Flashback to October 2021. Caitlyn and I were on a bike packing trip from Buffalo to New York City on the Empire State Trail. There was a moment, on the side of a highway, where Caitlyn just realized we had 80 plus miles of cycling ahead of us that day after already having 80 plus mile days the previous two days. I heard Caitlyn state after a long silence, “I think I need a break from these trips.” Well, here…
Kevin and I kicked off our first vacation of the year together in Utah. The 13 day adventure included hiking, camping, exploring riverbeds, UTV riding, stargazing, and seeing national parks. On the first day, we flew into Salt Lake City and drove four hours south to Moab. It was exciting that the first two nights were completely unplanned and we were banking on first-come, first-served BLM camping. Night one was a success after finding a sweet camp spot by Bowtie…
After watching an epic sunrise in Cholla Cactus Garden and completing a 7 mile hike on the Lost Palms Oasis Trail, we left Joshua Tree National Park for the afternoon. I was sad to know this was our last day at Joshua Tree National Park. I was surprised how much I enjoyed Joshua Tree National Park from sunrise to sunset, along with the incredible stargazing. I think tied with the natural beauty, was the adventure that came within the park….
About a month ago, I took on my first out of three planned out west trips for 2022. I went with my middle school friend, Deepali, to Joshua Tree and Death Valley National Parks. We flew into San Diego and out of Las Vegas. I was so excited for our fun-filled itinerary with room for spontaneity. Deepali has never been to San Diego, so that is why we chose to fly into San Diego over Los Angeles. I also prefer…
In the beginning of July, I made my way back to the West Coast to explore 4 National Parks, 1 National Forest, and spend (not enough) time in San Francisco, California and Bend, Oregon. Over the course of two weeks, I hiked 76 miles, kayaked 5 miles, white water rafted 3 miles, and mountain biked over 20 miles. Even though I was a walking zombie by the end of the two week period, I would take an action-packed trip like…
The last tacos I had in Oregon were back in 2018. Click here to see the Portland, Oregon taco post. Just like my 2018 visit, I started my trip in California and worked my way up to Oregon. My Pittsburgh friend, Kevin, was working in Klamath Falls, OR. He met Alexis and I for kayaking on Shasta Lake, dining in Redding, and hiking the beautiful waterfalls of Shasta-Trinity National Forest. After a wonderful week and a half with Alexis, we…
I joined the Florida bandwagon and visited my friend Colin for a long weekend. Colin lives in Lakeland, Florida which is about 45 min inland from Tampa. Colin had an awesome map and itinerary which included bicycling, hiking, paddleboarding, beach time, and tacos. Colin knows me very well, clearly! All of my favorite things crammed into 3 full days. Gallito Taqueria Colin scooped me up from the Tampa Airport Thursday evening and he picked out a waterfront beer garden called…
After my fun-filled weekend in Denver, Carolyn, Tyler, Christina, and I made the 8 hour drive to Jackson Hole, Wyoming to partake in an adventure that we have been planning since last September. We were on our way to hike 41 miles on the Teton Crest Trail in the back-country of the Grand Tetons. About 10 years ago when I was back in college, my family and I took a trip to Yellowstone and we spent only an afternoon driving…
My second visit to California Taco Shop has been long overdue. My first visit was Labor Day weekend of 2019 (read about my first visit here!) and for some reason, I forgot about this gem until I began trekking some segments of the Rachel Carson Trail. With all of the hiking near Shaler area and Route 8, I have made two trips back to California Taco Shop in a week time frame. There is nothing better than eating authentic tacos…
November was one of the best months of the year for me. I started the month off with a celebration of my Halloween birthday surrounded by many of my Pittsburgh friends, followed by a trip to California, Tahoe, Deep Creek, and Charlotte. The month of November was mainly focused on regaining strength and range of motion from many surgeries I had this past year, so while visiting my college friends, I maintained my strict exercise regimen. On my trek, I…