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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 At Zion National Park

Zion National Park is a Utah gem, and there are so many beautiful sights and things to do that it can be overwhelming to figure out the best sights for a 1-day trip to the park.  As one of the most unique and popular parks in the United States, Zion offers something for everyone…

February 27, 2024

Zion National Park Guide

Zion National Park

Zion National Park is one of the most visited parks in the Southwest, and it’s easy to see why! Although it’s on the smaller side in terms of Utah National Parks, at just 229 square miles, its awe-inspiring scenery makes it one of the most beloved National Parks in the United States.

August 22, 2023

The Best Coastal Maine Road Trip

The Best Coastal Maine Road Trip

Maine is by far one of my favorite states. There is just something about the rocky coastline, epic sunrises, and all of the pine trees that make my heart happy. I’ve left a little piece of my heart all over the state, but my absolute favorite thing to do in Maine is a coastal road trip…

August 30, 2022

Epic Sunrise and Sunset Spots On The Grand Canyon South Rim

Epic Sunrise and Sunset Grand Canyon South Rim

You’ve seen the picture of the epic technicolor sunrises and sunsets over the awe inspiring Grand Canyon, and of course, you want to see one too! But where can you find the best sunrises and sunsets on the South Rim? You’re in the right place…

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…

January 25, 2022

11 Awesome Things To Do Near Mt. Rushmore

If you are heading to Mt. Rushmore you probably don’t realize how many fun things are in the same general area of SD. You can use these 11 awesome things to do near Mt. Rushmore to help plan your trip…

January 11, 2022

14 Fun Things To Do In Asheville, North Carolina

One of the coolest small cities on the East Coast, Asheville has a relaxed boho vibe that I love! It’s weird and that’s just the way locals want to keep it. The city has a backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains and an insane number of craft breweries. Asheville is a refreshingly unique combination of hipster meets outdoor enthusiasts…

December 28, 2021

Top 15 U.S. Destinations For 2022

The new year is coming fast! It’s an exciting time for new beginnings and a time to make good on that promise that you made yourself, you know the one, to travel more next year! Welcome 2022 with open arms, it’s time to start planning those epic 2022 trips…

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…

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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

  • Wildlife Watching in Cades Cove: Your Complete Animal Guide
  • Paws on the Trail: The Best Dog-Friendly Hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains
  • The 15 Best Hikes In Utah
  • One Day At Zion National Park
  • Zion National Park Guide

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Plot twist: this is Michigan 🌊 I had zero idea Plot twist: this is Michigan 🌊

I had zero idea that Michigan looks like this! These photos look like there from somewhere coastal, somewhere far, somewhere very “travel brochure coded”…but nope - this is Sable Falls and the Grand Sable Dunes on the UP sitting quietly along Lake Superior, minding their business and being absolutely unreal.

Golden sand cliffs dropping into teal water.
Wild mushrooms hidden in moss.
Waterfalls tucked into quiet forest corners.

It felt like finding a secret that somehow everyone missed, including me.

🐾 And if you’re traveling with your four-legged sidekick - the UP is surprisingly dog-friendly! 
Check Out: 
💧Munising Falls Trail 
🏖️ Sand Point Beach 
🏰 Miners Castle, Miners Beach, Miners Falls Trail 
🌿 Sable Falls Trail 

This place? Officially burned into my brain forever. ✨ Save this if Michigan just moved up your bucket list✨

Would you believe this was Michigan? 🧐
Apparently White Sands has excellent acoustics, be Apparently White Sands has excellent acoustics, because Loki took one step onto the dunes and immediately decided it was time for a full-blown concert. 🎤🌬️😂

I came here for quiet desert magic…
Loki came here to unleash his inner wolf-pop-star and tell the entire park about his feelings (which are, apparently, VERY loud).

But honestly? There’s something iconic about watching a husky throw his head back and howl into a landscape this unreal, like he’s trying to answer back to the wind or challenge the moon to a sing-off.

If you ever needed a reminder that traveling with dogs adds a little extra chaos and a lot of personality…here’s Exhibit A.

Save this for your White Sands inspo, especially if you travel with a four-legged drama king 🐾✨
Hopewell Rocks, New Brunswick - where the ocean li Hopewell Rocks, New Brunswick - where the ocean literally rewrites the landscape twice a day

There’s something wild and humbling about standing at the base of these giant flowerpot formations…knowing that just a few hours earlier, this entire place was underwater. 

The Bay of Fundy doesn’t just have tides, it has the highest tides on Earth, and Hopewell Rocks is where you really, truly feel it.

One moment you’re walking on the ocean floor, weaving through arches and towering cliffs carved by water that never stops moving. The next, you’re watching those same rock giants rise from the waves like they’ve decided to stand up straight.

I wandered the pathways, ducked into sea-carved tunnels, let the sun filter through the trees above on the walk down, and tried (unsuccessfully) to wrap my brain around the scale of it all. 

Nature doesn’t mess around here - she’s dramatic, she’s creative, and she definitely knows how to make an entrance.

Hopewell Rocks is one of those places that feels like a postcard until you’re standing right in it.

👉 Save this for your Canada road trip plans - especially if “walk on the ocean floor” is on your bucket list.
Things I struggle with (because social media is de Things I struggle with (because social media is definitely not the full story)…

I love this road life. I love the sunsets and the trails and the quiet mornings with coffee and dogs snoring at my feet…but I’m also a human person with human problems. And pretending everything is perfect? Nah. Not my vibe.

So here are a few things I don’t talk about enough, and the behind-the-scenes stuff that comes right along with the adventures:

👉 I’m constantly fighting the urge to rush to the next place and to slow down
👉 Anxiety loves to crash the party (fun combo: health anxiety and crowd anxiety)
👉Running multiple businesses while living on the road? Love it deeply…but it also means I work way too much and rest way too little - freelancing is also very unpredictable work 
👉 Three dogs on the road? Sometimes magical. Sometimes chaotic gremlin circus
👉 Constantly moving? Turns out…not for us. We learned fast 

Road life can be beautiful and messy at the exact same time, and honestly, that’s what makes it real.

If you’ve got your own “highlight reel vs. reality” confessions… I’m all ears. 💛
I wasn’t planning on chasing a sunset…but Yell I wasn’t planning on chasing a sunset…but Yellowstone had other ideas 🌄🌙

After a long day in the park, I was fully in “get me to dinner and then bed” mode. No golden hour plans. No last-minute viewpoints. Honestly, I wasn’t even looking for magic - I was just looking for snacks.

But then the sky started to change.
Slowly at first…a soft peach glow warming the horizon, like Yellowstone was quietly flipping a switch. And suddenly the whole world shifted. The road ahead turned liquid gold. The ridges went full storybook. 

Wildflowers backlit like they were holding their own tiny lanterns. An elk bugled in the distance like he was the soundtrack. And just when I thought it couldn’t get better, the moon rose into a sky that looked painted.

It felt like Yellowstone leaned over and whispered, “Hey. Stay a minute.”

And of course, I listened.

It’s wild how the best moments are rarely the ones you plan. 

They’re the ones that sneak up on you when you’re tired, a little worn-out, and not expecting anything at all…and then suddenly you’re standing in the middle of a masterpiece.

Save this for your next Yellowstone trip - because this park loves a dramatic finale 🌄🧡 and I’m here for it 😉

📸 Photos taken in 2020 - elk photos taken with @lensrentals Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS (the light was not my friend but they aren’t awful 🤷🏻‍♀️😆)
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