Route of the Hiawatha Mountain Bike Trail
I am crazy excited to write this post. Mostly because I had so much fun on this ride and want to relive every second of it. Every.Single.Second. Read more
Glacier National Park
Summer is here and we just completed another road trip through this incredible country we call home. This summer we drove a little farther than normal – from Southern Arizona all the way to Northern Montana. It was a looonnnggg drive and the highways through Nevada and much of Idaho are crazy straight. A drive I definitely wouldn’t want to do alone. We learned a lot and had a lot of firsts. First time driving for three days in a row. (It was painfully long.) First time camping for two weeks straight. First time living out of a cooler for two weeks. (We didn’t realize we’d need an ice budget.) Once I finish recapping the trip I’ll write up our lessons learned. Read more
The Desert in Bloom
Allergies aside, spring is my favorite time in the desert. The trees and cactus are in bloom, and everywhere you look colors are popping out of the sea of green. It really is the most beautiful time in the desert. Read more
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
Last weekend we visited Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Southern Arizona and had the best time. Read more
Winter Wonderland on Mt. Lemmon
We had a big weather system hang around this past week that dumped a ton of snow on our beloved Mt. Lemmon. The mountain has been closed all week and finally opened yesterday afternoon. We live in the desert and the only snow we ever see is on the mountain or in the movies. As soon as there’s a decent amount of snow the entire town attempts to head up the mountain to play. Knowing the mountain was going to be crazy, we headed up early this morning. There weren’t many cars and we were able to casually drive up and stop where ever we wanted. It was heaven. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the mountain that peaceful. Read more
Lessons From Our First Backpacking Trip
We embarked on our first backpacking trip recently and chose White Sands National Monument as the location. One of the reasons we selected White Sands for this trip is because the backcountry sites are only 3/4 – 1 mile from the parking lot. You are walking through sand dunes but overall it is not a hard or long hike. We learned so much from this trip and I thought I would share our lessons learned in case backpacking is of interest or in case you would like to laugh at some of our silly mistakes. Read more
Backcountry Camping in White Sands National Monument
We spent an incredible two days in White Sands National Monument. The monument is incredible, but this is one that you really need to get off the beaten path to fully enjoy.
White Sands has been on our bucket list for years. Literally. We were planning to visit in 2013 and it didn’t work out, but I’m happy to report that this trip was a success! Not only was it a success; it is one of my all-time favorite things that we’ve done. Read more
Durango, CO with a side of Petrified Forest National Park
When we realized Moab was not going to work out we immediately got in the car and drove to the nearest wifi hotspot to look for someplace cooler to move to. It needed to be within a days drive home and the temp needed to be under 90. The entire state of Arizona was out, as was most of Utah, so we ended up in Durango, Colorado. Read more
Our day in Moab: 24 hours, 15,000 steps, & 100+ temps
We had planned to spend five days in the Moab area but ended up leaving after 24 hours. Please don’t take it personal, Moab. It wasn’t you; it was the weather. The hot, hot weather. But we’ll be back. Promise. Read more
Arches National Park
After Bryce Canyon we headed to Arches National Park. I love driving through Utah. The drive to Arches along I-70 was nothing short of spectacular. I find being on the open road so incredibly peaceful. I don’t know that I always enjoyed being in the car but I have come to love it. Read more