When I talked with locals last summer about the possibility of hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Roanoke, everyone told me about Dragon’s Tooth. Even the people who aren’t huge on hiking had done it and encouraged me to…

Scrambling Up Dragon’s Tooth

Which National Park Pass Should I Buy?
Not sure whether to get a National Park Pass? Wondering which pass you should get? Wishing you could visit more parks for less money? This handy chart will help you decide! (Or if you’d rather read about it, keep scrolling!)…

Are We Scared of Sin?
I couldn’t quite decide how to start this post, so I’ll do it with a question: What is your response when blatant sin crosses your path? I’m not talking about the powers of evil here, just obvious sin. Are you…

Visiting False Kiva (after the Closure)
In Island in the Sky, one can find an unofficial trail that everyone seems to know about: False Kiva. I’m not sure if it’s never become official because of the sensitivity of the area or because of some other reason,…

Colorful Desolation Canyon
If I were to be honest (and I try to be!), I like Desolation Canyon better than Golden Canyon in Death Valley National Park. There’s nothing wrong with Golden Canyon per se; I’ve hiked it several times. But Desolation Canyon…

Frequently Asked Questions: Arches National Park
Arches National Park is a wonderland of rock formations, arches, and beautiful views. It’s also a fairly accessible park – most of the trails are less than 3 miles round trip, and views can be had within steps of the…

Christians Off-leash
I love seeing dogs off-leash on the trail. While there are notable exceptions, if a dog is off-leash, it’s almost always because its master knows that it’s under voice command – in other words, the dog won’t jump, won’t bite,…

Exploring Goblin Valley: Valleys 1, 2, and 3!
If you spend much time on forums about hiking in Utah, you’re sure to hear about Goblin Valley State Park. It’s doubly true if someone is asking about hiking with kids in Utah. You see, while there are trails (Caramel…

How to Take Silky, Dreamy Waterfall Photos (with any Camera!)
Have you ever seen a professional photo of a waterfall, complete with silky water, deep green leaves, and a sense of the water’s movement between dark banks? How about a swirl of foam at the bottom of the cascade, with…

Obedience Without Understanding
I’d like to make a quick caveat to last week’s post. Not because I don’t believe it – far from it – but because there is more to the subject than what I was able to cover in a single…