Rec | AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

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i put a moratorium on international travel for myself last year and it has frankly made me a patriot
u can see the badlands of South Dakota, the oldest exposed rock in the world (1.8 billion y.o) at the Grand Canyon, ancient pueblos in New Mexico, the pristine boundary waters of Minnesota —all accessible without a passport—what a privilege, what a gift
“O beautiful for spacious skies / for amber waves of grain / for purple mountain majesties / above the fruited plain” they were not kidding

@jansport2009

Jan 19, 2024

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@ursulae

i’ve been to 40 / 50 states and can’t rest (figuratively) till i’ve seen ‘em all. thus far my faves have been: wyoming - grand teton national park in early autumn is literal heaven on actual earth maine - rockport in winter, find a high place to see all the little islands off the coast vermont - skiing at stowe / driving around montpelier west virginia - biased bc this is where my family is from, specifically the new river gorge area & greenbrier county but there is so much more to see up north (green bank, cranberry glades, blackwater falls, harpers ferry) & california is pretty okay, too - driving highway 1 will actually change your life, as cliche as it sounds.

Jan 23, 2024

@jansport2009

astrologyjew keep it dead <3

Jan 23, 2024

@astrologyjew

My passports been expired since Covid

Jan 23, 2024

@jansport2009

unqletio explore new mexico!! visit dark sky preserves, drive the enchanted circle, go up to Taos, bandolier national park, go south to white sands (100+ miles of no speed limit and completely open road, best drive), try the hot springs at ojo caliente if u like to drive u can road trip the whole state and never get bored <3 i visited in october and now i dream of living there

Jan 23, 2024

@evan

unqletio my main rec for this is always monument valley. i think it's kinda slept on cause it's on navajo nation so not technically on any lists of national parks. but also driving through west texas at night feels like you're on the moon. basically just hit all the different deserts. i bet jansport2009 also has more recs!

Jan 21, 2024

@unqletio

evan would you elaborate on where these distinct planets might be? im curious to explore thees great country 🦅

Jan 20, 2024

@evan

i agree wholeheartedly. you get to see like 8 different planets and you don't even have to do currency conversion math in your head.

Jan 19, 2024

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Visiting South Dakota

Last post about this, I promise! I just would've never visited South Dakota had my friends not invited me along on this random lil trip, so I want to share what I've learned with you.
You can fly into Rapid City and visit the otherworldly national park Badlands, the Black Hills, colossal monuments like Mount Rushmore + the Crazy Horse Memorial, huge mountains + thousands of bison in Custer State Park, tiny casinos in the old cowboy town of Deadwood, and you can even cross over into Wyoming to see Devil's Tower.
None of these places are more than an hour-ish drive from each other! And you'll see a lot of variety in terrain along the way.
We visited during the April shoulder season and basically had it all to ourselves. The days before and after our trip were a nice 65-70 degrees & sunny, but as soon as we arrived temps dipped into the low 40s...oh well, it's better than the summer when it all gets crazy hot & crowded. Hotels are cheap & pretty nice. Go somewhere else if you're a food motivated traveler, you'll be mostly eating burgers cooked by the bartender.
Anyways, highly recommend visiting this special place. I'll be sharing some film shots from the trip on this IG account.

@tyler

STAFF

Apr 24, 2024

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The rugged determination (and the sunsets)

The southwest is my home and I didn’t learn to fully appreciate its unique beauty and culture for what it is until I left.
The wide open skies and horizons that seem to go on forever and the sunsets that come with that are breathtaking. The sparseness of the landscape is soothing to the spirit; the lack of humidity is wonderful for the lungs. The rock formations are insane. If you’re the kind of person who loves sunlight you’re in luck. And few things are better than the smell and splendor of desert rain.
Some areas like where I grew up can be incredibly isolated geographically and culturally from other parts of the US, where the nearest large (American) city is three to eight hours‘ driving distance away, surrounded with nothing but empty desert.
I would say the southwest starts in Marfa, Texas (highly recommend) and extends into SoCal, with the furthest north parts being in lower Utah and Colorado. New Mexico and El Paso have some of the best Mexican food in the country. The national and state parks are gorgeous. I don’t claim Arizona, especially since it’s become infested with Californians. Every city I have visited in Arizona has been the worst place I’ve ever been.
The environment and climate are hostile to human plant and animal life in a lot of ways (including urban planning in most major cities in the area) and the people can be suspicious of strangers and outsiders, brusque and unfriendly. The legacy of centuries of colonization, occupation, gunslinging outlaws, and war casts an inescapably dark feeling over the land. I admire the southwest because it’s an area where everything and everyone must fight to exist; it fosters resilience and self sufficiency like nothing else.

@taterhole

Sep 20, 2024

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American southwest

Lol I think it’s clear here how obsessed I am with this region. I’m particularly a fan of Flagstaff, AZ and northern New Mexico, but I also really like Tucson.
Seems like the perfect place to spend this length of time in since I could imagine the isolation, distance from international airports, and politics of the surrounding areas would get trying longterm. But for this length of time, you’ll have all the hikes in the world, amazing food, art scenes, and the healing power of the desert!