longing for adventure

it's about this time of year,

when the leaves think of changing color

and cooler mornings begin to come our way,

that i begin to look for adventures.

this usually manifests as countless camping and hiking trips.

weekends are spent climbing mountains,

grilling over open fires,

taking pictures of changing leaves,

and reading lecture notes beside a campfire.

tate city, fall 2008

this year seems a bit different, though.

instead of longing for just weekends away,

i am wishing for a real adventure...

a cross-country,

multiple week,

time in the car,

isolated get-away...

luckily, we have a honeymoon to colorado in the works,

and trust me, i am counting down the days.

however, my longing for adventure has led me to these great finds.

incredible trips that are definitely on the agenda

at some later date in time.

1. the lincoln highway

the lincoln highway was america's first trans-continental highway,

originating in 1913.

it spans 3400 miles from coast to coast,

from new york to san francisco.

click here for a brief history of the lincoln highway

a great road trip idea,

with some really cool places to stay along the way.

the grand view point hotel in the 1930s

2. redwood national park: fern canyon

a road trip to california
for a chance to experience the redwood forest?
yes, please.

not only do i want to walk among the tall redwoods

and try to stretch my arms around them,

i want to walk through fern canyon,

surrounded by 40-foot walls blanketed with ferns.

image credit: doug hammond on Flickr

3. backpacking the blue mist: great smoky mountains

k and i took a road trip to gsm national park a few years ago,

and i have been wanting to return ever since.

the blue smoke the area is famous for is a result of plant respiration,

and it is hauntingly beautiful.

imagine waking to a cool fall morning,

crisp air layered by pale blue fog,

sitting by a campfire, drinking strong coffee,

just taking it all in...

perfection.

image credit: exothermic on Flickr

there are so many places to visit within the states alone;

i can't even begin to think internationally...

the list of adventures is just too extensive.

{on a side note, my friends, the asiancajuns
just returned from a trip to NOLA.
visit their site to read about it!}

and you, lovely reader,

where would you go in search of adventure?

copyright Hiking in Stilettos