Some are born to play it safe & others are meant to be wild!

I had made the tough call to bypass the state of North Dakota on my original west road trip with my dad in Fall 2020 due to too much ground to cover just to hit the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. So when I planned a last minute northern trek to hit 7 of my last 10 states in early 2021, I had an aggressive route to attack.

After a 3.5 mile hike & then a full day of driving from Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota, I bee lined across the eastern state line taking advantage of the 75 mph speed limit and stretched my legs at a few spots I had researched prior. I toured the old missile silos of Oscar 0 & November 33, met Dakota Thunder (the biggest Buffalo in the world), walked in the footsteps of the Northern Plain Indians at the Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Park, caught a glimpse of the blood red sunset over the vast farmlands and barely made it to the cliff top site of Salem Sue by twilight.

Sue is the largest Holstein cow in the world at 38’ tall x 50’ long x 12k lbs. She was erected in 1974 at $40k to pay tribute to the local hard working dairy farmers. I was the sole visitor that got to witness the late horizon glow and revel in the quiet expanse below. Quirky….. yes. A once in a lifetime tourist stop…… absolutely!

And it got me thinking….. everyone follows their own path in life. Some steps are pre-determined, others just fall into place and most (I believe) you need to make happen. Where will your destiny take you today? Tomorrow? Next year?

Note to self, don’t just exist….live!

Stay wild & be amazing!! #staywild #beamazing #unpackourhearts #tellyourstory #salemsue #myjourney

One of my personal goals is to hike in every US National Park. Easier said than done, as quite a few are not accessible by car and very pricey. Nonetheless, I charge forward in my quest with relentless passion.

And if you open that challenge up to every recognized National Park Service location, that list is somewhat daunting to embark on (technically there are 423 official sites).

As of March 2022, I have ventured into 48 of our 63 National Parks and can’t get enough of the history over the last 150 years. Fun fact: the grand daddy of them all, Yellowstone, has the distinction of being proclaimed the first in the entire world back on March 1, 1872, while New River Gorge in southern West Virginia is the newest just ratified in December 2020.

As for National Monuments, Historic Parks and Preserves, I have eclipsed 90 visits along the journey as well. Each sliver of history is unique and worthy of more people experiencing these protected wonders.

I wish I had started sooner, but I have joined the bandwagon of tourists snapping a pic of every park sign adorning the entrances. It is almost like a right of passage and trying to come up with new, innovative poses to keep the photos interesting is always the ultimate challenge. Nonetheless, I am on the prowl for those unique signs that show the true character of a region.

From the obscure to the iconic, these national treasures are beckoning you to get off the couch, lace up your hiking boots, plan at the very least a long weekend getaway and purposefully get lost in the wonders of nature.

Ready for an adventure?!

Settle in for an 8 mile drive on a dirt and gravel road taking 30 mins to spot the trailhead parking lot. I was fortunate it was a dry week, so my little rented Versa survived. And since I didn’t know if I would succumb to the sand, I paid for the daily pass at the on-site kiosk and took off for a 3 hour trek into the unknown.

Following the natural winding wash, the trail meandered along for over a mile until the towering walls started to close in and the real adventure could begin.

The first steps entering the colorful labyrinth are adrenaline infused. Every curve is awe inspiring and you can’t wait to dive in further. There are a few obstacles to squeeze past and jump over prior to reaching the infamous stairs. I am fortunate on this mild winter day to have the canyon to myself and can’t lie that I scaled the ladder a few times just because I could!

After many more surprises, the canyon finally opens up into a massive “T” where you have the choice to continue forging along into Buckskin Gulch, which is the longest and deepest slot canyon in the world at 13 miles.

I veered off right as many fellow travelers had recommended. I jumped around on small boulders to try to bypass the puddles of water for another .5 mile, but the passage eventually become impassable without diving in waist deep. So I opted to turn around and continue for another mile in the opposite direction.

Before heading back up the canyon, I happily plopped down on a washed up log to enjoy my backpack lunch of cheezits, a banana and an uncrustable PB&J amongst the gorgeous canyon walls.

What a tremendous experience totally immersed in nature’s beauty and never wanting the day to end!

What could ever top flying over the Napali coast of Kauai? Seriously, it was that mind blowing!

Well…. drive the winding backroads on the remote western coast of Kauai passing through the impressive Waimea State Park until it dead ends into Kokee State Park. Enjoy the overlooks for a few minutes with all the other curious tourists, lace up your hiking boots, find the small cut out fence off to the left and brace yourself for an unforgettable couple of hours ahead.

The Kalepa Ridge trek is 1.9 miles of adrenaline infused fun following the craziest cliff sides I’ve ever experienced. The single track is never too dangerous but anyone remotely scared of heights would be paralyzed by the sheer drop offs accompanying every footstep. Any recent rains make the trek slippery and slows your progress significantly. It is equally exhilarating and terrifying…. begging you to keep going!

After a few false summits, you can finally visualize the last peak as it towers over the pristine Napali coastline far below. I’m not sure how long I enjoyed that pinnacle but it was truly sensational.

My smile is bigger than I ever remember. It is one of those moments in life that you feel on top of the world and invincible.

The trek to rejoin civilization is inevitable and a choice – retrace the same harrowing ridge line or follow the fence line for a straight shot without all the tension. As I typically prefer enjoying multiple, mid length hikes per day, I opted for the later and had an extra pep in my step the rest of the day!

I am not easily “wowed”, even though I do appreciate many of mother nature’s miracles.

Helicopters are not really my thing (Nepal/Everest flashbacks), so when I found the only biplane certified to fly over the Napali Coast I knew this was my big adventure ticket while visiting the gorgeous island of Kauai. (And the price tag surprisingly didn’t break my already dwindling savings account)

With only 6 seats, everyone was guaranteed a window view and our navigator was a very enthusiastic retired commercial airline pilot. The next 90 minutes we soared over landscapes out of a fairytale, as picture perfect as you could ever imagine with ridges carved out by thousands of years of erosion. My eyes were peeled for waterfalls cascading over cliff sides from recent rains, as the center of the island is one of the wettest regions in the entire world.

As we finally reached the edge of the island and followed the stunning coastline, we spotted migrating whales and numerous surfers waiting for the perfect wave. And the cobalt blue waters were jaw dropping.

Besides a little bit of motion sickness sinking in, I really didn’t want the ride to end. Up amongst the clouds, all my everyday worries faded away and I could really appreciate my surroundings from a whole new perspective.

This was definitely a once in a lifetime ride and will be hard to top.

To date, I’ve ventured into the big blue 36 times and each one is very unique. You never know what sea life and forces of nature are waiting for you to explore.

During my gap year of adventure, I was already getting sad at the thought of my 10 month whirlwind rapidly coming to an end. So when we had a free afternoon along the coast of Turkey, three of my fellow travelers and I jumped at the opportunity to join a local dive boat in the cute town of Kas. And for only $70 for a two tank dive, which is a steal, we were ready to escape the scorching mid June European heat wave too.

After a safety briefing and signing our lives away, we were split into buddies and began the arduous processes of getting our equipment ready. Without question, donning a 5mm wetsuit is the worst part of any water experience. But it’s a means to an end, and we quickly anchor at our first site.

My buddy and I were already certified divers and jump off first into the aqua blue waters. He unfortunately had issues equalizing his ears, so we ventured onward on my own private 42 min tour. While the sea life was sparse and the reefs were almost colorless, I always enjoy the quiet expanse of the underworld and the rhythm of just breathing.

I always have a story and my day ahead was filled with a double whammy…….

As I was pulling myself back up onto the boat with the extremely heavy gear, my right foot slipped on the top rung and I plunged back down into the sea below. And of course I slammed into every rung along the way with my left toes and shin. OUCH!

After shaking it off and thankfully not drawing any blood, we fire up the engine for the short sail to our next spot. My buddy again can’t clear his ears, so he hands me his GoPro to capture footage of the wreck below. As we descend, my instructor takes the camera off of my wrist strap to shoot some video of me. I don’t remember getting the camera back, but in the first 10 mins of the dive a light bulb ignited in my head and sheer panic ensues. I hand sign while 30’ below deck that I lost the camera and want to abandon the dive, but he points ahead and we continue on for another painful 34 mins. Needless to say, that dive is a blur as I find tears pooling up in my mask. I can always replace a camera but I have no idea how many priceless pictures have been lost or how my new friend will handle his camera being lost at sea.

Back aboard, I share the bad news and two of the instructors swim off to see if they can find it bobbing in the swift current (the casing does float) or stuck amongst the rocky alcoves. I see nothing but wide open ocean and know it is a long shot to find. However…… my dive instructor then pops his head around the corner with a big smile on his face and all peace is restored once again!!

Mental note for future adventures: attach all items to my life jacket/BCD!

At 10,023 feet, the summit at Haleakala National Park is a must do when visiting the island of Maui.

The silence is inspiring.

The crunch of the volcanic ash beneath your dust caked hiking boots is deafening, in a crazy, cool way.

If you dare, take a portion of the Sliding Sands trail down into the belly of the crater. The lonely silhouette of a line leads into the vast emptiness beyond the furthest dormant cinder cones you can visualize.

The trek back uphill isn’t THAT bad when you just keep thinking one foot in front of the other, and the pleasant surprise of your ears popping as you very slowly ascend.

And if you time it just right in the late afternoon, you can witness another miracle nightly. Sunset is a spectacle with everyone flocking up the mountainside to breathe in the unspoiled beauty of another day setting below. Between the chill of the air and the anticipation of the fireball eclipsing the horizon, it’s one of those moments stuck in your head that can never be replaced or forgotten. That sunset glow….. just WOW!

A tropical adventure haven.

My first visit was a group multi sport trip of hiking, rafting, biking and multiple addons. We rode a 4×4 to an isolated farm to start our trek into the jungle, where we only brought what we could carry on our backs. True roughing it. We hiked through mud deep into the unknown to a quaint country shack overlooking the local active volcano. We slept in hammocks amongst the stars and it was glorious. We had homemade breakfast waiting for us every morning (made in the outdoor kitchen by the home owner) and then took off in a different direction each of the next 3 days to explore waterfalls and find exotic wilderness creatures.

Then we were off to white water raft the local rapids to reach our next hidden cliff top jungle cabins – so dreamy! Fresh fruits from the jungle were plentiful & we relaxed in our own hammocks without a care in the world. Our water adventure wasn’t so pleasant as my boat didn’t want to paddle which made the low waters hard to navigate without getting stuck frequently. At least we can laugh about it now!

We also hit the tourist Arenal Volcano area for biking and zip lining. That zip line exposed me to the Tarzan swing – basically a free fall the first 25 feet then you are literally swing out over the lush jungle. And I know your thinking do people actually beat their chest and yelp? Ahhhh yep. Surreal!

My second trip to this hidden gem was a last minute decision (seriously booked it and left 24 hours later) during the summer. I got whisked away via a boat to a lodge deep in the canals that was paradise.

I had my own log cabin overlooking the ocean and falling asleep to the crashing waves. We took a speed boat to visit the local floating cities, hiked the local trails, kayaked, ran on the beach, sipped on frilly drinks, swam in the turtle shaped pool, played board games until the wee hours of the morning and had no connection to the real world for 5 glorious days.

And I might have been the guinea pig to test that a massive spider walking on my face wouldn’t actually kill me – terrifying experience! 🕷

When I travel to Central America or South America, I typically use GAdventures to plan all the details as they do a great job sourcing local guides and finding quaint lodging that you would never be able to find on your own.

But I did venture out to another company for this trip. It was a little slower paced and I thoroughly enjoyed a different type of adventure. We sailed into the Caribbean on a small skipper, walked across country borders, hiked into the jungle to find ancient ruins, stayed in log cabins on an island paradise and indulged in local cuisine.

Scaling old ruins and temples was fascinating and totally enthralling. I could never tire of walking the steps of history and imaging life in primitive times. I was always the last to come back down and join the group, but I didn’t care….. I was just having too much fun.

I remember learning “less is more” upon our arrival onto the quaint island of Caye Caulker, where there are no cars and everyone was responsible for carrying their own bags. I could run around the outskirts of the island twice on my daily jaunt and loved being completely disconnected with the real world. We would spend the evenings jumping off the old watering hole and taking in spectacular sunsets. Ahhh to go back…… and not to forget on our way back to our little hole in the wall accommodations, the loose electrical wiring actually caught fire so we enjoyed a scorching summer night without AC, fans or lighting. I really can’t make this kinda stuff up!

Traveling in itself is the adventure. Be ready for anything and just let others happen. 🇧🇿 🇬🇹 🇭🇳

My story joining the “Happiest place on Earth” cast:

After graduating and coaching basketball for 2 years at my alma mater, I made the huge leap to start over in Orlando, FL. I wanted to go where no one knew me and see what I could make of it.

Over Spring Break in 1998, I visited my newlywed friends Alanda & Wayne who had moved to “The City Beautiful”. I was offered 2 jobs on the spot – #1 was an administrative assistant at a construction company & #2 was a hospitality hostess at either the All-Sports Resort or the Polynesian Resort. I returned to Lenoir-Rhyne College to pack up my minimum belongings and moved a week later.

Being a Disney nut, the choice was obvious even though it started at minimum wage with a college education. And everyone would think I picked the sporty option, as I was known as the jock. But remember, no one knew that persona in sunny FL, so I shocked my friends when I showed up to the upscale “Poly” having to don a lavender blazer, flowery bow tie & tan long skirt. Being that I got hired in the start of summer, I was dripping every day walking into work from the cast parking lot far, far away.

After intense Disney training known as Traditions, I got thrown into the craziness of the #1 vacation destination in the world. I picked up every overtime shift available and learned all the front desk roles in no time. With no seniority, I actually chose to take on the 3rd shift night auditor to somehow use my math degree and get 3 days off a week (4 overnight shifts * 10 hrs = more time to explore FL). And I loved being the courier/runner because I got to take & pick up deliveries to all different places on property, so I learned all the roads and secret entrances.

I’ll never forget my favorite part of the overnight shift was folding all the departing guests bills and then having to run around the resort delivering them by kicking them under doors. I made it a big game and had my own routes where I would try to beat my times nightly. I got so good at it that we would have time to watch 2 movies upon my return and prior to our morning counterparts arriving. Ahhhhh, the good ol’ days. And that was when I knew that I could and wanted to do more.

I also picked up a second job at the Central FL YMCA as a membership rep, which also led to being an after school counselor & an aquatics lifeguard supervisor for a summer. I slept when I could, but in your early 20s, I had boundless energy anyways.

After 8 months, I started getting antsy and I put all my efforts into volunteering at the newly opened Disney’s Wide World of Sports. I knew I had found my calling – sports & Disney in the same sentence was my definition of the perfect role. My first few events I helped at track and field meets, plus the elite Clay Court Tennis Championships. Being that I was the youngest volunteer by like 25 years, I won the coveted spot on center court sweeping lines for the pros like Michael Chang & Jim Courier. That was my ticket. I learned the operations, met the leaders and was picked up immediately, as I knew they would have to expand and hire to grow this new concept.

15 years later……. ✨ ✨✨