I’m a national parks geek through and through and I’m always game for camping or hiking. I also enjoy life’s finer and more romantic offerings, things like spa treatments and wine tastings. So when we started planning a San Francisco/Wine Country weekend trip for Valentine’s Day, I set out to find the most romantic wineries in Napa. With several hundred wineries in the Napa Valley, this task is easier said than done. A trip to Wine Country is romantic in and of itself, but I wanted something extra-special and memorable. I specifically wanted to visit smaller, lesser-known wineries as...
Moab, Utah, is a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts. From mountain biking and off-roading in Moab to hiking, camping, and much, much more, you’ll find it in this small but incredibly impressive mountain town. Being that the iconic red slickrock is some of the most famous terrain in the world and two of Utah’s “Mighty 5” are here, it’s common for visitors to research the best hikes in Moab. However, “best” is subjective and information on hiking trails in Moab can quickly become overwhelming. From the best hikes in Arches National Park and the best sunset trails to the best...
Destinations•The Great Outdoors•Travel Tips
Off Roading in Moab Utah: A Comprehensive Guide
December 9, 2020As soon as we settled on visiting Moab in November for a 30th birthday trip (definitely not mine!), I began planning our itinerary. We agreed almost immediately that off roading in Moab was a priority — in addition, of course, to hiking and exploring two of the country’s most iconic national parks, Arches and Canyonlands. For the uninitiated, off roading in Moab is legendary. The enchanting red “slickrock” is a mecca for off-road enthusiasts (and mountain biking enthusiasts, and hiking enthusiasts, and camping enthusiasts, and horseback riding enthusiasts…), drawing over three million visitors annually. Countless ATVs, UTVs, Jeeps, and...
You might be surprised to learn that I didn’t get much exposure to Mother Nature as a child. I’ve always been drawn to the outdoors, but I didn’t have many opportunities to experience it until later in life. We definitely weren’t the family hiking and exploring national parks. I was born in New York, moved a lot — I lived in four states by the time I was 10, and had what most would consider a non-traditional childhood. Even before I became a mom, I knew I wanted to immerse my future children in nature. I hiked regularly throughout...
Big Sky, Montana has been on my radar for years. So when a friend’s 30th birthday trip to Napa Valley was canceled last summer, I knew exactly where we were headed instead. With its unbelievably gorgeous scenery, proximity to multiple national parks, and an endless number of outdoor (read: naturally socially-distanced) things to do in Big Sky Montana, it was the perfect destination. If you’ve heard of Big Sky at all, it was likely in the context of skiing, as Big Sky Resort touts the “Biggest Skiing in America.” Indeed, 5,850 skiable acres with 4,350 feet of vertical is...
There’s the old saying that the journey is the destination. While I generally agree with that — y’all know I love a good road trip — there are exceptions to every rule. Take, for example, these six off the beaten path restaurants that aren’t accessible by car. Getting to the unique dining experiences is certainly a journey, but the destinations themselves are pretty spectacular too. World-famous attractions like national parks are wonderful, but sometimes it’s nice to (literally) head out to the middle of nowhere. America’s most unique off the beaten path restaurants From eateries in the mountains of...
Destinations•The Great Outdoors
Floating the Snake River in Spectacular Grand Teton National Park
November 15, 2020Grand Teton was one of my favorite national parks long before I actually visited. There’s just something so mesmerizing about those distinctly rugged, craggy peaks. So as soon as I started planning a Bozeman > Big Sky > Yellowstone National Park > Jackson Hole vacation, I knew floating the Snake River was an absolute must. Don’t get me wrong: There are many heavy-hitting national parks in this country. Heck, there are several heavy-hitting national parks in the western United States alone! There’s the impossibly vast Grand Canyon, Yosemite’s iconic Half Dome, the remote wilderness of Glacier, and of course,...
The Great Outdoors•Destinations•Travel Tips
The National Parks Annual Pass, AKA America the Beautiful Pass
November 12, 2020Are you a National Parks Annual Pass holder? If not, and you’re one of the 327.5 million people who visited a national park last year, you likely spent a substantial amount on admission fees alone. The average cost is $30 per vehicle, but some parks charge more. Keep in mind, that’s just for a single park. If you were, say, road-tripping through Utah and taking on the best hikes in Arches and Canyonlands, you could easily spend upwards of $100 — just to get inside the gates. That’s where the National Parks Annual Pass, also called the America the...
