Huntsville, Alabama is also known as Rocket City. If you’ve ever driven south on I-65 from Tennessee to Alabama, you know why: a Saturn I rocket sits outside of the Alabama Welcome Center in Ardmore – about 40 minutes outside of Huntsville. Rockets were all I knew about this small […]
outdoors
46 posts
My time at Yosemite National Park was a whirlwind. Four days was not enough time to explore the park, but I imagine that a lifetime would not be enough time. Yosemite is probably one of the most talked about and photographed parks in our national park system, but there is […]
Four Mile Trail is a misleading name. It sounds easy. Four miles isn’t that far. In reality, it’s a 4 mile hike each way with 3,200 feet in elevation gain. Four Mile Trail connects the valley floor to Glacier Point. Along the way you get full views of both the […]
In the northeast corner of Yosemite Valley lays a natural phenomenon known as Mirror Lake. A grassy, sandy meadow for much of the year becomes a still pool filled with melting snow runoff in the spring and early summer months. Mirror Lake gets its name from the near perfect reflections that can […]
If you’re looking for a flat, easy hike with breathtaking views of Yosemite Falls, walk the Lower Yosemite Falls Loop. This 1 mile paved path is the opposite of it’s Upper Yosemite Falls Trail sister. But still with remarkable views. When the sun and spray work in your favor, you’ll […]
I didn’t have too much prior knowledge about Yosemite National Park, but as I was preparing to go a friend said “Be sure to hike the Mist Trail. You’ll be surrounded by rainbows.” I did a little more research and I wasn’t looking forward to the 600+ granite steps that […]
When I was in fourth grade my family took a trip to South Carolina to visit friends who had moved there from our small town in Pennsylvania. The 10 hour journey was a BIG DEAL to me. At this point our family vacations typically consisted of quick trips to amusement […]
I thought vacations were for sleeping in. When you’re in a crowded National Park with a couple other adventurers, they’re not. Sunrise has become my favorite part of the day in parks. It’s beautiful. Quiet. Deserted. Calm. Chilly. It’s when you’ll see more animals than people. It’s when you’ll find […]
Name a US National Park. If you are like most Americans you probably named Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, or Yosemite – at least those are the Big 3 that have always come to mind for me. I couldn’t complete my #100by100 quest of seeing 100 National Parks before the Park Service […]
The Cascade Mountain Range is an icon of the Pacific Northwest. Stretching from Canada through Oregon, the Cascades parallel the coast and are responsible for the wet weather this area is known for. The Cascades are also known for creating beautiful vistas of snow capped peaks. While I was familiar […]
As part of the National Park Service Centennial Celebration, the National Mall and Memorial Parks organized a scavenger hunt to lesser visited sites throughout the National Mall area. I love games and parks and learning (#nerd) so I was excited for this. But I was also thinking it was probably […]
Since starting my #100by100 quest over 2 years ago, I often thought about where I would celebrate the Centennial. Yosemite is iconic. Maybe I should hike Half Dome? Most people don’t get out to American Samoa enough. Maybe I should book a flight? If it’s too expensive, how about Hawaii? […]