Finally leaving southern California behind and crossing the border into Nevada, we spent the week exploring a state that wasn't even on our original itinerary. And despite circling Las Vegas for a majority of our time here, we spent zero time on The Strip and a surprising amount of time climbing or[...]
With its characteristic grippy monzogranite and heaping rockpiles stretched in every direction, there’s no doubt that Joshua Tree National Park is a climber’s paradise— but there’s so much more to see of this 800,000 acre protected area just from the side of the trail. Thick orange rocks er[...]
After leaving our beloved Joshua Tree behind and journeying even farther into the scorching California desert, we spent the week exploring Alabama Hills and Death Valley before finally crossing into Nevada. Despite having visited both of these spots previously, every hike brought new scenery to the[...]
Largely popularised by the 1987 U2 album of the same name, Joshua Tree straddles the Mojave and Colorado Deserts in southern California, making it an incredibly popular destination for LA locals and travellers alike. If you've yet to experience it for yourself, you might be forgiven for thinking J[...]
This week was a little different than our other weeks on the road, namely because we stayed in the same spot the entire time— that's how incredible Joshua Tree is! Dan and I actually met on one of the hiking trails here (Cholla Cactus Garden, to be exact) last November and spent several magi[...]
Following the last two weeks of rather intense driving, we were ready for cruisier days and fewer long afternoons spent in the car— we covered a small fraction of the distance we were imagining this week, but we had a bloody good time doing it. And best of all, we made it to Joshua Tree by S[...]
With the first week of vanlife under our belts, Dan and I launched full-steam-ahead this week into more adventures in Southern Oregon, through the Redwoods, and all the way down the coast to central California, where we met up with mum for a whirlwind weekend of wine tasting and excellent food (tha[...]
In case you missed it... it's official, I LIVE IN A VAN!! After months of tireless organising, coordinating, packing, selling, and about 60 Amazon parcels, Dan and I hit the road on Wednesday for the first 4-month leg of our 2-year van adventure— we are beyond excited to finally be travelling ful[...]
Protecting nearly 350,000 acres of red rock canyons, sweeping mesas, towering rock arches, and sand-sculpted spires in southern Utah, Canyonlands National Park continues the grand traditional of Utah's Mighty Five and offers yet another unique perspective of the state's otherworldly landscapes.[...]
Boasting over 2,000 natural rock arches, each the product of millions of years of violent wind, salt, and ice erosion in south-eastern Utah, Arches National Park certainly earns its name. And no two arches are alike— spectacularly thin bridges of rock stretch over desert landscapes, isolated ribb[...]
Situated in the heart of the Sierra Nevada mountains and sculpted by glaciers over millions of years, Yosemite is one of America's most distinct national parks, its granite domes and towering sequoia unlike anything else in central California (or the country, for that matter). It's no wonder, then,[...]
Of all Arizona's incredible natural marvels and vibrant geological wonders, The Wave is truly one of the most spectacular, an otherworldly swirl of ancient sand dunes located out in the remote North Coyote Buttes near Page. This is undoubtedly one of the most coveted views in the entire southwest,[...]
Continuing the Four Lakes Loop past another 3 sparkling lakes in the Trinity Alps Wilderness, the next two days on the trail bring more smoke-free, sunny days and only further cement the impression that this is one of California's best hidden gems. From our summit of Siligo Peak to a refreshing dip[...]
After getting smoked out of Mt Whitney and frantically scrambling to plan an alternative backpacking adventure for the start of our Mountain West/SW road trip, Dad, Eileen, and I ended up driving north from Sacramento this week to explore the Trinity Alps, a subrange of the Klamath Mountains and th[...]
Alpine Lakes Wilderness never fails to impress, particularly during the magic of mid-autumn when all the leaves have turned varying shades of orange and the larches glow an otherworldly gold. And just as promised, this protected area within the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest is a mecca of alpin[...]
Following an eventful two days on the trail with multiple summits and millions of golden larches, our adventure in the Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness continues to Lake Juanita, up Boulder Butte for sunset (day 3), and finally culminates with a brutal 1,800m descent down into Stehekin on day 4.[...]
For only a few spectacular weeks every autumn, the otherwise unremarkable alpine larch trees in the Pacific Northwest turn a vibrant gold before dropping all of their needles for the winter. It’s the small geographical window, as well as the very narrow timeframe (and unpredictable weather this t[...]
Following a spectacular day along the Maple Pass Loop trail yesterday, we've left the crowds behind to trek towards (and hopefully summit) Black Peak today, a task whose difficulty is somewhat magnified by the recent snowfall. We are rewarded for our efforts with an almost unbelievable pocket of go[...]
As one of the most popular day hikes in Washington, Maple Pass Loop makes nearly every "best of" and "top hikes" list, grabbing my attention fairly instantly with promises of autumn colours and alpine lakes set against the backdrop of the snowy North Cascades. Maple Pass was therefore an early pick[...]
More than 3 million voting-age Americans are currently living overseas— and yet, for the majority of expats, voting in the American federal election is something we routinely put in the 'too hard' bin (or perhaps the 'not our problem' bin). As much as we may want to distance ourselves from the s[...]