Organized Adventurer

06/02/2026

Finally made it to Colorado National Monument and it didn’t disappoint 🤩

These clips were taken on the scenic drive through the park on Rimrock Rd. This particular view point is the Fruita Overlook - I love the U-curve of the road below (where we’d just driven from!).

Colorado National Monument Logistics:

📍 Just outside Grand Junction, Colorado
💰 $25 Entrance fee; free with US National Parks pass
📆 1 day is enough to drive the scenic road and do a short hike or 2

Have you been to this national monument yet?

We’re already talking about the next visit to Western Colorado!

06/01/2026

06/01/2026

Re-entry to the work week was extra tough today 😅

Can it be Friday again please? What an amazing weekend at Outside Days 2026 with and |

This year’s festival was the best kind of chaos. We saw so many friends, made new ones, jammed out to and more, ate kebabs from food trucks, won so much swag from and more, listened to inspiring talks from CEO Ryan Gellert, former US Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, and Ed O’Brien of and... I could go on and on!

Were you at Outside Days this weekend? If so, what was your favorite part?

06/01/2026

Would you cross this arch bridge in western Colorado?

Don’t worry, it’s wider than it looks 😅

If you’ve seen Devils Bridge in Sedona, this bridge is a similar width. Gotta love the effects of a wide angle lens 😉

Hiking in Colorado’s Black Ridge Canyon wilderness was one of our favorite adventures last weekend.

This part, known as Rattlesnake Canyon, is home to the highest concentration of natural arches outside of Arches National Park! We saw 4 arches close up on this trail and could see views of some of the others from afar.

We’re already planning to do more hikes in this area in fall and winter when it’s not so hot 🥵

⚠️ Note: there are a lot of hiking options here. The shorter 3.8 mile hike to the arches that we did requires a high clearance 4x4 vehicle. We took and while she was very capable on the roads, she was too big to make it the last mile so we parked in a pull off and walked the rest of the way to the trailhead.

If you don’t have a high clearance 4x4, the hike is 14.3 miles round trip.

The website has a great article about the different options for visiting this area, including a trippy video similar to this one 🙃

https://www.visitgrandjunction.com/blog/how-find-amazing-arches-rattlesnake-canyon

06/01/2026

PSA - turning around when a hike doesn’t feel safe to continue is a GOOD thing.

It’s not a failed hike, and you’re not less of a hiker for choosing to stop!✋

When we set off to hike the fairly short but really steep climb to the top of Mount Garfield, we were prepared for a leg workout.

We were NOT prepared for the intense winds we felt at the top of the first ridge. Knowing an easy misstep could be catastrophic, we slowly made our way back down to the parking area.

When I checked the weather on my phone, we saw a severe wind warning for the area was coming in 😱

We ended up getting dinner at a delicious Indian restaurant instead.

Safe to say, we have no regrets for turning around!

Always follow your gut and be aware of your surroundings!! If you feel unsafe, listen to that feeling!

Have you ever stopped a hike when it didn’t feel wise to continue?

06/01/2026

Put these waterfalls on you Colorado bucket list ➡️ Rifle Falls State Park

Would you believe this lush oasis is just an hour from the desert landscape of Grand Junction, Colorado?

Here’s what you need to know to plan your visit:

📍 Rifle, Colorado is 1 hour from Grand Junction and a little over 3 hours from Denver

💵 Entrance is $9 per vehicle for a day pass

💡 Tip: If you plan on visiting multiple Colorado State Parks this year, consider getting the annual pass for $80 (fixed to one vehicle) or $120 (can use on any vehicle the pass holder is in).

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 This family-friendly state park is also accessible, with a paved path leading to a view of all three waterfalls

🥾 There is a fun 0.6 mile trail along the falls that also takes visitors behind the waterfalls and through caves!

🗺 Consider adding Nearby Rifle Gap State Park, Harvey Gap State Park, or Rifle Arch to your trip!

06/01/2026

The last one really surprised me though 😂

Catch us traveling and hiking or at the home improvement store- very little in between 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♀️

05/31/2026

Yosemite Itinerary - you’ll want to save this one!!

and I just wrapped up an epic week of hiking in California.

🏨 Accommodation:

We stayed at the Plus Yosemite Way Station (hosted) in Mariposa, about an hour from the entrance to Yosemite National Park. It was a very comfortable base and included hot breakfast every morning, a pool and gym, and walking distance to restaurants in downtown Mariposa!

Views and Hikes:

Yosemite Valley:
➡️ Tunnel View
➡️ Yosemite Valley View
➡️ Swinging Bridge Picnic Area
➡️ Cathedral Beach Picnic Area
🥾 Lower Yosemite Falls trail
🥾 Mist Trail to Vernal and Nevada Falls trail
🥾 Sentinal/Cooks Meadow trail
🥾 Mirror Lake trail

Tioga Road:
➡️ Olmsted Point
➡️ Tenaya Lake
➡️ Tuolumne Meadows
🥾 Cathedral Lakes

⚠️ Need to Know:
➡️ To enter the park between 6a and 4p, you MUST have a reservation from recreation.gov. We saw a car get turned away - avoid disappointment and book as far in advance as you can!
➡️ You CAN enter before 6a or after 4p without a reservation. We did this 2/5 of the days we were there
➡️ Glacier Point Road is closed until 2023

Is Yosemite National Park on your bucket list?

05/31/2026

Still in awe of this view 🤩 The world is big and beautiful. I hope you find awe and wonder somewhere out there this weekend ❤️