Falls of the Big Sioux River

Falls Park - View of falls from atop the observation tower

I’ve been through Sioux Falls only one other time back in 2016, and that was only to sleep and pass on down the road. Before leaving this time I thought “there must be a waterfall here somewhere, else the city wouldn’t be named like that.” A quick online search later and oh boy did I … Read more

Casa Grande Ruins National Monument

Casa Grande Ruins National Monument – Entrance sign

Rental car snafus blew apart my original plan but that’s okay – it pushed me to some places I probably wouldn’t have visited otherwise. First stop was Casa Grande Ruins National Monument in Coolidge, Arizona. This site was the first prehistoric and cultural reserve established in the United States and a sacred place to the … Read more

Joshua Tree National Park – Lost Horse Mine

Joshua Tree - Trees on Lost Horse Loop

As I completed hikes I was crossing them off my paper map which was now covered in a fair amount of X’s.  The big hike for today was to Lost Horse Mine / Lost Horse Loop trail for a 6.5 mile ass kicking. The trail starts and immediately climbs but has a gentle ascent that … Read more