Camping Jitters and Outdoor Cooking

Into the fire

I'm about to embark on my biggest adventure yet in a few weeks, and frankly, I'm kind of nervous. What is it? Climbing Mount Everest? Free diving to the deepest depths of ocean? Wrestling crocodiles? No, I'm going camping... for the first time in 17 years... with a bunch of 10-year-olds.

Art Alley: Rapid City's Hidden Treasure

Protect the Sacred

Rapid City, you surprised me. I expected something small-town and folksy with plenty of nods to your gold mining, Old West history. I didn't know I'd stumble upon a hip, urban graffiti scene nestled in a city that's a gateway to the Black Hills of South Dakota, Mount Rushmore and the Badlands.

Wonderfully Wacky Wall Drug

South Dakota's #1 Roadside Attraction

Wall Drug Store starts announcing its presence miles and miles before you get there. All along Interstate 90, billboards proclaim things like "291 miles to Wall Drug," "Refreshing! Free Water, Wall Drug," or "#1 Roadside Attraction, Wall Drug." I had been planning on visiting, but I will admit that seeing the "Homemade Donuts, Wall Drug" sign got me particularly excited.

Great Day in the Badlands

Overlooking the Badlands National Park, South Dakota

I first read about the Badlands long ago, although I can't remember where. It seemed like the stuff of legends. A bleak and desolate place. A wasteland that surprised pioneers as they made their way west over the prairies filled with waving grass that suddenly dropped down into a strange landscape. A place where fugitives hide from the long arm of the law. Badlands. Even the name sounds forboding.

Badlands Door Trail: Short Hike with a Big View

Finding our way on the Door Trail, Badlands National Park

A few days ago, the National Geographic Intelligent Travel blog published readers recommendations for "The World's Best Hiking Trails." Guess who was the first person they quoted? Me!! Other people suggested the famous Inca Trail to Machu Picchu or long ones such as the Trans Canada Trail and Australia's Bibbulmun Track. North American hikes like the Pacific Crest Trail and the Appalachian Trail have been the setting and practically a character in popular memoirs and their resultant "based on the best-selling book" movies, Wild and A Walk in the Woods, respectively.

Wildlife Spotting on Kangaroo Island

Kangaroo Island off the coast of South Australia is a treasure trove of wildlife. Separated from the rest of the continent for about 10,000 years, its natural wildlife has thrived without humans or other pests and predators that have struck on the mainland. Over the centuries, some animals have evolved into distinct sub-species, earning this place the nickname "The Galapagos of Australia." More than a third of the island is protected parkland, ensuring that it will remain a haven for the native plants and animals.

The Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award

“Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award recognizes the unique voices of women bloggers around the world.”

Five years ago, I would have never imagined that I'd be nominated for a Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award. I didn't know that travel blogs existed. I wasn't a world traveler. And...this is the big one... I didn't have some deep, unfulfilled dream of traveling around the world. International travel just kind of landed in my lap when we became expats, lucky me. At some point, I realized that there were planning resources beyond printed guide books, and that the best of  them were the travel blogs. Since that time, I've knitted together a network of blogger friends. A sisterhood, if you will. I know more than just where they've been. I know if they're buying a house, if they are changing jobs, or if health has caused them to rearrange their plans.