Kati Explores, Salem, MA (2026)

Helping you experience the PNW (and beyond!) like a local - I've spent most of my life exploring, now I want to help you make the most of your outdoor adventures.

06/18/2026

Spring trip to Moab and Arches 🏜️ My 30th National Park!

I’m a little delayed here due to even more travel, but back in April, Jorge and I ended our Utah trip with a quick visit to Arches National Park and Moab. I definitely wouldn’t want to be in the desert sun right now, but I love shoulder seasons in the southwest. Delicate Arch was the highlight of our visit, since we kept it chill after a few days of hiking in Canyonlands. Two of the mighty five Utah parks down, three more to go!

You can read my full trip report at https://www.kati-explores.com/post/arches-national-park (link is also in bio)!

05/17/2026

29th National Park for my 29th birthday!

Canyonlands National Park is often overlooked when compared to nearby Arches. This is actually one of the main reasons I visited - I HATE crowds. We spent 2 days in Canyonlands: one scenic drive and easy hike day, and then a longer all-day hike in Chesler Park the next day.

I was born and raised in the PNW, so desert biomes are new to me and can feel desolate. I was struck by the absence of all wildlife in Canyonlands (besides lizards)! The rock formations were incredible, but my favorite part was the cowboy and indigenous history. Petroglyphs are my new obsession and I will travel far and wide to see more.

You can ready my full itinerary at kati-explores.com/post/canyonlands-national-park (link in bio) for more details. We combined our Canyonlands trip with a day in Salt Lake City, a day in Arches, and an eastern Oregon pioneer history day on the drive back home. You can check out my SLC guide now, and “one day in Arches” is coming soon!

05/08/2026

We definitely earned our visit to Goldmyer Hot Springs - one of the most remote Pacific Northwest hot springs, deep in the central Cascades.

Not only does it require a lottery reservation to visit, you also need to brave the most horrific forest road I’ve ever encountered. We took my Crosstrek for the majority, but gave up at the sight of a massive washout and started biking a little early. We biked about 7 miles (each way!) on the most bone rattling gravel trail to finally reach the springs.

It was so worth it! Goldmyer only allows 20 visitors per day and keeps the facilities pristine. It truly felt whimsical and enchanted, like stepping into Lord of the Rings. This would be a great first backpacking or bikepacking trip, just make sure you have AWD/4WD and good clearance! And be prepared for a 14 mile round trip, plus the most insane drive of your life. Read more at kati-explores.com/post/goldmyer-hot-springs

🌲 ♨️ 🚴🏼‍♀️

04/09/2026

Southern Oregon & Northern California Easter/birthday trip 🖤 I used to travel alone out of necessity (it’s shockingly hard to find someone who can keep up 😜) but every once in a while I still take a solo vacation by choice. I’m blessed to be married to the one man in the world who’s crazy enough to join for all my antics, but a solo road trip brings back so much nostalgia for my younger days when I drove all over the country by myself. Total freedom to do whatever I want, when I want, and no pressure or responsibility.

I drove down to Ashland for the Easter weekend, which coincides with my birthday, thinking I’d spend time thrifting and relaxing in local cafes, but I ended up spending most of the weekend in Northern California in the Mount Shasta area, the Modoc National Forest, and Lava Beds National Monument. There is so much wilderness to explore down there, can’t believe it took me 29 years of living in the PNW to figure that out. Full weekend itinerary coming soon!

Address

Salem, MA

Website

https://linktr.ee/kati_explores

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Kati Explores posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Kati Explores