usa travel

Favorite Travel Photos | New Etsy Shop

Published on March 28, 2023 by Skylar M. BeckLeave a comment

I have some exciting news to share, I recently started an Etsy shop to sell and highlight some of my travel photography! I have always been passionate about taking photos and capturing special moments on film. Through travel, that passion has only increased and continued to thrive. Travel and photography are both such big parts of my life and the reason I started this blog so I could share that passion with many others. This post shares some of the photographs I’ll be selling on my Etsy shop. These photographs are from my most cherished memories that include my travels throughout Europe, my time living in Italy and my recent travels out west USA. Feel free to click the link for my shop below to purchase a photograph to print out or simply enjoy the photographs here on the blog 🤍

Etsy Shop: skylarbdesigns.

Hiking Mount Ida, Rocky Mountains National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Published on February 28, 2023March 19, 2023 by Skylar M. Beck2 Comments

Our third National Park on our road trip last year was Bryce Canyon National Park. Bryce Canyon is a smaller park, known for their iconic “hoodoos” which are rock formations that populate most of the park. We only spent a day in Bryce Canyon and this was enough time to see some highlights. Someday, I would like to revisit and hike other trails but visiting this park in a day is definitely possible! Here’s an outline of how we spent a day in Bryce Canyon.

An Afternoon with Hoodoos

We drove from Arches National Park to Bryce Canyon National Park and spent the night car camping at a free camp spot outside the park (Tom’s Best Spring Dispersed Camping). This campsite was about 15 minutes from the park entrance and we had a quiet evening camping before a full day of exploring. The next morning we drove into the park early so we could watch the sunrise. We decided to watch the sunrise at Inspiration Point which was stunning! We got to the top just before the sun rose and were able to see all of the hoodoos come to light.

After sunrise, we made coffee and breakfast in the parking lot before heading to our first hike. When researching Bryce Canyon, I was most excited to hike along the Navajo and Queen’s Garden Loop trail. The two trails can be separated but if you connect them it ends up being a 3 mile hike that offers the best views for a quick trip in this park. The park has two major points Sunrise Point and Sunset Point. Both are equally beautiful views and lead you to the trail head of Navajo loop.

There are a couple ways to start the Navajo/Queen’s Garden Loop trail. If you start at Sunset Point, like us, there are signs that direct you towards the Navajo trail. As you hike along the Navajo trail there’s a fork soon after starting and you’ll need to decide if you want to hike to Wall Street first or Two Bridges which are two well known sights on this trail. Keep in mind, you will see both eventually since it’s a loop trail. We decided to start with Wall Street. This is an iconic view of the park and involves several tight switchbacks. When we hiked down Wall Street it was extremely crowded so be prepared for that. From Wall Street we continued on the trail, admiring hoodoos along the way. We felt like we were walking in a different planet, the scenery in Bryce Canyon is so surreal. The hike itself isn’t too difficult but it is steep in some areas. If you start from Wall Street like we did, eventually there will be signs that point towards the Queen’s Garden loop trail. There are a couple fun hoodoos I would recommend keeping an eye out for as you hike this trail:

Queen Victoria (near the Queen’s Garden loop)
Thor’s Hammer (near sunrise point)

Tips

Bryce Canyon is a popular. Be prepared for crowds! When we went, there were several tour buses and so many people on the trails.
If you plan to have a picnic or snacks and want to sit somewhere during a hike, be aware the orange sand throughout the park can stain clothes! We brought a towel we could sit on which was helpful.
There are a few campgrounds within Bryce Canyon National Park [North campground and Sunset campground]. There are also a lot of free camp spots in the area like the one we found.
Bryce Canyon feels like it’s in the middle of “nowhere” so there aren’t many restaurants and shops in the area.
Bryce Canyon is close to other National Parks. Bryce is about 2 hours from Zion National Park and 4.5 hours from Arches National Park. If you’re planning on visiting several National Parks on one trip like us, this is super convenient to do!

Arches National Park, Utah

Published on January 31, 2023March 19, 2023 by Skylar M. Beck1 Comment

Last summer Patrick and I had the opportunity to visit Arches National Park during our out west road trip. Arches National Park is located outside Moab, Utah. We only had about a day and a half in the park but we were able to experience some of the park’s highlights. Here’s my small guide to Arches National Park.

Things to know before visiting ANP

Timed Entry Reservation system: Currently ANP requires visitors to have a timed entry reservation pass throughout the months of April-October.
- Timed entry tickets are required to enter the park between the hours of 7am- 4pm (MDT).
- The timed entry reservations can be purchased on the ANP park’s website and they cost $2 per vehicle. Note, you’ll need a timed reservation pass for each day you plan to visit the park.
Exceptions for the timed entry reservations tickets:
- If you have a reservation with a campground in the National Park, you can show your campground reservation in place of having a timed entry reservation and enter at any time as long as the dates of the campground reservation match the dates you want to enter the park.
- You can enter the park before or after the allowed times! If you are unable to get a reservation, you can enter the park before 7am. However, keep in mind if you enter the park this way, once you leave the park you will not be allowed back in during the hours required for a timed entry ticket. Similarly, you may enter the park after required hours (i.e., after 4pm).
Fees: It costs $30 per vehicle to enter the park which covers the cost of 7 days. We bought the America the Beautiful pass which is $80 for the year and covers entrance fees for all National Parks. I would highly recommend this if you plan to visit multiple National Parks!
Camping: There is only one campground within Arches National Park, Devils Garden Campground. If this is a campground you’d like to stay in, I recommended booking as far in advance as possible.
Boondocking; If you’re traveling in a van or a car like us, there are several free camp spots surrounding the national park in Moab, Utah. We used Campendium to search free camp spots or areas to park and sleep with a small fee. Note, majority of these areas are first come first serve rather than reservation based.
Heat: The heat in this part of Utah and Arches National Park during the summer months is extreme. There were nights we couldn’t sleep in our car set up or tent. This is worth putting in some research especially if you plan to camp like we attempted to. Surprisingly the hotels in Moab weren’t too pricey and definitely worth booking to have a break from the heat. We booked a night at Scenic Views Inn and Suites Moab and it was incredible!
Area. Moab, UT is the closet town to the park. This is where you’ll find restaurants, hotels, and grocery shops.

Things to Do

Hike to Delicate Arch (park at delicate arch trail head) for sunrise. This was my absolute favorite thing we did while visiting Arches National Park. This arch is one of the most popular so it was well worth it to hike at sunrise and enjoy the views in peace before the crowds!
Drive to double arch trailhead and walk to see Double Arch.
Continue walking the loop path to see North Window, South Window, and Turret Arch
Drive along scenic drive & stop to see various viewpoints:
- petrified dunes
- panorama point
- fiery furnace/salt valley
Stop at visitor’s center
Take time to explore Park Avenue

My Tips

Start hikes in the dark to catch the sunrise and avoid crowds. We used head lights and our offline All Trails map while hiking in the early morning hours. Arches National Park is a very busy place so hiking early ensures some peace before crowds. We hiked to Delicate Arch before sunrise and it was our favorite experience while visiting the park.
Carry plenty of water. As I mentioned, Arches National Park can be extremely hot during the day if you’re visiting during the summer time. Be prepared to continuously hydrate! The visitor’s center has free water you can utilize to fill up water bottles.

The Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee

Published on July 21, 2021 by Skylar M. BeckLeave a comment

Earlier this summer I took my first trip to the heart of Tennessee, the Great Smoky Mountains! Patrick and I decided to stay in another getaway house because we enjoyed our experience in the Ohio location so much. The tiny cabin was just as comfortable and welcoming and about a three hour drive from the smoky mountains. Maybe we were a little ambitious to stay in a cabin so far from our main destination but we wanted to take in as much of Tennessee as possible. Our trip consisted of taking a day trip to Nashville, spending time hiking in the smoky mountains and traveling home through Asheville, North Carolina. Out of all the places we visited, our day trip to the Great Smoky Mountains was hands down our favorite.

There is so much to see and do in the smoky mountains, I wish I would’ve had more time to explore and soak in the beauty of this national park. But, if you only have time for a day trip like us, there is a lot you can accomplish! We left early in the morning because we knew we wanted to tackle a lot with the time we had. We were determined to see Cades Cove and also experience a hike in the smokies.

To Do:

Cades Cove Loop

One of my favorite spots to visit in the smoky mountains! We started our morning here and it was the most beautiful way to be introduced to the mountains. I would suggest arriving on the earlier side because it does get crowded. Cades Cove is an eleven mile loop that is full of incredible scenery. Along the way, you can pull off to the side with your car to stop and walk around, take pictures, and enjoy the breath taking views. *Cades Cove is open daily for cars but is reserved for pedestrians and bikers on Wednesdays until 10am *

We originally intended on hiking Abram Falls which is located off the Cades Cove loop, but it was closed due to trail construction. Be sure to check before making plans!

Rainbow Falls

Rainbow Falls was our spontaneous back up hike plan when we realized we could not hike Abram Falls, and it was a stunning hike! Located near Gatlinburg, this hike exceed our expectations and provided us with a new experience of what it’s like to hike within the smoky mountains. It’s an ideal hike if you don’t have enough time for a longer hike and it has plenty of stunning outlooks and several waterfalls along the way. Rainbow Falls is described as strenuous, and a total of about 5 miles roundtrip. The hike definitely feels longer than 2.5 miles one way, and that could be because it’s mostly uphill and paved with uneven and rocky surfaces–something to be aware of! I would highly recommend if you’re looking for a stunning hike that will take a few hours.

Clingman’s Dome

We visited Clingman’s Dome on our way out of town a few days later than our day trip but if you’re staying in the smoky mountains, visiting Clingman’s Dome is a must see. Only a mile trail to the top of the dome provides you with the highest view point in the National Park. The drive to Clingman’s is equally as beautiful, and there are multiple stop points along the way to pull over and take some pictures.

My tips:

Have a map– there is little to zero cell service within the smoky mountains and a map is helpful to orient yourself especially if plans need to be readjusted.
Look up trail updates-going off of the above tip, look up updates for trails you plan to hike ahead of time. I didn’t think to do this about Abram falls and we had to find a new trail to hike.
Take advantage of visitor centers-this is where you’ll find some of the only locations with actual toilets that flush!
Research– especially if your time is limited, make sure you are aware of the level of difficulties for hikes and what will work well in your time frame.