Armacao dos Buzios, Brazil

Hiking through the McDowell Mountains. We never thought we would say that and JD in the same sentence. Previously, we shared the story of JD's initial hikes through her new surroundings in Arizona, and how her reluctance turned to a love to trek up rocky terrain and explore.

This is the story of our epic road trip from Los Angeles to Zion and Bryce National Parks in Utah.  We had limited time, but so much to see. We selected the following destinations and now share our itinerary and route for how to see 12 amazing places in only 3 days.

I never thought I would be hunting Thomas Dambo's famous giant wooden trolls in a forest, but here I am.

Take an LA day trip to Solvang If you are looking to really feel like you are escaping Los Angeles. The picturesque Danish village is right of out a fairy tale storybook and the beautiful scenic drive through mountains will transport you into another land.

Along one of the turns, we saw a crashed van pulling a boat on the side of the road where yellow caution tape was up. We all had our theories about what possibly could have happened. Did the van get too close to the edge? Did foul play happen because it looked like gunshots in the windows? We’ll never know. We pulled over by the lake for a picnic lunch and enjoyed the serene views. When we got to the dam, we stopped and marveled at the history of all that this land holds and tried to imagine riding this trail via stagecoach. It was an adventure even by car.