OffBeat Pathfinder Basecamp

Let me just start by saying: if you haven’t tried eating a gas station burrito in the shade of a saguaro, while a javelina stares you down, you’re only half-living. Last Saturday I set out to discover some “secret hot springs” my cousin swore were “just a quick hike past the old ghost town.”

Two ...

i went in august, not smart, like walkin in a oven.
water bottle was empty in like 30 min, sweat so much my phone died, got lost but ran into a guy sellin cold drinks out his trunk so it worked out
rocks look like they wanna tell stories, i just couldn’t hear em, lol

i tried to see sunrise at Jenny Lake but got lost, gps spun me in circles then i hit a traffic jam of elk no joke, almost missed the whole dang thing
finally parked, shoes soaked, still best view of my life,
coffee at Persephone Bakery after: overrated but warm.
if you see a silver airstream ...

Ain’t nothin like cookin up some beans an bacon at that Dog Canyon camp, let me tell ya. Got woke up by a javelina rootin ’round my tent, nearly spilled my coffee.


Ya gotta bring extra socks, them rocks’ll eat through the thin ones.


Best trail for wildflowers is McKittrick Canyon in the ...

The murals around downtown are epic—especially the Viking one by the library. Ran into an art walk and got a free cookie.

If you’re up for weird, the Swedish phone booth by City Hall is just sitting there, waiting for a superhero moment.

Stayed at a dog-friendly cabin just outside Chester. My retriever got more attention than I did—Vermonters love their dogs!

DesertDrifter, you nailed it! My Palm Springs routine: coffee at Koffi, a walk around the Moorten Botanical Garden, then camp out at the pool until the sun sets. Pro tip: Elmer's for breakfast—get the German pancake. I always check for a local art show, too—crazy talent in that town.

You ever walk into a place and immediately smell fresh bread, hear the clang of old blacksmith tools, and wonder if you just got dropped into a German fairy tale? Welcome to the Amana Colonies. I rolled through last month on a “detour” (Iowa-style, thanks to construction), and ended up spending a ...

I thought I’d seen some wild landscapes, but Monument Valley absolutely blew my mind. Those red spires shoot up out of the earth like giant traffic cones, and the sunsets make you believe you’re on a different planet. Rented a jeep from a local Navajo guide and nearly rattled my teeth out on the ...

What’s the weirdest festival to experience in the US? I want something truly bizarre—not just another corn dog fair.