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    ABOUT US

    Stephen & Giselle backpacking the Sierra High Route

    THE LOVERS PASSPORT

    Welcome to The Lovers Passport!

    We are Giselle and Stephen, a couple of California natives with a HUGE passion for outdoor adventure & travel! We thrive on exploring everywhere from the beach to the backcountry, and we just canโ€™t get enough of it! From backpacking and camping to traveling abroad, we’ve got your couple’s travel inspo covered!

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    INSTAGRAM

    Thank you for 100K Adventurers! ๐Ÿ˜ญ๐Ÿคฏ Not usua Thank you for 100K Adventurers! ๐Ÿ˜ญ๐Ÿคฏ

Not usually ones to get sappy over here but WOW! We had no idea how much our little adventure community would grow since last April when we bought our first camera to document our weekend trips! ๐Ÿ“ธ

This community has seriously changed our lives. We went from sharing our terrible selfies with tips to help our friends and family, to now being able to inspire a freaking STADIUM full of people to get outside and connect with so many incredible outdoor lovers. Weโ€™ve never really been ones to obsess about the numbers - even just knowing we inspired just ONE person to take a hike or watch the sunset makes us feel so happy. We are so incredibly grateful and humbled by the fact that you guys have supported us through our photography journey and enabled us to work with some of our favorite brands along the way.

Since we still work full time office jobs, this has been our passion project, our baby, and our biggest adventure together. Truthfully itโ€™s not always easy to create content that is (hopefully) valuable to you all with this being our side hustle, but anytime we get a comment or a message saying you guys used our itineraries or tips it is the best feeling in the world and makes all the hard work so worth it! Yโ€™all are the reason we started and continue to pour our hearts into this account! ๐Ÿ’™ We hope weโ€™ve shown everyone that you CAN get out and adventure even while working a full time office job! 

Thanks to everyone new and old for sticking around for this little milestone, to our incredible mentor @dani_the_explorer, and anyone whoโ€™s ever interacted with our content! We canโ€™t wait for the next adventure and see you out on the trails! ๐Ÿ•
    How We Adventure While Working Full Time Jobs ๐Ÿฅพ How We Adventure While Working Full Time Jobs ๐Ÿฅพ (โ€˜๐—ฆ๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ' ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ)

โ€œAre your weekends longer than ours?โ€ ๐Ÿ˜‚ People are often surprised when we say that we both work full time NON REMOTE jobs from Monday-Friday. We are Weekend Warriors, so we full send our adventures by driving Friday night, adventuring from sunrise to sunset on both Saturday and Sunday, and then driving home on Sunday night. 

Here are our top tips that we use to maximize our weekends for adventure:

๐Ÿฅพ Research & Planning: During the week, we plan what we want to do. We find all of our hikes via blogs, Pinterest, All Trails, etc., figure out where we are going to camp/sleep, make the itinerary and figure out driving time, and make a meal plan/budget for the weekend. Preparing ahead of time makes sure we donโ€™t have to worry about the small things when we get to the weekend! We plan out our trip & rest weekends usually 1-3 months in advanced, utilize our holiday weekends and PTO together to make the most of our long weekends, and make sure to keep on top of when permits for backpacking trips & campsites are released in our calendars. 

๐ŸฅพMaking Adventure a Priority: We make getting outside and road tripping, camping, and hiking a huge part of our life and our relationship. Being outdoors is something we both absolutely love and enjoy regardless of this account, and so itโ€™s natural for us to be going out and doing this lifestyle every weekend. You have to make time for things you love, regardless of what that may be! You donโ€™t have to travel far either!

๐ŸฅพPut in the Miles: The weekend warrior lifestyle isnโ€™t glamorous. We are often driving several hours on Friday/Sunday nights to get to the spots or parks we want to visit! We make sure our car is packed on Thursday night and just take off on Friday. We also usually hike around 10-20 miles a day ๐Ÿ˜‚ Obviously thatโ€™s not realistic for everyone but prioritize your top 3 things to see and realize that youโ€™re probably not going to be able to do everything else you want to do if you are just adventuring on a weekend. It gives you a good excuse to go back! ๐Ÿคช

Do you usually adventure during the week or the weekend?
    Photo Editing Q&A ๐Ÿ’ป (โ€˜๐—ฆ๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ' ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ)

Last week we asked everyone to submit your questions about our editing process! Here were the most common questions we received:

๐Ÿ“ท What program do you use for photo and video editing?
We use Adobe Lightroom and occasionally Photoshop to edit all of our photos. For video, we usually use Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere Pro. 

๐Ÿ“ท Do we use presets?
We create our own presets in Lightroom! After doing this for almost a year, weโ€™ve built up quite a collection of them! We may even be releasing a pack or two of them soon if people are interested ๐Ÿ‘€

๐Ÿ“ท Why do we purposely underexpose our RAW photos?
When we underexpose our photo, we donโ€™t do it too much - usually just by dialing it down a stop or two. We like to do this so that we can preserve brighter background detail and add contrast, while preventing us from blowing out our highlights too much! We also like how underexposure can give you richer skin tones and texture when editing in post. This is unless you are shooting film! For our film cameras, itโ€™s usually a lot better to overexpose rather than underexpose them. 

๐Ÿ“ท How did you learn how to edit?
A LOT of youtube tutorials and utilizing the free resources on Adobe! Lightroom has tons of tutorials available that you can try out step by step. Practice makes perfect! 

๐Ÿ“ท How do you back up your photos?
We back up all of our RAW files to 2 hard drives and our cloud. Redundancy is KEY! Last week, my hard drive decided to stop working and luckily we had already backed up everything on to Stephenโ€™s so we werenโ€™t worried about losing any files. Always store your RAWS/edited files in more than 2 places! 

๐Ÿ“ท How did we find our editing style?
It took about 2 months to find an editing style that we liked and found unique to our account! We like our photos bright and colorful. Our biggest tip would be to take the same photo and edit it several different ways, then decide which version you like the best, and then test that editing style out with other photos. 

For more editing tips for beginners, check out our E-Book! Link in Bio! ๐Ÿ“ธ
    7 Natural Wonders of California โœจ (โ€˜๐—ฆ๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ' ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ) 

California has every type of landscape you could ask for from mountains, to deserts, lakes, and forests ๐Ÿ” We have spent the last year driving thousands of miles across the beautiful state and have experienced so many natural wonders that made us feel like we were on a different planet. Here are our 7 Wonders of California ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿผ

๐Ÿ”ฅ Fire Fall - today is the last day of Firefall season! This phenomenon happens 1 time every year when all the conditions align for about 2 weeks. It is hands down the most magical moment we have experienced in California. 

๐Ÿœ Mesquite Flat Dunes - These dunes in Death Valley are MASSIVE and make you feel like you are in the Sahara. 

๐ŸŽจ Artistโ€™s Palette - this hike in Death Valley stole our heart as one of the most colorful landscapes in all of California 

๐Ÿ’ฆ Burney Falls - this is one of the most beautiful waterfalls we have seen in Northern California. 

๐Ÿ” Mount Shasta - we have seen our fair share of mountains, but this one stands out amongst all the others as EPIC! We have the goal to climb it someday but even just seeing it blows us away. 

๐ŸŒŠ Big Sur - the atmosphere in this little beach hideaway is indescribable. From the quirky town, to the beautiful purple beaches, this is the most unique town on the coast of CA. 

๐ŸŒฒ General Sherman - we have never felt smaller then standing under this tree. It is the biggest tree in the world and walking among the giants is something everyone should have on their bucket list. 

What is the best Natural Wonder you have ever been able to witness ๐Ÿคฏ
    Best Shoes for Hiking & Backpacking ๐Ÿฅพ(โ€˜๐—ฆ๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ' ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ) 

We are counting down the days until our first backpacking trip of the year! Having comfy shoes and preventing blisters will make your experience in the backcountry so much better! Here are a few tips on finding the Best Hiking Shoes ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿผ

โ„๏ธ Seasons - it is important to think about which season you plan on adventuring! We bring a different pair of hiking shoes for summer vs winter because of breathability and water proof capabilities. 

๐Ÿฅพ Type of Hiking - decide if you will be doing day hikes, over night backpacking trips, and multi day excursions. When we carry heavy backpacks we try to wear shoes that give more ankle and knee support. 

๐Ÿ” Terrain - decide which type of environments you like the most. We tend to do more hiking in dry locations rather then places with a lot of snow, so we choose to have more breathable hiking shoes. 

๐Ÿฉน Blister Prevention - wearing the correct socks can help prevent blisters in new shoes! We always opt for @darntoughvermont because they are Merino Wool and hold right to your foot leaving no space for blisters to form. 

โ˜€๏ธ Breaking them in - This is a MUST before heading out on longer trips. We recommend trying on shoes and wearing them downhill to check if your toes touch the front, uphill to see how your ankle feels, and twisting side to side to see how much support they have. Take your hiking shoes out for a local hike to see if you feel any hotspots before heading out for longer adventures ๐Ÿค˜๐Ÿผ

๐Ÿ‘€ Check out our favorites from @merrell @lasportivana @keen and @columbia1938 in our Best Hiking Shoes Blog through the link in our bio โ˜๐Ÿผ

What are your go to hiking shoes? ๐Ÿฅพ Trail Runners? High Tops? Low Tops? Sandals?
    Ultimate California National Park Road Trip ๐Ÿš™ ( Ultimate California National Park Road Trip ๐Ÿš™ (โ€˜๐—ฆ๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ' ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ)

Did you know that California has the most national parks in the US? We have gone to every one and are working on creating a guide to all of them ๐Ÿ˜ We would recommend 2 weeks to do the entire itinerary or break it up into 3 long weekends ๐Ÿค˜๐Ÿผ This is our Guide to Californiaโ€™s 9 National Parks ๐Ÿš™

Southern California
๐Ÿ“Joshua Tree National Park
๐Ÿ“Channel Islands National Park
๐Ÿ“Death Valley National Park 

Central California
๐Ÿ“Sequoia National Park
๐Ÿ“Kings Canyon National Park
๐Ÿ“Yosemite National Park
๐Ÿ“Pinnacles National Park

Northern California
๐Ÿ“Redwoods National Park
๐Ÿ“Lassen Volcanic National Park

We split these trips into multiple weekends because we both work full time Monday-Friday ๐Ÿ‘ฉ๐Ÿผโ€๐Ÿ’ป๐Ÿง‘๐Ÿปโ€๐Ÿ’ป There is a lot of driving time in between each park so we highly recommend breaking it into pieces and investing in the America the Beautiful Annual Pass to save money on entrance fees! ๐Ÿค‘ Check out our stories for the link โ˜๐Ÿผ

Would you start your California National Parks Road Trip in Central, Northern, or Southern California? ๐Ÿš™
    GIVEAWAY CLOSED! CONGRATS @naomimiller6 โ›บ๏ธ๐ŸŽ GIVEAWAY CLOSED! CONGRATS @naomimiller6 โ›บ๏ธ๐ŸŽ

The 2021 season opens up this March & in celebration.... we are GIVING you another FREE stay at ANY of their 6 Wander Camp Locations (Zion, Moab, Lake Powell/Escalante, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, or Glacier)! We did this same giveaway back in December for the Holidays and wanted to give everyone another shot at winning an amazing outdoor experience.

Hereโ€™s how to Enter:
1๏ธโƒฃFollow our favorite accounts below!๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿฝโ€จ@theloverspassport
@eagertravele
@wander.camp
@acanelaexpeditions
@kytrisha

2๏ธโƒฃTag the friend(s) you would bring along in the comments below, each comment is another entry, so tag ALL the friends you know!!!

BONUS ENTRY if you repost this to your story or feed and tell us which camp you want to visit (donโ€™t forget to tag usย @theloverspassport so we can see you)! 

Giveaway ends Sun Feb 28th and your stay is redeemable anytime in 2021. ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿผ We can't wait to bring you another epic Glamping Adventure Next Year!

This Giveaway is not sponsored by Instagram
    Santa Barbara is the BEST city in California ๐Ÿ– Santa Barbara is the BEST city in California ๐Ÿ– (โ€˜๐—ฆ๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ' ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ)

Santa Barbara is a tourist destination known for its luxurious lifestyle in between the mountains and beach. This is where we met back in college and it will always have a special spot in our heart. It is a MUST SEE on every California road trip ๐Ÿš™ This is how to see Santa Barbara like a local ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿผ

๐Ÿ“… Time to Visit: March-May and September-November are the best months to visit to avoid the crowds and enjoy the perfect weather โ˜€๏ธ There really isnโ€™t a bad time to visit, but the fog does roll in during the summer months!

โณTrip Length: Santa Barbara can be the perfect weekend warrior trip, or a week long vacation! We recommend spending 2-3 days to get the full Santa Barbara experience in the city, on the water, and exploring the mountains! ๐Ÿ”

๐ŸฅพPopular Hikes:
โ›ฐ Inspiration Point: perfect hike for all levels to get you in the mountains and is great for sunset! 
๐Ÿ’ฆ Seven Falls: This waterfall is best enjoyed during the spring, but is the perfect hike for an early morning adventure finishing with some swimming pools
โ›ฐ Lizards Mouth - we love the rock climbing and bouldering here and is best enjoyed during sunrise and sunset
๐Ÿ’ฆ Tangerine Falls - this is the tallest waterfall in Santa Barbara and is an epic trail that should be done early to avoid the heat! There is a significant amount of elevation gain but well worth it. 

๐ŸŒŠ On the Water: 
๐Ÿ„๐Ÿปโ€โ™‚๏ธ Surf - this needs to be on everyoneโ€™s bucket list! Check our Campus Point on a good swell 
๐Ÿšฃ๐Ÿป Kayak- explore the harbor and the wharf by renting a kayak! This is our favorite activity to do in the whole city! 

๐Ÿ–The City: 
๐ŸŒฎ La Superica - this is our favorite taco spot in the whole town! ๐Ÿคค
๐Ÿ’ƒ๐Ÿผ Night Life - finish off a day of adventuring by stopping at @lamadogtaproom or @testpilotbar for a few drinks! 
๐Ÿšด๐Ÿผโ€โ™€๏ธRent a bike: start at The Wharf and bike down state street and around to East Beach to see the main strip! Traffic and parking can be a pain so rent a bike and take in the scenery ๐Ÿ–

Would you spend your Santa Barbara trip in the mountains or by the beach? ๐Ÿค”
    Ultimate Sedona Adventure Itinerary ๐Ÿœ (โ€˜๐—ฆ๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ' ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ)
.
Sedona is a magical town outside of Flagstaff known for its gorgeous red rocks and canyons, and should be added to every adventure lovers bucket list. Itโ€™s also quite a small area so itโ€™s super nice that driving from one adventure to the next doesnโ€™t take incredibly long! As always, make sure to Leave No Trace when visiting ๐Ÿƒ
.
๐Ÿ“… WHEN TO VISIT: November-April have the coolest temps! In our opinion, winter is always a great time to get out and explore desert destinations so that itโ€™s not overwhelmingly hot. Summer is hot and dangerous for people to be hiking around in the heat, especially in the middle of the day. If you do decide to go in the summer, try hiking early in the morning around sunrise so itโ€™s cooler. 

๐Ÿ•š TRIP LENGTH: We only got to spend one weekend in Sedona, although weโ€™d recommend staying longer around 3-5 days to take in all the adventure that the town has to offer. 

๐ŸฅพPOPULAR HIKE OPTIONS: 
๐ŸŒตDevilโ€™s Bridge: beautiful sunrise spot, and the earlier you get there, the less people
๐ŸŒตCathedral Rock: note youโ€™ll have to get a parking permit at the trailhead, but this spot is gorgeous for sunset and astrophotography
๐ŸŒตSoldier Pass: parking here is a nightmare so secure your spot early
๐ŸŒตBell Rock: wouldnโ€™t recommend scaling the rock itself unless you have some rock climbing experience
๐ŸŒตAirport Mesa: incredible 360 views of Sedona
๐ŸŒตWest Fork Creek Trail: awesome for trying to see Fall Colors! We saw lots of families and kids doing this trail

๐Ÿœ THINGS TO DO: Off-Roading! There are SO many opportunities for some awesome off-roading whether youโ€™re in your rig, renting a jeep, or renting Dune Buggies. We took Stephenโ€™s 4Runner for a spin down the Mundโ€™s Wagon Trail (almost got stuck lol) but made it and it was so much fun! You can also go for a swim in the warmer months at Slide Rock State Park or at some of the local swimming holes. 

Do you like to explore desert towns? ๐Ÿœ
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      Utah Road Trip Itinerary Overview

      October 28, 2020

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    Thank you for 100K Adventurers! ๐Ÿ˜ญ๐Ÿคฏ Not usua Thank you for 100K Adventurers! ๐Ÿ˜ญ๐Ÿคฏ

Not usually ones to get sappy over here but WOW! We had no idea how much our little adventure community would grow since last April when we bought our first camera to document our weekend trips! ๐Ÿ“ธ

This community has seriously changed our lives. We went from sharing our terrible selfies with tips to help our friends and family, to now being able to inspire a freaking STADIUM full of people to get outside and connect with so many incredible outdoor lovers. Weโ€™ve never really been ones to obsess about the numbers - even just knowing we inspired just ONE person to take a hike or watch the sunset makes us feel so happy. We are so incredibly grateful and humbled by the fact that you guys have supported us through our photography journey and enabled us to work with some of our favorite brands along the way.

Since we still work full time office jobs, this has been our passion project, our baby, and our biggest adventure together. Truthfully itโ€™s not always easy to create content that is (hopefully) valuable to you all with this being our side hustle, but anytime we get a comment or a message saying you guys used our itineraries or tips it is the best feeling in the world and makes all the hard work so worth it! Yโ€™all are the reason we started and continue to pour our hearts into this account! ๐Ÿ’™ We hope weโ€™ve shown everyone that you CAN get out and adventure even while working a full time office job! 

Thanks to everyone new and old for sticking around for this little milestone, to our incredible mentor @dani_the_explorer, and anyone whoโ€™s ever interacted with our content! We canโ€™t wait for the next adventure and see you out on the trails! ๐Ÿ•
    How We Adventure While Working Full Time Jobs ๐Ÿฅพ How We Adventure While Working Full Time Jobs ๐Ÿฅพ (โ€˜๐—ฆ๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ' ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ)

โ€œAre your weekends longer than ours?โ€ ๐Ÿ˜‚ People are often surprised when we say that we both work full time NON REMOTE jobs from Monday-Friday. We are Weekend Warriors, so we full send our adventures by driving Friday night, adventuring from sunrise to sunset on both Saturday and Sunday, and then driving home on Sunday night. 

Here are our top tips that we use to maximize our weekends for adventure:

๐Ÿฅพ Research & Planning: During the week, we plan what we want to do. We find all of our hikes via blogs, Pinterest, All Trails, etc., figure out where we are going to camp/sleep, make the itinerary and figure out driving time, and make a meal plan/budget for the weekend. Preparing ahead of time makes sure we donโ€™t have to worry about the small things when we get to the weekend! We plan out our trip & rest weekends usually 1-3 months in advanced, utilize our holiday weekends and PTO together to make the most of our long weekends, and make sure to keep on top of when permits for backpacking trips & campsites are released in our calendars. 

๐ŸฅพMaking Adventure a Priority: We make getting outside and road tripping, camping, and hiking a huge part of our life and our relationship. Being outdoors is something we both absolutely love and enjoy regardless of this account, and so itโ€™s natural for us to be going out and doing this lifestyle every weekend. You have to make time for things you love, regardless of what that may be! You donโ€™t have to travel far either!

๐ŸฅพPut in the Miles: The weekend warrior lifestyle isnโ€™t glamorous. We are often driving several hours on Friday/Sunday nights to get to the spots or parks we want to visit! We make sure our car is packed on Thursday night and just take off on Friday. We also usually hike around 10-20 miles a day ๐Ÿ˜‚ Obviously thatโ€™s not realistic for everyone but prioritize your top 3 things to see and realize that youโ€™re probably not going to be able to do everything else you want to do if you are just adventuring on a weekend. It gives you a good excuse to go back! ๐Ÿคช

Do you usually adventure during the week or the weekend?
    Photo Editing Q&A ๐Ÿ’ป (โ€˜๐—ฆ๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ' ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ)

Last week we asked everyone to submit your questions about our editing process! Here were the most common questions we received:

๐Ÿ“ท What program do you use for photo and video editing?
We use Adobe Lightroom and occasionally Photoshop to edit all of our photos. For video, we usually use Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere Pro. 

๐Ÿ“ท Do we use presets?
We create our own presets in Lightroom! After doing this for almost a year, weโ€™ve built up quite a collection of them! We may even be releasing a pack or two of them soon if people are interested ๐Ÿ‘€

๐Ÿ“ท Why do we purposely underexpose our RAW photos?
When we underexpose our photo, we donโ€™t do it too much - usually just by dialing it down a stop or two. We like to do this so that we can preserve brighter background detail and add contrast, while preventing us from blowing out our highlights too much! We also like how underexposure can give you richer skin tones and texture when editing in post. This is unless you are shooting film! For our film cameras, itโ€™s usually a lot better to overexpose rather than underexpose them. 

๐Ÿ“ท How did you learn how to edit?
A LOT of youtube tutorials and utilizing the free resources on Adobe! Lightroom has tons of tutorials available that you can try out step by step. Practice makes perfect! 

๐Ÿ“ท How do you back up your photos?
We back up all of our RAW files to 2 hard drives and our cloud. Redundancy is KEY! Last week, my hard drive decided to stop working and luckily we had already backed up everything on to Stephenโ€™s so we werenโ€™t worried about losing any files. Always store your RAWS/edited files in more than 2 places! 

๐Ÿ“ท How did we find our editing style?
It took about 2 months to find an editing style that we liked and found unique to our account! We like our photos bright and colorful. Our biggest tip would be to take the same photo and edit it several different ways, then decide which version you like the best, and then test that editing style out with other photos. 

For more editing tips for beginners, check out our E-Book! Link in Bio! ๐Ÿ“ธ
    7 Natural Wonders of California โœจ (โ€˜๐—ฆ๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ' ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ) 

California has every type of landscape you could ask for from mountains, to deserts, lakes, and forests ๐Ÿ” We have spent the last year driving thousands of miles across the beautiful state and have experienced so many natural wonders that made us feel like we were on a different planet. Here are our 7 Wonders of California ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿผ

๐Ÿ”ฅ Fire Fall - today is the last day of Firefall season! This phenomenon happens 1 time every year when all the conditions align for about 2 weeks. It is hands down the most magical moment we have experienced in California. 

๐Ÿœ Mesquite Flat Dunes - These dunes in Death Valley are MASSIVE and make you feel like you are in the Sahara. 

๐ŸŽจ Artistโ€™s Palette - this hike in Death Valley stole our heart as one of the most colorful landscapes in all of California 

๐Ÿ’ฆ Burney Falls - this is one of the most beautiful waterfalls we have seen in Northern California. 

๐Ÿ” Mount Shasta - we have seen our fair share of mountains, but this one stands out amongst all the others as EPIC! We have the goal to climb it someday but even just seeing it blows us away. 

๐ŸŒŠ Big Sur - the atmosphere in this little beach hideaway is indescribable. From the quirky town, to the beautiful purple beaches, this is the most unique town on the coast of CA. 

๐ŸŒฒ General Sherman - we have never felt smaller then standing under this tree. It is the biggest tree in the world and walking among the giants is something everyone should have on their bucket list. 

What is the best Natural Wonder you have ever been able to witness ๐Ÿคฏ
    Best Shoes for Hiking & Backpacking ๐Ÿฅพ(โ€˜๐—ฆ๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ' ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ) 

We are counting down the days until our first backpacking trip of the year! Having comfy shoes and preventing blisters will make your experience in the backcountry so much better! Here are a few tips on finding the Best Hiking Shoes ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿผ

โ„๏ธ Seasons - it is important to think about which season you plan on adventuring! We bring a different pair of hiking shoes for summer vs winter because of breathability and water proof capabilities. 

๐Ÿฅพ Type of Hiking - decide if you will be doing day hikes, over night backpacking trips, and multi day excursions. When we carry heavy backpacks we try to wear shoes that give more ankle and knee support. 

๐Ÿ” Terrain - decide which type of environments you like the most. We tend to do more hiking in dry locations rather then places with a lot of snow, so we choose to have more breathable hiking shoes. 

๐Ÿฉน Blister Prevention - wearing the correct socks can help prevent blisters in new shoes! We always opt for @darntoughvermont because they are Merino Wool and hold right to your foot leaving no space for blisters to form. 

โ˜€๏ธ Breaking them in - This is a MUST before heading out on longer trips. We recommend trying on shoes and wearing them downhill to check if your toes touch the front, uphill to see how your ankle feels, and twisting side to side to see how much support they have. Take your hiking shoes out for a local hike to see if you feel any hotspots before heading out for longer adventures ๐Ÿค˜๐Ÿผ

๐Ÿ‘€ Check out our favorites from @merrell @lasportivana @keen and @columbia1938 in our Best Hiking Shoes Blog through the link in our bio โ˜๐Ÿผ

What are your go to hiking shoes? ๐Ÿฅพ Trail Runners? High Tops? Low Tops? Sandals?
    Ultimate California National Park Road Trip ๐Ÿš™ ( Ultimate California National Park Road Trip ๐Ÿš™ (โ€˜๐—ฆ๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ' ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ)

Did you know that California has the most national parks in the US? We have gone to every one and are working on creating a guide to all of them ๐Ÿ˜ We would recommend 2 weeks to do the entire itinerary or break it up into 3 long weekends ๐Ÿค˜๐Ÿผ This is our Guide to Californiaโ€™s 9 National Parks ๐Ÿš™

Southern California
๐Ÿ“Joshua Tree National Park
๐Ÿ“Channel Islands National Park
๐Ÿ“Death Valley National Park 

Central California
๐Ÿ“Sequoia National Park
๐Ÿ“Kings Canyon National Park
๐Ÿ“Yosemite National Park
๐Ÿ“Pinnacles National Park

Northern California
๐Ÿ“Redwoods National Park
๐Ÿ“Lassen Volcanic National Park

We split these trips into multiple weekends because we both work full time Monday-Friday ๐Ÿ‘ฉ๐Ÿผโ€๐Ÿ’ป๐Ÿง‘๐Ÿปโ€๐Ÿ’ป There is a lot of driving time in between each park so we highly recommend breaking it into pieces and investing in the America the Beautiful Annual Pass to save money on entrance fees! ๐Ÿค‘ Check out our stories for the link โ˜๐Ÿผ

Would you start your California National Parks Road Trip in Central, Northern, or Southern California? ๐Ÿš™
    GIVEAWAY CLOSED! CONGRATS @naomimiller6 โ›บ๏ธ๐ŸŽ GIVEAWAY CLOSED! CONGRATS @naomimiller6 โ›บ๏ธ๐ŸŽ

The 2021 season opens up this March & in celebration.... we are GIVING you another FREE stay at ANY of their 6 Wander Camp Locations (Zion, Moab, Lake Powell/Escalante, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, or Glacier)! We did this same giveaway back in December for the Holidays and wanted to give everyone another shot at winning an amazing outdoor experience.

Hereโ€™s how to Enter:
1๏ธโƒฃFollow our favorite accounts below!๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿฝโ€จ@theloverspassport
@eagertravele
@wander.camp
@acanelaexpeditions
@kytrisha

2๏ธโƒฃTag the friend(s) you would bring along in the comments below, each comment is another entry, so tag ALL the friends you know!!!

BONUS ENTRY if you repost this to your story or feed and tell us which camp you want to visit (donโ€™t forget to tag usย @theloverspassport so we can see you)! 

Giveaway ends Sun Feb 28th and your stay is redeemable anytime in 2021. ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿผ We can't wait to bring you another epic Glamping Adventure Next Year!

This Giveaway is not sponsored by Instagram
    Santa Barbara is the BEST city in California ๐Ÿ– Santa Barbara is the BEST city in California ๐Ÿ– (โ€˜๐—ฆ๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ' ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ)

Santa Barbara is a tourist destination known for its luxurious lifestyle in between the mountains and beach. This is where we met back in college and it will always have a special spot in our heart. It is a MUST SEE on every California road trip ๐Ÿš™ This is how to see Santa Barbara like a local ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿผ

๐Ÿ“… Time to Visit: March-May and September-November are the best months to visit to avoid the crowds and enjoy the perfect weather โ˜€๏ธ There really isnโ€™t a bad time to visit, but the fog does roll in during the summer months!

โณTrip Length: Santa Barbara can be the perfect weekend warrior trip, or a week long vacation! We recommend spending 2-3 days to get the full Santa Barbara experience in the city, on the water, and exploring the mountains! ๐Ÿ”

๐ŸฅพPopular Hikes:
โ›ฐ Inspiration Point: perfect hike for all levels to get you in the mountains and is great for sunset! 
๐Ÿ’ฆ Seven Falls: This waterfall is best enjoyed during the spring, but is the perfect hike for an early morning adventure finishing with some swimming pools
โ›ฐ Lizards Mouth - we love the rock climbing and bouldering here and is best enjoyed during sunrise and sunset
๐Ÿ’ฆ Tangerine Falls - this is the tallest waterfall in Santa Barbara and is an epic trail that should be done early to avoid the heat! There is a significant amount of elevation gain but well worth it. 

๐ŸŒŠ On the Water: 
๐Ÿ„๐Ÿปโ€โ™‚๏ธ Surf - this needs to be on everyoneโ€™s bucket list! Check our Campus Point on a good swell 
๐Ÿšฃ๐Ÿป Kayak- explore the harbor and the wharf by renting a kayak! This is our favorite activity to do in the whole city! 

๐Ÿ–The City: 
๐ŸŒฎ La Superica - this is our favorite taco spot in the whole town! ๐Ÿคค
๐Ÿ’ƒ๐Ÿผ Night Life - finish off a day of adventuring by stopping at @lamadogtaproom or @testpilotbar for a few drinks! 
๐Ÿšด๐Ÿผโ€โ™€๏ธRent a bike: start at The Wharf and bike down state street and around to East Beach to see the main strip! Traffic and parking can be a pain so rent a bike and take in the scenery ๐Ÿ–

Would you spend your Santa Barbara trip in the mountains or by the beach? ๐Ÿค”
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