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Lost with Lydia A travel blog focused on outdoor travel, hiking tips and hidden gems!

Are you headed to Madeira this year?Check out my packing list!
21/02/2025

Are you headed to Madeira this year?

Check out my packing list!

Learn exactly what to pack for Madeira so that you can have a stress-free trip! Plus, learn helpful tips for visiting Madeira.

Do you need ideas for a national park summer trip?Check out my new guide covering the best national parks to visit in th...
20/02/2025

Do you need ideas for a national park summer trip?

Check out my new guide covering the best national parks to visit in the summer!

Just keep in mind that visiting national parks may look different this year due to reduced funding and staff. Make sure to be kind to staff and check for any closures or changes before your visit.

https://www.lostwithlydia.com/destinations/usa/Best-National-Parks-to-Visit-in-Summer/

Discover the best national parks to visit in summer! Summer is the perfect time to take an epic US national park road trip.

Now is the best time to visit Death Valley National Park! (the lowest, driest and hottest place in North America)Steal m...
07/02/2025

Now is the best time to visit Death Valley National Park! (the lowest, driest and hottest place in North America)

Steal my 2-day Death Valley itinerary for an epic trip, and read my blog post for more details: https://www.lostwithlydia.com/destinations/usa/ca/Death-Valley-Itinerary/

Make sure to leave no trace when you visit. Pack out your trash, stay on the trails, pack plenty of water and check current conditions before heading out. The park reaches dangerous temps during the summer.

Day 1:

🌄Watch the sunrise at Zabriskie Point
🥾Hike the Gower Gulch and Golden Cathedral Loop (a 6.4 mile loop)
🔭Drive up to Dante’s View
🥾Hike the Mosaic Canyon (3.4 miles)
⌛Watch the sunset at the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes

Day 2:

🔭Visit Badwater Basin, the lowest place in the park
🏌️Check out Devil’s Golf Course
🥾Hike the Natural Bridge Trail (1.4 miles)
🥾Hike into Desolation Canyon (3.6 miles)
🚂See the historic ruins at Harmony Borax Works
🌄Watch the sunset along Artists’ Drive

Have you been to Death Valley? What did you think?

Sometimes you just need an activity that makes you feel like a kid again! 🧊I had seen the Ice Castles on Instagram for y...
04/02/2025

Sometimes you just need an activity that makes you feel like a kid again! 🧊

I had seen the Ice Castles on Instagram for years, so it was awesome to finally visit. I loved it! I was a bit worried about the crowds but visited at the earliest time slot and it wasn’t bad at all!

The locations vary year to year. This year, there are 2 in Colorado, one in Minnesota, one in Utah and one in New Hampshire!

There is a cave to crawl into, multiple ice slides, ice sculptures, and an area to warm up with a fire or purchase food & drinks. 🔥

Prices vary depending on if you visit during off-peak or peak times. At this location, they cost $21 - $29 per adult.

Would you explore the ice castles?

❄️Winter magic in Tromsø, Norway ❄️With an ice hotel, a chance to see the Northern Lights, reindeer and all of the cozy ...
30/01/2025

❄️Winter magic in Tromsø, Norway ❄️

With an ice hotel, a chance to see the Northern Lights, reindeer and all of the cozy vibes, Tromsø makes for an incredible winter trip!

Save this guide to Tromsø, and see my blog for a more detailed guide: https://www.lostwithlydia.com/destinations/norway/Tromso-in-the-Winter/

Tips for Visiting:

🧣Dress warm and bring lots of layers. Baselayers are a must
💫There are zero hours of daylight for most of November, December and January. We didn’t let that stop us!
🌊The weather is more mild than you would expect for Tromsø’s altitude. It’s located on the Gulf Stream, which brings warmer temps.

Things To Do:

🎿Go snowshoeing! We took a tour with and loved it

🧊Spend the night at the , which is carved from ice every year. Your experience can also be bundled with other activities such as dog-sledding

💫Go on a Northern Lights bus chase tour with

🎻 Enjoy a midnight concert at the Tromso Cathedral

🦌- Visit a Sami family and reindeer herd - we booked a visit with Arctic Breeze AS via

🧖Visit the floating Sauna Pust Tromso and take a polar plunge in the bay

🖼️Tromso is actually known as the ‘Paris of the North’ and has some great museums. Check out the , , Polar Museum and

🍴Eat at cozy restaurants like , .koselig_cafe, and


Which winter activity would you do first?

This park is home to the most active volcano on earth 🤯🌋Steal my itinerary for spending one day in Hawaii Volcanoes Nati...
20/01/2025

This park is home to the most active volcano on earth 🤯🌋

Steal my itinerary for spending one day in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park:

Tips:
- Please leave no trace. Make sure to stay on marked trails, check for current conditions and closures, pack out your trash and never feed or approach wildlife
- Use the audio tour as you drive around the park!
- The volcano typically has at least one eruption per year (where you can see red lava). The most recent was a couple weeks ago and I’m so sad that I just missed it!

One day itinerary:

⚫Start early to get a parking spot and beat the crowds to Thurston Lava Tube. You can walk through this unique feature on a short trail!

🥾Hike the Kilauea Craters Trail (you can start across the street from the Thurston Lava Tube). There are multiple overlooks and you can hike down into a crater. I did a 4.8 mile loop.

🥾Hike the Devastation Trail and see the giant cinder cones that were created in a 1959 eruption. (1 mile)

🚗Drive Chain of Craters Road and stop at the many viewpoints as you make your way down to the coast.

✒️Hike to the Pu‘uloa Petroglyphs (on the Chain of Craters Road), a sacred place with 1,000 of petroglyphs. (1.4 miles)

🌊Drive to the end of the road and be sure to take in the view of the Hōlei Sea Arch

🌫️Head up the visitor center and hike to the Sulphur Banks, an area where volcanic gas seeps up from the below the surface (1.2 miles)

🌫️Walk past the Steam Vents, where water v***r seeps up as it’s heated by magma deep underground

🔭Take in the views from the Kilauea Overlook

Are you as fascinated by volcanoes as I am? Is this park on your bucket list?

✨Scenes from the island of Aruba ✨I just returned from a New Year’s trip to Aruba and fell in love! From the welcoming p...
07/01/2025

✨Scenes from the island of Aruba ✨

I just returned from a New Year’s trip to Aruba and fell in love! From the welcoming people to the beautiful birds and lizards, to the many cacti and interesting rock formations, it is such a special place.

I’m not really a ‘relax on a beach or at a resort’ person so I seeked out an incredibly unique stay, hiking trails, interesting rock formations and more. And I was so impressed with what I found!

Here are a few tips & things to know about visiting Aruba:

🏝️Aruba is small, it’s only about 75 square miles. You can see a lot in less than a week!

🌧️Sept - Jan is rainy season, so I had a bit of rain (and lots of clouds) during my trip. But normally, it only rained for about an hour a day, so it was still a wonderful time to visit!

💵While the Aruban Florin is their currency, many places took USD and/or listed prices in USD. Cash was helpful for tips, but the vast majority of places took credit card

☀️Be sure to wear reef-safe sunscreen if you’re swimming and pack out all of your trash as you explore.

🚗If you want to explore around the island on your own, I highly recommend renting a car to get around. Google maps wasn’t the best (it tried to take us the wrong way down one way streets a couple times) but overall, it was super easy and safe to get around on our own. We rented a Jeep to go to one destination (the Conchi Natural Pool) but were able to use a smaller car to get everywhere else.

💧The tap water is safe to drink across the country. They transform their seawater to drinking water with a desalination process.

🇳🇱Aruba is it’s own country, but it’s part of the Dutch Kingdom, so you’ll also see Dutch influence in the food and more

💸Just about everything is imported into Aruba, so the prices aren’t cheap. Restaurant prices in the main tourist area are similar to US prices, but they are slightly lower outside of that zone

🌿My favorite experiences included staying at the , visiting the Ayo and Casibari Rock Formations, exploring Arikok National Park and hiking the Hooiberg Trail. I’ll be sharing more details of things to do in future posts!

✨Scenes from the Big Island of Hawaii ✨I had an incredible time exploring this island - it’s home to the most active vol...
27/12/2024

✨Scenes from the Big Island of Hawaii ✨

I had an incredible time exploring this island - it’s home to the most active volcano in the world, the highest point in Hawaii (which has some of the best stargazing in the world), black sand beaches, amazing coffee, and more.

Please make sure to wear reef safe sunscreen, pack out your trash, never approach wildlife and visit with beautiful island with respect 🫶

Here are a few things to do on a trip to the Big Island!

🌋Visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park! This park is constantly changing due to volcanic activity. During a visit, you can see several craters (and hike in some of them), see former lava flows, see petroglyphs, walk through a lava tube, see cinder cones and more.

💫Head to the peak of Mauna Kea. This dormant volcano is the highest point in Hawaii and has some of the best stargazing in the world (many countries have giant telescopes at the top). It requires a 4x4 vehicle to reach the top, so I went on a guided tour that I booked on

🌊Visit iconic viewpoints on the north side of the island, such as Pololū Valley Lookout, Waipi’o Lookout and Akaka Falls State Park

☕Take a tour of a coffee farm and learn about Kona coffee, I loved visiting !

🌴Visit Punaluʻu Beach, a black sand beach, or Papakōlea, a green sand beach

🛖Visit Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park and snorkel at Two Step Beach next door

🍓Eat at , , , and

Have you explored the Big Island of Hawaii?

Guatemala makes an incredible winter trip! From active volcanoes to the deepest lake in South America, this country has ...
24/12/2024

Guatemala makes an incredible winter trip! From active volcanoes to the deepest lake in South America, this country has some incredibly beautiful places to visit.

Steal my weekish-long itinerary for Guatemala! (Save this for the future)

💧Spend 2-3 (or more if you can) days at Lake Atitlán

Lake Atitlán is incredibly beautiful. It’s surrounded by small towns, and you’ll typically get around via water taxi on the water. I split my time between the town of San Pedro La Laguna and the famously gorgeous La Casa del Mundo.

A few recommendations for Lake Atitlán:
- Hike to El Rostro Maya, or “Indian Nose” at sunrise, which offers an incredible view of the lake and volcanoes in the distance. I recommend going with a guide!
- Explore San Juan La Laguna, which is a colorful town full of great coffee, textile artisans and more
- Visit the Tzunun' Ya' Museum in San Pedro La Laguna
- Whether you’re staying there or not, visit La Casa del Mundo. They sell day passes that allow you to swim and explore the property

🏠Spend 1 (or more if you can) day in Antigua

Antigua is a town known for its Spanish colonial architecture. It’s surrounded by volcanoes and where you’ll leave from for a volcano trek!

A few recommendations for Lake Atitlán:
- Visit MUNAG - Museo Nacional de Arte de Guatemala, a beautiful and free museum.
- Take an ATV tour that leads you to sights near the city, such as Hobbitenango! I went with via

🌋Hike to the summit of Acatenango (takes 2 days)

This journey was INCREDIBLE. During a typical trek here, you hike up Acatenango and camp on the side of the mountain with an incredible view of the Fuego Volcano, which erupts every 20 minutes or so. You have the options to hike closer to Fuego, and/or hike to the summit of Acatenango at sunrise.

I went with and had a great experience! I saved this for the end of my trip so I would have a bit of time to adjust to the altitude. The hike was brutal, but well worth it.

🚗Getting Around

I got around the country using shuttle buses booked through and it was super convenient!

Have you explored Guatemala? Do you have any questions?

From a doors-off helicopter to e-bikes to the highest point in Hawaii... I went on some epic tours during my trip!Check ...
23/12/2024

From a doors-off helicopter to e-bikes to the highest point in Hawaii... I went on some epic tours during my trip!

Check out all of the tours I did in Hawaii in my Viator shop! (affiliate)

https://www.viator.com/partner-shop/lostwithlydia

Take a fun weekend holiday road trip in Indiana! 🎄First, spend a day or two in Shipshewana. (hosted) This area is well k...
19/12/2024

Take a fun weekend holiday road trip in Indiana! 🎄

First, spend a day or two in Shipshewana. (hosted) This area is well known for its Amish Country, but they also go all out for the holidays! Here is a mini guide:

🎁Enjoy shopping for gifts or for yourself around town. There are A TON of shops, but I especially loved E & S Sales Bulk Foods, Yoder’s Hardware, the Craft Barn, and

🥨Be sure to eat at - these are the best soft pretzels I’ve ever had!

🚘Drive through the Shipshewana Lights of Joy! This drive-through light display is ~2 miles long with over 2 million LEDs. It was a beautiful and impressive display! ($30 per car)

🍴Have dinner and see a show at - the buffet is delicious and we loved getting into the holiday spirit at the Songs of the Season show 🎶 There are also beautiful Christmas lights outside (and all over town)

🚜Visit the Menno-Hof Cultural Center to learn about the history and life of Amish, Mennonite and Hutterite people. It’s one thing to see the horse-and-buggies around town, but a whole other thing to learn their history and what their lives are like. I learned so much! The museum is partially guided and includes several videos to watch. ($8.50 per adult)

🗺️Explore the countryside using the Off-the-Beaten audio tour. You’ll get to see barn quilts, Amish schoolhouses and hear many stories of the area.

🎄Everything is closed on Sundays in Shipshewana, which is why making a stop at the is the perfect addition to your weekend! This authentic German market has tons of homemade gifts, ice skating and delicious food.

This market does get very crowded - see the last slide in the carousel for my best tips!

Would you take this holiday road trip?

Did you know that the oldest Christmas Market in the world is in Dresden, Germany? Dresden’s Striezelmarkt began in 1434...
18/12/2024

Did you know that the oldest Christmas Market in the world is in Dresden, Germany?

Dresden’s Striezelmarkt began in 1434 🤯This was my first time at a European Christmas Market, and I had the best time!

This market is especially known for the elaborate displays on top of the booths. Check them out in the photos, there is so much detail! The market also has the world’s largest Christmas pyramid, a giant walk-in candle arch, a ferris wheel and of course, tons of handmade gifts and amazing food.

Some delicious foods I tried:

🧀Käsespätzle (mac and cheese! This is not actually common in this region of Germany, but one booth had it)

🥔Kartoffelpuffer (potato pancakes)

🍩Quarkbällchen (fried dough balls)

🥖Handbrot (a German stuffed bread - the veg version had cheese and mushrooms!)

🍷Lots of Glühwein (you can keep the mugs as a souvenir, or return them and receive a deposit back)

Have you been to a German Christmas Market? 🎄Add this one to your list!

Need some last minute gift ideas? This list is perfect for anyone who is always on a road trip! It's a mix of fun and us...
16/12/2024

Need some last minute gift ideas? This list is perfect for anyone who is always on a road trip! It's a mix of fun and useful gifts

Need some gift ideas for a road tripper in your life? This list includes plenty of fun and useful gifts!

✨Scenes from Kauai, Hawaii ✨Kauai is known as the “Garden Island” and all of the lush greenery really lived up to the na...
16/12/2024

✨Scenes from Kauai, Hawaii ✨

Kauai is known as the “Garden Island” and all of the lush greenery really lived up to the name. It was definitely our favorite island out of the 3 we visited!

I had been dreaming about the Napali Coast for years and it did not disappoint. 🥹The lush, green cliffs next to brilliant blue water were incredible to see in person.

Please leave no trace when you visit! Pack out all of your trash and be sure to come prepared if you’re hiking. Trails along the Napali Coast or into the Waimea Canyon tend to be difficult and you should wear proper hiking shoes, bring plenty of water and know what you’re getting into. When swimming, make sure to wear reef-safe sunscreen, check conditions before heading out and do not feed or approach wildlife

Here are some things to do when you visit:

🏜️Visit Waimea Canyon, which is known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. You can drive to various viewpoints and/or go on hikes into the canyon

🥾Hike along the Napali coast at Ha'ena State Park. A reservation is required to visit and the parking spots go quickly. If you can’t get a parking spot, there are some shuttle options as well. For most trails, be prepared for muddy conditions and river crossings. We hiked to Hanakāpīʻai Falls, which is about 8 miles & rated hard

🚁Take a doors-off helicopter ride! This is a splurge, but it was our favorite part of our entire Hawaii trip. So much of the island is inaccessible by road or even hiking, so this is an incredible way to see mountains, the coast and countless waterfalls from above. We went with and had a great experience!

🛥️Take a raft and snorkel tour to see the Napali coast for another perspective! On a calmer day, the raft goes into sea caves, but the waves were too intense for us. It made for quite an adventure! We also found a calm area to snorkel. We went with

🏮Visit the Kīlauea Lighthouse, which is also a wildlife refuge

🌊Look for turtles at Poipu Beach, check out Spouting Horn and hike the Mahaulepu Heritage Trail along the coast

🍴Eat at , , , and

Have you visited Kauai?

Looking for a fun winter road trip idea? Check out my outdoorsy, 4-day itinerary for Texas Hill Country! There are so ma...
13/12/2024

Looking for a fun winter road trip idea? Check out my outdoorsy, 4-day itinerary for Texas Hill Country! There are so many stunning state parks, small towns and wineries to see in this region.

https://www.lostwithlydia.com/destinations/usa/tx/Texas-Hill-Country-Road-Trip/

Take an epic Texas Hill Country road trip using this itinerary! Enjoy some of the best hiking in Hill Country, explore the cutest Hill Country towns, and more.

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