North America
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Best Destinations for Responsible Wildlife Vacations
Responsible Wildlife Vacations Wildlife destinations are some the of most popular places to vacation, seeing animals you don’t find in your backyard can easily be the top priority when planning a trip. There are locations at all ends of the globe to learn more about different species and see more wildlife.  The important part before taking that dream trip is making sure you’ve booked a sustainable tour and ethically responsible tourism along with animal welfare should be the highest priority to ensure the animals we are wanting to see will be around in the future. Here is a list of my top places to find responsible wildlife vacations. Turtles Lay…
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Beauty In My Backyard: A Day Hike Near Pittsburgh
I grew up outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and although I don’t live there any longer, I spend a lot of time visiting Western Pennsylvania. I’m always looking for something active to do in and around the city, there are lots of activities to explore but the best day hike near Pittsburgh has to be Ohio Pyle State Park. Here is what you need to know to make the most of your day trip to Ohiopyle. A Laurel Highlands Day Hike With over 20,000 acres in the park, the 70 miles of trails allows for some beautiful day hikes or a multi-day backpacking trip. The state park and trails are open…
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An Indianapolis Can’t Miss Weekend
This is the best of the Midwest. I’ve compiled a list of my “can’t miss” weekend in Indianapolis to take your itinerary to the next level and make sure you find all the secrets, hot spots and fan favorites. Indiana itself has a lot to offer but I made sure to put a list together that highlights all of the Circle City attractions you could knock out over a quick can’t miss Indianapolis weekend activities. Indianapolis Weekend Activities Eats & Treats City Market City Market is much more than a marketplace with vendors, it’s a building for food stalls, a meeting place for locals, an event space for celebrations and…
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Eco Indy: Indiana’s Sustainable City
San Francisco, Portland, or Seattle are all US cities you think of immediately as “green” towns, but what about Indianapolis?  In 2008 the mayor of Indianapolis established the Office of Sustainability, with the task of becoming the most sustainable city in the Midwest. It was evident from the first day we explored the city that huge strides were made to keep Indy clean & green. Neighborhood programs were created making even the city center feel more like home and there were several initiatives helping Indianapolis strive to become the most sustainable city in the Midwest. I was so impressed with the restaurants, transportation and conservation that was being made…
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It’s Better in Baja; A Wildlife Weekend in Mexico
His eyes widened, almost animated and appeared to lock onto mine. His ebony pupils dilated to an obscene size and his flat, thin lips slowly opened and closed in an almost rhythmic motion. We gazed at each other for a moment, my hands gently bobbing on the surface of the water, his spines creating pressure against my palms.  What an expected surprise, to be treading in crystal blue sea of the Loreto Bay, face to face with a porcupine fish. With the careful instruction of our naturalist guide, I slowly released the fish and he quickly swam off into the coral reef below. Is Handling Marine Life Responsible Wildlife? So…
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The Stunning Southwest: Grand Canyon South Rim Tours
Grand Canyon South Rim Tour We formed a row up against the worn, splintered split rail fence, like football teams at the line of scrimmage, we faced our opponents. A half dozen pack mules stood at attention, their reins draped over the post, standing across from us patiently awaiting their instructions. Like my gym teacher in middle school pairing us for square dancing, the head rancher assessed our riding ability and introduced us to our trusty steeds for the morning, I was paired with Biddy, sweet but spunky. I mounted the little beast and we all filed in a close line, making our way towards the trail head, on our way…
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The Stunning Southwest; Photographing Arizona's Horseshoe Bend
I climbed into the backseat of the hybrid car, my Uber driver Dale’s silver ponytail matching the paint of his Prius was peaking out of the bottom of his wide brimmed cowboy hat over his shoulder. Only in New Mexico would your Uber driver look like we were carpooling to the ranch. We chatted on the short ride over to the rental car lot, I thanked him and walked toward the front counter, realizing in the early morning chaos I left my wallet on my hotel bed. That won me another round trip ride with pony-tail Dale and once all of the vehicular transactions were completed, I was behind the…
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Coffee Shop Talk: Where to Find the Best Coffee in the World
Brew a cup, order a Venti, or pop a K-cup in the Keurig because we are breaking down where in the world you can find the best coffee. Can I let you in on a little secret? If you read my story about my trip to a Colombian coffee farm, you already know that I’m the only person you know that doesn’t drink coffee. Ok, so what makes me an authority on where to drink coffee around the world? I love everything about the caffeinated craving in a cup aside from drinking it, in particular, the coffee shop.  The smell, people all sitting around socializing quietly with friends or working…
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“I’m sick of all this wilderness”: A Day at Glacier National Park
Being a full time traveler has many advantages and for me personally the pros far outweigh the cons, for one I get to skip out of a lot of the mundane chores and tasks.  I’m happy to avoid grocery shopping at all costs since I don’t have a kitchen to stock, and since I don’t have a house, I haven’t cleaned a toilet in god knows how long.  Oh, the extra perks of constant travel. This can all seem pretty glamorous from an outsiders perspective as I’m out exploring the world while others are at their desks working in a cubicle.  But when you wake up sick, you can call out…
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Snapshot Sunday: Great Falls, Montana
