Strokkur Geysers: The Old Faithful of Iceland

Strokkur is a geyser in the Haukadalur Valley, surrounded by other mud pools and fumaroles. It erupts every 6 to 10 minutes, soaring to heights of 50 to 60 feet in the air. I didn’t take any pictures because it wasn’t the prettiest sight. Mostly a ring of people huddled perhaps a bit too closely…

Read More

An Inside Look at Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon, Which is Now Closed Thanks to Justin Bieber

Fjaðrárgljúfur is a steep canyon in southern Iceland. It’s not too far from the small town of Kirkjubæjarklaustur. (Yes. I spelled that correctly.) The Fjaðrá river runs through it. It’s believed to date back to the Ice Age, carved out by the rushing waters of melting glaciers nearby. Unfortunately, the canyon was closed to the…

Read More

Views of Sólheimajökull Glacier Before it Melts Away

Very near Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, you’ll find Sólheimajökull, a beautiful ice blue glacier covered in black ash. It lies in the space between two volcanoes, Katla and Eyjafjallajökull. The blanket of ash is thanks to previous eruptions from those two rowdy neighbors. Sólheimajökull is the 4th largest ice cap in all of Iceland. This stunning hunk of…

Read More

Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach Will Convince You That Iceland Truly is the Land of Fire and Ice

Near the small village of Vík í Mýrdal in southern Iceland is Reynisfjara, a beautiful black sand beach. Perhaps you recognize it from Game of Thrones. It’s the beach at the Eastwatch, where the men of the Night’s Watch are guarding the wall. There is a cliff of basalt columns, large enough to climb. Atop…

Read More

“I like Hollywood. I just like Minneapolis a little bit better.” -Prince

The first time I visited Minneapolis, I was a very young 25 year-old who had never driven in snow. (Thanks, Texan-upbringing!) Of course, my trip aligned with one hell of a snow storm, so it was a challenging and bitterly cold experience. I met some amazing women during that trip: like Kelly Pepper and Kelly…

Read More

Exploring Whistler, But Not in Winter

It’s no secret that Whistler is a little slice of heaven. People have been traveling there to ski for ages. What I didn’t know is that this place is even better in the summer! The ski slopes morph into mountain biking trails, the hiking and biking paths are unparalleled, and the gondolas are fun to…

Read More

Don’t Skip Over Squamish, B.C.

The perfect pitstop between Vancouver and Whistler is the sweet little town of Squamish. It came to life during construction of the Pacific Great Eastern Railway in the early 1900s. Forestry and logging were the major industries in those days. There was a bit of mining there too, but much of that production has ceased. Now…

Read More

Exploring Vancouver: a shiny seaport by the seashore

For being in such a rainy part of the world, Vancouver is a brilliant place. The skies may be grey, but there is color in the streets (and the water ways). This coastal seaport was the first stop on a long weekend road trip to Whistler. Before I get ahead of myself. Let me show you…

Read More

A Day at the Grandest Canyon of All

In my opinion, the best history books on earth are earth. The Grand Canyon is a perfect example of that. It dates back 5 or 6 million years. I have to be honest, that is hard to wrap my mind around that amount of time. But, for some reason, when you’re standing out there on…

Read More

Hiking Sedona

After spending a little time in Phoenix, I got on the road towards Sedona. It’s about a 2 hour drive. If you’re looking for a pit stop, Montezuma Castle National Monument is about an hour and a half into the trip. The cliff dwellings, carved into the limestone walls, were built by the Sinagua people between 100…

Read More