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4 Days in the Italian Dolomites
The Italian Dolomites are an outdoor playground for whatever strikes your fancy: skiing, cycling, climbing, hiking, boating, and more. You’ll find turquoise alpine lakes nestled in every valley and hairpin turns in the roads over every mountain pass. Every inch of it feels like a fairytale… or something out of Sound of Music. It’s really, truly breathtaking. We finally got the opportunity to make a whirlwind trip to the Dolomites this summer. Four and a half days was not nearly enough to experience it all, but just enough to inspire us to dream about going back already. It had been 10 years since I was last in Italy. The Dolomites…
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4 Gorgeous Dog-Friendly Hikes in the Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is delightfully dog-friendly, and the gorgeous hiking trails are no exception. We love dog-friendly hikes with our pups in the mountains and lakes around Seattle, Portland, and Bend. We’re thrilled to share a few of our favorite dog-friendly hikes with you here. All the ones I’ve listed here are pretty short, at 4 miles or less roundtrip, with great views along the way. If you haven’t met them yet, we have two pups: Juliet and Rascal. They’ve been on multiple cross-country road trips, and they’ve hiked so many dog-friendly trails all over the country. Rattlesnake Ledge, Seattle This popular out and back 5-mile roundtrip hike in the…
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The Ultimate Guide for Banff and Jasper National Parks in 7 Days
Banff and Jasper National Parks offer the perfect adventure through the Canadian Rockies. Get ready for lakes of the brightest blues and emeralds, filled with wildlife of all shapes and sizes, and set against a backdrop of towering icy mountains and glaciers. It’s a bucket-list trip for anyone who loves the outdoors. Here’s the perfect 7-day itinerary for you to road trip through our favorite Canadian national parks! First, a few logistics. When to go: We went in early summer (mid-June), before the crowds got too hectic, and after most of the snow on the roads had melted. I’m sure Banff and Jasper are stunning in every season, but I was…
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Camping on Orcas Island
On my solo road trip up the West Coast with my dog Juliet, we got a tip to check out Orcas Island, one of the San Juan Islands in Washington north of Seattle. I was able to snag a last minute campsite at the quiet, low-key Mountain Lake Campground, and off we went. How to get there: You have to take a ferry from Anacortes to Orcas Island. The timeline and availability are here. You can drive your car onto the ferry, but they recommend reserving a spot in advance. If you’re walking on, there’s usually more space to jump on at the last minute. Where to stay: I highly recommend…