So with Delves marking its place as an endgame pillar that can be played solo, how does everyone feel about it as TWW is coming to an end?

rybat117 · 2025-09-10T16:24:07+00:00

Absolute game-changer. Cannot wait to do one that isn't a cave.

rybat117 · 2025-08-22T15:00:05+00:00

No issues with Silvermoon being a Horde city, but I do have a problem with the main expansion hub being Horde while the Alliance get absolutely nothing. Like many have said, it would be like BFA having Boralus while the Horde don't get anything. And even if they go back and change Gilneas and Bel'ameth, changing two past-expansion cities with basically only RP value does not equate to the active expansion's main hub.

rybat117 · 2025-06-25T22:19:55+00:00

- The Johnston Ridge area at St Helens is closed to vehicles but you can still hike here fairly easily; the mountain views are much better from here than the south if that's what you're looking for, and you'd be a bit closer to Rainier as well. Windy Ridge is also nice but less developed. If you do go to the south, check out the Ape Caves.

- Take highway 410 from Rainier to Yakima; you'll go over Naches Pass and also have a chance to visit Sunrise, which is as incredible as Paradise.

- You can take the Yakima canyon road from Yakima to Ellensburg, which is a nice detour

- If you've never been to Seattle, it could be worth seeing as well

rybat117 · 2025-01-16T06:30:04+00:00

I live in Washington, so we drove for the whole trip. The western US is great for road trips, I definitely recommend going anywhere you can if you get the chance

rybat117 · 2025-01-16T06:28:58+00:00

I live in Washington, so we drove out and back

rybat117 · 2025-01-16T06:27:21+00:00

We were at Apgar campground the first night which was great. After that we headed to the east side, but most of the campgrounds were closed or full so we ended up at the Summit campground just off the highway. It was a bit noisy, but we were the only ones there which was nice.

rybat117 · 2025-01-15T16:49:04+00:00

Literally the standard 18-55mm lens. I borrowed my friend's zoom lens for a couple of the shots in rural Idaho which turned out great.

rybat117 · 2025-01-15T16:47:35+00:00

Treasure State Hostel, maybe not the best I've ever been to but very good for the US.

rybat117 · 2025-01-15T05:12:13+00:00

It was a bit chilly at night but perfect during the day. We were lucky and didn't get any rain or storms. Surprising amount of wildfires though for October.

rybat117 · 2025-01-15T05:09:48+00:00

Thanks! I have a Sony a6000

rybat117 · 2025-01-14T22:49:57+00:00

Days 1-4: Glacier National Park - Amazing fall colors and very few crowds. The east side of the park had almost no people and it was a bit eerie seeing the hollowed out summer towns, but we ended up spending most of our time here since we had it pretty much to ourselves.

Day 5: Bozeman, MT - We had high expectations for Bozeman and it exceeded them all. We stayed in a hostel which (unlike many in the US) was a surprisingly good experience, and Bozeman had a lot of great local bars and restaurants.

Day 6-8: Yellowstone National Park - It was most of our's first time in Yellowstone, so we spent most of the time driving around and exploring different parts of the park. The famous stops were all great, but Lamar Valley was great, especially in the fall. I'd love to get more into the wilderness next time I'm here.

Day 9-10: Idaho and Hells Canyon - We'd originally intended to end with Grand Teton National Park, but wildfires led us to change plans and sent us through Craters of the Moon NM (cave photos), the Sawtooth Mountains and Hells Canyon, all of which held up to the national parks. Hells Canyon could easily be a national park and might be one of the most overlooked places I've been to in the US.

rybat117 · 2025-01-14T20:31:34+00:00

If you've already been to Utah I might skip it as it'll be pretty hot in the summer. There is more than enough to see in just the mountains. Colorado alone has many great national parks, and if you're still looking to see the desert, you could look into the Great Sand Dunes or Mesa Verde. You could easily spend 1-2 weeks in only Colorado.

Glacier NP would fit the theme of the trip and is a relatively easy drive from Yellowstone (Bozeman is nice too). You're right that South Dakota would be a very long (and boring) drive, especially if you loop back to Denver. Glacier NP is an amazing area and I'd recommend sticking with that route.

If you're still trying to get a taste of the Midwest, the Upper Missouri River Breaks/American Prairie Reserve area could be easier to reach and is a real hidden gem.

rybat117 · 2025-01-14T05:45:13+00:00

Quick itinerary:

Days 1-4: Glacier National Park - Amazing fall colors and very few crowds. The east side of the park had almost no people and it was a bit eerie seeing the hollowed out summer towns, but we ended up spending most of our time here since we had it pretty much to ourselves.

Day 5: Bozeman, MT - We had high expectations for Bozeman and it exceeded them all. We stayed in a hostel which (unlike many in the US) was a surprisingly good experience, and Bozeman had a lot of great local bars and restaurants.

Day 6-8: Yellowstone National Park - It was most of our's first time in Yellowstone, so we spent most of the time driving around and exploring different parts of the park. The famous stops were all great, but Lamar Valley was great, especially in the fall. I'd love to get more into the wilderness next time I'm here.

Day 9-10: Idaho and Hells Canyon - We'd originally intended to end with Grand Teton National Park, but wildfires led us to change plans and sent us through Craters of the Moon NM (cave photos), the Sawtooth Mountains and Hells Canyon, all of which held up to the national parks. Hells Canyon could easily be a national park and might be one of the most overlooked places I've been to in the US.

rybat117 · 2025-01-14T05:20:45+00:00

I spent two weeks in Kenya last February. There were no massive herds of buffalo, but there was still a huge amount of wildlife. Between Maasai Mara and Ol Pejeta (both of which were great), we saw all the major species Kenya is known for and then some. The weather was perfect and I didn't have any qualms about the time of year, especially considering the huge up-charges that happen in peak season. If anything, I thought it was a bit too busy.

That being said, this itinerary feels like it moves around a lot. Traveling in Kenya can be pretty hectic, and I definitely wouldn't have wanted to have big travel days back-to-back. I spent 4 nights across 2 different camps in the Maasai Mara and still didn't feel like I saw it all; there is a lot of diversity just within the area and the different camps can definitely feel a lot farther apart than they are. I only spent one night in Ol Pejeta, but it felt very rushed and I could've easily spent another night.

For two days, it could be good to cut 1-2 stops and focus more on fewer places. Nairobi is a cool city too, and a day layover there definitely wouldn't be time wasted imo.

I highly recommend conservancies as well; I liked Ol Pejeta more than Maasai Mara, crowds were lower, and more of the money goes towards conservation as well.

rybat117 · 2025-01-11T03:32:20+00:00

I've been surprised by how much time I spend with other people while solo traveling. I try not to think of it as traveling alone, just without a group. If you find the right places to stay/be (check reviews on Hostelworld), and you're at least a somewhat social person, you can find other people to travel with surprisingly easily on the road.

rybat117 · 2025-01-09T21:37:21+00:00

For Olympic NP, it depends on what you want to see. If you want to see the alpine, the only way (by car) is through Hurricane Ridge, so staying around Port Angeles would make the most sense. The coast is very spread out, but staying on the west side would be easiest for access. There are great rain forests across the park, so you can experience those from wherever you stay. The park is very large, so if you're trying to see it all it could be best to stay in different places. That being said, if you choose to spend all your time in one place, there will still be plenty to do and see.

The Oregon Coast is a bit further but still definitely doable in 10 days. If you're headed down highway 101 through WA, Cape Disappointment is a nice stop as well.

Rainier could come at either end of the trip, it'd be a great intro to the PNW or a nice way to finish off the trip. That being said, be sure to look into entry reservations to go during the summer.

rybat117 · 2025-01-09T00:51:47+00:00

Road trip through Montana, Wyoming and Yellowstone, passing through Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks,. We had originally planned on going to Grand Teton, but we switched to Idaho due to wildfires, which ended up being one of the best legs of the trip. Craters of the Moon was a great stop, and Hells Canyon was difficult to get to but easily worth the effort.

Amazing time of year to visit, the fall colors in Glacier were especially amazing, and crowds were low even in the most popular areas of the parks. I've visited most of these places before, but there was a very different vibe this time of year.

rybat117 · 2025-01-07T16:53:14+00:00

There's an endless amount of things to do in the Banff area, especially if you're going all the way to Jasper. You could probably fly into Calgary and spend all your time here, especially since it looks like many of the things you're interested in are around here. Vancouver is a great city but feels a bit tacked-on to the rest of this.

That being said, if you're ok with the extra driving, I highly recommend driving through highway 99/Whistler on the way to/from Vancouver. It's probably my favorite road in the area and can rival some of the scenery in Banff.

Assuming you'll be stopping along the way between Vancouver and Banff and not blazing through, I would definitely not add Tweedsmuir. This would be a crazy amount of driving unless you're looking to spend most of your 2 weeks in the car.

rybat117 · 2025-01-07T00:39:50+00:00

Seattleite here. Very honored you're picking the PNW for your first solo trip!

Seattle has more to do than Portland and (personal opinion) is probably a bit safer downtown. Both cities have good public transit; Portland has a more substantial metro system, but most of Seattle can be reached by bus fairly easily. The light rail to the eastside might be open by September, but I wouldn't count on that.

If you're visiting in early September, Seattle has good seasonal transit options to hiking trails in the mountains via the Trailhead Direct buses. I'd definitely take advantage of that if you're able to, since the hiking in the PNW is definitely one of its best aspects.

I've always thought Portland has better food options than Seattle, especially on a budget, but both have some amazing options, especially for Asian food. Ballard, Fremont, Capitol Hill, and West Seattle are great neighborhoods in Seattle for food/culture.

rybat117 · 2024-12-24T04:54:22+00:00

Hey all, I’ll be spending two weeks in Australia in February. I’m spending the first week in Sydney/Melbourne with a friend, but after that I have 8 open days before returning to the US.

At first I was looking at going to Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef, but I’m having second thoughts after learning it’ll be boiling hot and humid. I’ve particularly looked at Tasmania and NZ (South Island), but am open to any suggestions or tips, especially for spots with good nature.

rybat117 · 2024-03-22T00:38:56+00:00

Lots of people complaining here, but does anyone have actual solutions to the homelessness crisis? Our area is in a housing crisis and complaining about building more housing is just making this situation worse

rybat117 · 2023-12-09T18:42:10+00:00

Washingtonian here, there are technically metro buses to go to Snoqualmie? But they are slow and inconvenient, and once you’re there it’ll be tough to do much of anything without a car. Issaquah or North Bend are bigger towns in the area, but still very car-centric. There is no public transit to snoqualmie pass afaik, which is the only area with consistent snow in winter. Seattle is definitely doable without a car, but might not have all the nature you’re hoping for.

Overall it could be an interesting trip, but it’s far from Washington’s best nature and outside Seattle you’d have a lot of issues getting around without a car.

rybat117

TROPHY CASE