Snow In The Badlands

Badlands, North Dakota  •  Brandon  •  Day: 3

We have started our trek out west via the RV and our first stop was the baffling landscapes of The Badlands. This place did not fail to throw every possible scenario at us. As we made our approach to Badlands National Park, South Dakota, we were immediately presented with snow. Not just any kind of snow, but a blizzard of sorts that was literally just spiraling over the entire area of the badlands.

Being from Chicago, I typically try my hardest to avoid snow when I can, but in this circumstance I felt it really added a mysterious vibe to the whole area. An area I totally underestimated, The Badlands are nothing to take lightly.

When we got to the gate of the Badlands National Park, I asked the ranger if the snow was  normal thing during this time of year. She promptly responded with a “Ohhhh NO, this is far from the normal, but I guess thats North Dakota for yah.

We had a chuckle at her response and headed into the park ready for anything it was going to serve up for us. We got out pretty much right away to take photos and were greeted with mud everywhere from the soaking wet snow falling from overhead. If this is what to expect from the rest of the trip, then I say bring it on!

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Badlands, North Dakota  •  Chelsey  •  Day: 8

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Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions.

Have a look and have a laugh on me. Cheers and more to come! Link in the profile! #tzooroadtrip #👫🚌

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The Ghost of Ansel Adams.

Grand Tetons, Wyoming  •  Brandon  •  Day: 12

As @thee1ginger and I approached The Grand Tetons, next on our list of places, I thought a lot about the history of the area and the photographers that explored the area before us and what it must of been like to discover something so majestic and new.

So when I saw the Grand Teton mountains with my own eyes, I swear the spirit of Ansel Adams himself took over, not only my camera, but also my perspective on the area, and the way I thought about its rich history.

I thought about how cool it would have been to be a photographer like he was, with a passion for a subject like he had. I thought about how lucky he was to have that type of lifestyle and to have the type of vision he had. Then I realized, I was out there trying to follow in the footsteps of the greats. I was standing in the very spots he once stood and taking photos of the same mountains he once saw with his own lens. A truly inspiring moment amongst some of the country’s greatest mountains.

#travelzoo #tzooroadtrip #👫🚌

Greetings From Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming  •  Chelsey  •  Day: 15

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions.

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions.

Have a look and have a laugh on me. Cheers and more to come! Link in the profile! #tzooroadtrip #👫🚌

“Once you do something that completely changes your life, there’s nothing that you want more than for that experience to happen again.”

Glacier National Park, Like Something Out Of The Movies.

East Glacier, Montana  •  Brandon  •  Day: 20

After tons of driving and lots of questionable turns and strange weather we finally arrived at Glacier National Park. This place was so remote and desolate, it was really an amazing experience to feel somewhat isolated in these massive mountains in a remote corner of Montana, hidden away a from the rest of the world.

The only sign of life in the area was a small bar, with roughly 4 of the locals playing pool while arguing about what real country music was. One of them kindly bought us a PBR and shared some stories of the area.

After a couple of beverages, we said our goodbyes and made way to what seemed like a completely abandoned Rv Park, with the best views you could ever ask for. As night fell, the elk came out to feed on the grass, and the clouds whipped around in the sky. A moment and place I will never forget.

Somewhere In The In-Between.

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming  •  Chelsey  •  Day: 15

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions.

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions.

Have a look and have a laugh on me. Cheers and more to come! Link in the profile! #tzooroadtrip #👫🚌

Somewhere In The In-Between.

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming  •  Brandon  •  Day: 15

The Cascades are full of magic.

As we made our way west across Washington state, we decided to stay north and cross the Cascades on the historic State Route 20.

We navigated our way through the the amazing and dramatic peaks of the range, and came across an area where the Pacific Crest Trail crosses the old highway. Having thru-hiked the #pacificcresttrail last year I decided to stop and take a look at the trail for some nostalgia. This is also the same spot where three years ago I had decided I was going to attempt the thru-hike, so the area has a special significance to me, and was powerful to visit for the third time while on another adventure.

As I ran down to the trail head I was met with lots of snow, making it hard to find and identify the trail. It was so crazy to see. When I made my way through the area while hiking, no snow existed, and only lots of elevation loss and gain, stood in our way.

It showed me the power of weather and seasons are serious, and showed me that there was a real reason you only had a small window of opportunity to hike through the section. The unpredictability of the mountains can create some wild weather, but sometimes it can also create some magical moments of inspiration, and that’s what I was here to find.

#travelzoo #tzooroadtrip #👫🚌