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Passions and Places

A travel + outdoors blog

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40+ Things to Do in Casper, Wyoming (and Where to Eat!)

September 28, 2022 By Jen Ambrose Leave a Comment

Brick wall covered in pink and blue street art mural that says "Casper, Where Wander Meets Wonder".

Casper, Wyoming, may be an unassuming town, but it will keep you busy! From art and museums to breweries and restaurants to year-round outdoor adventures, these are all the can’t-miss things to do.

Filed Under: North America, Off the Beaten Path, U.S., Wyoming Tagged With: casper

50 Inspiring & Funny Quotes about Vermont

September 24, 2021 By Jen Ambrose Leave a Comment

Landscape of tree-covered rock in front of rolling hills.

Let these quotes, sayings, and jokes about Vermont remind you of the magic of this small but mighty state.

Filed Under: North America, U.S., Vermont Tagged With: quotes

Visiting Scottsbluff, NE: Things to Do, Eat, Drink, & See

August 27, 2021 By Jen Ambrose 22 Comments

Slow moving river framed by prarie grasses and a very large mesa in the background.

For a fun offbeat trip in the Midwest, look no further than Scottsbluff, Nebraska. This list of things to do there will keep you busy – and it’s got some surprises in store!

Filed Under: Nebraska, Off the Beaten Path, U.S. Tagged With: scotts bluff national monument, scottsbluff

5 Offbeat Road Trip Stops: Unique Places to Visit in Arizona

December 15, 2020 By Jen Ambrose 16 Comments

Desert landscape of shrubs and red rocks with a blue sky.

Take it from us – there’s so much more to Arizona than the Grand Canyon. For an off-the-beaten-path experience, put some of these stops on your itinerary!

Filed Under: Arizona, North America, Off the Beaten Path, Road Trips, U.S. Tagged With: bisbee, Jerome, Kingman, Petrified Forest National Park, Saguaro National Park

Bisbee, Arizona: The Funkiest Town You’ve Never Heard Of

January 3, 2020 By Ryan Victor 105 Comments

White brick exterior wall with tan mural reading “Historic Bisbee Est. 1880. Shoppes, Restaurants, Galleries, Museums, Lodging, RV Park, Queen Mine Underground Tour.”

Love funky artistic communities, laid-back hippie vibes, and lots of interesting history? Believe us when we say – Bisbee, AZ, is the town for you!

Filed Under: Arizona, North America, Off the Beaten Path, Road Trips, U.S. Tagged With: abandoned places, bisbee, erie street, ghost towns, lowell, tombstone, Travel Styles, Tucson

Spend Summer Outside: The Best Hiking Near Boston

July 1, 2017 By Ryan Victor 4 Comments

To make the most of the Fourth of July in New England (or any summer weekend), head outside! Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont all have some great hikes for various levels. These five trails are some of the best hiking near Boston, including the Mt. Washington hike and other trails in the White Mountains.

The Boston Pops, a huge fireworks show, and all that history make Boston one of the best places to celebrate the Fourth of July. But to get the most out of the holiday weekend in New England, consider spending part of it outdoors. Here’s five of the area’s best hikes to get you started.

Filed Under: Active and Healthy, Hiking, Maine, Massachusetts, Nature and Outdoors, New Hampshire, North America, U.S., Vermont Tagged With: activities, Boston, Mt. Washington, New England, Travel Styles, White Mountains

Seeing History Repeat Itself: An Alabama Road Trip

June 7, 2017 By Ryan Victor Leave a Comment

This Alabama road trip was the final segment of a longer trip through the Deep South, focused on human rights and social justice. A historical itinerary like this one is a great way to travel through Alabama. Birmingham, Montgomery, and all Selma offer great museums and opportunities to learn about the Civil War, the history of slavery, and the Civil Rights Movement.

The final state on our road trip through the South was Alabama, home of a gigantic steel statue, some delicious bagels, and several amazing museums. From protests to voting rights to immigration, it turns out Alabama has a lot to teach us about history and about issues facing the country today.

Filed Under: Alabama, Educational and Experiential, North America, Off the Beaten Path, Road Trips, U.S. Tagged With: Birmingham, Montgomery, Selma, Travel Styles

Learning about History and Culture on a Mississippi Road Trip

June 3, 2017 By Ryan Victor Leave a Comment

As part of a longer route through the Deep South, our Mississippi road trip included historical sites and museums that taught us all about slavery, race issues, the Civil Rights Movement, and even Muslim culture. This historical road trip itinerary includes Natchez and Jackson, MS, and follows part of the famed Natchez Trace.

Mississippi might not be high on your bucket list, but it’s a great place to learn about civil rights history. The state’s capital of Jackson also surprised us in a lot of ways, from its museum on Muslim culture to its delicious vegan restaurant.

Filed Under: Educational and Experiential, Mississippi, North America, Off the Beaten Path, Road Trips, U.S. Tagged With: Jackson, Natchez, Natchez Trace, Travel Styles

Exploring Louisiana from Baton Rouge to Bayou Country

May 21, 2017 By Jen Ambrose and Ryan Victor 2 Comments

Many people who travel to Louisiana only visit New Orleans, but it’s not too representative of the rest of the state. As it turns out, Southern Louisiana is a great place to learn about history, politics, climate change, and oft-forgotten communities. Follow along on our road trip to see the best things to do in Baton Rouge and then explore the Louisiana bayou. Stops include Houma, Thibodeaux, Cocodrie, Montegut, and Isle de Jean Charles, the setting of the film Beasts of the Southern Wild.

As much fun as New Orleans is, there’s more to see in Louisiana. Our road trip took us to the highlights of Baton Rouge and then to Houma and the bayou, a place where land becomes water.

Filed Under: Educational and Experiential, Louisiana, North America, Off the Beaten Path, Road Trips, U.S. Tagged With: Baton Rouge, Houma, Travel Styles

Getting Beyond Bourbon Street in New Orleans

May 6, 2017 By Jen Ambrose 9 Comments

New Orleans, Louisiana, is largely known for Mardi Gras parades and year-round parties on Bourbon Street and elsewhere in the French Quarter - but it has so much more to offer. It’s also a place visitors can learn about history, ecology, climate change, slavery, voodoo, and more. NOLA makes a great stop on a historical road trip through the Deep South with a focus on human rights and social justice issues.

During our human rights and social justice-themed road trip through the American South, we weren’t too sure how New Orleans would fit in. The Big Easy not only gave us a great time, it also turned out to be a really interesting place to explore history, culture, and ecology – a few of the things we’d come to the South to learn about.

Filed Under: Educational and Experiential, Louisiana, North America, U.S. Tagged With: American South, New Orleans, Travel Styles

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Close-up of a white man and woman both wearing black with trees in the background, and an overlaying green banner that says "Welcome!"

Hi! We’re Jen and Ryan, an American couple on a journey to travel the world while working from the road. We’re passionate about outdoor adventure, responsible travel, and getting off the beaten path. Passions and Places is a space for us to share our stories and tips with you, but most importantly, we hope to inspire you to seek your own adventure.

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