Exploring Colorado’s Mountain Passes: 4 Epic Mile-High Hikes

Over the Labor Day weekend, my husband I traveled to Colorado to compete in the Grand Traverse. A point-to-point ultramarathon, the race runs up and over two mountain passes connecting Crested Butte to Aspen. While the race didn’t go in my favor, the week long trip was not a complete bust – exploring four different

Dark Skies, Bright Stars: Utah’s National Park’s After Dark

As the campers quiet down and crawl into their sleeping bags, as sizzling fires are snuffed out, and as the crickets start their nightly song, the night’s sky awakens and rolls out a beautiful show of stars. In Utah’s National Parks, the nights are even darker and the show more stunning. From Bryce Canyon to Capital

White Trail, White Peaks, Blanche Lake

After a long winter of skiing in the Wasatch Mountains, my legs needed to stretch – to hit the trail, to tread softly through the trees, to explore. While winter’s white hadn’t quite released its grasp at the higher levels, Lake Blanche proved its name in beauty and color. Located in the center of the Twin

Bayocean Peninsula Beach Camping

2021 Update: According to local authorities, camping is no longer allowed at Bay Ocean Peninsula. Hope some of you got out an enjoyed it while it was open! There aren’t many places on the Oregon Coast that you can backpack, but leave it to my boyfriend to find one. Located just an hour and a

Walking on the Roof of Zion: Angel’s Landing Hike

Standing on the top of narrow spin of rock in the middle of the Zion Canyon, I watched the sun rise over the eastern hills as it illuminated the red rocks and river below. It was one of those moments. Perfect. Peaceful. Still. The day after running the Zion Half Marathon, I ventured deeper into

As Seen From the Road: Vermillion Cliffs

One of my favorite roadside attractions from my southwest road trip was driving by the Vermillion Cliffs. The salmon pink color and amazing strata stripping contrasted with the azure sky of the desert. It was tough to keep my eyes on the road!

Sandstorm in Canyonlands National Park

“I hope my tent is still at my campground,” I thought as I looked down on the cavernous desert floor of Canyonlands National Park last month as a windstorm blew in and shrouded the lower moonscape canyons in sand like a hoovering blizzard. My gear may have been scattered, but at least it made for

Ancient Arches, Oh-My!

Over 2,000 natural arches flirt with gravity at Arches National Park. With an unpredictable future, right now is the best time to visit this red rock wonderland. Formed by wind over thousands and thousands of years, the arches show off the amazing transformation of nature and offer a glance back in geological time. While there

The Quiet Colors of Hue

This month’s travel photo takes us toward the end of my trip to Vietnam with a stop at the regal tomb of an emperor from the Nguyen Dynasty. Gracefully aging, the Tomb of Minh Mang in Hue, Vietnam reveals layers and layers of history throughout the complex, which includes a summer home and lake.  

Lonely Planet’s Beautiful World Photo Contest

From the colorful coral in the South Pacific to the ice carved mountains of British Columbia, we live in a beautiful, beautiful world. And right now, Lonely Planet is showing off every inch and corner with a inspiring photo contest and new photo book. Here is my entry for their “Untamed” category: Meandering with Mountains