Category: National Parks

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Traveling the North Carolina Coast in February

The classic way to start a last minute trip, saying out loud: I need to get out of Dodge. I haven’t traveled much since September and the last four months have been about work, fostering dogs, stress about the shelter, and a failed dog adoption. I suffered from general unease, stress, and just wanted to see my mom.

The original trip plan, concocted while trying to fall asleep on Friday night: head to the Outer Banks, head north to Ocean City, head north to Rye, NH to surprise my parents, head north to Gorham to be in the White Mountains, head west to Killington to see a place I lived, head west to Lake Placid then head back to Tennessee. 

All these places were on my Grand Plan To Go See Places list.

On Friday, I requested the following week off from work. It was approved and Saturday I woke up to more trip planning and making my first hotel reservation. Then, I started seeing weather and news reports of a Nor’Easter heading to the northeast with blizzard conditions. After reading updates for hours and watching webcams for even more hours, I realized that I needed a Plan B, and couldn’t go north. However, I could go east to the North Carolina coast and spend time in the Outer Banks, which I’d never been to, and visit other seacoast towns near it. 

Going on the road with two anxious dogs sounded terrible, but I needed to get away and didn’t  want to kennel them. They are road tripping to the seacoast with me. 

I booked a cottage in Nags Head and on Sunday morning, along with my two reactive, crazy dogs, I drove to the ocean. The drive was long – 9 hours with several stops for bathroom breaks and dog walks. Chet panted with anxiety for the first two hours but I think he finally got it, we were going to be on the road for awhile. Rain and wind were constant throughout the final four hours of the drive. When we finally crossed about three or four bridges, where I thought I might die if the wind gusts blew me off, we arrived in Nags Head and the rental cottage.  As promised, it was right across the street from the OCEAN ! 

The wind continued and the ocean was angry. As I crossed the street and walkway over the dunes, there it was. The waves were huge and the ocean was loud. The wind was whipping about 20 mph. As I walked back to the cottage the sunset to the west was pink and beautiful. Since I didn’t want to get back in the car and I was unfamiliar with the place, I ordered pizza delivery, which I typically don’t do – I’m more of an order and pick up kind of gal. 

The dogs relaxed. I ate pizza and started to plan for the next day. 

I walked back over to the ocean and walked the dogs for a bit. The wind was going to continue to be an issue but at least the rain stopped. I turned on the TV to watch the news and weather reports.

I woke up and walked on the beach with and without dogs. I loved being at the water’s edge and listening to the sound of the ocean. 

We drove around Nags Head and out to Kill Devil Hills and Kitty Hawk. All these place names I’ve only heard and read about and I’m actually here. I stopped to get breakfast and continued the tour of the Outer Banks. We parked at several different public beach access points and piers and I took it all in.  

Next stop Cape Hatteras National Seashore. As I enter the National Park and Route 12, there were runners and walkers with hiking poles. I wondered how far they are going. They all wore  ultra packs and were bundled up against the wind and sun. 

The first stop was the Bodie Island Light Station:

We continued out to Rodanthe.

We walked along many of the beaches. I just took it all in. 

We drove back to the cottage to relax and I figured out the next two days. I decided on a house one block from the ocean in Surf City, NC. The Surf City I knew is in Huntington Beach, California, known as “Surf City USA”. I ran the Surf City USA Marathon in 2015. It was fun to see the real town in North Carolina named Surf City. 

This was the view from the rental house in the morning:

The beach city was exactly what I hoped for: low-key, not many people, beautiful beaches, and more bridges to cross and stress about. I was pleasantly surprised to see no people on the beach in the morning and evenings. There were very few people in homes near me. I loved it! No one for my dogs to bark at. February in Surf City is a dream. However, it would’ve been great to swim in the ocean, one of my favorite things to do, but it was February. 

The next day I drove south to Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach, and Carolina Beach. The highway to get there was named after Michael Jordan who grew up in Wilmington and played basketball at the University of North Carolina. I really wanted to see Wilmington downtown since the Dawson’s Creek tv show was filmed there; I’m a big fan of the show. Also, One Tree Hill was filmed there, also a big fan of the show. The beaches were busier here since it was so close to a big city. I didn’t stay long but stopped at a few beaches and a pier.

I couldn’t wait to get back to Surf City and just walk on the beach and relax. There are no high rise hotels like at Carolina Beach. All the homes in Surf City are painted in different pastel colors and give such a relaxing vibe. Back at the rental house I could hear the constant roar of the ocean. It was never quiet. The wind was still fierce and the ocean still mad, but I loved it here. 

I was never much into the beach or ocean after moving away from New Hampshire in my 30s. I always said “I’m a mountain girl.” All my travels had been to mountains to ski, hike, run and explore. After driving over 1,400 miles in five days I’m in love with the ocean; the ocean of my youth and teenage years.

My history is the beach. As a kid my family spent a few summers in Ocean City. We lived on Lake Champlain growing up in Plattsburgh, New York. As a kid we were always in the water whether it was a lake or ocean. My family moved to Rye, NH in 1985 and we lived one mile from the ocean. I loved swimming in the cold, New Hampshire ocean water. I walked, biked and ran the roads near the ocean in my teens. I really just took it for granted all those years. I never learned much about oceans and its critters. 

Now I want to learn everything about ocean and sea life. I can’t wait to go back to the North Carolina coast. 

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2025 A Year in Review

This year was definitely a new year for me, like nothing prior. I didn’t race but had some fun adventures in the mountains all while visiting six states. Some work trips brought me to different places but the trips I want to remember challenged me. And this is why I write – to remember the challenges and know I can finish what I start; most times. 

February kicked things off in Philadelphia, a work trip that took place the week before the Eagles won the Super Bowl. The city turned their buildings green and it was fun to walk around reading cheer signs for the team.  

Later, a trip to finally see Monument Valley in Arizona. I’ve been so close to the area but never turned onto the road to see the monuments. I want to go back again and see more.

Read full blog post here. 

In March, I stayed closer to home and took a weekend road trip to Boone, Grandfather Mountain, and Blowing Rock with Winnie. It was a low-key adventure with my old dog Winnie who passed away a few months later.  

May was a tough month with Winnie gone, getting new floors installed in my house which created chaos, and work problems. Not a great month. However, June was my planned trip to Colorado for a mountain adventure. While I didn’t run the race i signed up for, I went to Rocky Mountain National Park to re-hike a mountain from my 1988 trip.

Leadville calls me – every year. I missed the mark most years she called, but I finally experienced Hope Pass and a big challenge that has been on my mind.

August I went home to New Hampshire to spend time with Mom, Dad, and Jason. A few weeks later headed to music-filled Nashville with my friend Missy to see Alison Krauss, catch a baseball game, and soak up the city’s energy on Broadway.

September I spent a few days in Cherokee, NC for work and rafting on the Nantahala River with colleagues. Then up to Kingsport for the Tennessee Hospitality Conference; two places I’ve never spend time in.

But the most symbolic moment came shortly after. Finally made it to Bismarck, North Dakota, where I reached a big goal: visiting all 50 states. It wasn’t just this place; it was the completion of an important part of goal setting and challenges – taking the plunge and going to new places, even when I was scared. 

Looking back on the year, I’m not sure how I feel about it all. It has been a tumultuous year for our country and I read too much news. Despite it all, I did some things, I saw some things, walked and fostered shelter dogs, and tried to be a good person.

Baby Face
River
Cindi
Holly

I want to remember this year and writing this blog helps me reflect because it all seems so long ago and I forget a lot. I did accomplish one big goal – seeing all the states. It feels similar to finishing all the 4,000 footers in NH list. I have so many lists and I have so much to look forward to. 

There is a lot of improvement and goals and dreams for me in 2026. I have no travel plans as of today. No flights or hotels booked. Nothing.

Thanks for reading and following along.

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Fall Books I’m Reading – This Contested Land by Long

It’s always this time of year I want to go back to school to get my masters or to learn new skills. I think to myself, I have enough money to go back to school, but then reality hits, and for tens of thousands of dollars I think I want to travel or put in a new kitchen … Maybe, let’s see what next fall brings. 

In the meantime, I’m in full on reading mode because it’s how I learn; and books always make me want to travel.

Last week I was looking through the pile of book and journals next to my sofa, and I started reading a journal that I subscribe to: Western American Literature, a Journal of Literary, Cultural, and Place Studies. The edition was from last Winter but I don’t think I ever read it. I started reading it and got to the book review section and started reading a review of This Contested Land written by McKenzie Long. As I read, I’m underlining and highlighting. 

The reviewer, Talley V. Kayser wrote, “using her own outdoor adventures to frame meditations on the histories, presents, and futures of national monuments in the United States.” I’m intrigued. I keep reading. A quote from Long states: “Monuments are quintessentially American. After all, what is more American than disagreements over the scope of governmental powers.”

Note: National parks are protected due to their scenic, inspirational, education, and recreational value. National monuments have objects of historical, cultural, and/or scientific interest. And, most importantly: Congress designates national parks; presidential proclamations establish national monuments, thus the scope of government powers quote above.

Kayser wrote “Long emphasizes the relations (from romantic affairs to family ties) that shape and sustain her journeys.”

After reading the review, I immediately searched for the book online and bought it through the Glacier National Park Conservancy. 

When the book arrived I couldn’t put down.  All weekend I worked around reading this book. I enjoyed Long’s writing perspective; an outdoor adventurer telling her personal story with a backdrop of the these 12 national monuments. The writing is crisp and clear; I am taken to each place. I write comments in the margins of my book, and highlight key phrases. I write about how I need to get more involved where I live and advocate for the issues I care about: public lands, clean water, clean air, biodiversity, recreation and conservation.

I’m just thrilled to get back into reading and learning more about the world. I’ll write a full review of each book as soon as I finish. I would love to hear your comments. 

And, I don’t read one book at a time when I’m back on a reading bender. I read several. Here’s what I’ve been reading.

America for Americans; A History of Xenophobia in the United States 

and 

The 12-Week MBA.

ABL – Always be Learning

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Bismarck North Dakota, Theodore Roosevelt National Park

I’ve been planning this trip for two years and finally made it to North Dakota and Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

I can now say, I’ve been to every US state. 

Last year I canceled this trip because Hurricane Helene hit my area and I was too afraid to leave. (Read: leave my dogs at a kennel that could be impacted; it wasn’t but I didn’t want to risk it.)

On Thursday, September 18 I finally arrived in North Dakota; on schedule and as planned. My hotel was a bit dated and my room smelled, but an ideal location – close to the airport and walking distance to restaurants. I arrived at midnight which was not ideal, but it was the plan, since the day before I was at a conference.

On Friday morning I slept in a bit and then headed west to Theodore Roosevelt National Park and the South Unit. The drive was all interstate and easy.

I stopped at the Visitor Center and watch the introductory movie. The themes of this park were about extremes. It was the extremes in the land that created this remarkable landscape. These are the Badlands, not to be confused with Badlands National Park. 

Badlands are dry land with sedimentary rocks and clay-type soils that have been extensively eroded producing ravines, buttes, and hoodoos. I read an interesting sign about buttes. They are NOT mountains but created from erosion. 

I loved listening to Roosevelt’s story, North Dakota and the wilderness changed and inspired him. I knew his story from reading Gessner’s book but loved hearing it again. “The rugged landscape and strenuous life that [he] experienced here would help shape a conservation policy that we still benefit from today.”

I drove the Scenic Drive, and stopped at scenic overlooks and hiked from two of the  trailheads. The entire loop wasn’t open so I drove what was. I saw bison and prairie dogs. While hiking on Upper Paddock/Talkington Loop I talked to a couple who were taking pictures of the prairie dogs. I continued for a mile and then turned around. I saw people on horseback in the distance and started to wonder if I would encounter any wildlife. I started to get nervous. As I hiked back I saw the couple again and they showed me a video they took of a coyote. I was in the video – it ran behind me to hunt prairie dogs, and I wasn’t even aware of it. WOW! She sent me the video but it was very blurry but I could see it run behind me and was so glad I didn’t see it. 

I stopped for lunch in Medora – Boots Bar and Grill.

Then I stopped at the Painted Canyon Visitor Center for a final hike. The hike went down into the canyon on a nature trail. 

I took my obligatory selfie in front the the national park sign.

Then drove back to Bismarck and had dinner downtown. I walked around the city and then headed back to the hotel. 

North Dakota is in the exact center of North America, which is a perfect way to end my quest to see every state in the US. 

I still have so many lists and so adventures I want to experience. There is so much to see and do.

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North Rim Lodge is Gone Forever

The historic Grand Canyon Lodge burned down. The lodge was consumed by a wildfire on Monday, July 14 and a fire still burns on the Kaibab Plateau as I write this. 

Here’s a webcam from Kolb Studio at the South Rim looking north.

For me, this wildfire event is a reminder not to postpone my list. A List. Your List. The things-you-want-to-do-before-you-die list. 

The list is now a things-to-see-before-they-disappear list.

Staying at this lodge was on my list; but not on my current list. 

Here is a stock image of the lodge. I missed seeing this amazing place. I missed staying at this lodge.

Running the Rim-To-Rim (R2R) in a day was on my list (and staying at this lodge the night before), but not on my current list mainly because I haven’t been running or trail running as much lately – I’ve been in a running rut. It was POSTPONED.

If there are places I want to visit, things I want to see, I can’t put it off. 

Our world is changing and things are disappearing. 

I wish I had made it there. 

There are places that are so special in our nation’s history: historic lodges and hotels in our National Parks are big in my book. These are my favorite places. I was so happy to go stay at the Glacier Park Hotel in 2024 after staying close to it on my trip through National Parks in 1988. 

I don’t want to say I missed that opportunity to go see something special. I’m working on my NEW list and here is a start, these are the places I want to see before they disappear: 

  • Hike Gunsight Pass in Glacier National Park and see Jackson Glacier up close. (2026)
  • Hike Mount Washburn in Yellowstone (2026)
  • Hike Mount Whitney
  • R2R
  • Vsit National Parks in the Northwest – I’ve never been to any of them. Yosemite (2027)
  • Stay at Fairmont Banff Springs hotel, even when I can’t afford it. 
  • Another Presidential Traverse
  • Another one-day Pemi Loop
  • Hike Saguaro National Park – just keep going back and seeing more of the desert.

I am eager to see the world, I’m insatiably curious. I’m pretty fit and just love a good plan. 

Carpe Diem, man.

And, if you made it this far, not to be dramatic or anything – my thoughts go right to this movie, One Week. I’ve watched it at least 10 times and watching it forces me to remember to ask the questions. You know the questions.