Everlink Adventures

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Everlink Adventures

Affordable adventures for the insatiable wanderer.
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06/21/2024

Spent the last several days off hiking and exploring new trails/areas. The adventures are endless out here!!!

1: Garfield Peak Trail
2-4: Discovery Point Trail
5-8: Cold Spring Trail
9-12: Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway
13-15: Garfield Peak

06/17/2024

PSA: please be sure to pack your patience when visiting your national parks. Lines will be loooooong. Early risers may be able to beat the crowd, but otherwise wait times can be over an hour. Download an audio book and have car games for the kids. See you in the park!

06/15/2024

Snuck in one last hike on my CA roadtrip before heading back home to OR. Was a tough one with a 2200 ft climb, but the views of Mt Shasta between the crags were absolutely worth it!

06/13/2024

Hopped over to Sequoia NP after Pinnacles. Planned to to go next door to Kings Canyon, but the road decided to give out and was shut down. So got to do a couple of cool short hikes (Moro Rock for a 360 view of the park, and General Sherman, biggest tree in the world) then had to pivot. Sequoia was unbelievably beautiful!!

06/12/2024

Went to Pinnacles National Park and experienced my first solo camping trip. Slept with the rainfly open so I could see the stars and fell asleep under a gorgeous night sky. Hiked to High Peaks in the morning. Survived the CA heat and the rattlesnake encounter😵‍💫 Huge thanks to my roomies who set me up with all the gear so I could have a successful experience 🫶

06/01/2024

and I ran up to the lake for a quick viewing before heading down to hike Viewpoint Mike. Great trail! So many different wildflowers, some we’ve never seen before. And lots of birds, large and small, including a bald eagle!! The views were absolutely worth the 2.5 mile/1200 ft elevation gain climb!

05/30/2024

Ran up to the lake for a dinner view inside of Fernie (my car) yesterday after work. Looking forward to warmer days when I can lay out a blanket, but this was totally okay too 😍

05/24/2024

Ranger Steph reporting for duty🌲

It’s just been training all week and today was my first day in the booth. Such a fun day! Loved welcoming visitors and sharing their excitement for the park! It’s going to be such a fun season!!

05/19/2024

After traversing 11 states, covering approximately 3,500 miles, visiting four national parks, and marveling at over half a dozen other iconic landmarks, I am finally home! This journey has been nothing short of extraordinary, reminding me of the breathtaking beauty of our country at every turn. I am deeply grateful for the opportunities that allow me to witness such splendor. It’s almost surreal to think that I will call this magnificent place home for the next six months. I miss my family, but my heart overflows with gratitude.

And a big shout out to my sister for riding shotgun with me! ❤️

05/02/2024

Hi! I’m back from my 50th state and one of the most beautiful places on earth! Hawaii was a dream✨💞✨ But as much as I’d love to bask in those memories, it’s time to shift gears and dive into the next chapter. Remember the something I had in the works? It’s happening! In about a week I’ll be heading west to Crater Lake National Park to work with the National Park Service in their Rec Fee division. I’ll be the one welcoming you into the park when you visit. It’s a dream come true for me, a chance to live and breathe within the embrace of a national treasure. From mid-May to mid-November, I’ll be soaking in the spring, summer, and fall beauty of this stunning landscape. Actually, the winter too, since there probably will still be snow in Crater Lake when I arrive.

I’m beyond excited, but also a little scared😬 I’ve never been away from home for so long. The longest was at a sleep away camp for three weeks 😭 So to all our military heroes and everyone that has to leave home, you are all amazing!! Seven months might not sound like an eternity, but the thought of being away from my family for that long makes me super anxious. Amidst the nerves, I’m hanging on the promise of countless trails to explore, vistas to behold, and adventures waiting just beyond the horizon. And through it all, I’m blessed with a family whose unwavering support fuels my passion, even if it means leaving them for a while.

Departure date is 5/11. Which is why I still haven’t been able to share my Spain adventures. I have been prepping for this grand journey while also helping hubby move, set up, and decorate his new apartment (his weekday home). My sister and I will make our way across the country stopping in some iconic movie sites and ticking off four new national parks from our bucket list before she flies back home.

Stay tuned, folks! The adventures are just beginning, and I can’t wait to share every twist and turn, every triumph and trial, from the road to life at Crater Lake!

04/24/2024

Feeling an overwhelming sense of gratitude and reflection as I stepped foot on my 50th state. From the humble beginnings of my childhood in a refugee camp to the boundless horizons since, each step of this journey feels sacred. The fact that I could have been one of the ones left behind is not lost on me. I thank the universe for this remarkable life and all the adventures that fill my soul.

I have more news to share. Stay tuned…

03/17/2024

03/15/2024

This past Christmas, we decided to ditch the usual gifts and treat the family to a getaway in Sedona. Watching everyone vibe with the energy and soak in the sights was priceless. They all agreed it was one of the best gifts ever. Looks like we might be making this a new tradition. Sedona has that effect.

02/21/2024

I’m going to share more about the family trip to Sedona and this recent trip to Spain. If you don’t like waiting for updates, I share much more (and more frequently) on my stories, so be sure to follow along there. For any stories you might have missed, you can see them in the highlights 🤗

01/29/2024

Back to Alaska - This was day 8, our final touring day and an unforgettable finale to our Alaskan adventure. Soaring over Wrangell St Elias, cruising the scenic Glenn Highway back to Anchorage, and basking in the beauty of a breathtaking sunset over Lake Hood. Alaska, truly left us in awe!

01/03/2024

After Alaska I went back to Sedona for another solo hiking trip, but got pretty sick and didn’t have the energy to do a whole lot. I was able to get out on one short trail before realizing how lousy I felt. Aside from a nice scenic drive out to the Vermillion Cliffs I spent most of my time in Sedona in bed. Then returned home to recover, which dragged and dragged. I can’t remember when I had been that sick last.

I completed the year with a short fall excursion to Shenandoah with my good friend, Joseph, and then out to CA with another good friend, Kate, and her little boy (my little adventure partner who got his first junior ranger badge out in The Channel Islands NP).

For the holidays, we skipped the tangible gifts and gave experiences instead. So, in a few weeks the whole family is returning to Sedona. Not counting the quick overnight trip to the beach, this will be our first full family adventure and we are pretty excited about it.

I also have something in the works, which I’m pretty excited about. I don’t want to say anything until it’s a definite so I’ll talk more about it once things are finalized. Stay tuned…

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season! It’s hard to believe 2024 is here. Last year really flew by. I know that sounds cliché, but I truly can’t wrap my head around it.Time seems to move really quickly the older you get.

Cheers to 2024! Grateful for another year of blessings, my heart extends prayers to those less fortunate—those battling for their lives, freedom, fairness, visibility, and survival. May we collectively open our hearts and minds to a world of compassion and understanding.

#2024

10/21/2023

If you love my travel content and care at all about me as a creator, please give me a minute of your time and read this entirely. That’s me on the left. I don’t remember exactly where this picture was taken, but I do remember that it was taken while we lived in camps. Refugee camps. I was about 5 yrs old, and I spent about 5 yrs living in various refugee camps before making it to the States. My brother and I are not wearing shoes because we had none. I survived a genocide, with just these members of my family. My father, sister, uncle, aunt, cousins, and many other family members did not. Nearly 3 million people did not survive.

It was the Khmer Rouge genocide of their fellow Cambodian people.

We’ve witness, learned about, or the very least, heard about genocides that have happened all over the world and throughout history. In many different countries and to many different groups of people. And what we are witnessing now in Gaza and the West Bank of Palestine is exactly that, a genocide.

What happened at the music festival was horrific and I pray for the lives lost, those that survived, and those that lost loved ones. But to understand how to prevent that from happening again, we have to understand why it happened. As a survivor of a genocide, I am asking you to please turn off the news and start your own research on why this happened. There are countless books, documentaries, videos, speeches, Ted talks, the list goes on, about how Israel became a state and what has happened and continues to happen to Palestine and her people during the process. To be unbiased you can start with non-Palestinian authors/activists.

Here are a few:
-Palestine Peace not Apartheid by former president Jimmy Carter
-The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine by Jewish historian and professor Ilan Pappe
-Life in Occupied Palestine by Jewish American Anna Baltzer (https://youtu.be/Q_MDC2Gty4I?si=HfwJwBftZGjgoDPb)

Here is a documentary about the war in 1948 with commentary from both Israeli and Palestinian survivors: 1948: Creation and Catastrophe (https://link.tubi.tv/Kl28MbHZ4Db)

And a couple more documentaries about life in Gaza and the West Bank:

-Born in Gaza
-5 Broken Cameras

Don’t let this moment be something you remember hearing about 10, 20 years from now. Learn about it on your own, not from the news. If you have shown support for Israel in your social media posts or in conversation, but have not acknowledged the mass killing of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, please know that you are part of a one-sided narrative used to justify the genocide happening now. What happened during the holocaust was horrific. We think about it to this day and we ask ourselves, how could that happen? If we don’t educate ourselves now we will be asking the same question in the very near future.

What is happening in Palestine has resurfaced much of the trauma I’ve experienced personally as a survivor of genocide. The guilt of having survived and living this incredibly blessed life in America, while knowing that so many did not, and so many are living that same nightmare now, is crippling. To the survivors of the holocaust and genocides from around the world, I hear you, I see you. I feel your pain.

If you read this entire thing I thank you from the bottom of my very broken heart. If you are not interested in researching this topic continue to follow the media source you’re accustomed to, I beg you to at least watch the video by Anna Baltzer. If nothing else, please just watch that.

The Cambodian genocide was committed by fellow Cambodians. We can love ourselves and our identity and still be able to acknowledge what we are capable of. I am now an American citizen. So to my fellow Americans, we have a part of what is happening in Palestine. Either by direct action or by default as a tax payer, we have a part.

10/10/2023

We asked for a late check out on Day 7 and slept in for a bit. After that 16 hour expedition the day before, we needed it! We spent the day leisurely driving down the Richardson Hwy enjoying more of the rugged Alaskan beauty, more stunning fall colors, and our second moose sighting (but I wasn't quick enough to get a picture).

10/09/2023

On day 6 we traveled all the way up to the Artic Circle with Northern Alaska Tour Company on their Arctic Circle and Aurora Viewing tour. This trip isn’t going to be for everyone. It’s a long drive on rough roads. We departed at about 9:30am and wasn’t dropped off until about 4am the next morning. We personally loved the tour. It was a fantastic opportunity for us to explore more of Alaska while delving into its rich history, including the gold rush and the pipeline, all without the hassle of driving the challenging Dalton Hwy ourselves. We also had an amazing guide, Tom McLean, who knew just the right level of engagement so we weren’t bored or overwhelmed. We also had a wonderful group of people on our tour, hailing from all different parts of the country (and even a few from overseas) and it was so much fun getting to know them. There were plenty of bathroom stops along the way (never more than 2-3 hours apart). We also stopped at the pipeline information center, the historic homestead in Joy, the old cafe on the Yukon River, Finger Mountain (or at least that’s what Tom called it) and somewhere along the way to experience the soft spongelike tundra (you literally sink when standing on it) and pick wild Alaskan blueberries. On our way back we stopped back by the homestead in Joy to warm up by the fire and try to catch the aurora. She made a very shy appearance, barely visible, for about 20 minutes. Overall it was such a fun trip and our only regret was not being able to go further up to the Artic Ocean.

10/07/2023

Day 5: Denali, in her veil of autumn hues, was a sight to behold! My amateur camera just cannot do it justice. I think there's a small time frame before and after park roads opening and closing where the public can drive the 43 miles in the park (the rest is closed due to the Pretty Rocks landslide and roadwork), but otherwise you can only drive the first 15 miles. To get to the rest of the park, you'll need to book a bus tour, and there are three different types to choose from. There's a free bus, but that only takes you to the same 15 miles that you could also drive. Then there are the $31 non-narrated transit tours, the narrated $114 Natural History tours, and $141 Tundra Wilderness tours. We opted for the budget-friendly non-narrated tour, but our guide was a talker and narrated almost the whole thing anyway. We saw a handful of wildlife, but the foliage definitely stole the show!

10/06/2023

We woke up on day 4 in the charming hippie town of Talkeetna, where we had the best salmon soup and burrito. It's a must stop if you are in Anchorage or Fairbanks. It's an old mountaineering town situated in the perfect location between the two big cities, the meeting of three rivers, and only a couple hours drive to Denali National Park. Residents were telling stories of all the post-spawn salmon in the rivers behind their houses, and the bears they attracted. This was also one of the two places we saw a moose. After exploring the mile-long downtown strip of shops and cafes, we made our way up to Denali. The drive was just stunning! We stopped at the overlooks in the state park hopeful for a glimpse of Denali, but she was being shy like usual. We made it to Denali NP just in time to book a tour for the next day, the last day for a tour. Something to keep in mind if you want to travel to Alaska in mid September. Best time for foliage, but things will start to shut down around that time.

10/05/2023

Half of Day 3 was spent on a fjord tour through the Kenai Peninsula from a last minute booking. Not a lot of good photos to share because of the rain, but it was a spectacular day of wildlife viewing! Most of the four hour cruise was smooth, but our capt went to rough waters where pods of orcas were seen. I got pretty sick, but it was so worth it! Orcas and porpoises EVERYWHERE!! Tony was hoping to see at least one eagle on this trip as he's never seen one in the wild before. Right at the beginning before we even left the port we saw TWO, and a total of three on the tour. There were also otters, puffins, coastal mnt goats, dolphins, and sea lions! It was the perfect way to spend a rainy day in Alaska. The other half was spent making our scenic way back up north to the quaint historic town of Talkeetna.

10/04/2023

These shots are from Day 2 of our Alaskan adventure. The guys in our fishing group wielded professional cameras with impressive zoom lenses, leaving me green with camera envy. I was equipped with a trusty, albeit aging, DSLR with a fairly basic lens, so these are the best I could muster ☹️.

Let me back up and give a brief summary of how our trip began. We were originally supposed to touch down in Anchorage around 10:30 pm on Saturday. However, due to a series of delays and cancellations, our plane didn't land until 5:30 pm on Sunday. That unexpected hiccup cost us an entire day of leisurely driving from Anchorage to our accommodation in Soldotna, where we had reserved a two-night stay. Our initial plan had been to savor the scenic route, but instead, we had to rush to Soldotna after picking up our rental car. I called our hotel to inform them of our late arrival, and long story short, we never got to check into that hotel. We found ourselves scrambling at the last minute to secure alternative lodging. In Soldotna, Alaska, at 11 pm, our options were slim, so we reluctantly settled for the only available option, utterly exhausted after over 30 hours of travel. But, despite all the hiccups, things eventually fell into place. We received refunds for the night we couldn't stay in Anchorage due to the flight cancellation, as well as for both of our Soldotna nights. This gave us the flexibility to choose our lodging for the end of our second day.

And what a second day it turned out to be! We had scheduled a fishing and bear-watching expedition with Talon Air. They whisked us and another group of four away on a seaplane to Lake Clark National Park. From there, we all boarded a boat that took us to various spots for fishing and bear-watching. The bears were literally everywhere! It took us less than 15 minutes on the ground to spot our first grizzly, and from then on, it was a constant parade of bear sightings. The salmon had already completed their spawning, which meant they were slowly perishing all around the lake. The bears didn't have to put in much effort to secure their meals, so they weren't bothered by our presence. We kept a safe distance, of course, but it was absolutely incredible to fish with grizzlies all around us. I had seen pictures of this before and thought it was insane, but now I fully grasp why it's not as crazy as it sounds, lol! Tony managed to reel in three or four salmon that day, although we released them all since post-spawn salmon aren't great to eat.

After spending about six hours on the water, our pilot returned for us. Since we were the last plane to depart that day, he decided to take us on a scenic route over glaciers and volcanoes on our way back. It was nothing short of amazing! Even our two fishing guides were excited because they had never experienced such a flight before.

With a bit of daylight left, we made a quick stop at Kenai Fjords National Park to catch a glimpse of Exit Glacier. It was too late for a hike, but the view from the overlook was stunning! Finally, as we pulled up to our cabin for the night, a black bear sauntered right in front of us (thankfully we were still inside the car). It initially headed for the dumpster and, after failing to open the lid, walked right across our path, not more than 10 feet away!

Day 2 marked an extraordinary beginning to our Alaskan adventure. It was filled with breathtaking moments that once were just a dream. It felt surreal.

As a side note: Many people associate bear viewing in Alaska with Katmai National Park, which I'm sure is an incredible experience. However, you view bears from a platform there, and it costs about $1200/person. We got a more budget-friendly and equally amazing experience by combining salmon fishing and bear viewing in Lake Clark National Park. So, if you're a budget-conscious traveler like me, consider checking out tours in Lake Clark instead of Katmai.

10/01/2023

A few favorites from Alaska. I’ll share more once I finish sorting through photos. We really lucked out with the colors. We had peak foliage and felt like we were in a Bob Ross painting at every turn!

09/19/2023

Caught the red eye back from AK and haven’t even had time to go through my camera roll yet. Hopefully some great captures there. It was an amazing trip and I have so much to share, but will take some time. I have a wedding reception to help with this weekend and then back to Sedona on Monday. So the photos and stories are coming, I promise! But Omg, Alaska was EVERYTHING I dreamed it would be! We fished with grizzlies, caught the last days of the salmon spawn, flew over volcanoes and glaciers, cruised through fjords, traveled up the Dalton Hwy to the Artic Circle, visited four new national parks and saw more wildlife in the 9 days there than we have our entire life!! This one is for the books!! More to come! 🫶

09/09/2023

Stay tuned for stories from the Last Frontier!
✨🐋🦅🦭🐻🐟✨

08/14/2023

We have a last minute end-of-summer deal to one of our absolute favorite places in the States!! Only two slots available!! 4 days/3 nights in the heart of Sedona, only $495/person. Link in bio for more details, or reach out via messenger or direct message.

Hope to see you in Red Rock Country!!

08/02/2023

This might be the quaintest, most charming little seaside village on the Atlantic. It couldn’t have been more picturesque with narrow inlets dotted with colorful homes and smooth granite boulders. Originally named Marguerite’s Cove after a French explorer’s mother, it was officially founded in 1811 by German settlers. It’s famed lighthouse was built in 1914 and still used today. Although this maritime village has been overtaken economically by tourism, it preserves its active fishing community by prohibiting most development and establishing strict rules for residency. I can’t believe I almost skipped this stop 😳 But that’s the beauty of solo travel, I can pivot any time I want without worrying about inconveniencing anyone ☺️

07/29/2023

A little serendipity while exploring: I headed over to Lunenburg because it’s historical and quaint and a UNESCO World Heritage site. And of course it was gorgeous and charming, but the most memorable thing about the town was discovering that it was the filming location for one of my favorite movies, Simon Birch! It was such a treat to visit the church and walk on the same path that Simon and Joe rode their bikes on.

These little magical moments are one of my favorite things about travel.

07/24/2023

A couple more from that weekend trip to Acadia National Park. A quick and easy hike on Beech Mountain trail. It’s about 1.2 miles, but if you go counterclockwise you can turn back after the fire tower. You’ll already get the best views from that side. And if you’re driving up from the Portland area via Rt 1, stop in the Lobster Haul in Damariscotta for the best lobster rolls in Maine 🦞😋🦞

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Lunch view today 🌲🚤🌲 #everlinkadventures #rogueriver #peytonbridge #oregon #craterlakeseasonal

Ran up to the lake for a dinner view inside of Fernie (my car) yesterday after work. Looking forward to warmer days when I can lay out a blanket, but this was totally okay too 😍 #everlinkadventures #craterlakenationalpark #craterlake #craterlakeseasonal #nationalparkranger #rangerlife

First day off (in 6 days 🤪). Spent the earlier part with my cabin mates on the trails. This was the first hike of the season for all of us and it did not disappoint! Wildflowers everywhere! It’s fun hiking with Interp and Natural Resource because they like to stop and stare at plants and wildlife as much as I do. Such a great first hike! Performed traffic control yesterday and it was just so much fun!! I was the first face visitors saw as they approached the booth and I loved being the first to witness their excitement! And it was extra fun to allow pass holders to cut the line! Back to it tomorrow! #everlinkadventures #craterlakenationalpark #rangerlife #nationalparkranger

Blue luminous icebergs floating in Glacier Lagoon, the only place in Iceland where glacier meets the sea. Join our Iceland tour to see this in person: https://everlinkadventures.com/iceland-tour Book by July 15th!

Just a random, candidly happy, moment in Iceland. Come experience it for yourself join me Oct 6-10, info in link in bio. #everlinkadventures #iceland #smallgrouptours #nordicadventures #articvibes

Have you ever soaked in a geothermal hot spring at sunrise? Join us in Iceland! Click on the link in bio for your info. #everlinkadventures #iceland #geothermalhotsprings #vikingvibes #smallgrouptours

#everlinkadventures #mexico #rivieramaya #sunrise #quintanaroo

Back in my favorite place!

I didn’t expect to love Badlands as much as I did. Hot and dry summers, windy and bitterly cold winters, I can see why the Lakotas termed it mako sica (literally bad lands). The jagged buttes were also a challenge to navigate for early travelers, but it’s what makes this park so breathtakingly stunning. It’s one of the less crowded parks, that’s an added bonus! Get there before the word is out!

Jokes aside, it’s been a rough several weeks. We moved and after the first night, we had to suddenly say good night to our pup (after 15 years). It was a lot to handle and this much needed alone time on the trails was a nice distraction. #solohike #blackrocktrail #appalachiantrail #everlinkadventures #outdoortherapy