beautiful scenery

Mt Whitney in 3 Days: A Totally Reasonable Trek to the Summit

Diana Southern 6 Comments

Hiking Mt Whitney in 3 Days: A Totally Reasonable Trek to the Summit -- on northtosouth.us

“You can summit Mt Whitney in a day,” they said. “It’s a class 1 hike,” they said.

Add to that the claim that it takes 10 hours to hike up at a “slow” pace, and you may start thinking the Mt Whitney hike is downright easy. But “easy” isn’t a word I would use to describe our hike to the tallest peak in the contiguous U.S. this July.

Want to know how long it really takes to hike Mt Whitney? — at least, if it’s your first time and you want to have some sort of enjoyable memory from your trek? — Read on for the scoop on our entire experience, from (finally) getting a Mt Whitney Trail permit to planning and executing our highest-elevation hike to date. Continue reading →

7 Detour-Worthy Destinations in Europe

Diana Southern 0 Comments

7 Detour-Worthy Destinations in Europe

Swans, castles, secluded lakes… green meadows sprinkled with wildflowers. These European destinations are the stuff of fairytales, but they require a bit of extra effort to reach them.

If you’re ready to take the road less traveled on your Europe trip, add one of these picturesque destinations to your itinerary!  Continue reading →

How to Successfully “Wing It” on Your Campervan Trip in New Zealand, Plus Our 3-week “Itinerary”

Diana Southern 2 Comments

How to Successfully NOT Plan Your Campervan Trip in New Zealand on northtosouth.us

We’ve learned from experience that creating a definitive schedule for a road trip is pretty silly, and since camping without planning is an easy thing do in New Zealand, we approached our 3-week campervan trip with no campground reservations and vague plans to explore the country from north to south. With the assistance of the Camping NZ App and recommendations from several local contacts, we decided what to do and where to stay as we went.

In the three weeks we spent in New Zealand, we drove entirely around both the North and South Island, experiencing some of the best New Zealand has to offer — without receiving a single infringement along the way. Here we share our guidelines for an unplanned, yet well prepared, campervan trip in New Zealand. And at the bottom of this post, you’ll find our “un-itinerary” — the unscheduled list of places we stayed and things we discovered along the way. Continue reading →

Taking the Stairs: 10 Breathtaking Views to Hike to in Europe (part 2)

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Taking the Stairs: 10 Breathtaking Viewpoints to Hike to in Europe on North to South

If you enjoyed the five epic views in Europe we shared last week, there’s more where that came from. Find the second half of our favorite European viewpoints to hike to below!
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Taking the Stairs: 10 Breathtaking Views to Hike to in Europe

Diana Southern 0 Comments

Taking the Stairs: 10 Breathtaking Views to Hike to in Europe on North to South

At the very beginning of our two-month Europe trip, Ian and I made a deal. Any time stairs were an option, we’d take them. Stairs up the Eiffel Tower? Why not? Hike to the top of the Rock of Gibraltar? Sign us up! It turned out to be the best decision we made all trip. Not only did we take in some truly awesome sights, but we got loads of exercise and saved money, too!

Ready to get your heart pumping? Put on your walking shoes. Here we share our top ten viewpoints to hike to in Europe, with directions for how to reach them!  Continue reading →

North to South’s Quick Guide to Niagara Falls (New York, USA)

Diana Southern 0 Comments

A Quick Guide to Niagara Falls: things to do, when to go, where to park, and more!

Planning your first visit to Niagara Falls? You’re in for a treat! Niagara Falls is one of the most fun, unique places we’ve ever visited in the U.S.

Want to plan an amazing afternoon at Niagara Falls U.S.? Get our insider tips here!  Continue reading →

The Superbloom of Death Valley National Park: A Photo Journal (California, USA)

Ian Norman 0 Comments

Death Valley Superbloom Spring 2016 on North to South: a Photo Journal

After receiving substantially more rain than typical in the 2015-2016 winter season, Death Valley National Park is experiencing a rare “superbloom” of wildflowers. The last superbloom event was 11 years ago, in 2005.  Since missing this year’s superbloom could mean waiting another decade or more before it happens again, we knew we had to go see this rare event.
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Big Island Diving with Kona Diving Company (Kona, Hawaii, USA)

Diana Southern 1 Comment

Diving on Hawaii's Big Island with Kona Diving Company

If you’re a diver or if you’ve ever looked into getting certified, then you’re well aware that diving is an expensive hobby.

And since we’d been on a strict budget for a year after quitting our jobs to travel, we hadn’t been diving in two whole years! This being my first visit to Hawaii’s Big Island, I was absolutely dying to do the manta ray night dive. But first, it was time for a refresher.  Continue reading →

Cliff Jumping at South Point (Big Island, Hawaii, USA)

Diana Southern 11 Comments

Cliff jumping at the southernmost point in the U.S. -- South Point, Hawaii's Big Island

I’m afraid of heights, so when we started talking about visiting South Point, I didn’t think I’d be jumping off any cliffs. I just wanted to see the southernmost point of the U.S.

But one thing led to another, and the next thing I knew I was splashing into the water. It was absolutely terrifying. But also exhilarating. And I don’t regret it one bit!

Thinking of trying cliff jumping yourself? Find out what you’re in for here!

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The Magical Landscape of White Sands National Monument: A Photo Journal (New Mexico, USA)

Diana Southern 10 Comments

The Magical Landscape of White Sands National Monument, New Mexico, USA

This year Ian and I checked a HUGE item off our bucket list. We can both now officially say we’ve visited all 50 U.S. states. (Hooray!)

We’ve explored a LOT of the U.S. this year — even amplifying our goals to include visiting all 50 states in one year’s time — and every time I tell people about our epic quest, I always get asked some version of the same question: Which place was your favorite?

Well, if you limit me to a certain number, I’ll have trouble answering, but White Sands National Monument is absolutely 100% somewhere on my list of favorites. (Funny, because our visit there was completely unplanned.) And while I could go on and on about how amazingly surreal and magical the scenery is there, I think the photos will give you a better idea. So I’ll let the scenic photos do most of the talking… Continue reading →