December 2021 Miami: beaches, food, and indulgence comes to mind. The city of Miami has warm weather in the winter, and lots of things to see! I chose to Uber around Miami since I was not familiar with the city and I already planned where I wanted to go see for the day. https://flic.kr/p/2nCVBXN First …
Canaveral Natl. Seashore and Kennedy Space Center, FL
Next stop on the Florida coast was the Canaveral National Seashore. To get there, you drive through neighborhoods and houses, along a main street and when the sand starts blowing onto the road, you know you're close! Near the visitor's center is a lovely boardwalk where you can see parts of the shore, and then …
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Castillo de San Marcos, FL
December 2021 To do the entire coast of Florida and hit up all the National Park sites in around 10 days is crazy but I thought it was doable and drivable so here we go! First stop was the Timucuan Ecological and Historical Preserve, and unfortunately Fort Caroline was closed. But I did get to …
Meow Wolf Las Vegas
November 2021 Before leaving, I had to check out the Meow Wolf installation Las Vegas version Omega Mart. Meow Wolf is an art instillation company that creates interactive and immersing art that are large in scale for the viewer to explore. First, make sure you admire the sculptures outside the venue: https://flic.kr/p/2noyW2t It's around $50 …
Graduation!
I'm sorry for the lack of posting but - I was busy graduating from University! Bachelor's in Fine Arts. So my apologies for the slowdown: it'll start back up more frequently again! https://flic.kr/p/2noxFji
A weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada
November 2021 Having never been to the Sin City, I jumped at the chance to be whisked away for a quick trip to see the lights for the first time. https://flic.kr/p/2nhKkTq I believe that you should definitely arrive at night; it feels more magical that way. There's music and lights and noise and it's all …
Things to do in Houston, TX
July 2021 Houston is about 3 hours away from San Antonio and the last stop on the summer road trip. We found great things to do here that were lots of fun! https://flic.kr/p/2ncgW3x HUGE Beatles statues at 8th Wonder Brewery One of the places to visit is Color Factory, a building with lots of art …
USS Alabama, Mobile AL
July 2021 Finding a place to stay in Mobile at a very late arrival time was a bit daunting, with most prevalent hotel chains wanting almost $200 a night for a few hours. But I found a well kept secret: The Malaga Inn. The inn is charming, with old style touches that use modern technology. …
Chickamauga & Chattanooga TN: Lookout Mountain Battlefield GA/TN and Russell Cave, AL
July 2021 To visit the Chickamauga and Chattanooga sites, the best place is to go to Lookout Mountain. The drive to Lookout Mountain Battlefield in Tennessee isn't easy. You go from city streets to tight neighborhoods all while winding up a tall road higher and higher, crossing from the Tennessee to the Georgia border in …
Dollywood, Tennessee
July 2021 Nestled in the Smoky Mountains is a full blown amusement park created by singer Dolly Parton, the biggest tourist attraction in the state. It's named Dollywood, and even if you aren't a fan of her or her music, you'll still enjoy your time at this place. It actually was Silver Dollar City amusement …
Great Smoky Mountains
July 2021 First stop on the way to the mountains is at the Gateway to the Big South Fork visitor center. It's where you can get info on Big South Fork, which is located in north central Tennessee and southeastern Kentucky in some of the most rugged terrain of the Cumberland Plateau. You can do …
Nashville, Tennessee
July 2021 Nashville: the capital of Country and Bluegrass music, known as "Music City" and its nickname rings true. I took a break from driving and paid for the Old Town Trolley Tour. It's around $60 but its worth it to sit and be taken to places instead of driving, finding parking, and fighting traffic. …
Shiloh Natl. Military Park, Fort Donelson, and Mammoth Cave
July 2021 Shiloh National Military Park and Battlefield actually covers parts of Tennessee and Mississippi. It is the site of a battle in 1862, the largest in the Mississippi campaign in the Civil War with over 23,000 casualties. The park itself is over 5000 acres, not counting the Corinth section in Mississippi. That part is …
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Graceland and Memphis, Tennessee
July 2021 To see the epitome of what Elvis Presley became, you must visit Graceland. Graceland is like an actual compound, with museums, artifacts, and all things for you to immense yourself into Elvis' world that he lived in during his short life. https://flic.kr/p/2mRAVCb Beware as the area around Graceland is very sketchy. Don't stay …
Washington Tips
Visit the impressive, 3 story REI flagship store in Seattle to rent things you need! I rented a wheeled Coleman cooler, 2 trekking poles, and a sleeping bag for around $55. You can secure your items online and they'll be ready for you when you arrive! There's also tons of things you can get here …
Tupelo MS and the Beginning of Elvis
July 2021 Tupelo Mississippi is what's in your head when you imagine it. Sleepy. Cross the railroad tracks and shotgun style houses line the residential areas. The main street is decorated with all things Elvis Presley, reminding you that he was from here, that he walked these areas, that he dreamed of making his music. …
Vicksburg Natl. Military Park and Oxford MS
July 2021 Rain clouds cover the sky ominously on the drive to Vicksburg National Military Park in Vicksburg, Mississippi. The entrance to the park is directly across a hotel, and you're immediately greeted by large cannons that you can get up close to. https://flic.kr/p/2mQjRz8 The visitor's center should be your first stop to pay the …
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Cane River Creole National Historical Park and Poverty Point World Heritage Site
July 2021 The road trip this year was a Southern history tour throughout the South up from Louisiana to Tennessee and back down to Texas. The first stop was Cane River Creole National Historical Park up in Natchitoches, Louisiana. https://flic.kr/p/2mMxVzJ It's a fairly long drive to get to the park itself, it isn't on very …
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Seattle
July 05, 2021 Another day in Seattle, and I begin to seriously love this city. The fresh air and low humidity make it great for walking, which is what I do from the hotel back to Pike's Market to check out the very first Starbucks and get the limited edition merch. While waiting in line, …
Seattle
July 04, 2021 Time to explore Seattle! I take I-5 to 99 and after returning the items I borrowed at the Seattle REI, I continue on north over Lake Union to the very gentrified area of Fremont and to see the famous Fremont Troll, a sculpture underneath the Fremont bridge. Fremont appeared to be what …
Mount Rainier NP-Sunrise
July 03, 2021 Today is the day to make it to the Sunrise area of Mt. Rainier National Park. It's time to get even closer to this awesome volcano! It's the highest point you can reach in the park by car at 6,400 ft. Again, I arrive early to beat the traffic lines at the …
Mount Rainier NP-Longmire & Paradise
July 02, 2021 I've seen Mount Rainier on postcards and the internet, the famous mountain (and volcano!) creating a familiar and steady silhouette against the skyline of the city of Seattle. I was going to finally see it in person, right in front of me. But first, I have to get there. I stayed outside …
Olympic Hoh Rain Forest & Rialto Beach
July 01, 2021 Olympic National Park's eco system makes is so diverse. It is however, very large, and so I broke it up into 2 days since the Hoh Rain Forest park entrance is far from the one in Port Angeles. https://www.flickr.com/photos/189719256@N05/51365703854/in/dateposted/ So I stayed the night in Forks, and yes, it looks foggy and …
Olympic National Park & Forks, WA
June 30, 2021 Olympic National Park has 2 parts: the entrance at Port Angeles and the Hoh Rain Forest which is 2 hours away. Because of the drive, I did the Port Angeles side first. https://www.flickr.com/photos/189719256@N05/51318363203/in/photostream/ First stop is the visitor center, which has a nice little trail, the Peabody Trail, that will prepare you …
Anacortes, WA Whale Watching
June 29, 2021 Killer whales in the wild is something I've always been curious to see. Seeing them trained in the water park and seeing them in the ocean I always felt would be such a different experience. So before the rainforest, I took a chance to take advantage of the experience. Island Adventures is …
North Cascades National Park
June 30, 2021 Mountains, please. Plenty of them to find here, one of the least visited National Parks in the USA. https://www.flickr.com/photos/189719256@N05/51308535994/in/dateposted/ But I don't know why, because beautiful doesn't begin to describe it. It's like the Alps, some people describe it. Glaciers and peaks to view mixed in with the scent of the trees …
Padre Island National Seashore
Wanna do the beach thing here in Texas but don't want the "usual" Spring Break crowds in March? Consider Padre Island National Seashore! https://flic.kr/p/2kPsciQ When you come up to the booth, pay the rangers the $5 entrance fee and you're free to explore miles of natural shoreline, and is known to be the longest stretch …
Finally 2021
2020 is done. The past 16 months were so rough. Christmas Eve 2019 was spent at a funeral home for Honor Watch. Started 2020 with the flu and then a first responder funeral. Covid-19 and several side hustles later to continue school and then it's Christmas again. My Grandmother's death a few days before this …
Chickasaw National Recreational Area
I was still itching for a good, hearty hike that wasn't desert. I love greenery; I'm dying to do a hike in a real rain forest one day (it's on the bucket list)! And I found the place that made Oklahoma stay permanently in my heart for years to come. The Chickasaw National Recreational area. …
Oklahoma City National Memorial
I start the day with a 10 minute drive from the hotel to downtown OKC as it's called locally. It's surprisingly quiet for a weekday. A few bikers with backpacks in semi-suits whiz by and homeless people lounging at bus stops. I'm used to rising early but I missed coffee. I stop by a little …
Washita Battlefield and OKC Plaza District
My first time to Oklahoma! Driving through it wasn't as boring as I thought it would be. Many fields of the immense wind turbines that dot the fields and make me realize how large they really are. On the way to Oklahoma City, I stopped at Washita Battlefield in Cheyenne. The visitor center is a …
Amarillo and Alibates Flint Quarry National Monument
On the way to Oklahoma City, I stopped by the famous Cadillac Ranch art installation in the middle of a golden field just off the famous highway, Old Route 66. The public is allowed and encouraged to deface this work, which was brought to life by hippies back in the 70's with the help of …
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Palo Duro Canyon State Park
Palo Duro Canyon State Park is near the city of Amarillo about 8 hours from San Antonio and considered the "Grand Canyon" of Texas. The Lighthouse Trail is the most famous one at that park to a rock formation that looks like, well, a lighthouse. After months of working 2 jobs, it was time to …
What it’s like to be a Grocery Worker during COVID-19
March - May 2020 “During these uncertain times...” ...I think if I hear this again, I will literally scream! Times were indeed very uncertain as my hours dipped drastically at work and though April here in San Antonio is usually filled with Fiesta activities (this link Here will explain Fiesta, a literal 10-day party in …
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Guadalupe Mountains National Park
03/13/2020 This Corona Virus, COVID-19, is all over the news. It seems that you can’t get food, sanitizer, or toilet paper, go out in public, and you should prepare to hunker down at home. Schools and workplaces are closed. But the National Parks are still open! I had originally planned to go to Guadalupe Mountains …
San Antonio Burger Week
Feb 21 - Mar 01, 2020 Here in San Antonio, once a year they do a thing called Burger Week, where participating restaurants offer some of their best burgers for either $5 or $8 dollars and the funds raised goes towards the food bank here in the city. Burgers + $ for a good cause …
Special cake!
Special cake for a special person who is now 14! 😊 (And no, it’s not me, LOL)!
Meeting Astronaut Captain Scott Kelly
01/22/2020 I had the opportunity to meet someone who I never in my wildest dreams thought I would ever see in person, much less shake his hand: astronaut Captain Scott Kelly, the man who spent a year in space. A YEAR. I had definitely heard about Captain Kelly and his stint at the ISS station. …
Grand Canyon for NYE!
12/31/2019 This morning we drove the hour and a half to the Grand Canyon! I’m excited because I’ve always wanted to see it my whole life! The drive is smooth through the highways, which aren’t iced or snowy and the scenery is nice. The lines aren’t that long and now my annual pass has paid …
New Years Day at the Flagstaff ER… :(
01/01/2020 The evening before I was having some serious chills and felt super feverish. I also could barely breathe or move. I realized that I might be really sick and looked for a clinic that was nearby to visit. Unfortunately, it’s New Year’s Day and nothing but the Flagstaff ER is open. I tried the …
Saguaro National Park and Casa Grande Ruins
12/30/2019 After spending the night in Tucson, it was time to explore Saguaro National Park. I learned that there are actually 2 sections of this national park and so I went to the West section first in the mountainous area west of the city of Tucson. This section had tall saguaro cacti dotting the sides …
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Packing – Arizona for 1 week
12/28/2019 A week’s worth of clothing and items for one week of (mostly driving) travel to Arizona! I wanted to make sure that if my clothes got snow and wet, I would have enough dry clothes so it’s more than I would normally pack. Here’s what went inside: Packing cube (clean/dirty) with: 5 long sleeve …
Arizona for New Years!
12/29/2019 This past week had been very tough. A break was much needed to reflect and regroup my mental health. The best medicine is travel: so off to Arizona! Driving through the long I-10 west corridor, I drive literally through the mountains and think, “how do they pave such long roads out here?” In answer …
Sola Latina Explorer 