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  • The Complete Guide to the Best Bars in Bar Harbor, Maine

    Where To Grab A Drink Around Acadia National Park Bar Harbor is a lot of things: a gateway to Acadia, a lobster roll pilgrimage destination, and a town that somehow feels like a village, no ...

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    The Complete Guide to the Best Bars in Bar Harbor, Maine
  • The Complete Guide To Getting Out On Frenchmans Bay

    You can't come to Bar Harbor and not get out on the water. Frenchman Bay is stunning from shore, but it's absolutely breathtaking from a boat, a kayak, the deck of a four-masted schooner, and the bow ...

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    The Complete Guide To Getting Out On Frenchmans Bay
  • The Best Sunset Spots in Acadia National Park

    (And the Truth About the Ones Everyone Lists) Acadia National Park at sunset is one of the most spectacular things I've ever witnessed, and I've watched a lot of sunsets from a lot of places. The ...

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    The Best Sunset Spots in Acadia National Park
  • One Day In Acadia With Dogs: A Local’s Itinerary

    Acadia National Park on the rocky, gorgeous coast of Maine is, hands down, one of the most dog-friendly national parks in the entire United States. It's where the mountains meet the sea, where the ...

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    One Day In Acadia With Dogs: A Local’s Itinerary

Adventure

National Parks

Digital Nomad

Digital Nomad

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…

October 10, 2023

8 Charming Vermont Towns To Visit In Fall

Top 8 Towns To Visit In Vermont

Vermont in the fall means vibrant forests bursting with reds, yellows, and oranges. It means nature, mountains, and all things apple cider. But there is even more to this pristine part of New England that includes historic covered bridges, maple syrup, and an abundance of hiking trails…

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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

  • The Complete Guide to the Best Bars in Bar Harbor, Maine
  • The Complete Guide To Getting Out On Frenchmans Bay
  • The Best Sunset Spots in Acadia National Park
  • One Day In Acadia With Dogs: A Local’s Itinerary
  • Where To Get The Best Lobster On Mount Desert Island

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How To Spend 3 Days In Asheville, North Carolina

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

Vanessa and her two Siberian Huskies in front of the Badlands National Park rock formations in South Dakota

Is Badlands​ National Park Dog Friendly? (2026 Guide)

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I stand by every single one of these. Mostly. 🎸 S I stand by every single one of these. Mostly. 🎸

Some of these were obvious. Some of these came to me somewhere between mile 300 and a gas station coffee that tasted like regret.

Save this for your next road trip playlist, send it to the friend who has very strong opinions about Yosemite, and prepare to argue with me in the comments.

Because apparently assigning 90s songs to National Parks is serious business.

Which one did I absolutely get wrong? 👇
I’ve been obsessed with wolves since I was a littl I’ve been obsessed with wolves since I was a little kid. Books, documentaries, terrible wolf T-shirts from gift shops, if it had a wolf on it, I wanted it.

So when a pack moved through the herd at sunrise, running, playing, completely unbothered by the crowd of humans collectively forgetting how to breathe, I cried. Right there next to the truck holding my incredibly heavy zoom lens that didn’t even get CLOSE to capturing their beauty. 

No shame. Zero dignity. Full Disney princess meets exhausted millennial.

Lamar Valley is the closest thing we’ve got to the Serengeti: bison everywhere, a moose hiding in the willows, and if the timing is right (swipe to slide 3), wolves doing the exact thing I’ve spent decades hoping to see.

This is why I occasionally betray my deeply held belief that 5 a.m. is a personal attack. Because every once in a while, an alarm clock hands you a moment your eight-year-old self would have absolutely lost her mind over.

Some mornings give you back something you’ve been waiting decades for.

📍 Lamar Valley, Yellowstone
A few million years of erosion and I’m the one who A few million years of erosion and I’m the one who feels small. Worth it.

🎵 Top 5 on my Canyonlands playlist:

	1.	Learning To Fly - Tom Petty
	2.	Counting Blue Cars - Dishwalla
	3.	Round Here - Counting Crows
	4.	Champagne Supernova - Oasis
	5.	All For You - Sister Hazel 

Best played with the windows down and nowhere to be ✌️
. 
#canyonlands #canyonlandsnationalpark #utahnationalparks #nationalparks #roadtripplaylist
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. 🦌
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