Small Town America: Antimony, Utah
I said I wanted peace, quiet, and serenity. Did I ever find it in Antimony, Utah. The population of this tiny town is just over 100 residents, and the cows and sheep far outnumber the people. The area is mainly vast ranch land nestled at the foot of Table Mountain. It's also a popular destination...
Finding Perspective at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
I booked this cottage in Montrose, Colorado because I needed a place to stay close to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. But also because goats. Quaint farm lodging with goats beats lodging without goats 100 percent of the time. There were at least three different varieties of goats that the homeowners keep as...
Shiras Moose Sighting in Golden Gate Canyon State Park
On the way into Blackhawk, Colorado, where I was staying at a beautiful little cabin in the woods as a home base for my exploration of Rocky Mountain National Park, I passed numerous signs for Golden Gate Canyon State Park. I made a mental note to return during my stay. My friend and colleague, Belinda,...
Autumn in Rocky Mountain National Park
I have long hoped to string together a series of national parks to form a road trip. With the Covid pandemic still raging around the world, travel difficult and risky, and lots of time to daydream, I pieced together a three-week road trip that would take me to no less than nine national parks. My...
Stillness in Stratton, Colorado
It’s hard to stop moving. It’s nearly impossible to sit still, like a stone. Silence is hard to come by. To be truly alone is exceedingly rare. Except in rural America. Midwestern grasslands and agriculture still hold space for this experience. I’m alone at a tiny country cabin in Stratton, Colorado, just on the other...
“Humble Peak”
I'm terrified of heights. My partner asked me, "Then why do you do it?" (Hike to the top of tall mountains, he meant.) "Because I'm terrified of heights," I replied. All my life, I have lived in a mild state of fear. The fear of plummeting to my death from the edge of a cliff....
Outdoor Attractions at Colorado Springs
I'm sitting in front of a fire in my sweats, under a red, chunky knit blanket. I'm in a drafty and strangely decorated stranger's house in Colorado Springs. Wet clumps of snow keep falling off the trees outside. On our first full day in Colorado Springs, the weather was sunny, dry and hot, topping 91F...
Camping & Hiking Quandary Peak in Colorado
We have isolated for months in response to COVID-19. All our trips have are canceled. Work jaunts to cities around the country for speaking engagements tabled. Celebratory vacations for my husband’s 40th birthday and my little brother’s 30th birthday overseas – canceled. It was relatively easy for the first three months to stay isolated, consistently...
How to Spend 2 Days in Athens, Greece
When some friends of ours asked, “Do you want to go to Santorini with us in September?” the obvious answer was an immediate, obvious yes. We got to Santorini by way of Athens, so we had just over two days to spend in the city. That’s hardly enough to fully immerse oneself in one of...
Quick Hits in Tacoma, Washington
I spent a night in Tacoma, Washington passing through between Ashford and Mount Rainier on my way to Seattle to speak at a conference. If you asked my what I did between practicing my talk, I'd say "looked at the ocean" and "stuffed my face." I didn't have much down time to see all the...
Camping & Hiking in Summit County, Colorado
This Summit County, Colorado camping and hiking trip seemed like it had all the odds stacked against it from day one. It’s been more than a year in the making with our friends Lori and Ronnie. Last year, we had to cancel when our dog fell ill. This year, our friends nearly had to cancel,...
Mount Rainier & Ashford, WA
Mount Rainier has called to me since the first time I saw it with my own eyes nearly 15 years ago. I plan to hike the 93-mile Wonderland Trail around the perimeter of this mountain someday. This 14,411-foot stratovolcano and glacial peak towers over Seattle and Tacoma in Washington state on the days when "the...
Summer Camping at White Rock Mountain, Arkansas
My brother and I have been looking for a good excuse to use all the backpacking gear we invested in (hiking to the top of Pikes Peak was its inaugural journey), so we put a camping trip on the books for White Rock Mountain, Arkansas in the Ozark National Forest. Getting to White Rock Mountain...
Volunteer Park Conservatory in Seattle, Washington
Seattle is one of my favorite cities in the U.S. I frequently visit the Pacific Northwest for work, and I always try to tack on a little time to visit with family or friends and discover something new in the city. This time, my friend Ben and I grabbed a cup of coffee and went...
Where to Eat in Portland, Kennebunkport & Kennebunk in Maine
It should be freezing cold and everything should be buried in snow. Instead the cobblestone streets of Old Port are wet with melting slush and snow, though most of the shops in the area are closed when we arrive in the area around 5 p.m. as if we should all be retreating to the hygge...
Two-Day Business Trip to Boston, Massachusetts
Boston, Massachusetts. One of the nation's oldest cities. Pivotal place in the American Revolution. 2018 World Series champions. Destination of our short business trip to visit a new client. My colleagues Dan, Lauren and Keyaira had some down time before the meetings kicked up and wanted to see some of downtown Boston. Here’s how we...
Small Town America: Weston, MO & Atchison, KS
Without fail, October through December every year is a madhouse for us. As if the holidays weren't enough, both of our jobs tend to ramp up at end-of-year and everything moves at breakneck speed. Between the chaos of our day jobs and my dog Otto's terminal illness, it has made travel and quality time more...
My First 14er: Pikes Peak, Colorado
Growing up, I felt like my bond with my brother Cody was close. Granted, our four-year age gap meant that we were in middle school, high school and college at different times, we ran in separate friend groups, and we didn't have much in common. Regardless, I have always felt a deep loyalty to and...
One-Day Business Trip to Detroit
Some people say Detroit is a dead city. Some say that historic Motor City has been pushed past the point of no return after taking an economic beating in the last decade. But I spent just one day in Detroit on business, and I can personally attest that Detroit is very much alive, and very...
How to Spend a Long Weekend in San Diego
I found myself back in San Diego, California for the second spring in a row for a conference. Last year, my sister-in-law and her three kids were living in Coronado while her husband was out to sea. This year, I'm flying solo in San Diego with a day or so to kill on either side...
Christmas Week in Annapolis & Washington, DC
My husband and I rotate where we do Christmas each year. Some years we may stay home in Kansas City to visit with my side of the family and some of his, we may travel to wherever his parents are, or we’ll escape Christmas altogether and travel just the two of us wherever we want...
Desert Hiking Trip to Moab, Utah
This was the second leg of my annual solo hiking trip to Utah. I spent the last few days in Salt Lake City and then hit the road for the gorgeous four-hour drive from Salt Lake City to Moab. It was a beautiful change of scenery navigating from the damp, cool mountains of northern Utah to...
Visiting Salt Lake City & Park City in September
I try to get away every year or two for a hiking-based trip on my own. This year I escaped to spend some quality time in Utah. Other than my childhood visit to the Four Corners putting my foot across the state's border, I have only spent an hour or two laid over in the...
Dog-Friendly Minneapolis Road Trip!
Part of my beagle's bucket list was to take a short road trip. We chose Minneapolis because it is a short enough drive (about 6.5 hours - stop at the approximate midpoint in Des Moines for Zombie Burger) to do by myself from Kansas City, the weather is unbelievable in the summertime, and the city is...
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