The Well Worn Shoes

Wanderlust Welcome

  • Home
  • Start Here
    • About
    • Contact
    • Work With Me
    • Disclaimer
    • Affiliate Disclaimer
  • Destinations
    • Canada
    • United States
      • Mountain States
      • North East
      • South
      • Southwest
  • National Parks
    • National Park Guides
    • Is This National Park Dog Friendly?
  • Adventures
    • One Day In
    • Bucketlist Travel
    • Dog Friendly
    • Roadtrips
    • Travel Guides
    • Hiking
  • Digital Nomad Lifestyle
    • Camper Life
    • Honest Reviews: Campgrounds
    • Digital Nomads
  • Shop
  • The Best Things To Do In Camden, Maine

    Charming, Coastal, Calming - Camden 2026 Guide There's a reason Camden is called the "Jewel of the Maine Coast." This picturesque harbor town feels like stepping into a postcard, complete with ...

    Read More

    The Best Things To Do In Camden, Maine
  • 6 Best Dog-Friendly National Parks to Visit This Winter

    (Where Your Dog Can Actually Hike the Trails!) Okay, let's talk about something that drives me absolutely crazy as a dog mom who loves National Parks. You know those "dog-friendly National ...

    Read More

    6 Best Dog-Friendly National Parks to Visit This Winter
  • 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 ...

    Read More

    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 ...

    Read More

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

Adventure

National Parks

Digital Nomad

Digital Nomad

April 24, 2021

12 Reasons You Need To Visit Fundy National Park

Fundy National Park is completely underrated in my opinion! Here are the top 12 reasons that you really don’t want to miss Fundy…

April 21, 2021

Plan Your First Visit To Yellowstone

If you are planning your first trip to Yellowstone National Park you are in the right place…

April 17, 2021

13 Fun Things To Do In Livingston​, Montana

With the Absaroka mountains as a dramatic backdrop and the Yellowstone River running right through the town, Livingston is absolutely one of the most beautiful small towns in America…

April 14, 2021

One Day In Portland, Maine

Find out how to spend One Day In Portland, Maine. Including Where To Stay, Eat, Shop & What You Can’t Miss…

April 10, 2021

Lamar Valley: A Guide To The Most Magical Place In Yellowstone

There is one place that you absolutely CAN’T MISS on your next trip to Yellowstone National Park! Keep reading to find out…

April 6, 2021

Is Great Smoky Mountains National Park Dog Friendly?

Find out if Great Smoky Mountains is dog friendly and 12 fun things to do with your pups near the park…

  • ← Previous
  • 1
  • …
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • …
  • 15
  • Next →
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!

Join the List

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

Connect

Recent Posts

  • The Best Things To Do In Camden, Maine
  • 6 Best Dog-Friendly National Parks to Visit This Winter
  • 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

Categories

  • Destinations
  • Tips & Tricks
  • History
  • Adventure
  • National Park Love

Reader Favorites

14 Fun Things To Do In Deadwood, SD

Easy Fall Hikes In Rocky Mountain National Park

11 Fun Things To Do In Bar Harbor, Maine

On the Blog

  • Destinations
  • Tips & Tricks
  • History
  • Adventure
  • National Park Love

Join the List

The Well Worn Shoes is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Connect

Big national park fee changes just went into effec Big national park fee changes just went into effect in 2026 🏞️

If you’re a U.S. resident, not much changes for you, America The Beautiful annual passes stay at $80 and entry fees remain the same.

🌎But if you’re traveling from outside the U.S. or have international friends/family visiting, here’s the deal: 
💰there’s now a $100 per-person surcharge (for ages 16+) at 11 of the most popular parks, and annual passes jumped to $250.

✨✨✨One tip: if your international visitors already have a 2025 pass, it’s still valid until it expires.

Do you think this is a fair move for protecting our parks? 👇
New Mexico wasn’t on my radar. I’ll be honest, I d New Mexico wasn’t on my radar. I’ll be honest, I didn’t know what to expect from the Land of Enchantment. Happy 114th Birthday to the state of New Meixco 🧡

And then it completely stole my heart.

⛰️Cloudcroft? A tiny mountain town tucked in the pines where we said “I do.” 
🌅And Ruidoso surprised us with its laid-back charm and mountain air that makes you want to stay forever.
✨White Sands feels like stepping onto another planet. 

These aren’t the places people talk about when they talk about the Southwest. But maybe that’s exactly why they hit different.

Sometimes the best adventures are the ones you almost skip.

📍 White Sands National Park, Cloudcroft & Ruidoso, New Mexico
Winter at Mesa Verde: beautiful…but read this firs Winter at Mesa Verde: beautiful…but read this first 🥶

Fewer crowds. Snow-dusted ruins. And yes, you can bring your dogs (kind of).

Here’s the honest truth about a winter visit:
🐾 Dogs are allowed on a few trails but most of the park is off-limits to pups
🚗 Roads into the park close in winter & chains may be required on icy days (we learned this one the hard way)
🏛️ No ranger-led tours down to the cliff dwellings — but the overlooks are still stunning

Is it the most dog-friendly national park? No.
Was it still worth the visit? Absolutely.

If you’re chasing solitude and don’t mind a little extra planning, winter is magic here.

Save this for your off-season Mesa Verde trip 📌

*Huskies are on 6 ft leads
This is Pretty Marsh, and it’s about to become you This is Pretty Marsh, and it’s about to become your new favorite spot in Acadia 🌲🌊

While everyone’s freaking out to get a reservation for a Cadillac Mountain sunset, this quiet little shoreline is out here delivering sunsets that genuinely made us stop talking mid-sentence. 

We stumbled on this place during our summer in Maine! The loons call across the water, the light goes golden, and for a minute you forget anyone else exists.

Go early enough to claim a spot on the rocks. Stay late enough to watch the stars come out.

📍 Save this for your Acadia itinerary 🌲🌊✨
Everyone fights for a spot on Cadillac Mountain. M Everyone fights for a spot on Cadillac Mountain. Meanwhile, we had this entire shoreline to ourselves. 🌅

Pretty Marsh is one of those places that doesn’t make the Acadia highlight reels, and honestly, that’s part of the magic. 

No crowds. No reservations systems. 

Just you, the rocks, and a sky that puts on a show every single night. And the loons - don’t even get my started on the loons 😍

Pro tip: Get there about 45 minutes before sunset. Bring a blanket, maybe some snacks, and just…stay awhile.

✨ Save this for your Maine or Acadia trip 📍
Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2026 The Well Worn Shoes · Theme by 17th Avenue