It's easy to get lost exploring vast and far away places, but so many of us fail to fully explore our own backyard. After years of dreaming abroad, I found the most epic beauty in the place I call home while living in a van and traveling the States.
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 It was 2:30 am on July 13th, 2019, when I poured boiling water over the overly priced backpacking…
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
Want to Climb a Mountain? Six Easy Peaks to Climb in The United States There are thousands of mountains around North America (and the world) that offer the sweet reward of a mountain summit without guides, technical climbing experience, or…
The Ultimate Guide to Free Camping
The Ultimate Guide to Free Camping 1. Free campsites Yes, there are actual camping areas designed specifically for free camping. Don’t expect anything fancy, as 9/10 times the campsite will include nothing but a fire area, but you usually find…
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
Four Unique Places to Visit the North Carolina Mountains I’ve found myself falling more in love with North Carolina every time I explore it. As a travel blogger, I’ll be the first to admit that it grows harder…
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 Insane (And Scenic) Hikes in the United States
THE MOST INSANE (AND SCENIC) HIKES IN THE UNITED STATES From hiking on the ledge of thousand-foot cliffs, slippery granite slopes, and white deserts, here are seven of the most insane and scenic hikes in the United States. …
One Year of Travel: A Photographic Journey
ONE YEAR OF TRAVEL: A PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY It’s officially been a year since I declined a full-time job after graduation to embark on a life-altering adventure. I could write a book (actually, I am writing a book…eek!) about everything that…
The Epic Five: Road Trip Utah’s National Parks
The Epic Five: Road Trip Utah’s National Parks Updated: March 21, 2020 Sunrise in Arches National Park Within the borders of Utah sits five incredible and awe-inspiring national parks. How many can you name? The stunning and magical landscape…
Seven Things That Suck About Long Term Travel
SEVEN THINGS THAT SUCK ABOUT LONG TERM TRAVEL I dreamt for years about traveling long term. Waking up every day in a completely new environment, without the slightest clue to where I was going next or how I was…
An Inside Look at the Van Life: Q&A
AN INSIDE LOOK AT VANLIFE: Q&A Living in a van isn’t the most usual lifestyle. And with an unusual life comes many questions. Few people will ever understand what living in a van for months on end entails. The…
Bucket List: The Glass Beach of Northern California
BUCKET LIST: THE GLASS BEACH OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA There are few places that stand out in such a way it almost seems fictional. For example, a beach made entirely of sea glass. In the quaint (and extremely adorable) Northern California…
The Best Places to Visit in the United States: 2017
THE BEST PLACES TO VISIT IN THE UNITED STATES I’m not exactly sure how it happened, but somehow I’ve ticked off 42 states on the United States map. You know what that means, right? I’ve got 6 1/2 years…
A Road Trip up the Pacific Coast Highway
A Road Trip Up The Pacific Coast Highway Oh, California, I have such a love-hate relationship with you. A magical coastline, (mostly) beautiful weather, mountains, redwoods, orcas, and oceans. There aren’t many places in the world where Christmas Day…
Making Travel Photos Insta-Worthy
MAKING TRAVEL PHOTOS INSTA-WORTHY I take travel photos. I’ve never put on make-up for a photo. Usually, I’m hiking, sweating, probably unshowered and may or may not have shaved my armpits in the last three days. I have a…
I Got Robbed in San Antonio
WE GOT ROBBED IN SAN ANTONIO Operation #vanlife is proving difficult. Much more difficult than living out of a backpack for three months in Europe. Who would have thought? Here’s a recap of the first three weeks on the road: Day…
How to Renovate a Van into a Home
HOW TO RENOVATE A VAN INTO A HOME I’ll always look back and remember that my first home was a van. Nearly two months after arriving back to Michigan from Europe, I am preparing to embark on yet another…
Red River Gorge Cabin Life: Treehouse Edition
RED RIVER GORGE CABIN LIFE: TREEHOUSE EDITION Last week I returned to the Red River Gorge in Kentucky for some climbing and exploring. On my first visit last October, I fell in love with the area and the atmosphere…
An Audition to Be the Director of Toughness
AN AUDITION TO BE THE DIRECTOR OF TOUGHNESS A while back I auditioned for Columbia’s Director of Toughness and made it all the way to the final round. It was one of the most unique experiences, although it has…
Behind the Blog: How to Start your Own
BEHIND THE BLOG: HOW TO START YOUR OWN It’s new and relatively unknown. Blogging is a concept many people are trying, but not many know what they’re doing. It’s evolved significantly in the past few years, and the future looks…
8 Tips for Tight Budget Travel
8 TIPS FOR TIGHT BUDGET TRAVEL Some of us are visual learners (myself included). This week I decided to take a different approach to share some of my tips while traveling on a budget. What is the twist? AN…
How to Save for Your First Big Adventure
HOW TO SAVE FOR YOUR FIRST BIG ADVENTURE You’re dreaming of it, right? You want to lie on the beaches of Thailand, skydive over the mountains of New Zealand, picnic next to the waterfalls of Iceland, and camp under…
A Life Behind Miguel’s Pizza
A Life Behind Miguel’s Pizza Situated among the rolling mountains of Kentucky is a slice of heaven for rock climbers, food lovers, and camping fanatics. Kentucky’s Red River Gorge is known to have the best rock climbing in the eastern…
8 Things Backpacking Teaches Us About Life
8 THINGS BACKPACKING TEACHES US ABOUT LIFE 1) Rewards don’t come easily We hike miles for hours, days, and weeks to summit high points, discover new places, and reach destinations. We choose not to experience the world from…
Eat Nothing and Climb Everything: Budgeting in America’s Southwest
EAT NOTHING AND CLIMB EVERYTHING: BUDGETING IN AMERICA’S SOUTHWEST Yes, it’s true…America’s southwest is full of tour buses, selfie sticks, crowded parking lots and heat strokes. Why would anyone want to visit such a place? Because it’s really…
5 Adventures in Every Midwest State
5 ADVENTURES IN EVERY MIDWEST STATE 12 states officially claim the Midwest as home. Although we may not have towering mountains or vast oceans, we are spoiled with lush forests, freshwater and unpopulated blissful hikes. So set the remotes…
A Day Guide to Acadia National Park
A DAY GUIDE TO ACADIA NATIONAL PARK If you follow me on social media, you’ve seen how much I absolutely loved Acadia National Park (and Maine in general). There are a lot of states I visit and love, yet…
I Climbed a Mountain to Reach a Parking Lot (and Loved it)
I CLIMBED A MOUNTAIN TO REACH A PARKING LOT For the past four hours, I’ve been sweating, swearing and falling my way up Mount Washington, the highest peak in the Northeast. I see the summit and just as I’m about…
5 Weekend Adventures Outside Michigan
Michigan is great. We’ve established it. But sometimes it’s needed to get out and go exploring beyond the boundaries. We all know how busy life can be, and the thought of a reality-escaping adventure can seem far from possible. Well,…
Secret Winter Getaway-Sandusky
SECRET WINTER GETAWAY: SANDUSKY It’s cold. Really, really cold. Last weekend, I went down to Ohio and explored Sandusky with Lake Erie Shores & Islands and lucky enough, temperatures stayed above 0 for the first time in what felt like forever.…
How to Capture Travel Moments: 11 Tips
11 TIPS FOR CAPTURING TRAVEL MOMENTS Every time someone tells me they think I take amazing photos I just want to hug them. It’s probably one of the best compliments I get just because it’s something I love to…
Vortexes and Visions: Bell Rock’s Hidden Story
“I believe I exist within a holographic reality program, an intelligently designed futuristic entertainment simulation, for which I directly programmed certain experiences, relationships, lessons and issues before I was born. Looking back over my life – I’ll be 73 in…
Shalee Wanders, LLC 2019