Monument Valley is one of the most recognizable landscapes in the American Southwest, with massive sandstone buttes rising from a wide-open desert landscape along the Arizona–Utah border. You can drive the scenic Valley Drive on your own, hike around one of the iconic Mittens, join a Navajo-guided tour into areas that are otherwise off limits, […]
If you are visiting the American southwest and are looking for scenic drive, consider Valley of the Gods. Located near Monument Valley, this area is filled with buttes and mesas and tall rock formations. It doesn’t quite pack the “wow” punch like Monument Valley, but the Valley of the Gods is still a worthwhile visit. […]
Teardrop Arch is one of the lesser-known places to visit in Monument Valley. Located away from the busy Valley Drive, this sandstone opening frames a beautiful view of Monument Valley and can be visited on a guided tour with a Navajo guide. Tim and I visited Teardrop Arch on our first trip to Monument Valley. […]
Angels Landing is the most popular hike in Zion National Park. This is a 5.4-mile round-trip hike with 1,500 feet of elevation gain, and requires a permit. The Angels Landing hike, along with The Narrows, draws thousands of visitors per year, most of them during the summer months. Why is Angels Landing so popular? This […]
Zebra Slot Canyon is a very short slot canyon, named for its striped canyon walls. It’s a gorgeous spot, maybe not quite as pretty as Antelope Canyon in Arizona, but since you can explore this on your own without a guide or tour group, it’s more fun. Hiking Zebra Slot Canyon can be a little […]
The hike along the Willis Creek Slot Canyon is so much fun! And to think that we almost skipped this hike. After a long day of hiking and exploring both Bryce Canyon National Park and Kodachrome Basin State Park, we wondered if we should tack on Willis Creek to the end of our day. Would it be […]
Watching the sunrise in Monument Valley is spectacular on its own, but a sunrise photography tour takes you beyond the classic viewpoints and into parts of the park that you can only visit with a Navajo guide. On our first trip to Monument Valley, Tim and I booked a sunrise photography tour with Phillips Photography […]
Isn’t it awesome when a new place completely astounds you? For me, that was Upper Antelope Canyon. I first saw photos years before I visited – those glowing red walls, the twisted, scalloped rock, the famous beams of light cutting through dusty air. I genuinely wasn’t sure a place could look like that in real […]
Having lived in Maryland most of our lives, we are lucky to be in such close proximity to our nation’s capital. Washington DC is a place that we visit frequently. With so many museums and historical sights, this city makes an excellent travel destination in the USA. For one day, we acted like tourists, scouting out […]
Old Rag is the toughest but the most rewarding hike in Shenandoah National Park. Some people say it’s the best hike in the mid-Atlantic region. The Old Rag hike is strenuous, with lots of switchback trails and rock scrambling. The reward from the top of Old Rag is a 360° view of the Shenandoah Mountains. […]
Many people travel to Louisville to watch the Kentucky Derby or sip bourbon on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. But did you know that Louisville makes an amazing spot for a food tour? In 2012, Louisville was the only city in the US to make Zagat’s list of “8 Awesome Foodie Getaways Around the World.” Tim […]
Louisville, Kentucky…the home of the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Louisville Slugger bats. Named after King Louis XVI of France, the city was founded in 1778 by George Rogers Clark. Muhammad Ali and Jennifer Lawrence were born and raised here. One third of all bourbon comes from Louisville. It’s home to several stops on […]
Bourbon is booming right now and so is tourism in Kentucky. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail, a collection of sixty bourbon distilleries, is drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. Touring the distilleries, learning about the origins of bourbon, and tasting lots and lots of bourbon whiskey is an excellent way to spend a long […]
The Kentucky Bourbon Trail is hot right now! With the increasing popularity of bourbon, tourism is up in Kentucky. What better way to learn about and sample bourbon than on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail? The Kentucky Bourbon Trail is a collection of 60 whiskey distilleries. All of these distilleries offer tours and tastings. On the […]
McAfee Knob is one of the most popular hikes in Virginia. It’s also the most photographed spot along the Appalachian Trail. For hikers, this is a great one to add your list. This hike has always been popular with hikers, but it has recently become even more famous. In 2015, McAfee Knob was featured in the […]
Niagara Falls is a popular destination in North America. Straddling the border between the United States and Canada, Niagara Falls has the highest flow rate of any waterfall in the world, including the mighty Victoria Falls in Africa and Iguaza Falls in South America. Not only can you tour the Falls by boat, helicopter, and […]
IRONMAN 70.3 Eagleman is a big race for a small town. This half Ironman distance race is one of the longest running Ironman sanctioned 70.3 events, with triathletes competing since 1996 (2026 marks the 30th anniversary of the race). This is a race that draws competitors from not just across the USA but from around the […]
Tim and I pulled up to a strip mall and double-checked Google Maps. This couldn’t be right. We were looking for one of Nashville’s most iconic music venues. Surely it wasn’t tucked between a dry cleaner and a sandwich shop. It was. And we had absolutely no idea what we were in for. We’d come […]