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.
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…
Solo Female Travel Hawaii
Solo Female Travel Hawaii In October, a fellow blogger asked me if I had ever been to Hawaii. My response: “No, and I’m not sure if I ever will. It’s just so expensive to fly to such a small…
An Amateurs Guide to Hiking the Half Dome
An Amateurs Guide to Hiking The Half Dome Updated March 2, 2020 The iconic symbol of the Half Dome dominated the photo, dwarfing the surrounding peaks. From the moment I saw it, my Midwest heart yearned to discover everything about…
Shalee Wanders, LLC 2019