Trips

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Trip Itineraries

I know detailed itineraries aren't really *that* interesting, but my hope is this will serve as a Table of Contents, and allow you to see how these trips fell together incase you want to do something similar, but I also want everything to be helpful when taken individually so you can make your vision of your trip happen. There is nothing in these trips that couldn't have been done with a bigger group, and the ones I've done with friends would have also been great hiking solo. All of these have links to more details about the hikes, pictures, things that went right (and sometimes wrong). 

Washington State- July 2023

I spent a week in the Pacific Northwest, and for my first time in that part of the country, it was everything I could have hoped for. The weather was beautiful and the hiking was unreal. Plus, I was visiting one of my good friends, so it made it extra special. 

Day 1: Flew into Seattle, drove to Leavenworth, WA
Day 3: Back to Seattle, rest day including the Chihuly Museum and Sushi
Day 4: North Cascades National Park- Cascade pass trail, drove to Oak Harbor for the night 
Day 5: Took a ferry down to Olympic National Park- Mount Storm King and Marymere Falls 
Day 6: Mount Rainier National Park- Skyline Trail and Pinnacle Peak Trail 
Day 7: Flew back to STL


Smoky Mountains - June 2023 

Third time in the Smokies, because there is something that keeps pulling me back. I lucked out with sunshine and no rain, and the weather was the perfect temperature, and the wildflowers were UNREAL. 

Day 1: Drive from STL to Smoky Mountain National Park 
Day 2: Mt. LeConte via Alum Cave and Deep Creek Loop 
Day 3: Rainbow Falls and Grotto Falls via the connector trail 
Day 4: Ramsey Cascades and Porters Creek Trail 
Day 5: Drive back to STL

Southwest Road Trip - February 2023 

This was a bucket list trip for me, as I'd wanted to travel to this part of the country and these are the parks I'd seen online that had most inspired my national parks journey. It did not disappoint at any step of the way. 

I go into some more detail about this trip in these posts: Southwest Winter Road Trip- How I Planned It and Special Desert Winter Hiking Considerations, since it was more intensive and involved than the last few. 

Day 1: Flight into Salt Lake City, Capitol Reef National Park, to Orderville, UT
Day 2: Zion National Park pt. 1- Angels Landing, some West Rim trail, Upper and Middle Emerald Pools, Pa'rus Trail
Day 3: Zion National Park pt. 2- The Narrows, Lower Emerald Pools, Weeping Rock 
Day 4: Bryce Canyon National Park- Fairyland Loop  
Day 5: Grand Canyon National Park- South Kaibab Trial to Skeleton Point 
Day 6: Petrified Forest National Park- Lots of short easy hikes, longer Blue Forest Trail
Day 7: Sedona pt. 1- Pink Jeep Tour to Horseshoe Bend/Lower Antelope Canyon 
Day 8: Sedona pt. 2- Sedona Hikes: Devils Bridge, the Birthing Cave, Soldier's Pass, Chimney Rock, Bell Rock 
Day 9: Flight back from Phoenix 

Hot Spring, Arkansas- November 2022

This was a spur of the moment long weekend trip with my dogs. I decided I wanted to go on Saturday, and we left Monday afternoon. It was our first road trip together, and they were the best boys! Hot Spring National Park is totally dog friendly, as was the town, so we loved it. 

Day 1: Drive from STL to Hot Springs, AR
Day 2: Hiking with the pups at Hot Springs National Park
Day 3: Garvan Woodland Botanical Garden 
Day 4: Lake Ouachita State Park, back to STL

Smoky Mountains- July 2022

My first official solo trip, and where I fell completely in love with the idea of hiking and traveling alone. I'd had a very rough start to 2022, and this trip was such a healing experience. I prefer to stay on the North Carolina side and not in Gatlinburg, since it's quiet and less crowded. 

Day 1: Drive from STL to Smoky Mountain National Park
Day 2: Alum Bluff Cave to Mt. Leconte take two 
Day 3: Cade's Cove- Gregory Bald trail 
Day 4: Chimney Tops, Charles Bunion, Clingman's Dome 
Day 5: Drive back to STL

Moab Friend Trip- June 2021 

Several friends and I drove from Denver to Moab for a few days, and it was HOT (like the desert in summer), but a very good time. 

Day 1: Drive from Denver, CO to Moab, UT, star peeping at Arches
Day 3: Short day float down the Colorado River, Arches National Park- Delicate Arch trail 
Day 4: Drive back to Denver, CO (stopped for a short hike at Glenwood Canyon)

Swamp Witch Road Trip- May 2021 

This was set to be my first solo trip, but the day before I left, a friend asked if she could come with me. I obviously said, Yeah girl get in the car, and we had so much fun together. I, initially, wasn't planning on doing the detours to the surrounding cities, but it really added to the trip in a way in a way I hadn't expected and I'm glad we did.  

Day 1: Drive from STL to Nashville, TN 
Day 2: Nashville, TN to Congaree National Park 
Day 3: Kayaking at Congaree, Charleston, SC 
Day 4: Drive to Smoky Mountain National Park, Rainbow Falls Hike 
Day 5: Alum Cave to Mt. Leconte take 1, Asheville, NC
Day 6: Mammoth Cave National Park, Louisville, KY
Day 7: Horseback riding at Mammoth National Park, drive back to STL



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