Inked with Wanderlust

01/04/2026

Just published my first new post of 2026! Please give it a read if you have a few minutes.

Consistently ranked as the number one most popular attraction in San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge is an awe-inspiring symbol of human en…

01/03/2026

***Gratitude post and blog update (warning - it’s a long one)

2025 is officially in the history books and what a year it was. There were a fair share of negatives in the world but overall, it was a year filled with experiences and joy for me, personally.

I saw another one of my favorite bands live (311), was blessed to be able to take my wife to see Beyonce on the opening night of her Cowboy Carter tour, hiked to the top of Mount Lee and finally got that “behind the Hollywood Sign” view I’ve always wanted to see, hiked to Mossbrea Falls (bucket list for me), took a solo trip through Burney and Dunsmuir, and was blessed to be able to treat my Mom to a Mother/Son Disneyland trip for Halloween (among other things, but these were the highlights).

There’s also the continued success of the blog. I’ve been working tirelessly on it for just over five years now and feel like I’ve finally started to “crack the code”, so to speak. Traffic has been on a steady upward trajectory, my average listing on Google is in the low single digits (a very good thing), many of my posts now appear on the first page of Google searches, I have thousands of ranked keywords, my domain authority is slowing creeping up, and my bounce rate (how long folks stay on the site and engage) is now in the range of what Google would consider “excellent”.

This is all great, as I struggled for the first few years and made a ton of mistakes (due to inexperience) that caused the blog’s progress to not just stall, but nearly crash out, entirely. I spent a solid year undoing many of those mistakes, including transitioning into a whole new code of website and hosting type, as well as studying keyword research, optimization of photos, increasing page speed, post structure, etc. There is so much more to running a website, a blog specifically, than what many realize. It can be downright daunting. Lol.

But now my traffic and stats are the best they’ve ever been. Considering I’m seeing record numbers during a travel blog’s typical “slow season” is an encouraging thing. To all of you who visit the blog, read the posts, scroll through the photos, share it, etc….thank you. It means more to me than you’ll ever know.

Going forward, I’m going to be taking a different approach to social media. I’m still not quite sure what that looks like, exactly, but I am hitting the reset button. In 2026, I’ll be stepping in front of the camera more instead of always being behind it. Hopefully you’re ready for that because i’m definitely not. Lol. I’m developing a TikTok and Pinterest strategy, as well as developing a YouTube channel. Again, still not entirely sure what that’ll all look it, but they are coming.

If you’ve made it this far, thank you. To those who scrolled through it…I don’t blame you. Lol. I promise, most posts this year won’t be this long. I have quite a few adventures lined up for this year and I hope you’ll continue to follow along. Thank you again for the support!

12/23/2025

I haven’t posted in a while. I’ve been taking an extended mental health break and working on said mental health, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t post about the tragic news I woke up to today.

If you watch YouTube videos at all, specifically in the travel niche, you’ve likely stumbled across Adam the Woo via his “The Daily Woo” channel. In it, Adam shared daily videos of his travels across the country to random and popular places, theme parks, and most recently, countries.

Today, Adam was found deceased in his Florida home. No details other than that fact are known at this time.

I’ve been watching Adam’s videos since around 2014. Long before I launched Inked with Wanderlust. Him and his videos were a big part of the inspiration to document and share my own travels, which ultimately led to the creation of IWW as a mere Instagram profile in 2015, and eventually led to it becoming a fully fledged website in 2020.

I didn’t know the man. I never even got to meet him, unfortunately. Despite that, his influence on me and my own projects will continue. No one exemplified “live life to the fullest” quite like Adam did and I intend to do my best to live up to his example.

My condolences to Adam’s family, friends, colleagues, and fans.

11/17/2025

Did you know….?

The Beach Boys monument, which sits in front of the spot formally occupied by the Wilson brothers’ childhood home, was built by someone close to the family.

11/14/2025

If you’re looking for a great place to spend the weekend, look no further than Valley of Fire State Park. A few of my favorite trails and attractions in the park that I recommend include:

• White Domes
• Crazy Hill
• Petroglyph Canyon
• Elephant Rock
• Atlatl Rock
• Piano Rock
• Fire Wave

Valley of Fire is an easy day trip from Las Vegas. Additionally, November is a great month to visit, as temperatures are typically cooler, especially in the morning, and all trails are open.

Read more about Fire Wave here - https://shorturl.at/GrfvQen

11/13/2025

Did you know….?

Original Tommy’s World Famous Hamburgers, located in Los Angeles, was opened by 1946 by Tom Koulax, the son of Greek immigrants.

The original location on the corner of Rampart and Beverly originally began with just the stand on the corner before Koulax expanded operations in the 1960’s with the second serving station across the parking lot.

Through years of hard work and an unyielding commitment to quality food and fast service, Original Tommy’s would go on to earn an indelible reputation in the City of Angels as THE spot for a delicious burger.

Discover more - https://shorturl.at/1m6jJ

11/12/2025

Snoqualmie Falls, a gorgeous 270-foot waterfall located within the Cascade Range and just a short, easy drive from Seattle, is a must-see for anyone visiting Washington State.

Discover more - https://shorturl.at/37kba

11/03/2025

Did you know….?

The Titanic Artifact Exhibition museum, located inside The Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas, displays the largest piece of the Titanic ever recovered.

Suitably referred to as, “The Big Piece”, it weights approximately fifteen tons, measures about twenty-six by twelve feet and is from the ship’s starboard side hull.

Following a failed attempt to recover it in 1996, The Big Piece was successfully recovered in 1998 from a depth of 12,500 feet.

🔗Discover more - https://shorturl.at/H5QZO

11/01/2025

I can’t say if the Dodgers will win the series today, but if they do, look no further than Philippe the Original in Downtown Los Angeles for a celebratory meal after the game!

10/31/2025

Did you know….?

Hot Creek Geologic Site, situated near Mammoth Lakes down a passable dirt road off of famed Highway 395, is often regarded as “Little Yellowstone”.

It’s referred to as this due to its geothermal features, which include hot springs, geysers (though they seldom erupt), and bubbling creek surface.

This section of creek flows above a chamber of hot magma, which lies about three miles down into the earth.

The water is heated and pressurized before rising to the surface. This process is believed to take around 1,000 years.

🔗 https://shorturl.at/zgtmf - Discover more!

10/29/2025

The captivating Burney Falls is always a sight to behold, no matter how many times you’ve see it or have photographed it.

🔗 https://shorturl.at/Pd0Bi

10/28/2025

Virginia Creek Settlement is a great place to stop at for a meal when traveling along Highway 395. It’s between Lee Vining and Bridgeport, and close to destinations such as Bodie, Twin Lakes, Mono Lake, Conway Summit, and more.

Pro tip: Only order the pancakes if you’re hungry hungry. They’re practically bigger than the plate.