All posts filed under: Outdoor

Road Trip: San Francisco to Vancouver

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Renegade camping, forest trails and secret swimming holes After spending nine months circumnavigating the globe, it only took a few weeks at home before the open road started whispering my name again. When a friend hopped over from Australia for a visit, it was all the excuse I needed to throw my camping gear in the car and head out in search of adventure. Our first stop was Outside Lands music festival in foggy Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Summer music festivals are pretty high on my list of fun things to do, and with headliners like The Who, Metallica and Alt-J, the good vibes were in full swing all three days. Other favorite sets from the weekend included Khraungbin, Foxygen, Maggie Rogers, Sofi Tukker, Temples, Real Estate and Bleachers. With our heads still in the clouds, we headed south for a quick dip into Big Sur. Since access via highway one was closed for the season due to winter storm damage, this magical stretch of coastline was practically empty. It felt like we …

Weekend Getaway: Ojai, California

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For those of us living within the smoggy confines of Los Angeles or Orange County, the need to break away for a weekend of fresh air is a common occurrence.

Hey, sometimes you just need to see a tree that’s not a palm tree.

Searching for somewhere that’s a short drive away from LA, but feels world’s apart from Hollywood, the 405 and South Coast Plaza? Try Ojai.

Roadtrip: Zion National Park to the Grand Canyon

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I knew it was going to be an adventure the moment we left the all-night party. Our three backpacks were stuffed into the back of my Ford Escape, with blankets and pillows and other cozy necessities crammed into every possible space.

It seemed crazy to set off on a trip like this with practically zero sleep, and perhaps it was. But the southwest was singing and we heard its’ siren call.

Driving into the rising sun, the desert was beautiful in a palette nothing like the coastal hues we had left behind in California. Sienna, sage, ochre and rust dotted the sandscape in pastel swathes and splotches of color…

North

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The compass points north.

Lured by memories of craggy coastline, the contrast of waves heaving out of a dark sea, a serpentine road scraping the cliffs, I set out in search of the smoky thrill of solo wandering and the intoxicating scent of the wild unknown.

I set out for adventure.

Wild women: Finding sisterhood and adventure on an all-female backpacking trip

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It was 3 AM at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, and I was crawling over a rickety footbridge on my hands and knees, wearing a 30 pound backpack. The river below looked dark and uninviting, and Kate was barely visible ahead in the darkness, her headlamp a dim beacon. I could feel the thin boards flexing as I made my slow progress towards the safety of the riverbank on the other side…