Question: What’s the difference between Utah and Alabama?

Are you ready for it?….. 

The meaning of sister-wife.

Ahhh… you gotta love incest jokes. C’mon, if that did make you laugh like it was supposed to, you at least have to tell me that it made you crack a smile. If it didn’t… well you can just leave now. I only like readers who have a good sense of humor. 

 Anyways, I promise I didn’t just tell you that joke for no reason. Actually, this blog is going to be about Utah!! I know it seems random and weird, but actually one of my favorite vacations I’ve ever had was when I went hiking in Utah. 

I don’t know about you, but my family and I absolutely love to hike. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good beach vacation but there’s something so memorable about hiking and exploring new places with those you’re close with. It’s fun, good exercise, and it can have views that are impossible to forget. 

I’ve been to Utah a couple of times, and I’ve hiked a lot. Like seriously— A LOT.  Out of all of my experiences, here are my top three favorite hikes that I have ever done. 

1)Angel’s Landing 

The famous switchbacks… yes they are as painful as they look.

This first one is not for the faint-hearted. Located at Zion National Park, this hike is approximately 4-5 hours round trip and is 5 miles long. It starts off flat, before going into a mile or two of switchbacks which are up-hill. Make sure you get a good night’s rest before because trust me, from personal experience I know this part is truly a KILLER. After this, you will get to a cliff like structure, where you hold onto chains to help you climb across before you are able to see one of the most stunning views in the entire park. 

FYI, it’s not like these chains are the only thing keeping you from falling to your death. You do have .some room side to side, but holding on to these chains is helpful in a lot of parts so yo

A picture from when I hiked on this trail. You can the chains they have for you to hold onto and part of the breathtaking view.

u don’t loose your balance because again, you’re on a cliff. 

Undoubtedly, this  hike is extraordinary. It’s the kind of experience that you’ll remember twenty, thirty, even forty years later to tell your kids and grandkids about. If you love the outdoors, aren’t afraid of heights, and don’t mind a good leg workout then this hike is a MUST see for you. 

2) The Narrows 

Okay, this hike is also pretty special. Why? Well because you’re hiking through a river. 

For this hike, you will need to buy water shoes because you’re hiking over rocks and through water. Bring comfy athletic clothes and leave your valuables behind because if you go on this hike, everything’s getting wet.  

A typical view of what you see on The Narrows while hiking

This hike is also located at Zion National Park, and the entire trail is 15 miles long. You don’t need to do the entire thing. The river itself does not go in a loop, so however far you go out is however long it will take you to get back to where you started. What’s amazing about this is that you can choose how long you want to hike for, whether it’s two hours or eight hours. 

When I went, we found a dry spot to stop for lunch after two or three hours. Some of the parts are shallow and other parts were so deep they went up past my waist. In the deeper parts, my cousins and I had brought our swimsuits so we were even able to relax and go swimming for a bit. How cool is that? 

Seriously though, this hike is truly extraordinary. The views are unbelievable, the hike is fun and not overly challenging, and it’s nothing like you have ever seen before. If you go to Zion Park, this hike is a must do. 

3) Devil’s Garden Trail 

One of the many stunning arches you will see on this hike

My last favorite hike is Devil’s Garden Trail! It is located in Arches National Park, and if you decide to do the entire loop you can see eight different arches. The entire loop is 7.2 miles, but it is mostly flat with only a few strenuous uphill parts. 

Going on this trail will allow you to see the majority of the park, including ALL of the best views. Each of the arches are different, and you get so close that you can touch them. As you hike, you walk through gorgeous sandstone rock and you get PLENTY of opportunities to go off-                                                                                          roading and scramble up along the rocks. 

A family photo (minus my brother) of us under one the arches, before we almost died of dehydration.

Personally, my entire family and I loved this park. We probably spent an extra hour or two just going off the trail and scrambling up and down rocks — exploring the hidden passageways of the park itself. We didn’t bring enough water which made me feel like I was going to pass out by the very end (it was a blonde moment on our part), but overall it was a very fun and different day. Definitely a trail you need to go on at least once in your life! 

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These are undoubtedly my top 3 hikes and luckily they’re all in Utah so you can knock all of them out in your next visit there. I hope at least one of these sounds interesting to you. Please let me know if you end up going on one of these hikes or if you have been here before! 

Have any suggestions of where I should go hiking next? Please leave your suggestion in the comments! I’m always ready for another adventure 🙂

I may not have many talents, but I promise you I have amazing taste when it comes to TV shows. Some people are just naturally good at everything, and I am definitely not apart of that elite group. But, watching TV is one of my favorite things to do in order to de-stress and I take pride in my ability to choose a wide variety of good shows to watch. 

Many times, there are only a handful of shows that get thrown around a lot as recommendations. In the past few years, that would be shows like “Game of Thrones”, “The Office”, “Friends” etc. Don’t get me wrong, these shows are good but there are so many hidden gems out there that are just as good… or dare I say even BETTER. 

Luckily for you I’m feeling generous, and I’m going to make it easy for you by giving you your next shows to watch on a silver platter! So whether you’re a TV fanatic like me or you just finished a show and don’t know what to watch next, here are five underrated TV shows that you need to watch ASAP! 

1 ) “Revenge”

The cover of “Revenge”, featuring the characters of Amanda Clarke (left) and her rival Victoria Grayson (right)

In “Revenge”, the main character is the fierce and witty Amanda Clarke. When she was young, her life was ruined when the Grayson family falsely accused her father of channeling money to a terrorist organization responsible for the downing of a commercial airplane. Determined to get revenge (hence the title), she creates a new identity and moves next door to the Grayson’s and begins plotting to slowly destroy their lives in the most painful and entertaining way possible. 

This show is like “Gossip Girl”, “Pretty Little Liars”, and “90210” on steroids. If you like drama, this show is for you. The development of the characters is amazing and well thought out, and there’s plenty of backstabbing. With a developed plot with unexpected twists and turns, this show will keep you on the edge of your seat just dying to know what happens next. 

2) “Castle” 

Okay I’m not going to lie, I may have an obsession with criminal investigation shows. A few of my favorites that you may know are “Bones”, “Blue Bloods”, “Criminal Minds”, and “Chicago PD”. Honestly, solving murder is kind of in my blood now. 

Cover of “Castle”, with Detective Beckett (left) and Richard Castle (right)

Anyways, it always blows my mind how people have never heard of “Castle”! It is one of the funniest crime shows I have ever seen. The main character is Richard Castle, a player who is a famous mystery writer. He pairs up with Detective Beckett, who not only serves as his partner to solve crimes but his inspiration for his upcoming novels. This show has interesting murders, and does a great job of developing the characters and their lives outside of work. It’s a perfect balance and if you love mystery and comedy, this is the show for you. 

3 ) “Lucifer” 

Not a fan of the devil? I wasn’t either, but your mind changes pretty quickly after watching this show. This show  adds a new twist to the famous story of the devil. 

The one and only Lucifer Morningstar…. need I say more?

After Lucifer Morningstar gets bored of hell, he decides to take a vacation to Los Angeles. He ends up deciding to stay, and partnering up with Detective Chloe to help catch murders because punishing people is what he does best. This show is a mix of criminal investigation, fantasy, and drama. This show is witty, different, and humanizes the devil and puts him in a new light. Most importantly, you have good eye candy in every episode (because have you seen the actor that plays Lucifer??) AND hear an unbelievably sexy British

accent. If that doesn’t sell you on this show, I don’t know what will! 

4) “The Originals” 

Here’s my man Klaus… clearly one of the most attractive people ever to exist

Anyone who has seen “Vampire Diaries” has probably heard of “The Originals”. While it started off as just a spin-off, it turned into so much more. It takes place in New Orleans, where you get to follow the original vampire family (known as the Michealson’s) as you learn about their complicated past and their tension with the vampires, werewolves, and witches in the town. 

The show is STACKED with an attractive cast. Klaus Michealson has been my celebrity crush for years! I mean seriously just look at him—don’t you just get lost in those eyes? And his British accent is on another level! His brother Elijah is just as attractive and his accent will send goosebumps down your spine… in a good way, of course. 

The eye candy, mixed with an action and drama packed plot, makes for an amazing series that you won’t be able  to help but binge! 

5) “A Million Little Things” 

I like to call this show my emo show. There have been two seasons and there hasn’t been a single episode where I haven’t cried. The show follows a very close knit group of friends and in the first episode one of them commits suicide. His name was John, and in the process of mourning John’s death they realize that life isn’t always as it seems and that everyone has secrets. .You get to know all the characters really well and you follow them in their coping process as they try to move forwards and truly live their lives the best they can. This show contains heavy topics such as suicide, struggles with mental health, romantic affairs, and the emotional affects of having cancer. 

The cover and cast of “A Million Little Things”

While it sounds like a Debby downer, it truly is uplifting and inspiring. It will pull on your heart-strings, and it has a well developed plot that really does make you change how you look at the world. If you like more serious shows, and you like a little drama, this show is perfect for you! 

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Hopefully by now you can tell that these shows don’t get all the hype and love that they clearly deserve. I know how hard it can be to find a new show to watch, which is why you should choose your next show from this list! If you have seen any of these shows or start watching them please let me know what you think. Also if you have any recommendations for new shows to watch please let me know because I need some more to add to my list!