This blog post will only talk about Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center.

But I also debated whether I wanted to drive up to Shark Valley. It was about an hour or so from Homestead, Fl. Shark Valley has a 15-mile loop where you can bike or go on a tram ride to the Observation Tower. The tower is the halfway point on this loop, where you can get out and climb up the 45-foot observation deck and experience panoramic views of the Everglades.

This sounded cool, but in the interest of time, I decided to go to the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center, the park's headquarters. Once I arrived, I went straight to the visitors center to speak to my ranger friends (if you are new here, one thing I love is talking to the rangers!).

I started traveling solo because I had no like-minded friends and was fed up with myself for always waiting for someone to do something with me.

I have previously mentioned that you should NEVER wait for a person to travel with you. Take that trip!

"But Bel, I don't want to go alone!"

But baby, you aren't alone; you have yourself. She wants to go on that trip and learn, see, do, and experience new things. She also wants to know about you, and she wants you to learn about herself too. I learned this lesson in my late 20s or early 30s, and I wish I had known this much sooner.

We resumed hiking again but then stopped. It was getting too sketchy to hike, at least for me. When I sat down again, I saw these teens wearing white Nike sneakers, crop tops, and no water trying to hike through the snow we had been hiking in.

So, what does one do when it's raining like crazy in the Grand Tetons? Bring your rain gear!

In the morning, I got lucky. It wasn't raining yet, so I could make coffee. I hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, nor did I have breakfast before I started my adventure.

Last time, we discussed the start of my solo trip to the Grand Tetons and my hike up to Inspiration Point, which was, of course, inspirational! We also discussed the Cascade Canyon Trail and Hidden Falls. Be sure to catch up on this experience if you haven’t already read it.

After taking a quick side trip back down the mountain to Hidden Falls, I decided to it was time to set up camp before the storms came in.

I started my day sometime between 5:00 and 5:30 a.m., taking one last shower since I didn't know when my next shower would be. I headed to my car and started the trip to Grand Teton National Park Visitor center, about a 20-minute drive.

The sun rose over the mountains on my right as I left town. It was one of the prettiest sunrises I have seen in a long time. The sky broke from the darkness and clouds to produce different shades of blues, pinks, and yellows. I pulled over on route 189, the road you take to head to Grand Tetons, and watched the sunrise for a few minutes. The water was so still that it reflected the colors of the sunrise and the mountains. I didn't realize that the place I pulled over was a National Elk Refuge until I saw a sign.

Once I checked in and got my life semi-together, it was time to explore Jackson. The first stop was getting that famous picture under the arch of horns. My boss and my coworker told me I needed to take a picture with that and send it as proof of life. The town has this old-time rugged feel to it. Yet, it also feels like one of those Hallmark Christmas Movies of a small village where you repeatedly run into the same people.

After my exciting drive around Yellowstone Lake, I headed to Hayden Valley. It’s a scenic drive in Yellowstone where you can spot wildlife such as buffalo, grizzly bears, wolves, coyotes, and other types of wildlife Right before I got to Hayden Valley, I saw a lone buffalo on the right side of the road in a field covered in snow in the distance.

I pulled over and got out of my SUV, then stood in awe. I have never seen a buffalo this close before. I was at a safe distance, protecting the animal and myself. But I was in awe.

A strange feeling came over me, and a voice came to me saying, "Keep looking both ways." I wasn’t sure what that was about, but I slowed down even more (I was doing 30 before but was now doing about 15-20).

To my right was Yellowstone Lake. The waves were choppy and coming into shore at a pretty good clip. To the left was the woods with trees covered in white from the snow. I listened to the voice and kept looking both ways every 5 seconds. It was like watching a tennis match without a ball going back and forth.

Who is the most famous bear? You might say Smokie the Bear or Yogi Bear, but have you heard of Bear 399?

Are you craving an epic road trip with unforgettable views? Then, this trip is for you! I've driven this route three times, and below, I will share what to expect, my favorite tips, and why you should do it!

Let's go on this larger-than-life road trip, shall we

Every hike, I bring a day bag filled with the items below. It doesn't matter if the trail is just 3 miles or a full fifteen.

While on my solo travels through Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone, I picked up some information I want to share with you….

Heading out to bear country? Here are my tips for you!

My tips and tricks for BCNP!

Another thing that Bryce is famous for is its most extensive collection in the world of Hoodoos. They formed over millions of years of erosion. There is a famous Native American Story of how these Hoodoos were created. The short version of this story is the Coyote God, who oversaw the land and had invited the Legend People to a grand feast. These people were known to be selfish and abused the land. Legend people dressed to the nines and painted their faces for the feast. But before the Legend People started to gorge on the food, the Coyote God cast a spell on them and turned them into stone. Ones who didn't turn into stone tried to escape by climbing on top of each other until they turned into stone, which is why hoodoos, cling to the sides of the cliffs. Or maybe it's nature, I guess we won't ever know!

My tips and tricks for Zion National Park and hiking the Narrows.

Finally, I reached Wall Street, the famous part of the hike. This is where the walls of the canyon tower 1500 feet tall, and it’s the narrowest, with the river only being 22 feet wide. Once I passed this section, I hung out at the riverbank, enjoying the view. I kept looking up at the sky because the sun was finally out, and it was a bright blue sky with some white clouds. It made the rocks stand out even more. I was chatting with a few people as I was asked to take a couple of pictures of them. I heard one of them talking about this Floating Rock up from Wall Street. Floating Rock is another stopping point on this hike. It is a giant boulder that looks like it is floating on the river. My curiosity peaked, and I kept hiking after getting some pictures of myself at Wall Street. I went to Floating Rock, and then I turned around and headed back. Looking back now, I should have continued to Big Springs; it’s about another 1-1.5 miles down; this was the last point before you had to turn around because the rest of the Narrows needed a permit.

My tips and tricks for Seattle!

My tips and tricks of my Colorado road trip, in 2020