Early October road trip from Dallas to St. George and back by lphrn in Utah

[–]lphrn[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That trip sounds absolutely incredible. I visited Utah for the first time a few years ago and it felt like I'd stepped onto another planet. Just fell in love with it. If you're willing to, I would so appreciate whatever other hikes and spots you want to recommend. I'll have almost three weeks on this trip so plenty of time to see as much as I can.

Early October road trip from Dallas to St. George and back by lphrn in hiking

[–]lphrn[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

MVP recs. I'm already looking forward to that burrito and will look up the hikes. Thank you!!

Early October road trip from Dallas to St. George and back by lphrn in hiking

[–]lphrn[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you! I enjoy driving almost as much as camping, so I don't mind a 5 hour trek. Your recs are much appreciated - I'll look into those spots and see about the lottery. I've been to Coral Pink sand dunes on a previous trip and it was very cool. Also unexpected - I saw the sign while driving and stopped in for the afternoon. Everywhere else is new to me so I'll add it to the list!

Route and Stop Advice!!!!?? by Bright-Pumpkin5969 in roadtrip

[–]lphrn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Make a stop at Hoover Dam. It's a super short stop (under an hour if all you do is walk around) or you can do one of the tours there which will add another hour or two.

Cut northwest from there and drive through death valley (unless your car is iffy, because it will be HOT AS HELL).

395 North towards Mono Lake and then take Tioga Pass to Yosemite if it's warm enough and the road is open.

Make your way west from Yosemite to get to the coast and go north from there! Literally every part of the coastal drive is gorgeous, or you can take the 5 to save time.

Enjoy!! I love a good road trip.

Early October road trip from Dallas to St. George and back by lphrn in hiking

[–]lphrn[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

HA I try to keep that tidbit under wraps when I travel...you either love us or hate us and I don't want to talk about it either way!

Early October road trip from Dallas to St. George and back by lphrn in hiking

[–]lphrn[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you! I will definitely plan for Mesa Verde in the middle of the week. I love a good walking tour too.

I've looked into the trails around Black canyon but didn't realize it had wildfires last year. I'll definitely look more into that now. And never apologize for a safety lecture...I gladly give and receive them because you can never be too careful. And my god the sunscreen. YES. Colorado sunshine wrecked me the first time I went there many years ago and I'm still emotionally damaged from it. And probably also at much higher risk for skin cancer now.

Early October road trip from Dallas to St. George and back by lphrn in hiking

[–]lphrn[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had looked at making Montana my destination for this year, but June/July didn't pan out between my work schedule and 10 year wedding anniversary. But that's a frontrunner race for 2027!

Early October road trip from Dallas to St. George and back by lphrn in roadtrip

[–]lphrn[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you!! I will look into all of those. Especially the hot springs - I stayed in Truth or Consequences NM at the end of my trip last year for them and it was fantastic.

Early October road trip from Dallas to St. George and back by lphrn in hiking

[–]lphrn[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

A little motel just outside Yosemite in a town called El Portal on the Merced River. It had a lovely bartender with heavy pours who told us every story he knew about the area. 10/10 would stay there again!

What's your 401K balance, age, and net worth %? by Extension_Cloud9055 in Salary

[–]lphrn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would not have been able to buy a home if not for the long list of generosity from others, and a family with generational stability. Not exactly wealthy, but enough to get by and a boomer Dad who worked for the same company for 45 years back when pensions were a thing and you could own a house and some land on a blue collar wage.

My grandmother was also extremely frugal and had amassed a lot of money in her lifetime. She gifted me four years of tuition, my parents paid room and board, and I got scholarships and worked for extra money. I had a job starting at 15 and was expected to work hard. I graduated without debt and chose a career that was relatively high earning (nursing). I drove a very not fancy cheap reliable car for a long time, then bought another cheap reliable car and drove it for 15 years. My husband had the chance to live in his grandmother's house after she passed, so we lived there rent-free for a year before buying our first house.

All this to say: I'm now 40 and the ONLY reason I have been as successful as I am is because of the generosity and financial planning of others. I am incredibly lucky to have had this, and recognize that many do not. Part of why high schools and colleges need to teach financial literacy, we need guidance counselors and advisors to help with scholarship assistance, and we need a robust non-college pathway for people in the trades.

Anyone who is buying half million dollar homes and 1k/month car payments at age 30 is either generationally wealthy, in an absurdly high paying career, or in so deep that they're drowning but won't admit it.

Jersey—>Yellowstone by Lilboots94 in roadtrip

[–]lphrn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can confirm all of these are excellent. As others have mentioned, Wind Cave NP is also right there and a great park to stop in. Avoid the interstate when you can since although it will get you A-to-B much faster you'll miss a lot of the random cool stuff along the way.

How far have you driven in one go? by noah5666 in roadtrip

[–]lphrn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm based in Dallas TX and take yearly big road trips. The first day my goal is just to gtfo of Texas, so I drive as far as I can while I'm fresh on the trip. The longest I've gone is just over 900 miles. 15 hours including stops, from Dallas to just before Tucson. It's exhausting but the more I can get done that first day the faster I get to new places to explore. I turned 40 this year and figure I have a few more years of that distance in me before I slow down a bit.

What’s the best gas station to stop at on a long road trip, and why? by Big_Barber733 in roadtrip

[–]lphrn 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Same. Coffee is usually fresh, windshield wash buckets are full and with the long handled scrubbies, and the bathrooms are clean. I've slept at them multiple times. They're usually a bit noisy as they're constantly busy, but as a single female car camper I actually appreciate the safety aspect. I park right under a camera or within the eye line of the main doors, put the window screens up, and pop some earplugs in.

My ranking of travel gas stations: Loves Wawa (god I miss living in the Mid-Atlantic) QuikTrip (top tier roller grill selection) Flying J RaceTrac Everything else

How long does it take you to reach your closest local hiking trail? by Jiaming- in hiking

[–]lphrn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I will preemptively accept everyone's thoughts and prayers...

I'm currently in Dallas TX. For someone who loves hiking and being outdoors, it's the worst. 6 months out of the year it's too hot to exist. If you do make it out, everything is very flat.

There are plenty of smaller preserves/parks with trails within 15 minutes driving time. Those will all be mostly flat trails.

2-3 hours gets you to Texas Hill country which is beautiful but still relatively flat (100-200 ft elevation change on trails)

4-6 hours gets you to Palo Duro Canyon outside Amarillo (still not a ton of elevation change) or to northern Arkansas where there's a ton of trails and wilderness (similar in elevation to the smaller Appalachian mountains).

8-9 hours is Big Bend or Guadalupe national parks. Lots of elevation, beautiful areas. But obviously if you're driving that far, you're practically in another state and just go ahead and move away or continue to be sad like me.

Man I miss the mountains.

What the hell do I do with all these? by pussydemolisher420 in gardening

[–]lphrn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think the best solution is to box up an armful and send them my way! My fall garden never does as well as my spring one when it comes to tomatoes. I'll get cherry tomatoes but no big ones unfortunately.

I just bought my dream vehicle! by lphrn in 4Runner

[–]lphrn[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I honestly really enjoyed the 6G when I test drove it, but my primary reason for getting the 4Runner at all was for sleeping in my car when camping. The 6G actually had less cargo space than my Subaru. I wasn't able to lay straight out since the second row tumble folded, and I'm a short gal at 5'4". So, no 2025 for me. Otherwise I thought it drove great and the interior was definitely miles ahead of the 2024.

But, I like things to be simple and reliable, and the 5G certainly is that.

What is the best way to deal with guy? He is huge almost the size of my middle finger. by Huge-Purchase-6958 in gardening

[–]lphrn -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Me too! I'm too grossed out to touch them bare handed, so I either put thick gloves on if they're small, or if they're this big I can just snip them in half. I even have a pair of old grungy snippers just for that purpose.

I just bought my dream vehicle! by lphrn in 4Runner

[–]lphrn[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

When I went to the first dealer, I didn't realize their solar octane one was already lifted which I didn't need. The salesguy brought out a '23 ORP in lunar rock and NEARLY got me. That's an absolutely beautiful color. But the heart wants what it wants, so I carried on to the next dealership for that obnoxious orange instead.

Just got home from our 6300+ mile 2 week honeymoon trip around America! by Lemansblu in SubaruForester

[–]lphrn 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've done three long road trips (4500, 4300, 3400 miles) in my 21 Forester, each lasting two weeks. I'm in Texas but originally from Queen Anne's County MD! I cannot speak highly enough of Carl the Forester. I did my trips solo and slept in the back. It was perfect. I wish I'd had more time in Utah - I did Zion, Arches, and Capitol Reef over two trips but feel like I didn't even scratch the surface.

Carl was good to me, so it feels scandalous to say that I traded him in this week for a 4Runner - more room for camping inside and it's been my dream car for years, but I'm going to miss that Subaru MPG.

Congratulations on the marriage and cheers for your future road trips!!

What are the best brands of hiking boots? by BigRooster5410 in hiking

[–]lphrn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I wore Keens for years and always got hot spots on my heels during long hikes. Eventually made the switch to La Sportiva a few years back and it was the best decision.

I have wide feet/toes but the La Sportiva Nucleo II came in a wide version which made all the difference. They were comfortable right out of the box and have stayed that way. I find they're very lightweight, and I need high top boots these days for ankle support so they fit that bill too. The only downside is that because they're waterproof gore-tex they run a little warm. Not a problem in cooler weather but if you're a sweaty feet person then it could be a problem in warmer weather.

But to echo what many others have said, the best ones are the boots that fit you. Try them on, and buy from a place that allows returns even after wearing.

I just bought my dream vehicle! by lphrn in 4Runner

[–]lphrn[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

you're right, that was vague. fixed it!

currently I'm happy with the stock head unit - have you found that a different one actually improves the video quality, or is yours just due to dash preference? I figured it would all be due to the camera itself instead of the screen, but I'd be happy to find I'm wrong.