Joshua Tree National Park: Hidden Valley Hikes

After spending our initial day in Joshua Tree National Park exploring the easternmost side of the park -- primarily by car -- we were ready to enjoy the sunshine and stretch our legs on a series of hikes throughout the central areas of the park on our second day. Day 2 Itinerary: Ryan and Hidden …

Continue reading Joshua Tree National Park: Hidden Valley Hikes

Joshin’ Around in Joshua Tree

While we continue to mask, socially distance from others, wash our hands, work from home, and go months on end without gathering with friends or family, I cannot entirely live in a sterile hole. Working for a health care organization and helping to communicate all things COVID-19 to our doctors, nursing staff, pharmacists, admin teams, …

Continue reading Joshin’ Around in Joshua Tree

Doin’ Some Shoein’: Comet Falls

We started 2020 snowshoeing outside Vancouver, B.C., and are bringing it to a close with snowshoeing in Mt. Rainier National Park! We arrived at Longmire around 10 a.m. to snow, clouds, and relatively few people. We tend to start our hikes much earlier in the morning, but we were at the mercy of the Longmire …

Continue reading Doin’ Some Shoein’: Comet Falls

Washington Hikes: Little Mashel Falls

The last month has been a little crazy. We finally ripped the band-aid off and listed our house, which went into contract two weeks later, and in the midst of prepping it to sell we found a new place to rent in the South Sound and moved most of our things and ourselves in. After …

Continue reading Washington Hikes: Little Mashel Falls

Rocky Mountain National Park: Summiting Deer Mountain

Our final morning in Rocky Mountain National Park we got an early start for the trailhead to Deer Mountain - the most accessible summit in the park. While the park is known for all of its 14ers, Deer Mountain's summit is at an easy, breezy 10,040 feet. To cut to the chase, our hike was …

Continue reading Rocky Mountain National Park: Summiting Deer Mountain

Rocky Mountain National Park: Trail Ridge Road

These crazy times of COVID-19 have inspired us (and many other people) to prioritize visiting the National Parks and enjoying the great outdoors. One of my favorite Christmas gifts - my annual America the Beautiful National Parks Pass - has come in especially useful this year. As planned, we kicked off the year visiting new …

Continue reading Rocky Mountain National Park: Trail Ridge Road

Driving to the Top of Pikes Peak

For our seventh wedding anniversary, we spent a weekend in Colorado enjoying time together in the great outdoors. In addition to spending a couple days in Rocky Mountain National Park, we drove to Colorado Springs to check out the infamous Pikes Peak. When we arrived mid-morning, traffic was already lined up to enter Pike National …

Continue reading Driving to the Top of Pikes Peak