Los Pengüinos

We got perfect weather for a day trip out to Isla Magdalena to see the island of penguins. It was smooth sailing for the hour long boat ride through the Strait of Magellan.
We were told on the wayOkumaya devam et
Made it to Patagonia

After 2.5 years of planning we finally made it to Patagonia! We are currently in Punta Arenas, a small city at the very end of continental Chile. It is much less remote (good cell service!) and muchOkumaya devam et
Excitement in Santiago

I was pretty nervous heading to Santiago - were the news reports true about the intense rioting happening in the city, or were they exaggerated? I wasn’t sure. We got our first glimpse of the answerOkumaya devam et
Off we go again!

Here we are sitting at LAX, about to board for our flight(s) to Chile. A lot of nerves and anxiety have hit me the last few days in preparation, as the political situation in Santiago is sketchy atOkumaya devam et
7300 Miles Later

Well, we officially survived our West Coast road trip. Two months and eleven states later, we are back in Oregon. We saw so many great National Parks, listened to a crazy number of podcasts, visitedOkumaya devam et
A Surprise Favorite: Mendocino

While struggling to figure out what to do from San Francisco to Portland as Crater Lake was already closed for the season (man, it snows early there!!), we finally decided it was worth a few extraOkumaya devam et
Catching up... now I am tired

We stopped in the Bay Area to visit some friends. I got to spend two days with my friend Sarah, who I’ve known 14 years since my junior year of college. She now has her hands full with 3 munchkinsOkumaya devam et
How do they do that? Yosemite

Now that I have seen El Cap and Half Dome in person, all I keep thinking is, how in the world do rock climbers do this? How did Alex Honnold climb these massive rocks of granite without rope?! Insane.Okumaya devam et
Santa Barbara, our new favorite place?

We definitely loved our two days in Santa Barbara. What a charming town filled with beautiful Spanish-colonial architecture, big palm trees and sidewalks. From strolling along the beach to sippingOkumaya devam et
Happy I am no longer a teenager

Spent the weekend in Hermosa Beach with my aunt and two 17-year old cousins. Yikes, applying for colleges, studying for AP exams, and generally dealing with teenage angst - that’s what they areOkumaya devam et
Joshua Tree... not sure i get it...

Several friends have raved or posted photo after photo of trips to Joshua Tree. It always looked fascinating and beautiful in a funky sort of way. So I added it to our roadtrip list.
We got a superOkumaya devam et
Bryce Canyon - 5 Stars

Second time to Bryce Canyon and 12th National Park in 3 months, but I’m still just as smitten. The crazy hoodoos. The beautiful colors of pinks and whites from the rocks. The surprising greenery inOkumaya devam et
Trail Ride Thru Zion

Decided to do something a little different now that we have hiked through most of the national parks, and signed up for a 3-hour trail ride instead. My horse Murphy and Brice’s Sundance were bothOkumaya devam et
Thanks Vegas

After so many days hiking and exploring National Parks, we needed a little break. To most people, heading to Las Vegas probably wouldn’t sound like the right place for that, but for us it was great.Okumaya devam et
The grand Grand Canyon

I haven’t been here since I was about 7, and man it is huge. Bigger than my memory for sure.
Unlike most tourists to the Grand Canyon who come out for a 10-minute view, just long enough for a fewOkumaya devam et
Exploring Durango

When looking at where to stay to visit Mesa Verde National Park, Brice pitched a blah town close to the park. Sure there was a Holiday Inn Express, our typical go to but definitely no other charm orOkumaya devam et
Nothing Burger

We always laugh at my mom for the story of her visiting Delicate Arch years back and having to crawl on her hands and knees, being so afraid of the heights. Yesterday Brice and I finally went back toOkumaya devam et
Amazing weekend exploring Moab

The red rocks. The canyons. The massive rock formations. The views of the rivers. It’s all beautiful here in Moab. After years of wanting to see Arches National Park, I finally got to check it offOkumaya devam et
Windy Weather at Rocky Mtn Park

It was 85 in the valley of Denver but once we got up to 12,000’ in elevation in the Rocky Mountain National Park, boy did the weather shift. Extreme winds that even made our little car bounce a bit.Okumaya devam et
Detour through Nebraska

Took a little detour on our way from South Dakota to Colorado through Nebraska, in part to say I’ve been to Nebraska and in part for a few road trip stops. One included Chimney Rock, not the mostOkumaya devam et
Badlands or the moon?

The Badlands in western South Dakota is a pretty funky place. Just minutes before arriving to the park, it’s just flat prairie grassland. Then bam, it looks like you’re on the moon, with layeredOkumaya devam et
Beautiful South Dakota

Wow, the Black Hills in western South Dakota are much more beautiful and the land is way more mountainous than I expected it to be. I’ve loved watching the scenery change as we drive east.
We firstOkumaya devam et
Hello 35

A pretty perfect birthday.
A nice run through Jackson.
A lovely brunch of excellent food including cake - why not have cake for breakfast on your birthday?!
An afternoon reading and catching upOkumaya devam et
Grand Tetons!

Our last morning in Yellowstone, we drove south down to exit the park. No exciting stops or animal sightings along the way - once you’ve seen a hundred buffalo, I guess you’ve seen em all.
TheOkumaya devam et
Amazing Yellowstone, Days 4-5

The other few days we spent further north of the park.
After driving around Lake Yellowstone, we were greeted by herds of buffalo and even got our first buffalo jam on the road - definitely the onlyOkumaya devam et
Yellowstone, Days 1-3

Yellowstone, you are real cool.
Days 1-3 of our national park adventure included seeing lots and lots of crazy geysers, staying at the historic and beautiful Old Faithful Inn, hiking 24+ miles,Okumaya devam et