Imagine a travel book that overviews about 130 off-the-beaten-path destinations in the western US states? A book that gives historical, geological, and zoological information for a wide variety of parks that will pique the interest of almost anyone? That’s what…

eBook Review: Hidden Gems of the Western United States

Holden Beach Rental House Review: Starboard 899 OBW
Every time we decide to go to Holden Beach, the houses that are available are different. It doesn’t help that we’re usually making our reservations last-minute, often within a week or two of the rental dates. Still, it’s always exciting…

Table Mountain near Mt. Baker
Ok, so maybe you can’t do Ptarmigan Ridge. You’d love to see those views, but you just can’t make such a long hike, especially over permanent snow fields. Well, don’t despair. There are two trails that give you similar (if…

DIY Hard Sided Roof Top Camper
Or, How to Sleep On Top of Your Vehicle for Just Over $100 We used to sleep in a tent. That was when we crossed the country in a big blue station wagon. Not long after getting a full-size van,…

Canyon Views at Canyon Rims and Celebrating 5 Years!
Wow! It’s so hard to believe that it’s been 5 whole years since I started this blog. Yep, I started posting about my crazy adventures hiking the wilderness and not-so-wilderness of the US in March of 2010. Since then, we’ve…

How to Visit the Deception Pass Bridge for Free
Ever since I saw my first picture of the Deception Pass Bridge in northwestern Washington, I wanted to see it in person. There was something so uniquely interesting about the graceful spans, and knowing some of my group members pretty…

11 Amazing Trails of the West that are 1 Mile (or Less) in Length
Short trails don’t have to be boring. Nor do you have to forgo the best scenery because you can’t – or don’t want to – hike all day long, miles and miles on end. So I thought I’d put together…

Hidden Lake Lookout: A Most Fabulous View!
Hidden Lake Lookout! What a trail that promised much and delivered more! The name evokes pictures in my mind of a half-frozen lake, rocky crags still studded with snow, and wildflowers galore along the trail. Its 9.3 mile length also…

Lookout Mountain – Fabulous Views of Mt. Hood!
The views of Mt. Hood from Lookout Mountain are downright stunning. And I don’t say that lightly…it’s true! So often, it’s difficult to get far enough away from the unique mountains that you can actually enjoy their splendor. But here,…

A View Junkie’s Guide to Dayhiking Colorado – My First Book!
I’ve published a book – “A View Junkie’s Guide to Dayhiking Colorado” by Anne Whiting! After so many years of friends and family members asking us to tell them about our favorite hikes, I’ve finally compiled about 30 hikes (with…