The Well Worn Shoes

Wanderlust Welcome

  • Home
  • Start Here
    • About
    • Contact
    • Work With Me
    • Disclaimer
    • Affiliate Disclaimer
  • Destinations
    • Canada
    • United States
      • Mountain States
      • North East
      • South
      • Southwest
  • National Parks
    • National Park Guides
    • Is This National Park Dog Friendly?
  • Adventures
    • One Day In
    • Bucketlist Travel
    • Dog Friendly
    • Roadtrips
    • Travel Guides
    • Hiking
  • Digital Nomad Lifestyle
    • Camper Life
    • Honest Reviews: Campgrounds
    • Digital Nomads
  • Shop
  • 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 ...

    Read More

    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, ...

    Read More

    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 ...

    Read More

    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 ...

    Read More

    The 18 Best Things to Do in Bar Harbor, Maine

Adventure

National Parks

Digital Nomad

Digital Nomad

July 22, 2021

How To Spend 3 Days In Asheville, North Carolina

This weird and charming city has tons of accolades including landing on “The South’s Prettiest Cities” list and “The South’s Best Food Cities” list, respectively. After visiting Asheville it’s easy to see why everyone raves about it. Not only is it a city filled with food and art, but it’s incredibly dog friendly too (bestill my heart)…

July 20, 2021

Cades Cove: The Ultimate Guide to the Smokies’ Most Popular Valley

14 Fun Thing To Do In Cades Cove! Including to where to stay, where to eat, and what to do on your visit to Cades Cove…

July 15, 2021

16 Tips For Traveling With Dogs

Traveling with your dog(s) can be a great experience (for both of you) with just a little extra planning. If you know me, then you know that I take my Huskies, Loki & Freya with me all the time. I started training both of them early to be ok with travel and to be adaptable to changing environments, and I’m glad I did…

July 6, 2021

15 Fun Things To Do In Medora, North Dakota

Medora, North Dakota was founded in 1883 and along the transcontinental rail line of the Northern Pacific Railway. While it may be a small town, it has a big history. This kitschy charming town is often considered the gateway to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. But what is there to do in Medora, North Dakota?…

July 3, 2021

11 Fun Adventures In North Maine Woods

North Maine Woods is not really like anywhere else I’ve ever been, in a very cool way…

June 29, 2021

One Day In Concord, Massachusetts

This charming town was the home to one of the most famous groups of writers during the 19th century. It was also where one of the most famous battles and the start of the Revolutionary War took place. But what should you do with One Day In Concord, MA?

  • ← Previous
  • 1
  • …
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • …
  • 16
  • Next →
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!

Join the List

Let's be friends! I know e-mails can suck but mine won't and I promise cute pup photos too!

Connect

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

Categories

  • Destinations
  • Tips & Tricks
  • History
  • Adventure
  • National Park Love

Reader Favorites

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

14 Fun Things To Do In Sedona

Top 15 Holiday Things To Do In NYC

On the Blog

  • Destinations
  • Tips & Tricks
  • History
  • Adventure
  • National Park Love

Join the List

The Well Worn Shoes is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Connect

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
Sunset on the lake. Campfire crackling. Freya and Sunset on the lake. Campfire crackling. Freya and Caly losing their minds in the best way. Throw on some 90s country and this is literally the perfect way to end the day. 🌅🔥🐾
If travel has taught me one thing… 🪻☀️🌙✨ It’s To If travel has taught me one thing…

🪻☀️🌙✨ It’s To Pay Attention.

There’s an art to traveling slowly, and most people never learn it…

They’re the details you almost walked past. 🌿
.

#SlowTravel #TheArtOfNoticing #WellWornShoes #TravelDifferently #acadianationalpark
Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2026 The Well Worn Shoes · Theme by 17th Avenue