Balabanova All Over

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[International Falls, MN, Aug 29, 2026] I wasn’t overly excited about Voyageurs National Park. For a hiker like me, Voyageurs does not have much to offer because it’s a water-based park. Interconnected lakes, wetlands and waterways make up close to 50% of its area. It’s also fairly remote, tucked away against the Canadian border on the north side of Minnesota. Voyageurs was established in 1975. Its name commemorates the voyageurs – French-Canadian… 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

[Poipu/Port Allen, Kauai, Hi, Feb 18, 2024] My friends reminded me that Kauai is the chill island, so we obliged and had a very leisurely morning on our first full day in Hawaii. I enjoyed my morning coffee on the balcony overlooking the ocean and basked in the warmth of the sun. The only thing we had on the docket was a sunset boat tour of the Na’Pali coast, which didn’t start… Read More

Glacier is one of my favorite national parks. It stole my heart in 2015 and it’s one of the few places on Earth I’d love to return to again and again. If you’re wondering how many days to spend in Glacier, I think four is the sweet spot for a first-time visit. Below, you’ll find some basic information about the park, followed by my recommendations on how to fill those four days…. Read More

[Winter Park, FL – May 28/29, 2018] A work conference the week of Memorial Day brought me to Orlando, FL – amusement park capital of the world. The conference started on Tuesday afternoon, May 29th and ended on Friday morning, June 1. This schedule left me some free time before and after to explore. I decided to travel on Monday afternoon to avoid having to take a red-eye (overnight) flight, which meant… Read More