My go-to beach while living in Portland was Cannon Beach. I would drive out there to find peace, take a friend to see the sights, or just to drive away from the city. While I was in Washington, my go-to beach was Ruby Beach out on the Olympic Peninsula. No matter where I live, I find the water. Where do you go to find the water?
Enjoy some photos from the various trips to the ocean I took during the short time I lived in Portland.
Tahquamenon, like phenomenon, is one of my favorite waterfalls in Michigan. It’s a gorgeous state park, river, and waterfall system and I’ve visited in many seasons. My favorite season to visit has been winter, and I’m going to share a few photos from a 2015 winter visit. I hope to make it up there this winter, now that I’m so close, relatively speaking.
Here’s a post I wrote about the 2015 visit: 2015 Visit
Nothing like a waterfall, brown from tannins, raging through the winter weather! I’ve included a couple of photos from Sable Falls and Qcqueoc Falls as well. Enjoy!
Ocqueoc Falls - Just outside Rogers City, MI is a cute little fall in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.
Sable Falls is a beautiful fall within Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
Bonus: Chewy 9 years ago!
Tahquamenon Falls - Upper Falls
The icy buildup and icicles from the overlook
A wide-view of the upper falls
My stay in New Mexico was only a short time in my life, but it was a time that offered some of the best lessons. I’ve had this era on my brain quite often lately because I’m realizing Ohio is becoming a transformative place for me. The road to 40 has been interesting, and New Mexico was one stop I’ll never forget.
I moved to Artesia, New Mexico after a long term relationship ended, my job changed a bit, and I badly wanted out of Texas. I was excited because work paid for the move, which saved me hundreds of dollars, and ensured I got the place I wanted. I got settled into one of my favorite apartments I’ve ever had - the layout was perfect - and hunkered down for a year in New Mexico. I moved to town during a blizzard, and that was a trip I’ll never forget because it went painfully slow to get there and my mattress froze inside the U-Haul. My brave coworker came over and helped me unload things I couldn’t manage alone and I began to set everything up and get cozy. I was stranded for a whole week, without my car or dog, because flights out of Roswell were grounded due to the storm. I borrowed a work truck to get around and finally got back to Texas to get my dog and my car. Life in New Mexico was off to an exciting start.
The life in New Mexico was instantly enhanced by coworkers that became friends. We had dinners several times per month, took off on weekends to the mountains to go camping, and hunted for rocks and caves quite often. I was so lucky to have made these life-changing friendships, as it hasn’t really happened with coworkers at this level before. I treasure these people, still, and look forward to the times when we can reunite and resume our adventurous ways.
New Mexico is way more beautiful than I had ever thought - not that I thought it was ugly, I just didn’t know much about it. I lived in the southeast corner between Carlsbad and Roswell. Carlsbad Caverns became a staple in my life, as did finding caves all over the area with my new friends. I visited White Sands a few times and finally got to see Guadalupe Mountains. I explored the forests and the mountains from Cloudcroft up to Santa Fe. I saw brilliant fall colors, camped in the snow in May, and had a soak in a hot spring off the Rio Grande. The state is epic and beautiful and I long to go back and see more.
Before I ever lived there, I would go camping up near Albuquerque and Santa Fe in the mountains. It always rained, but the trees were big and the weather a bit cooler so it felt worth it. I revisited these areas a few times after moving there and really took them in. I camped at 10,000 feet and would wake up to expansive views. I hiked ridges, learned how to camp in my Outback (with my dog), and really embraced camping without the amenities or people. There was often no cell service, certainly no electricity, and most definitely no running water and I loved it. Camping was always a favorite thing, but New Mexico helped develop that into a true passion.
Over the course of my year in New Mexico, I truly started to find the things that made me tick. Camping, road tripping, craft beer, wide open night skies, endless views, simple trips with friends, and so on. I also learned that I loved solitude and quiet time. I learned that I love being unreachable and detached. I learned what I needed from others, refined what I could offer others, and truly found joy in every single day. I learned that I liked slow running and could c ook. I found out that people enjoy me and I am ridiculously goofy. I rediscovered old parts of me that either went dormant or unappreciated. New Mexico started to heal me, and put me on this journey of self-rediscovery.
My favorite memories are with my friends or my aunt. We would go camping and this one trip we rented cabins at this old scout camp. It was a rainy day, and there was a pavillion so we took over. We were the only people at this place, so we were painting and eating and dancing and having the best time. I just remember taking shots of Minnesota whiskey I recently brought back and drinking pickle beers. I don’t remember everything, but it was a hoot. My aunt and I would get a cabin and have bonfires. Other friends would come and we’d get a good campsite in the woods and stare up at the sky through the trees. There was no shortage of love, fun, and overall good times when hanging in New Mexico.
I’ll never forget the times in the Land of Enchantment, and I’m so glad I have people there I can visit. Ohio, surprisingly, is picking up where New Mexico and the PNW left off. I’m learning more about me, what I want in life, and how to appreciate the beautiful places to camp and hike. New Mexico made me fall in love with new landscapes, new ways of life, and myself and I’ve landed in Ohio to continue the journey.
Multnomah Falls is one of those places you take all out-of-town visitors when they come to see Portland. I’m taking my visitors this weekend and I can’t wait to see it again myself. As my time in Portland comes to an end, I’m thankful that this staple feature is nearby and that I could just drive out and see it and the many other waterfalls within an hour of the city. I did not take any of these natural wonders for granted, and plan to be back as often as time allows. Cheers!
This is the first time I saw the falls - December 2012.
Framed by fall color in November 2021
A view from the top down, the first time I hiked to the top back in September 2022
Late summer trickle, first day of fall Sept 2022
Spring water back in March 2024
I have the beach on my brain as the temperatures look to be heating up again. Summer, please go away! Escape with me to the coast of Washington state at Ruby Beach. Take in the sunshine, knowing it’s only in the 60s out there! Enjoy and stay cool, friends!
The view from the trail down…
You can find some shade behind the big rock
Let the water come in and wash away those cares
Spend hours listening to the waves and looking through beach rocks
My friends are coming to town, so we’re going to drive down to Crater Lake this week. In honor of the beauty, enjoy some photos from the time I visited last fall.
I went early to watch the sunrise over Crater Lake - still as glass!
The lake remained still ast the sun continued up the sky
That water looks brilliantly blue!
As beautiful as the lake is, the forest surrounding the lake is also quite remarkable. No matter how you drive in, it’s spectacular.
It was the middle of June and I was heading up north with my dog and my kayak. Up north is a technical term for anywhere in Northern Michigan. I bounced between my grandparent’s house and the family cottage and enjoyed many sunrises and sunsets. Enjoy some photos from the lake where the family cottage is and some memories I hope to remake in the future. P.S. I miss my black Outback so much.
I recently spent 35 days in and around Arkansas for work. I was on location for M-F, but I took full advantage of my weekends. I visited local breweries, made some new friends, and visited my friends/family back in Texas. Heat and humidity aside, the area wasn’t so bad. I experienced some thunderstorms while there and remembered how much I missed those. There were rolling hills, trees, and lush green fields all over and fun back roads through them all. Here’s a few highlights from the trip:
I have the Great Lakes on my brain, so I wanted to share some photos from around the glorious shorelines. When I lived in Michigan, I didn’t take advantage of the outdoors the way I would today. I can’t wait to get back and explore all of the things saved on my map. For now, enjoy some photos of the lakes that are unsalted and shark free!
Lake Superior is pretty special. It’s large, moody, and definitely in charge. These photos are from Duluth throughout the years.
Lake Huron is home, and the sky is often magical. Most of these are from the Rogers City area in Michigan.
Lake Michigan became home when I moved to the southwest corner of the state for college. Trips to the beach were memorable and fun. These photos are from all along that coast.
When I lived in Olympia, I took every guest who visited to Mount Rainier National Park. I went so many times in 2023, and I’m grateful for each of those visits. I first visited the park back in 2018 on one of my random long weekends to the PNW while living in Texas. I thought today we could go back and look at some of my favorite photos and places throughout the park. Can’t wait to get back in 2024.
I know it was just the beginning of March, but I wanted to share some photos from Multnomah Falls when Megan was in town. The falls were roaring and the snow was snowing. Have a great Wednesday.
This one time I got in my car at 11 pm and drove to Big Bend to see the spring blooms and and to get a couple of hikes in for March. I didn’t quite know what to expect, but I had heard the bluebells and other desert flowers were in bloom. The weather looked good, so I took off.
I hiked up the Lost Mine Trail Head and had some great views as the sun peaked over the hills and started shining brightly. Piñon pines, views for days, layered mesas… heaven!
From there, I drove through the park and did some of the Chimneys Trail. On this trail, I saw so many cacti blooms. The ocotillo are some of my favorite. Damn, I miss the desert.
My trip didn’t get me home until almost 24 hours after leaving. Reviewing the photos and reliving the moments has me missing the desert badly. There are some things I miss about Texas, and this is definitely one of of them.
One of my favorite stops along the Oregon Coast is at Devils Churn within the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area. The entire Oregon Coast is quite magical, but this little spot has stood out since I first visited in 2008. In 2009, I went back and shared it with another friend because it was on my mind. Sadly, I have not been back since 2009 and I need to remedy that sooner rather than later. Enjoy some “okay enough” photos from my visits and keep an eye out for future photos.
In September of 2022, I hiked up to the top of Multnomah Falls. The trail was a series of switchbacks with great views along the way. Enjoy a few photos!
The year was 2015 and I was just laid off for the first time in my life. We left Texas and drove to Michigan and Minnesota to see family and friends. Here are some photos from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan that I loved - specifically Tahquamenon Falls. Cheers and have a good rest of the week.
Kalaloch Beach is a beach I frequently visited this year and plan to keep in my rotation going forward. It’s a special place that I get to share with anyone who visits. I love it because it’s usually quiet, there’s plenty of space to spread out, and you can walk for miles. If you’re up in the Pacific Northwest, give it a visit.
Taking it back to October 2008 in Michigan’s glorious Upper Peninsula. Friends and I went up to see some Subaru Rally event and got a fall color show along the way. Fun fact, I started at Old Navy before this trip and they wouldn’t honor my need for three days off (I worked 12 hours a week) so I quit.
Enjoy the fall color tour!
It was early in October 2020 and I was working on location in New Mexico. Since there was a pandemic happening, I drove to avoid flying and thus got to bring my camping gear! I went camping with my coworkers on the weekend up in the Lincoln National Forest. This was the first time I camped in my car and I was hooked for quick solo trips.
Monjeau Peak sits at about 9600 feet, and we camped just below probably near the 9000 foot mark. We set up camp at a little spot off the road near the Crest Trail. Memories like this make me miss hangs with my cool workers, my first Outback, and New Mexico in general. Enjoy!
Look at the line where the snow is falling!!
Visiting Portland, OR in November 2021 was a whirly-swirly dream. NO, there wasn’t snow in Portland, but there was snow up towards Mt. Hood. I had met up with my dear friend on the first day of my adventure and they decided to go along on the second and third days with me and suggested Trillium Lake. I was driving up, up, up the mountain toward the lake and had to stop at the rest area where the snow started to take it all in. It was SNOWING the big magical flakes! From there up, it was MORE snow and beautiful foggy/snowy views of the trees. Eventually, we got to the lake. It was a mix of snow and clouds, so no view of Mt. Hood but who cares? The trees were heavy with wet snow, and it felt magical walking through the woods with my friend. We were in our own world of laughing, snapping photos, and being free.
The conclusions drawn from this adventure are that snow is magical and with the right person, life is whimsical. Find the friends, lovers, whomever who bring out the magic and whimsy in you.
Back in October 2018, I visited Mt. Rainier (Tahoma) for the first time. I met a friend though a Twitter chat and he agreed to show me the mountain. I met up with him, we drove out towards the park and saw the mountain at sunset. From there, we camped nearby so we could get into the park early the next day to watch the sunrise over the peak but not before visiting the park at dark. I’ll never forget the magical sights from this trip. Enjoy some photos - and if you’re going, try to see it in different lights!
My first, up-close view that wasn’t from the freeway (at sunset, nonetheless)
The view of the summit at night, glowing in the moonlight
Just before the sun rose
First light on the summit
THE GLOW of the sunrise is hitting the sky
Full daylight - the mountain reflecting
And a bonus, of me in the sunset glow
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