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Blue tiles on a wall at the Spanish Village of Arts with people walking

Balboa Park Is More Than the San Diego Zoo

I was looking for a place to walk for a few hours and I found Balboa Park. All I knew about it was it is where you enter the famed San Diego Zoo, but what I found was so much more intriguing. The park has 17 museums, multiple performing arts venues, various themed gardens, shopping, restaurants, street vendors, and historical and cultural attractions. It is easily worth spending an entire day exploring it all. If you’re not from the area,...

Steinbeck house exterior

What You’ll See in Steinbeck’s Salinas Valley

I read “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck in middle school, and the story of Lenny and George never left me. I wondered a lot about Steinbeck’s Salinas Valley. Later, I read the “Grapes of Wrath,” “East of Eden,” and others. Because of these books, I felt I knew the place, though I’d never been there. That was about to change. As a nomad, I’d traveled throughout the United States for some time when I took the Pacific Coast...

Hoh Rainforest Trees

How the Hoh Rainforest is an Olympic Peninsula Dream

The Pacific Northwest is wet, so it shouldn’t have surprised me that it contains the Hoh Rainforest, but it’s just not something I expected in the USA. The Hoh Rain Forest is one of four rain forests on the Olympic Peninsula. But it is the only World Heritage Site and UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It’s also one of the most incredible places you can visit in the Pacific Northwest – a place where there are many unique places. I drove there...

Forks, Washington

A Twilight Fan Visits Forks, Washington

I’m a total book nerd and “Twilight” fan, so when I was traveling within a few hours drive of Forks, Washington, I made a detour to visit. I love going to places my favorite authors have lived or written about and this was a spot I’d been thinking of since I first read Twilight many, many years ago. When I first read Twilight in 2007, I knew nothing about Washington, but by the end of the series, I was eager...

Seattle, Washington Skyline

Seattle Whale Watching Around San Juan Islands

Outside the boat window on my Seattle whale watching trip, dolphin after dolphin jumped from the water. Their smooth grey backs arched and lept as they raced the boats around them. I was as delighted as a child, and this was just the beginning. The San Juan Clipper Whale Watching tour Early in the morning, I headed toward Seattle from my Airbnb in Gig Harbor and arrived at Pier 69. There I caught the boat out to the San Juan...

Red Parasail in Gig Harbor

Parasailing in Puget Sound in Gig Harbor

Outside of Tacoma, Washington, I tried parasailing in Puget Sound for the first time. It wasn’t just my first time in this area, it was my first time ever. It’s an epic location for great views and after spending several days watching the parasails soaring high with their colorful sails like oversized birds, I decided to join them. I only wish I would have remember my fear of heights before it was too late. Parasailing the Puget Sound in Gig...

Helena Fire Tower

10 Old-Timey Things to do in Helena, Montana

Walking around Helena, Montana, I couldn’t help but think about the small town it was 100 years ago. Though, technically it’s not that small, not anymore. In my mind, as I strolled down Park Street, looking up at the historic fire tower, I envisioned it as it was when it was founded. Not much has changed, not really. The town perfectly captures the spirit of the west—the love of horses, the hilly streets, old alleys, and community gathering spots. In...

Rene on Yellowstone Safari

10 Yellowstone Animals Spotted on a Safari

If you want to see Yellowstone animals, you should book a safari. That’s my best advice. Seeing animals in Yellowstone National Park either happens by accident or intention or otherwise not at all. Since I didn’t see any by accident, I took matters into my own hands and booked a safari. Most of us assume that you will see animals in Yellowstone, but the truth is the park is big, probably much bigger than you think. Many people stay on...

Yellowstone Hot springs
Jackson Hole