OffBeat Pathfinder Basecamp

Autumn leaves here are peak road trip goals.

Ever notice how the rocks glow? Worth waking up for every time.

Caught a Badgers football game once. Loudest stadium I’ve ever been in. Plus, the whole city just shuts down for game day. Go red!

First time in Vegas last spring, lost $86 in 9 minutes. But the Bellagio garden was cool. Never betting red again. Ever.

Best stargazing I’ve had in years! I camped at the nearby Gilbert Ray campground and the Milky Way was so bright, it almost looked fake. I also recommend the Desert Discovery Nature Trail—short, easy, and packed with info about the park’s critters.

Favorite pro tip: go on a ranger-led night hike if they're offered. Whole new world after dark—owls, glowing mushrooms, and every shadow looks like a sasquatch. The sheer scale of those trees never gets old.