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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

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National Parks

Digital Nomad

Digital Nomad

August 30, 2022

Epic Sunrise and Sunset Spots On The Grand Canyons South Rim

Epic Sunrise and Sunset Grand Canyon South Rim

There’s a moment, right before the sun crests the horizon at the Grand Canyon, when it feels like everyone is holding their breath. The canyon walls shift from deep purple to burnt orange to brilliant gold, and you realize why 6 million people make the trip here every year.

July 5, 2022

5 Things Not To Miss On Your First Visit To The Grand Canyon

The First Timers Guide To Grand Canyon National Park

Iconic. Amazing. Breathtaking. All of these words describe the Grand Canyon perfectly. It’s one of those places where you can’t fathom how vast it is until you are standing in front of it, and even then you’ll find yourself saying, “wow!” every 5 seconds…

February 22, 2022

The Best Sunset Spot In Sedona

As the sun begins to descend it casts the most beautiful orange glow on all of those red rocks. I’m a sunset person, but this is truly a one-of-a-kind sunset location. Honestly, one of the most magical aspects of enjoying a sunset here is that many of the best spots are connected to vortexes…

February 15, 2022

Visiting Sedona In Winter

do you like fewer crowds and perfect weather? How about snowcapped red rocks? Winter in Sedona means cozy evenings by a fire after days spent exploring this mystical place. A trip to Sedona in winter is an EPIC idea…

February 8, 2022

14 Fun Things To Do In Sedona

If you’re looking for outdoor adventures, stunning scenery, great shopping, and amazing sunsets then Sedona is a dream destination…

February 1, 2022

One Day In Sedona, Arizona

So, you’ve only got one day in Sedona? I found myself in the same position at the beginning of January. Maybe Sedona is just a stop on a big Arizona road trip? Or a stop on your way to the Grand Canyon, like me! Although the town of Sedona is charmingly small there are so many things to see and do. Sedona is famous for its red rocks, beautiful canyons, magical vortexes, and pine forests.

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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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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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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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