Finding a campground in this part of the country, in mid-September, that wasn't already winterized (thus had water) was challenging. But thankfully I came across New England Outdoor Center (NEOC). Thankfully the woman who booked my spot warned me that GPS directions wouldn't likely work (though it did on WAZE). You leave Millinocket and head towards Baxter State Park. [...]
I love this trail! You have two parking options - one off of the main road and the other at the marina. The marina option has more spaces. The trail is along a service road. It's wide and has a slight incline, but not at all strenuous. I parked at the Marina and took the trail along [...]
Today the National Parks Service turns 105. Thanks to Woodrow Wilson, on this date in 1916 the Parks were born. When I read that Instagram post I wanted to be a part of the celebration and go enjoy a National Park. I happen to be 45 minutes from Yellowstone, so I hopped in the car and made my way. [...]
Bryce Canyon was one of my first stops. I was headed to the Grand Canyon and decided to make a pit stop for a few hours. It was early spring and snow dusted some of the park. It was beautiful! I drove to the furthest point and spent a few hours visiting the overlooks. It wasn't very [...]
Lava Lake was my second solo winter hike. I'd never been on the trail before and spent a lot of time preparing for this trip. I wanted to know exactly where to park, where backup parking would be, where the bathroom was located, what the trail was like. I was happy to have been so informed. It eased [...]
When I was in college I had a dream to take a year and travel the United States. Friends were contemplating exchange programs in Europe. I wanted to see America. At the time I dismissed the idea in exchange for getting a job. I started my career with gusto, quickly adopting workaholic ways. When I would approach burnout, the [...]
Devils Tower National Monument was one of the first stops of my trip. On a cold winter day, during Covid, I pulled into the nearly empty parking lot. The Visitor Center was closed, but they left the stamp out for my National Park Passport. The trail is a walking path around the Tower. It takes you around the [...]
Devils Tower was one of the first stops on my trip. I took the detour off of I-90 with my fingers crossed that it was even open. I lucked out. Right off of the parking lot is a visitors center and toilets. While the visitors center was closed, they still had a stand for stamping your National Parks Passport. [...]
