Paddling trails offer adventure, fitness By Sydni Ellis Hazy orange and pink light spreads like fire across the early morning sky, as the sun slowly rises above the clouds. A late-summer sunrise is such a beautiful experience. Especially since 6:30 a.m. is practically the only…
By Sydni Ellis Sweet, sticky peach juice dribbled down my arm. The sun was beating down on my family and me on this nearly triple-digit summer day, but nobody noticed—we were too busy feasting on soft, Southern peaches that we had driven nearly an hour…
By Sydni Ellis Summertime is sipping an ice-cold strawberry margarita. It’s wearing a brand-new swimsuit and a perfectly floppy straw hat. It’s relaxing in cold water while the hot Texas sun beats down on you. It’s making memories that will last all year! But this…
By Sydni Ellis Dazzling stars dance in the sky. Chirping insects create a soft melody in the dark. The sweet aroma of sugary marshmallows over a crackling firepit fills the warm night air and tickles the back of your throat. Welcome to camping season—one of…
By Sydni Ellis Every great world traveler encounters problems along the way. Lewis and Clark, Amelia Earhart, millennial travel bloggers, your boss, your next-door neighbor and pretty much everyone else who’s ever set out on an adventure, ever, has a story to tell. But the…
By Sydni Ellis Serenity is not just a word in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It’s something you feel with your entire being—from the basement of a bathhouse to the top of Mountain Tower. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, serenity is “the state of being calm,…
By Sydni Ellis The fresh scent of pine needles mixed with sweet raindrops fills the air. It’s only 57 degrees outside, but somehow the brisk wind and the wet skies make it seem even colder. It’s early March in Portland, Oregon—a perfect time to travel…
By Sydni Ellis If the popular travel quote “Love is the food of life, travel is the dessert” by Amanda Jane Sturges is to be believed, then taking a vacation with your significant other is an even sweeter gift than chocolates this Valentine’s Day. Who…
By Sydni Ellis Libraries are magical places. As a little girl, I remember roaming the shelves, looking for pictures of characters I loved on the covers because I couldn’t read yet. A few years later, I was stacking books so high in my arms that…
By Sydni Ellis Turn on Hallmark Channel, go see Last Christmas in theatres or stream practically any Christmas movie ever made, and you’ll notice one thing they all have in common: a delightful town square with fresh fir trees, twinkling lights and charming architecture. That…