Farther Than Familiar
Real-world travel, park adventures and practical planning from the familiar to somewhere farther.
Featured destinations
Four places worth the extra miles, from Alaska’s wild coast to Gulf beaches, underground caverns, and the Black Hills.
Kenai Fjords National Park
Glaciers, wildlife, a fjord boat tour, and Exit Glacier made this one of my first unforgettable tastes of Alaska.
Padre Island National Seashore
Gulf views, dark skies, beach scenery, and a memorable stay at Malaquite Campground for the annular eclipse.
Carlsbad Caverns
The Natural Entrance, the Big Room, remarkable cave formations, and an evening bat flight beneath the New Mexico desert.
Crazy Horse Memorial
A day in South Dakota’s Black Hills exploring the mountain carving, museums, cultural exhibits, and the story behind the memorial.
North to Alaska – 9 Days via the Cassiar Highway
A nine-day RV journey from Washington to Alaska, with the real road-day experiences, campground stops, border lessons, and fuel planning along the way.
The Cassiar Highway was more than a route north. It became part of the Alaska adventure itself, with long stretches between services, changing road conditions, beautiful scenery, and stops that made the drive feel like a trip rather than simply a way to get somewhere.
I documented the route day by day, including where I stayed, what I learned crossing into Canada, and the practical details I would want to know before driving it again.
Washington to Alaska by way of British Columbia
A route built around manageable driving days, overnight stops, fuel planning, and the kind of scenery that constantly tempts you to pull over.
Crossing into Canada
The northbound trip started with the border crossing and the first of many practical lessons that came with taking an RV through Canada.
Reaching Tok, Alaska
After days of driving north through British Columbia and the Yukon, arriving in Alaska made every mile of the journey feel worthwhile.
Recent stories and road trips
New route notes, park days, and the small practical lessons picked up somewhere between the trailhead and the next campground.
Natchez Trace Parkway
A 444-mile road trip from Nashville to Natchez, with scenic drives, historic stops, hiking, and primitive campgrounds along the way.
Road trip
Palo Duro Canyon State Park
Canyon hiking, scenic drives, RV camping, wildlife, and sweeping Texas Panhandle views in the Grand Canyon of Texas.
Texas state park
Four Favorite Things to Do in Palmer, Alaska
Matanuska Glacier, the Musk Ox Farm, Mat-Su Valley scenery, hiking, and the places that made Palmer worth slowing down for.
Alaska
Black Canyon of the Gunnison
Gunnison Point, the Rim Rock Trail, Painted Wall, wildlife, camping, and a first look at one of Colorado’s dramatic national parks.
National park
Galveston Island State Park
A laid-back Gulf Coast stay with bayside and beachside camping, island scenery, nearby attractions, and practical planning notes.
Texas state park