I’ve always said, my hobby is trying new things, so when my good friend asked me to hike 17 miles in West Virginia over a weekend and spend the night under the stars, I said, absolutely. I’ve now camped a handful of times, but it’s always been car camping. Carrying all of your supplies, Read More
There are so many beautiful hiking trails in the Rocky Mountain National Park, it’s hard to pick just one. So, we took the advice of locals working at an outdoor shop in the nearby town of Estes Park and chose the path to Sky Pond. The hike was just difficult enough that I felt, Read More
“But it’s going to be so much fun. You have to go!” “Sure—why not?” Those three simple words over a casual meal were so easy to say, until I realized that meant hours of training in the cold winter months to prepare for the big race. Sure, I had run a few half marathons, Read More
This spectacular natural formation dwarfs humans and is 55 ft higher than Niagara Falls! We’ve known about it for hundreds of years, but it took millions to form. Follow signs off I-81 north of Roanoke to Natural Bridge, VA. The town is small and consists of a beautiful old brick hotel and the Bridge’s Visitors’ Center., Read More
Did you know there is a tropical rainforest in the United States? It’s wet; it’s green; it’s beautiful; and it’s in Puerto Rico. The El Yunque National Forest gets anywhere from 50-250 inches of rain annually, so be prepared for it to be a little damp and watch the slick ground. It’s a great, Read More
There are two sides to Costa Rica with very different cultures. I want to tell you a little bit about a few stops along the Pacific Coast. Cold water haters listen up: I visited in July and August and the water was spectacular! I could literally walk right in without a wetsuit–much warmer than the Pacific that surrounds California. Secondly I discovered magical beaches with black sand.
We’ve all heard about the rain forest, but what about the cloud forest? This is the THE place to see it! After spending several days drenched in sticky humidity at sea level, I took a taxi, then a boat, and then another taxi to reach the “green hill,” Monteverde.
UPDATE: Cloudbridge Sold October 2014
High up in the mountains of Costa Rica is a place that will take your breath away—a place where you literally breath in the clouds. I had one last day in the country and wanted to get out of the “tourist loop.” The drive from the Pacific Ocean is spectacular. The main road winds through small towns up the mountains, overlooking rivers, forests, and villages.
I went to Costa Rica for eco-tourism and this is definitely the place to do it! If you aren’t there during the peak tourist season (mid-December-April), which is also the dry season, you don’t necessarily have to book in advance. I decided to set-up one or two things that I really wanted to do and then just winged it.