My #newbook is a guide to help you navigate the path to #happiness, providing practical steps and insights that can empower you to live a more #fulfilled and #joyful life. Check it out here! buff.ly/3V4OE0N

A rainforest in Alaska? Forests and oceans so deeply connected? Wildlife thriving across one incredible ecosystem? My week exploring Southeast Alaska showed me that the Tongass is so much more than beautiful scenery, it's a place worth understanding and protecting. 🌿

One of the surprises from my Capitol Reef trip was Glass Mountain. I remember stopping because the rock looked like mica or quartz. I later learned it was actually selenite, or gypsum. Southern Utah never stops surprising me.

I backpacked through Saguaro National Park in Tucson, Arizona, and the biggest surprise was the change in landscape. I started among cacti and ended surrounded by pine forest and snow. The Sonoran Desert had a few surprises for me.

One memory I have from Capitol Reef National Park in southern Utah is driving the Burr Trail. The colorful hills, switchbacks and remote scenery made the drive unforgettable. I kept wanting to stop and take it all in.

Reaching Cow Head Saddle in Arizona's Rincon Mountains was one of those moments when the landscape completely changed. The desert was fading behind me, the air was cooler, and snow started appearing on the trail.

I spent a night in the Rincon Mountains near Tucson, Arizona, and woke up to snow on my tent. I had expected desert heat, cactus and dust. Instead, the mountains gave me a completely different experience.

My trip to the Channel Islands reminded me that travel is not always about checking off sights. I hiked, kayaked and explored, but learning from conservationists and helping with restoration made the experience so much more meaningful.

I had heard the Channel Islands called the “Galápagos of North America,” but visiting made it clear why. I saw incredible wildlife, endemic plants and crystal clear water. It felt like a completely different side of California.

Santa Cruz is the largest of the islands and hosts over one hundred species found nowhere else on the planet. This isolation has allowed rare plants and animals to evolve in unique ways

The Torrey pines on Santa Rosa Island were incredible to see in person. They naturally grow in only two places in the world, and some trees on the island were more than 250 years old. Standing among them made the landscape feel even more extraordinary.

I learned so much about the history of Santa Cruz Island. Decades of sheep ranching and invasive species had dramatically changed the landscape. But native plants were returning, island foxes were moving freely and restoration teams were giving this ecosystem a chance to recover.

I never expected to find something so fascinating on Santa Cruz Island. Khish looked like an ordinary rock, but it was actually a stone like cast formed from an ancient giant coreopsis plant. Travel has a funny way of turning the smallest discoveries into unforgettable moments.

Everyone talks about Zion and Bryce. Meanwhile Great Basin National Park has empty trails, alpine lakes, incredible camping, and almost no crowds. Hidden gems still exist.

Looking down on Half Dome from Clouds Rest was one of the highlights of my entire trip through Yosemite National Park. It's a perspective I'll never forget.

Did you know Great Basin National Park is a sky island? These mountains are so isolated that unique species like the pika live here in total solitude. I loved the quiet moments on the trails with only the wind for company. 🦅🏜️

Last month I explored Great Basin National Park in Nevada! Driving the loneliest highway in America was the perfect start to finding this hidden gem. Surprising alpine lakes and ancient forests in the middle of the desert! 🏔️✨

Seeing Iguazu Falls from above completely changed my perspective. From the ground, you feel its power. From the sky, you understand its scale. Flying over Iguazu Falls in Brazil revealed a vast rainforest system where rivers, waterfalls, and wildlife are deeply connected. 🌿

Seeing Iguazu Falls in Brazil for the first time was unforgettable. From the Brazilian side, nearly 275 cascades stretch across the rainforest. It wasn’t just a waterfall, it felt like standing inside a powerful, living ecosystem.

Great Basin National Park is a true "sky island" an alpine ecosystem rising above the Nevada desert. Wildlife, climate, and scenery all change with elevation.

At the Itaipu Dam, I stood near floodgates that are 21.5 meters high, the size of a seven-story building. From a distance, they look small, but up close, the engineering scale is mind-blowing