Showing posts with label Hiking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hiking. Show all posts

Saturday, June 25, 2016

9 States and 6 National Parks in 10 Days

Today we are fortunate enough to have a guest post from bloggers Oksana & Dimitri, of 


Check out all Oksana & Dimitri's inspirational thoughts and pics at: 


Instagram - www.instagram.com/travelize.me/
Facebook - www.facebook.com/oksana.buniak

About Oksana & Dimitri...


Yosemite National Park
Photo: @travelize.me
My name is Oksana, I was born in Kiev, raised in Prague, studied in Kiev, then worked and lived in London, and finally I moved to SoCal 3 years ago. I spent 3.5 years on business trips around the world and that’s when I felt in love with traveling. I’ve been to 41 countries, 39 states + Washington DC, and 21 US National Parks so far.

Currently I work as a Business Analyst. Most of all I enjoy traveling (of course) and capturing the best places on photos. My husband and I are big sports enthusiasts. We regularly go snowboarding, enjoy kitesurfing and make first progress in surfing.


My husband Dimitri is a Software Engineer and he’s much better than me in all those activities listed above  And if you see a photo which you really like then it was most probably taken by him.



**Make sure you click on each days link to read a more detailed description of the the days events.**




Flight: Orange County, SNA –> Salt Lake City; Denver, DEN –> Orange County, SNA



Duration: 10 days
Mileage: ~3200
Starting point: Salt Lake City, UT
States: UT, ID, WY, MT, ND, SD, NE, KS, CO
Budget for 2 people: $1953 ($22.5* flight,  $500 car rental, $700 hotels, $300 gas, $330 food, $100 other)








Day 0: flight from Orange County, SNA to Salt Lake City, SLC; night walk in the downtown

  • Day 1: explore Salt Lake City, UT; drive to Jackson, WY via Idaho Falls, ID (300 mi,5 h)
  • Day 2: explore Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park; stay in Jackson, WY
  • Day 3: continue exploring Yellowstone; drive to Hungry Horse, MT (550 mi, 10 h)
  • Day 4: explore Glacier National Park; stay in Hungry Horse, MT
  • Day 5: continue exploring Glacier National Park; stay in Cut Bank, MT
  • Day 6: drive to Dickinson, ND (530 mi, 9h)
  • Day 7: explore Theodore Roosevelt National Park; drive to Rapid City, SD (240 mi, 4 h); explore Mount Rushmore, SD
  • Day 8 : explore Wind Cave National Park and Badlands National Park; stay in Rapid City
  • Day 9: drive to Denver, CO via Nebraska and Kansas (560 mi, 10h)
  • Day 10: explore Boulder, CO; flight back home from DEN

* We had Southwest points to use thus we paid airfare taxes only





Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Would you rather a trip to Banff filled with hiking or skiing or a trip to Key West filled with snorkelling and sailing?

Banff, Alberta:

Horseback riding, hiking, mountain biking, skiing and more! If you love nature and being active this is the place for you. There is a physical challenge for just about every ability here. You can wake to beautiful sunrises then hike through beautiful forests and mountainsides and finish the day with a gourmet meal.

Key West, Florida:

Shopping, swimming, snorkelling, sunbathing and more! If you love the mix of swanky island life this place is for you. There are boats and yachts to rent for a day out on the turquoise waters and a lot of sea life to see. You can wake to warm sunshine and spend your day on both land and sea before finishing the day with a slice of key lime pie with the sand between your toes.

Our Choice:

Richard and I would choose Banff. After our hiking experiences in Switzerland we know we like a challenge. We also like places where there is a mix of experiences where you can be active, see wildlife, and still enjoy great restaurants and boutiques.  For those who have not been, Banff is an incredibly beautiful, quaint, and lovable little town. There are other jaw dropping sites you need to visit close by as well: Lake Louise & Canmore. 

Let us know your choice in the comments below.
Banff, Alberta, Canada
Photo: @conciergecouple