Category: USA

Yellowstone and Grand Teton in Early May

Post author By Anthony Perez
Post date September 5, 2014
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I have always wanted to see Yellowstone since I was a kid. Seeing pictures in history books with a page full of text describing the Yellowstone Act and movements to create parks to preserve land in the US and around the world. Yellowstone National Park is a huge, vast amount of land for nature and away from big business and settlement. It is the first of its kind as a park and set an example for countries around the world The park sits up in the northwestern corner of Wyoming overlapping a little into Montana and Idaho. To the south, lies it’s neighboring younger park, Grand Teton National Park.

Both parks cannot be done in one day unless you hire a tour guide you’ll end up realizing how much more both parks have to offer other than the well known spots. IE: Old Faithful, Yellowstone falls. Car rental is necessary if you are staying for a few days or longer and with a good map, you can cover quite a bit. As far a lodging goes, you can find location convenient lodging in both parks. But if you prefer budget and don’t mind the drive, there are a few towns that do not sit on federal land on the outskirts. For my itinerary, I stayed several days in west Yellowstone. A small quaint and laid back town right outside of Yellowstones’ western entrance in the southwestern tip of Montana. Here you have the proximity to the park, but can make a straight drive into both Idaho and Bozeman to the north. For two extra days, I stayed in the amazing western pure town of Jackson, Wyoming which sits a good 30 to 45 minute drive to most scenic overlooks of the beautiful Teton mountain range.

Fortunately traveling early may leaves you with a fresh new season to both parks with low amounts of traffic and lots of open road. In most hot spot places in both parks you will not find a large crowd as you would let’s say mid June or July. In others, you will most likely enjoy for yourself. Its certainly an amazing time to travel for someone who wants away from crowds. However, this all does come with downsides. Traveling the second to third week after the parks opened is early enough to still see the leftovers of winter. Not to forget the unpredictable weather, you will find in certain areas of the park still white. For safety reasons, many roads, scenic routes, and hiking trails are closed. After traveling a long distance with high anticipation, this left me quite frustrated several times. Attractions such as Jackson lake ferries and the Jackson hole tram had to be crossed off the itinerary due to closures around this time.

Did these downsides do some hurting to my park desires, sure. Did they ruin my trip? Of course not. In reality I saw these as sacrifices to the positives of being there after a fresh park opening. All in all, the experiences to the park were far better than I had anticipated. Shared memories with great people that will last a lifetime. Hopefully one day, when I am ready for a cross country trip across the USA, I can revisit these beautiful places and create even more memories. May is a fresh timespan for a re opened park but do not let this deter you, this is probably one of the best times to go.

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General South Carolina

Kayaking and Camping at Lake Jocassee, SC

Post author By Anthony Perez
Post date July 1, 2014
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After returning from the Caribbean the day before, My girlfriend and I took advantage of a beautiful Saturday morning and afternoon borrowing Kayaks from my Mom and Step dad to go Kayaking on Lake Jocassee. Being that I am new to the whole outdoors experience in South Carolina, we also borrowed my step dads old tent to finally experience camping for the first time at Keowee-Toxaway State Park.

After we set up camp in the park, we drove a few miles west to Devil’s Fork State Park where we found out we could Kayak to a few waterfalls. We headed straight for the boat drop off ramp, placed our Kayaks in the water, and set off on a search for some water falls. We not only encountered strong winds throughout most of the journey but we didn’t find the waterfalls wish hoped to see. Only to later find out where we turned around, a waterfall was not far away as well as one other just a bit further north of that. We then later picked up some goodies and food to complete our camping experience before we hit the sheets. Although unsuccessful at chasing our waterfalls and disregarding our strenuous workout, it was a fairly serene experience with low boat traffic and low activity.

Tags south carolina

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Hiking in North Carolina: DuPont State Forest

Post author By Anthony Perez
Post date April 23, 2014
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Taking pictures with my GoPro after a long hike in DuPont State Forest — Bridal Veil Falls in Dupont State Forest in North Carolina.

Living in the Upstate of South Carolina for several years and growing up in both tropical Florida and urban New Jersey, I realized that there is so much to do here that I was not brought up around. The North Carolina Appalachian Mountains has so many outdoor activities to offer at such a close proximity of about an hour to an hour and a half. Everything from hiking, kayaking, waterfalls, camping, and so much more. After a long cold miserable Winter, Easter Sunday of 2014 offered much sun and clear skies, a perfect day to get out and enjoy a nice hike in the mountains. My girlfriend and I chose DuPont State Forest as it is one of her favorite places to spend a day hiking. Although not too strenuous of a hike, the park has numerous trails with rewarding views of Triple Falls, High Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, Lake Julia, Hooker Falls and much more. The park has trails good enough for biking and horse riding as well. Aside from my usual worldly travel desires, it is great to know that a good road trip through the mountains is close, cost efficient and lots of fun. 🙂

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Land of Waterfalls in The Carolinas

Post author By Anthony Perez
Post date January 31, 2014
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Every single day my wanderlust draws me and my travel desires further and further away from home and abroad to places unknown to me and my family. Each trip I take is further away from home as well. Although I sit behind this work desk with the urge to just get up, get on a flight, and go overseas every single day, I do remind myself that some wanderlust can be fulfilled right here close to where I live without the need of a passport and foreign language skills. Living within the more mountainous part of South Carolina where we have foothills, I have the advantage of a short one hour drive to the state above where the real Appalachian mountains are. Prior to moving here in 2011, all I knew about was city blocks and beaches. But the great thing about this area is that there is a different kind of urge to be outdoors, at least for recreation. My girlfriend coming from Upstate New York grew up to this outdoor lifestyle with vast openness of hilly terrain far from the city where I grew up just a few hours south.

Hiking, is a new recreation for me because of her and is something I do truly enjoy. Given that I work 7 days a week, nothing beats time away from ‘life’ with the sounds and surroundings of nature. But another awesome reward as a result of some of these hikes that I was also introduced to is the sight of a waterfall, whether at the end of a long hike or simply driving into or to one. Transylvania and other regions in the western part of North Carolina as well as the mountainous norther border of South Carolina are areas notorious for beautiful waterfalls and overlooks and this is one reason why I am grateful to live in this region. Here are some beautiful waterfalls I’ve seen in this area of the Carolinas.

North Carolina

Short hike to Roaring Fork Falls near Mount Mitchell, NC

Sliding Rock Falls near Brevard, NC

Looking Glass Falls near Brevard, NC

Lake Toxaway Falls along US 64.

Cullasaja River

Bridal Veil Falls

Dry Falls

Cullasaja Falls

Hiking in Gorges State Park

Rainbow Falls

Turtleback Falls

Upper Whitewater Falls

South Carolina

Lower Whitewater Falls

Reedy River Falls in Downtown Greenville.

Lake Keowee Waterfall

First hike to Jones Gap Falls in Jones Gap State Park, SC.

Tags dry falls, falls, gorges state park, greenville, hiking, lake keowee, north carolina, rainbow falls, south carolina, travel, waterfalls

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Traveling Solo Is Great

Traveling alone! Most people frown upon it as a sign of loneliness, a lack of fun, dangerous, or just plain out stupid. Everyone is surely entitled to there own opinions. One word I would like to generally tie to all of these responses is the word fear. Sure there is fear of loneliness or danger. Of course there is a fear of not enjoying ones self. I was once there. Typically, these mindsets share the common feeling of fear when it comes to travel alone or let alone doing anything alone just like going to the movies. Personally and oddly, I can easily go to the movies alone just because I love movies with a passion. Although I prefer company, If I really want to see a flick and can’t bring my girlfriend with me, unless she really wants to see it also, I just go alone and enjoy the movie. The same goes for traveling. Traveling alone is something I just do out of norm and by default. Although it can entail missing out on more moments, spontaneous group decisions, less safety or having that extra cameraman for that perfect picture, you do end up finding it easy to make decisions on the fly and worry less about who can afford what. As for having a girlfriend who wishes to travel but can’t right now, it does make planning solo trips slightly more painful.

If I do plan a trip to a new place overseas or within my side of the world, chances are I will travel alone and meet people along the way based on how my trips have turned out. Solo travel for me didn’t begin by choice though. Several years ago, a week after my college graduation, I made a stop in Miami for a few days before celebrating my first travel trip post-college in Key West. Ready for a nice celebration with about five people, the day of departure, I saw each individual back off for different reasons leaving me, my bag, my car and the road in front of me. Although the Florida Keys is not off the beaten path, a simple drive down the scenic US 1 changed my perspective for travel in an entirety. I left for the Keys with the hopes of enjoying myself and returned twice as satisfied as anticipated.

Later on, I’d find myself enjoying the island of Jamaica, Bermuda, and the cities of Toronto and Montreal alone with many more destinations possibly solo as well. Although the appreciation of having a plus one, two, or three would be better, I still do not let invitation stand ups hold me back. You are more than welcome to come but I shall not be your chaperon. I just go! Do it now and while you can. Traveling solo does not mean you’re alone, you just don’t depend of the company of others to follow your dreams. It is a discipline and surely a lifestyle at this point. The world is far too big, life too short, and youth far shorter to say I can do it later. So if you want to go somewhere that may be difficult for others to tag along, don’t turn away from that dream. Just do a little research, go, be safe, and come back with great memories and no regrets.