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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!

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…

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)…

May 11, 2021

Roaring Forks: 11 Reasons To Visit

There are so many reasons to visit Roaring Forks Motor Nature Trail on your next trip to the Smokies…

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…

August 10, 2020

One Day in Cherokee, North Carolina

Don’t skip Cherokee, North Carolina on your next trip to Great Smoky Mountains National Park…

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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Happy Birthday Freya 🎉🎉 6 years of my Freya Lu 🤍 Happy Birthday Freya 🎉🎉 6 years of my Freya Lu 🤍

Six years of sass, side-eye, and the most enthusiastic awooos every single morning when she wakes up. Six years of that wiggle butt walk that says “I’m so happy you’re here” without a single word. Six years of trail miles, road miles, and curling up after a long day of adventuring.

She’s been a national park dog, a beach dog, a mountain dog, and a “lay belly-up in the dirt” dog, and sometimes all in the same week.

Happy 6th birthday to my sweet, sassy, wildly loved girl. 
The road is better with you on it 🐾
A hill I’m willing to die on… Every park has a qu A hill I’m willing to die on…

Every park has a quiet side, the district that takes a little more effort to reach, the trailhead two turns past the busy one, the road most people skip because it doesn’t lead to the postcard. And almost every single time, that’s the part of the park I remember most.

Less crowded doesn’t mean less beautiful. It usually means more.

📍Lamar Valley, Yellowstone (most people don’t want to make the drive)

#nationalparks #nationalparkgeek #findyourpark #hiddengems #offthebeatenpath
The best sunsets aren’t on the geotag list. Pinky The best sunsets aren’t on the geotag list. Pinky promise 🌅
Turns out I don’t need 2,000 square feet. I don’t Turns out I don’t need 2,000 square feet. I don’t need a guest room nobody uses or a closet full of clothes I don’t wear. I need my dogs, my person, a window that changes view, and somewhere quiet to drink my coffee.

The cure wasn’t a vacation. It was less of everything except the parts that mattered.
The hidden side of Acadia National Park nobody’s t The hidden side of Acadia National Park nobody’s talking about 🌅

Schoodic Peninsula is the only mainland section of Acadia, and it gets about 8% of the park’s total visitors. 

No timed-entry reservations. No fighting for parking at Cadillac. Just pink granite, crashing Atlantic surf, and a sunset view back toward Mount Desert Island that genuinely stops your brain for a second.

This is Schoodic Point. 419-million-year-old pink granite that glows at golden hour. The sun sets behind Cadillac Mountain across Frenchman Bay. You can spread out on the rocks and find your own quiet stretch, even on a busy summer evening.

📍 Save this for your next Maine trip 🌊🐳🐚⚓️

The complete guide to Schoodic including getting there, the best stops, the unmarked pulloff you absolutely cannot miss, and sunset strategy is live on the blog ✨ Link in stories! 

👋 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!

#AcadiaNationalPark #SchoodicPeninsula #MaineTravel #NationalParkGuide #sunsetchasers
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