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Contact me at rod@rodstrails.com
Stuff I only work on from time to time, if the urge hits me.
Snorkel
New! Still needs work, but you can take a look.
New! Still needs work, but you can take a look.
Hike
Totally broken. Nothing to see here.
Favorite Photos
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This actually works...for the most part.
Under review.
NOTE: Photos are large, likely to load slowly. This actually works...for the most part. Under review.
Adventures Timeline
Needs a lot of work. You can look at 10/13 - 10/25: Vanua Levu & Taveuni, Fiji
Select a year: 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020
❤️ Indicates a favorite experience
Note: Starting in 2025 I got lazy so the writeups are not as in-depth as they were in previous years. That way, I can actually get them done. The new writeups (if they exist) are to get you headed in the right direction if you find a trip interesting.
2025
10/13 - 10/25: Vanua Levu & Taveuni, Fiji
This was a great trip! We had wonderful weather (a bit of rain here and there, but that is to be expected in Fiji). The snorkeling was amazing! So many new fish and beautiful coral. The people were friendly and helpful. The food was good and inexpensive. We stayed in two beautiful villas with great views. We rented a car on Vanua Levu and drove ourselves around. The roads were pretty good, although narrow in places. Driving is on the left side of the road, which took a bit of getting used to. All in all, a great trip!
We would definitely go back to Fiji! There are so many other islands to explore. Next time we would like to visit Kadavu and the Mamanuca Islands. Maybe do some diving as well as snorkeling. There are also some other places on Vanua Levu and Taveuni that will have to be put in the bucket list.
The Snorks:
- ❤️Split Rock, Vanua Levu
- ❤️ Natewa Bay, Vanua Levu
- Namena Marine Reserve, Vanua Levu
- House Reef, Taveuni
- ❤️Rainbow Reef, Taveuni
- ❤️Honeymoon Island, Taveuni
The Hikes:
9/8 - 9/12: Glacier National Park, Montana (Place Holder)
- Avalanche Campground, B58, B
- Fun but smokey from all the fires.
- Photos
9/2 - 9/8: Banff National Park, Canada (Place Holder)
- Johnston Canyon Campground, #1-64
- Fun but smokey from all the fires.
- Photos
8/8 - 8/15: Hawaii - Big Island (Place Holder)
- Photos
6/16 - 7/3: Owhyee, OR & Escalante, UT
- Johnston Canyon Campground, #1-64
- Fun but smokey from all the fires.
- Photos
4/21 - 5/2: St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands
- Astral Villa: Coral Bay, St. John, east side with view of Coral Bay
- Rod, Marg, Jim, Pam
- One of the most beautiful places we have stayed. Only issue was the driveway. You need high clearance vehicle to get down the driveway.
- Photos
- Kana'i A Nalu: Maalaea, Maui
- Rod, Marg, Nora
- If we had it to do over, would stay closer to Kihei. Better snorkeling and not as windy.
- We saw a great turtle cleaning station at Po'olenalena Beach.
- Photos
2024
6/5 - 6/14: Newport Beach, CA
- Sand Dollar Bonaire: Kralendijk
- Rod, Marg, Jim, Pam
- Photos
- Kaia Villas: Muri
- Rod, Marg, Nora
- Photos
2023
The Hikes:
- Echo Lakes to Tamarack Lake: California
- Eagle Lake: California
- Bassi Falls: California
- A very good hike with not so good lasting effects 😞.
- Full Itinerary from National Geographic
- Every hike was a good hike, the accomodations were awesome, the food was inspiring, the company was diverse, and the scotch was...well, from Scotland.
The Hikes:
- Discover Edinburgh: Scotland
- Edinburgh Castle & Arthur’s Seat: Edinburgh, Scotland
- Loch Lomond & Highland Way to Conic Hill: Balmaha, Scotland
- Devil’s Staircase/West Highland Way to Kinlochleven: Kinlochleven, Scotland
- Lower Falls to Paddy’s Bridge: Fort William - Scotland
- Loch Langaig to the Prison: Cuith-raing - Scotland
- The Cuillin Ranges: Isle of Skye – Scotland
- Ben Vrackie: Pitlochry & Highland Perthshire - Scotland
- Sand Dollar Bonaire: Kralendijk
- Rod, Marg, Jim, Pam
- Photos
The Hikes:
3/13 - 3/22: Palm Desert, CA and Tucson, AZ
The Hikes:
6/15 - 6/17: Grand Tetons
Just a quick stopover on our way back to Ohio for Rod's 50th high school reunion.
The Hikes:
8/21 - 8/26: Breckenridge, CO
A good hiking trip with friends Jim and Pam.
The Hikes:
6/15 - 6/17: Emmigrant Wilderness & Yosemite
The Hikes:
2021
3/28 - 4/2: Sedona Redrocks Adventure, AZ
In Old Town Cottonwood , we stayed at the Iron Horse Inn. Loved it! We drove to Sedona most days for hiking, and glad we didn't stay in Sedona. It is very crowded with a lot of cars. Go early to beat the crowds.
The Hikes:
4/25 - 4/30: Around Bryce Canyon, Escalante, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
Just a quick stopover on our way back to Ohio for Rod's 50th high school reunion.
The Hikes:
6/6 - 6/10: Sawtooth Mountains
We stayed at the High Country Hotel in Bellevue, ID. Loved it!
We loved the Sawtooth Mountains. We plan on returning. The wildflowers were beautiful in June.
The Hikes:
7/25 - 8/2: North Oregon Coast
The Oregon Coast has some beautiful hikes and the scenery along the coast is some of the most beautiful I have seen. If you visit Oregon, you need to do a few hikes on the coast.
For the first few days, stayed at our place in Lincoln City. There are many hotels and camping areas you can choose from in the area. We camped at Whittaker Creek Campground for a few days and then at Blackberry Campground to finish up. We liked both campsites.
The Hikes:
- ❤️Hart's Cove: Oregon : A beautiful hike with amazing views of the coast. This is a must-do hike when visiting the Lincoln City area.
- ❤️Valley of the Giants Loop: Oregon: Some of the largest Douglas firs and Western Hemlocks in Oregon can be found on this hike.
- Sweet Creek Trail: Oregon
- ❤️Kentucky Falls: Oregon: This is a great little hike to three beautiful waterfalls: Upper Kentucky Falls, Kentucky Falls, North Fork of the Smith Falls. Photographers will love it.
- Harris Ranch to Drift Creek: Oregon
- Marys Peak East Ridge: Oregon
The Hikes:
- ❤️Glen Alpine Trail to Susie Lake: California: “Man, I sure love the High Sierra.” Beautiful High Sierra hike.
- ❤️The Potholes: California: The Potholes hike represents everything I have come to love about the High Sierras: expanses of open granite with no trails required; crystal clear water flowing around, under and over massive boulders; roaring waterfalls; majestic Ponderosa Pine trees; and close-your-eyes-and-breathe-it-in peacefulness. Nature at her finest.
- Five Lakes Trail: California
- ❤️Incline Flume Trail: California: Views of Lake Tahoe are incredible.
- Shirley Canyon Trail to Shirley Lake: California
- Spooner Lake Loop: Nevada
St. George is something of an epicenter for great hikes in Utah, Arizona and Nevada, such as Snow Canyon State Park, Zion National Park, Valley of Fire State Park, Gold Butte National Monument, Red Cliffs National Conservation Area, Red Mountain Wilderness, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, and Beaver Dam Wash National Conservation Area.
The Hikes:
- Chuckwalla, Beck Hill, Paradise Rim Loop: Utah
- ❤️Gold Butte Loop: Nevada: Wow! The petroglyphs were amazing, and the scenery was desert beautiful. I consider it a must do.
- Fossil Canyon Trail: Arizona
- ❤️Red Reef Trail: Utah: Red Reef Trail is an easy, beautiful hike. And yes, the surrounding canyon is quite red. Quail creek is pretty too. And getting around the potholes can be intersting, yet fun.
- ❤️The Vortex: Utah : Other-wordly! The sand rock formations are crazy beautiful! Some of the best I have ever seen. The “waved” rock layers show colorful striations. The Vortex itself is stunning and the views from the Vortex are to write home about.
- Elephant Arch: Utah
- Santa Clara Petroglyphs via Anasazi Trail: Utah
- Emerald Trails Loop via Grotto and Kayenta Trails: Utah: Wintertime beautiful photos.
- The Zion Narrows Riverside Walk: Utah
2021 Bonus Hikes
Here are 2021 hikes that are individual day hikes that are worth mentioning.
The Hikes:
- ❤️Table Mountain Ecological Reserve Loop: California: This is a must-do beautiful hike. Beautiful waterfalls in rainy season and wildflowers in spring
- ❤️Carlton Canyon - Painted Canyon Loop: Oregon: There were a couple of times, when I looked out over the old-growth sagebrush to the canyon landscape and said aloud, "I can't believe we're in Oregon!"
2020
6/26 - 6/27: Steens Mountain Wilderness Oregon
We have hiked, camped, and biked in and around the Steens Mountain Wilderness. We have passed through on our way to other adventures. If you haven’t been to the Steens Mountains, then you really need to go.
Camp at Page Springs Campground, Oregon. Love this place.
The Hikes:
- Donner und Blitzen River Trail: Oregon
- Kiger Gorge Overlook Trail: Oregon
- ❤️Wildhorse Lake with Steens Summit: Oregon: Stunning views of Wildhorse Lake Rim and Steens Summit.
7/13 - 7/15: Succor Creek Area, Owyhee Oregon
Yet another adventure to the Owyhee Area in Southeastern Oregon. This one was a shorty.
Camp at Succor Creek Campground: Oregon - great place to camp.
The Hikes:
- Sage Creek Loop: Oregon
- ❤️OHV to Juniper Ridge/Honeycombs Trailhead: Oregon: This was not a hike, but something of an exploratory drive to find the trailhead for the Honeycombs hike . We found it! The drive itself is fun and definitely requires four-wheel drive high clearance. You drive over areas where you ask, “Is that the road going that way?”
10/15 - 10/22: St. George Area Adventures: Utah
The Hikes:
- ❤️Fire Wave, White Domes and Seven Wonders Loop (Valley of Fire State Park) & Petroglyph Canyon: Nevada: This is a beautiful hike! Colorful, swirling rock formations abound. Tiny slots gently slice through the multi-colored rocks to make beautiful multi-colored waves.
- Lake Meade Historic Railroad Trail: Nevada
- Owl Canyon Trail, Lake Mead: Nevada
- ❤️Butterfly, Lava Flow, West Canyon, Red Sands, Whiptail, and Petrified Dunes Loop: Utah: By taking this hike, or parts of it, you will see some of the most beautiful views in Snow Canyon State Park.
- Johnson Canyon Trail: Utah
- ❤️Middle Fork Taylor Creek: Utah: WOW! BEAUTIFUL! Colors in October are stunning.
- ❤️Spring Creek Canyon: Utah: Just like Taylor Creek: BEAUTIFUL! With bonus of fewer people.
12/5 - 12/10: Palm Desert, CA
Gotta love Palm Desert if you are a northerner in the winter. Just go; there are hikes everywhere.
The Hikes:
- ❤️Fern Canyon trail to Vandeventer Trail Loop: California: This is a desert hike complete with cactus, no water, and a palm oasis on the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation. We especially enjoyed the small oasis (Fern Canyon Oasis) at about 1.75 miles in (hiking clockwise).
- ❤️Ladder Canyon and Painted Canyon Loop: California: We really enjoyed this hike. Beautiful canyons! Go early to avoid crowds. It wasn't very hard but the ladders and rope ladders might cause you pause. Big 4x4 trucks with super wheels got stuck in the soft sand at the trailhead. Drive in is on soft sand - 4-whell drive advisable although we did it in AWD CRV.
- ❤️Tahquitz Canyon - Agua Caliente Indian Reservation: California: Yep, one of the most beautiful and serene waterfalls I have ever seen. Only about 50' high, but every foot is a stroke of beauty.
- Bump and Grind Loop: California: In my opinion, this hike is way overrated.
- ❤️Willow Hole - Joshua Tree: California: Another wonderful desert hike with beautiful rock formations and desert plants. We loved the rock formations and how the rocks bordered the trail to Willow Springs.
- Lost Palms Oasis - Joshua Tree: California
2020 Bonus Hikes
Here are 2020 hikes that are individual day hikes that are worth mentioning.
The Hikes:
- ❤️Mirror Lake Hike (Mt. Hood): Oregon: A beautiful hike to a serene alpine lake with stunning mountain views.
- ❤️Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge: Oregon: This is a great hike for the family, to include little ones. Many ducks, geese, eagles, hawks, and other critters. If you are looking for a place to start your little one's hiking career, this could be the place.
- ❤️Tamanawas Falls Hike: Oregon: This is a great winter hike! The falls and the creek getting there are beautiful, especially in the snow.
- Angel's Rest - Columbia River Gorge: Oregon: A popular hike with great views of the Columbia River Gorge. Photos