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

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…

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!

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…

August 31, 2021

The Best Dog Friendly Fall Hikes in New Hampshire

Heading to New England this fall? Is there anything better than fall in New England? Nope! The crisp air, the crunchy leaves, and all those gorgeous reds, oranges, and yellows. There is absolutely nothing better than being in the mountains in the fall…

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…

May 29, 2021

11 Dog Friendly Adventures At Shenandoah

With over 200,000 acres, Shenandoah National Park is a land bursting with cascading waterfalls, spectacular vistas, and fields of wildflowers.There’s so much to explore and it seems like the perfect place to explore with your dog(s), doesn’t it? But let’s find out, Is Shenandoah National Park Dog Friendly?…

May 25, 2021

10 Can’t Miss Dog Friendly Hikes at Acadia

5 hikes that you really don’t want to miss the next time you take your pups to Acadia National Park…

May 5, 2021

Dog Friendly Yellowstone National Park – Bringing Your Dog To Yellowstone

There is something special about Yellowstone, after all, this part of the Rockies is 75 million years old! There is so much to do and so many things to see that you may feel overwhelmed, and of course, you want to bring your furry best friend with you to experience all that the park has to offer! But the question remains, Is Yellowstone National Park Dog Friendly?…

April 6, 2021

Is Great Smoky Mountains National Park Dog Friendly?

Find out if Great Smoky Mountains is dog friendly and 12 fun things to do with your pups near the park…

April 1, 2021

Camping At Acadia: The Complete Guide

Everything you ever wanted to know about camping at Acadia National Park with dogs…

March 16, 2021

Is Rocky Mountain National Park Dog Friendly?

Rocky Mountain National Park is a really special place and it would be awesome if you could share it with your pups! But is Rocky Mountain National Park Dog Friendly?

  • 1
  • 2
  • 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 18 Best Things to Do in Bar Harbor, Maine
  • The Ultimate Winter Guide to the Grand Canyon
  • 2026 National Parks Guide: New Fees, Reservation Systems & Timed Entry Explained
  • The Best Things To Do In Camden, Maine
  • 6 Best Dog-Friendly National Parks to Visit This Winter

Categories

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

Reader Favorites

Top 8 Towns To Visit In Vermont

8 Charming Vermont Towns To Visit In Fall

30 Gifts For Female Travelers

The 15 Best Hikes In Utah

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

I don’t plan for golden hour. I just never stop lo I don’t plan for golden hour. I just never stop looking for it. 🌅

Something about the way light moves right before it disappears makes me feel like the whole world is trying to tell you something. I don’t know what it is. I just know I’m not ready to stop chasing it.

This is my Roman Empire. This has always been my Roman Empire.

No notes. No regrets. Just light.

🌻 Save this for your next golden hour reminder.

👋 Hi, I’m Vanessa @thewellwornshoes - a millennial nomad chasing National Parks, dog-friendly trails, and golden hour from the road! I share the hidden gems and real side of life so you can skip the guesswork and get straight to your own adventure! 

🔍 golden hour | travel aesthetic | road trip vibes
Montana sunrises and sunsets hit different ☀️🌅 I Montana sunrises and sunsets hit different ☀️🌅

I haven’t been super inspired to post lately, just being honest. But then I started scrolling through my camera roll from Montana and remembered why I do this.

These golden hours from Pray and Yellowstone had me standing outside, coffee getting cold, just…staring. No filter needed when the sky looks like that.

Sometimes just showing up and letting the light do its thing is the best thing 🧡

Save this if Montana’s on your list. You’re gonna want to chase golden hour there!!
The East Coast has a Skyline Drive and it’s absolu The East Coast has a Skyline Drive and it’s absolutely insane in fall 🍁 I know it’s early to be talking about fall but I’m over this winter! 

Skyline Drive is 105 miles through the heart of Shenandoah National Park and in the fall it’s absolutely unreal. The entire Blue Ridge lights up in reds, oranges, and golds and every single overlook is worth pulling over for.

We spent an entire day winding through, stopping constantly, and letting the dogs take it all in. 

🍎🍺 Stop at Bold Rock on your way in or out for cider and food. You won’t regret it.

If you’re planning a fall East Coast road trip this year, this needs to be on the list.

📍 Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
🐾 Dog friendly!

Save this for fall trip planning 🍁🍂🍁

👋 Hi, I’m Vanessa @thewellwornshoes - a millennial nomad chasing National Parks, dog-friendly trails, and golden hour from the road! I share the hidden gems and real side of life so you can skip the guesswork and get straight to your own adventure! 

Also, was anyone else obsessed with Brand New in high school? 🤣
Summer in Acadia felt like a dream 🌊☀️✨ Six month Summer in Acadia felt like a dream 🌊☀️✨

Six months of salt air and spruce trees. Tide pools that made us feel small in the best way. Puffins just…existing out there like tiny well-dressed locals. Moss growing on everything.

We chased golden hour from rocky shorelines. Found wild roses blooming where the forest meets the sea. Hiked trails with the dogs until our legs gave out and theirs didn’t (as usual).

Maine didn’t just give us a summer. It gave us a pace of life we’re still trying to hold onto.

Missing this place a little extra today.

📍Acadia National Park & Bar Harbor, Maine
8 years of chaos, howls, and heart-stealing looks. 8 years of chaos, howls, and heart-stealing looks. Happy Birthday to the original menace, my little wolfie, my favorite clown - Loki turns 8 today and honestly, I don’t think any of us were prepared for a lifetime of this much personality. 🐾🎂

Here’s to more trails, more trouble, and more years of keeping us on our toes. We love you, my wild boy. 🖤

Also this and Killing In The Name Of are Loki’s theme songs and you’ll never convince me otherwise 😆😆
Follow on Instagram

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