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  • The Foodie’s Guide to Bar Harbor, Maine

    Best Restaurants, Lobster Rolls & Hidden Gems (2026) Bar Harbor isn't just the gateway to Acadia National Park; it's one of the best food towns in all of New England. And I don't say that ...

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    The Foodie’s Guide to Bar Harbor, Maine
  • Phoenix To Grand Canyon: The Ultimate Winter Road Trip Guide

    There's something magical about the Grand Canyon in winter that most visitors never experience. Fewer crowds, snow-dusted red rocks, and crisp air that makes the canyon's colors absolutely pop, ...

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    Phoenix To Grand Canyon: The Ultimate Winter Road Trip Guide
  • 15 Best Dog Friendly Hikes at Acadia National Park

    Updated March 2026 Acadia is one of the most dog friendly National Parks in the United States, and honestly, it's the reason we keep coming back. The first National Park east of the Mississippi ...

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    15 Best Dog Friendly Hikes at Acadia National Park
  • The 18 Best Things to Do in Bar Harbor, Maine

    (A Local's Guide for 2026) Bar Harbor, Maine, is one of those places that grabs you and doesn't let go. I've been coming to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park for years, but in 2025 Brian and I ...

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    The 18 Best Things to Do in Bar Harbor, Maine

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November 30, 2021

Top 10 Christmas Towns To Visit In The U.S.

The Holiday season is about to begin and what better time to start making your list of Holiday destinations you want to visit?…

November 23, 2021

30 Gifts For Female Travelers

It’s that time of year again! Can anyone else believe we are already buying Christmas presents again? If you are looking for the perfect gift for the female traveler in your life, look no further!

November 9, 2021

3 Days On The Upper Peninsula

Honestly, the Upper Peninsula has something for everyone and you could spend weeks there without experiencing all that this amazing place has to offer…

November 2, 2021

The Eerie Ghost Town In The Smokies

In the lush valley, where Jake’s Creek and the Little River meet, you can find the magical Daisy Town…

October 19, 2021

The Most Dog Friendly National Parks

If you’ve traveled to many National Parks with your pups, then you know that in general, they are not very dog-friendly…

October 12, 2021

One Day Of Chasing Waterfalls On The Upper Peninsula

The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is a wild and wonderful escape, but if I’m being totally honest, I didn’t know what to expect. I wasn’t anticipating anything extraordinary, but the UP absolutely blew me away.  There are more than 300 waterfalls scattered across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and it is home to all of the waterfalls in the Great Lakes State except for one…

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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 Foodie’s Guide to Bar Harbor, Maine
  • Phoenix To Grand Canyon: The Ultimate Winter Road Trip Guide
  • 15 Best Dog Friendly Hikes at Acadia National Park
  • The 18 Best Things to Do in Bar Harbor, Maine
  • The Ultimate Winter Guide to the Grand Canyon

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The BEST Spots To Explore In Concord, MA

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

Iced coffee from Coffee Hound at The Stadium enjoyed at Agamont Park in Bar Harbor, Maine — a Stadium Bar Harbor branded iced coffee cup held up with Frenchman Bay, the Porcupine Islands, and anchored boats on a clear sunny day, highlighting Coffee Hound as one of the best coffee shops in Bar Harbor and Agamont Park as a scenic waterfront spot for eating and relaxing near Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island, Maine

The Foodie’s Guide to Bar Harbor, Maine

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Scotland doesn’t just get under your skin. It rewi Scotland doesn’t just get under your skin. It rewires you - or that’s what it did to me…

I’ve stood in the mist at the Old Man of Storr and felt genuinely small in the best possible way. I’ve waded barefoot into the Fairy Pools, so freakin cold in May. I’ve watched the sun sink behind Glencoe and thought, I need to come back here.

And I do. I always need to come back.

From Urquhart Castle glowing at golden hour to wandering Holyrood Palace, Scotland is the kind of place that makes you believe in something bigger than your itinerary.

One day I’ll do the NC500. One day I’ll spend a week on Skye.
Until then, the photos live on my camera roll and the pull of Scotland lives in my chest 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Drop a 🏰 if Scotland is on your list!
roadtrip to rocky? Hell yeah! Some places earn a roadtrip to rocky? Hell yeah! 

Some places earn a spot on your permanent list. Rocky Mountain National Park is one of them for me. We went in September, Trail Ridge Road was doing the most, the elk were in full rut chaos, and the alpine tundra had that golden end-of-summer glow that feels like borrowed time. 

If you haven’t gone, go. 

If you have, you already know. And either way, stop at @birdandjim in Estes Park on your way out. Best meal we had all trip, don’t even get me started on the smoked pheasant chowder 🤤
the New Mexico mountain town weekend that made me the New Mexico mountain town weekend that made me wish I’d booked one more night 🏔️

I stumbled onto Ruidoso, New Mexico during our year based in El Paso and honestly? Three days still wasn’t enough.

✨ Here’s the full honest breakdown 👇 (save this if you’re planning a trip)

🍺 Downshift Brewing Co - got there for the B-Side and left with a growler. the New Mexico Sour and Irish Exchange were both solid, and the Green Chili Chicken Enchilada Pizza was genuinely one of the best things I ate all year. skip the fried pickles, get the pizza.

🐎 Hull Road - drive it. we saw multiple elk herds just… hanging out in someone’s yard. no context, just New Mexico things.

🌅 Alto Lake - showed up at noon on a Saturday, took one look at the crowd and left. Came back at sunset and I’m so glad we did. the light was everything. timing is everything. A herd of wild horses with a colt showed up 😍

🥾 Grindstone Lake - better parking than Alto, more trail options, $5 fee that seemed to only apply to boats launching. worth the stop either way.

⚠️ a few honest notes:
Smokey Bear Historical Park is a little underwhelming - $2 cash for a short movie and a look at his grave. cute if you have kids, skippable otherwise. 

🌶️ Cornerstone Bakery burrito and green chili club sandwich were great, but the green chili potato soup was a pass for me, not what I pictured. 

🏔️ Sierra Blanca Overlook will drop the temp 20 degrees at the top, wear a jacket, I’m serious. 

🍗 Rio Grande Grill had a 45-min wait at 5:45 on Saturday, so plan ahead. 

🛍️ Most shops go dark by 6pm even on Fridays, build your itinerary around that.

We kept finding more around every turn. it’s that kind of place.
Have you been to Ruidoso? 👇
Delicate Arch didn’t care that I threw a hat on an Delicate Arch didn’t care that I threw a hat on and called it a day. Neither did the wind 💨 (and yes, I’m a Red Sox fan - it’s the only thing I kept from 7 years in New England 😅😂) 

This hike is 3 miles round trip, moderate difficulty, and absolutely worth every step of slickrock climbing to get there. You round that final ledge and your brain just…stops working for a second. No notes 👏

A few things to know before you go:
🎟️ $35/vehicle entry (valid 7 days) - timed entry permits required spring through fall, book ahead at recreation.gov
🅿️ Wolfe Ranch Trailhead
🌅 Sunrise or sunset = golden light + smaller crowds
💧 More water than you think. Zero shade on this trail.
🐾 No dogs allowed on trail - leave your pups at camp for this one

Swipe through and tell me the arch didn’t make your jaw drop. I’ll wait. 🏜️

✨🏜️Save this if Arches is on your bucket list!!
Lake. Campfire. Killer 90’s Country Playlist. If t Lake. Campfire. Killer 90’s Country Playlist. If this isn’t happiness I don’t know what is 🔥🌅

#millenialtravel #sunsetchaser #roadtripusa
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