Hidden Gems: Ocracoke Island

There’s something appealing about a place you can’t technically drive to.  Although you can have a car on Ocracoke Island, it necessitates loading your car onto a 60 minute ferry then driving about half an hour into the only town on the island.  The alternative is a new passenger ferry that is 70 minutes but…

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One Week on Cape Hatteras National Seashore

As this blog has established, I really like the US National Parks service, so naturally going on vacation along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore is something that appeals to me.  The Outer Banks as a whole are great for a beach vacation, but if you’re looking to get a way from some of the crowds…

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What I Learned on Easter Island

Easter Island, or Rapa Nui, is the most remote inhabited place on Earth.  Spending three weeks there helping with research was not something I really planned or even imagined doing, but that’s what I did this summer!  I applied to this program through my university just on the off chance that if I were to…

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Visiting Inca Lake

After a couple days in Santiago, I still did not see everything, but I knew even before I came  that since I would only be here for a few days,  I also wanted to see a bit of the rest of Chile.  Originally, I picked a tour to Cajon del Maipo, but due to unsafe…

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Two Days in Santiago

I’ve had an amazing couple of days in Santiago!  It’s such a big and vibrant city,  and I would love to see  more of it in the future.  However, with only two days I had to make the most of my time and see everything I could. Day 1 was mainly spent seeing the sights…

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A week in West Virginia

I had a great time a few weeks ago showing one of my friends around my home state, so  I decided to post my ideas of how to see the most of the state in the week.  Obviously, there will be a lot not included, but here are my picks for some highlights. First up…

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Hidden Gems: US Route 60

Besides  the well-known National Parks, the US Park Service also recognizes certain National Rivers such as the New River in West Virginia.  This “park” technically includes 70,000 acres of land along the river, and the best way to see it all, in my opinion is the two-lane Route 60. This is my favorite day trip…

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How to Spend a Weekend around Monongahela National Forest

Monongahela National Forest has always been one of my favorite places in West Virginia.  It’s  a huge area, and there’s so much to do, but since I was there recently, I’ll include some of my favorites.  This is a great place to go for a weekend getaway –  there are lots of places to rent…

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Tumacácori National Historical Park

Well, the semester is coming to an end, and before I head home, I thought I’d share my tips for visiting one of my favorite parks near Tucson. This isn’t one of the big, famous national parks like the Grand Canyon, and to be honest, it is a little out-of-the-way if you’re doing a Four Corners…

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Saguaro National Park

One  of the most famous symbols of “the desert” is a cactus with its arms reaching out to the sky.  There’s even an emoji for it! 🌵 But actually, this kind of cactus is a Saguaro  (pronounced sah-waar-o), and it is native only to the Sonoran Desert which  spans Arizona (US), Sonora (Mexcio), and Baja…

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