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  • The Bar Harbor Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need To Know Before You Visit

    (2026 Guide From Someone Who Lived There For 6 Months) Bar Harbor, Maine, is one of those places that grabs you by the collar and doesn't let go. I've been visiting Bar Harbor and Acadia National ...

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    The Bar Harbor Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need To Know Before You Visit
  • 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

Adventure

National Parks

Digital Nomad

Digital Nomad

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

  • The Bar Harbor Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need To Know Before You Visit
  • 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

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6 months on Mount Desert Island taught me this: Ac 6 months on Mount Desert Island taught me this: Acadia is a completely different park depending on the time of year and the time of day 🦞✨ 

Steal my one perfect day at Acadia. 

But to be honest, in my opinion, Acadia deserves 4 or 5, and after six months here, I wrote down the rest for you! 

Comment Guide and I’ll send you a direct link or Comment lobster for the free Bar Harbor/Acadia Cheat Sheet 

If you’ve been to Acadia, what’s the one place you’d tell people not to miss?
Life lately, from the road 🛻 2,500-ish miles. Pen Life lately, from the road 🛻

2,500-ish miles. Pennsylvania in the rearview. Idaho finally under the tires. One truck that had several thoughts about the arrangement, not starting, but 🤷🏻‍♀️ what are ya gonna do? 

Somewhere in Theodore Roosevelt National Park we pulled over because we thought fog was rolling across the prairie. It wasn’t. It was one of the biggest bison herds we’ve ever seen.

We accidentally found the best burger of the trip because that’s how road food works. The ones with the lake view are just showing off.

Targhee and Bridger-Teton quietly reminded us that some of the best places never make the bucket lists.

And then there were the Tetons. We drove all that way and spent most of our visit admiring what can only be described as the concept of mountains through wildfire smoke. We’ll be back when they’re visible.

✅ Another place to call home for a little while.
Some roads ask you to slow down. 🦬 This one doesn’ Some roads ask you to slow down. 🦬 This one doesn’t give you a choice.

Lamar Valley at sunset, windows down, the soundtrack turned up, and a thousand bison deciding the road belonged to them. (They were right.)

It’s bison rut, so the valley is echoing with deep bellowing calls from the bulls. Then the chorus hits, the road opens up, and suddenly it’s one of those yyyeeeaaahhh moments you wish you could bottle.

‼️⚠️⛔️ One quick reminder: These big boys might look goofy, but they can do some major damage. Give them at least 25 yards of space, they’re responsible for more injuries in Yellowstone than any other wild animal. We saw WAY too many people get way too close! 

What’s the drive that made you turn the music up and forget where you were headed?
We came around a bend and saw what looked like fog We came around a bend and saw what looked like fog settled across the prairie. So, naturally, we pulled over.

It wasn’t fog.

It was the biggest bison herd either of us has seen in @theodorerooseveltnps. Slowly materializing out of the mist while the sunset turned everything gold.

Stay a little longer and the whole prairie starts telling stories. Young bulls running and shoving each other around like brothers. Calves curled up in the grass for a nap. Massive bulls hanging back while the herd kept moving.

An entire world, unfolding right in front of us.

And there was almost nobody else there.

Named after my favorite president, Theodore Roosevelt National Park somehow still flies under the radar. Fine by me.

Some places don’t need bigger crowds. They just need people willing to pull over when something looks a little different.

What’s the most underrated national park you’ve ever been to?
6 months on Mount Desert Island changed my perspe 6 months on Mount Desert Island  changed my perspective on Bar Harbor and Acadia 🦞✨🦞

I’d already written about Acadia. Then I stayed there and found out how much of it was wrong, or right in a theoretical way that falls apart the second you try to park at Sand Beach in August.

So I rewrote everything, every post, and the guides I wish I had in 2011 on my first visit. 

The guides are live today. Day plans, real distances, dog access mapped trail by trail, 2026 dates, and the parts I’d tell you to skip.

Link in bio - Message me with any questions! 🦞✨

Where are you headed - the town of Bar Harbor, the park, or both? Hopefully both 😁
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