Top 10 Adventure Locations As Told By a Travel Nurse
Adventure looks different to everyone. For some, it is paired with a passion for traveling. When was the last time you took a trip? Last week? Last month? Over a year ago? It’s time to start envisioning where you’ll go next.
We teamed up with two couples who pursue a career that moves them (literally) to provide the top ten places you should visit. Ready? Let’s do this.
Meg and Ty (@we.the.wanderers) are both RNs who have spent the last two years travel nursing together around the country with Travel Nurse Across America (TNAA). What makes them unique? Their adventure includes seeing how much beauty the U.S. has to offer while living in a van. They even got married last year while traveling together! Meg and Ty both believe that because of the diverse landscapes and terrains America offers, you truly do not have to leave the country to have a grand adventure. These pictures they captured and their bucket list will leave you speechless and wanting more.
Brittany and Nick (@goinggoinggonegarcias) have pursued the travel nursing adventure for over four years. They have trekked the country with their oldest daughter, while Brittany has served as a nurse in varying Pediatric Intensive Care Units. Their most recent adventure has included moving back to Texas and welcoming their second daughter. Both work internally for their travel-nursing agency, TNAA now. Nick is actually a recruiter, which comes in handy since he understands the lifestyle and knows all of the great places to travel!
1. MOAB, UTAH: (@WE.THE.WANDERERS)
Rising 4,026 feet above sea level at its baseline, Moab indeed is a higher kind of living. Magical arches formed by years of meteorological events and terrain changes shower the landscape of this high desert. In some spots, you can even see snow-covered peaks of massive mountains in the distance making you feel as if this place may not even be real. Moab is home to two national parks, Canyonlands and Arches, and Dead Horse Point State Park which offers camping as well as panoramic views of the canyons and the Colorado River below.
Top Hikes in Arches: Delicate Arch, Devils Garden Loop, Windows Loop, Double Arch, Balanced Rock, Park Avenue
Top Hikes in Canyonlands: Mesa Arch Trail, Grand Viewpoint Trail, Upheaval Dome Trail
2. ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO: (@GOINGGOINGGONEGARCIAS)
New Mexico is known as The Land of Enchantment and Albuquerque is perfectly situated within proximity to everything that makes its namesake hold. Kasha Katuwe Tent Rocks, White Sands National Park, and the Sandia Mountains are just a few places for any adventure to begin in New Mexico. Watchbands and belts are a necessity for these hikes that will feed your soul.
3. BEND, OREGON: (@WE.THE.WANDERERS)
In today’s technology-driven age, it can be hard to find a place where outdoor activities are strongly embraced and encouraged while also being surrounded by a beautiful atmosphere that allows it. Snowboarding, snowshoeing, river surfing, river rafting, skating, mountaineering are just a few of the activities you can easily enjoy in Bend. With a community center that is complete with an ice rink, skate park, and outdoor fire pits to warm up next to after a river surfing session, it is crystal clear that this is a community that lives for the outdoor life.
Bend Bucket List: Smith Rock State Park (climbing, hiking, camping), Skiing or snowboarding at Mt. Bachelor, rafting or river surfing along the Deschutes River, hiking local trails (Tumalo Falls, Sparks Lake, Skylight Cave).
4. DENVER, COLORADO: (@GOINGGOINGGONEGARCIAS)
Denver, Colorado is one of the quickest growing relocation markets for millennials at the current moment. Quality of life and accessibility to the outdoors are two of the major reasons for this migration. Denver sits at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and is near multiple National Parks. The opportunity to hike many “14ers” is another reason why travelers find their way to the Denver area for an assignment.
5. SEDONA, ARIZONA: (@WE.THE.WANDERERS)
Imagine being surrounded by rust-colored rock formations with shapes so unique and intricate you will often find yourself staring at them with your mouth wide open. Now imagine a sunset teaming with colors that compliment perfectly those rusted rocks. This is what you can expect when you visit Sedona. Whether you are hiking, biking, rock climbing, searching for energy vortexes, or looking for an off road adventure, Sedona offers an experience for everyone.
Top Hikes in Sedona: Devils Bridge, Cathedral Rock, Broken Arrow, Soldiers Pass, Airport Mesa Loop, Bell Rock, Bear Mountain.
6. NEW ENGLAND: (@GOINGGOINGGONEGARCIAS)
One of the luxuries of taking an assignment in the northeast is how easy it is to visit multiple states in a short drive. Most travelers find their “base camp” in Boston as it is the Mecca for healthcare in the United States. From there, you can get to Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont which each have a plethora of outdoor adventures calling their name. If adventure speaks to you through food, your taste buds will be missing New England cuisine long after you are gone.
7. OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK, WASHINGTON: (@WE.THE.WANDERERS)
Arguably one of the most ecologically diverse terrains, it is hard to imagine a place where you can trek through snow-covered high altitude alpine mountains, hike within a flourishing rainforest overflowing with life, and dig your toes into the sands of the beach while listening to the waves crashing along the shore all in a single day. This is the beauty waiting for you in the Olympics of Washington.
Top hikes in Olympic National Park: Mt. Storm King, Sol Due Falls, Marymere Falls, Spruce Nature Trail, Hall of Mosses, Hurricane Hill
Beaches to visit: Ruby Beach, Second Beach, La Push, Rialto Beach
8. SEATTLE/TACOMA, WASHINGTON: (@GOINGGOINGGONEGARCIAS)
One of the most unique places in the entire country, the Pacific Northwest is the ultimate destination for outdoor exploration. Seattle, Tacoma, and Portland always are chock full of travel nurse assignments year-round and so is the laundry list of outdoor activities.
Is visiting the original Starbucks on your list? Does being 605-ft. in the air at the Seattle Space Needle speak to you more? Just make sure you tap into your artistic side and explore Tacoma’s world-renown glass art offerings.
9. OUTER BANKS, NORTH CAROLINA: (@WE.THE.WANDERERS)
A stretch of coastline jutting out into the Atlantic that is so narrow in some areas you can see both sound side and ocean side separated only by 100 yards of sand. Perhaps best explained by Robin Lee Graham “ At sea, I learned how little a person needs, not how much”. The Outer Banks is a safe harbor for every water lover. It’s a place where the ocean provides entertainment, therapy, prayer, and nourishment. It’s a place where after a long day of surfing, fishing, or marveling at the sea’s captivating beauty, you can sit down in the sand next to a bonfire as the sun sets; and if you are lucky, maybe even spot a few wild horses running along the waterline.
Outer Banks Bucket List: visit the highest dune on the east coast at Jockeys Ridge, search for the wild horses of Corolla, visit the Bodie Island Lighthouse, Currituck Beach Lighthouse, and the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, go fishing, surf some of the best conditions the east coast has to offer, drive along the National Scenic Byway extending 138 miles through 21 coastal villages.
10. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: (@GOINGGOINGGONEGARCIAS)
There probably isn’t a single travel enthusiast that doesn’t have aspirations of taking time to explore SoCal. Beautiful weather year-round, tons of things to do for entertainment, and outdoor activities all around. You can visit the beach, hike the mountains, and explore the desert all in one day. Also, just a few hours’ drive from LA, you can visit some of the most beautiful National Parks in the entire park system.
If taking a picture with the Hollywood sign would fulfill a life-long dream of yours, here's your chance.
Now, after checking COVID-19 restrictions that might interfere with travel or park openings get out there and plan your next adventure! And if you’re interested in becoming a traveling healthcare professional, or know someone who might be, check out tnaa.com.
Keep Groovin’!