The Sawtooth Mountain Range is apart of the Rocky Mountains in central Idaho. It reaches a maximum elevation of 10,751 feet at the summit of Thompson Peak.

At the base of the mountain, you will find a directory showing where the different trails are and where each will lead. No matter what trail you go on, you will find yourself surrounded in natural beauty. Whether it be passing a large meadow filled with wild flowers and a breathtaking view of the mountain side, or walking on a steeper section of the path where rocks and tree roots are intertwined, you will have a peaceful and rejuvenating experience.

Papa Burnee’s is located just out of the Sawtooth Mountain Range in Stanley Idaho. It is always a stopping ground for my family and I after hiking in the beautiful mountain range above. It is a sit-down restaurant have some of the best homemade pizza that I have ever eaten.

There are various hiking trails that you can go on, each giving you a different experience. With one, you can go up to the pure hidden lake. With another, you will find a large waterfall.

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Most people will go to Vegas to hang out on the strip, but sometimes the best places are located just outside of the city.

While in Vegas, my brother and I wanted to go on a hike to see all that Vegas had to offer besides the world renowned strip. Through talking with some of the locals, we heard of a hiking path that went up to a grouping of natural hot springs.

While exploring the land, we realized that the trails weren’t marked so we just started going in the direction that we thought may be correct. We ended up going through these gorgeous rock cliffs and ended up at the Colorado River! Although it was not what we were looking for, it was a beautiful hike through the rocks. Each holding vibrant colors and distinct patterns from where water once roamed. In parts, the land was flat, in others, it was a good incline. All in all, I recommend visiting the natural parts of Vegas when staying not observing the strip.

Waterton Lakes National Park is in southern Alberta, Canada, bordering Montana’s Glacier National Park. It’s known for its beauty and the peace that it brings.
I can easily say that Waterton is by far, one the best places that I have had the opportunity to travel to. To my left, I was surrounded by gorgeous mountain ranges. In front of me laid the transparent lake and to my right, their quaint town was a short bike ride away.

Every other summer, I travel to Canada with my mother to meet up with our Canadian friends. On this trip, we decided to meet in Waterton and stay in Debbie’s pop-up-trailer. We stayed at the national park and our site was right on the water. It was surreal, waking up every morning to the bright blue lake and seeing the colorful mountains that surrounded it. Depending on the time of day and where the sun was shining, the mountains would either be vibrant oranges and reds or blues and browns.

If staying at the national park like we did, make sure to bring clothing that is versatile for all weather conditions. We went in August and the weather was colder than any of us expected. If you stay right on the water, just as we did, the temperatures are cooler due to the high speed bursts of wind. With that in mind though, when taking a bike ride or going on a hike, you’ll be just fine wearing shorts and a tank top.

Located in Stuttgart Germany, is the small, original factory of Ritter Sport. The company that is still family owned and ran after over 100 years is still thriving and innovating. Operating out of a relatively small factory, they send their products globally.

The factory that they currently work out of is still the orignal and sole factory that produces all of their chocolate products.

During my stay in Germany, I was fortunate enough to go the Ritter Sport factory and learn and make my own chocolates. We learned that white chocolate is contains no actual chocolate (it’s all sugar people!), milk chocolate contains some chocolate and is dilutid with milk and sugar, and finally dark chocolate is pure chocolate with very little dilution. I then was taught how to properly open the packaging.

Every Ritter Sport chocolate bar is packaged with a snap-open back. This means that instead of peeling the packaging, you can simply snap the chocolate squares in half and bamb, the packing will open, easy peasy!

At the factory, there is naturally a store where you can buy all of the different chocolate bars that they offer. When walking in, you believe that you are walking into a chocolate scented rainbow. Each of their packages are different bold colors in different hughes, The darker the packaging, the darker the chocolate it. The prices are discounted so you can stock up on your year, or life, supply, when stopping by.

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Located off of Old Highway 91 in Specner, Idaho is what looks like your typical run of the mill cafe. However, Spencer’s is not your typical eatery. Located in the back of the building is a large rock pile where customers can go and opal mine to their dismay. You will pay for your findings per the pound at extremely reasonable prices.

How does it work?

When heading into the back, you will be given a spray bottle, with water in it, and a bucket. When looking through the rocks, you will be looking for a cream/white with streaks of vibrant colors. To see if you have found an opal, you will spray the rock with water and hold it into the sun. If colors deflect from the stone, it is an opal!

Protip: to cut costs, you can use a pick axe to remove the rock exterior from the opal (which reduces the weight of it).

Where do the rocks come from?

The actual opal mine is located a few miles from the cafe but it is too dangerous for civillians to go into. The miners will then fill a large dump truck with the debris and unload the truck in the back of Spencer’s! A new truck load comes regularly so that the customers are alwyas able to find their jewels.

Mount Etna, or Etna, is an active stratovolcano on the east coast of Sicily, Italy. It is located in the Metropolitan City of Catania and lies above the convergent plate margin between the African Plate and the Eurasian Plate. It has a circumferance of 93 miles and stands 10,900 feet. The last major eruption was in 1992.

Through the duration of my stay in Sicily, I was able to look out my window every morning and see the almighty Mount Etna. I was able to experience the eruption of this beast and a few days later, hike it. It was such a beautiful place to be, and it gave a panoramic view of the island that surrounded you.

In order to get to the upper middle part of the volcano, you had to go on a gondola, caravan in a large bus with specialty tires, and then hike the rest of the way up. The entrance to get up to the crater of the mountain, stood an “enter at your own risk” sign. Due to the height of it, there are extreme and severe weather conditions at the top, such was high speed lighting storms and lighting storms.

My family and I went to the summit just before the crater. The wind was so powerful that when walking, you either stayed in the same position or were put back five steps. When being up in the higher elevated areas, you could place your hand on the ground, moving some of the rockage, and feel the heat from the throat of the mountain.

In 1669, 1,500 people were killed when the town of Nicoli was destroyed by an earthquake originating beneath Mount Etna. The picture above is what used to by the town on Nicoli. The house being one of the few that was found beneath the rubble.

Thanks for joining me!

Don’t just read about what I write, go and expierence it!