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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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One day in Rocky Mountain isn’t enough. Here’s how One day in Rocky Mountain isn’t enough. Here’s how to make it count anyway

If you’ve only got 24 hours, here’s the play:

Book first. Bear Lake Road needs its own permit, they sell out, so grab them early on recreation.gov.

Then: start before the crowds and the afternoon storms, hit the overlooks along Trail Ridge Road, do Bear Lake + Alberta Falls (if you get a permit), and break for the smoked pheasant chowder at @birdandjim in Estes Park (genuinely one of the best things I’ve eaten on the road).

End at Sprague Lake when the light goes gold.

Save this now so you’re not Googling “easy hikes Rocky Mountain” from the trailhead with one bar of service.
turns out “doing nothing” in a national park is th turns out “doing nothing” in a national park is the most I’ve ever felt like myself. 🦌
old water, older trees, and a sky doing its best w old water, older trees, and a sky doing its best work right before dark. some places make you feel like a guest in something ancient. this is one. 🌅

📍 Wakulla Springs, FL
Lamar Valley is where Yellowstone stops being a po Lamar Valley is where Yellowstone stops being a postcard and starts being a nature docuseries. Bison traffic jams, wolves you have to squint for, elk drama at dawn. 🐺

🚫 Please make sure to keep your distance. All photos were taken with a zoom lens. 

📍✨Save this for your trip to Yellowstone so you can come back and brag about how many animals you got to see 😉
Utah has a mountain where you’re allowed to just…d Utah has a mountain where you’re allowed to just…dig for your own topaz. And somehow nobody talks about it.

Topaz Mountain is exactly what it sounds like, a stretch of high desert where you show up, pick a spot in the rhyolite, and crack rock until little crystals fall out. No guide, no fee, no gift shop. Just you, a hammer, and the slowly dawning realization that you’ve become a person who collects rocks on purpose.

Came home dusty, sunburned, and weirdly thrilled about a handful of crystals. 

10/10, would dilly-dally through the desert again.

📍 Save this for your Utah list 🔨💎✨
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