June 10, 2024
I think I mentioned that some overnights are better than others. And with about 19 hours in Knoxville, I did what any adventure-seeking soul would do… I rented a car and hot the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which was just 30 minutes away. Before I committed to any time Read more…
July 31, 2022
Ancient Bristlecone Pines are the oldest living organisms in the world. Yes, in the world! Located in the Inyo National Forest near California’s Eastern Sierras, catching a glimpse of them was a definite must for me as I passed through the amazing U.S. 395. To have the chance to walk Read more…
July 30, 2022
I was overwhelmed with the beauty of Alabama Hills. The images below capture some of it, but not the feel of the air, the scent, the feel that enveloped me. Unexpectedly, I was taken aback by this destination. I hope to return sooner than later. My rental car looking snazzy. Read more…
April 18, 2022
I don’t mind climbing to the top of a mountain… in a car. And that is where Sandia National Scenic Byway takes you… the Sandia Crest at an altitude of over 10,000. Just a short drive from Albuquerque, New Mexico, the drive offers a view of the entire area. Fun Read more…
February 24, 2022
Having acclimated to driving about Fairbanks with some confidence, the perceived barrier of distance dissipated. I would travel south to enter the mouth of the Castner Glacier. And the 2 hour and 45 minute drive was gorgeous, with glimpses of Denali, the tallest mountain in the Northern hemisphere, and the Read more…
July 22, 2021
Even more into the green now, I’d spend my third night without running water in the gorgeous Spruce Knob Lake within the Monongahela National Forest, driving up to the highest elevation of the state. With starry eyes, I thought I’d see the stars best here–but weather was uncooperative once again Read more…
July 21, 2021
New River Gorge National Park is the newest National Park. One of its scenic draws is the gorge’s bridge, the longest steel arch bridge in the world at the time of its construction. Now this gorgeous feat of engineering is the longest steel arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere. Many Read more…
July 12, 2021
One thing to take note of when driving on the backroads of Vermont while using Google Maps GPS… they don’t really care if they put you on a steep dirt road winding into the mountains like the long driveway of some geezer living off the grid barely. That is how Read more…
July 22, 2020
The closest National Park to my home is a pretty one, with undulating blue waves in the sky–the Blue Ridge Mountains. Shenandoah National Park‘s views are quite gorgeous. And its scenic Skyline Drive allows you to keep your social distance… and blast your music. On display, the cranky mountain air Read more…
February 22, 2020
I’m a window seat gal. I love watching the land from above. Here are some painting-like pictures, blotted and splotchy in their pixelatedness, of our beautiful country as I traveled from one end to the other. Starting at my home… I like to see the boroughs hold hands via a Read more…
April 23, 2019
This would be my 24th National Park. 24 out of 61. Big Bend National Park lies right at the US-Mexico border, bordered by the glorious Rio Grande of Duran Duran fame. I was slightly bummed that the day would–and into the evening–would be mostly cloudy. I looked forward to shooting Read more…
May 26, 2018
Water is one of the most powerful forces in the world. Water makes spaghetti and mountains and me and you. Lest you be too concerned with your occasional swells and rages. Such is the nature of water and of you… Water also made the Delaware Water Gap: The chunk of Read more…
August 19, 2017
Another day in one of our nation’s national parks, my #21, Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee. This park, like Shenandoah, feels more like home. Though spectacular they are, the geology of the western parks in their different biomes can be almost otherworldly. There is a slight uneasiness underneath Read more…
August 17, 2017
Spoilet alert: By the end of this blog post, by the end of my day, I end up… in a cabin in the woods in the mountains within rumbling thunder, the lucky pile of wood between two very vocal mocking birds going on and on about something, perhaps the storm Read more…
July 14, 2017
After driving in the desert all day, I’m pretty batty right now. I don’t want to even attempt to wax poetic about just how gorgeous you are, dear America. It is kind of unreal how much unearthly beauty lies within you. I’ll try a little with the few brain cells Read more…
August 18, 2016
Everything in Jackson, Wyoming revolves around the Tetons. And proving this, I spent my day finding a variety of ways and circumstances in which I could see the Tetons. Starting at the crack of dawn. The striking hues of a beautiful sunrise can do pretty fantastic things to the sky, so I knew Read more…
April 28, 2016
The day’s activities would involve a pitchfork and a wheel barrel. But first, a bit of breakfast: great coffee from Archive Coffee Bar, which has vegan donut holes from Bigwig delivered Tuesdays & Fridays (bummed I missed them!) and a strawberry and chocolate-stuffed vegan crêpe from Oregon Crêpe Cafe & Bakery. Read more…
August 27, 2015
After several days at sea it was very exciting to disembark finally. The first port was Haines, Alaska, a sleepy, small city (number of graduating high school seniors in 2015: sixteen) with plenty of natural beauty and wildlife. The kind of stuff people come to Alaska for. The port only Read more…
August 25, 2015
August 24, 2015
We woke up with some goals. There were some cruise clarifications that were pretty important. Then there was breakfast, the sometimes-unattainable meal for a traveling vegan. And requisite basking in the breathtaking beauty of Alaska, the Last Frontier. For breakfast, a local favorite, Snow City Café, which has the honor Read more…
August 22, 2015
On the way to Alaska, finally! We spent most of the day traveling. Here are some of the pictures I took from the air… because there was no food around. Constellations on land. The land is organized in neat patchwork, dotted with the clouds shadows. I was excited to catch Read more…
July 17, 2015
Another jam-packed day ahead of me and needing the boost, I had the tart from Louisville’s Flora Vegan Treats for breakfast. Clearly by observing Exhibit A below you can see it was light and crisply satisfying–like you want these kinds of tarts to be. The filling was blackberry, the ideal partner for the lemon zested Read more…
