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Minerva & Sam

With Each Mile

Hi, we’re Minerva & Sam! We’ve road-tripped over 36,500 miles across 37 states and explored 13 incredible National Parks with our two pups, Toby & Lily. Join us for epic hikes, scenic drives, and real travel stories that’ll inspire your next adventure!

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Road Trip Car Cost Calculator with fields to enter trip distance, gas price, car and rental car mileage, vehicle type, and rental cost. Includes buttons to compare or reset results, with a note that costs are rough estimates.
Featured Post

Drive your own car or rent for your next road trip?

Hey there Reader, As a scientist, I love data — the more I have, the better I can plan. But I also like tools that are simple and give a “close enough” answer to be useful (what good is a tool if you have to enter a ton of variables?). Minerva and I have road tripped across the US a couple of times, covering over 36,500 miles exploring National Parks. We usually drive our own cars because they’re comfortable, reliable, and get solid gas mileage. Plus we know the exact trunk size which makes...

16 days ago • 1 min read

Hey there Reader, Most people come to Indiana Dunes National Park for the beaches and rolling sand dunes along Lake Michigan. But there’s another side that doesn’t get as much attention — the quiet wetlands and marshes that stretch just inland. We spent a full day exploring two short trails that show off both sides of the park: the peaceful Great Marsh Trail and the stair-filled Dune Succession Trail. Great Marsh Trail: Birdwatching & Wetlands We started our day at the Great Marsh Trail, a...

23 days ago • 1 min read
A panoramic collage of Sol Duc Falls in Olympic National Park. The left panel shows a paved hiking trail with a rustic wooden railing. A person with dark, curly hair, wearing a maroon top and white shorts, stands by the railing, looking into the dense for

Hey there Reader, Welcome back for Part 4, the last in our Last Summer in the PNW series! Last time, we were up in the mountains at Hurricane Ridge watching the sun set behind Mount Olympus (catch up on Part 3 here!). This time, we’re exploring two of Olympic’s most beautiful waterfalls: Sol Duc Falls and Marymere Falls. Sol Duc Falls: Easy Trail, Beautiful Falls Sol Duc Falls kept popping up as one of the most recommended stops in Olympic. The hike’s short and easy (1.8-mile out-and-back),...

about 2 months ago • 1 min read
A stunning view of Mount Olympus and the Olympic Mountain Range at sunset, captured from Hurricane Ridge. The snow-capped peaks are silhouetted against a soft blue and orange sky, with a foreground of grassy slopes and delicate wildflowers.

Hey there Reader, Welcome back for Part 3 of our Last Summer in the PNW series! In Part 2, we wandered through mossy rainforests, stood at the edge of the U.S., and walked along rugged coastlines. This time, we’re heading up — way up — into the Olympic Mountains for what turned out to be the most breathtaking views of the trip. Hurricane Ridge: Sunset Over the Olympics Just an hour’s drive from Port Angeles, Hurricane Ridge feels completely different compared to Olympic’s beaches and forests....

3 months ago • 1 min read
A hiker walks beneath a massive, moss-draped tree arch along a shaded forest trail in the Hall of Mosses. Surrounding vegetation includes vibrant ferns and mosses, with sunlight filtering through the canopy above.

Hey there Reader, Welcome back for Part 2 of our 'Last Summer in the PNW' series! Last time, we shared our adventures to Multnomah Falls and Ruby Beach. This time, we’re heading deeper into the Olympic Peninsula’s mossy rainforests and all the way to the northwesternmost point in the contiguous U.S. Into the Hall of Mosses Olympic National Park is famous for its moss-draped trees, and the Hall of Mosses trail in the Hoh Rainforest is the best place to see it all up close. Just east of Forks,...

3 months ago • 1 min read
A dramatic view of the Tree of Life, a windswept Sitka spruce in Washington's Olympic National Park, clinging to eroded cliffs with its roots exposed and suspended in mid-air. A person in a gray poncho stands beneath the tree, pointing toward it, surround

Hey there Reader, Welcome to Last Summer in the PNW, a new series we’re kicking off with this issue! Last summer, we packed up the car, strapped in our furry travel companions, and hit the road for a 7,000-mile adventure across the U.S., from Alabama all the way up to the northwesternmost point in the contiguous United States. But this time, we did things a little differently. Instead of hopping between National Parks, we slowed down and gave the Olympic Peninsula the time it deserves. Our...

4 months ago • 2 min read
Wide panoramic view of the spiraling concrete ramp leading to Kuwohi Observation Tower, surrounded by a dense evergreen forest under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds. Several visitors walk along the elevated path, enjoying the scenic overlook above

Hey there Reader, We've been meaning to share these. Last year, we road-tripped from Alabama to the Great Smoky Mountains — and then took a separate trip all the way to the Pacific Northwest to explore Olympic National Park. Olympic’s easily one of the most diverse parks we’ve been to. Mossy woods, majestic rainforests, wild beaches, quiet forest trails, and mountain hikes that took our breath away. Life (and work) definitely got in the way of writing. But the stories stuck with us — and now,...

4 months ago • 1 min read
Panoramic view from the summit of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park, showing hikers standing on smooth granite rock surfaces with a steep rock face on the left. In the background, rolling mountain ridges stretch out under a blue sky dotted with clouds,

Hey there Reader, When we first started road tripping, we never expected it to turn into a travel blog. But after so many conversations with family and friends about what to pack, where to go, and the unforgettable moments along the way, we thought—why not put it all into a blog? And here we are, sharing all our crazy adventures with you! Of course, behind the blog, we’re just two people balancing day jobs and a passion for travel (learn more about us here). I work as a research biologist...

about 1 year ago • 1 min read