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April 29, 2026

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…

April 1, 2026

The Foodie’s Guide to Bar Harbor, Maine

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

6 months of eating my way through this town I’ve done the research, the delicious, delicious research, so you don’t have to. This is your complete foodie’s guide to Bar Harbor, covering everything from 5 AM blueberry pancakes to hidden speakeasies, the best lobster roll actually in downtown Bar Harbor, and every must-eat spot in between.

March 10, 2026

Phoenix To Grand Canyon: The Ultimate Winter Road Trip Guide

Phoenix to Grand Canyon Winter Road Trip featured image - taking in the views at Bell Rock Vortex in Sedona, one of the stunning stops along the scenic route through Arizona's most beautiful landscapes

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—January through February is secretly one of the best times to visit Arizona’s most iconic destination.

December 26, 2025

The Best Things To Do In Camden, Maine

Camden, Maine is known as the ‘Jewel of the Maine Coast’ and for good reason! It is a picturesque town by the sea with a gorgeous harbor that you can imagine yourself enjoying on a daily basis.

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…

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.

October 17, 2023

15 Epic Things To Do In Vermont In The Fall

There is no better fall destination than Vermont. Between picturesque fall foliage, charming villages, everything apple, and maple syrup, Vermont will whisk you away to the fall landscape of your dreams…

September 14, 2021

Vermont Fall Bucket List

Vermont is nothing short of spectacular during the fall season. It’s one of those states that makes you want to come back time and time again. Incredibly clean, stunningly beautiful, and friendly, there really isn’t anything about Vermont that isn’t amazing…

July 27, 2021

11 Must See Waterfalls In The Smokies

Looking for a waterfall hike in the Smokies? Check out these 11 Must See Waterfalls In Great Smoky Mountains…

June 8, 2021

Sunrise at Acadia National Park: 12 Best Spots for 2026

From Oct 7 to March 6 earth year the summit of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park is the first place to see the sunrise in the U.S. You don’t want to miss it…

June 1, 2021

Visiting Mount Rushmore in 2026: An Honest Guide

Is Mount Rushmore worth the trip? Is it a National Treasure and should you visit? Find out here…

May 8, 2021

The 12 Best Lobster Rolls In Maine

Best Maine lobster rolls guide - McLoon's Lobster Shack in Spruce Head, Maine, with its iconic red waterfront building, hand-painted lobster sign, Adirondack chairs, and working lobster boats moored in the harbor. McLoon's Lobster Shack is one of the most scenic and beloved lobster pounds on the mid-coast Maine shore, offering fresh steamed lobster and lobster rolls with unbeatable waterfront views. A top destination for anyone exploring the Maine coast between Rockland and Bar Harbor.

You won’t find lobster shacks in short supply while visiting coastal Maine, but not all lobster rolls are created equally. After years of dedicated “research” (aka eating my weight in lobster), I consider myself a lobster roll connoisseur at this point. I’ve had A LOT of lobster rolls, from Portland to Bar Harbor, Kennebunkport to Acadia. Some forgettable, some life-changing.

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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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Recent Posts

  • The Ultimate Dog Hiking Gear List For National Parks
  • The Ultimate New England Fall Road Trip: A Six-State Foliage Loop (2026)
  • The Girls Trip Guide to Bar Harbor & Acadia National Park
  • Acadia National Park October Guide: Fall Colors, Weather & What to Pack
  • The Bar Harbor Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need To Know Before You Visit

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The Best Sunset Spot In Sedona

Dog Friendly Yellowstone National Park – Bringing Your Dog To Yellowstone

Complete guide to Frenchman Bay near Bar Harbor, Maine - featured image of the working harbor with moored sailboats, a classic Maine tugboat, and pine-covered Bar Island under dramatic clouds, the iconic view anchoring a complete guide to boat tours, whale watching, kayaking, sailing, and fishing charters near Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island

The Complete Guide To Getting Out On Frenchmans Bay

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October in Acadia is Disney World busy. Most peopl October in Acadia is Disney World busy. Most people lose the day to it because they do things in the order the map suggests, not the order the crowds do.

So steal my one fall day in Acadia. This is the one fall day I’d plan for a friend: sunrise from the cliffs instead of the summit, one real hike before 9, east side or quiet side, your pick, out of the park when it peaks, tide pools in the afternoon, and a sunset nobody else is at.

Every date, reservation window, and closing is in the Acadia & Bar Harbor In Fall guide in 16 pages, $27, written after six months on the island.

Comment 🍁 FALL 🍁 and I’ll send you the link! 

Happy Adventuring! 😁
Everyone books Cadillac for sunrise. While I under Everyone books Cadillac for sunrise. While I understand why, if you don’t get that reservation, I promise there are other amazing spots to see sunrise at Acadia! 

My personal favorite: Otter Cliffs. Park at Otter Point, walk two minutes on Ocean Path, and you’re standing on 110 feet of pink granite with the Atlantic doing the whole show below you. 

No $6 reservation, no 10 am refresh two days out, no line of headlights up the summit road at 5:30. Just you, the rocks, and whoever else figured this out, which in October is almost nobody.

The light hits the cliffs from the side instead of coming up over a parking lot. Dogs on leash are fine on Ocean Path. Bring the headlamp and a real jacket; the wind off the water in the dark is a different temperature than the forecast said.

Sunrise is around 6:30 right now and slides toward 7 by late October. Be there at least 20 minutes early, and take it from someone who is always racing the sun, 30 mins early is even better. The 10 minutes before the sun clears the horizon are the ones you’ll remember the most, I promise 🌅☀️

☀️ Save this for your Acadia trip ☀️
🌲🦉 Targhee National Forest, Idaho side. The stretc 🌲🦉 Targhee National Forest, Idaho side. The stretch between West Yellowstone and everything else, which most people do at 65 with the cruise on.

We turned onto a dirt road at sunset because that’s the whole point of living the lifestyle we do. But to be totally honest, we’ve been doing this since our 3rd date. 

Skies like this, the back side of the Tetons, and a Great Gray Owl sitting in a field watching. 

You don’t need a reservation for this. You need to slow down on the way to the famous thing.

✨Save it for your next Yellowstone drive✨
🍁🍂 Some of my favorite days are never the perfect 🍁🍂 Some of my favorite days are never the perfect ones.

This one started with the Artists Bluff hike, coffee, and a pup cup for Bama. Then we put on something moody and drove the Kancamagus straight into the fog.

You couldn’t see a thing from the overlooks. No sweeping views. No postcard-perfect October day. Just gray skies, wet roads, and Bama beside me.

And somehow, it’s still one of the best days I ever had in the White Mountains.

Bama’s been gone since 2020 🐾🪽, but I think about that drive more than almost any bluebird day since. Maybe because the day wasn’t perfect. It was just ours.

7 New England autumns taught me this: fog isn’t ruining the mountains. It IS the mountains. Embrace it. 

The postcards are the exception. In October, the Whites can be gray, moody, wet, and ridiculous in the best way. The road itself is worth the drive, 34 miles of color in layers, neon maples against the gray, and empty pullouts because everyone else is waiting for the fog to burn off.

It usually does by 10. Don’t wait for it.

Fill the tank in Lincoln. There’s nothing for 34 miles, and the fog does not care about your gas gauge.

🍁✨🍁 Save this for October. 

🍁 For the full six-state route, closure dates + Google Map Companion for when your signal drops, comment LEAVES
I lived in New England for 7 years, and every Octo I lived in New England for 7 years, and every October I watched people make the same mistakes.

Wrong direction. Too many towns. A gate closed 3 days before arrival. And that one farm photo everyone swears you can still get…except you can’t.

Every year I also had a handful of visitors who wanted to see this town or go to that festival in the fall, and I’ve explored SO many of them. Fall was my favorite in New England

So I made the version I’d actually hand a friend or tell them over coffee, because that’s why I do here 🍁🧡

🍁 A six-state clockwise route
🍁 7-day + 10–14 day itineraries
🍁 2026 closures + reservation windows in one place
🍁 Dog-friendly stops (and the four that absolutely are not)
🍁 What to do when your trip slips a week and the mountains have already moved on

🍁✨Plus a Google Map companion with every stop, because “no service” and “where the hell are we?” tend to arrive together.

The Ultimate New England Fall Road Trip Guide is 19 pages of all of the best New England has to offer in the fall. 

🍁🍂 Comment LEAVES and I’ll send you the direct link.
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