I'm the kind of person who likes to live vicariously through other people's adventures while also planning my own. (If you read this blog regularly, you probably know what I mean!) Not long ago, my aunt Kristi posted this video on her YouTube channel about a hike she did just outside of Wytheville, Virginia. On… Continue reading One Day around Wytheville, VA
I've loved visiting Dolly Sods Wilderness for years, and I was very excited to go on my first ever backpacking trip here and explore more of this beautiful area. Growing up, I would usually visit with my family on fall trips around Monongahela National Forest where we would also stop at places like Green Bank… Continue reading Backpacking in Dolly Sods Wilderness, WV
Having grown up an hour away from the New River Gorge, I've been there several times and love the area, so I was excited when I learned it was officially becoming a National Park. Because I really enjoyed writing my posts about National Parks like Saguaro and Carlsbad, I decided to do a nice long… Continue reading All About New River Gorge National Park
In my freshman year of college, my mom and I began planning a post-graduation road trip through Colorado. The itineraries varied; my first idea was a two-week exploration of the entire state, which was kind of a lot. Ultimately, I spent four days in Colorado - three with my family and one bonus day on… Continue reading Colorado Road Trip: Denver, Pikes Peak, and Sand Dunes NP
Walking down gravel steps on a hemlock-lined trail into the gorge at Hocking Hills State Park, I felt a bit like Alice entering Wonderland, leaving the familiar world at the top for the shadowed magnificence at the base of the gorge where vibrant green ferns and rocky sandstone walls encased the most beautiful part of… Continue reading Hidden Gems: Hocking Hills State Park
Despite living in West Virginia for most of my life, I had never actually visited the state's Eastern Panhandle until summer 2020. Our day around the Berkeley Springs area was actually part of a longer road trip; I was taking an exam in Martinsburg, which is close by, and we were visiting family friends in… Continue reading One Day Around Berkeley Springs, WV
Most of the time if someone asks what my favorite part of a trip was, it's hard to give an exact answer. But my trip to New Mexico last month is an exception: Carlsbad Caverns National Park blew me away, and though I loved the whole trip, this park was by far my favorite place… Continue reading All About Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Since starting college, I thought it would be fun to do a spring break road trip, and I planned out different hypotheticals (including a hiking-intensive 9 National Parks in 9 days trip that, physically, I don't actually think I could do). Last fall, with the pandemic still dragging on and online classes keeping us in… Continue reading New Mexico Road Trip: Carlsbad, White Sands, and Las Cruces
Blackwater Falls is one of the loveliest places in West Virginia and especially well-located in Tucker County near lots of other fantastic places to explore! While I've been there numerous times over the years, we decided to spend this past Christmas at a cabin in the state park, which was an excellent decision in my… Continue reading Winter at Blackwater Falls
Early on October 17, 1859, the sleeping town of Harpers Ferry became a battleground in one of the key events that marked the dawning of the Civil War. Though the war would not officially begin until April 1861 with the Battle of Fort Sumter, John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry was indicative of the tension… Continue reading Harpers Ferry: Then and Now
Wonderlust Wanderings 