Tag Archives: Hiking

North America, Travel, United States, Washington

Recipe for Disaster in North Cascades National Park

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Kayla and I emerge from the forest and arrive at my car. We look at each other. Joe still hadn’t caught up with us. I unlock my car and pull out my phone. Kayla keeps glancing at the trailhead as I turn my phone on. Finally, it turns on. No signal, that isn’t a surprise given we are in the North Cascades Mountains in North Cascade National Park in northern Washington. Kayla looks at her watch. “It’s 5:30,” she states. “Sunset isn’t until at least 9,” I respond. We have over three hours of sunlight. “He should have realized we were going to make it to the top by now, right,” her voice wobbles. I hesitate for a moment, but respond, “Yea, he should have caught us on the way down.” With that statement, the nagging feeling that I have had the whole way down comes back. Continue Reading . . .

Travel

A Year with my America the Beautiful National Park Pass

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“Your pass has expired.”  My jaw dropped.  I couldn’t believe it.  My America the Beautiful National Park Pass had expired.  It feels like just yesterday that I bought the pass and now it is expired.  I got over my shock and reached into my wallet and handed my credit card over.  Time to pay $80.00 for another park pass. Continue Reading . . .

Travel

MatD’s Ultimate Virginia Bucket List

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Virginia is called “Old Dominion.”  It is the oldest of the original 13 colonies. The state was home to the first British colonies in the “New World.”  The state is borders the Chesapeake Bay and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Both areas provide the state a wonderful array of outdoor activities.  Due to its age and location, Virginia has been home to numerous major historical events. I am currently living in this great state. Here is my Virginia Bucket List. Continue Reading . . .

Travel

Spotlight Thursday – Summiting Guadalupe Peak in Guadalupe Mountains National Park

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Every Thursday, I will be posting a photo from my travels and a spotlight on the location. Today’s Spotlight Thursday is from the top of Guadalupe Peak.  I took this photo on one of my cross-country US road trips.  On my way from Tennessee to Colorado, I stopped and spent a couple of days in Guadalupe Mountains National Park.  This park sits on the border of Texas and New Mexico.  The closest town is Carlsbad, New Mexico. Guadalupe is near Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Continue Reading . . .

Africa, Animal, backpacking, hiking, Kenya, National Parks, Rwanda, Travel, Uganda

My Top 2015 Travel Memories

Hello 2016. I can’t wait to see what you bring in my adventures. 2015 was a great year for exploring the world. I visited 3 continents and 7 countries. I had some great adventures and some amazing experiences. I even had time to visit a few US states and cross 5 National Parks off my list. Continue Reading . . .