All posts filed under: Travel

Utah | Touching REAL fossils and bones at Dinosaur National Monument

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Are you caught up with my travel posts? Check out my full Travel Across America trip! 😊 I’ve been to tons and tons of National Parks, but this was by far one of my top 5 favorites. Dinosaur National monument was the most incredible place and I’ll forever remember this as one of the best days of this trip! Here, I was able to touch REAL dinosaur fossils, rocks that were billions of years old, and hike up a side of the mountain to see REAL dinosaur bones in the mountainside. I had a major fangirl moment for the few hours that I was there and I already want to go back. But until then, I’ll relive my trip with these photos. 🦖 I’m a huge, huge, huge fan of rocks. When I was little, I looked forward to driving down into the canyon because of all the changing rock colors and formations. And an embarrassing tidbit: I used to collect “egg-shaped” rocks because I thought they looked like dinosaur eggs (and I named them …

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Colorado (Part 2) | Steamboat Springs, Breckenridge & soaking up the sunshine

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Have you seen Part 1 of my Colorado trip? 😊 If you’ve never been to Colorado, you need to add it to your list. I only spent about two weeks there, and easily fell in love. During the second half of my trip, I stayed in Steamboat Springs and Breckenridge – both are huge ski and snowboard towns, but were surprisingly busy during the summertime as well! How magical are butterflies? I love seeing them! Fun fact: I have a friend who actually hiked up to the Mt. Everest base camp and brought back prayer flags like these that were blessed! Super awesome guy. 👍🏼 I need real hiking boots, if you have any suggestions please leave them below! (Under $200 please!) Warming a cinnamon roll on the dash is the best way to heat a cinnamon roll 👍🏼 How amazing is this RV?! I saw it in a thrift store parking lot and I wanted to take it with me! I wish the owner was around so I could take a peak inside, but …

garden of the gods

Colorado (Part 1) | Visiting Rocky Mountain National Park & Garden of the Gods

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Have you caught up with all my Travel America posts? ⚡️ You know when you visit a place and you can’t stop singing a certain song? (ie, “New York, New York” – Sinatra. Or “California Love” – Tupac). That’s how I felt when I was in Colorado. I don’t think I’ve ever listened to “Rocky Mountain High” by John Denver as much as I did when I was in the “Mile High City.” But hey, I’m not complaining. Denver’s one of my favorite artists of all time. Anyway, here’s what I was up to during the first half of my stay in Colorado. 😊 The first stop in Colorado was the Garden of the Gods. This natural rock park was full of these incredible formations and there were tons of hiking, biking and horseback trails. The best part? It’s free to enter AND you can even drive through the park and get up close to all the formations, if you don’t feel like walking through! See that baby moon? One of my favorite things so …

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New Mexico | Exploring Taos art community & driving through forest fires

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I love the desert. If you followed my journey through Arizona, you’d know just how healing the desert is to me. There’s just something about the warm tones, heat, sunshine, open spaces and prickly plants that makes my heart feel complete. And when I was in New Mexico, I experienced all of those feelings all over again. I explored the city of Taos, which is a beautiful artist community and I witnessed the devastating forest fires first-hand, which was terrifying and beautiful in its own right. I loved New Mexico, here are photos from my stay there. Driving through the deep forest and emerging to see rocky mountainsides and cliffs is one of my favorite things in the world. As a young girl, I remember driving into the woods with my birth father. We left the house around 4am, and I slept the whole way. When I woke, bright and beautiful rocky mountainsides would be the first thing I would see. To some, they’re just rocks, but to me, there are so many memories within …

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Texas | Exploring Cadillac Ranch & world famous Big Texan steaks

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Are you caught up with all of my Road Trip America travel posts? Check them out here! 😊 I’ve always wanted to visit Texas. I’m not sure why, there’s just always been something otherworldly about it. Cowboys… ranches… country music… big open spaces… comfort food…  “y’all.” There’s nothing else quite like it! During the 24 hours I was in Texas, I stayed in Amarillo, which is at the very top of the state. I visited the Cadillac Ranch and The Big Texan, and I highly recommend visiting both of these places! I only drove through the very top of Texas, but it left an impression on me and I know I’ll be back! Driving through the northern part of Texas and staying in Amarillo was beautiful. I was talking to a friend who lives in Texas and when I told him I was visiting Amarillo his response was: “Congratulations, you’re staying in the ugliest part of the state!” But I thought it was beautiful. Granted, it was probably because I’ve never been there before and …

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Oklahoma | Pioneer Woman Mercantile & surviving a real southern storm

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I’ve been wanting to go to Pawhuska, Oklahoma ever since I started watching The Pioneer Woman. Fun fact: it was always her show that I’d watch when I felt low and needed a feeling of comfort. I also love recreating her recipes, which you can check out here. I was only in Oklahoma for a day and a half, but I toured the Mercantile, ate really great food and got caught in a storm. All in all, Oklahoma treated me well 👍🏼 Crossing the border into Oklahoma felt surreal, not because it’s a place I’ve always wanted to visit, but because I never thought I’d ever go there. So far on this adventure, visiting places I’ve never been to has been an incredible feeling and I hope everyone gets to do something like this. What do you think of when you think of Oklahoma? For me, I always thought of open plains, golden crops, and lots of brown. When I saw forests, rivers and hills, I was. blown. away. This Cowboy Coffee was AMAZING. Get …

downtown hot springs

Arkansas | Downtown Hot Springs & enjoying the quiet beauty

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When I was thinking about dream destinations and places I’ve always wanted to visit, Arkansas never made it on the list – it just never seemed like a place I wanted to go. “What’s in Arkansas, anyway?!” Boy, was I wrong. While I was only there for a day or two (they’re all blending together), I was filled to the brim with history, culture and endless beauty. I stayed in Hot Springs, which is nestled in a valley. Hundreds of years ago, Native Americans and travelers settled here for the area’s natural spring water, which was thought to be healing. All throughout the area, there are natural hot springs and bath houses, it’s pretty neat!   I was just excited to be in a small city for a while, I feel like I’ve been in the woods for a long time! Seeing concrete again was nice for a change (as strange as that may sound 😂) The whole city had an older feel, which I loved. Endless beauty. Even as the sun went down, more …

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Tennessee | Visiting Memphis & Graceland (Part 2)

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*Hi! Have you seen Part 1 of my Tennessee trip? 😊 I only stayed in Tennessee for a short while, but for the time I was there, I had the time of my life! From the sights, to the nature, to the sweet people, everything left a great impression on me – and I wouldn’t mind living there! 😉 Of course, I couldn’t leave without visiting Memphis and Graceland! Here are my photos from the second part of my trip to Tennessee! Growing up, I spent part of my summers with my grandparents in Southern California. During that time, my memories were mixed in between Elvis songs. I remember riding in the backseat while my grandma hummed along to Elvis crooning over the radio speakers. And sitting at the kitchen table while my grandpa danced to “Viva Las Vegas,” followed by an uncanny impersonation. Needless to say, visiting Graceland was special for me and I felt my grandpa with me that day. Side note: If anyone knows anyone who looks like Elvis, tell him I’m …

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Tennessee | Exploring Franklin, Natchez Trace & the great outdoors! (Part 1)

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For months, I have been dreaming about Tennessee. There’s something about it that holds part of my heart, so when it was time for me to step foot into the great state, I was over the moon. I’m a huge country music fan, there’s nothing better than sweet southern folk, and the thought of orange sunsets makes my heart sing. Here are some photos from my trip to central Tennessee – Franklin, Natchez Trace and the great southern outdoors. So far, it’s stormed in every state I’ve been in. I love the rain, and I especially love that each rain feels different – granted, that’s probably all in my head, but I love it nonetheless. Tennessee forests are gorgeous, green, and strangely familiar. I loved exploring the Natchez Trace, just south of Nashville – if you’re in the area, you have to visit! If you’re in Franklin, you need to go to Biscuit Love. I’ve never heard of it before, but as I was driving down the streets of Franklin, saw a mile-long line out front …

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Florida | Orlando, Universal Studios & seeing gators! (Part 2)

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Have you checked out Part 1 of my Florida trip? 😊 During the last few days in Florida, I had to go on a Gator Tour so I went to a place called Camp Holly’s! They had an awesome tiki bar, baby gators on site, and the funniest air boat captains. I had the best time, I highly recommend this place! (And if you do go, order a margarita and tell the bartender I say hi!) Since I was in Orlando, I had to go to Universal Studios! (I was planning on going to DisneyWorld, but I’ll save that for another time). I’m a huge Simpsons fan, so I loved seeing KrustyLand, and of course the Wizarding World of Harry Potter was a blast! This also marks the first week of living on the road (and not in an actual “house”). So far, so good! It’s taking some adjustment, but I grew up camping so I love it. The only downside right now is the lack of stable, reliable Wi-Fi, but I’m working around it as …