OffBeat Pathfinder Basecamp

Ever heard of Gulf Shores, Alabama? If not, you're missing out on a slice of Southern paradise where the beaches are as white as your grandma's Sunday tablecloth, and the seafood is so fresh it practically jumps onto your plate. As a proud Alabama native, I took a trip down to Gulf Shores to soak up ...

So, I just learned that a javelina isn't a female javelin. 😳

Here I was, picturing a dainty spear with a bow, gracefully soaring through the air. Instead, it's a desert-dwelling, pig-like creature with tusks and a penchant for prickly pears. 🐗🌵

Turns out, javelinas are not pigs but peccaries ...

Came for the trains, stayed for the ice cream. Still have dust in my boots. See y’all next round!

Alright, y’all, listen up. I rolled into Bentonville thinkin’ it was just a Walmart town (don’t come for me), but boy, I gotta eat my words with a side of Ozark barbecue. First thing you see is this Crystal Bridges Museum that looks like a spaceship landed in the trees. Art everywhere. Like, I mean ...

Tried to pronounce “Cayuga” correctly and failed. Drank too much local IPA and somehow bought a tie-dye hoodie.


Ithaca Bakery: try the chocolate chip challah, thank me later.

I’m all about the bike trails in summer—rented an e-bike and ended up at a farm-to-table dinner with total strangers (best peach pie ever). Main Street’s bookstore has a secret upstairs lounge if you ask nicely.

Monument Valley is jaw-dropping—went with my family as a kid and have been chasing those views ever since. Took the horseback tour and my horse was named Elvis. He was grumpy, but the guide’s stories about the movies filmed there were top-notch.

Love Amana! Did you try the woolen mill? I came home with socks, a blanket, and at least four bad puns about sheep. Also—Amana’s general store has the best lemon drops in the Midwest. Anyone else spot the “ghost piano” in the old hotel lobby? Played itself after midnight (or maybe that was just my ...

Last summer, I tackled the North Cascades—and now nothing else looks quite as wild. This park is where “remote” means you might see more bears than people, and your phone’s last signal was probably hours ago. The mountains rise like shark fins, glaciers cling to valleys, and the lakes are blue ...

Looking to get scared out of my wits. Any haunted road trip routes across America you recommend?