Exotic Destinations
Southeast Iceland: Remote Gems of the Island
Iceland holds some of the most beautiful and unique sights in the world. The ring road is an 800 mile highway that circles around the outer coast of the island. I didn't have enough time to drive the whole ring road, but I was lucky enough to see some of the sights on...
Iceland’s Golden Circle: Waterfalls, Geysers, and a Walk Between Tectonic Plates
Iceland is a beautiful and unique destination, and I'm so lucky to have had the opportunity to visit. It was my first solo vacation and there was not much in the way of planning for it, but it ended up being one of the best trips of my life. One of my favorite day...
Winter on the Icefields Parkway: An Intense Road Trip with Unique Views
Banff National Park’s Icefields Parkway is a scenic drive passing by some of the most beautiful sights in the park along the way. Route 93 starts at Lake Louise and continues through both Banff and Jasper National Parks to its northern terminus in Jasper. It’s...
Ice Climbing Louise Falls: It’s Not Vacation if You Don’t Fear for Your Life
When I decided to come to Banff for spring break, ice climbing was in the forefront of my mind. I've been getting more and more into climbing in the past few years, so I was super excited to plan a trip to one of the best places in the world to climb. The Canadian...
The Road to Hana: A Busy Day of Waterfalls, Beaches, and Other Beautiful Sights
I left my hotel in Kaanapali around 5:30am and headed towards the Kīpahulu Region of Haleakala National Park with the GPS directing me south of Haleakala to make a loop around the island. The Road to Hana stretches north of Haleakala and wraps around the eastern coast...
Haleakala National Park: A Little Bit of Everything on Pipiwai Trail
My first Maui hike was the Pīpīwai Trail in the Kīpahulu District of Haleakala National Park. This smaller area of the park is on the south eastern side of the island just past Hana. I had been super excited to spend some time in Haleakala ever since my trip to Rocky...
Oahu’s Amazing Small Hikes: Koko Head Crater, The Lanikai Pillboxes, and The Crouching Lion
While I was staying in Oahu earlier this month, I got the opportunity to do three amazing but short hikes on the island. Although they all took under two hours, they were really unique packing so much character into such a little time. Each showed vastly different but...
The Haiku Stairs: Hiking the Illegal Icon the Long Way
The Stairway to Heaven is one of the most famous hikes in Hawaii. It’s comprised of 3,922 steep stairs leading up to an old Naval radio tower from WWII. Hiking up the stairs is illegal because the land leading up to them is private property. There is 24 hour security...
Volcano Boarding: A New Extreme Sport on Cerro Negro
Sledding down the side of a volcano sounds crazy but it was so much fun! Volcano boarding is an extreme sport unique to Cerro Negro in Nicaragua. Basically you rent a suit and a toboggan, hike up to the top of the volcano, and sled down. It was pretty nerve wracking,...
Telica Volcano: A Unique Backpacking Trip for a Great Cause
A few months ago I was lucky enough to be presented the opportunity to come to Nicaragua and build a house for a family in need. I was super excited to volunteer with FNE International again because when I went to Peru in December it was an amazing experience. I loved...