Lots of tourist amenities have sprung up around Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited national park in the U.S., and it’s no wonder. The stunning scenery and wildlife have attracted people to the …
March 15, 2013
United States
Ol' Tennessee Smokies
Death Valley – Why?
Deep in the belly of Death Valley National Park, I pitched my tent up against sage bushes looking out at snowcapped mountains. Campers sat in their vehicles, some huddled in their tents, all dodging the …
March 8, 2013
Indian Gorge to Palm Bowl
Discover a little-known route to one of Anza-Borrego’s remote palm groves
March 6, 2013
Last Stop: Rhyolite, NV
Rolling into the small town of Beatty, Nevada, is a strange experience. One of the few settlements on the edge of the brutal Death Valley, it appears as a welcome rise of gaudy lights after …
March 5, 2013
Surviving the Swarm in Anza-Borrego
As a young woman on a budget, I've found many ways to travel on the cheap, and one of my favorite destinations is Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in east county San Diego. It's close, it's …
February 28, 2013
Florida Road-tripping
California isn't the only state that holds claim to a scenic coastal drive. With more miles of coastline than any other state in the contiguous lower forty-eight, Florida has several. State Road Atlantic 1 Alternate …
February 26, 2013
Oregon's Multnomah Falls
About an hour's drive outside of Portland, in the early morning sunrise, I had the pleasure of experiencing some of Northern Oregon’s most beautiful sights. When in Oregon, it's hard not to want to interact …
February 25, 2013
Cultured Staunton, Virginia
Why are people from around the world flocking to Staunton, Virginia, a little railroad town nestled in the Shenandoah Valley? Staunton, pronounced “Stant-on,” isn’t content to merely be a scenic historic stop 10 miles west …
February 22, 2013
Moab, Utah – and the Man Who Quit Money
I didn’t see the gorgeous rocks that surround Moab, Utah, when I drove into town on a chilly November evening. My mind was swirling with images of the enormous chasms I had viewed at Canyonlands …
February 21, 2013
NOLA: Voodoo and the Spirit of the Hurricane
I’ll be honest – from my four-day weekend in NOLA, I wanted three things: voodoo, ghosts and Hurricanes. And I wasn’t disappointed. My first glimpse of Bourbon Street was a little disappointing – trashy bars, …
February 18, 2013
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga was one of the main starting points of the Cherokee Trail of Tears. It and the surrounding region of southeastern Tennessee are full of culture, preserving important elements of America’s heritage. And all this …
February 15, 2013
Far-flung Corners of Texas
Seventh time was the charm. Took me that many drive-throughs before I fell in love with a corner of Texas. Because aside from Padres Island National Seashore, I just couldn’t see much to like. To …
February 11, 2013
Simi Valley's Skateboard Museum
Say the high-brow word “museum,” and I’ll generally shell out any price to visit, but when the Ventura Visitor’s Center handed me a brochure that suggested a museum collection of over 2,000 skateboards, I did …
February 11, 2013
Coronado is haunted
“You see that too, right?” Lacey held her wine glass at half-mast, staring at the steps leading from the Hotel Del Coronado to the Pacific Ocean. We were outdoors at Babcock & Story, the Del’s …
February 8, 2013
Don't Pet the Sharks in Oahu
If you're in Oahu and seen enough scary people in panda suits waiting for you to give them money so they can lunge at your face, why not try a shark cage tour? There is …
January 29, 2013