Hike to Lily Pad Lake in Silverthorne, Colorado
Explore Colorado / Explore The Outdoors

Hike to Lily Pad Lake in Silverthorne, Colorado

If you’re looking for a quick hike with lots to see and quick access from downtown Silverthorne, Lily Pad Lake is it. This is a wonderful family-friendly hike is filled with views, wildflowers, water crossing, and tall pines on your way to a small lake covered with lily pads. Getting there: You can hike to … Continue reading

How to Spend an Hour at Scotts Bluff National Monument
Explore The Outdoors / Explore The Parks

How to Spend an Hour at Scotts Bluff National Monument

From a distance Scotts Bluff National Monument is impressive. It towers above the surrounding plains and is 800 feet above the North Platte River. The enormous bluff has been a prairie pathway landmark for at least 10,000 years first for indigenous people and then for pioneers on the Oregon Trail during America’s westward expansion. The … Continue reading

Car Art and Roadside Attraction:  Carhenge is America’s Stonehenge
Explore America / Explore The Outdoors

Car Art and Roadside Attraction: Carhenge is America’s Stonehenge

This ranks up there with the quirkiest roadside attractions I’ve visited. It’s a weird and fascinating display of car art off the beaten path. Take a detour north off of I-80 to the tiny town of Alliance in northwest Nebraska. Why? To see a replica of Stonehenge in England, which I visited last November. The … Continue reading

Watching World’s Largest Sandhill Crane Migration is Epic Birding in Nebraska
3 Day Getaways / Explore America / Explore The Outdoors

Watching World’s Largest Sandhill Crane Migration is Epic Birding in Nebraska

Every spring over a million sandhill cranes swoop down on Central Nebraska. It’s the world’s largest sandhill crane migration and one of the last great animal migrations on earth. The nearly 150-mile stretch of Grand Island-Kearney-North Platte is called the Nebraska Flyway as cranes travel north from their winter homes in places like Texas and … Continue reading

Places You Need to Visit on the Plains for Outdoor Adventure
Explore America / Explore The Outdoors

Places You Need to Visit on the Plains for Outdoor Adventure

When you think of outdoor adventure, the Plains probably aren’t the first place that jumps into your mind. Spending more time exploring from the Texas Panhandle to North Dakota, I’ve discovered some amazing outdoor destinations in the states where folks tend to just drive through or flyover. Next time you find yourself in the landscape … Continue reading

Yellowstone National Park’s Season of Snow and Steam – Why You Should Visit Cody Yellowstone in Winter
Explore America / Explore The Outdoors / Explore The Parks

Yellowstone National Park’s Season of Snow and Steam – Why You Should Visit Cody Yellowstone in Winter

Yellowstone National Park is the second most visited national park in the United States. Over four million people a year visit it, with 4.8 million visiting in 2021. Most of those visitors go in summer or early fall. Only 5% of visitors go in winter. As I rode in on a snow machine I quickly … Continue reading

Ice Walk in Johnston Canyon in Banff National Park
Explore The Outdoors / International Travel

Ice Walk in Johnston Canyon in Banff National Park

Would you hike into a snowy and icy canyon when the temperature dips to -21°C (-5.8°F)? If the answer is yes, then this adventure is for you. While in Banff, Canada, I took a break from skiing to go on a 3-mile ice walk with Discover Banff Tours. The drive along the Bow Valley Parkway … Continue reading

Hike to Ice Caves Near Pagosa Springs, Colorado
Explore Colorado / Explore The Outdoors

Hike to Ice Caves Near Pagosa Springs, Colorado

Pagosa Springs, Colorado, is home to the deepest geothermal hot spring in the world. It’s a wonderful ski and soak destination since Wolf Creek Ski Area is just 30 minutes away. It’s also a great hike and soak destination with amazing trails nearby including one that takes you to ice caves. My longtime dear friend … Continue reading