park for good reason! |  |
We had intentions to hike all day and see as much as we could, but an afternoon storm drove us back to the trailhead just after noon.
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Loch Lake
| It would be winter again before I returned to the park. Again, I was hiking to a lake, but this time a friend and I went ice skating at Loch Lake! I met up with my good friend Natalie, and we were both prepared for cold temperatures, but we were not expecting the wild storm that greeted us at the trailhead! |  |
 | We actually sat in our car and debated if we should continue before deciding to get out and hike as far as we could. We were both glad we stuck it out, because it was an epic experience! We hiked up the snowy trail for about 3 miles with no issues or bad weather until we reached the lake. |
At Loch Lake, the winds were released, and we found ourselves in a tornado of whipping gusts. It didn't stop us from strapping on our skates and trying out the ice. The ice was extremely bumpy, because the water froze in place as the wind pushed it into waves. Needless to say, it was difficult to skate on, and compared to my friend Natalie who was a collegiate hockey player, I was an embarrassment! We let the wind push us around the ice until we nearly froze. Then, we took off our skates and quickly made it back to our cars.
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Each of my experiences inside the park has been such an adventure, and I cannot wait to go back and explore even more. The park has so much more hiding inside its thousands of protected acres, and I cannot wait to see what I discover next time!
See more from Colorado's other National Parks on my "Parks Page"
- Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park
- Great Sand Dunes National Park
- Mesa Verde National Park
 | Nothing could have kept me from completing the infamous Four Pass Loop in The Maroon Bells Wilderness in western Colorado. This loop has been high on my bucket list of Colorado hikes, so when my girlfriend invited me, I couldn’t turn down the invitation. |
Like I said, nothing could have stopped me from completing this hike. Not John being unable to join, not my pack weighing entirely too much, and not even my mental game getting me down and nearly causing me to quit. More on that later. This hike was extremely important to me, and I am so proud to have completed it.
Watch my entire hour-long documentation of our remarkable trip in my YouTube video below:
| The Four Pass Loop is a 26-mile roundtrip hike that entails almost 8,000 feet of elevation gain, passes two lakes, three “14’ers”, and is one of the most scenic places in the entire state of Colorado. We completed the loop the first weekend of August 2021, and it took us four days and three nights to make it all the way around. |  The only group photo we have. Taken at Crater Lake. |
Before we started the hike, we did a lot of preparing. Fortunately, my girlfriend planned out our entire route and the logistics of the hike itself which left me only having to pack my own gear and food.
My initial photo of my gear. It ended up being more than this, but not all of this pictured. Click to read more about my packing process!
To read about my entire packing process including my pack, first aide kit, and homemade dehydrated meals on my Camping Gear blog page here!
| We decided to start our hike from Crested Butte instead of the more traditional route from Aspen, because coming from Maroon Lake near Aspen requires a parking permit or a shuttle ride up to the trailhead. We really didn’t want to do either, so we decided to add a few extra miles and start form The West Maroon Trailhead outside of Crested Butte. |  Trail of the Four Pass Loop from AspenTrailFinders.com |
There were a few other trails we could have started from including trails from Snowmass and Marble, but they were many more miles long than the route we chose. Starting in Crested Butte only added three miles each way or 6 miles total.
Checkout this super awesome topographic trail map video I found on Aspen Trail Finders! This is not the route we followed. Instead we started at The West Maroon Trail and went clockwise, I still felt it was cool enough to share though.
Once my backpack was fully packed, I hit the road to meet everyone at the trailhead. It was over a five hour drive from Denver to the West Maroon Trailhead. Everyone arrived late at night, slept in our cars, and woke up early to eat a good breakfast and start the trail as soon as we could.
 Morning coffee at West Maroon Pass trailhead. |  Car camping set up at West Maroon Trailhead. |
Day One: West Maroon TH over Frigid Air Pass
(Miles 0 - 7.5)
The first part of the hike was stunning. The wildflowers were in full bloom, and we were surrounded by fields of purple and yellow as we started our ascent up the valley. It was surreal, while it lasted, for the first three miles.
 Flowers are Fleabane's, Larkspurs, and Artists Paintbrushes. |  I believe these are loostrife flowers.  Early along the start of the West Maroon Pass Trail. |
Eventually, we connected with the actual Four Pass Loop Trail, here at The North Fork Trail.
 We turned LEFT! | Beforehand, we had made the decision to work the loop clockwise. This meant that we would take a left toward Frigid Air Pass when we hit the T-junction. Once we turned onto The Four Pass Loop Trail, we didn’t leave it again until Sunday. |
| We could tell things would be a bit different from here on out. The trail became more rocky, and the color of the rocks changed to a deep red. Everything was different than the West Maroon trail we had been on earlier. We could see miles ahead to where we needed to go, but it was gradual, so it wasn’t too daunting. |  Approaching Frigid Air Pass. |
Frigid Air Pass:
 The base of Frigid Air Pass. | Frigid Air Pass wasn’t the most difficult, but none of the four passes would be easy. I didn’t know this yet. At this point, my friends had gotten quite a far distance ahead of me. I could still see them, but they were pretty much at the top of the pass while I was taking a break and just about ready to start from the bottom. |
They were much faster hikers than me, and my pack was much heavier than theirs and way too heavy. Read about the mistakes I made in packing my backpack for this trip in my “Backpacking Gear 2021” blog post here.
Selfie on my GoPro from Frigid Air Pass.
| The view coming over Frigid Air Pass would be one of my favorites. I had never seen The Maroon Bells (Maroon and North Maroon Peaks) before. When I crested the pass, I was welcomed by the most grand view of Maroon Peak in all its glory, and by my friends who were patiently waiting on me. |  |
We didn’t stay at the top long, because we could look down on where we needed to go and see that we still had four miles left to cover.
 Columbines in front of Maroon Peak. |  Hanging out at the top of Frigid Air Pass.  Selfie with Maroon Peak! |
We made our way down Frigid Air Pass and followed along The North Fork Crystal River until we found camp. We down our gear at a spot where the grass had already been worn, just above the river and near a beautiful waterfall.
We had plenty of time before the sun went down to cook dinner, set up our tents, and sit around the campfire for a little while!
We had plenty of time before the sun went down to cook dinner, set up our tents, and sit around the campfire for a little while!
If you would like to read about the dehydrated meals I created for each night, read my “Dehydrated Recipes” post here!
 Campsite #1!  Cooking alongside the creek. |  My dehydrated Pasta Primavera. Click for the recipe! |
Day Two: Trailrider Pass to Snowmass Lake
(Miles 7.5 -15)
We woke up nice and rested, cooked breakfast, and broke down camp before hitting the trail for day two.
We got a bit of a later start than anticipated, and were ready to go at 9 a.m. Our second day on the trail would be all-around wonderful. The trail was fairly gradual at the start, and we had plenty of time to prepare ourselves for the steepness of the second pass.
We got a bit of a later start than anticipated, and were ready to go at 9 a.m. Our second day on the trail would be all-around wonderful. The trail was fairly gradual at the start, and we had plenty of time to prepare ourselves for the steepness of the second pass.
 Amanita Muscaria mushrooms. |  Indian Pipes (not a mushroom)  Porcini Mushrooms. |
Trailrider Pass was nearly 2,000 feet of straight-up elevation gain in under two miles. It was not easy. Since our bodies were sore, we stopped a few times to take off our packs and fuel up, and the slow approach made the pass quite manageable.
Trailrider Pass:
| Just like the day before, my friends got way ahead of me hiking up the trail. They, again, were waiting for me at the top of the pass. This time, we could see down onto Snowmass Lake when we hiked over the pass, and it was remarkable. I couldn’t believe how different the view was from this pass compared to the last. As beautiful as the view was, I didn’t sit there to enjoy it long. I knew we would continue to have the view for the entire hike down the mountain’s face, so we quickly started hiking again. |  The top of Trailrider Pass. |
 One side of Trailrider Pass looking down towards Frigid Air. |  The other side of Trailrider Pass looking at Snowmass Lake. |
As we walked closer to Snowmass Lake, the water became bluer and bluer, and its turquoise color was almost hypnotizing. We stopped to take lots of pictures and checked our maps while we were at the top part of the lake.
Snowmass Lake!
Where the trip took a turn...
Up until this point, I had been hiking with my girlfriend and her boyfriend. We had one more girlfriend who was planning to come up from the Snowmass Trailhead and meet us at Snowmass Lake that night. We arrived at the lake a few hours before the time we set with our friend. The couple wanted to leave a note and tell our friend that we continued on the trail, but I made the decision to wait at the lake.
The turn off the trail toward Snowmass Lake - also where I separated from my friends for the night.
 Snowmass Peak from Snowmass Lake. | I walked down to Snowmass Lake right as the sun was starting to set. I probably had about 20 or 30 minutes before the sun went behind the mountains. It gave me enough time to cook dinner, filter water, and find a campsite. Snowmass Lake requires camping in designated areas which made finding a place to camp a bit difficult. Luckily, a nice group made room for me and my friend who had not yet arrived. |
It was starting to get dark, so I decided to get my tent setup. While in the process, my girlfriend walked by! I flagged her down, and we ate dinner, shared pictures, and pretty quickly went to bed.
 Our campsite in the designated campground. |  Where I cooked dinner next to Snowmass Lake. |
Day Three: Buckskin Pass to Crater Lake
(Miles 15 - 24)
| Our alarms went off at 5:00 a.m. sharp, and we were instantly up and moving. We wanted to meet up with the couple camping one and a half miles down the trail before they took off, so we were hiking by 6:30. We hit the trail without any breakfast to rush to our friends, and this lead to a not-so-great morning. |  Starting off the morning of day 3! |
When we met up with our friends at their camp, we cooked some oatmeal, but it was a little too late.
 Me pointing to where we needed to go up over Buckskin Pass. | The first portion of our day was a climb over Buckskin Pass. This was another 2,000 foot climb in less than two miles. It was incredibly difficult. This part of the trail was the most difficult for me. I struggled very much. I cannot deny that I wanted to quit. |
I lost my mental stronghold...
Hiking is 99% mental, and that morning, I was off my game big time. I knew that at the bottom of this pass, at Crater Lake, there was a shuttle I could take and quit the trail. Instead, I sucked it up, took a deep breath, and changed my outlook as soon as I realized my negative mindset.
I made it over the pass and felt great by the time I reached the top. It felt like I could keep hiking the rest of the day, so I did not give up. I did not quit, and I kept pushing to Crater Lake after a nice, long stop.
I made it over the pass and felt great by the time I reached the top. It felt like I could keep hiking the rest of the day, so I did not give up. I did not quit, and I kept pushing to Crater Lake after a nice, long stop.
 The top of Buckskin Pass. |  So happy to be at the top of this pass. |
| My one girlfriend, who I had met at Snowmass Lake the night before, hiked out and took the shuttle. That was always her plan. She only joined for the one night, because she lives in the area and can do the rest of the trail any other time. We said goodbye, and the couple and I kept going around the lake. Although I was feeling great, this turned out to be another rough portion of our trip. | The last time we were a group of 4 - taken at Crater Lake. |
We took a wrong turn...
We took our only wrong turn, and it cost us a lot of energy. We didn’t realize that we needed to cross West Maroon Creek and instead, walked up a very steep hill on the wrong side of the water.
When we made it back down, we regrouped and established a goal that we would try to reach to make camp. My friends went on ahead at their much faster pace, and I planned to meet them there.
When we made it back down, we regrouped and established a goal that we would try to reach to make camp. My friends went on ahead at their much faster pace, and I planned to meet them there.
After Crater Lake there is a creek crossing. DO NOT miss this!
The trail was much more difficult than I anticipated, and it took me longer than I had imagined to find my friends. The sun started to set behind the mountains, and I started to panic. This was, by far, the least fun part of the trip and the trail. I was walking through short trees and bushes making it hard to see far in front of me.
When I got to the point on the map where I was supposed to meet my friends, nearly an hour after I had last seen them, I started calling out their names, and they came running. They had just found camp and were coming down the trail to help me. We embraced and quickly unloaded my gear at camp. We ate, hung our bear bags, and went to bed before 8:00 p.m.
When I got to the point on the map where I was supposed to meet my friends, nearly an hour after I had last seen them, I started calling out their names, and they came running. They had just found camp and were coming down the trail to help me. We embraced and quickly unloaded my gear at camp. We ate, hung our bear bags, and went to bed before 8:00 p.m.
You can hear more about how I panic walked for two-miles in my YouTube video around the 37-minute mark
Day Four: West Maroon Pass to Crested Butte
(Miles 24-30)
 Breakfast Trail Tacos for the last morning. All smiles for a full belly! Click to read my recipe. | This last morning, we woke up with a completely different attitude than we’d had on any other day, because we only had a few miles to go. Plus, we knew what the second half of the trail held in store for us. We packed up, quickly made it up the valley in which we were camping, and approached West Maroon Pass. |
The last pass was no easier than any of the others. It took a good number of stops to get my sore body to carry the heavy pack at this point, but it was extremely rewarding when I made it to the top. West Maroon Pass was the last difficult portion of the trail. From here on out, it was mostly down hill.
All smiles from the top of West Maroon Pass!
| When I made it to the junction of West Maroon Pass and The Four Pass Loop Trail, I cried a little bit. This was the last marker on the trail, and when I turned onto the Maroon Pass Trail, I had completed The Four Pass Loop. |  The same sign we had passed earlier in the trip. It was almost over! |
 My picture back at the trailhead sign. Never been prouder. | It was an emotional journey. The last few miles back to my car felt like a blur. I couldn’t stop thinking about how humbled I felt to be trekking by myself and rounding out the last few miles of a 30 mile hike. When I arrived back at the trailhead, I cried some more. Most were tears of happiness and disbelief, but I was also sad, because my friends had driven into town. |
I was so unbelievably proud of all the things I had pushed my body through over the last four days. They were difficult days, but they taught me a lot. Mostly, they stoked my excitement to get out and do it all over again. Maybe next time, I’ll take a lighter pack. ;)
The last official selfie from the trail. What a bittersweet moment.
See more from my other backpacking trips:
Backpacking Five Days in Yellowstone's Backcountry
Camping inside The Great Sand Dunes National Park
My First Solo Backpacking Trip in Medicine Bow, Wyoming
Camping inside The Great Sand Dunes National Park
My First Solo Backpacking Trip in Medicine Bow, Wyoming
 | John and I have had the incredible pleasure of traveling to Ireland twice now. The first time we came to Ireland, we celebrated New Year’s Eve 2017. Our second time, we visited in July of 2021 for a wedding. Neither trips were centered around exploring Dublin, but we made the most of our short time in the beautiful capital city on both trips. |
Read about the other towns we suggest visiting outside of Dublin, in this "Where To Travel In Ireland" blog post - here!
Dublin is an old city with a rich history from over 1,000 years ago. There are castles, churches, and cobblestone streets all around the city telling the stories of the kings, revolutionaries, and people of the past.
The ha'penny walking bridge - that used to cost half a penny to cross!
During both times in Dublin, we tried our hardest to get the most in-depth, hands-on look at the city’s historic past by visiting certain places to learn as much as we could.
Here are some places we recommend:
Dublin Castle
Visit the fortress that was built in the year 1200 to protect the city and the king. You can see artifacts of royalty and read about the painful chapters in Irish history while walking through lavish hallways and rooms.
 The outside of Dublin Castle.  The elaborate decor inside. |  A throne inside the castle. |
The Book of Kells at Trinity College
 The Library of Trinity College. | To get an even older look into Irish culture, you can see one of the country’s most prized possessions. The Book of Kells was written circa 800 AD and is now held inside Trinity College in Dublin. The Book of Kells is an elaborate transcript of the first four gospels of the New Testament of The Bible: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. This book dates back to 800 AD. It is intricately crafted and beautiful to see. It really gives a good look into the importance of the Catholic Church in Ireland. |
 Outside Trinity College. |  Another view inside the library. |
St Patrick’s Cathedral
Another glimpse into Ireland’s Catholic roots, is St Patrick’s Cathedral. This cathedral is the national cathedral of Ireland and is a stunning display of craftsmanship. Even the grounds outside are well kept and constructed in a beautiful array. Outside is a cemetery and statues to represent those buried there.
 St Patrick's Cathedral. |  The cemetery outside St Patrick's Cathedral. |
St Stephen's Green and Oscar Wilde statue
| Near St Patrick’s Cathedral is St. Stephen’s Green. The Green is a picturesque and lush park situated in the heart of the city. You can walk around and read about the statues commemorating different historical events and people from Irish history including the famous author Oscar Wilde! |  |
Guinness Factory
Behind the church, alcohol, especially Guinness, might be the second most important thing to Irish history. The Guinness brewery has changed the course of modern Irish history by providing jobs, drinks, and good times to Irish folks since the late 1800’s. Grab a pint and learn just how important this company has been to the city and country.
This was one of the first places we toured in Dublin in 2018 and we loved it! Read all about it in our review post, here.
 John and I outside the gates to get in. |  Old barrels now used for display during the tour. |
Temple Bar
To continue on the history of drinking, head over to the famous Temple Bar and grab a pint from one of Ireland’s oldest pubs. Don’t stay at the one pub though. Check out the entire Temple Bar area to explore some of Dublin’s other, less crowded bars.
 Outside of Temple Bar.  Another view of the outside of Temple Bar. |  The streets surrounding Temple Bar have great pubs too! |
Jameson Factory
We have never toured The Jameson Factory ourselves, but it comes highly recommended. Their website says, “Founded by John Jameson in 1780, today the former factory stands as a monument to Irish Whiskey. “ Sounds like a good time to me!
Other places we have not toured but want to:
St Michan’s Church, Crypts, and Mummies
This church was built in 1095, and because of its natural construction, has managed to preserve the dead bodies stored inside. The mummies date back over 800 years. We tried to visit on our last trip, but the church closes for lunch from 12-2 in the summer, so we missed them!
Leprechaun Museum
Another thing we missed was The National Leprechaun Museum, because they are closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. This museum was highly recommended by a local who said, “the museum makes you feel like you yourself are a leprechaun, and that everything around you is gigantic!”
This church was built in 1095, and because of its natural construction, has managed to preserve the dead bodies stored inside. The mummies date back over 800 years. We tried to visit on our last trip, but the church closes for lunch from 12-2 in the summer, so we missed them!
Leprechaun Museum
Another thing we missed was The National Leprechaun Museum, because they are closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. This museum was highly recommended by a local who said, “the museum makes you feel like you yourself are a leprechaun, and that everything around you is gigantic!”
 St Michan's mummies - photo from Atlas Obscura. |  |
We know we have only scratched the surface of things to do in Dublin. The city has so much to offer, and we cannot wait to come back to keep learning and seeing more!
Read about the other places we recommend visiting in Ireland:
Things to do in County Cork
Things to do in County Kerry
Killarney National Park
Things to do in County Kerry
Killarney National Park
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Ireland is one of the most magical countries in the world. Not only is it full of friendly people and a rich cultural history, but it’s also absolutely beautiful with lush green rolling hills, ancient forests, and jagged coastline.
The luck of the Irish is truly with those who call this place home and the special ones who get to visit. |
There is so much to do and see, and I know I have not seen it all during my travels, but my two trips to this spectacular country have been remarkable and unforgettable. I want to share a few special places we have found around the Emerald Isle from castles to pubs and secret fairy forests.
Here are some of the most remarkable places I recommend visiting in Ireland.
Dublin:
Most people fly in and out of Dublin when they travel to Ireland. This is a great launching point for your vacation, but I highly recommend getting out of the city and seeing as much of the country as you can.
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Though while you are in Dublin, there are some places you should visit (in alphabetical order):
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The Dublin Castle - stand where royalty once stayed.
Tour the Guinness beer factory.
See St Patricks Cathedral where he baptisms thousands of converts.
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The famous Temple Bar Pub.
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The Trinity Library at Trinity College.
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When you have had your fill of Dublin (and Guinness), get out of town and travel to one of these quaint, picturesque towns (listed in alphabetical order):
Ballincollig -
Visit the Blarney Castle or walk along The River Lee to view The Ballincollig Royal Gunpowders Mills in the tiny town of Ballincollig. I have explored here more than anywhere else and cannot recommend it enough. The people here are the most kind, but I might be biased, because this is the hometown of some of our friends!
Kissing the Blarney Stone is one of the most famous places in Ireland. Go fourth with the gift of eloquence afterwards!
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Ballincollig Royal Gun Mills were the 2nd largest stocks under British control in the 1800's!
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Cork -
Shop at The English Market for some local delicacies, meats, cheeses, and other fine goods before walking the city streets or touring The Kerrygold Butter Museum orBlackrock Castle Observatory. There is so much to do and see in this historic fort city that we recommend a day or two to take it all in!
The English Market in Cork.
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The Blackrock Castle Observatory.
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Glenbeigh -
Checkout one of Ireland’s most scenic beaches at this popular locals’ vacation spot. There are great historic places to check out like The Kerry Bog Village Museum (which you can read more about HERE) along with silly places like the Fairy Forest to explore!
Kerry Bog Village Museum.
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Taken in the Fairy Forest.
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Killarney -
Discover one of Ireland’s Crown Jewels, the 25,000 acre preserve of Killarney National Park. We took a horse drawn carriage ride through the park on a beautiful summer afternoon to see the Muckross House and Torc Waterfall.
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The Torc Waterfall in Killarney National Park.
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Our horse drawn carriage ride from The Muckross Park Hotel & Spa.
Kinsale -
Kinsale is a colorful fishing town with bright storefronts and delicious restaurants. I recommend before stopping in for a bite to eat, traveling down to the nearby cliffs close to The Olde Head Golf Course.
If you would like to see where to stay in all of these towns, check out my “Best Places to Stay Around Ireland” blog post here!
There are still many places I hope to come back and visit. Here are some of these iconic locations I can’t wait to see one day:
- Cliffs of Moher and Galway
- Jameson Distillery in Dublin
- Skellig Islands - This former monastery was the filming location for Star Wars The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi.
- Northern Ireland - Though this is technically an entirely different country, I really want to visit here to see The Giants Causeway, a natural rock formation that looks like stepping stones and stairs built for giants.
I know I haven’t seen all of Ireland, but what I have seen has been nothing short of magical. I hope this post helps you find just how truly special this place is during your own visits to The Emerald Isle.
See more from our adventures around Ireland HERE:
 From our second night in Sedona! We loved this vacation. | Every summer, John and I enjoy taking one long trip across the United States to visit some place we have never been. Most of our summers have been spent together in the American Southwest, and the summer of 2021 was no different. This year, we took a road trip to Sedona, Arizona. We have been to Arizona many times including most recently for Memorial Day to kayak the Colorado River, which you can read about here, but we have never been near Sedona. When my Aunt and Uncle informed me they would be there for vacation, we timed our annual road trip to tag along for a portion of their trip. |
We spent three days in this geologically stunning area and only scraped the surface of its plethora of wonders. There are crystals, caves, "vortexes", and so much more tucked inside of these beautiful, red rocks, and even the small portion we saw was mind-blowing.
 Airport Mesa. |  Devil's Bridge. |  Devil's Bridge, too. |
Here are some of the places we visited during our brief time in this magical locality:
Lodging:
| We arrived at my aunt and uncle's VRBO house just Wednesday evening and enjoyed our first stunning sunset in the desert. After we caught up and unpacked, we quickly walked back outdoors for our first attraction in the area. |  From the driveway of our rental. |
Where to Eat:
 The view from Sound Bytes. | The only place we ate dinner out in Sedona was at Sound Bytes, a large music joint with a big patio and a great view! We chose it, because they didn’t have a wait, and it was recommended by a neighboring restaurant owner. The food was better than expected, and the wait staff was a fun crew. We had a great meal taking in the stunning scenery around us. |
Hikes:
Warning - Sedona is HOT!
This fact won't be a shocker if you know anything about The American Southwest, but I wanted to include this warning, because it is unbearably and unsafely hot for most of the summer.
I highly recommend that you check the weather and warnings every single day before going out. Not only is heat an issue, but when it does rain, flash floods are also a major concern. Not to mention wildfires which hindered our plan to take a dip in Owl Creek.
I highly recommend that you check the weather and warnings every single day before going out. Not only is heat an issue, but when it does rain, flash floods are also a major concern. Not to mention wildfires which hindered our plan to take a dip in Owl Creek.
Sunrise at Airport Mesa Trail:
| Our first morning in Sedona, we woke up as early as we could and tried to chase the sunrise at The Airport Mesa Loop Trail. We left our rental home at 5:15, and the sun was just starting to peak out over the horizon. We hurried as quickly as we could to get onto the trail. |  View from the observation deck parking lot. |
We followed the AllTrails app to keep us on the right path. See our route here!
From Airport Mesa you can see all of Sedona's famous red rock formations.
The views were beautiful for the first half of the hike. While the sun was rising, we traversed the desert landscape, and it lit up with blooming wildflowers and bushes. Later on when the trail approached the airport, there was less to see.
Overall, it was a wonderful morning for us to see all of the valley's towering formations we would be hiking throughout the week.
Overall, it was a wonderful morning for us to see all of the valley's towering formations we would be hiking throughout the week.
Read a more in depth review of our hike around The Airport Mesa Trail here!
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Boynton Canyon:
 The start of the Boynton Canyon trail. | Again, we got up well before sunrise and started hiking Boynton Canyon before the heat of the day began. This time, we left before 5 AM and were starting The Boynton Canyon Trail in the rays of first light. This was hands down our favorite hike of the trip. The view started incredibly and only improved the further in we went. |
We found “secret caves” and Native American ruins. It was an eventful and easy hike through the desert canyon.
 Ancient ruins. |  The "Secret Cave". |  Boynton Canyon Trail. |
Watch our video from this unreal hike in our blog post here!
Devil’s Bridge:
| Our last morning in Sedona, we woke up well before sunrise again. We knew we had to go early to beat the crowds, because we had saved the most popular location for last. We arrived at the Devil’s Bridge trailhead just before 5 AM and there were already a slew of cars in the parking lot. We quickly booked it up the trail to get to the bridge before the sun broke free from the mountains. |  John and me at Devil's Bridge. |
We manage to time the sunrise perfectly, but we did not beat the crowds. When we got to the bridge, there were hoards of people in line to walk across the bridge. It was still worth it even with the amount of people around, the structure is absolutely spectacular especially when the sun rays hit the red rocks, they warm the glow of the bridge. It was magnificent.
 Sunrise at Devil's Bridge. |  We took the trail below the bridge too. |
Bell Rock:
 Standing on Bell Rock. | We had every intention to take a guided tour up this vortex formation, but the extreme heat snubbed our planned hike. Instead, we walked around the base of the formation before going out for dinner. |
Read more about our visits to all four energy vortexes in this separate blog post, here!
Swimming Holes:
Slide Rock State Park:
| We were so lucky to get into Slide Rock State Park in the late afternoon we went. This insanely popular swimming hole was understandably packed. The rock formations here create natural slides and waterfalls, and the park is essentially a giant natural waterpark. We managed to walk away from most of the crowds of people, and discovered a sweet cliff-jumping spot. We had so much fun!! |  |
Watch more from Slide Rock State Park in our video below!
Crescent Moon Ranch:
 The reflection fo Cathedral Rock. | One evening we made one last stop at Crescent Moon Ranch to try to see the reflection of Cathedral Rock on the water. This was a great spot to stand in the water and wade around while we took in the view. During the heat of the day it would have been the perfect place to take a dip. |
This area is considered to be one of Sedona’s Energy Vortexes - if you are interested in learning more about these mystical places around the town, read our “Sedona Vortexes” post here!
Interesting Stops:
 | Sedona is home to the world’s only McDonalds sign that cannot claim the famous “Golden Arches”. Instead, the arches on this worldwide chain location are turquoise blue because of a strict city ordinance on maintaining aesthetics. We didn’t eat here, but it was definitely an interesting and quick stop! |
Amitabha Stupa:
| Our house was near the Amitabha Stupa and Peace Park. We quickly walked the short trail to the temple and managed to explore before the sun went down. While walking around the religious grounds, we learned about the Buddhist community in Sedona and Buddhism generally. Many triangular and colorful flags hung between trees, and a large infographic peaked our interest. We appreciated the silence of the place, before heading home for a good night's sleep. |  |
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Montezuma Castle and Montezuma Well:
We checked out the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Montezuma Castle and Montezuma Well to do a little bit of learning and wondering.
This area is deemed to have been an important cultural site to the native peoples of the land. Montezuma Castle is a well preserved Pueblo believed to have been created 1,200 years ago while Montezuma Well Is a nearby water source home to several species that have never been found anywhere else in the world!
 Montezuma Castle ruins. |  Montezuma Well. |
Both of these stops were extremely interesting - you can read about the curious sites in our more detailed blog post here.
Chapel of the Holy Cross:
Another interesting stop we made was Chapel of the Holy Cross. This place of worship was built to mimic the biblical "house on the rock" and it was a beautiful display of craftsmanship.
We walked around outside while a mass was being held inside, before we finally went in and saw the stunning crucifixion and stained glass windows.
We walked around outside while a mass was being held inside, before we finally went in and saw the stunning crucifixion and stained glass windows.
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We cannot wait to come back!
It was a great few days spent with family in an absolutely stunning part of the country. We managed to squeeze so much into our trip in just a few days, but we know we only scratched the surface. We cannot wait to come back soon and do some more adventuring!
 | Over Memorial Day Weekend 2021, John and I traveled down to Page, Arizona to accompany our good friends on their annual Colorado River kayaking adventure. We would spend two days kayaking from Glen Canyon Dam down to Lee's Ferry boat ramp, aka the start of The Grand Canyon, along a 15-mile stretch of The Colorado River. |
Our friends reserved everything for us!
Our friend Kassi arranged everything for us beforehand. Since she had done this before she knew not only the route, but exactly how to book our kayak rentals and our backhaul (the ride up the river).
| She reserved our backhaul with Steve Kelly from Kelly Outfitters and our kayak rentals through Kayak the Colorado. We had to arrange these beforehand because one, they fill up pretty fast, but two because no private boats are allowed up the river and three, you cannot get in from the dam! Kassi knew all of these logistics and laid it all out for us before we left. Before heading to Page, we also read up on both Kayak The Colorado and Kelly Outfitters’s webpages. We found Mr. Kelley’s article “Top 10 Backhauling Tips” extremely helpful. There was information on the water and route, fishing advice, and resource maps. We highly recommend reading both sites before booking a trip. |  |
All we had to do was show up... at 6 a.m.
We arranged the earliest pickups and backhauls we could get. We wanted to make the most of our day on the water. So we picked up our kayaks to load them up at 6, and our boat left at 7!
 | Both Kelly Outfitters and Kayak The Colorado made starting our trip a seamless process. They had all of our kayak gear all together waiting near Steve’s boat at 6 a.m. ready for our backhaul at 7. It was impressively easy! |
Once we’d been given the safety briefing and had loaded Steve’s boat, we headed upstream! During the ride, he told us about the history of Lee’s Ferry and Glen Canyon Dam all while pointing out landmarks as we passed them.
| Steve showed us an old shipwreck, old mining rods that lead to nowhere, plus roads INSIDE the canyon walls used during dam construction. He also informed us that Glen Canyon Dam is only 16-feet shorter than the much more famous Hoover Dam. It was fascinating! |  |
See the highlights from our trip in my video below!
We hopped in our kayaks, and away we went!
Once we got to the dam, he dropped us off with our gear on a sandbank. We were soon off on our own to float back downstream to Lee’s Ferry boat ramp.
 | Our first day was very slow moving. We were all so amazed with the area that we could barely focus our attention on paddling. The canyon walls stood hundreds of feet above us, and we couldn’t help but sit in sheer befuddlement of how grand they truly are. |
When our necks were sore from staring up at the walls, we’d look down and realize that everything below was just as beautiful as it was above! It was truly 360 degrees of unreal scenery.
Fly fishing wasn't successful the first day.
| The freezing cold water under our kayaks was crystal clear. Even though it was clear, it was a glowing, neon green from the thriving algae and plants below the surface. We could see fish weaving in and out of the tall grasses and we, right away, tried our hand at fly fishing. We didn’t have any success the first day, but the second day was an entirely different story! |  |
We camped at the Ferry Swells Campground.
Fly fishing nets empty, we only made it a few miles downstream before we pulled over to camp at Ferry Swells Campground. It was the middle of the day already and we didn’t want to risk campgrounds downstream being full and forcing us to backtrack!
We pulled our kayaks out of the water and setup near a fire ring in the campground. We spent the rest of the daylight hours exploring up, down, and around the canyon cliffs. When the sun set, we headed back down to start a campfire and have dinner.
We pulled our kayaks out of the water and setup near a fire ring in the campground. We spent the rest of the daylight hours exploring up, down, and around the canyon cliffs. When the sun set, we headed back down to start a campfire and have dinner.
Day Two:
The next morning, we got going early and made our first stop at Petroglyph Beach. These petroglyphs are believed to be thousands of years old though no one really knows. It was a cool stop, but we were soon back in our kayaks and paddling onward.
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Fly fishing success.
We had roughly 10 miles to go the second day, so we picked up our pace from the day before. It didn’t keep me from fly fishing, though. I actually caught two of my largest fish yet! Both were native rainbow trout, so we released them back into the water.
Hiked to Waterhole Canyon.
We made it to Waterhole Canyon with enough time to hike. From the river, it was about a mile or so walk up to the climbing wall. It’s difficult to go all the way through the canyon without ropes, but it was still extremely cool to see as far up as we did and it was a nice walk on solid ground.
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See more from Waterhole Canyon in this video below!
I flipped my kayak and we had to stop...
When we got within three miles of the boat ramp, we were caught in a flash wind storm. I couldn’t handle it, and my kayak flipped over into the freezing cold water.
 | I was the only one to flip all weekend, but luckily, I was in shallow water. I stood up and walked to shore, and nothing was lost! It was scary for a second, but once I gathered my wits, everything was fine. We were nearing the end of the trip, so once the weather calmed down, we were able to paddle onward and get off the river within an hour or so. Good thing my brand new iPhone 12 was in my Stash 7 Waterpocket. It protected it during my fall, and let me kept taking pictures afterwards! Thanks for the great gear Stash 7! |
The ending may not have been ideal, because I was cold and wet, but it didn’t remove a moment of the enjoyment. Even when wet, the views inside the canyon were still unbelievable. We made it out of the canyon safe and sound and right on time to return our kayak rentals! It was an indescribable weekend overall, and we can understand why our friends take this trip year after year!
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Read more from our other trips to nearby places:
 | With Colorado’s springtime in bloom and it's summer on the way, Taylor and I took our first weekend fishing trip of the season to Salida, Colorado. Unlike our usual tent-camping arrangements, we were able to camp luxuriously thanks to Kuku Campers. We took one of their Class C-Lux, a Mercedes Sprinter van, to try to catch a famous-among-anglers insect hatch. |
Unfortunately, we were a week too late for the “Mother’s Day Caddis Hatch”, but we camped and fished between Salida and Canon City over the course of the weekend and still had one of our most successful weekend trips to date!
Friday:
Picked up our van!We drove to the Kuku Campers Denver location to pick up our rental. After meeting the Kuku staff, we signed the necessary paperwork, inspected the vehicle, and took a tour of its features. Neither of us were familiar with Mercedes Sprinter vans, but the Kuku staff showed us every little detail. |  Packing up the van! |
After we knew all the tips and tricks, we drove home to pack up the van and headed south as quickly as we could. We weren’t sure where we’d be staying in Salida, but we had nearly three hours to figure it out.
See more from our little "Kuku Campervan Tour" video below:
Found a campsite!
We called the Colorado Parks & Wildlife representative and he informed us that there was an opening at Five Points Campground for the entire weekend. We booked our site and drove nearly forty miles south of Salida.
 John after he set up our bed for the night. | Once we’d arrived, we wasted no time getting ready for bed. We quickly discovered that the lower level sleeper would be preferable to the top bunk sleeping platform. We began dismantling the dining table and setting up the bed. Our first night in the Kuku Camper Van was much more comfortable and restful than either of us expected it to be. We actually slept in for a while after sunrise because of the van’s sleeping curtains. |
Saturday:
Made stops in Salida.First thing, we visited a fly shop in Salida to purchase some necessary fly fishing gear. Then, we stopped at Steam Coffee Caboose for a hot drink to enjoy as we scoured the area for the perfect fishing spot. |  Coffee from Steam Coffee Caboose. |
Went fly fishing!
 The Mount Ouray Wildlife Area in Salida. | After scoping out several spots, we found the Mount Ouray State Wildlife Area by chance, and it was perfect. We spent most of the day wading in the river, trying different flies, and watching kayaks and rafts float down river. We didn’t have much luck fishing, but any time on the water is time well spent. |
Attempting to catch some fish.
Made lunch in the van.
| In the mid-afternoon, it seemed like a storm might be rolling in, so Taylor and I packed up our gear and walked back to the van. In the parking lot, Taylor used the kitchen amenities of the Kuku Camper to make lunch. |  Cooking lunch in the camper! |
After a delicious meal and a little relaxation, we headed to our next fishing spot. We still had no luck fishing, but the view of the mountains from near Salida were nothing short of majestic.
One of our fishing spots.
Got ice cream downtown.
 Me with my hone and strawberry cookies ice cream! | We eventually packed up and drove the campervan into downtown Salida. The town was buzzing with the Saturday evening crowd and live music. Taylor and I couldn’t resist having ice cream and a shake from Salida Pharmacy & Fountain, and it only made our walk about town more enjoyable. Soon after finishing our treats, we headed back to the van to drive to our campsite once again. |
Stargazed around the campfire.
Like always, we spent a long while stargazing and talking around the campfire before enjoying another excellent night’s sleep in our Kuku Camper Van.
Sunday:
The morning greeted us with cold, cloudy, and rainy conditions, so we decided against fishing. Instead, we decided to visit Canon City.
Our Kuku Campervan.
| We’ve been to Canon City to ride the Royal Gorge Route Railway Train and to visit the Royal Gorge Bridge Park, but this time, we only stopped for breakfast. We dropped into the Happy Endings Caboose Cafe and couldn’t have had a better meal or a happier ending to our weekend in the mountains. |  The Happy Endings Caboose in Canon City. |
Monday / Return Day:
We dropped the van off first thing n the morning, and after a quick inspection were headed back home relaxed and refreshed from the wonderful weekend outdoors.
See more from our entire weekend in our video below!
See more from our other trips around Colorado:
Ice Fishing the St Train Creek
Fly Fishing in Carbondale Outside Aspen, Colorado
Solo Road Trip to Colorado's Western Slope
Ice Fishing the St Train Creek
Fly Fishing in Carbondale Outside Aspen, Colorado
Solo Road Trip to Colorado's Western Slope
 | Moab, Utah, is a very popular place for very good reason. This desert playground is home to the world's highest concentration of natural arch formations and is one of the most geologically stunning places in the country. Moab is also home to two national parks, Arches and Canyonlands National Parks . Which see millions of visitors every year. |
The National Parks aren’t the only things Moab has to offer though!!
| Sure. The parks are great, but there are just as many cool attractions outside the parks that have far fewer crowds and don’t cost anything (Each national park has a $25 entry fee, or an annual pass costs $80). |  John and I standing under Delicate Arch in Arches National Park. |
I’ll share a couple of tricks to help you beat the crowds and a few of the least crowded places we found!
 Only part of our great camping group! | We traveled down to Moab for the first weekend of May, 2021. We met up with some friends who have been dozens of times before and really knew some of the best places around town. We followed their lead, discovered some places of our own, and had one of the best weekend trips yet! |
Tip #1: Visit public lands - like Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Land
Our friends knew of an area off Kane Creek Boulevard / Kane Springs Road called The Ledges. It was still a slightly more populated camping area than John and I are used to, but it was not nearly as bad as we thought it could be. We were able to claim a spot well after 5 p.m. on a Friday.
It was not only easy to camp near our car. It was also spectacularly scenic. We didn't know what the view was like until morning, but we were blown away when we stepped out of our tent.
It was not only easy to camp near our car. It was also spectacularly scenic. We didn't know what the view was like until morning, but we were blown away when we stepped out of our tent.
The public lands around Moab are where all the views and the fun are. That morning, we were woken up by ATVs, dirt bikes, and all sorts of people moving through the canyon.
When the road near our campsite got too popular for our liking, we drove out and found some hidden hiking spots not far from our campsite.
When the road near our campsite got too popular for our liking, we drove out and found some hidden hiking spots not far from our campsite.
Tip #2: Have a plan, and don’t be afraid to break it
| Normally, John and I have big plans for the places we visit, but this weekend, we really tried to stay open and flexible to whatever the group wanted to do. That didn’t last long. It turned out that everyone else was pretty well set on what they wanted to do, so groups broke off, and John and I found ourselves adventuring alone! |  |
We had no plans or ideas for things to do. We put one of the more popular trails in the area, The Corona Arch Trail, in our GPS and decided to mosey over that way to see what we could find.
  Rock Art at Poison Spider! | While looking on Google Maps, I noticed a few interesting stops along our route, so I made John pull over every time I saw the name of something I recognized. This was,. hands-down, the best way we could have explored. Thanks to the maps, we found petroglyphs and a hidden, massive arch near our campsite on BLM land. Then, closer to Corona Arch, we found dinosaur tracks and more rock art in the Poison Spider / Potash Road area. |
When we pulled into the Corona Arch parking lot, it was completely full, and it didn’t seem appealing to John and I. Like I said, we were trying to avoid the crowded trails on this trip, so we pulled off down the road and found another gorgeous spot whose name on the map stoked our interest.
Tip #3: Don’t be afraid to ask!
| John and I saw a spot on the map that intrigued us, but we couldn’t find any information about the trail’s length, how long it took to get there, or its difficulty. We pulled into the small parking spot and started talking to another couple who was parked and packing their day packs. |  We also made lunch at parking lot where we asked the strangers for advice! |
They said there was a hidden, unmarked, waterfall only about 20 minutes down the trail. We were more intrigued than before. Then, they said that it was their favorite place in town, and they were locals! At this point, we knew we had found a gem! We quickly grabbed our bags and went down the trail too.
| | Thank goodness we stopped and talked to the couple, because this was our favorite place we visited on our trip. It was an absolute oasis in the middle of the desert. |
Tip #4: If you want to preplan a hike, go for the most difficult rated trail - most others won’t!
| If you want to pre-plan a hike and you are trying to avoid crowds, I recommend choosing the more difficult, less traveled path. This advice might not be the best if you can’t actually handle a difficult hike, but we found some of the trails weren’t as difficult as their rating made it seem. Be warned that Moab is in a desert, so most hikes are hot, sun-scorched, and waterless. Not all hikes are suited for dogs or unprepared people. If the heat is a concern, tip #5 might help! |  Funnel Arch is a difficult rated, half-mile hike. |
Tip #5: Hike at weird times and on off days
The last tip I have for beating crowds in Moab is to go out when others aren’t there!
| Hiking at sunrise and sunset are always the most beautiful times to be out in the desert anyway, and most people either haven’t woken up or are worn out from the sun. Plus, in the Utah hiking at early or late hours can be the safest and coolest way to explore the rock formations and canyons. |
| Hiking on weekdays is also a great recommendation if you’re able. We hiked to the popular Mills Creek Falls on Sunday morning, and it was fairly empty. We thought that the trail would be packed based on reports we heard from the Saturday before, but we mostly had it to ourselves! |  Us at Mill Creek! |
See more from the fairly empty hikes in my video below!
I hope these tips help you have the most memorable and successful trip to Moab, whether you plan it out or not!
Check out my other guides to Utah:
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.
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