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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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In your late 30s, something shifts - or it did for In your late 30s, something shifts - or it did for me! Had to jump on this trend… 

It’s not a crisis - it’s clarity.
It’s realizing you were never meant to fit inside the small life like you were trying to! 

You’ll feel it in your chest.
That pull toward open space.
Toward changing directions.
Toward choosing freedom without explaining it to anyone.

And when it happens?
Follow it.
Even if it scares you.
Especially if it scares you! 

Save this for the day the road starts calling your name!
Grateful for the open road, paint-the-sky sunsets, Grateful for the open road, paint-the-sky sunsets, and my little family that makes every place feel like home 🧡🍁🦃

Not everything about this life is polished or planned, but it’s full. Full of fresh air, long drives, quiet magic, and moments that feel like they were made just for us.

The kind of things that don’t make headlines…but make a life.

What are you most thankful for lately - people, places, or peace?
Some places feel like standing at the edge of the Some places feel like standing at the edge of the world 🌎

@canyonlandsnps feels like standing at the edge of the world - there’s nothing polished about this place. It’s raw, wide open, and completely grounding in the best way.

Here’s what I actually did in the Island in the Sky district:

🏜️ Island in the Sky Visitor Center - the perfect first stop for maps, road conditions, and quick trail ideas
🚗 Grand View Point - absolutely unreal… but fair warning: the parking lot was packed and I had to circle multiple times to snag a spot
🌄 Buck Canyon Overlook - quieter, underrated, and wildly beautiful
🌅 Plateau Viewpoint (just outside the park) - massive open views without the crowds

🥾 Short hike with epic views:
Mesa Arch Trail (0.5 miles round-trip) - an easy walk with one of the most iconic canyon views in the park. Perfect if you want max reward with less effort.

If you’re craving a place that makes your brain go quiet and your heart feel full, Canyonlands will do exactly that.

Save this for your Utah road trip bucket list 🏜️
Plot twist: this is Michigan 🌊 I had zero idea Plot twist: this is Michigan 🌊

I had zero idea that Michigan looks like this! These photos look like there from somewhere coastal, somewhere far, somewhere very “travel brochure coded”…but nope - this is Sable Falls and the Grand Sable Dunes on the UP sitting quietly along Lake Superior, minding their business and being absolutely unreal.

Golden sand cliffs dropping into teal water.
Wild mushrooms hidden in moss.
Waterfalls tucked into quiet forest corners.

It felt like finding a secret that somehow everyone missed, including me.

🐾 And if you’re traveling with your four-legged sidekick - the UP is surprisingly dog-friendly! 
Check Out: 
💧Munising Falls Trail 
🏖️ Sand Point Beach 
🏰 Miners Castle, Miners Beach, Miners Falls Trail 
🌿 Sable Falls Trail 

This place? Officially burned into my brain forever. ✨ Save this if Michigan just moved up your bucket list✨

Would you believe this was Michigan? 🧐
Apparently White Sands has excellent acoustics, be Apparently White Sands has excellent acoustics, because Loki took one step onto the dunes and immediately decided it was time for a full-blown concert. 🎤🌬️😂

I came here for quiet desert magic…
Loki came here to unleash his inner wolf-pop-star and tell the entire park about his feelings (which are, apparently, VERY loud).

But honestly? There’s something iconic about watching a husky throw his head back and howl into a landscape this unreal, like he’s trying to answer back to the wind or challenge the moon to a sing-off.

If you ever needed a reminder that traveling with dogs adds a little extra chaos and a lot of personality…here’s Exhibit A.

Save this for your White Sands inspo, especially if you travel with a four-legged drama king 🐾✨
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