When we decided to take a long weekend trip to Maui, there were two things we prioritized - driving the Road to Hana, and hiking in Haleakalā National Park. One of the most referenced national park experiences was viewing sunrise from the summit of Haleakalā volcano at 10,000 feet. You need a reservation for this …
Continue reading Sunrise on the Summit: Haleakalā National Park
When we decided to drive the Road to Hana during our recent trip to Maui, I decided we would make a big loop of the southeastern area of the island, traveling the Road to Hana, staying in Hana, and then driving the Pi'ilani Highway back to upcountry Maui. I read quite a bit in advance …
Continue reading Adventures in Maui: Driving the Pi’ilani Highway
An advantage of driving the Road to Hana and making a complete loop around the southeastern side of Maui was hiking in the small, publicly accessible section of Kīpahulu Valley Biological Reserve in Haleakalā National Park. The Effort to Protect Kīpahulu ValleyIn 1969 ... The Nature Conservancy (TNC) purchased close to 10,000 acres of land …
When we visited Hawaii several years ago, we decided to divide our week of travel between the Big Island and Oahu. Our priorities were exploring Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, where we saw incredible active lava flow, and visiting Pearl Harbor, where we learned more about WWII. This year we decided to visit Hawaii once again, …
Continue reading Adventures in Maui: Driving the Road to Hana
While the main purpose of our time in Tucson was exploring Saguaro National Park, I had a number of other itinerary ideas if the weather didn't cooperate or we found ourselves with extra time on our hands, from driving the Mount Lemmon scenic byway to exploring the different districts in downtown Tucson. As it turned …
During our recent weekend getaway to sunny Arizona, we spent some time in both the western and eastern sections of Saguaro National Park. Much of what I read online focused on the western side of the park / Tucson Mountain District. I think people prioritize that side because of the big cacti forests: While similar …
Continue reading Morning Hikes in Saguaro National Park’s East Side
After an incredible morning hiking to Seven Falls in the Sabino Canyon area, we made our way toward the west side / Tucson Mountain District of Saguaro National Park. I had originally thought we'd spend the afternoon hiking in this area, but our long morning hike and a transition to cloudy skies had us altering …
Continue reading Exploring Saguaro National Park’s West Side
Finding direction and purpose on the road, in the outdoors, and on the page
Finding direction and purpose on the road, in the outdoors, and on the page
Finding direction and purpose on the road, in the outdoors, and on the page
Heather's Compass 