a travel & lifestyle blog
One of my favorite ways to capture memories on a trip is through film photography. Last month I went on a two week national park road trip and brought along my Canon ae-1 35mm camera. This is my second film collection shared on the blog, and these are some of my favorite travel photos captured in timeless film. These photos were taken throughout several states and national parks highlighting the beauty of South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana.
Film Collection 02 / Summer ’23
Throughout the winter season, I embraced the danish notion of hygge, which simply means making things more cozy and homey. This is a practice I would like to continue incorporating into other seasons throughout the year. We are already close to the end of Spring and I have enjoyed finding small ways to make my spaces at home and engage in activities that embody hygge. Here are some of my tips and ways I’ll be embracing hygge for the rest of spring.
It’s hard to believe it’s already spring! I love the start of any new season, but something about spring is so refreshing. It’s so inspiring to see longer days with sunlight, birds chirping in the morning, flowers and trees blooming, and the end of colder days. This spring season, I’m focusing on ways to add color and crafts into my spaces. I want to share some inspiring photos that I’ve captured so far to welcome the spring season and my spring bucket list I’ll be working on.
Spring Bucket List 🌸💛🌿☔️🐇
Spring simmer pot recipe:
Wishing you all a happy start to the spring season! x
Throughout the last couple weeks, I’ve been giving our place a refresh for the new year, which includes, deep cleaning certain areas, going through the cabinet or closet that’s become the “everything” spot, sourcing new or thrifted items to add into the home and placing items we already have in a new spot to give a fresh look. Although taking down the holiday decor and seeing my space bare again is sad, it’s also an opportunity for a home refresh. A refresh is always inspiring to me, and if it’s not yet for you, I’m hopeful this post can inspire you also! Here are some ways I’ve been refreshing our space:
Throughout the last few years I’ve been able to visit several national parks while road tripping within the United States. Although I’ve only been to 13 National Parks so far, I wanted to share my top 5 favorite parks as of now. Of course this may change as I explore and visit more parks, so this is based only on the parks I’ve already been to. Be sure to check out my detailed guides on the parks mentioned if you’re planning a trip anytime soon!
It was challenging picking my top national park so far but I chose Grand Teton because of the park’s stunning views, accessibility, proximity to a town, and the overall feeling I experienced while visiting. Grand Teton was unlike any other park I’ve been to (so far!), it’s extremely close to Jackson Hole which was a rare perk that offered plenty of restaurants and shopping spots.
Biggest tip: Watch every sunrise in the Tetons during your visit
Favorite experience: Hiking parts of the Cascade Canyon trail
Must do/see: Visit Mormon row and Schwabacher landing for sunrise or sunset
Glacier national park is hands down one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to. It’s often called the crown jewel of the continent and is well known for the vast mountain views seen along the ‘Going to the Sun’ Road. Although Glacier is stunning, I gave it number two due to the crowds we experienced while visiting and because of it’s remote location.
Biggest tip: Get to trail heads early to beat crowds!
Favorite experience: Hiking parts of the high line trail
Must do/see: Drive along the Going to the Sun Road
The Rocky Mountains national park will always hold a special place in my heart. It was one of the first national parks I’ve ever visited and my first experience there was magical. I love where the park is located, right outside the charming mountain town, Estes Park, and the incredible views and wildlife the park offers.
Biggest tip: Drive along the Trail Ridge Road
Favorite experience: Hiking parts of Mount Ida.
Must do/see: Hike the bear lake trails!
Zion national park truly feels like you’re on a different planet. The mountainous views, desert like feel, and the collection of red and orange rock colors made an impression on me. Zion definitely succeeded all of my expectations. It’s one of those parks that’s always talked about and it did not disappoint!
Biggest tip: If visiting during the summer, find accommodations with A/C! Zion is so hot in the summer, it was not realistic (for us) to camp.
Favorite experience: Watching the sunrise at Canyon Overlook
Must do/see: The Narrows hike!
Bryce Canyon national park is an underrated park in my opinion! It’s on the smaller side with less major hikes and activities to do but the landscape is so incredibly unique, it had to be included on my top 5 list. We only spent one day while visiting Bryce but we were able to see the main highlights.
Biggest tip: Watch the sunrise in the park to see the hoodoos light up!
Favorite experience: Exploring and hiking the Navajo loop trail
Must do/see: Visiting inspiration point to view the hoodoos from above
Grand Teton national park guide
Rocky Mountains national park guide
Bryce Canyon national park guide
Now that the holidays have passed and the new year has begun, slow season is upon us. This time of year can be hard with winter in full swing, shorter and darker days, cold temperatures, and not many breaks or holidays to look forward to.
During the last few years, since working full time especially, I have found one way to make this season a little easier is to romanticize it! Romanticizing to me, is making something more beautiful or highlighting the beauty in our daily life, even the mundane moments.
I’ve been reading The Little Book of Hygge, Danish Secrets to Happy Living by Meik Wiking. It focuses on the presence of Hygge, the danish term for essentially homey or coziness. Throughout the book, Wiking focuses on how danish people thrive in the winter season and slower months because of the concept and feeling of hygge. It further inspired me to incorporate hygge into my life throughout this new season and embrace the winter instead of dread it.
One of my favorite parts about romanticizing a season or time of life is that it usually doesn’t require material things or an excessive amount of effort. We can romanticize our lives and seasons with what we already have and what we already do. Challenging our mindset about a particular season or time of life is the biggest way to shift how we feel. Cheers to embracing a new season and the start of 2024!
Glacier National Park is one of the most magical places I’ve ever been to. Glacier has been named the “crown jewel of the continent” for good reason. We were able to spend three full days in Glacier national park and experienced some of the most beautiful views I’ve ever seen. Here’s a quick guide and overview of our time in Glacier.
Going to the Sun Road
This is the top “must see” in Glacier. The going to the sun road is an iconic road that has several look out points and incredible mountain views that will leave you speechless! Here are some stops along the way:
Polebridge area
Polebridge is technically a mile outside of Glacier national park, but it’s still a neat spot to add to your itinerary if you have time! The town offers a sweet old fashion western feel and is home to the Polebridge Mercantile. This cute general shop has souvenirs, homemade eats and sweets and is definitely a must stop while driving through Polebridge. I’d recommend trying any of the huckleberry pastries!
Many Glacier area
The Many Glacier area is a quieter side of the park that offers stunning mountain views, wildlife, and iconic spots to see. We spent part of one day exploring this area and it did not disappoint! One of the main spots to check out while visiting is the Many Glacier hotel. The hotel has a swish chalet inspired design that truly allows you to feel like you are in a different country! We spent time exploring the inside of the hotel and the grounds. A popular hike in this area is grinnel glacier overlook. We hiked a portion but unfortunately didn’t have enough daylight to hike the entire trail. It’s still worth attempting even if you can’t finish to the top, the views were incredible! There’s also a boat from the hotel that takes you to various points on the trail if you don’t want to drive over to the trailhead, which also seems like a fun experience.
The high line trail
The high line trail is by far the most memorable hiking experience I’ve had in any national park. It’s accessible from the Logan pass visitor center. The high line trail a challenging and long hike but the views make it all worth it. It was surprisingly open when we visited the park in early July, typically it opens mid to late July due to snow melt. We weren’t able to finish the entire hike unfortunately due to weather conditions, we were able to hike about 8 miles round trip. Due to the weather conditions, there were times we were hiking through the clouds— that’s how high the trail is! Definitely be prepared for high elevation and altitude changes. Even if you don’t intend to hike the entirety of the high line trail, I’d recommend hiking part of it just to experience some incredible views!
Avalanche Lake trail
Avalanche lake trail ended up being one of our favorite hikes during our time in Glacier! It’s an out and back 4 mile hike that takes you to Avalanche lake. The trail starts with the trail of the cedars which is a beautiful paved path through the forest. The trail of the cedars can also be a 1 mile loop trail but if you’re going to the avalanche lake trail turn off, you’ll walk about .5 miles to the start of the lake trailhead. This is the one hike we saw a grizzly bear from a distance once we reached the lake, so go prepared with bear spray and bells, and travel in a pack with other hikers if possible.
Grinnel Glacier overlook trail
Grinnel Glacier overlook trail is accessible from the Many Glaciers area of the park. This trail is 11 miles round trip out and back. It’s pretty challenging but the views are incredible! Patrick and I weren’t able to hike the entirety of this hike due to time constraints but we did hike the first few miles and definitely plan to attempt the full hike someday in the future.
Hidden Overlook trail
Hidden overlook trail was the hike I was most looking forward to while researching Glacier! It’s accessible from the Logan pass visitor center. The trail has board walks that take you up a hill in order to see a hidden glacier lake. The views from this trail are some of the best from a short trail. When we visited we were only able to hike to the look out point of the trail and not the last half mile down to the lake due to bear activity. The park monitors wildlife activity and will close trails because of it. Luckily, we were still able to enjoy almost the entire hike! If you plan to hike hidden lake, I’d recommend starting early. The parking lot at Logan’s pass fills up incredibly fast and there’s limited parking. Since hidden lake is a fairly short hike, this is also popular for many visitors.
It’s hard to believe another year has come and gone. The week between Christmas and New Years is one of my favorite weeks━ the last week of the year, the perfect time to slow down and reflect on the final days of the year and prepare for the year a head. I kn0w there’s some controversy surrounding new years resolutions and goal making, but personally, I love this time of the year because of the chance for a “restart.” A restart or fresh start can be whatever it means to you! Cleaning out a closet, going through old emails, working on a vision board for the year, or writing down dreams, goals, and intentions for the new year.
I created a 2024 dream planning page that I’ll personally be using and wanted to share for anyone else interested. I typically write anything that comes to mind that I hope to achieve or strive for in the new year, even if it feels a little ambiguous at first! That’s what dreaming and goal planning is all about :)
I also wanted to share some of my favorite moments captured on film from the past year.
Wishing you all a wonderful end to 2023 and a magical start to 2024!
Over the summer, Patrick and I explored four national parks within a two week road trip. It was definitely one of my favorite trips we’ve ever taken so I wanted to share the itinerary I created. Of course with any big trip, plans can change so we didn’t get to everything listed on this itinerary, but most! I’m mentioning it here to give various ideas if you are planning a similar trip! We wanted to have options and back up plans which is why some days are packed. Combining these locations across a two week trip is convenient and makes for a perfect road trip! I mention the campgrounds we stayed at for reference and those that I’d recommend. Keep in mind, most campgrounds within the parks book up quickly, typically up to 6 months in advance so be prepared if you plan to camp! We also used the app campendium to find free campsites.
Check out my other blog posts to prepare and plan for a national park trip if you are looking for more tips.
day one 🚐
After driving in from the East, we officially started our trip in South Dakota with the intent of spending time in Badlands National Park. We only planned for one full day within the park and while we could stayed for longer, it was doable to see most highlights within a day.
Badlands highlights in one day:
🌛Center Lake Campground (Custer state park fee required as well as campsite fee)
day two 🗿
🌛 Upper Teton View – Toppings Lake Dispersed Campsites
day three ⛰
We spent four days in Grand Teton national park. This was by far one of our favorite parks we’ve ever been to. Since there’s so much to see and do between the park and the nearest town, Jackson Hole, I’d allow at least three days to fully explore. To save a little money, we stayed at a free campsite for a couple nights before going to a campground. The free campsites in the area are primitive and aren’t reservable so there’s no guarantee you’ll find a spot each night which can add stress, but the benefit is it’s a safe and free place to sleep!
🌛 Upper Teton View – Toppings Lake Dispersed Campsites
day four 🏔
🌛 Upper Teton View – Toppings Lake Dispersed Campsite
🚿 Showers are available at Colter Bay, Signal Mountain, and Headwaters at Flagg Ranch.
day five 🥾
🌛Jenny Lake campground, tent only
day six 🐻
🌛 Jenny Lake campground, tent only
Read more:
Things To Do in and Around Badlands National Park
Two Days in Yellowstone
Grand Teton National Park travel guide
Tips For Planning a National Park Trip
day seven ⛲️
We spent a day and a half exploring Yellowstone. We definitely could have spent much more time exploring, Yellowstone is massive! However, we were able to see some nice highlights throughout our short but sweet time in park. One thing to note about Yellowstone is you will spend a lot of time driving to various spots (especially if your time is limited like ours was) but the views while driving are stunning and worth being in the car!
🌛 Canyon Campground (showers included in reservation)
day eight 🦬
🌛 Canyon Campground
We ended our two week road trip with our last few days in Glacier national park. This part of the trip offered us some of the most incredible views we’ve ever seen! Glacier is extremely popular and crowded so it requires advance planning to ensure you book vehicle reservations (needed during peak season) and campgrounds. During peak season, the park is separated into four sections that require reservation tickets to enter during designated time periods as an attempt to limits crowds. More information on this can be found on the park’s website. Also, be sure to have bear spray on every hike in Glacier!
day nine 🚐
🚿 Showers are available at camp
day ten 🏔
🌛 Fishcreek campground
day eleven 🏔
🌛 Fishcreek campground
day twelve 🥞
🌛 Fishcreek campground
day thirteen 🥾
🌛 Fishcreek campground
The holiday season brings so much warmth and comfort, especially within the home. I love decorating my home and adding cozy elements all year long but there’s something extra special about the holiday season.
Last year was my first year in this apartment. I bought and collected several pieces that are typical when adding holiday decor to a space (a tree, stockings, throw pillows, etc.). This year I wanted to add more homemade touches to the space that felt more personal to Patrick and me. Most of the additions this year were homemade or purchased second hand. I’m hoping this could provide inspiration when decorating for the holidays. My favorite touches this year were adding bows to the christmas tree, seeing more cultivated travel ornaments, wreaths to frame the tree, and lots of garlands.
This year I also focused more on decor and warmth I could create from natural elements such as a dried orange wreath or ornaments and a simmer pot to add winter scents to the home. Here’s some simple steps if you’d also like to incorporate this into your home:
dried orange garland
winter simmer pot
wishing you all happy holidays! x
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