Frost struck this morning! Temperatures dipped below freezing, encrusting Sam’s windshield with icy condensation. For the first time, my first order of business was a quick defrosting. Although I know this weather won’t last as I leave the high country … Read More

Even though I had been to Great Smoky Mountains National Park on numerous occasions, I couldn’t wait to see the park with fresh eyes. As I read about the many offerings, I realized that I had not done many of … Read More

In our post-Congaree sogginess, Cami and I booked it back to New Bern dreaming of a dinner of wholesome vegetables to put an end to our Sweet Theory-induced carb craze. After some sumptuous shopping in Wilmington, we had spaghetti squash, … Read More

With our National Park business concluded in southern Florida (at least for the time being), we started driving north along the incredibly flat and open roads towards Lake Okeechobee, the life-preserving reservoir of the Everglades (and southern Florida). We could … Read More

Just east of the Everglades (and just beneath the surface of the water) lies Biscayne National Park. Established in 1980, this relatively young park is home to an entirely different kind of biodiversity than its relative to the west. Just … Read More

Having taken two days to wander down Florida’s gulf coast and its southern reaches, I was not necessarily impressed by the care with which the state has protected its natural spaces. Just as the dwarves of Moria had delved too … Read More

After retrieving Sam from the shop, Cami and I stuffed all of our belongings into the various nooks and crannies I had created by reorganizing over the past week. As we packed, the steady rain slowed to a mist. With … Read More

Having successfully concluded my east coast tour of urban America, I felt overdue for some time in the clear skies and dense forests of the Shenandoah Valley. Less than a hundred miles south of the Battlefield of Antietam, I turned … Read More

After spending a day wandering the fields of Gettysburg, I moved west from Baltimore towards Antietam. Although I would end my day deep in the Shenandoah Mountains, I spent the morning peering into the depths of Miller’s cornfield, looking over Burnside … Read More

In the summer of 2014, I led a bike trip from Amsterdam to Venice. Over the course of four weeks, my group passed through some of the most contested territory of WWI and WWII. The land was pockmarked with the … Read More

A series of urban adventures and outings with friends has led to a serious lapse in blog-related productivity. For the past week, the balance between experiencing and documenting swung heavily towards the former. I’ve got some catch up to do, … Read More

I can always tell when I have been in a city for too long. It happened to me in Barcelona in 2012, in London this summer, and in Boston a few days ago. It isn’t that I feel trapped in … Read More

So far, my journey has taken me to some of the most amazing wilderness areas in the northern Midwest and the Northeast. As I head south, however, I am entering a totally different phase of my trip. Instead of driving … Read More

Wow… I can’t believe I am already halfway through September! At this point, the next few weeks of this trip are entirely dedicated to the east coast. Even though there really aren’t that many National Parks on the coast itself, I am … Read More

Happy Birthday Dad! It seems a little bizarre that I have been on the road for almost three weeks and have only visited two National Parks: Cuyahoga Valley and Acadia. Both left a distinct impression, but they are far from … Read More

Driving late at night is not my favorite way to travel, but it does guarantee a sense of wonder when you wake up in the morning. The feeling may have been amplified this time as we got up in Bar … Read More