the turquoise trail

{utah} It was a very short drive from Page across the state line into Utah, where I left civilization and gained cell service.  Utah has been high on my list of states to see for a while, so I was very happy to get across the state line and start exploring! Welcome to Utah! My first destination was Grand Staircase National Park, although I hadn't done my due diligence to realize that most of the park is only accessible by 4WD.  I stopped off at a little ranger station where Buckskin Gulch was recommended, so I headed towards that.  It was about 9 miles down a questionably drivable dirt road to the trailhead, where I followed wire pass through a dried-out wash into a slot canyon.  Not very far into the canyon there was a 8-foot drop over a boulder with the 'stepping stone' of a old log.  It was challenging to descend, but would prove more challenging to ascend.  The canyon was about a mile long before it came to a T, with the option of going to the l...

{arizona} My time in Arizona started with a night at the local Walmart in Douglas (which I kept calling George).  Coming in from the west along the county roads, 'George' didn't look overly promising, but thankfully the Walmart offered a well-lit and security-patrolled refuge.  I think I should be thankful for that, anyway; looking back it's probably not a great sign that they need patrols, but I assume it's because it's right on the Mexican border.  Either way it was an uneventful night.   The next morning I headed off to Bisbee for a look around the much-reccommended artsy town.  Thanks to all the time changes I was wide awake at 6am and had an abundance of time to kill before the rest of the town woke up around 10am.  I spent my morning climbing stairs; Bisbee has a 1000-step race once a year and I found most of the 1000 to climb.  I also found a cafe to spend some time at, and had the most delicious vegan/gluten-free/dairy-free pumpkin spice co...

Hawaii; the big island I like to think of the big island of Hawaii as the rural island; it's raw, far less developed & has lots of wide open space (relative, of course.. you can still drive across the island in less than 2 hours..).  This is the island to come to if you like getting off the beaten track and nature is more your thing!  Some of my favourite things from a week on Hawaii.. {hiking} Kaumana Caves Park I did very little hiking during my stay on the big island.. the hiking I did do was mainly short sight-seeing type hikes.  Unfortunately, the Waipio Valley was closed due to a dengue fever outbreak, but I hear it has great hiking!  Kaumana Caves Park is just outside of Hilo and has a lava tube that you can follow for at least 1km!  It's really neat to see.. I'd recommend taking a light & coming back through the lava tube - the surface trail isn't well maintained or marked.  Green Sand beach is on the southern part of the island and...

Maui; the valley isle Maui was probably my favourite island; it features a huge variety of landscape & packs in a multitude of things to do!  It's absolutely gorgeous, and completely different around every bend!  From rainforest to desert, lava rock to white sand beach, quaint country towns to artsy boutique towns.. this island's got it all.  Some highlights from 7 days on Maui.. {hiking} Haleakala Crater There are some fantastic hiking trails scattered over Maui; the highlight for me was Haleakala.  The different minerals left behind from the volcano are displayed in the variety of colours in the crater.  It's a sight to behold, and well worth the trip up - try to go on a clear day!  There are plenty of other opportunities for nature hikes, beach walks & window shopping, no matter what area of the island you're on.   {food} I didn't actually eat out too much during my time on Maui, but there are plenty of farmer'...

Week 5: My favourite part. .. Hands down: whale watching.. Amazing!  Miles ... 901 Day 26: Pasadena, NL to Badger, NL 122 miles Got up around 8 this morning to have breakfast with a couple of very happy kids!  After breakfast, we got ready to head to church.  After church, we were invited out for lunch.. & what a spread! There were at least 5 different kinds of meat, and I didn't even count the vegetables.. It was delicious and I *obviously* ate way too much. After lunch, we made our way back to Pasadena where we figured out our plans for the night. It looked as if the rain would hold off, so I found a campground two hours down the road for the night. We got our things packed up, said a huge thank you & good bye, and hit the road east again! We didn't leave until about 5, and after a quick stop for gas, we headed towards Badger.  We got to the camp ground shortly after 7, to an already lit fire! After getting things set up, we had some dinner and...