Okay, friends… Confession: This is a totally random travel post. In fact, I usually would just add these photos to our Instagram account and carry on, but I just couldn’t help myself. This old church is an absolute gem, a truly beautiful and incredible piece of history, and because of that, I wanted to pause and give it the space that it deserves. Let’s start here – On a recent hunting trip to Southwest Colorado, my husband stumbled on an old, beautiful, empty church in the most unsuspecting of places. Now, usually when my husband goes hiking, scouting, or hunting, he brings me back heart rocks (my favorite) but knowing…

Welcome back, friends! I’m beyond excited to share this travel blog post with you today because our family has been vacationing in South Padre Island, Texas for several years now and we just can’t get enough of its unassuming charm and endless fun and beauty! Our first few years vacationing there, we spent the entire week just enjoying beach activities (there are so many!), but more recently, we’ve been taking time to really explore all that the island has to offer! I’m sure that we will be adding more to this list in the years to come, but for now, here are some of our favorites to explore, eat, and…

Our family just wrapped up our second annual road trip to South Dakota and we still have a huge list of unexplored activities and areas for next year! It’s truly quite incredible how much this state has to offer… specifically in and around the Black Hills region. South Dakota is perhaps best known for being home to the very popular Mount Rushmore National Memorial. This historical tourist hotspot is absolutely worth the visit, but while many tourists drop into town for a quick “bucket list” pitstop, I can’t help but feel that they are missing out on so much that this area has to offer! In this blog post, we…

Every year, I get together with a few of my favorite girlfriends and we laugh our way through some epic Colorado adventure, usually followed by a lot of caffeine and Tylenol because #almost40 and #thepainisreal! We’ve hiked into Maroon Bells (near Aspen) from Crested Butte and last year, we hiked the ever-popular Ice Lakes Basin and Island Lake trail outside Silverton. This year we decided to summit our first 14er! Out of 50+ 14ers in the state of Colorado, we picked Handies because it’s beginner-friendly and still packs in alpine lakes, a beautiful river, little waterfalls, stunning wildflowers, and incredible views!! If you have a good recommendation for one of…

There are so many incredible places in Colorado that deserve to be on your bucket list, but some of my absolute favorite adventures are those that end under a beautiful waterfall! Below, you’ll find my own personal “Bucket List” of waterfalls in SW Colorado! Feel free to bookmark this page and check back often, as I love adding new waterfalls to the list! Or better yet, drop a suggestion in the comments with one that I haven’t included! While here, click on any waterfall name to be redirected to a site with additional information. As you scroll through my bucket list for inspiration, keep in mind that I haven’t been…

Hiking Ice Lake Basin, just outside Silverton, Colorado, has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember. If you’ve ever seen photos of the area, the images just stick with you. Ice Lake Basin and its sister lake, Island Lake, which is just a bit further up the trail, are true SW Colorado gems and worth every bit of effort that it takes to reach them. In fact, when I was doing my research for the hike, one reviewer said, “5 stars is not enough.” I couldn’t agree more. It is everything that I love about Colorado all packed into one amazing day hike. First off,…

Every summer, a small group of my girlfriends and I plan a weekend get-away centered around whatever epic hike we have been eye-balling for the year.  This annual tradition started in 2018 when we decided to hike over West Maroon Pass (elevation 12,500’) from Crested Butte, CO to Aspen, Colorado, ending our 13-mile hike at the iconic Maroon Bells Lake. In this blog, I’ll share the logistics of our planning, the experience of the hike itself, and the realities of some of our miscalculations.  In all, we had an amazing time and it’s a hike that I highly recommend! The Logistics Lodging Transportation To/From Trailheads When to Hike What to…

Moab, Utah.  It’s a busy little tourist hot spot with all the small-town charm and hospitality and an endless outdoor paradise as its backyard.  Every time we leave Moab, we are plotting and planning for our return.  It’s just one of those towns that steals your heart and leaves you craving more!  And the best part… it’s a place that we truly enjoy as a family! In this blog, we will discuss the family-friendly activities that we recommend in Moab, Utah: Arches National Park Canyonlands National Park Dead Horse Point State Park Mill Creek Hiking Trail and Waterfall Moab Giants Lin Ottinger’s Moab Rock Shop and Fossils Quesadilla Mobilla ……

One of my favorite places to spend a few days off is the little town of Crested Butte, Colorado.  Admittedly, I’ve never been during the winter, but we’ve made several summertime trips to this part of the state because the hiking is just amazing!  In this blog, I’ll share with you some of our experiences, both good and bad.  If you’re new to my blog, it’s important to note here that my adventures often include my family, which means my husband and our little guy, so the hikes are often geared towards adventures where I can carry the toddler in/out, he can tolerate the distance and I can handle the…

Colorado is full of amazing places to explore, but perhaps one of the more well-known areas is The Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve. While this park can be very crowded and hot during certain times of the year, if timed right, your visit can be an exciting and fun adventure for your whole family! Due to our somewhat close proximity to The Great Sand Dunes National Park, we are pretty choosy about when we visit, but it’s truly spectacular any time of year! I won’t be long-winded with this post, but wanted to share a photo library of some of our favorite ways to enjoy the park (and…