Exploring Colorado’s Red Rocks and Lookout Mountain

Aside from a long weekend in Rocky Mountain National Park a couple years ago, I haven't spent an appreciable amount of time in Colorado. So when our friends told us they were attending a week-long work conference in Denver, we immediately made plans to head down the weekend ahead of time to catch up! Denver …

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Wyoming Hikes: Crow Creek to Hidden Falls Trail

When we were considering our move to Wyoming, one of our criteria was proximity to mountains and places to hike. With 109 named mountain ranges and sub-ranges in Wyoming, we thought it was a safe bet we'd be able to access something of interest no matter where we landed! If you've visited Cheyenne, Wyoming, which …

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Visiting Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument

While Mount Rainier is the volcano most people associate with Washington, Mount St. Helens is the one Washington residents most like to discuss, especially on the anniversary of its May 1980 eruption. My work colleagues in particular each have a vivid recollection of where they were during that time and in the days and weeks …

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South Dakota Sights: Needles Highway and Custer State Park

During our recent trip to Wyoming and South Dakota, we spent a good deal of time in the great outdoors, hiking and exploring new national parks. While this was a particularly wonderful way to spend our mornings, we were open to other ideas to beat the heat in the summer afternoons. Our Rapid City AirBnB …

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Hiking in Badlands National Park

We spent the majority of our trip to Wyoming and South Dakota meeting with property managers to scout rentals in places where we thought we might want to move. However, equally as important was the time we dedicated to exploring the surrounding areas to see what we liked more holistically about each place. I was …

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Black Hills Hikes

Although I've been to the Black Hills National Forest before, our recent trip was my first time tackling a few hikes in the area around Spearfish, South Dakota. Brian found three hikes all accessible from a central parking area behind the Spearfish Canyon Lodge (don't accidentally park at the lodge, which is for customers only!). …

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A Weekend in Asheville, North Carolina

It's bittersweet having friends and family across the country - I miss being able to see them whenever I want, but I love the excuse to plan a trip to visit, especially to places I've never been! Shortly after we moved to Washington our good friends moved to North Carolina. They knew they wanted to …

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