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  • Wildlife Watching in Cades Cove: Your Complete Animal Guide

    There's something absolutely magical about rounding a bend in Cades Cove and spotting a black bear ambling through the meadow or a family of deer grazing peacefully in the early morning mist. I've ...

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    Wildlife Watching in Cades Cove: Your Complete Animal Guide
  • Paws on the Trail: The Best Dog-Friendly Hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains

    Updated May 2025 Planning a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains with your pup in tow? National Parks can be notoriously tricky when it comes to pet policies, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park ...

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    Paws on the Trail: The Best Dog-Friendly Hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains
  • The 15 Best Hikes In Utah

    I think we can all agree that Utah is a stunningly beautiful state. Between the canyons swirled in orange, buttes, and otherworldly hoodoos, it’s a nature lovers' paradise. Utah is home to 5 National ...

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    The 15 Best Hikes In Utah
  • One Day At Zion National Park

    Zion National Park is a Utah gem, and there are so many beautiful sights and things to do that it can be overwhelming to figure out the best sights for a 1-day trip to the park.  As one of the ...

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    One Day At Zion National Park

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August 8, 2025

Wildlife Watching in Cades Cove: Your Complete Animal Guide

There’s something absolutely magical about rounding a bend in Cades Cove and spotting a black bear ambling through the meadow or a family of deer grazing peacefully in the early morning mist. I’ve spent countless hours exploring this 11-mile loop in Great Smoky Mountains National Park…

May 19, 2025

Paws on the Trail: The Best Dog-Friendly Hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains

Planning a trip to Great Smoky Mountains National Park with your furry friend? While many trails restrict dogs, the Smokies still offer several dog-friendly hikes and scenic drives perfect for adventurous pups and their humans. From easy riverside walks on the Oconaluftee River Trail to scenic drives like Cades Cove Loop Road and Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, this guide covers the best pet-friendly trails and outdoor experiences to help you explore the Smokies together. Discover insider tips, local spots, and must-visit places to make your Smoky Mountains dog adventure unforgettable!

May 29, 2024

The 15 Best Hikes In Utah

Between the canyons swirled in orange, buttes, and otherworldly hoodoos, it’s a nature lovers’ paradise. Utah is home to 5 National Parks, including Bryce Canyon, Arches, Canyonland, Zion, and Capitol Reef…

March 26, 2024

One Day At Zion National Park

Zion National Park is a Utah gem, and there are so many beautiful sights and things to do that it can be overwhelming to figure out the best sights for a 1-day trip to the park.  As one of the most unique and popular parks in the United States, Zion offers something for everyone…

February 27, 2024

Zion National Park Guide

Zion National Park

Zion National Park is one of the most visited parks in the Southwest, and it’s easy to see why! Although it’s on the smaller side in terms of Utah National Parks, at just 229 square miles, its awe-inspiring scenery makes it one of the most beloved National Parks in the United States.

October 17, 2023

15 Epic Things To Do In Vermont In The Fall

There is no better fall destination than Vermont. Between picturesque fall foliage, charming villages, everything apple, and maple syrup, Vermont will whisk you away to the fall landscape of your dreams…

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Hi! I'm Vanessa, a 30 something, sunset chasing traveler. I'm here to inspire you to travel wherever, whenever, and with whoever you can. My Huskies, Loki and Freya are usually along for the ride. I have a soul that likes to wander, a desire to experience the unknown, and a curiousity to discover things off the beaten path. I hope you'll stick around for awhile!

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Let's be friends! I know e-mails can suck but mine won't and I promise cute pup photos too!

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Recent Posts

  • Wildlife Watching in Cades Cove: Your Complete Animal Guide
  • Paws on the Trail: The Best Dog-Friendly Hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains
  • The 15 Best Hikes In Utah
  • One Day At Zion National Park
  • Zion National Park Guide

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I don’t know what it is exactly - the quiet, the I don’t know what it is exactly - the quiet, the scale, the space to exhale.

But sometimes all you need is a place that lets your shoulders drop.

A reminder that not everything needs fixing right now.
That you’re allowed to rest.

Save this for the days when everything feels a bit too loud 🌿
Out here, the pace slows to something almost ancie Out here, the pace slows to something almost ancient.

The sky stretches wider. The road feels softer.
The noise you didn’t realize you were carrying?
It finally settles.

There’s something grounding about sharing space with animals who have existed this way long before we arrived and will continue long after we leave.

Maybe that’s the real gift of wild places.
They remind us that being alive doesn’t have to be productive to be meaningful.
You just get to be.

Save this for the next time life feels too loud 🌿
Golden hour gave us her final bow…and then the m Golden hour gave us her final bow…and then the moon took over 🌙 there’s nothing like a drive along the Schoodic Peninsula during blue hour 

Driving the Schoodic Peninsula feels like cruising through a dream - granite cliffs glowing pink, sea spray on the windows, and that quiet magic that only happens after sunset.

If you ever find yourself in Acadia, don’t skip this side of the park. 

It’s peaceful, wild, and feels a little like having the coast all to yourself. 

👉 Save this for your next Acadia National Park road trip 🚙
Happy National Bison Day 🦬 America’s national Happy National Bison Day 🦬 America’s national mammal can weigh over a ton… and still somehow look majestic while doing it. 🦬

There’s something about spotting a bison in the wild that just stops you in your tracks. Maybe it’s the way they move with that slow, deliberate power. 

Or maybe it’s knowing you’re seeing a living, breathing piece of history - the same herds that once thundered across the plains long before highways and hashtags existed.

🦬 Know Before You Go: Bison Edition

Because nothing ruins a good hike like becoming a headline.

1️⃣ Keep your distance - at least 25 yards (75 feet).
That’s about two school buses, or one bison’s personal bubble. Don’t pop it.

2️⃣ Never approach, pet, or selfie with bison.
You might think they’re posing…they’re not.

3️⃣ Watch the tail.
If it’s up - they’re agitated. 
If it’s flicking - they’re thinking. 
If it’s down - you’re good (for now).

4️⃣ Use your zoom, not your bravery.
Get the shot safely. Your camera has a zoom for a reason. I rented an amazing lens from @lensrentals 

5️⃣ Expect traffic.
If a bison decides to nap in the middle of the road, congratulations - you’re now in a wildlife traffic jam. Sit back, enjoy the view, and let nature run on its own schedule.

These behemoths tough, resilient, and a little bit chaotic - basically the spirit animal of every trip I’ve ever taken.

Drop a 🦬 in the comments if they’re on your National Park bucket list!
White Sands: where the world turns into one giant White Sands: where the world turns into one giant light reflector and your shoes never recover. ☀️👣

Midday here feels like walking through a dream - blindingly bright, impossibly soft, and eerily quiet. 

Then sunset hits, and suddenly the dunes blush pink, the air cools, and it feels like the whole desert exhales.

No filters. No tricks. Just gypsum sand, light, and a little desert magic.

👉 Save this for your next New Mexico road trip - because, trust me, you need to see this one in person.
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