Black Mesa State Park and Nature Preserve showcases a unique and beautiful area where the Rocky Mountains meet the Great Plains. This park in the Oklahoma Panhandle is split into two areas, the state park and the nature preserve. The state park is south of… Read More »Black Mesa State Park and Nature Preserve
In this episode, I visit with Ren and Scott from Cross County Travelers. Ren and Scott are a husband and wife duo who have a mission to see the United States one county at a time. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQdaRAGj0OwDOnNWhvUe8Sg website: https://crosscountytravelers.com Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/139585003@N08/albums Facebook: … Read More »Podcast 11 – Cross County Travelers
I stood on the bridge over the Little Missouri River where I played, swam, and let my imagination run wild as a child. I watched families wipe away tears of grief and fear as they gathered up what little of their scattered belonging they could… Read More »Changing courses, redirecting paths
When it comes to saving money on travel, I’m all about it! Many people ask me how I afford to travel so cheaply. Most of the time, the answer isn’t something they want to hear – I cut comforts. One aspect of cheap travel is… Read More »10 tips for sleeping in your car
Read this story here Podcast 07 – Focusing on Mindset with Aundrea Crary Support the show by shopping our Teespring Shop! Have a story to tell? Send me an email at mara@rightkindoflost.com
When hiking to the highest point in Oklahoma you may not feel like you’re in the Sooner State. This is amplified by the fact that New Mexico is actually closer than the trailhead. But hiking the Black Mesa Trail to Oklahoma’s highest point is a… Read More »Black Mesa Trail – Oklahoma’s high point
I know this sounds weird, but while we’ve been in lockdown and social distancing, I’ve become a little peopled-out. It’s an oxymoron, yes, but it’s true. I’m not quite sure if I’m an extrovert or an introvert. If you had asked me 10 years ago… Read More »Missing Solo
Wasson Peak is the highest point in Saguaro National Park’s West District. It rises high above Tucson and the Sonoran Desert below. There are few options for hiking to the summit. Some are out-and-back hikes, some require a shuttle, but you can combine the King… Read More »Hiking Wasson Peak at Saguaro National Park
Explore The Natural State and learn why it’s so special. This guide points you to 24 hikes from all four corners of the state. Each hike is unique and showcases the region where it is located. Following this guide, you’ll find yourself on mountain tops,… Read More »Podcast 09 – The Ultimate Arkansas Hiking Checklist
I stood still on the trail drawing doodles in the dirt with my trekking poles. Before me, was yet another human-sized boulder. And yup, the trail went straight up and over it. I was going to have to use my hands and knees again to… Read More »To bail or to keep pushing?
There are several great trails at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument that take you into the wilderness of the Sonoran Desert. One aspect of hiking in the park that I enjoyed is that it is full of rich history. Several of the trails take you… Read More »Victoria Mine Trail
Read this story on the by clicking here. Learn more about the U.S. National Whitewater Center here. Read about the Caddo River here. Visit our Teespring shop! Our whitewater rafting trip at the U.S. National Whitewater Center Floating the Caddo River
The Saguaro Cactus has become a symbol of the desert and the American Southwest, but the famous plant is actually only found in a small portion of the American Southwest. And other than putting down roots in northwestern Mexico, it isn’t found anywhere else in… Read More »Saguaro National Park
Hiking at DeGray Lake State Park is a great way to explore the diverse wonders of the park. When most people think of DeGray Lake State Park, they think of being on the lake, but the park also offers nice hiking trails. With five hiking… Read More »Hiking at DeGray Lake State Park
In this episode, I visit with Aundrea Crary, a life and mindset coach. We talk about our inner mean girl, imposter syndrome, and how changing your mindset could change your life. Aundrea provides some great nuggets of information. Through her coaching, she helps women change… Read More »Podcast 07 – Focusing on Mindset with Aundrea Crary
“Border towns have the best tacos,” was what my friend texted me. Sold. I was ready for some real food and a border-town taco sounded like it was going to hit the spot! I parked my car and walked up to the diner that sat… Read More »On the rocks near Mexico
In this episode, we sit down with Lauren Ray, a Park Ranger, at the Buffalo National River. Lauren is also a Master Educator with Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics. Leave No Trace’s website Outdoor Ethics on Right Kind of Lost My failed presidential… Read More »Podcast 06 – Leave No Trace with Lauren Ray
We’ve all been there. It’s the first beautiful day outside in ages, and we just have to get out and explore our wild spaces. Perhaps it’s been raining non-stop for days, and you know your favorite waterfall is going to be flowing nicely. Then you… Read More »Finding secret outdoor spaces
On my 35th birthday, I celebrated by hiking to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Two years before that, I celebrated my 33rd birthday by starting my first thru-hike. It might have been only 40 miles, but it was a thru-hike none the less. Last… Read More »Taking pause in light of COVID-19
In this episode, I tell about the mistake I made of running out of water while backpacking in the desert. Backpacking the West Rim Trail in Zion National Park was the first time I felt that I put myself in real danger. • My trip… Read More »Podcast 05 – Even the Best-Laid Plans Go Awry
I squinted my eyes to shield them from the stark bright white that blared all around me. Looking ahead toward the giant sand dune, it reminded me of a wave in the ocean about to crash on top of me. And like when you are… Read More »Alkali Flat Trail at White Sands National Park
I had multiple people recommend Smith Creek Preserve to me before I went there. But it wasn’t until I found myself at the upper portion of the Buffalo National River wanting to hike with my dog that I finally went to explore the area. Dogs… Read More »Smith Creek Preserve
As I snaked along the path that led me up to the top of the mountain, I was careful not to touch or bump into anything – and I mean anything. All the plants looked like they wanted to reach out and stick me. In… Read More »Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
In this episode, I visit with Sarah from Arkie Travels. If that name sounds familiar, you’ve probably seen some of their rad videos on one of their amazing Arkansas State Parks. With Arkansas as their playground, they love to eat local, shop local, and stay… Read More »Podcast 04 – Adventuring with Arkie Travels
South central New Mexico is home to the largest gypsum sand dunes in the entire world. And on Dec. 20, 2019, this unique area became the United State’s newest national park. White Sands National Park was first designated in 1933 as White Sands National Monument… Read More »White Sands National Park
Caprock Canyons State Park has 25 miles of hiking trails, however, if you don’t have time to explore all 25 miles, the Haynes Ridge Overlook and North Prong trail system provides a wonderful loop so that you can sample the best of Caprock Canyons. In… Read More »Caprock Canyons Hiking Loop Trail
In the spring of 2015, my brother, Jacob, and I thru-hiked the Lake Ouachita Vista Trail. The Lake Ouachita Visita Trail, or LOViT to some, stretches about 40 miles across the southern shore of Lake Ouachita in southwest Arkansas in between Hot Springs and Mount… Read More »Podcast 03 – Gotta LOViT – Hiking the Lake Ouachita Vista Trail