Explore the journey — one trail, museum, meal, and memory at a time.

Valley of Fire State Park

Valley of Fire State Park

I spent the day hiking Natural Arch Trail and Rainbow Vista Trail in Valley of Fire State Park, navigating deep sand, red rock washes, and hidden sandstone arches. In eighty-degree heat, the solitude of Natural Arch contrasted sharply with the crowds at Rainbow Vista. A bighorn sheep sighting and an evening drive toward Cathedral Gorge rounded out a long desert day.

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Kitch-iti-kipi and Manistique, Michigan
parks Greg Ott parks Greg Ott

Kitch-iti-kipi and Manistique, Michigan

After a morning exploring an unusual siphon bridge and an old waterworks in Manistique, I stumbled into a peaceful detour that led to hours of unexpected macro photography with electric-blue damselflies. Eventually, I made it to Kitch-iti-kipi, where crystal-clear waters and lazy trout made for one of the most magical moments of the trip. I finished the day camped by Indian Lake with Starlink streaming under a canopy of trees.

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