Posts Tagged ‘United States’

solo hike to havasupai

June 19th, 2026 by Tierney Farrell

The big camera couldn’t make the trip because of the weight, so welcome to the FIRST FULLY IPHONE BLOG!

The hike to Havasupai in Arizona is one I’ve wanted to do for a while. I was taking off a month from work (a luxury of freelancing) and figured that rather than waiting for the stars to align for someone else to go with, I’d just go by myself during that free month. So I planned the whole thing pretty last second. While I have camped before with friends who knew what they were doing, I’ve never led the charge myself, much less done it alone. So I went to REI and just asked a bunch of questions, bought some stuff, watched a couple YouTube videos and just went.

The whole process of getting there leading up to the start of the hike honestly sucked and made me wonder what the heck I was doing there. I flew into Vegas and drove about 3 hours to Arizona to a little motel in the middle of nowhere. This motel is where you checked in with the tribe for the hike. My timing must have been weird because I didn’t really see anyone else there, which was spooky. That night I prepped my backpacking bag and realized it was WAY too heavy once the water was in there, so had to take out any little thing that was not essential and leave it in the car. My bag still ended up being close to 30lbs I would guess, which felt like a bag of concrete. One of the drawbacks of going alone is that you can’t split carrying gear that you both could share, you gotta carry it all. This meant I had to leave my big camera in the car, which made me sad, but deep down I was relieved and ended up not regretting it.

The morning of the hike I woke up at around 2:30am and drove to the trailhead. This was the eeriest part of the whole experience. You have to drive down this country road that is about 1.5 hrs in the dark with tons of wildlife constantly darting out in the road. For an hour I saw two cars, but out of nowhere there were 6 cars right behind me when I was pulling up to the trailhead parking lot. I was anxious about finding a parking spot close enough (you could end up parking a mile away from the trailhead if no spots). I also wanted to find a group to hike along with since I didn’t know what to expect yet. A prayer was answered because I found a spot in the main lot right next to a lovely family who greeted me when I parked and got out of the car. I ended up hiking with them but split maybe 1.5-2 hrs in when it was light out and there were now lots of people on the trail.

The trail itself wasn’t so bad on its own — the challenge is doing it with the super heavy pack for 10 miles up and down switchbacks (2500 feet elevation change). I ended up getting a great campsite pretty close to the front of the campground. While I was there I chilled more than I normally do. I ended up just doing Havasu Falls and Mooney Falls, and walked towards Beaver Falls but never made it all the way there. I was more focused on swimming at the waterfalls or random spots in the creek vs always being on the go. If I went back, I would go to Beaver Falls though. I also enjoyed being around the campsite as you can still go in the creek at some parts. I’m convinced that Havasu Creek and the waterfalls are the greatest natural swimming places ever.

The day I hiked out, I woke up at 12:30am to pack up my tent. I went to the front of the campsite by 1am and sat in the dark with the bats waiting for a group. With zero light pollution, the stars were extraordinary. Around 2am a group passed by and it ended up being the same family from a few days ago! They were the absolute best and I felt so lucky. We ended up getting a little lost in the village a couple times because the trails weren’t totally clear in the dark. With that said, I would NOT recommend doing this hike alone in the dark as it would have been super sketchy ending up down the wrong road alone at that hour.

Overall, it was a glorious adventure and I’m so happy I did it. The thought of going alone was more intimidating than it actually was. I never felt isolated or alone once I started the hike itself, and I never felt unsafe at the campsite. The hiking community is the best and I met lots of real nice, like-minded people every day. If I went back though, I’d probably rather go with someone. I usually am sad to leave places and want to linger, but this time I was so preoccupied with finding a group to hike out with that I wasn’t thinking about relaxing more. In the summer, you have to leave ass early to hike out because getting caught in the day’s heat is brutal at best, lethal at worst.

If you do go, remember to leave no trace, this means packing out 100% of the trash you use while there, don’t leave anything behind, don’t take anything from nature, and stay on the trails so you don’t damage the environment. And make sure you pack only what you can confidently carry in and out. I did not use the mules or helicopter but some people did. I personally feel bad for the mules so would not want them to have to carry my stuff. Havasupai is an Indian Reservation so it’s important to be very respectful of the environment and their home – it’s our privilege to visit to witness this beauty, so people should be highly respectful and conscientious.

Yes my headlamp is upside down

The desert sun

March 28th, 2025 by Tierney Farrell

The dry bake of the heat, soft purple hues of dusk, cold nights, howling wind across the wide open land, a giant clear sky of stars, slow and quiet, Gambel’s Quail calls, coyote tracks, tequila, the chirpy greeting of a hummingbird, dusty shoes, the prick of a cactus spine, lizards sunbathing in bliss, bumpy dirt roads, straw sun hats, loose clothing, Native American history, handmade pottery and art. The desert is one of my muses. Although my heart was formed way out here in the lush green humidity of North Carolina, the desert light still managed to pierce through. It’s an extreme place, but it captures and inspires me in a unique way. Suddenly I’m an artist again. My creativity is awake. A healthy rawness exposed from underneath the too-fat corporate sludge.

I’ll admit I haven’t met a scorpion or a rattlesnake, or spent a whole summer in that exposed heat to know for sure just how much I’d miss creeks, trees and the smell of freshly cut grass. I know I would. That’s one of the torments of my being, missing something all the time because I love a lot. But I sure do miss the raw wild of the desert when I’m here. I miss a part of myself in a weird way. That flickering flame. As my mom says, “Life is a series of tradeoffs.”

“Am I in heaven or did I just fly into Palm Springs International Airport?”. We started by visiting Palm Springs, which undoubtedly has the coolest airport I have ever been to. It’s essentially an outdoor mall and it’s glorious. Feeling low humidity on my skin always sends me to bliss. The flight landing into Palm Springs was beautiful with mountains plopped all around. I think I expected flat and brown, but nope. While Palm Springs the town wasn’t totally our vibe (a bit too flashy tourist commercial stuff), we loved our place at Korakia and spent a lot of our time lounging there. We did step out and visit a really sweet and beautiful cactus garden, saw a few gorgeous desert tortoises, and a Native American museum.

We originally were going to go to Death Valley in between Palm Springs and Joshua Tree, but changed our minds while landing on the plane to go to Laguna Beach. We didn’t want to make such a long drive for just a couple days there. Laguna Beach was fun and we enjoyed it a lot, but it was cloudy and cold so we didn’t get as much beach time as we envisioned. Zamie also spent a whole day throwing up. I didn’t realize that southern California was so often gloomy and foggy. “May gray” and “June gloom” as they call it. I still love it though!

Joshua Tree was our favorite overall. It’s kind of a weird place in comparison to most of what we’re used to. But when we look close enough, we absolutely love it. And it offers something that other safer places can’t. That’s what caught our attention.

If the desert is holy, it is because it is a forgotten place that allows us to remember the sacred. Perhaps that is why every pilgrimage to the desert is a pilgrimage to the self. There is no place to hide and so we are found.

Terry Tempest Williams

Highlights:  Palm Springs Cactus Garden, Joshua Tree National Park, Hidden Valley Trail in the park, Pioneertown, Shopping – Hoof & The Horn, Acme 5, Coyote Corner, Soukie Modern (Pioneertown), Hanging at Korakia pool and the Joshua Tree house and listening to quail and seeing coyotes!

Where we stayed (and would stay again): Korakia Pensione(Palm Springs), Hacienda by The Joshua Tree House (Joshua Tree), Casa Laguna(Laguna Beach)

Fav Food Spots in Joshua Tree: Kitchen in the Desert, Más o Menos, The Copper Room, Luna Sourdough, Frontier Cafe, Pappy & Harriet’s (Pioneertown)

Playlist (by The Joshua Tree House)

Sea to Sequoias

October 21st, 2024 by Tierney Farrell

This adventure with mom was inspired by her mom, my Yiayia. Wow, did we all love Yiayia! She was the sweetest, warmest, and gentlest soul who shaped so many of my earliest memories. When I think of her, I instantly smile and feel warm and calm. Yiayia always had that special place in my heart and always got my best love, which often meant piling blankets on her and surrounding her with my favorite stuffed animals. Stepping into her home meant smelling something warm and delicious in the oven, Pete Sampras or Lawrence Welk on TV, hugging her small body which stopped below my chin, and sometimes hearing her yell at Pappou in Greek through her teeth, haha. She had a funny sassy side – most notably during card games, when our focused silence would be broken the moment she knew she was about to beat us all. In our weary defeat, she’d laugh uncontrollably til red in the face while slamming each winning card down, and we loved it because she was just our cute little Yiayia in her fuzzy orange nightgown, slippers and big glasses.

Before moving out east where our family has now been for decades, Yiayia grew up in San Francisco and would tell my mom stories about the gigantic trees she would see in California. Being a nature lover all her life, my mom was always fascinated by the stories of these enormous trees, so big that you could drive a car through them. So this year we set out to see them for ourselves. We started in the bay area and saw coastal redwoods at Muir Woods National Monument and down through the Big Sur area. The coastline was beautifully dramatic and foggy, but it eventually dissipated just enough to see its striking clear beauty. Don’t be bummed if you see fog though, it provides a lot of the water that the redwoods need! I’d even consider it a blessing.

Yiayia honeymooned in the early 50’s in Carmel-by-the-Sea, so that was another Yiayia-inspired visit for us. According to locals, the storybook charm of Carmel has hardly changed in many decades. There are no street lights or commercial stores/restaurants. For perspective, the latest woe of the town is that there will now be resident mailboxes vs one community post office, so now mail and delivery trucks will be chugging around the quiet streets (I agree, that does sound like a downgrade). We adored Carmel and wondered where Yiayia might have stayed or stepped. Did she walk on this exact beach or see this exact building? What was her experience like? We’ll never know, but I like to imagine we shared something with her there.

After a few days of turquoise water, rocky coast and small town bliss, we crossed the state over to Sequoia National Park & Kings Canyon National Park. After passing through hours of flat farmland, the mountain roads leading up to our hotel were unexpectedly twisty and cliffy, so fair warning there. The two parks are adjacent to each other but have very different landscapes, both absolutely stunning. Our favorite part was hiking through the Giant Forest, a place you could spend several days alone. Here you’ll find General Sherman, the largest tree (and living organism) in the world by volume, and countless other massive sequoia trees around 1,000 to 2,000 years old, even some known to be over 3,000 years old – what?! We spent the better part of two days hiking through various trails in the Giant Forest.

We spent one day in Kings Canyon National Park, and most of it was just driving, that alone took about 3-4 hours there and back. We didn’t see a lot of people, so we opted to not hike alone in what felt like wilderness, mostly because there’s always that chance of bears. We did a couple of short walks that took about 30 minutes total, and they were beautiful. The drive alone was an experience, definitely twisty and cliffy roads, but it was gorgeous and you can take your time stopping.

I think the standout from this trip will be the redwoods and sequoias. I have such a deep appreciation for them, not just because of their age and size, but all they do for the environment, and how they are able to survive through it all. I felt thankful to be in their presence and share a space for a moment in time, all alongside my mama!

MAP OF TRIP

Highlights:  Sausalito, Muir Woods National Monument, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Big Sur, Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, McWay Falls, Pfeiffer Beach, 17 Mile Drive in Carmel, Carmel Mission Basilica Museum, Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, The Giant Forest, Giant Forest Museum, Tunnel Log, Moro Rock, Zumwalt Meadow.

Where we stayed (and would stay again): Carmel Country Inn (Carmel-by-the-Sea), Wuksachi Lodge (Sequoia National Park).

Food Spots: Mission Ranch Restaurant (Carmel), Nepenthe (Big Sur).

In honor of Grizzly 399 who tragically lost her life while I was editing these photos, I’m adding the below PSA. Rest in peace mighty mother and Queen of the Tetons.

Please always be responsible when visiting national parks for the safety of wildlife and others. Always follow the Leave No Trace principles and drive slowly and vigilantly.

Leave No Trace

Slow Down & Drive Safe

Ways to Safely Watch Wildlife

the land of enchantment

May 20th, 2024 by Tierney Farrell

New Mexico might be the most underrated state I’ve ever been to. Part of me wants to tell everyone about it because it seems to go mostly unrecognized — more people were surprised to hear that we were visiting there than people who have been, or for that matter, even know anyone who’s been. “Oh really? What’s in New Mexico? Are you visiting family or something?” Yeah yeah I know my husband looks some kind of native but no, he’s from Peru. But another part wants to help keep it secret so it doesn’t get overrun with influencers or corporations. Thankfully my reach is minimal at best, so I guess the secret is out for the one or two people that might read this blog (hi mom).

My experience of New Mexico was a mixture of emotional conflict and enjoyment. New Mexico has some of this lands most ancient history, some of it even dating back over 10,000 years. There’s a ton of history and ruins/artifacts between 1,000-500 years ago that’s still very intact, and of course lots of well-documented history from the 1500’s and on. Overall it seems like one of the least colonized states, with some areas truly looking like another country. I won’t even try to summarize the history or get into the complexity of the grief, but I’ll say there was a huge emotional impact we felt when visiting pueblos, meeting natives and learning in the museums, all of which we found profound and important to understand as Americans. I believe the presence of deep history here is one of the main foundations for New Mexico’s rich culture today that you don’t see in many commercialized “vanilla wafer” towns as my best friend says.

We spent most of our time in Santa Fe, making a day trip up to Taos, a day trip to Bandelier National Monument, a one-night stay passing through Albuquerque, and a brief visit to White Sands National Park before going back up to Santa Fe. The land was beautiful and diverse, even including lava fields with funky plants growing out of them. I’d recommend the High Road to Taos, stopping at Santuario de Chimayo on the way and go into the little trading post and pick up some fresh chiles grown locally in the valley. Incredible smell. Santa Fe was our favorite, and honestly now it’s one of our favorites in the US as a whole. We found it to be very safe, warm, relaxed, welcoming, and with a strong sense of community. In Santa Fe (old town) in particular, there was no corporate influence. Everything was local and/or historic — art, cuisine, products, architecture, businesses.

There was one restaurant in particular we returned to many times and it started to feel like a comfortable routine. It was always the right amount of busy — never empty but never slammed. No fancy frills that drew in tourists, with simple but amazing food, some misspelled words on the menu, and warm-spirited people telling us to sit wherever we want. The space was not overdone, but it was cozy and endearing with a couple original paintings for sale, not quite at the level of the prestigious galleries around, but they were affordable. One wall had a silly painted tree on it that someone tried to undo by painting over, but they used the wrong wall color, but it’s ok and good enough, and that’s beautiful. Each time we walked in, one of the waiters (an older man) would embrace and hug Zamie, and they spoke Spanish together. I don’t know what they said and I didn’t ask. But I could feel those hugs from across the table. Along with a lightness in Zam’s posture and expression afterwards. I even got a few hugs myself as the honored esposa, but they were more careful than the heavy man hugs and neck-holding that convinced me these two were family. One of Zamie’s superpowers is his natural ability to seamlessly create connection with locals wherever we go. Most prominently in latin environments as they’re so warm and community-driven. It’s not even an effort, it just happens. It was sad to leave for the last time.

Our airbnb was our favorite place we stayed. It was a casita off the main house from a nice couple. It was up in the hills down a gravel road. There were other houses around but the casita was really serene and private. It had a sweet little garden right outside with incredible-smelling sage and a bird feeder we watched every morning. Nearby there was a little worn path down an unkempt hill that led to a bigger dirt path along the Santa Fe River. It was tiny and looked more like a creek and it was lovely. This river trail took us to Canyon Road where most of the galleries were, and a nice breakfast spot where I always ordered the Spicy Santa Fe Mocha. Along the way we came across lots of well-behaved, off-leash dogs walking far behind or ahead of their owners, and cottonwood fluff snowing all around us. One day we came home from the river trail and dozens of goats had been dropped off into a field for the day to mow/eat it. Neighbors loved it because it was “better than the sound of a lawn mower”.

Overall in Santa Fe, didn’t see many kids. Not even many people our age. Mostly older retired-age folks. But not like country club older folks, more like older artsy ex-hippies, and pretty diverse. Fancy desert-type hats and loose clothing, maybe a hiking stick. The type that will climb the ladders at Bandelier despite being over 75 years old.

Across our trip we met so many incredibly kind Native American and latin people everywhere we went. They worked in many of the places we visited: the restaurants, museums, parks, shops, galleries, selling their crafts in plazas, and of course living and working in the pueblo. I feel grateful to have met them.

There’s a lot more I could say about New Mexico but this will do for now. Most of my pictures are of scenery, but most of the memories are from the interactions that I would never dare to taint with a photo. We keep those with us.

MAP OF TRIP

Highlights:  New Mexico History Museum, Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, Camino Pequeño (private road) along Santa Fe River, Canyon Road galleries, Rainbow Man Historic Photography, Santa Fe Trails Fine Art, Ten Thousand Waves Spa (heavenly shiatsu massage by Valli), Ojo Caliente Mineral Hot Springs, Santuario de Chimayo, High Road to Taos, Taos Pueblo, Bandelier National Monument, a few Breaking Bad filming locations of Albuquerque, Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, Rio Grande Nature Center State Park, Petroglyph National Monument, White Sands National Park.

Our Food Spots: Palacio Restaurant, The Shed Restaurant, The Pink Adobe, The Teahouse (all Santa Fe), and High Noon Restaurant (Old Town Albuquerque).

Where we stayed (and would stay again): Santa Fe Airbnb, Casas de Sueños – Ivy Cottage (Albuquerque), Inn on the Alameda (Santa Fe).

Playlist I made for the trip: Route 66 – inspired by Breaking Bad and the 70s, good for the open road.

oregon

October 2nd, 2023 by Tierney Farrell

I’m astonished at how much beauty one state can hold. Oregon is an emerald gem of our beautiful country, one that’s sweetly unpretentious and welcoming. We took a road trip down the entire coast and back up through central Oregon, making a full loop. The rocky coast is softened by a blanket of moss, evergreens and quaint towns that are in no hurry. The coast is home to some of the biggest trees in the world and to silly barking sea lions that play in caves and pools along the shorelines. We enjoyed oysters by the water, witnessed whales roaming free in their natural waters, and explored the nostalgia of where Mikey and the other Goonies started their adventures. We were humbled to be able to stand small at the base of the giant old-growth redwoods, marveling at their magnificence, in an isolated area far away from crowds, hearing nothing except the pure sounds of forest life.

We made our way back up through central Oregon, and on the way we came across the most precious little lamb pastures, Christmas tree farms and quirky hole-in-the-wall roadside art galleries. Getting into the Umpqua and Silver Falls areas, we were embraced by a truly magical land of waterfalls and dense green forests, sprinkled with autumn yellow and orange. We even made a day drive out to Crater Lake, which was the most vivid cobalt blue in nature I’ve ever seen. Sadly and to my surprise, there are areas in these forests that have been devastated by forest fires in recent years. It is honestly so heartbreaking to see, I couldn’t stand it. There was a fire near one of the inns we stayed at not long before, and they said they think the moisture from the river prevented the fire from spreading past a certain point, protecting the trees around the inn. I don’t know if that’s true, but that comment just stuck with me for some reason, I guess because forests are delicate but they are also huge networks always trying to balance things out.

Overall, this trip once again reinforced my desire for nature to be one of my life’s north stars, and to cherish all the lessons we can learn from it. Slow down, notice, appreciate, be humbled, be curious, care for, respect, reprioritize. It’s so hard to exist like that in the world we live in. And it’s a terrible shame how far we have disconnected from it as a whole. But I strive to always try to make it my compass, commit it as a priority, and never stop loving it.

Highlights: Latourell Falls, Wahkeena Falls, Multnomah Falls, Columbia River Gorge, Ecola State Park, Cannon Beach, Astoria, Depoe Bay, Thor’s Well, Natural Bridges, Jedidiah Smith Redwoods State Park, Grove of Titans Trail, Stout Grove Trail, Boy Scout Tree Trail, Crater Lake, National Creek Falls Trail, Toketee Falls, Lemolo Falls, Umpqua National Forest, Silver Falls State Park, Tree Climbing at Silver Falls

Where we stayed (and would stay again): Woodlark Hotel, Itty Bitty Inn, Steamboat Inn, Sheltered Nook on Tillamook Bay, Smith Creek Village at Silver Falls State Park

We were going to stay at Patrick Creek Historic Lodge but unfortunately a fire destroyed their water supply so they had to close down for a while. It looked like such a classic roadside inn and I’d look to stay there if ever in the area again. We ultimately had to stay in Crescent City instead but I would definitely avoid that place at all costs – was super sketch and empty feeling.

yellowstone

June 22nd, 2023 by Tierney Farrell

Yellowstone is a national treasure and a must-visit. It’s the first national park in the United States and has some of the most fascinating geological features and wildlife in the country all within the park. You’re pretty much guaranteed to see bison everywhere, but the other wildlife is a bit more rare to see, but we saw lots! In total we saw a black bear, a grizzly mama bear with three cubs, a moose, elks with one baby, a fox, pronghorns, prairie dogs, and loads of bison (including very up close views as they walked in front of our car). The land is incredibly diverse with geysers, colorful hot springs, waterfalls, rivers, canyons, and gorgeous valleys that are home to all the thriving wildlife, all sitting on top of a massive supervolcano.  We couldn’t believe the vast difference of landscape within an hour drive from one spot to the next. I’ve never seen anything like it.

For anyone looking to plan a trip, we went in spring (early June) and loved it for many reasons. The mornings were cold and crisp but warmed up by mid day without being too hot. Waterfalls are usually heaviest in the springtime due to the recent / ongoing snowmelt. And our favorite perk, there were a lot of baby animals. Crowds weren’t too shabby either, they really pick up in the summer when kids are out of school.

Highlights: Old Faithful Geyser, Upper Geyser Basin, Castle Geyser, Biscuit Basin Geyser, Morning Glory Pool, Blue Star Spring, Grand Prismatic Spring, Lower Geyser Basin, Gibbon Falls, Artist Paintpots, Steamboat Geyser, Norris Geyser Basin, Mammoth Hot Springs, Tower Fall, Inspiration Point, Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, Upper Falls of the Yellowstone River, Artist Point, Lamar Valley, Hayden Valley, West Thumb, Madison River

Where we stayed (and would stay again): Flat Creek Inn, Old Faithful Inn, Canyon Lodge

In honor of Grizzly 399’s life, I’m adding the below in 2024. RIP mighty mother and Queen of the Tetons.

Please always be responsible when visiting national parks for the safety of wildlife and others. Always follow the Leave No Trace principles and drive slowly and vigilantly.

Leave No Trace

Slow Down & Drive Safe

Ways to Safely Watch Wildlife

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is wyoming-5904.jpg

the tetons

June 20th, 2023 by Tierney Farrell

Grand Teton National Park is absolutely breathtaking. The Tetons are definitely now one of my favorite mountain ranges. The land around is completely flat, and then BAM, jagged snow-capped mountain peaks tower out of the earth, claiming authority over all the land. Mom and I only had really one full day here, but we made the absolute most of it. There’s tons of hiking here.  We got very lucky as we just picked a trail kind of randomly, and it was fantastic.  It started at the String Lake Trailhead all the way to Hidden Falls and Inspiration point, which runs alongside Jenny Lake. It was about 6 miles out and back, and it was an easy hike til you get to the mountain and go up to Inspiration Point.


Major shout out to my 67-year old mom, who was a total and complete badass. She was nervous about bears (we didn’t have bear spray, highly recommend you rent or buy some for your own peace of mind), so she didn’t want to hike just us two. I tried to not be disappointed because I was itching to hike and assumed we wouldn’t easily find another group. However this group of late 20s folks walked by us right at the trailhead, and we asked if we could just stick with them so my mom felt better. They said sure but warned us that they’re fast. We went for it. They honestly were going really fast even for me (like too fast as in no time to take anything in, felt more like a race, jogging at points). In fact we passed this gigantic marmot standing eye level on a log at one point and they didn’t even notice ha. I was worried about mom at first but dang, she completely kept up even on the rocky, rooty trail with no complaints. I was honestly so impressed. THEN – we get to the mountain and it was a very steep climb and parts were really exposed with a surely-fatal drop off, and she has a little fear of heights. She CRUSHED it with a good attitude and made it to the top like a friggin’ champ. I was so inspired and she felt really accomplished too. Yay! 


We spent one day in Jackson shopping around and it was lovely. Next time I come to this area, I’d be totally fine staying in or around Jackson and getting into more localized outdoor activities like rafting, fishing, horseback riding, etc. There’s so much to do there, and the town is so adorable with tons of good food, shops and fun bars like the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar. Our favorite restaurant was a Mexican spot called Hatch. 

Overall, this is an absolutely gorgeous part of the country. I felt healthier and more balanced just having been there.

Highlights: Mormon Row, Jenny Lake, String Lake Trail, Inspiration Point, Hidden Falls by Jenny Lake, Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, Hatch

Where we stayed (and would stay again): Rustic Inn

In honor of Grizzly 399’s life, I’m adding the below in 2024. RIP mighty mother and Queen of the Tetons.

Please always be responsible when visiting national parks for the safety of wildlife and others. Always follow the Leave No Trace principles and drive slowly and vigilantly.

Leave No Trace

Slow Down & Drive Safe

Ways to Safely Watch Wildlife

maine with mama

November 4th, 2022 by Tierney Farrell

As a kid growing up in the 90s in North Carolina, I spent much of my time outside in the yard and walking through the woods along a winding creek. When I was inside, I was writing stories about magical paths through the forest and all the fantastical things one would encounter along the way, illustrating my backyard woods as the setting. Until I left in my late 20s to seek what I felt I was missing (city life, dating, wooo), I never knew how much I took for granted the things that surround my childhood memories; giant oak trees, the sound of birds in the morning, cicadas in the hot afternoon, the surprising comfort of steamy humidity and rainbows after a summer storm, and fresh snow that would remain unbothered. Ironically, it was living in New York that made my soul absolutely sure that I belonged living around nature. Once that clicked, each day in the city felt more and more unnatural and my patience thinned along with my hair (seriously).

In this process of coming back home in my heart, I have been sifting through the settling debris of the many experiences I’ve had over the years to uncover who I am. What remains the clearest are the foundations that were there all along, one being the gravitational pull towards the outdoors. And now I know that a massive part of that foundation stands firm because of my mom. Watching her as a kid, I learned to notice and love every bit of nature, the way she whole-heartedly loved it all. And I think now I subconsciously see her in all of it. I see her in the gentle deer in my backyard, in the birds making their nests in the spring, in the hummingbirds feeding on pink flowers. She’s there when my hands are in fresh soil and it smells so earthy, and when new flowers bloom. It’s all interconnected and feels truly like home, more than the inside of my house.

Now that I’m back living in North Carolina, mom and I have bonded on a new level around nature since I now experience similar to the way she always has. The bond is the way we both truly admire trees but also think they’re super cute, the way we love and respect all animals and will always save that lost bug in the house, the way we notice how clean the air in a forest smells, the appreciation of kindness in a small mountain town, and the genuine peace felt hearing the orchestra of birds, water, and breeze.

So we have made it a point to appreciate these things more together. Starting with this trip to Maine down to Martha’s Vineyard. While we did the whole coast in between, Acadia National Park was our favorite. Even this trip confirmed again for both of us, we are happiest in nature. What’s funny is that if you saw all the pictures of us throughout the trip, particularly of mom, she’s giddy laughing and smiling around all the trees. The further away we got from the trees down the coast, the smiles slowly dwindled, ending in frowns in the Boston city center, haha. Either place, I wouldn’t have wanted to be there with anyone else!

Where we stayed (and would stay again): West Street Hotel (Bar Harbor), Hob Knob (Martha’s Vineyard), Lenox Hotel (Boston)

saguaros and sunrise

October 20th, 2022 by Tierney Farrell

There are few things like the soft hues of the desert sunrise and sunset. We ended our road trip at a super swanky inn in Tuscon, Arizona and it was undoubtedly one of most incredible places I’ve ever stayed.  I can’t speak enough to the attention to detail in all the spaces, the way they brought the outdoors in and reflected the desert lifestyle in every corner. The property itself was in the middle of the desert, so without really leaving, we could walk around a few little nature trails.  Neither of us are early morning people, but for some reason while we were in the desert, we were both awake and ready to go at sunrise almost daily. This rhythm feels impossible at home but it honestly felt SO good.  So right. There’s something pure about being outside while all the animals wake up as the sun rises and all is calm. We were only about 5 minutes from Saguaro National Park, so we drove through the incredibly scenic Gates Pass many times and took a couple of hikes through the park and saw nobody.  So grateful for this beautiful experience! 

Highlights: Gates Pass, Saguaro National Park, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

Where we stayed (and would stay again): Joshua Tree House (JTH) Tuscon – Agave Suite & Cholla Room

zion

October 16th, 2022 by Tierney Farrell

Zion National Park left me speechless at every turn.  Angel’s Landing and The Narrows were two of the most unique and breathtaking hikes I’ve ever done. 

The Narrows hike went along the very cold Virgin River, so the whole hike is in the water, on river rocks and sometimes a sandy bank. The further you go upstream, the thinner the crowds get. You can walk upstream for many hours but we turned back about two hours in and barely saw anyone by that point. We went in the morning so the sun poured through the canyons and reflected a rich orange color off the rock. Most people who come to Zion seem to be pretty experienced hikers, but we did see some occasional surprising things at the popular spots. The most absurd hiking attire award in the Narrows went to a man (undoubtedly from Texas) wearing short jean shorts and leather cowboy boots. Crazy, but I guess props to him, ha!

I did Angel’s Landing solo. It was a pretty difficult hike, the path was paved up til the very top but was extremely steep most of the time. I was also trying to beat sunset so I didn’t have time to make it to the very top of Angel’s Landing without risking missing the last bus out and getting stranded. It was actually a great time to go because most people cram in the popular hikes early mornings, but nobody was really on the trail when I went so it was pretty peaceful. The views were absurd, and definitely reminded me of The Land Before Time.

Other than the main two hikes, we went horseback riding through this gorgeous field with prickly pear cactus to the base of the Three Patriarchs, and did several other hikes around the park. We also went on a private canyoneering adventure with a guide which was incredible (outside the park). Every day we put in around 35,000 steps so we were wiped out at the end of the day. Felt so good!

Highlights: The Narrows, West Rim Trail, Angel’s Landing, canyoneering and repelling outside of Zion, horseback riding near the Three Patriarchs

Food Spots: Oscar’s Cafe

Where we stayed (and would stay again): Red Rock Inn