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5 Activities to Try in Great Smoky Mountain National Park

The Great Smoky Mountain National Park is a park like no other with abundant wildlife and frequent bear sightings. It’s been on my list too long, but I finally made my way to it for a three-day trip I won’t soon forget. Three Reasons Great Smoky Mountain National Park is Famous Great Smoky Mountain National Park is famous for its “smoky” vistas, extensive hiking trails, and density of wild black bears and synchronous fireflies. It’s one of the most popular...

A large waterfall cascades over a brown and green granite cliff. Green trees surround

Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a hidden gem in the Midwest

Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a hidden gem in Ohio worth visiting. Located 30 minutes south of Cleveland and Akron, this park has a diverse landscape of forests, meadows, wetlands, and rivers and a rich history and culture. Being an urban park, it’s not entirely like other big national parks because it’s intersected by small towns and somewhat disbursed. However, that means cell service is plentiful, roads are paved, and locations are easier to navigate. Visitors find waterfalls, a spectacular...

3 Reasons The Watchman is the Best Trail at Zion National Park

The Watchman Trail in Zion National Park is the most underrated and overlooked trail in the system. That’s to your disadvantage. It may be my favorite of all the hikes in the park. Now, hear me out. I have my reasons. Zion is a hiker’s park. Unlike most other national parks, if you’re going to Zion, chances are you’re also a hiker of some level. Sure you could just drive through and look at the glorious bright red-orange mountains, but...

Climb into Cliff Dwellings at Bandelier National Monument

Imagine if you could go back in time and see the way that ancient people lived. Pretend you could even go into their homes, see where they planted their food, and learn about how they survived. You can, at Bandelier National Monument. I spent a day hiking around the park, climbing ladders, and exploring these ancient homes. All of it was amazing; some parts were easier to get to than others. Regardless, it is a one-of-a-kind experience that everyone interested...

A wood sign with green lettering at entrance to Devil Den

Hiking Devil’s Den Preserve in Connecticut

The Devil’s Den Preserve in Connecticut is over 1,700 acres of pristine forested New England land perfect for hiking and spending time in nature. I visited the preserve during my two-year road trip as a nomad, traveling in my van, hiking, seeing historic areas, and staying in short-term rentals, and I returned several times. Also known as the Lucius Pond Ordway, the Devil’s Den Preserve is the largest protected woodland preserve in Fairfield County and one of the biggest just...

Aerial view of the Cabot Trail road snaking through green trees alongside the ocean

Drive the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton’s Highlands National Park

The drive along Cabot Trail in Cape Breton’s Highlands National Park in Nova Scotia, Canada, is unparalleled. Found on Cape Breton Island, this natural wonder includes mountains, valleys, waterfalls, rocky coastlines, Acadian and Boreal forests, the Cape Breton Highlands and White Hill, the highest point in Nova Scotia. All that is to say: it’s a spectacular drive and a beautiful place to spend a few days. Cape Breton Highlands National Park encompasses 366 square miles in the northernmost part of...

A white lighthouse sits amid pine street and rugged rocky coast next to the ocean

10 Unique Things About Acadia National Park

Acadia National Park is unique because of being one with the community, sections of it interspersed and overlapping small towns with deep coastal heritage. It’s a place to see if you like hiking, biking, climbing, swimming, camping, boating, fishing, or watching the sunrise. If the rugged coastal landscape, abundant forest, and natural scenery beside the ocean sound appealing, this may be the place for you. I visited Acadia at the tail end of a nearly two-year solo road trip that...

Monticello exterior with people walking up

11 Fun Things to do Near Madison, Virginia

There are so many fun things to do near Madison, Virginia; you may be surprised. When I recently stayed for a month, I was shocked at how places and activities on my ever-growing list of things to do kept expanding. It was astonishing since I’d never heard of the place before renting a little cottage there. But it ended up being an idyllic location in the Shenandoah Valley within just two hours of many premiere Virginia locations and attractions. Plus,...

Thin trees in a swamp with green moss at their base.

5 Unique Reasons Congaree National Park is Worth Visiting

Synchronistic Fireflies and Champion Trees are two reasons to visit Congaree National Park. Plus, Congaree is among the least visited parks, making it blissfully uncrowded. I’ve been to 25+ national parks and there are essentially two types: those people go to and those they don’t. Some parks are filled with amenities, trails and things to do and see, and other parks quietly exist to protect rare and spectacular environments. Congaree is one of the latter. It protects the largest intact...