In my story about an Alaskan vacation that I posted a few weeks ago, I mentioned that Ally loved Alaska so much that, the next year, she quit her job in Virginia, packed her bags, and went to Seward, Alaska to work for Kenai-Fjord Tours (KFT). This was the tour company we used for ourContinue reading “Visiting Alaska, Again (and hopefully, again and again and again…..)”
Tag Archives: hiking
Alaska
In 2018, we decided to vacation in Alaska. Actually, my daughter, Ally, suggested it. Between our family vacations and a job that had given her the opportunity to travel through many of the US states, Alaska was one of two US states she had not yet visited. Hawaii was the other state, and the majorityContinue reading “Alaska”
Going West-with a teen, pre-teens, and a budget
In 2004, Greg and I decided we wanted to take our family on a vacation out west. Greg’s brother, Mark, lives in Missoula, Montana, so we planned to add a visit with his family to our itinerary. We didn’t have a lot of money in our travel budget-well, let’s be honest, we didn’t have muchContinue reading “Going West-with a teen, pre-teens, and a budget”
Mt. LeConte…..With My Sister
We love Mt. LeConte in the Smoky Mountains. We have hiked the mountain every fall since 2021. If you have read all my stories, you may remember the first story was about our first hike on Mt. LeConte, and how I almost killed my husband. This is another story about hiking Mt. LeConte, in 2024. Continue reading “Mt. LeConte…..With My Sister”
Backpacking in Oregon
It was 2021. I decided we should take a family backpacking vacation. We had done plenty of hiking, but we had never done a multi-night backpacking trip. I wanted to backpack part of the Pacific Crest Trail. After all, I had seen the movie “Wild” and Reese Witherspoon was able to do it by herself,Continue reading “Backpacking in Oregon”
The Jumanji Hike
We often think of adventure as something that happens when we travel far from home. But adventure can happen right in our back yard. We live a few miles from the Shawnee National Forest, so we have access to many hiking trails, parks, and even a zipline. There are many beautiful areas and views, includingContinue reading “The Jumanji Hike”
Kilimanjaro-Summit
It was the last day of our ascent. We would hike to the summit this night, which was the highlight of the trip. We hiked to Barafu Camp. There were hundreds of hikers camping at Barafu Camp. This was base camp for the summit. However, we had a permit to camp at High Camp. This wasContinue reading “Kilimanjaro-Summit”
Hike on Mount Kilimanjaro, continued
On our second day of hiking, we hiked from Machame Camp to Shira Camp. We hiked out of the rainforest and into a drier, cooler climate. The hike on this day was shorter, but very steep. The views were beautiful, and they just continued to get better as we hiked throughout the week. There wasContinue reading “Hike on Mount Kilimanjaro, continued”
Hike on Mount Kilimanjaro
I really want to be a badass. But I am not what you think of when you hear the word “badass.” I am a petite woman who tends to worry a lot and startle easily. I took a test once to find out what my soul animal would be. I was hoping for an eagleContinue reading “Hike on Mount Kilimanjaro”
First hike to Mt. Leconte OR- The Time I Almost Killed My Husband
I gave him a year. A YEAR. I warned him. I told him to do some walking and get in shape before the hike. Did he take me seriously? No. No, he did not. I wanted to hike Mt. Leconte in the Smoky Mountains, and I wanted to stay in the lodge on top ofContinue reading “First hike to Mt. Leconte OR- The Time I Almost Killed My Husband”
Jill's Journey Journals 