Stillwater Fire Tower

I feel like I'm playing catch up when it comes to hiking and traveling. I moved to New York during the winter, so the snow limited my ability to go out. Then, once the snow was gone, quarantine happened. Now, I'm able to go to parks and hike some trails. Let me tell you, I've missed it so much. 

I drove a couple miles from home and into the mountains. I ended up in the forest with no cell signal. Who doesn't love that? I do. I love being able to disconnect from the world for a little bit and just lose myself in nature. 

The drive took me down a road that quickly changed from pavement to dirt. Parking was a little lot on the side of the road, with 3 spots. 

The trail itself was beautiful and ran deep into the forest. There was a couple small foot bridges that went over a little stream that ran along the trail.

 It had a slight incline, but wasn't anything too difficult. At the end of the trail there is a clearing where the fire tower stands. There's even a little picnic table where you can have a picnic or just enjoy nature. 

Climbing the tower was an experience. I'm slightly afraid of heights and the wind was gusting but the tower isn't super high, so it doesn't take long to get to the top. 

The view from inside the tower was absolutely stunning. There are windows in the tower that you can open up to get pictures. 

Inside there is a map that has a little metal rod that you can spin around. The road points to specific locations on the map, which you can see from the tower. 

The hike was roughly 2 miles there and back. I highly recommend wearing bug spray. The mosquitoes were crazy.  

As always, whatever trash you bring with you, take with you when you leave.

Would you climb the tower to see this amazing view ?

Pixley Falls New York

With New York slowly opening up after the quarantine, it was time to get out of the house and into the woods. It's been far too long since I've been able to hike. I've missed it. 

I decided to go to Pixley Falls. 

The main falls

It's a 1.2 mile hike located near Booneville, NY, although if you want to just see the main falls, it's shorter. I decided to just do the entire trail. 

The main falls were gorgeous. There is a nice little picnic table near the base of the falls for you to sit and have lunch. There was quite a few people at the falls, so we decided to continue on through the trail. 

It was quiet and peaceful and not crowded at all. Birds and chipmunks were running around beside us. The trail isn't the best marked, but it's easy to figure out where to go. 

All along the trail, there are multiple smaller waterfalls. It's definitely worth the hike. The trail was a little muddy in places, but was fairly easy to do.

You're even able to be on top of the falls, if you so choose. Just be careful because the rocks can be slick. 

Overlooking the main falls

I highly recommend this hike if you want something short, not to difficult and full of beautiful scenery.

As always, respect the area. Don't go off the trail or bother nature. And please, take out any trash that you bring in.

What's your favorite waterfall hike?

A Frolic Through the Sunflowers

I'm sure  you've seen tons of pictures of sunflower fields all over Instagram. I know that, personally, I've always loved Sunflowers. They're tall, strong and beautiful. They are the unspoken symbol for summer. Honestly, sunflowers are probably my favorite flower.

Well, I had the opportunity to visit a beautiful sunflower field, tucked away between some mountains on Oahu. Who doesn't want to visit a beautiful field of flowers in paradise? I'm talking about the sunflower fields at Waimanalo Country Farms.

It's a little farm down a small dirt road. Every year they open it to the public. It only cost $3 per person to enter. You can stay as long as you wish. Trust me, you'll want to take your time while visiting.

I mean look at this view. It's absolutely breathtaking.

They even have some chairs set up throughout the field and a bathtub!

There's a vintage van parked at the front of the field. It definitely has so much potential for Instagram worthy pictures.

There is also a little farm with goats, pigs, chickens, turkeys and even horses!

There's so much to see and do. It's a place for everyone to enjoy.

Have you ever been to a sunflower field? Or any memorable field? Where at?

The Best Gifts for Those Who Love to Travel

Christmas is right around the corner. It's time to figure out the perfect gifts for everyone.

Well, if you have someone in your life who loves to travel, I'm here to make your life a little easier. I've compiled a list of the best gifts to give them!

• Samsung Gear 360 Camera 

This camera is perfect for travel lovers. I use mine a lot! It allows you to get 360 videos and pictures of the places you visit. It's not super expensive and allows you to get unique, one of a kind shots of your travels.

• Travel Journal

Every traveler needs a reliable journal to write about their adventures. I, personally, love the Midori Travelers Notebook. It's compact and sturdy. Plus refills are available to expand it, so you never really have to worry about running out of room to write.

• Passport Holder

There are so many designs available so you can pick the perfect one for your Traveler. It's a great stocking stuffer and will protect their passport while traveling.

• Scratch off Map

This is honestly one of my favorite ways to keep track of all the places I've traveled. It's also a great decoration for someone's living room or even office. 

• Travel Adapter

This is perfect for world travelers! It can be used in 160 countries! 

What's your favorite gift to give a traveler?





This post contains affiliate links as part of the Amazon Affiliate Program,  for which I receive compensation but it does not increase the price of your purchase. Your purchase helps keep this blog up and running. But, as always, all opinions are my own. 

The Mighty Mo!

Over the weekend I had the opportunity to take a step back into our military history. Anyone who knows me, knows I love to study and learn about WWII. It was the war that changed everything. So this weekend I decided to visit the USS Missouri.

If you don't know about the USS Missouri, here's a little history lesson for you. (It's really interesting, I promise!)

The USS Missouri, also known as the "Mighty Mo," was built during WWII in a Brooklyn shipyard. She was launched on January 29, 1944 and was commissioned as the USS Missouri on June 11, 1944. It is an Iowa class battleship.

On April 11, 1945 the USS Missouri was hit by a Japanese "Zeke" aircraft northeast of Okinawa. A fire erupted on the plane but no bomb exploded which meant no loss of American lives. It's no secret that Kamikaze pilots were a big part of WWII. But this story isn't finished with just the death of the pilot. In fact, I never knew the rest of the story. I'm sure most people don't. So I want to share this super IMPORTANT story.
The crew of the USS Missouri pulled the body of the Japanese pilot from the wreckage. The officers and crew created a Japanese flag and paused the next morning to pay their respects to their fallen enemy. They stood at attention and offered a salute for the fallen pilot. The Marine Honor Guard fired a three rifle volley and the Chaplain on board said "Commend his body to the deep."
When I heard this story while visiting the Mighty Mo, I couldn't help but tear up. People tend to forget that the pilots of these Kamikaze missions were people who were doing their duty to their country. In fact, the youngest Kamikaze pilot was only 17 years old.

Years later, a couple of WWII vets were visiting the USS Missouri from Japan. They made it a point to learn the identity of the pilot who was honored by the sailors and marines that were aboard on that fateful day. They did just that.

His name was Setsuo Ishino. Please remember that name. So many lives were lost on all sides of WWII and many of them have been forgotten.

On September 2, 1945, representatives from the Allied and Axis powers met aboard the USS Missouri, in Tokyo Bay to "conclude an agreement by which peace can be restored." It was aboard the USS Missouri that the Empire of Japan signed the two copies of Instrument of Surrender. General MacArthur signed on behalf of the Allied nations that were in attendance.

The exact spot of surrender

In 1955, the USS Missouri was decommissioned.

In 1984-1986, the ship was modernized and reactivated.

May 10, 1986 the USS Missouri was recommissioned.

September- November 1987 the ship was underway in the Persian Gulf as part of the Operation Earnest Will.

January 17, 1991 the USS Missouri was the first battleship to fire Tomahawks as the start of Operation Dessert Storm.

March 31, 1992 The USS Missouri was decommissioned again.

Overall, my trip to visit the Mighty Mo was a success. I had a great time and learned so so much. If you're ever visiting Hawaii, please be sure to stop by.

Have you ever visited the Mighty Mo?

Queen Emma's Summer Palace

Over the weekend I got to visit Queen Emma's Summer Palace. I've been meaning to go for quite a while now, but I haven't had the chance.

The back of the palace

The palace was a place of retreat and comfort for Queen Emma Kaleleonalani Rooke, King Kamehameha IV and their son Prince Albert between 1857-1885.

The house was built in 1848 by John Lewis. The house was sold to Queen Emma's uncle, John Young II for only $6,000. The house was then given the name Hanaiakamalama which means foster child of the moon. In 1857, John Young II left the house to his niece, Queen Emma, in his will.

In 1885, after Queen Emma's death, the home was bought by the monarchical government and leased. In the early 1900's it was bought by the Daughters of Hawai'i and was restored, in an effort to preserve a piece of Hawaiian history.

Upon entering the palace, you are asked to remove your shoes. Photos are allowed, but don't use flash.

The house is filled with beautiful portraits of the royal family. About 80% of the furniture in the house is original and belonged to the royal family, many of which were gifted to the family by other royalty throughout the world.

The Front Bedroom

The entry hallway

The beautiful 3 tiered cabinet in the Edinburgh Room

The Edinburgh Room

In the back bedroom, there is a tall glass display case. In the display case is a small fireman's jacket. It belonged to Prince Albert, who died at the age of 4 due to sudden illness. He became an honorary member of the Honolulu Fire Department.

The house is filled with so much history and it was a great honor to be able to see the furniture that the royal family had and to be able to walk in the rooms that they once filled.

If you're ever in Hawai'i I recommend visiting.

2913 Pali Hwy
Honolulu Hi 96817

What's your favorite museum you've visited?

A Unique and Fun Experience on Oahu

This weekend I had an amazing opportunity to do something I've never done before. I'm always looking for new and unique coffee shops to try. Well, this weekend I got to go to Oahu's new and only Cat Cafe. It was so much fun!

So anyone who knows me knows I'm allergic to cats. But I wasn't about to let that stop me from having this incredible experience. So I put on my battle armor (a hoodie, long pants and closed toe shoes), took allergy medicine and walked into the cafe.

The Cat Cafe partners with the SPCA. All the cats are available for adoption. In the two weeks and three weekends that they have been open, they've been able to adopt out, I believe, 17 cats. That's amazing!

The cafe itself is cute. Their menu board is shaped like a cat head.

They have various coffees and pastries you can order. I ordered my coffee and paid for my half hour to spend with the cats.

Before going into the cat area, you have to sign a waiver saying that they aren't responsible if you get hurt or if you have an allergy. But trust me, none of these adorable cats were mean in the slightest. I sat at a table and played with a couple of kittens. I mostly spent the time watching them play.

This cat was sleeping. How cute is she?

These are the kittens I played with!

Overall, I had an absolutely amazing time at the Cat Cafe. I would highly recommend visiting.

This is me in my "battle armor."

Hawai'i Cat Cafe
415 Kapahulu Ave
Honolulu Hi 96815

What's the most unique cafe you've been to?