Balabanova All Over

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[TRNP, Jun 15, 2025] Our long travel day yesterday and the late night with the Medora Musical meant that we had to sleep in this morning. But once we got breakfasted and caffeinated, it was time to explore the south unit of TRNP. The entrance station was literally a quarter mile from our hotel in Medora. Only 3 or 4 cars were in front of us, and the line went quickly. You… Read More

[Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Oct 10, 2023] Once upon a time, the 6 of us lived in LA and ran every Saturday together to train for the LA marathon. Four of us knew each other from business school, and the other 2 were Olivia’s friends that eventually became ours, too. Over the years, a few of us have moved away, so when an opportunity to get together arises, we don’t pass… Read More

[Mt Rainier national park, July 21, 2018] For our day in Mt. Rainier national park, we picked the most popular trail in the park – Skyline trail. At only 5.3 miles with 1700 ft of elevation gain, it’s not terribly demanding, although you are bound to feel the effects of high altitude – the trail begins at 5,400 ft. Our visit also fell on a Saturday, so we knew we had to… Read More

[Channels Islands National Park – Anacapa Island, March 29, 2018]  The five islands that make up Channel Islands national park sit just off the coast of Ventura, CA. They had been on my list for a long time, but their proximity meant that I prioritized other national parks before them. With a four-day weekend for Easter looming with no solid travel plans, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to explore my… Read More

[Miami, FL, Fri, Dec 29, 2017] For my Christmas present, B cooked up a major surprise. He had me completely confused – he said to not wear any jewelry, wear something comfortable and bring my big camera. I was trying to figure out where he could be taking me given those requirements, but it wasn’t until we were at the gate of the Zoological Wildlife Foundation in Miami that he told me… Read More