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The ULTIMATE guide to visiting Death Valley National Park (Things to do + itinerary options)

The ULTIMATE guide to visiting Death Valley National Park (Things to do + itinerary options)

by Kathryn Frazer | Jul 15, 2022 | California, National Parks, Travel Guides

Ready to visit one of the most wild, vast, and unique places on Earth? In this guide we’re sharing the best things to do in Death Valley National Park, plus where to stay, important tips, and itinerary options!During our road trip through California in 2022, on our...
The Best Things to do in Joshua Tree National Park (+ a one day itinerary!)

The Best Things to do in Joshua Tree National Park (+ a one day itinerary!)

by Kathryn Frazer | Jun 16, 2022 | California, National Parks, Travel Guides

Looking for the best things to do in Joshua Tree National Park? In this guide we’re sharing everything you need to know before visiting this gorgeous park, plus where to stay, our tips, and more!We have visited Joshua Tree two times now and after our most recent visit...
How to Plan a Camping Trip! (Our step by step process)

How to Plan a Camping Trip! (Our step by step process)

by Kathryn Frazer | May 30, 2022 | Backpacking, Camping, Travel Guides, Travel Planning, Van Life

Want to go camping, but unsure of where to start with planning? In this blog we’re sharing a step by step process to plan a camping trip, based on our years of camping experience!Nothing beats a night outdoors under the stars. Pitching a tent with an epic view (or...
How to find FREE camping in the USA! (Apps + websites, rules, tips, & more!)

How to find FREE camping in the USA! (Apps + websites, rules, tips, & more!)

by Kathryn Frazer | May 28, 2022 | Camping, Travel Guides, Van Life

Curious how we find FREE camping in the USA? We’re sharing everything you need to know to find free campsites, including the tools we use, things to consider beforehand, and what types of places you can camp at.We have been living in our self-converted Sprinter van...
How to visit Tumalo Falls in Bend, Oregon (ANY time of the year!)

How to visit Tumalo Falls in Bend, Oregon (ANY time of the year!)

by Kathryn Frazer | May 1, 2022 | Oregon, Travel Guides

Want to visit Tumalo Falls in Bend, Oregon? In this guide we’re sharing everything you need to know, regardless of the season!Just a quick drive away from the incredible outdoor town of Bend, Oregon lies one of the most picture perfect waterfalls we have ever...
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About Us

Hi y’all! We’re Adam, Kathryn, and Kona, an adventurous married couple (+ pup!) living on the road in our self-converted sprinter van! You can often find us driving all around the US and Canada, scoping out the best coffee shops, eating tacos and ice cream (we’re a 5+ taco and 2+ scoop household), and enjoying nature.

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Adam, Kathryn, & Kona 🐶
🌮 Will travel for tacos, BBQ, & ice cream
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Adventures of A+K
We have made it onto the Kenai Peninsula! We had h We have made it onto the Kenai Peninsula! We had heard SO many good things about this area of Alaska and it did not disappoint! And for our first adventure on the peninsula, we drove down to Homer, stopping at some cool spots along the way, including the tiny town of Hope. Hope was the home to the first gold rush in Alaska and is such a charming, authentic Alaskan spot to visit! We loved walking around town (it’s very small and walkable!), grabbing coffee from a cute little coffee stand, checking out the local museum, admiring the views of the Turnagain Arm, going for a gorgeous hike to some lakes in the area, and even watching the annual summer 5K race! You can see more of this tiny town + everything else we got up to on our way to Homer in today’s video!
For our final hike in the Chugach Mountains, we ta For our final hike in the Chugach Mountains, we tackled a portion of the Crow Pass Trail, which is a ~26 mile trail (one way) that follows part of the original Iditarod Trail. While we would've LOVED to do the entire hike, we just did a 7.5 mile (roundtrip) portion to Raven Glacier and WOW, what a hike! We weren't totally sure what to expect with this hike, but had heard amazing things and it blew us away! The mix of both green and rocky mountains, mine ruins, many waterfalls, a gorgeous lake, a cool cabin (that we would love to stay in someday), and views of a stunning glacier were all absolutely breathtaking, even on a rainy day. And to top it all off...we got to see a momma and baby mountain goat froclicking among the mountains and crossing a stream!
Standing on top of Flattop Mountain at 11:30 PM! 🇺🇸⛰️ One thing we really wanted to do in Alaska is take advantage of the very late sunsets and do a midnight hike, so we headed to Flattop Mountain, which is said to be the most popular hike in the Anchorage area, to hit the peak at sunset (11:30 PM). This hike is only 3.3 miles round trip, but don't let the distance fool you, you'll gain 1,430 feet of elevation and have to do some rock scrambling at the top. It is pretty intense for a short distance! But once at the top, you'll have views of the Chugach Mountains to your left and right, as well as behind you, plus views of Anchorage and the Turnagain Arm. It's well worth the effort and despite being under 30 minutes from downtown, offered a much more naturey experience than we expected!
For our next adventure in Alaska we headed down to For our next adventure in Alaska we headed down to Anchorage to experience Chugach State Park, which is named after the indigenous people of the Upper Cook Inlet region, and is one of the largest state parks in the United States. Over four days we conquered three EPIC hikes in the park (+ enjoyed a couple Anchorage eats) and first up: the South Fork Valley Trail! This 10.7 mile hike (with 1,558 feet of elevation gain) takes you through a gorgeous valley with amazing mountain views the entire time and to TWO stunning lakes, Eagle Lake and Symphony Lake. Eagle Lake is glacier fed and is a milky blue color, while Symphony Lake is fed by snowmelt and is a crystal clear deeper blue color. It's pretty wild to see two different colored lakes right next to each other and we hiked up to a ridge above them (which was pretty hard!) to get a good glimpse at the contrast! It's also a good spot to fish, as it's home to rainbow trout and grayling. Adam may or may not have caught his first fish here! 😉 To see more of this hike, plus the other two we hiked, check out today's video!
The Matanuska Glacier, which is located about 2 ho The Matanuska Glacier, which is located about 2 hours northeast of Anchorage, is 27 miles long, making it the largest glacier in the US that can be reached by vehicle. And wow, is she a beauty! 😍 Want to experience it for yourself? Here are the three main ways you can see Matanuska Glacier: 🚘 For FREE along the Glenn Highway! There is a pullout along the road where you can see the glacier from afar! While it is a bit far away from here, you can definitely get a sense of its scale. 🧊 Visit the glacier with a guide! As of 2022, the only way to actually go on the Matanuska Glacier is with a guide. We used @micaguides and HIGHLY recommend them! You can take a variety of tours, including just walking on the glacier (the easiest option), an advanced trek that takes you further into the glacier, and ice climbing (very challenging & what we did!). 🚁 Go on a helicopter tour! @micaguides offers this service and you can either go for a scenic ride or be flown deeper into the glacier to go ice climbing or walk on it! We’d love to do this next time! Whichever option you choose, it’s definitely worth seeing this gorgeous glacier in real life! And if you can’t make it to this one, don’t worry, Alaska has over 100,00 glaciers to check out (with 660 of them being named). More glaciers to come soon!
One of the top things we wanted to do in Alaska wa One of the top things we wanted to do in Alaska was to go ICE CLIMBING and it was hands down the craziest, most challenging, scariest, and coolest (literally! 🧊) thing we have ever done! We booked an ice climbing tour with @micaguides and spent an entire day on the Matanuska Glacier, which included hiking on both the moraine and ice, drinking glacial water straight from the source, learning how to climb up ice, and getting to climb three different routes. It was sooo out of our comfort zone, but also one of the most fun, rewarding, and memorable experiences of our lives! Shoutout to our AMAZING guides Warren & Levi for making us feel safe, teaching us skills, being patient when one of us was NOT a natural, and making us laugh the entire day. Y'all are the BEST! To see this crazy adventure, check out today's video!
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