Welcome to the round-up of travels and blog posts for 2024! This year has been the year of “more” – more creativity, more travels, more hiking, and lots of fun, too. Over the course of the year, I visited 33 states 45 times (I only counted each state once per trip), traveled in 7 out of 12 months (every single month May-November), and hiked around 375 miles. I also posted more on the blog this year than ever before – 178 individual posts, not counting WalkingWildandFree.com or social media! Sometimes I shake my head and wonder how on earth it all gets done… but I’m so grateful for it all and for each one of you who reads this blog or just follows along on social media.
Anne’s Travels didn’t have an especially popular year compared to previous years; some tech issues have limited its reach, plus Google is Google, and I don’t especially enjoy playing the algorithms. But I still got almost 64,500 views overall this year from 32,000 people from 167 countries. That’s still pretty good!
As normal, the top pages on Anne’s Travels were the Homepage (accounting for about 1/3 of all traffic), Out of State Learner Permit Laws, Bible Verses for Hikers, the King of Wings, Bible Verses for Cyclists/Mountain Bikers, Buttermilk Falls in New Jersey, 5 Easy Meals to Make on a Backpacking Stove, Hiking Hairstyles, DIY Neck Pillow with Pattern, and Bible Verses for Rock Climbers.
Also per normal, these were all published some time ago. So I’d like to highlight the top-performing pages on Anne’s Travels that I’ve published since July 1, 2023. Enjoy!
Fayette Station Road
New River Gorge National Park, West Virginia. A scenic drive that takes you beath and to great views of the New River Gorge Bridge.
Greenwater Valley Road
Death Valley National Park, California. Another scenic drive, this one traverses a lonely valley between the Black Mountains and the Greenwater Range. The valley turns green after a heavy rain.
Big Pocket Overlooks
Canyonlands National Park, Utah. A worthy hike to be on this list! Views from the clifftop down on the “Big Pocket” and Upper Salt Creek Canyon are gorgeous, especially in the early morning or late afternoon.
Golden Stairs Trail
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area/Canyonlands National Park, Utah. One of the few real trails in the Orange Cliffs District/Maze District, this one has some truly beautiful views.
Resurrection Canyon
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah. This is a truly hidden gem with rock formations and exploration opportunities abounding for those who don’t mind leaving the non-existent trail behind.
Millard Canyon, Bagpipe Butte, and Flint Trail Overlooks
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area/Canyonlands National Park, Utah. These three overlooks are all along NP-633 between Hans Flat and the Flint Trail in the Maze District. They’re all beautiful and well worth checking out if you’re doing the drive.
Wildhorse Window & Lower Wildhorse Canyon
San Rafael Swell, Utah. A hike to a really neat arch in an alcove can be lengthened by exploring a nearby slot canyon.
Grand Canyon South Rim Loop
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. The loop is long, but varied scenery and spectacular views (not to mention the waterfalls) make it a stand-out hike.
How I Hiked All of the Trails in Arches National Park
Arches National Park, Utah. Since I hiked nearly every trail in Arches National Park in May, I decided to do an entire post about it!
The Best Canoe and Kayak Adventures near Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York. I think it’s pretty neat that so many paddlers near Rochester are looking for new adventures.
Elephant Arch
Red Cliffs National Conservation Area, Utah. This is such a neat destination – the arch really does look like an elephant’s head and trunk!
Peek-a-boo Trail
Canyonlands National Park, Utah. My second-favorite hike in the Needles District, this hike is so beautiful with views to rock formations and the La Sal Mountains.
Lamar River Trail
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. I was hoping for some great wildlife sightings in the Lamar Valley, but all I really got was a couple of beautiful hikes, including this one.
How to Get Camping Permits to Camp in Death Valley
Death Valley National Park, California. With the new permit systems in place for some of the roads in the park, people are looking for information – I would be, too!
Book Review: Tent for Seven
This one made me happy! I so enjoyed this true story, and I’m thrilled that other people are discovering it, too!
