North America - Shalee Wanders Travel Blog
The 13 Best Breweries in Michigan
The 13 Best Breweries in Michigan April 4, 2024 I’ve been waiting YEARS to make this post. And before you ask – no this isn’t some general, randomly picked list. I’ve spent the past decade testing and trying breweries around…
Climbing Acatenango On Your Own: Everything You Need to Know
Travel With Me! Discover trips to Iceland, Patagonia, and Thailand in 2024 & 2025. Explore here Climbing Acatenango On Your Own: Everything You Need to Know January 14, 2024 The view of Volcan de Fuego from Acatenango was one…
Where to Stay When Visiting Yellowstone
Where to Stay When Visiting Yellowstone (From a Local) April 25th, 2023 Where to Stay When Visiting Yellowstone National Park So you’re visiting Yellowstone National Park. Welcome! As a local to the area, it fills my heart to see millions…
Wyoming’s Best Hiking Trails: From Easy Strolls to Challenging Summits
Wyoming’s Best Hiking Trails: From Easy Strolls to Challenging Summits April 10th, 2023 Wyoming’s Best Hiking Trails: From Easy Strolls to Challenging Summits I live for hiking season in Wyoming. Between May-September, I spend most of my weekends in the…
Eight Best Weekend Trips from Detroit
Travel With Me! Discover trips to Iceland, Patagonia, and Thailand in 2024 & 2025. Explore here Eight Best Weekend Trips from Detroit March 22, 2023 Eight Best Weekend Trips from Detroit Growing up in Michigan, there was no better feeling…
United Airlines Vs. American Airlines Vs. Delta Airlines Mileage Programs
United Airlines Vs. American Airlines Vs. Delta Airlines Mileage Programs February 26th,, 2023 United Airlines Vs. American Airlines Vs. Delta Airlines Mileage Programs I joined my first airline mileage program at 18. At the time, I hoped to have enough…
Project M Topper: The Best Lightweight Camper for Adventurers
Project M | The Best Lightweight Camper for Adventurers October 2, 2022 I should preface this article by saying I did a year of research before purchasing a Project M topper. I’ve spent many nights of my life sleeping reclined…
10 Best Things to Do in The Les Cheneaux Islands
10 Best Things to Do in The Les Cheneaux Islands September 1, 2022 Fhe The Les Cheneaux Islands are a short 30-minute drive from the Mackinac Bridge. When you drive past on m134, you might blink and mistake the quiet…
How to Rent a Forest Service Cabin
How to Rent a Forest Service Cabin June 12, 2022 Did you know you can easily rent forest service cabins around the United States? When they are not in use by rangers, the department rents them out on a nightly…
Top 10 Things to Do in Cody, Wyoming
Top 10 Things to Do in Cody, Wyoming Updated: February 13th, 2024 This list is close to my heart. As a travel blogger who has lived in Cody for the past three years, I wanted to ensure my list…
Wyoming Hiking: Best Hikes in Wyoming in 2022
Wyoming Hiking: Best Hikes in Wyoming in 2022 January 25, 2020 Narrowing down the best hikes in Wyoming was tough. A true Wyoming hiking list could easily include 40+ trails and places to get out and explore. However, I tried…
A Complete Guide to Traveling with Cats
A Complete Guide to Traveling with Cats December 2, 2021 Whether you need to move with your cat cross country or are looking to train your furry sidekick as an adventure companion, there are some important steps to take to…
Ultimate US Road Trip: 2 Week Itinerary with Travellers Autobarn Budget Van Rental
Ultimate US Road Trip: 2 Week Itinerary with Travellers Autobarn Budget Van Rental November 1, 2021 Sometimes the hardest part of a trip is knowing where to start. I get it. I do this for a living. Still, sitting down…
Where to See Fall Colors in Michigan
Where to See Fall Colors in Michigan September 12th, 2021 Where to See Fall Colors in Michigan (2023) Michigan is one of the best places in the world for fall colors. Even though I no longer reside full-time in The…
Everything to Know Before Visiting the Secret Island of Beaver Island, Michigan
Everything to Know Before Visiting the Secret Island of Beaver Island, Michigan August 24, 2021 Some of my earliest memories are of jumping into an old 1960s rusted out baby blue on the back roads of a place called Beaver…
Wyoming National Park Guide: Everything to Know Before Visiting Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Park
Wyoming National Park Guide: Everything to Know Before Visiting Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Park August 13th, 2021 Growing up in small-town Michigan, living in a ‘gateway’ town to Wyoming’s National Parks was a bit overwhelming at first. Driving through…
Everything to Know Before Climbing Mount Rainier – Disappointment Cleaver Route
Travel With Me! Discover trips to Iceland, Patagonia, and Thailand in 2024 & 2025. Explore here Everything to Know Before Climbing Mount Rainier – Disappointment Cleaver Route July 21, 2021 **Please note: this is an outline for climbing Mount Rainier…
How to Pack for Backpacking: Best Tips for First-Time Backpackers
How to Pack For a Backpacking Trip: Best Tips for First-Time Backpackers June 22, 2021 My mom was a 5th-grade teacher and at the end of every school year, she’d bring her students on a weekend-long backpacking trip along the…
How to Travel Cheap: A Complete Guide to Saving Money While Traveling
How to Travel Cheap: A Complete Guide to Budget Travel in 2024 Updated: February 15th, 2024 If I hadn’t learned how to travel cheaply, my travel resume would be nonexistent. I never would’ve started this blog. I never would have…
Everything I Wish People Would’ve Told Me About How to Live The Van Life
Everything I Wish People Would’ve Told Me About How to Live The Van Life April 14, 2021 There are a lot of things we did right when it came to living in a van. However, there was also a lot…
The Best Winter Getaway in Montana
The Best Winter Getaway in Montana February 8th, 2021 There’s a lot I take into account when traveling. I love to remember the feeling a place gives me. When you leave somewhere new, you’ll feel a particular type of way.…
Four Unique Things to Do in Wyoming
Four Unique Things to Do in Wyoming January 14, 2021 I first visited Wyoming when I was eight on a family road trip out west. It’s a familiar story for those from the Midwest, especially in the late 90s and…
The Best Gear For Hiking and Traveling With Cats
The Best Gear For Hiking & Traveling With Cats Published: December 6, 2020 Updated: May 1, 2022 We’ve been traveling with our two cats for nearly three years and have learned some pretty important lessons along the way. Recently we…
Granite Peak: Everything to Know About Climbing Montana’s Tallest Mountain
Granite Peak: Everything to Know About Climbing Montana’s Tallest Mountain November 23, 2020 Distance: 28 Miles Elevation: 12,808 Feet / 4,500ft Elevation Gain Route: Southwest Ramp/Couloir The pinkish-orange sunrise lit the valley and lakes below as we hobbled over steep…
How to Plan an Adventure Elopement For Under 10k
How to Plan an Epic Adventure Elopement For Under 10k October 24, 2020 Surprise! We’re married! After traveling around the world together for over six years, Josh and I eloped surrounded by our family in Glacier National Park on September…
Longs Peak Hike: What to Expect When Climbing Colorado’s “Deadliest” Mountain
Longs Peak Hike: What to Expect When Climbing Colorado’s “Deadliest” Mountain June 15, 2020 In terms of statistics, Longs Peak is only 14th on the list of hardest 14ers to climb in Colorado. There is no class 5 climbing and…
The Most Overrated Places in The United States (And Where to Go Instead)
The Most Overrated Places in The United States (And Where to Go Instead) May 21, 2020 1. Gatlinburg, Tennessee Although beautifully situated in the Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg is everything a mountain vacation shouldn’t be. There, I said it. What visitors…
The Four Best Road Trips to Take in 2020
The Four Best Road Trips to Take in 2020 November 8, 2019 Utah’s Grand National Park Tour Distance: 432 miles Driving Time: 8 hours, 30 minutes Trip Length: 5 Days Highlights: Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canyonlands National…
This Small Midwest Community Hides Some Of The Country’s Best Hidden Adventures
This Small Midwest Community Holds Some Of The Country’s Best Hidden Adventures October 21, 2019 There’s something about a place that feels like home the moment you arrive. Less than four hours after landing in Ironwood, Michigan, I’m standing in…
I’m 26 and I’ve Traveled the World. Here’s How I Afford It.
I’m 26 and I’ve Traveled the World. Here’s How I Afford it. September 17, 2019 I’ve been to more countries than years I’ve been alive, which often ignites an interesting conversation that revolves around how I afford to travel at…
What to Expect When Hiking Mt. Whitney’s Mountaineers Route
What to Expect When Hiking Mt Whitney’s Mountaineers Route July 20, 2019 Mountaineers Route July 2019 – photo by Josh Super What to Expect When Hiking Mt Whitney’s Mountaineers Route It was 2:30 am on July 13th, 2019, when I…
Six Underrated Places to Visit in the United States
Six Underrated Places to Visit in The United States June 26, 2019 1. Savannah, Georgia What popular cities like Miami, Los Angeles, and New York lack in charm, Savannah brilliantly flourishes in. Blush & blue colored Victorian-era mansions line old…
Four Road Trip Routes in Michigan You Need to Take This Summer
Four Road Trips You Need to Take in Michigan This Summer The entire population of Michigan is emerging from their winter habitats, eyes squinting beneath a forgotten sun. Unlike the newly released season of Game of Thrones, winter is not…
Nine Incredible & Unique Places to Stay in the United States
Nine Incredible and Unique Places to Stay in The United States Walhalla Treehouse, South Carolina If there is a place in the United States that perfectly combines adventure, romance, and luxury, it’s the Walhalla Treehouse. If there is anything in…
Want to Climb a Mountain? Six Easy Peaks to Climb in North America
Travel With Me! Discover trips to Iceland, Patagonia, and Thailand in 2024 & 2025. Explore here Want to Climb a Mountain? Six Easy Mountains to Climb in The United States Updated: May 1, 2022 There are thousands of mountains around…
Where Can I Camp For Free in The United States?
Where Can I Camp For Free in The United States? 2022 Edition WHERE TO CAMP FOR FREE IN THE UNITED STATES 2022 Free camping is a major win for many reasons. First, it’s free. Second, most of the time you…
The Four Weirdest Places We’ve Slept While Traveling
The Four Weirdest Places We’ve Slept While Traveling I’m sorry if this is your first time here. We’re about ready to get to know each other real quick. Josh and I travel on a tight budget, which often times…
The Six Best States To Visit In The Fall
THE SIX BEST STATES TO VISIT IN THE FALL I’m currently in South Carolina. It was 86 today and I attempted to wear a fuzzy sweater. I’ve unapologetically ordered a PSL from Starbucks. It still wasn’t worth $5, but…
A Guide to Camping With Cats
A Guide to Camping With Cats “Your cats actually camp?” Yes, yes they do. But the process hasn’t been easy, and a cat isn’t going to go from catnip and couches to a tent in the woods overnight.…
Four Incredible North Carolina Mountain Secrets
Best Places to Visit in The North Carolina Mountains When you think of America’s Southeast, the word “adventure” may not be one of the first words to come to mind. But out of the nearly 50 states I’ve…
How to Support Ethical Animal Tourism
How to Support Ethical Animal Tourism Oh, animals. They’re fluffy and cute, sometimes massively terrifying, and other times mildly so. We’re instinctively drawn to interact and be in their presence. I mean, who doesn’t want to cuddle an adorable…
Stories Behind My Ten Favorite Travel Photos
STORIES BEHIND MY TEN FAVORITE TRAVEL PHOTOS Pictures are worth a thousand words, but sometimes they’re worth much more. Travel or not, we each have photos we cherish that capture a particular moment of happiness. Or perhaps a not-so-happy moment…
Six Overrated Tourist Attractions
SIX OVERRATED TOURIST ATTRACTIONS There are certain places which travel beyond our expectations, and then there are those which fall short. There aren’t many (or possibly any) places I can say I hate, but there are a few…
How to Travel With Your Significant Other and Not Kill Each Other
HOW TO TRAVEL WITH YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER AND NOT KILL EACH OTHER I’ve stood on a lot of cliffs with my boyfriend, Josh. Together, we’ve traveled to twenty-some countries and over thirty states. To be honest, I’m surprised…
8 Tips for Making Road Tripping Easier
8 TIPS FOR MAKING ROAD TRIPPING EASIER Whether taking a short weekend trip to Northern Michigan or a trip across the United States, there are a few things I’ve learned about making life on the road easier, more…
The Cabins of Serenity Springs: Ultra Romantic Getaway
THE CABINS OF SERENITY SPRINGS: ULTRA ROMANTIC GETAWAY What happens when you get the chance to go to an ultra-romantic, picture-perfect, cabin/glamping resort in Indiana but your boyfriend is 1500 miles away? You invite your best friend, buy multiple…
Glamping in Idaho Will Make You Believe in Narnia
GLAMPING IN IDAHO WILL MAKE YOU BELIEVE IN NARNIA Sometimes the best places come with the lowest expectations. Five years ago if you asked me to choose between a trip to California or a trip to Idaho I would…
A Proper Guide to Road Tripping the United States
A PROPER GUIDE TO ROAD TRIPPING THE UNITED STATES The vast, wild, and untouched landscapes of the United States draw millions of adventurers to head out on a road trip every year. From the Rocky Mountains of the west,…
The Most Scenic Hikes in the United States
Most Scenic Hikes in The United States (2022 Edition) Updated: November 10, 2021 Most Scenic Hikes in The United States for 2022 I originally wrote this article in 2018 when I thought I had enough hiking experience to provide a…
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