Have you ever seen a yellow-bellied marmot? Now I can say that I have! On day 5 of our road trip, we visited a lesser-known U.S. National Park: Capitol Reef. And it turned out to be one of the most unique places we saw on the trip. Continue reading “Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, USA”
5 Healthy Camping Meal Ideas with 6 Ingredients or Less
Ian and I cook together all the time. When we’re on the road, though, it’s easy to succumb to the convenience of fast food. But golden arches, greasy tacos, and even Jared’s go-to sandwich shop get old fast. Lucky for us, we’ve got a list of recipes just for times like this — all with a short, easy to find list of ingredients.
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Bryce Canyon National Park, After Dark (Utah, USA)
On the fourth day of our road trip through the Western U.S., we headed to Bryce Canyon. We arrived around noon and were happy to find that the ‘full’ signs had not yet been hung next to the campground names at the entrance.
Arches Trail and the Milky Way at Red Canyon, Dixie National Forest, Utah
Between Zion and Bryce Canyon, we stopped in Red Canyon to set up camp on day 3 of Road Trip USA: Summer 2014. After having a hard time finding camping at Zion, we pulled into Red Canyon Campground around 3pm to avoid another after-dark search for camping.
Red Canyon is located near Panguitch, Utah, in the Powell Ranger District of the expansive Dixie National Forest. With a landscape resembling a hybrid between Zion and Bryce, Red Canyon is home to red sandstone spires as well as dense sections of pine trees.
Continue reading “Arches Trail and the Milky Way at Red Canyon, Dixie National Forest, Utah”
Zion National Park, Utah, USA
Above: Zion Canyon from Angels Landing at sunset
June 18-19, 2014
Without a cloud in the sky, our second destination on Road Trip USA: Summer 2014 was hot but breathtakingly beautiful (and also quite appropriately named). Zion — or “the promised land” — is a large National Park in Utah home to the popular Zion Canyon, an expanse surrounded by sandstone and limestone formations tall enough to almost entirely shade the valley below by early afternoon. Continue reading “Zion National Park, Utah, USA”
Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada, USA
The Best Gift for the “Road Less Traveled” Traveler
Traveling off the beaten path? Pack this.
Whether you yourself are traveling off the beaten path or you know someone who frequently is, this may just be the best purchase you make in your life.

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Road Trip USA
After planning a little for a LOT of exciting things to see along the way from Los Angeles, California to St. Louis, Missouri, we departed on the morning of June 17.
With a tentative route planned and a wish list of places to visit, we set out on our 2K+ mile scenic drive across half the length of the United States. Read on for the list of places we saw, and keep an eye out for posts about each place (coming soon). Continue reading “Road Trip USA”
Salton Sea, California, USA
June 1, 2014
ABOUT THE SALTON SEA
This vast, shallow desert lake is the largest in California, with higher salinity levels than the Pacific Ocean. With no outflow, salinity levels continue to rise, creating an ecosystem in which few species of fish can live.
After our weekend camping trip to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, we visited the Salton Sea in Salton City, California, near the middle of the lake on the western side.
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Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California, USA
May 30 – June 1, 2014
This past weekend, Ian and I headed down to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park to host another Lonely Speck astrophotography workshop under the starry desert night sky.
HOT DESERT AIR
With temps as high as 102° F during the day and lows of 80° at night, May is just about the last month when you can have a reasonably enjoyable time camping in this hot desert area (until fall when it cools down again). The sun’s heat woke us at 7am each morning!
View from Font’s Point in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Continue reading “Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California, USA”