While National Parks have become more popular in recent years, there are also some extremely beautiful state parks that need to be on your radar.

Here are my must dos:

1. Valley of Fire SP, NV – this underrated gem is just an hour from the bright lights of Las Vegas & probably my fav in the entire US. Driving into the park is mind blowing amongst the winding road carved between the otherworldly red rocks. Hitting the 3 mi Fire Wave is a must do, as well as the White Domes slot canyon loop trail (don’t rush it & take some time to scale up some of the tempting rock overhangs).

2. Snow Canyon SP, UT – this one wasn’t even on my radar but a weekend based out of St. George changed that. This park is a blast, as I combined butterfly, petrified dunes, whiptail, red sands for 5.6mi of bliss, which also included exploring 2 lava tubes. Jenny’s canyon slot was very short, but a must see & ending with Scout cave prior to sunset is stunning.

3. Hocking Hills SP, OH – don’t sleep on this amazing spot in southwestern Ohio. The Rock House is extremely fun to climb into, while I combined a bunch of trails into a 7.5 mile marathon because I was just having too much fun (Cedar falls to Whispering Cave to Broken Rock Falls to Old Man’s Cave to Lower Falls).

4. Custer SP, SD – this one was a whirlwind but I remember how deeply the serenity at Lake Sylvan swept over me as I circled the lake amongst all the rock ledges & crevices watching the kayakers. Driving the tight Needles highway (just 8 ft wide x 9 ft 9 in tall clearance) was a blast amongst the towering spires, tight tunnels & epic black hills views!

5. Goblin Valley SP, UT – it’s worth the miles into nowhere Utah to visit this wonder. I snagged a last minute campsite & had 2 days to get lost in all the crazy hoodoos. But my highlight was making the trek to the backside of the Goblin’s Lair & scaling down into a remote cave!

BONUS: while it’s not technically a SP, Garden of the Gods, CO is a free park in Colorado Springs that is 100% addictive. The red rocks rival those in southern Utah & keep me coming back for more.

Our annual LRU college girls trip meetup in summer 2025 resided in the serene Blue Ridge Mountains in extreme north central NC. For 33 years, these college friendships continue to provide a refreshing balanced & supportive community.

Without a solid plan (on purpose), we hide out in a massive log cabin for a long weekend of self-imposed pampering. No stress or self deprecation is permitted. We ease into old conversations & catch up on all the latest gossip about families, jobs & dreams.

Our community dinner of choice is homemade tacos & celebratory cupcakes for all our recent victories from kids’ graduations/empty nesters, job promotions, change of careers & epic travel stories.

Self care Sunday was a mix of pedicures and yoga practice, plus extended porch counseling sessions in the invigorating afternoon breezes.

The highlight every evening is the unobstructed sunset views over the valley & multiple mimosa toasts to us….. just because!!

Find your tribe & never let them go!

While I don’t get to scratch my hiking itch often enough in my home of the Sunshine State, there is nothing that gets me fired up quicker than packing for an upcoming trek. Being back out on the trail brings out my rustic & quieter side, as I absolutely love easing into adventure mode & that comes with some of the following code words:

Scree – loose volcanic ash remnants that make a trek challenging

Wash – prevalent in Southern Utah, some of my favorite hikes are thru these alleyways carved out from years of rushing flood waters

Scramble – having to scale & jump around boulders to reach a breathtaking overlook

Crampons – icy climbing conditions are typically insurmountable without attaching metal spikes to your boots

Cairns – many parks have rocks piled in stacks along the route to identify tricky routes for guests

Bushwhacking – referring to treks through overgrown foliage maybe on less used trails or those that aren’t professionally maintained

Blaze – this a trail marker usually either painted on rocks or trees to show the correct path

Slot canyon – mesmerizing winding trails that floods have sculpted between towering cliffs

BLM land – Bureau of Land Management areas that are free for the public to camp on because they are our lands

Cowboy camping – really roughing it by sleeping on the ground without a tent or any type of shelter

Finally LNT – leave no trail is a set rules & etiquette to leave the grounds better than you found it & minimizing your impact on the environment:

• Plan ahead & prepare
• Travel & camp on durable surfaces
• Dispose of waste properly
• Leave what you find
• Minimize campfire impacts
• Respect wildlife
• Be considerate of others

Don’t let the lingo deter you from opting outside. Whatever your reason, any escape into nature should be treasured & celebrated to the fullest.

The least visited National Park in the continental US resides northwest of Michigan’s upper peninsula via either a 3 hour ferry (of which there are only 4 authorized carriers) or seaplane ride. It takes some serious planning & dedication to experience this wonder.

Of course I had a long standing plan & finally made it happen over the long holiday weekend at Memorial Day, which also happens to be opening weekend.

I wasn’t thrilled to be camping for 3 nights being that temperatures dipped into the 30s, so I was extremely giddy that a housekeeping/rustic cabin became available & I settled into my home away from home for the long holiday weekend. The staff was still ramping up for busy season, as my heater breaker switch wasn’t even turned on yet.

After a quick nap, I hit the trails for some hiker therapy & thoroughly enjoyed scrambling over the rocky coastline to Scoville Pt. Time escaped me & ended up running back to my cabin’s dock to barely catch the end of sunset at 9:30pm!

All food had to be packed in, so I indulged in freeze dried meals just needing boiling water to keep things easy (granola with blueberries, scrambled eggs, biscuits and gravy, pad Thai chicken, chicken pesto & my fav beef stroganoff). Lunches I had packed tortillas with peanut butter, Nutella & honey which were more than filling.

Day 2 was a doozy stretching over 11 miles via the Rock Harbor trail to Suzy’s Cave through Three Mile campground then uphill to Mt. Franklin. I enjoyed lunch at this spectacular viewpoint before heading back to the harbor via the Tobin Harbor trail. Sunset was superb once again!

Day 3….. I did nothing, literally. I found a spot on the rocky ledge near the lodge & read the day away while enjoying the beautiful, tanning weather. Another stunning sunset greeted me & I didn’t want the day to end.

My final day I slept in & putzed around the harbor on another unusually warm day. Wildlife was abundant in the glasslike bay & I had to pinch myself that this was my reality. What a great adventure & journey into a priceless paradise!!

Day 2 in Melbourne was a brutal 5:40am extra early start to catch a tourist mini bus to venture out to one of the greatest coastal drives in the world – the Great Ocean Road!

I stayed at a cheap hostel just around the corner from the group hotel I was joining later the same day, so I dropped my main bookbag & my room was (again) ready early (never happens in the western hemisphere). So I boarded the bus first with my choice of seats, then we picked up the rest of the passengers en route to start the long haul in reverse. This simple trick allowed us extra time at each stop off & avoiding the big crowds expected for a typical summer Saturday.

We scaled the massive Melbourne bridge, harbor & skyline to escape into rolling countrysides. Our first pit stop was 2 hours in for coffee & a quick snack.

Then the crown jewel hugging the coastline was just a short walk away…. the 12 Apostles! Due to recent erosion, guests can no longer make their way down to the sandy shores far below but that didn’t diminish the grandeur of the moment.

Razorback was another very impressive jagged lookout showcasing the power of an unrelenting ocean break. And we even enjoyed an unexpected trek through a rainforest & spotted a wallaby.

We gawked at our first koalas in the wild & took my fresh fish/chips lunch down to Apollo Beach to soak in some natural vitamin D. The grand finale was a quick stop at the chocolate factory, which was celebrating an ice cream festival to my ultimate delight.

Before I knew it, twelve hours had expired & I was speed walking back to my hotel to meet my travel group for the next two weeks (I was even 10 mins late – yikes!).

And the journey continues…..

I long ago gave up on the far fetched theory of work life balance and instead have pivoted into recovery/rest post event.

As a self proclaimed perfectionist in the crazy, unpredictable world of events, it is inevitable that even the most well laid out plans can get derailed in an instant (and most often when you least expect it). So until the last whistle is blown and all spectators have exited, you have to remain on high alert. And having a backup plan for your backup is another key component in keeping your sanity in check.

We are a very special breed….

• Thriving in chaos? A must in your tool belt

• Optimizing your social battery…. 100%
• Being proactive in preventing issues – invaluable!
• Minimizing the opportunities for surprises – gamechanger
• Being transparent – let your integrity shine through!

I truly believe in the saying “work hard, play hard”. To celebrate a successful end of busy season, I ALWAYS have an exotic excursion booked to slide into “ME time”. It is so very empowering to honor all your hard work and dive into a self-imposed break from the intensity of work stress. And to be able to recalibrate mentally, spiritually, physically and emotionally all together is a necessity.

It only took 45+ years, but I’m finally able to appreciate the merits of being balanced in all facets of life.

Being Mental Health Awareness Month, it is time to tell my story. If it can help even just one person, then it will be worth it.

My therapy is hiking and traveling to obscure destinations. It’s insanely addictive and helped me in more ways than I can put into words.

For 2 decades, I thought I enjoyed the grind and found purpose in working 2 careers that I genuinely loved. But I would also count down the days until vaca. It took me over 20 years to finally realize that my mindset has been so backwards for too long. My planned over the top excursions were to escape and recenter, but they should have been a reward for all the hard work.

I have always over scheduled, overworked, over worried, over thought and pretty much over did everything in my life. Not that it is all bad, but I am an extremist. And I’m not exactly sure why I have this innate need or pressure of perfectionism but it is very hard to “just be normal”.

I am a highly curious person and if I’m not learning or growing, then I start getting depressed. And it can be soul sucking and go downhill quickly. I constantly struggle with the safety in routine and structure, while craving freedom and flexibility. It is hard to find that balance that works for me.

Extreme travel is my passion and it has consumed my thoughts over the past decade. I feel my heart come alive when even just researching new places of interest and can hardly contain my excitement upon touching down in a new destination. It is extremely important for me to dive full force into an excursion, while also allowing time to just be present. I’m equally as happy rappelling off the side of a cliff as I am sitting on a dock watching the sunset. But one thing is for sure, I inevitably come back to the real world fired up, stronger and reenergized.

So this is very heavy to unpack, but for the first time out loud I’m sharing that I’ve had some very dark thoughts and struggled to right my thoughts on numerous occasions.

I hid my emotions deep inside and had retreated more each year. I craved my alone time. While I loved hanging out with my friends, I found more joy in my own quiet moments. I always thought “am I alone I feeling this way? Damn, I’m so weak.”

So while on the outside, I have an amazing life, incredible “ride or dies” and family, experienced more than most, I still have to consciously calm those demons that plaque my dreams. It’s scary at times but I also now know that I have a higher purpose to help others go for their biggest aspirations and reap the benefits of adventure travel. And I can now identify the triggers, which is absolutely critical in avoiding the lowest of lows.

I am proof that mental health can affect anyone, so please don’t judge or blow it off as someone just wanting attention. It is real. Not everyone can right their own path, so be more compassionate. Opening up is so very hard, especially if you don’t know if someone will use it against you in the future. Just listen. Not to reply but to really connect and help.

So to end on a positive note….. I am most centered while conquering a mountain peak or trekking to a waterfall deep in the jungle. So I know there will always be a new destination waiting for me to explore, if I really need it!

I saw a quote recently that resonated deeper than any to date…. “People who have overcome darkness in their life typically have a fire inside them that is almost impossible to extinguish”. W. O. W. 🎯

I’m truly happier than I’ve ever been, eliminated all unnecessary drama, enjoy my own company, find joy in the small things & genuinely at peace.

My bucket list has literally saved my life and I am so very blessed to have found my passion!!! #destigmatize #selfawareness #bekind #therapy

Why not start day 1 of vacation rappelling into an underground wonderland? Let’s go!

To say I was excited for my Banff & Glacier national park adventure was an understatement. Eight years in the making, I had a very aggressive plan on paper and ready for 10 days of running on pure adrenaline and curiosity.

After getting very nervous on my late arriving 1st leg from Orlando to Denver (and of course being in the 3rd to last row), I broke into a dead on run to just barely squeak onto my connection as the doors shut to Calgary. Crisis #1 averted.

With an hour drive to the small town of Canmore, I quickly laid my head down for a few hours in the cheap, historic Canmore Hostel. Then it was an early rise to attack my first adventure of rappelling straight off the cliff deep into the Canmore Caves. Typical type 2 activity for me!

Our warmup was a moderate 40min hike just outside town & then we suited up in our helmets and harnesses. Our small group of 3 made us more nimble to navigate all the dark passageways, so we dove right in to a 16 story deep rappel. The crevices kept getting smaller & my normally calm anxiety started to rise.

It all came to a head when we had to shimmy down the “laundry chute”, which at first glance was virtually impossible to squeeze through. You had to position your body sideways, hold your helmet at a specific angle & suck everything in while lowering yourself straight down into the unknown for ~30ft without being able to see anything. It was a true test in faith & mind over matter, then when your feet hit the uneven bottom, you had to sit in a “L” shape & continue to scooch at an angle downwards again without having any visibility. Very trippy & I seriously doubted I would be able to finish it!

The endless tunnels were mind boggling & a fascinating labyrinth to play around in. I’m super proud of myself for powering through, but also super thankful this was a solo excursion……. as I’m fairly certain I would have lost a few friends this day!

I had no expectations setting out for a full day of trekking in Snow Canyon State Park, but I just felt it deep in bones pulling through the guard gate that it would be an epic day!

Surprisingly it was a holiday weekend, but I had the place to myself. I joyously explored first through the mysterious lava tubes & then ventured out to the sprawling red rock vistas. It was mesmerizing, giving me Sedona mixed with Zion National Park vibes. I meandered through varied terrains just in awe & even plopped down for a long lunch at the highest perch peering out over the entire valley. If I could just bottle that moment up…

But not to be outdone, I then opted to hit Jenny’s Canyon for an extra dose of adrenaline, as slot canyons are my second favorite natural phenomenon (only behind sunsets).

Ooh but there is more diversity, as I end-capped my 33k+ step day with a 3.4 mile climb through the wash up to the elusive Scout Cave & my favorite picture of the entire weekend. From high above, I looked down on all I had accomplished & knew it was a day that will be permanently etched in my core memory bank!

After staying in the concrete jungles of Beijing & Shanghai plus our emotionally heavy visit to Hiroshima, I was super excited for our day trip to the majestic Miyajima Island.

It was a quick ferry transit & we immediately got views of the infamous Torii Gate, which seems to be floating during high tide but allows revelers to walk up to its massive base during low tide.

Most of our group chose to partake in a traditional tea ceremony & calligraphy class, but I knew this was a day that needed to be celebrated outside by hiking to the top of Mt. Misen. It was a steady 2 mile climb with seemingly endless uneven stone steps. But I hadn’t a care in the world, so I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge.

En route, there were numerous traditional Japanese bridge crossings & temples to appreciate. I always try to find a lunch spot near the summit, so parked myself on the cliffside rock face & throughly enjoyed my peaceful perch high above.

I bounded down the mountain with limitless energy & end-capped the journey by trying some of the local street food & creating my own custom chopsticks. After 29K+ steps, I enjoyed the breeze & bench break on the return ferry before stepping up to the next challenge….. solo navigating the crazy public trains to head back to the city center without getting lost.

I’m happy to report a seamless trip & I even splurged to satisfy my tempura craving to end another awesome 15 hour adventure.