Wildlife at Lake Minnewanka

One of the highlights of our time exploring Banff National Park with my parents was all of our wildlife sightings! From elk and deer to mountain goats and sheep to coyotes and porcupines and black and grizzly bears (not to mention the countless birds and rodents along the way), this was probably the greatest variety of …

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Hiking in Banff National Park: Tunnel Mountain

Our first morning in Banff National Park we left Canmore and headed toward downtown Banff. We had decided the night before to begin our day by heading to Tunnel Mountain, Banff's smallest summit, to take a sunrise hike for views overlooking Banff and the surrounding area. It was short trip to Banff where we winded …

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Where to Stay in Banff National Park

As we were planning our trip to Banff National Park and Jasper National Park, we quickly realized how far apart our destinations were and how we were going to need to be somewhat strategic about where we stayed in order to avoid spending the entire trip driving around in the car. Brian was in charge …

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Vancouver: VanDusen Botanical Garden and Kitsilano Beach Park

When one of my good friends said she was going to be in Vancouver for a work conference, I requested time off from work and planned a day trip to go see her. Brian was traveling for work so I thought it would be a fun solo road trip! We love Vancouver and have enjoyed …

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Muir Woods and the California Coast

We met my in-laws in San Francisco for Memorial Day weekend and decided to split our time between sightseeing downtown and driving along the California coast. We ended up spending two days along the coast, making our way north to Novato for the night via Muir Beach and Muir Overlook and then retracing some of …

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Sightseeing in San Francisco

We met my in-laws in San Francisco for Memorial Day weekend, flying direct from the relatively new Paine Field in Everett, Washington. (This airport is only 15 minutes from our house and has revolutionized our west coast travel!) My in-laws were at the tail end of an impressive roadtrip, having flown into Vegas and traveled …

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Things to Do in Downtown Indianapolis

After 18 months of working and going to school full time I FINALLY completed my master’s degree at Purdue University! I went back and forth about walking at commencement—it seemed kind of silly, especially since I completed the degree virtually—but I really wanted to see campus, and I wanted to mark the accomplishment. #BoilerUp! While …

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