Adventure Travel Photography Blog
After a full 12 hour day driving the Hamakua Coast from Kona yesterday, I opted for the closer Kohala Coast today. It still felt like a lot of driving, and if I had it to do over again, I’d probably just stay in Waikoloa Village at one of the resorts and relax a little more given my short time here. That said I have a problem with FOMO, fear of missing out, so I had to see everything!
LET’S GO
My first stop on my six-week adventure of island hopping was to the Big Island of Hawaii. I only allotted a week of time, and I quickly learned this was not enough. Each side of the island, Kona on the west coast and Hilo on the east coast each deserve a week with all the optional side trips and a few days of relaxation.
During my time in Kona, I spent a day exploring the Hamakua Coast. While I saw many places, each stop was very brief, and it was a very full day of driving. If I had to do it over again, I’d limit my stops to about three places at which to spend more time rather than feeling like I was always in the car. Anyway, these are the places I visited.
EXPLORE!
Little Cottonwood Canyon is located in the Wasatch-Cache National Forest approximately 15 miles east of Salt Lake City. It was created by a glacier many years ago. Its quartz and granite, mined by the Latter Day Saint pioneers, was used to construct the Salt Lake Temple. There are several excellent trails in Little Cottonwood Canyon, though my favorites are quite long.
GO HIKING …
Big Cottonwood Canyon is conveniently located just east of Salt Lake City along Big Cottonwood Canyon Scenic Byway, State Route 190, which also travels over Guardsman Pass to Park City. The 15-mile long canyon provides access to many outdoor activities including hiking, biking, camping, and fishing in the summer and snowboarding and skiing in the winter at its two ski resorts, Brighton and Solitude.
During my three-week stay in Salt Lake City, I explored several trails in the area including Brighton Lakes, Desolation Lake, Twin Lakes and Lake Blanche. What do all of these trails have in common? At least one lake and magnificent fall colors. All of the trails were lovely, but if I had to pick one, it would be Lake Blanche.
Happy Hiking!
The American Fork Canyon is part of the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest and is located southeast of Salt Lake City off State Route 92, a popular scenic byway that attracts over 1 million visitors a year. As a result, entry requires a $6 three-day pass, a $12 weekly pass, a $45 yearly pass, or a National Parks pass.
I spent three weeks in Salt Lake City, and of the five areas to hike within 60 miles east of the city, Emigration Canyon, Mill Creek Canyon, Big Cottonwood Canyon, Little Cottonwood Canyon, and American Fork Canyon, I favored the latter. The hillsides dotted in aspen and lakes tucked beneath glacier carved peaks are simply spectacular.
The American Fork Canyon offers visitors several hiking options from easy to hard. Some of my favorites include: Stewart Falls, Timpanogos Cave National Monument, Silver Glance Lake and Emerald Lake.
Happy Hiking!
I signed up for my second Trusted Housesitters gig. This time it was much closer to home, in Grand Lake, not across the ocean in France for my farm stay. Grand Lake, located on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park, is just a 2-hour drive from Denver.
GO HIKING!
My first visit to Paris was extremely impromptu. One day I was talking to my friend Theresa about her upcoming trip to Paris, and the next week I was flying there with her. Needless to say, she did all the planning including where to stay and what to see.
Naturally, for our first time in the city, we stuck to the main attractions like (but not limited to) the Eiffel Tour, Notre Dame, the Louvre and miraculously, we hardly ever waited in a line, despite not having purchased advanced tickets. I still don’t know how that worked out except maybe it was due to visiting in October.
KEEP TRAVELING …
My first visit to France several years ago was impromptu. My dog had just passed away, and my friend was going to France the next week. I jumped on board. Needless to say, I had done little research and only knew that I’d like to see the famous sites like Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, and the Louvre. With slightly more planning under her belt, Theresa wanted to see Féerie at the Moulin Rouge. Not knowing exactly what to expect, I was game.
We were seated feet away from the stage and enjoyed a spectacular show. I liked it so much, that on my second visit to France, I went again. Those who know me know that doing the same thing twice is very uncommon.
We had such great seats which the venue selected on our behalf that I couldn’t risk get anything worse. As such, I splurged for the VIP treatment.
SEE THE SHOW …
While I’ve been to many Caribbean Islands, either things have changed, or Anguilla is a little different from some of the others I’ve visited. For starters, I don’t ever remember needing so much cash! Below are some tips for traveling to Anguilla.
TIPS!
While I read the general information about a ferry transfer from St. Maarten to Anguilla at Stmartinbookings.com, few small details still alluded me. As such, I have written a post for the first timers who are flying into the airport at Simpson Bay on the dutch side of St. Maarten, and need to get to Anguilla.
TIPS!