Kicking off our Montana road trip, we made our first stop at Pompey’s Pillar National Monument, about 25 miles east of Billings. With perfect weather and brilliant blue skies overhead, it was the ideal introduction to Big Sky Country. A Piece of Living History Pompey’s Pillar is more than just a striking sandstone formation rising […]
Our Visit to Pompey’s Pillar National Monument Read More »
The phone rang on an ordinary afternoon, and my cousin’s voice carried an excitement. They were booking a skydiving trip. Did I want to come? I felt that familiar flutter of possibility mixed with dread. It would be fun, I told myself. I’d be surrounded by family, people I trusted. But underneath those rational thoughts,
iFly – Experiencing Weightlessness Read More »
There’s something magical about watching hot air balloons rise into the predawn sky. I’d witnessed it before at balloon festivals in Albuquerque and Colorado Springs, standing among crowds as dozens of colorful balloons inflated in the darkness, flames roaring to life, casting an otherworldly glow across the launch field. The collective gasp of spectators as
My First Hot Air Balloon Ride: Floating Above Napa Valley Read More »
A quick trip to Colorado Reptile Park in 2015. Aside from the Sand Dunes in Alamosa, there isn’t much to do. The Colorado Gators Reptile Park was a fun spot. After reading online reviews….I wasn’t sure what to expect. Some people loved it others were very judgmental about the facility and the cost. I went
I originally signed up for a hike at Fiery Furnace at Arches National Park. The park service offers this hike for $10 (in addition to park entry fees) but books up months in advance. Since I planned my trip only a month out, taking the tour with the park rangers was not an option, but several
Tower Arch Trail and overviews at Arches NP Read More »
Canyoneering at Morning Glory / Ephedra’s Grotto I’d spent just one day in Moab back in 2008, so this time I wanted to push myself beyond the typical scenic overlooks—especially since I was making the trip out here anyway. When my college friend said she’d join me, it felt like the perfect opportunity to try
Rappelling into Morning Glory: A Moab Canyoneering Adventure Read More »
I was in Moab in 2008 but didn’t get to Canyonlands National Park so it was a must see this time around. Canyonlands is divided into three sections, Island in the Sky which is the most popular, the Needles about 60 miles south of Moab and the Maze which has no paved roads. You can’t pass through
Two days in Canyonlands National Park Read More »
Having spent only a short few months living in Colorado, it felt like every single person I met had the same piece of advice: have you done the Hanging Lake hike? Hearing the constant praise for this legendary spot, I finally decided to see it for myself on September 30, 2014. I woke up early,
Hanging Lake Hike: A Strenuous Climb to a Turquoise Gem Read More »
Stumps of Stone: Pivoting to Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument When your morning plans wrap up early, the open road always has a way of calling. Over Labor Day weekend in August 2014, I was visiting a friend and her family in the area. We spent a spectacular morning watching giant, colorful envelopes lift into