Tiffany YoungExplorer

Mount Cook (Aoraki), the highest mountain in New Zealand, lies on the Northern base of Lake Pukaki - this will definitely be good. Getting there all depends on where you're coming from. To start, GPS the Lake Pukaki Information Centre and then explore as you wish. Follow motorway 8 along the South end of the lake for a few different parking spots. Climb some rocks and get blown away (literally,...

Mount Maunganui keeps proving that it is an incredibly family-friendly destination with its extremely well maintained path up Mount Maunganui, a massive and easy to access beach with great waves for beginners, all the food you can crave, and a little escape island. Right off the main beach you'll see this awesome island that has been connected by a man-made land bridge. This little island calle...

Close to the popular Bash Bish Falls in Mount Washington State Forest is this amazing summit and perfect day hike! Witness the corners of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York all at once (and from the top of this trail, it connects to Bash Bish if you have the time to spear!) From the Mt. Washington State Forest Headquarters Parking Lot, the trailhead begins at the end of the lot to the lef...

This loop follows the blue against the reservoir where it will break off to the left (this is a longer hike ~ 6.3 miles that'll eventually get to the peak), but if you're looking for this short hike, keep following the water side where it will meet the white trail for a short distance. Note: Some of the trail markers aren't very clear with a few unmarked trail as an option. The trail map is a ...

Are you looking for a good stop on the way to Mt. Cook or do you happen to be an astrogeek with a love for space and mountains and overall beautiful nature? The town of Lake Tekapo has everything you need to restock before Mt. Cook with views of the stunning and parallel Lake Tekapo. It is also a great overnight destination for those seeking some epic stargazing. Directions Getting there is eas...

On a spontaneous adventure, we were lucky to have ended up car camping at the beautiful Beartown State Forest. From the main entrance of the state forest, the campsite is only a few minutes drive to the right of the road. The campsite is popular, but only limited to 12 sites, so during the summer make sure to plan way ahead! Each site has a fire pit with grill and a picnic table surrounded by f...

If you ever decide to go to the beautiful Beartown State Forest, be sure to enjoy the short but worthy hike to the vista on the Lookout Trail for views that stretches out to the mountains. There are two places to park:  1. From the main entrance of the park, you can get a spot at the lot at Benedict Pond ("Daily Parking Fee: $8 MA Vehicle, $10 non-MA Vehicle") where you can follow the road to t...

Once upon a time, this very spot was home to one of the most glamorous hotel for travelers in the United States. Now it's a historical site with one hell of a view of the Hudson River, the far away hills of Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and of course the beautiful Catskills valleys. If you're in the Catskills of New York and happen to be camping at North Lake Campgrounds (and South Lake)...

In the Fiordland National Park, the Key Summit sits at the beginning of one of New Zealand's Great Walks, The Routeburn Track. This half-day walk to easily accessible off of the Milford Road from the Divide Carpark, one of the access points to the popular backpacking trip. A toilet is available here before your adventure (the important things!)  The track will begin at the left side of the park...

Are you looking for a casual stroll in the woods? Want relax by the water with a beer in your hands? Or looking to do some SUP or kayaking? This Coastal Reserve and state park in Groton, Connecticut is worth the visit! A popular destination for the locals, families, and travelers. The trails are well maintained (and wide!) Dog lovers will jump in joy. And athletes will love the easy, but fun tr...

Looking for a serious weekend getaway with no electricity and no city noises? Well an hour long boat ride will take you to this little island right in between Leyte and Cebu where the water isn't as salty and you can fall asleep with the waves crashing right next to you. Whether you choose to make this a day trip or stay the night - Kalanggaman welcomes you! There are a lot of great places just...

During an unplanned road trip, we arrived at the North/South Lake Campground out of curiosity and without a doubt, it was totally worth the stop! (We only saw North Lake.) To visit this campground, there is a fee for a day pass, unless you had just came from another campground in the Catskills like we did earlier in the day (a ranger from the Devil's Tombstone Campground had signed a receipt fo...

The Sprague Land Preserve (also known as the Mukluk Preserve) was an incredible surprise. Whether it's hiking, fishing, or horseback riding it's a beautiful spot for anyone that can get there at sunrise and out before sunset when the gates close.You can easily get there by Google Mapping the name, but when "you reach your destination", just continue to drive on Holton Rd and you'll reach an ent...

We all love the time for the sun to rise and the moon to set, and we all love that time on the beach when our feet first touch the cool morning sand. Roger W. Wheeler State Beach is a great beach to catch the sunrise and it is easy to get to and easy to park. To say the least, it'll be worth waking up early for! Recently, I went to a friend's beach house rental for a night for the perfect 12 ho...

Yeah, you heard right. If you don't want to take on the world's largest commercial whitewater rafting waterfall, Tutea Falls (7m), then you can take a nice and easy walk instead! (More info on rafting at the end for the interested adrenaline junkies.) Okere Falls is 20km north of Rotorua, to the east of Lake Rotorua, and right next to Lake Rotoiti on Trout Pool road off SH 33. Shortly after you...

Welcome to the newest neighborhood in the Manhattan West Side of New York, the Hudson Yards! After years of construction, the Vessel opened as a new centerpiece in the Hudson Yards on March of 2019. With 154 steel flights of stairs with 2,500 steps and 80 landings, you're walking adventures around the city of has just begun! Interactive art, green space, shopping, and food... this is a place to...

The Rundown When you think of Australia, you think of red deserts and white sandy beaches, right? Well, you can bet after some heavy rainfall there's a waterfall or two somewhere to be found! In Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park, the walk to Quinninup Falls is only 2km out of 125km on the epic Cape to Cape Track. Even if there may not be enough water for the falls, this sweet walk is nothing sh...

Of the nine Great Walks in New Zealand (will be ten at the end of 2019), two are a loop and the Rakiura Track is one of them. That makes planning a huge portion of the trip much easier since you don't have to worry about a ride back to your car. The best part about this Great Walk is that you can walk to the beginning of the track from town. To get to the island, drive to Bluff in South Island ...

When going to the Philippines, people often think about going to beautiful tourist destinations like El Nido on Palawan Island, but if you're looking to be budget friendly and more local the providence of Zambales in Central Luzon can still give you crystal clean waters, green mountains, and a ton of sun for totally affordable. Camara and Capones Island are the closest from Pundaquit Beach. Cam...

From the outer edge of this cove to the beach it took about 10 minutes to ride in and when you look out towards the sea, you only see the sea! You're surrounded by the mountains on both sides and it's just the beach and yourself. So if you're looking for soft (but really hot) sand, clear waters, hiking, and more... you'll find it at Nagsasa. With no electricity or phone connection, you can even...

In the 20th century when development continued to grow, the refuge was created to provide the elk with an efficient habitat for survival. So today, when you come to visit the refuge - the time of the year you come will impact what you see at the refuge (it's not always just about the elk!) I visited in mid-March. The most important thing is to keep your distant! It's for the safety of you and t...

Working my way to the West side of the state, a friend recently helped me discover Naugatuck State Park in Naugatuck, CT. After driving up and around curvy roads, we entered the forest (with a lot of potholes). Here is a map of the park. The parking I am talking about here is the "P" symbol next to the Naugatuck River and off of Spruce Brook Rd and Cold Spring Rd. The parking lot is located nex...