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  • A Girls’ Trip Guide to Salem, Massachusetts

    I've had a ton of requests for this one, so here it is: my guide to planning a girls' trip to Salem, MA. And no, it doesn't have to be October. Costume witch portraits, psychic readings, a ...

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    A Girls’ Trip Guide to Salem, Massachusetts
  • Where to Eat in Salem, MA: A Foodie Guide to the Witch City (Plus October Treats)

    Most people come to Salem for the witches, and while I get it, that might leave you wondering where to eat. I lived less than an hour from Salem for seven years, and the food is a big part of why I ...

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    Where to Eat in Salem, MA: A Foodie Guide to the Witch City (Plus October Treats)
  • Fall Road Trip Packing List: What To Actually Bring

    Fall road trips are my favorite kind of road trip, and I say that as someone who lives in a truck-and-trailer combo 365 days a year. The light is better, the crowds thin out by mid-week, the dogs stop ...

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    Fall Road Trip Packing List: What To Actually Bring
  • The Ultimate Dog Hiking Gear List For National Parks

    If you're anything like me, your dog is your favorite hiking partner, and honestly? They're probably better at it than you are. Loki, Freya, and Caly have logged thousands of trail miles with us ...

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    The Ultimate Dog Hiking Gear List For National Parks

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December 23, 2025

6 Best Dog-Friendly National Parks to Visit This Winter

Okay, let’s talk about something that drives me absolutely crazy as a dog mom who loves National Parks…

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 in Zion National Park: My Hour-by-Hour Zion Itinerary

Only have one day in Zion National Park? Here’s my hour-by-hour 2026 Zion itinerary with the best short hikes, the shuttle schedule, parking, food, and day-trip tips from Las Vegas, St. George, and Bryce.

February 27, 2024

Zion National Park Guide: Honest Tips + Is It Worth It?

Zion National Park

Planning a trip to Zion National Park in 2026? This honest guide covers the shuttle, Angels Landing permits, entrance fees, the best hikes, where to stay, and the new RV tunnel rules, plus why Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef stole my heart.

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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

  • A Girls’ Trip Guide to Salem, Massachusetts
  • Where to Eat in Salem, MA: A Foodie Guide to the Witch City (Plus October Treats)
  • Fall Road Trip Packing List: What To Actually Bring
  • The Ultimate Dog Hiking Gear List For National Parks
  • The Ultimate New England Fall Road Trip: A Six-State Foliage Loop (2026)

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The First Timers Guide To Grand Canyon National Park

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

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11 Can’t Miss Shops in Bar Harbor, Maine

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Going to Salem on Halloween and starting to freak Going to Salem on Halloween and starting to freak out about the crowds? It’s the 400th and I get it, but trust me, Halloween in Salem can be epic if you know the clock, and plan ahead. 

Every year I watch people roll in at 11 am looking for parking downtown (it’s not going to happen), or standing on Essex Street at 10:45 pm looking for a cab. The town is not set up for either. 

I lived in Massachusetts for 7 years and visited Salem often (at every time of year). This is the schedule I’d text a friend.

The rest of it, the week-by-week crowd calendar, the lots by address, the kids version, and what’s different this year, is in the Ultimate Salem Guide ($) and the Salem Cheat Sheet ($). Comment WITCH and I’ll send you both links., plus all of my Salem blog posts! 

And be good to the people who live there. Remember it’s their street before it’s your Halloween. 🎃
A canyon, a federal manhunt, and some very complic A canyon, a federal manhunt, and some very complicated family trees. Welcome to Capitol Reef.

Cohab Canyon, Capitol Reef. In the 1880s, the story goes, Mormon men with multiple wives ducked into this canyon when U.S. marshals came looking. Whether every detail checks out, the name stuck.

It’s a short hike from Fruita Campground, with a steep first quarter-mile before the red walls, honeycombed rock, and little side slots take over. About 1.5 miles to the overlooks, where the valley and orchards spread out below.

Finish at Sunset Point, a quick walk from the car, where the cliffs do their thing.

Captiol Reef was one of my favorites in Utah! How about you?
Everyone thinks Acadia shuts down after Columbus D Everyone thinks Acadia shuts down after Columbus Day. Most of it doesn’t.

Park Loop Road is open until December (weather permitting). Cadillac stops needing a reservation on the 26th. All 45 miles of carriage road are open and yellow. 

What you give up is the Island Explorer, the park campgrounds, peak color on the mountains, and the crowds. I’ll take that trade every year.

Everything above, plus the hour-by-hour late-October day, where to stay when the campgrounds close, and the dog version are in the Acadia & Bar Harbor In Fall guide ($). 

Comment FALL and I’ll send the link.

Pack for chilly and wet weather! The moody-ness of Maine at the end of October is unmatched!
I waited 34 years to see a wild wolf. It took 11 s I waited 34 years to see a wild wolf. It took 11 seconds for me to cry watching them 😍🥹

Lamar Valley, sunrise, a whole pack moving across the flats with the bison watching from the treeline. They were playing: running at each other, rolling, splitting up and circling back. I stood at the 400-600 rental lens with my hands shaking and cried.

It’s Wolf Awareness Week, so here’s the part that matters: there were no wolves in Yellowstone for almost 70 years. They were killed off by the 1920s, and 41 were brought back from Canada in 1995 and 1996. Every wolf in the park today comes from that.

These are the only photos I took. They’re not great, but I really don’t care (that’s not the point 😉). I got watch wolves play in the wild. 

Canine distemper went through the packs in 2025. The count at the end of the year was 84 wolves, down from 108, and only 17 pups survived. That’s the lowest the park has seen since the reintroduction years. With the added threat of being hunted when they leave the park, it’s not great for wolves. 

They’ve come back from less, but it’s worth knowing when you’re watching them. Please make sure to remain 100 yards from wolves in the park. Their life could depend on it. 

If you go: Lamar Valley at dawn, a spotting scope, and good binos. These were taken with a 400-600-zoom lens that I rented for the trip, but you could watch them with binos easily! 

I’ll always go to bat for wolves, I’ve been obsessed with them since I was kid!
Did you know New Mexico had its name 200 years bef Did you know New Mexico had its name 200 years before Mexico did…

Spanish explorers were calling this country Nuevo México in the 1500s. Santa Fe was founded in 1610, which makes it the oldest capital city in the United States. The Palace of the Governors on the plaza has been in continuous use since that year. 

Mexico, the nation, didn’t exist until 1821. New Mexico became a state in 1912. And all of that is recent. Acoma Pueblo has been lived in since around 1150. Taos Pueblo, about a thousand years. 

Twenty-three tribal nations call the state home today, and the Spanish, the Mexican, and the American chapters all came after.

I fell in love with New Mexico while we were living in El Paso for a year Some of my favorites: White Sands, Ruidoso, Cloudcroft, Lincoln National Forest, 8,600 feet up in the south of the state, where the aspens go gold in October and nobody east of the Mississippi knows it happens. 

Think elk in the meadows, cool nights, a mountain town with a wooden trestle and one main street.

A place can hold four centuries of names and still be exactly itself. That’s the thing about New Mexico, it truly is enchanting! (Cheesy, but true!)

Photos from 📍 Ruidoso, New Mexico
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