The Well Worn Shoes

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About

Meet Vanessa

Hi! I’m Vanessa – Freelance Writer, Content Creator, Traveler, and Mama to Loki, Freya & Caly.

I’d like to welcome you to The Well Worn Shoes. I’m so glad you’re here! The Well Worn Shoes is a labor of love and a place where wanderlust is welcome, and I hope to inspire you to follow yours!

If you are looking for tips on traveling with dogs, anything related to National Parks, becoming a Digital Nomad, you’re in the right place!

Some Random Facts About Me:

  • I love 90’s Music
  • Hiking
  • Kayaking
  • Photography

I also love to research new places and countries, and that’s ultimately what led me to offer Itineraries – let me do that research heavy lifting for you!

It’s nice to meet you. I hope you’ll stick around for a while and see where these well worn shoes are off to next (see what I did there? Haha).

Meet Brian

Salutations! I’m Brian and writing my mandatory bio…

I was born and raised in Colorado living the #granolalife summiting all the 14ers and shredding the gnarr on the regular. Joined the Army after high school and just finished 21 years. 

I love being outside and have spent most of my life dutifully building my skills to become a mediocre survivalist and outdoorsman. I view everything through the lens of how I could fish that water or hunt that land. 

Now that I am retired, I spend most of my income to live like a homeless person… and I love it. 

You can follow Brian @that_nomad_brian

On the Blog

  • Destinations
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  • National Park Love

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If travel has taught me one thing… 🪻☀️🌙✨ It’s To If travel has taught me one thing…

🪻☀️🌙✨ It’s To Pay Attention.

There’s an art to traveling slowly, and most people never learn it…

They’re the details you almost walked past. 🌿
.

#SlowTravel #TheArtOfNoticing #WellWornShoes #TravelDifferently #acadianationalpark
Found the off-leash loophole (it’s amazing leashed Found the off-leash loophole (it’s amazing leashed as well) near Acadia and our dogs have never been happier.

Little Long Pond. 12 minutes from Bar Harbor. 1,000 acres. Former Rockefeller estate. Free. Your dogs can swim. You’re welcome.

Full dog-friendly Acadia guide on the blog - link in bio!

. 
#dogfriendlytravel #acadianationalpark #barharbormaine #offleash #hikingwithdogs
It’s World Bear Day and I’m mentally back in Cades It’s World Bear Day and I’m mentally back in Cades Cove, watching a black bear completely ignore 47 minivans pulled over to stare at him. Living the dream, honestly 🐻

The Smokies have one of the healthiest black bear populations in the eastern US, around 1,500 bears across the park. That’s something worth celebrating AND protecting.

Because here’s the thing: those bears don’t need us. They need us to leave them alone. No feeding, no approaching, no tossing snacks out the window because he looked hungry. (He’s fine. He’s a bear.)

The best wildlife encounter is one where the animal walks away completely unbothered by your existence. That’s the goal. That’s the win.

If you haven’t driven that loop at golden hour with the windows down and zero agenda, add it to the list immediately.

Happy World Bear Day to the bears, the conservationists, and everyone who’s ever sat in a bear jam and felt absolutely no regret about it.

📍 Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park
📸 all photos taken with a zoom lens
The locals know about this one, and now so do you. The locals know about this one, and now so do you.🐾💚

Little Long Pond. Carriage roads. No cars. Former Rockefeller estate that’s now yours to explore for free. And yes, your dog can swim.

12 minutes from Bar Harbor. Zero entrance fees. All the tail wags.

This is the kind of place you come back to every single trip. 🐾

Full dog-friendly Acadia guide on the blog - link in bio!

.
#acadianationalpark #barharbormaine #hikingwithdogs #dogswhohike #acadiawithdogs
No one talks about this place near Acadia and hone No one talks about this place near Acadia and honestly I almost don’t want to share it 🤫

Little Long Pond is the most dog-friendly spot near Acadia and most visitors have no idea it exists. Your dogs can be OFF-LEASH here. October–April, anytime. May–September, before 10 AM and after 4 PM. (Ours remain leashed because huskies, ya know? 😂😆)

It’s a 2.2-mile loop around a pond on gorgeous Rockefeller-style carriage roads with four designated dog swimming spots and a boathouse straight out of a painting. It’s free, open year-round, and sits on 1,000 acres of the former Rockefeller estate.

What to know:
* 12 min from Bar Harbor off Route 3
* Only 32 parking spots - go early
* Dogs NOT allowed on Harbor Brook Trail

Go before everyone finds it! Keep in mind that there are horse drawn carriages that frequent Little Long Pond. 

🦞🤤 - After your hike do yourself a favor and stop by Northwest Harbor where @thebuckinglobster is parked and grab yourself a bahn mi lobster roll 🦞 truuust me, you won’t regret it! 

Full guide on our favorite Acadia dog friendly hikes on the blog - link in stories! 

✨ Save this for your next Acadia trip and send it to a dog parent who needs it.
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