Matt and Karen

December 20, 2018March 27, 2019

A Snowshoe Gear Checklist

Gearing up for a new activity can be a mystery, as snowshoeing was for us when we first started. The good news is: getting outfitted to enjoy a trek through the freshly fallen snow is not that complicated. In this post we list the basic items we take with us on our snowshoe trips. If you’ve done any outdoor activities in the past, you probably have many of these items, so getting into snowshoeing might be easier than you originally thought.

December 20, 2018March 27, 2019

Our December Adventure in a Forest Service Cabin

When I first told Matt my idea to rent a Forest Service Cabin in Montana in December, he was skeptical. After he found out that the cabin doesn’t have electricity or water—and would require a half-mile hike from our truck to get there—he thought I was crazy. It seemed to me, though, that an adventure in a cabin in the snowy winter wilderness might be a way to experience the magic of the holidays without all the tinsel and glitter.

December 10, 2018March 27, 2019

9 Things I Didn’t Know About Smokey Bear

On a trip to New Mexico, Karen and I visited one of those places that she fondly calls a hidden gem: the Smokey Bear Historical Park and Museum in Capitan. We were traveling through New Mexico for a week in May 2017 with our friends John and Lolly, visiting national park sites. As we made our way from White Sands National Monument to Carlsbad Caverns, we all agreed it would be worth a detour to Capitan to check it out.

December 4, 2018March 27, 2019

Your Guide to Havasu Falls

Hiking to the stunning blue waterfalls in Arizona’s Havasu Canyon is on a lot of people’s bucket list. Tens of thousands of visitors each year make the trek to see this natural wonder, set against the rocky backdrop of the Grand Canyon. Havasu Falls might be the most famous of these falls, but there are other equally beautiful waterfalls formed by Havasu Creek as it makes its way to the Colorado River, and together they create an oasis that’s nothing short of paradise.

November 29, 2018March 27, 2019

Your National Park-a-Month Guide

From tropical paradises to stunning deserts and alpine mountain ranges, every national park has an ideal season. In this article we suggest a park to visit each month, and it wasn’t an easy task narrowing our selections down to one per month. Truth be told, for each month there are many parks you could visit and have the time of your life; our selections should be merely a starting point for planning your next year of travel.

November 22, 2018March 27, 2019

Horseshoe Bend

Horseshoe Bend is one of the supermodels of our public lands. It’s the ultimate “look at” site. You go there, stand at the overlook and look at it; that’s it. Of course, you’ll also take a million pictures, but my point is that looking at it is the activity. And it’s worth it. Even the most cardio-seeking, marathon-trail-running enthusiast will stop in their tracks at the sight of the bend.