Balabanova All Over
#TakeYourTimeOff
About Nadya
Hi there! I am so glad you found me! My mission is to empower you to #TakeYourTimeOff and explore the world. I started this blog as a way to keep family and friends in the loop when I went on a 3-week trip to Asia in 2011. Although I’ve always enjoyed traveling, it wasn’t until a trip to Peru in 2012 that I started to think about ways to make travel a… Read More
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Top Posts
I had been wanting to see the golden larches – the unique deciduous conifers that lose their needles in winter, but not before they turn a gorgeous golden yellow – ever since I started spending more time in the Pacific Northwest. Back in 2024, I saw plenty of reels on Instagram that showcased their beauty. But their popularity also came with unbelievable traffic jams on Highway 20 and at the most popular… Read More
North and South Dakota are not top of mind when it comes to travel destinations, but I was surprised by the number of things to do in these two oft overlooked states! Although my focus was on the 3 national parks, I found there were plenty of other things to do. There are even a couple of sites on the list should I ever return to this area. How to Get There… Read More
I already knew about some of the cable cars on Madeira, but I was surprised to learn there were a few more once I got on the island. Unfortunately, information about them is kind of spotty and spread out. I also wanted to know how to combine them with other sights nearby and found such info unavailable. Here is my attempt to rectify this together with my recommendations on which cable cars… Read More
Lisbon, Porto, the Algarve… Those are probably the top destinations most people think of when it comes to Portugal. But lately, the island of Madeira has been growing in popularity. It’s nicknamed “the Hawaii of Europe”, and for good reason. It’s a volcanic island just like the Hawaiian islands and it has a very similar climate and scenery. If you are a hiker who wants to check out the island but also… Read More
[McCarthy / Anchorage, AK, Aug 2, 2025] And just like that, our time in Wrangell-St Elias national park came to an end and it was time to make the long trip back to Anchorage. It involved a morning flight back to Glenallen, then a 3+ hours drive to the state’s capital. Because getting to Anchorage would take all day, we had booked one final hotel night in Anchorage before flying home on… Read More