WANDER: California's Giants

I want to be humbled by these giant beings.

WANDER: Appalachian Trail

   

I could go for a hike in the Appalachian Mountains. 

WANDER: Grotto of the Redemption, Iowa

Every inch of the Grotto of the Redemption in West Bend, Iowa is encrusted with rocks, minerals, fossils, shells, and petrifications and is considered to be the world's most complete man-made collection in one place.

WANDER: Road Trip

I'm ready for a road trip.

CATURDAY XXXI

I'm on the road home from Nashville with my best lady!!! 

Happy Trails and Happy Caturday.

WANDER: Tennessee

Hello from Nashville!

We're just running around this city for a few days and we won't be spending time on the east side of the state during this trip, but I love this Tennessee travel video with Dolly Parton and the family of James Kicinski McCoy, one of my favorite bloggers.
Enjoy!

HEAR HERE: Ha Ha Tonka

Tonight I leave for a road trip that will take me down to Nashville and back with my very best lady. Ha Ha Tonka is one of our necessities for road trips. We first saw these guys at Founders in 2010 and have been following them ever since, thoroughly enjoying every album they've put out.

WANDERLUST: Manistee National Forest

Last weekend I went hiking through Manistee National Forest with my dad and some close friends. We hiked for hours to secret spots and told stories of old times spent there. I absorb everything when I'm out there with them. They don't need the trails, and they're teaching me their ways.

One thing none of us are experts of is Mycology. I plan on spending this winter studying and hopefully by spring can head up north again for some foraging. There were mushrooms everywhere and it was so hard passing them by knowing plenty would have been great to take home for supper. Some were just lovely enough to look at; pretty as flowers.

It's not quite peak season there for the Autumn colors yet, but there were some gorgeous colors sprinkled through, especially the Sugar Maples. We'll probably be taking another trip up in a couple weeks to see the real color show.

Autumn is a really beautiful time in Michigan. Click here for a guide for peak color seasons throughout the different regions.

WANDERLUST: Road Trip Inspiration

Where to???

WANDERLUST: Nashville

A year ago I got to take my work down to Nashville for a week and I'm itching to get back. A plan is in the works for this winter, so for now I think I'll just dream of it through photos and re-watching The Thing Called Love a million times.

Don't mess.

In one week I will be flying to TEXAS! I'm always thrilled by the prospect of getting on the road and wandering around our fair land, but this is extra special because

I. Love. Texas.

I lived there when I was a kid, and as an adult I've found my way down every few years. I've visited Texas more than any other state, other than northern Illinois, but that barely counts because that is hardly like visiting another state. Now my dear mama lives in Texas and is flying me down for a visit!

This delightful disposable camera photo shows me sublimely happy to be at a local festival in Texas at the spry age of 22. I drank a Lone Star, for authenticity, of course.

I'll be sure to share plenty of highlights from my trip on my Instagram.

Until then. I'll catch y'all later.

<3 Nico

anasazi

i've been hoping to finally take a trip out of the country sometime in the next year (not that i don't love it here, i just have never left....) but images and stories of the anasazi people and dwellings in the southwest are really sticking in my head lately. 

these are the apartment style pueblo homes of the ancient anasazi people carved into the canyon walls of colorado, arizona, and utah.

maybe this winter we can take a trip. it's not very likely, but maybe??

most photos found here.

wanderlust

my twenty-fifth birthday is just over a week away and i'm making it special this year: i'm taking a road trip sometime next month. it's coming up quickly and plans are starting to fall into place and it's looking even better than i thought it would. 

i'm super worried about getting excited now because nothing is finalized, it just looks really, really good.

i'm going to see things i've only read about in books;

i'm heading west.

Painted Rocks, MI - Photo by Dan Johnson, NPS

Badlands - Photo by Rikk Flohr

the Ozarks

Ha Ha Tonka State Park, MO

and there's a slight, slight chance we could make it all the way here:

i've done enough jigsaw puzzles of the grand canyon.... i need to see it.

sigh.

i know what i'll be dreaming about tonight...

yours truly, nico