Named for its impossibly vibrant Aztec sandstone that seems to blaze under the midday sun, Valley of Fire State Park is home to some of Nevada's most awe-inspiring landscapes, a wild contrast to the city lights of Las Vegas less than an hour to the west. It's the kind of place that hardly feels rea[...]
Between deep cleaning the van, catching up on some work, visiting family, and adjusting to the blistering heat in southern Arizona, we still managed to get out on the trail most days this week and even explore a new national park. And for all the complaining about the weather, neither of us would t[...]
Holding the undesirable title of hottest place on earth (and with a name that conjures up, well... death), Death Valley seems an unlikely place to find natural beauty in the California desert— and yet, it's one of the most striking landscapes in the country, a wild place of extremes whose su[...]
Protecting more than 200,000 acres of canyons, mountains, and unique desert wildlife, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is one of Nevada’s most spectacular outdoor playgrounds, attracting rock climbers and hikers from around the country to its vibrant Aztec sandstone cliffs and world-cla[...]
Something of a rising star in central California thanks to burgeoning online popularity amongst photographers and instagrammers, Alabama Hills National Scenic Area is an unlikely meeting point between the sunburnt desert and the High Sierras, a spot where orange granite warps into long arches that[...]
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[...]