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
[McCarthy, AK, Jul 30, 2025] I had booked our stay at the Kennicott Glacier Lodge inside Wrangell-St Elias national park more than 10 months ago. Even so, availability was spotty and I just picked some days that were available at the end of July. It just so happened that those days coincided perfectly with Copper Valley Air’s schedule. The company flies the mail in and out of the park twice a week,… Read More
[Glenallen, AK, Jul 29, 2025] We were sad to leave our cute B&B in Seward, but we had a 5.5-hour drive to Glennallen without stops. We were headed to Wrangell-St Elias National Park, my 54th! The towns of Glennallen, Copper Valley and Chitina are the gateways to the park. Copper valley is home to the visitor center, which we were hoping to make it to before it closed at 5 pm. Chitina,… Read More
[Kenai Fjords National Park, Jul 28, 2025] The Harding Ice Field covers over 700 square miles in the Kenai mountains on the Kenai peninsula. It spawns 40 glaciers, the most accessible of which is the Exit glacier. Harding is one of only 4 remaining ice fields in the United States and is the only one contained entirely within the US. An 8.6-mile trail provides access to the ice field as it climbs… Read More
[Kenai Fjords National Park, Jul 27, 2025] We started our first full day in Seward at Resurrection Art Coffee House. The former church dates from 1917 and was converted to a coffee house in 1992. Locals and visitors alike are drawn to the unique architecture, the local art on the walls, and the yummy coffee and pastries. The line took 45 minutes, but the matcha latte and blueberry scone I got were… Read More
[This blog post will be continuously updated with new information. Last Updated Apr 23, 2026] As more and more national parks institute timed entries, reservations and lotteries, planning your national park trip requires more advance planning than ever. I have yet to see all this information in one place, which inspired me to do it! To compile it, I visited each national park website in addition to relying on my own experience… Read More