Hot Air Ballooning - Arizona

A hot air balloon ride has always been on my bucket list.  It was one of those adventures at the back of my mind, something I would do someday, somewhere at the bottom of my list.  Something I always wanted to do but for many reasons, never actually did.  

It's too expensive... there isn't a lot of it here... I am terrified of heights.... and on and on. When I had to chance to visit Arizona, and one of the activity selections was "hot air ballooning" I couldn't believe my luck.  Heck, I even passed up on whitewater rafting to wake up at 4:45 am and meet a bunch of strangers in a field somewhere in Arizona.   A Sonoran sunrise as seen from a hot air balloon - I finally had my opportunity to cross another item off the bucket list and step inside the basket of a hot air balloon.

Off-roading in the desert - Scottsdale, Arizona

Man, was it nice to be in the warmth of the desert.  After a week in Banff, spending my 30th birthday in negative-something-degrees, I was looking forward to - hell, I needed a week of warmth and sunshine.  And let's be honest, it is so much easier to pack shorts and tank tops than thermals, snow pants, and puffy coats.  After landing in Arizona, I embraced the sunshine and tolerated the chilly night famous to desert life.  But in the morning, it was shorts and sunscreen as we headed out to our first excursion of the trip.  

An Intro to the American Southwest

Scottsdale, Arizona

The desert was never high on my radar as a tried and true New Englander with a love of the ocean.  But travel enough and you can change your opinions on just about anything.  Truth be told, Utah is where I first fell in love with the desert and yes, most people forget that Utah is in fact, a desert.  This big state has a climate that varies from snow covered mountains to dry arid desert.  In fact, about 33 percent of Utah is true desert (average annual precipitation is five to eight inches).  It was in Utah that I really experienced my first desert, hiking among the slickrock of Moab and spending nights under a million stars at a quiet campground in the sand.

Guide to Banff in the winter - itinerary, tips, video, and cost

Turning 30 in Banff National Park

The last post of a series is always the best and saddest.  It's the best because I have already spent weeks recapping an amazing trip, detail by detail from what I did to what I ate.  I also get to share a fun video so you can see for yourself just how amazing these places are.  Sad because I can no longer talk about this beautiful destination and the amazing outdoor activities in the area.  But with one return flight home comes another trip planned somewhere else and this month was no different.  After landing back in the U.S. A I was on a plane next week for the American Southwest.  But before we get into saguaros and sunshine, let's talk about snowy Banff National Park one last time.

Visiting Banff National Park

I bet you now by know my trip to Banff National Park in the wintry month of February was purposely planned to celebrate my 30th birthday.  I wanted a unique destination, affordable pricing, and to see somewhere as beautiful (and popular) as Banff in one of its quieter seasons.  If you still need some convincing as to why you should head to Canada in one of her coldest months, then here are six reasons why.   If you are sold and want to see the beauty of Banff under a thick layer of snow, keep reading as I share fun facts on the park and area, information on getting to Banff, need to know details, and what I spent for 6 days, 7 nights in Alberta. 

Museums, Craft Beer, and Wolfdogs - Last day in Canada

View from the observation area at Cave and Basin National Historic Site (closed Monday Tuesday)

It was a whirlwind week in Banff National Park.  From three days of skiing, scenic drives, snowshoeing, ice walks, to dogsledding, we had seen a lot of different angles of this beautiful area in a short window of time.  Our last day of Banff was pretty open, stopping to see some of the museums and in Banff before making our way back towards Calgary where we would hop on a plane and head back for the states and temperatures above zero degrees.  We were up early, packing up the rental car with our ski gear and luggage with plans to stop at the Whyte Museum in downtown Banff and the Cave and Basin National Historic Site, famed to be where Canada's National Park system began.  Due to some lack of planning on my part, we pulled into the Historic Site to discover the visitor's center and cave was closed on Monday and Tuesdays.  We enjoyed the view and stretched out legs before jumping in the car to head to the Whyte Museum.  

Whyte Museum 

Our first real stop after the major fail at Cave and Basin was the Whyte Museum in downtown Banff, a museum dedicated to the history and preservation of the cultural heritage of the Rocky Mountains of Canada.  This was the perfect indoor activity to escape the breath-froze-my-hair cold and to learn a bit about the area.  You can see the bulk of the museum in an hour or so, learning about the history of the area, the cultural significance, and fun facts about Banff National Park.  We had a free pass to the museum included in our "Ski Big 3" passbook and were excited to spend some time learning more about this park we came to love.  The exhibits varied from bear safety to the foundation, early culture, and the location/access of the park.  If you want to escape the cold and learn about the park and the cultural history of the area, I highly recommend this museum