It's been hectic, but my crazy May travel schedule is finally wrapped up. It was incredible but tiring. I went to Ireland, Yosemite, and Northern Idaho. And if you think I can now rest, ha, I wish. We're moving from Seattle to Denver in less than three weeks and have to figure out everything from moving and packing to handling the rest of life's challenges!

But we're excited. Jaimie gets a fresh start at a new hospital, and I get to explore new mountains and trails, and bring you all the beauty of the Colorado Rockies! Hopefully, I'll inspire a few of you to book trips into the mountains.

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My Favorite Flightseeing Tours

I thought this would be a fun one to do, as I've had some really cool fightseeing experiences over the last five years.

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8. Selkirk Mountains in Idaho

This is my most recent flight, which I took last week. We took off from Bonners Ferry and flew over the Kootenai Wildlife Refuge and into the Selkirk Mountains. The trip was fine, but compared to all the others I've done, it was definitely underwhelming. The mountains aren't that impressive, and with most lakes frozen, it had a lackluster feel to it.

Rating: 6/10

7. Wrangell St. Elias

This flight has SO MUCH potential, but for us, we got it on a cloudy day. Wrangell-St. Elias is the largest national park in the US and features some unbelievable glaciers, as well as the second-tallest mountain in the US, behind Denali. If you have sunny skies, this would be amazing.

You will need to be in the town of McCarthy to do the tour.

Rating: 7/10

6. Kakadu National Park (Australia)

The first of two helicopter rides on this list. This was incredible, as it was focused entirely on waterfalls. We saw half a dozen waterfalls, even descending from the top to the bottom of one. And yes, we got sprayed! Getting the opportunity to see a landscape that's inaccessible for half the year was SO worth it.

Rating: 8/10

5. Winter Summit Flight of Denali

This is the only trip that required oxygen! We took off from Fairbanks (it was in the negatives) and flew to Denali. At 12,000 feet, we put on oxygen masks as we would fly just above Denali's summit. It was incredibly cool, and seeing the snow and glaciers was breathtaking.

​My YouTube Video. ​

Rating: 8.2/10

4. Kauai Doors Off

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This was something I had been dreaming of for years, and it unfortunately did not live up to the hype. At least the hype in my head. We had cloudy conditions for most of the tour. And even though the Na Pali Coast side tends to be warmer/drier, clouds covered the peaks and even rained on us as we flew through. As a result, I had a less-than-favorable experience. (It's still incredible, but prime conditions would have moved this up.)

Rating: 8.4/10

3. Yosemite National Park

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I had no idea Yosemite National Park had flightseeing until I visited Mariposa in May. I got on a flight and wow, so freaking cool! We got to circle the entire valley, getting unique views of Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, and El Cap. It's also pretty affordable compared to other companies.

Rating: 8.5/10

2. Katmai Coast

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This has to be one of the most impressive flightseeing trips the United States has to offer. Starting in Port Alsworth at Lake Clark Resort, we headed east into Katmai National Park. Here, we flew over the Katmai Crater, Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, and then along the braided rivers that drain into the Pacific Ocean. From here, we looped back north, seeing Caribbean-looking waters, and landing on the shore to find some brown bears fishing. To wrap it up, we zipped over Mount Kaguyak (another crater lake) before heading home.

It was a mesmerizing day, and I can't speak more highly of the team at Lake Clark Resort and what they can offer you in Alaska.

​Alaska YouTube Video​

Rating: 10/10

1. Summer in Denali

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My first flightseeing trip is still my favorite. In 2021, on my first trip to Alaska, we booked a flightseeing trip around Alaska. I had no idea how unbelievably insane it would be. We zigged and zagged through mountain passes, over glaciers, and alongside Denali's Wickersham Wall. The sights blew my mind, and after 80 minutes, we landed on a glacier. *head explodes emoji* It remains to this day the best flightseeing trip I've ever experienced, and if you're in Alaska, you need to do it.

​YouTube Video​

Rating: 10/10

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