Nathan Foust's

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rancho san vicente open space preserve
glacier national park

The Ultimate Guide to the Amazing Glacier National Park

Called the “Crown of the Continent,” Glacier National Park is one of the highlights of the National Park System.  Located in northern Montana along the border with Canada, Glacier is one of the most rugged regions of the Rocky Mountains.  The mountains here have been carved out by intense glaciation, so visitors are graced with views of some of the most dramatic mountains in North America. Named for the glaciers that sculpted this place, Glacier National Park contains one of...

monte bello open space preserve

Trip Report: Monte Bello Open Space Preserve Loop

Situated along a high ridgeline in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Monte Bello Open Space Preserve overlooks the entire Bay Area and has an awesome set of trails.  Open to hikers as well as mountain bikers, expect to find wide open views while hiking along open ridgelines and through wooded valleys. On a brilliant February day, I decided to hike the Monte Bello Preserve Loop.  The full loop comes in at 6.5 miles with about 1400 feet of elevation gain.  Not...

yellowstone road trip
grand teton hiking

Grand Teton Hiking: 15 Epic Trails

Wide open spaces, towering peaks, and some of the greatest wildlife in North America.  Sound like a good combination?  Grand Teton National Park combines all of these amazing features, and its all accessible in the US!  Keep reading to learn more about planning your Grand Teton Hiking adventure! I’m not going to say these are the 15 BEST hikes in Grand Teton National Park.  There are some truly awesome hikes that I did not include on this list, and honestly,...

plan road trip

How to Plan Road Trip Adventures: 18 Cost Saving Tips

At Top Down Lifestyle, we love road trips, and we think everyone else too!  You get to see tons of stuff you’d miss when you fly, you have much more freedom to explore as you choose, and they are generally cheaper.  However, if you don’t know the ins and outs of how to plan road trip adventures economically, your budget can soon balloon out of control! While road trips in theory can be cheap, it is still easy to watch...

wyoming jackson hole
bear creek redwoods trail view
best road trip songs

The 60 Absolute Best Road Trip Songs

Apple pie, the 4th of July, baseball, all of these things are quintessentially American.  Something equally American that you may not have thought of before is the road trip.  Seriously, think about it; where else in the world is the road trip a common way of traveling?   In Europe trains are the way to go, Asia is renowned for their public transport (Japanese bullet trains, anyone?).  But in the United States, it’s the road trip. We love our cars, and...

looking over badlands national park

Badlands National Park: Your Ultimate Planning Guide

Located in western South Dakota, Badlands National Park is one of the highlights of one of the nation’s premier outdoor destinations.  Named for the earthen formations that define the area, Badlands National Park is one of the most unique spots in the national park system.  Lots of parks have mountains, plenty have lakes and rivers, but only on the Great Plains will you find these unique geological formations.   Whether you visit the Badlands as a standalone trip, or visit it...