Hi everyone! This sub was so incredibly helpful to me in the planning process - I was deeply grateful for everything I learned, so I thought I'd post a trip report now that we're back!
About us: We're a 30s couple from the Midwest US. We're pretty experienced travelers (South America, UK/Ireland, Europe, lots of places in the US), but this was our first visit to Asia and first visit to Japan. As travelers, we love getting out on foot, local food/drink (especially street food), live music, nerd shit, weird art/vending machines. Also, my partner is a cis guy, but I am a trans masc person who is visibly trans (post-op in a few ways, but not passing/not stealth).
Dates: May 13 - May 29
What we did: Tokyo Kyoto Osaka Hakone Back to Tokyo
Tips and tricks:

• Definitely get your walking training in ahead of time! We walked 10 miles a day on the trip. We're pretty avid backcountry camping/hiking fans who regularly put in 8 - 10 miles on the trail (not to mention taking our dog for multiple walks a day in the neighborhood), so I figured we'd be good - but it was A LOT, especially since you're also trying to translate and navigate at the same time. Japan is not generally a super accessible place from a disability perspective; benches and public seating areas are not common. I found myself wishing I'd packed a collapsible seat of some kind, tbh!
• Good shoes a must! Merrell Moabs are my go-to for hiking, but for this trip I went with Nike Dunk 6 high-tops, which rocked. My partner went with Onitsukas and didn't do as well - he wound up buying inserts partway through the trip, which helped.
• Work on a little Japanese ahead of time! We came in with about a dozen words/phrases, which was honestly truly helpful. So many people are so kind and thoughtful anyway, but it was an appreciated gesture that we had planned ahead and were trying our best. Google Translate's camera feature (Google Lens) was a life-saver for translating written words on signs!
• We had a great experience with Ubigi for an eSIM. The days of purchasing an actual SIM card or even a burner device (like we used to do when backpacking in Europe) are long past. We hooked up our Ubigi eSIMs beforehand, flipped the switch when we got there, and we were golden. Just in case, we'd set up our Verizon coverage to include a Pay-As-You-Go international plan, but we didn't end up using it. We also didn't use half as much data as we thought we would - we both came home with extra GB on our Ubigi plan still. We didn't do a PocketWifi and I don't think we needed it - Ubigi did most of the heavy lifting, and free WiFi at various places did the rest.
• Fly into Haneda, not Narita - way closer to Tokyo city center.
• Get your Suica right away at the airport - our beloved Suica got us through so many things! We also withdrew some cash and split it up between us - we withdrew a few more times on the trip and it worked like a charm. (Just make sure it's an international ATM that includes your card type - not all of them do. Also, notify your bank you'll be traveling, so your card doesn't throw a flag!) We used our credit card as well - the Chase card was accepted pretty much all places CCs are, but many places remain cash-only, especially bars and restaurants.
• Had a great experience using the Friendly Limousine Airport Bus service straight from Haneda to our hotel area.
• I booked shinkansen tix ahead of time, so I got nice discounts on weekday Green Car tix for two - but I really needn't have worried, there were plenty of seats available day-of.
• Don't bother with shinkansen for Kyoto to Osaka - we wound up just hopping on a local with our Suicas and it was fine.
• Don't bother with the Romancecar from Hakone back to Tokyo - it's fastemaybe a nicer seating experience, but just hopping on a local with your Suica is an order of magnitude cheaper.
• Look things up in Japanese if using Google Translate; use Tabelog for restaurants if possible. Google Maps in English is more touristy reviews/reactions.
• Tokyo Skytree was hit-or-miss - only real letdown of the trip.
• Tokyo teamLab PLANETS was completely worth it - absolutely worth the hype in my opinion.
• Queer and trans travelers - I felt completely safe, but as a plus-size trans masc nonbinary queerdo, I stuck out like a sore thumb. I didn't feel in danger, but I was absolutely aware that I did not fit in. Stares were common, especially from older men and young kids. (Weirdly, local women seemed more friendly and curious about me!) Just be prepared for it and remember you're not in any danger physically - it's all just curiosity.
• I have to thank this subreddit for recommending Hakone, especially for the tip to book a ryokan with private onsen access. We had an absolutely beautiful experience at Yamanochaya in Hakone, which included both a private "onsen" soaking tub in our room and private 1:1 access to a larger, actual hot spring onsen on the property. I otherwise would not have been able to experience a real hot spring onsen at all, as they are gender-segregated. Thank you, /JapanTravel!

Because I'm a nerd, here's the actual breakdown!
DAY 1 ARRIVAL 📍 Flew into Haneda; made it to our hotel (lovely experience at Hotel Plaza Sunroute); had our first world-famous konbini 7/11 experience; walked around Shinjuku; went out for dinner at Ryu no Miyako Inshokugai - talk about jumping in the deep end 🍣 Onigiri and vending machine green tea; little whipped cream treats; Nagahama ramen and sesame mackerel donburi 👣 10,400 steps 🏁 4.8 miles
DAY 2 SHIBUYA 📍 Meiji Shrine and Gardens - got goshuin and omamori; Harajuku, went to 7/11; back to the hotel for a nap; Shibuya, including Don Quijote, Center Gai and Dogenzaka Street; Nonbei Yokocho for late night 🍣 7/11 (plum onigiri and corn/mayo sandwich, some kind of spam musubi situation, matcha roll); Ichiran coin-op ramen with extra chashu and a matcha tofu custard thing; banana shock smoothie at Shibuya109 in Center Gai; chicken and pork belly yakitori with beers at Morimoto; brown sugar shoju and shoju-infused Oolong tea cocktails at Tight Bar (strong recommend for this joint!); grilled squid, octopus, and okonomiyaki for afters at Tsukishima Monja Kuuya Shibuya 👣 32,000 steps 🏁 14.5 miles 😮‍💨
DAY 3 SHINJUKU 📍 Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden; Shinjuku area (including Disk Union, Disney, Onitsuka); Kabukicho and Kabukicho Tower; GODZ metal bar; Golden Gai; Omoide Yokocho 🍣 7/11 (onigiri, matcha filled roll thing, royal milk tea, tomago sushi, strawberry donut, cafe latte); many types of dango (sesame oil, soy sauce, and apricot mochi were our favs); McDonald's (weirdly good chicken sandwich with yuzu radish topping, vanilla custard chocolate pie, white grape soda); yummy little warm imagawayaki filled with adzuki bean paste + royal milk from depachika); a couple of Asahis at GODZ; simple yakitori snacks at Golden Gai (including some… mystery offal items); back to 7/11 for drunk matcha ice cream and waffle snacks 👣 28,800 steps 🏁 13.0 miles
DAY 4 ASAKUSA 📍 Went out for coffee; walked around Kinarimon Gate and Nakamise; toured Asakusa Shrine, Senso-ji Temple, surrounding Shinto and Buddhist shrines; stopped for sushi and mochi; went for a walk up Sumida River; dipped into Shoden and Imado shrines; crossed Kototoi Bridge to Tokyo Skytree; went up Tokyo Skytree; back to Senso-ji for night photos; capped off evening with gyoza 🍣 Lattes at cute puppet theater coffeeshop (espresso, dandelion tea); 7/11 for breakfast-y fuel; strawberries from a street stall at Nakamise; sushi lunch; beautiful mochi + tea dessert; grilled gyoza, soup dumpling gyoza, shoujo Oolong tea cocktail for afters 👣 25,500 steps 🏁 11.66 miles
DAY 5 JIMBŌCHŌ, AKIHABARA 📍 Train to Ichigaya - notable French-inspired neighborhood; breakfast at local French café; Yasakuni Shrine; Kanda River walk by Hosei University; Tokyo Daijingu Shrine; Jimbōchō Old Book Town; walked from there to Akihibara; hit up noodles, arcade, nerd shops (comics, TCGs/CCGs, retro video games systems, TTRPGS, etc); gachapons; hit up the bizarre rare vending machines 🍣 Vending machine coffee and milk tea; yummy French pastries (bacon and sour cream roll, quiche, sour cream raisin custard thing); had to try some avocado and cheese Doritos; cold udon with duck broth soup, curry rice for Chris; fish-shaped taiyaki with custard cream dessert treat; dope gyoza place ("weekday" version with pork and cabbage, shrimp and chili mayo, yakitori with tare, and shogayaki with onions) 👣 Forgot watch at hotel - we’ll say 10,000 steps 🏁 Guessing about 5 or 6?
DAY 6 TEAMLAB PLANETS, TRAVEL TO KYOTO 📍 Hit up teamLabs, had an amazing time exploring the exhibits - the infinite light crystal room was our fav; train to Tokyo Station; lunch at underground Ramen Street restaurants under the station - went with Soranoiro, one of the few veg/vegan ramen shops in Japan - delicious; shinkansen to Kyoto; out for nightlife in Kiyamachi-Dori and Pontocho 🍣 Quick 7/11 snacks; train snacks (pocky, coffee, little teriyaki cutlet sandwich); Soranoiro ramen bowls; killer yakitori we fried right at our table in izakaya in Pontocho (honestly probably a meal highlight of the whole trip); brown sugar shoujo; 7/11 for ice cream on the way back 👣 18,900 steps 🏁 8.63 miles
DAY 7 KINKAKUJI, NISHIKI, GION 📍 Kinkakuji Temple; bus back to Kiyamachi-dori; spent whole afternoon walking and eating street food at Nishiki Market; back to hotel for rest, laundry, rooftop drink; out for nightlife in Gion 🍣 Family Mart for coffee and doughnuts; Nishiki Market Street street food delights - seared yakitori style crab stick, little octopus chuka idako on skewers, kara-age on skewers, sea squid croquettes and beer, strawberry and adzuki bean mochi balls; mimosas and red wine; Kyoto Gion Okaru - geisha-decorated izakaya with insane curry udon bowls and beers; picked up box of mochi dango for dessert 👣 20,200 steps 🏁 9.07 miles
DAY 8 SHRINE DAY 📍 OK, this is a lot:

• Yasakajinja (we happened to be here while a young couple was having a Shinto wedding ceremony!)
• Yasui Kompira-gū (built 1170, shrine for ending bad relationships and starting new ones, has special stone that you pin your wishes to - many young girls will crawl through the stone to mark a breakup or wish for love)
• Kennin-ji (built 1202, large grounds - among the oldest in Kyoto);
• Reigen-in (part of Kennin-ji grounds, a Zen teahouse with a tea garden where they served adzuki bean buns with tea made from the actual hydrangeas of the tea garden outside!)
• Zenkyoan (boar shrine which we initially thought were cute hedgehogs)
• Kyoto Ebisu Shrine (dedicated to fishermen - we happened to be here during the shrine's annual mikoshi festival - a battalion of locals in traditional clothes, hoisting and dancing with the mikoshi around the neighborhood)
• Kodai-ji (built 1606, gorgeous grounds - we skipped the tour)
• Hōkan-ji/Yasaka Pagoda (dating back to 589 and rebuilt in 1400s, huge black 5-story pagoda featuring massive shakyamuni pole inside and reliquary of a bone of the Buddha in the foundations)
• Ryōzen Kannon (built 1955 after WW2, massive Buddha statue and active Buddhist temple)
• Of course the world-famous Kiyomizudera (built 778, enormous Kyoto-red temple with beautiful buildings spiraling up into the forest)

🍣 Hotel coffee, tea, cream puffs; adzuki bean buns with tea made from the actual hydrangeas of the tea garden at the shrine; dope bento box lunch; got takeout fast food donburi and fizzy lemonade 👣 22,800 steps 🏁 10.39 miles
DAY 9 FUSHIMI-INARI 📍 Fushimi Inari, the famous shrine of over 1,000 torii gates - super amazing (and intense!) summit of Mt Inari! Back to Nishiki Market for reward street food and drinks; back to hotel for a rooftop drink and soak; finally out for soba at Kawamichiya Ginka in Pontocho. 🍣 Snack pack on our hike (sausages, cheese, some kind of fish meat/cheese stick, and surume - sweet chewy dried squid stuff); orange smoothie; conveyor belt sushi; strawberry mochi roll; whisky highball and red wine; massive soba spreads (chicken seared with wasabi/yuzu/horseradish dipped in ponzu sauce, fried soba noodles in a rich soup, cold soba noodles dipped tsukemen-style in a really amazing umami soy sauce soup, tempura shrimp and veggies, a hot soba noodles in a clear broth soup) 👣 27,600 steps 🏁 Supposedly 12.3 miles, but that hike to summit Mt Inari was something else 😤
DAY 10 TRAVEL TO OSAKA, SHINSABASHISUJI, AMEMURA, DOTONBURI 📍 Beautiful brunch on the bank of the canal in Kyoto; local train to Osaka-Umeda; checked into Osaka hotel; walked around Shinsaibashisuji and Dotonburi a little bit; scoped out Amemura ("Ameri-mura") for dope American-inspired Japanese streetwear; wandered up and down street food stalls in Dotonbori; swung by Namba Hips (mostly pachinko); found a couple of fun little hole-in-the-wall places (little Japanese craft beer brewery, retro video games bar) 🍣 Brunch at Kawa Cafe (croque monsieur, ramen, tea and delicious apple tart); takoyaki, cheesy waffle shaped like a massive 10yen coin, sweet chili hotdogs from stands in Dotonbori; dashi gose craft beer (by Derailleur Brew Works) from Umineko, shots at Space Station bar 👣 19,500 steps 🏁 9.01 miles
DAY 11 NAMBAYASAKIJINA, DOTONBURI 📍 Morning Japanese breakfast at a wonderful little 24-hour diner; Hozen-ji (moss shrine); Kamigata Ukiyo-e Museum across the street (focusing on Osaka woodcuts celebrating Dotonburi's kabuki and entertainment history); Nambayasaka-jinja (lion head shrine); Den Den Town (Osaka's Akihabara); ended up at a cozy little kushikatsu bar which actually was playing the Tigers game (away game vs the Swallows at Tokyo); street food waffles for dessert; hit up a late-night batting cage - ended up at Round1 (a big multi-floor arcade complex) and did the rooftop batting cage! My partner won a giant plushie for me from a claw machine! 🍣 Dope traditional japanese omelette and fish breakfast; cute macarons from market stand; Family Mart for snacks before nightlife; skewers, beer, and highballs from Dotonbori kushikatsu place; ridiculous nutella, whip, and strawberry stuffed waffle from Waffle Khan 👣 29,100 steps 🏁 13.31 miles
DAY 12 KUROMON ICHIBA, OSAKA CASTLE, DOTONBURI 📍 Kuromon Ichiba Market for street food; Osaka Castle Park and Nishinomaru Gardens; toured Osaka Castle and museum all the way up to the top; subway to Tanimachi-9-chome subway station for amazing live jazz at Sub Jazz Cafe. (This was amazing! Akira "Ro" Hasegawa (sax) and Yukie Fujikawa (keys) - Ro is also the owner and was bartending on this particular night too.) Out to Don Don for killer yakiniku and beer; found our way to Oboradaren, an Tokunoshima-themed island vibes bar and music spot where there was a great live band playing fun island vibes beach rock - big crowd of 40s+ Japanese women who knew all the songs, wound up drinking passionfruit chuhai and joining them in the conga line around the bar 🍣 Oden hot pot, wagyu skewer, otoro sashimi, crab gratin in the half-shell, bracken green tea soy cakes at Kuromon Market; ice cream sandwiches at Osaka Castle; milk tea, little roast beef sandwich, and cheesecake at Sub Jazz Cafe; yakiniku-style wagyu, ribs, ox tongue, assorted mushrooms; passionfruit chuhai and red wine at the island vibes spot; taro and brown sugar boba teas 👣 23,000 steps 🏁 10.42 miles
DAY 13 KAIYUKAN, SHINSEKAI, DOTONBURI 📍 Fun trip to Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan; quick pass through Shinsekai; lunch at spot where you can fish your own catch from an indoor fishing boat pool; out for one last Dotonburi night - wound up getting konbini snacks and sitting on the waterfront talking and people-watching for hours 🍣 Not a banger food-wise, but interesting little spread at the fish-your-own place - huge prawn for grilling, kara-age, and fatty tuna nigiri for Max, tempura veggies and whitefish with doteyaki for Chris; from Family Mart, fruit smoothie, ice cup, and KitKat for Max, onigiri and lemonade for Chris 👣 19,100 steps 🏁 8.64 miles
DAY 14 TRAVEL TO HAKONE, HAKONE SHRINE 📍 Bombed to Shin-Osaka for an early shinkansen to Odawara; trained to Odawara to Hakone; dropped luggage off at ryokan, then bus to Motohakone; saw Hakone Shrine and Onshi-Hakone Park (as well as a segment of the actual Old Tokaido!); returned to ryokan for the night, where we were treated to a gorgeous 1:1 kaiseki from a Michelin-star chef, private hot spring onsen, and private in-room hot spring bath 🍣 Konbini snacks before shinkansen; snacks and coffee on train; late lunch in Motohakone (curry and soba, pork cutlet); incredible, massive multi-course kaiseki and sake for dinner, plus strawberry cake, champagne, and more sake for dessert 👣 13,900 steps 🏁 6.26 miles
DAY 15 HAKONE OPEN AIR MUSEUM, TRAVEL TO TOKYO, LAST NIGHT IN SHINJUKU 📍 Woke up in gorgeous ryokan; leisurely kaiseki breakfast with leftover cake; final soak in the private onsen; Hakone Open Air Museum - very cool; had kind of a challenging trip back but finally made it from Museum back to ryokan to bus stop to Hakone-Yumoto to Odawara to Shinjuku to the hotel 😮‍💨 Considering the last night as our real "last night" of the trip, our final night out in Tokyo was all just extra icing on the cake - went out for yakitori skewers and Asahi Superdrys in cozy alley in Omoide Yokocho, found really wonderful cake and tea dessert open late also in Omoide, hit up 🎵 Donki! 🎵 for a final round of bulk snacks and souvenirs, ended up on a late-night excursion to find Park Hyatt Hotel (featured in Lost in Translation); finished night at hotel watching the city go to sleep from our balcony 👣 22,700 steps 🏁 10.3 miles
FINAL SCORE 📸 Pics: 1,929 👣 Steps: 337,700 🏁 Miles: 153.78 (we averaged 9.6 miles per day, every day, for 16 days) 🇯🇵 “Nihongo jōzu!”: 4 (I know more proficient Japanese speakers are insulted, but it's honestly a pretty nice comment when you're at my level) 👶 Comments on how young we look/how we can’t possibly be celebrating our 10-year wedding anniversary: 3 ✨ Gratitude: Infinite.

Hello!
Me and my wife are going to Tokyo in the end of July for 2 weeks. We have an idea that we would like to spend ~5 nights in Tokyo and then go some other place for 2-3 nights and then return to Tokyo for the rest of our stay.
I wanted to ask for recommendations about places we could go for these 2-3 nights. Here are some preferences that we would like to consider:
-location is within a few hours from tokyo, preferably by train.
-location has hotels with relatively smooth connection options (eg. Taxi, train station).
-location is in relatively close proximity to nature or countryside, eg. Hiking trails, forests, lakes, national parks etc.
-alternatively, there are car rental options close to city/town outskirts (would prefer as little city driving as possible)
-cultural and/or historical sites such as temples, ruins, castles etc.
We have looked at areas around Mt. Fuji and Mt. Takao but we aren't sure where good places to stay would be.
Any suggestions and tips would be very appreciated!

Details here: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/search-continues-for-california-hiker-missing-in-olympic-national-park/ Call 360-417-2459 (Clallam County Sheriff) if you have any info

Day 1:
Arrive 10pm in Calgary
Day 2:
Drive from Calgary to Banff National Park
Lake Minnewanka and Lake vermilion
Johnston Canyon
Stay in Canmore
Day 3:
Emerald lake
Takkawaka falls
Stay in Canmore
Day 4:
Arrive at 7am by bus to Lake Moraine and Lake Louise after
Plain of Six Glacier Tea Houses hike from Lake Louise
wondering how much time to stay in each Lake. No plans on doing any big hike in Moraine since we are doing the tea house at Louise
Stay in canmore
Day 5:
Drive towards Jasper National Park
Peyto lake
Bow Lake
Athabasca Glacier
Continue north to Sunwapta Falls
Don't know if it's too packed but we are starting very early
Day 6:
Maligne Lake Cruise
Medicine Lake
Maligne Canyon
Stay in Jasper
Day 7:
Sky Tram in Jasper
Sulphur Skyline Trail or Pyramid Lake
Miette Hot Springs
Stay in Jasper
Day 8: Start heading back to calgary
Maybe make a few more stops along icefield Parkway
Sulphur mountain gondola
Day 9:
Morning flight back home

FRIDAY

• Friday Night on White, White St., Wake Forest
• Two Durhams Beer Festival, Durham Central Park, Durham
• Subtronics, Red Hat Amphitheater, Raleigh
• Summerfest: Never Break the Chain: The Music of Fleetwood Mac, Koka Booth Amphitheatre, Cary
• SPECIAL EVENT: PETE DAVIDSON WORKING OUT NEW MATERIAL WITH FRIENDS, Goodnights Comedy Club, Raleigh
• The Monti: Freak, Carolina Theatre, Durham
• Cary's History of Hooch Tours, Downtown, Cary
• Shane Gillis, DPAC, Durham
• So Far Sounds, Secret Location, Cary
• Advance Auto Parts 160, Wake County Speedway, Raleigh
• Rennie Harris Puremovement American Street Dance Theater, Page Auditorium, Durham
• Elodie Farm Dinner, Elodie Farms, Durham
• Andrew Schulz, Raleigh Improv, Cary
• ONE OCEAN FILM TOUR, The Cary Theater, Cary
• Green Jelly, Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh
• NCAA Division II Baseball Championship, USA Baseball National Training Complex, Cary
• Bluegrass and Brews, Nickelpoint Brewing Co., Raleigh
• Friday Family Flicks - Strange World, Garner Recreation Center, Garner
• Tour: Unsettled Things: Art from an African American South, Ackland Art Museum, Chapel Hill
• Angela Bingham w/Jim Ketch Quintet, Sharp Nine Gallery, Durham
• Retro Film Series - The African Queen & Key Largo, Carolina Theatre, Durham
• Triangle Restaurant Week, Various Locations, Triangle
• Pen Collectors of America: Triangle Pen Show 2023, DoubleTree by Hilton (RDU), Durham
• Carolina Tiger Twilight Tour, Carolina Tiger Rescue, Pittsboro

​
SATURDAY

• Town of Cary's Pimento Cheese Festival, Downtown Park, Cary
• Summerfest: All Beethoven, Koka Booth Amphitheatre, Cary
• SPECIAL EVENT: PETE DAVIDSON WORKING OUT NEW MATERIAL WITH FRIENDS, Goodnights Comedy Club, Raleigh
• Nuv Yug India Fest, Jim Graham Building at North Carolina State Fairgrounds, Raleigh
• Geek and Grub Market (Pride Edition), Mordecai Historic Park, Raleigh
• Triangle Restaurant Week, Various Locations, Triangle
• THE BLOCK PARTY “Downtown Raleigh”, The Bridge & The Architect, Raleigh
• 2023 Annual Apex Pride Festival, Town Hall Campus, Apex
• Al Strong: Jazz Is My Religion, North Carolina Museum of History, Raleigh
• NCAA Division II Baseball Championship, USA Baseball National Training Complex, Cary
• Andrew Schulz, Raleigh Improv, Cary
• Brookside Bodega Summer Festival, Brookside Bodega, Raleigh
• Durham Art Parade, The Scrap Exchange, Durham
• 6th Annual Triangle Community Band Festival, Durham Central Park, Durham
• Orchard Park Jazz Picnic, Orchard Park, Durham
• Rock the Park Concert — Rockie Lynn (Americana/Country), Forest Hills Park, Durham
• Bull Durham Screening Series, Durty Bull, Durham
• Best of the Triangle, Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh
• Caifanes, The Ritz, Raleigh
• Metal Show: An Offering to Bragi, Moon Dog Meadery, Durham
• Summer Fun Day (Wake Forest), Fortnight Brewing, Wake Forest
• BODYTRAFFIC, Reynolds Industries Theater, Durham
• Single Barrel Experience, Mystic Farm and Distillery, Durham
• Frankie Alexander Quartet, Sharp Nine Gallery, Durham
• Children’s Matinee: Rennie Harris Puremovement American Street Dance Theater, Page Auditorium, Durham
• Alley Twenty Six’s Islands in the Alley, Alley Twenty Six, Durham
• DIY & Drag Fundraiser, Nailed It DIY Studio, Durham
• Burlesque: The Rainbow Connection – Boom Boom’s Big Gay B-day Review, The Pinhook, Durham
• Pride, Hi-Wire Brewing, Durham
• Drag Trivia, The Avenue, Raleigh
• Shallow Cuts: Mad Mix Beyond Thunderpop!, Rubies on Five Points, Durham
• Taste of Music Festival, Friendship Chapel Rd., Wake Forest
• Lower Eno River Discovery Paddle, Eno River, Durham
• Friends of Geer Cemetery: Restoration Awareness Ceremony, Geer Cemetery, Durham
• American Tobacco Trail - Great Trail Day, American Tobacco Trail, Durham
• Learn to Ride a Bike, Lake Lynn Park and Community Center, Raleigh
• WILD (Movie Showing), The Cary Theater, Cary

​
SUNDAY

• Durham Central Park Food Truck Rodeo, Durham Central Park, Durham
• Duke University's Ciompi Quartet, NCMA, Raleigh
• Ricardo Arjona, PNC Arena, Raleigh
• SPECIAL EVENT: PETE DAVIDSON WORKING OUT NEW MATERIAL WITH FRIENDS, Goodnights Comedy Club, Raleigh
• Triangle Restaurant Week, Various Locations, Triangle
• Al Strong Presents Jazz Brunch, Alley Twenty Six, Durham
• Kym Register + Meltdown Rodeo / Tami Hart / Dunums, The Pinhook, Durham
• Show Me Snakes Reptile & Exotics Show, Durham Armory, Durham

​
Join the Thingstodo919 email list here for a weekly events newsletter. Doing anything interesting this weekend? Let us know your plans in the comments!

Looking for recommendations!
Hey guys! I’m planning a get away to Seattle to do some hiking in the area and am looking for recommendations for places to stay/hike.
My first thought is to stay in the actual city because it’s seems more central but it seems like it’s a fair distance to Olympic National Park and Mount Rainer.
If anyone has some recommendations as to hidden gems as far as trails and cool neighborhoods to stay close to either park I would greatly appreciate it!

Hey guys! I’m planning a get away to Seattle to do some hiking in the area and am looking for recommendations for places to stay/hike.
My first thought is to stay in the actual city because it’s seems more central but it seems like it’s a fair distance to Olympic National Park and Mount Rainer.
If anyone has some recommendations as to hidden gems as far as trails and cool neighborhoods to stay close to either park I would greatly appreciate it!

I'm looking to get started as a DN. I'm from the UK, and I travelled a lot through Europe & Asia pre-covid but never whilst working remotely! I'm basically looking for some recommendations of places to stay for longer periods of time where I can work yet still retain that 'travelling' feeling. I guess I'm mainly looking for

• easy access to nature (nation parks, mountains, trail centres)
• cycling friendly (road and mtb)
• walkable city/town
• decent size DN community

Thanks!

Last week, u/ExistentialPuggle posted an amazing list of things to do in Baton Rouge that weekend and a lot of people got excited about all the fun things going on, while others shared adfitional events happening around the city. One Redditor commented that they didn’t realize how many great things Baton Rouge has going on and this is something I’ve noticed happening a lot, so my goal is to let people know all the great things Baton Rouge has to offer and hope they share it with others.
Adam Knapp, BRAC’s new president, said his biggest concern is that compared to other cities like Lafayette and New Orleans, Baton Rouge does not have “insane community pride” and looking at this subreddit proves he’s right. I know its hard to be proud of this city. I know we’ll never be #1 on any positive list and am use to scrolling down to the bottom lists to find us but I’m a Baton Rougian for life and try to find as much pride to have in gvis city as possible.
I’m usually a lurker and not much if a poster, so it might take me a few tries to get the format right. Also, with Reddit deciding to compleywly fuck over 3rd party apps, I’m not aure how easy posting will be once Apollo no longer exists.
The places I’m currently looking for events are news sources, local magzines, the library and local wbesite. If you have any other recommendations on where to look, please share.
Please share any other events I might have missed!
(Due to this being a late night Thursday adventure, I’m probabaly only going to be able to posts this weekend’s events, but my goal is to add on events that are ongoing in the area)
Local Live Music: Red Stick Music does an amazing job of listing all known live music shows
FRIDAY - June 9th
Coppélia Ballet: Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre’s Youth Ballet summer touring show - Carver Library - 9:30am - Free
LSU MOA’s Neighborhood Art Pop-Up: LSU Museum if Art brings artists, art supplies and creative projects offering kids a fun opportunity to create artwork while learning - Shiloh Baptist Church - 10am-12pm
Mary Poppins Jr.: Central Community Theatre puts on musical based on the popular Disney movie - Manship Theatre (not sure how this will work with Summer of Swing) - 6:30pm - $29
Rhinos of the World: Learn all about rhinos from how they communicate to where they live - Baton Rouge Zoo - 6:30pm-7:30pm - Free but pre-registration is required
Movies in the Plaza: Movie: Turning Red (bring lawn chairs or blankets) - The Main Library at Goodwood - 7pm - Free
Summer Swing with Ashley Orlando - The Great American Songbook & Beyond: A voyage through jazz and swing from the early 20th century through the 1960s - Manship Theatre (not sure how this will work with Mary Poppins Jr. - $25
Highland Road Park Observatory: Display Premiere: The Histories and Mysteries of Glass - 5:30pm-8:30pm - Free
Phil Brady’s Bar: Live music from Mid-City Prowlers, Low Water Bridge & The Squanders - Come see u/Bassman-BEADG play in all 3 bands! - 8:30pm - Not sure of cover charge
SATURDAY - June 10th
Red Stick Farmers Market: Farm fresh produce, goods, cooking demonstrations and more - Fifth and Main Street downtown - 8am-12pm
Market at the Oasis: Vendors selling farm grown produce, handmade items, baked goods and more - 13827 Coursey Blvd - 9am-1pm
Kids Fest: Live entertainment, speakers, health screenings and outdoor play - Scotlandville Parkway - 9am-1pm
Highland Road Park Observatory - Science Academy: Exploring Weather II - Cadets will investigate: frost, mist, fog, clouds, rain and snow - Ages 8-12 - 10am-12pm - $5 for EBR Parish Cadet; $6 for other-Parish Cadet
Irene W. Pennington Planetarium - Stargazing: Learn about stars and constellations and an all-ages show - Louisiana Arts & Science Museum - 10am - Ticket included in regular admission
Baddies Who Brunch: High energy drag performance with bottomless mimosas and table seating brunch - Independence Park Theatre - Doors open at 10am; Show starts at 11am - $35 Don’t forget to bring singles to tip the fabulous queens!
Greater Baton Rouge Model Railroaders: Miniature train models and running models of trains - 3406 College Street Jackson, Louisiana - 10am-2pm - Free
BASF’s Kid’s Lab: Float or Sink: Explore the science of chemistry during a 45-minute hands-on workshop - Ages 6-12 - Louisiana Arts & Science Museum - 11am; 1pm & 3pm - Tickets included with regular admission
Radio Bar - Art Market: Local artists and creators - Radio Bar - 2pm-6pm
Mary Poppins Jr.: Central Community Theatre puts on musical based on the popular Disney movie - Manship Theatre - 2pm & 6:30pm - $29
Baton Rouge Super Regional - LSU Baseball: LSU vs UK - Alex Box Stadium - 2pm - Tickets required
Red Stick C.A.R.E.S - Under the Lights: Night Red Stick Market with live music and lots of local artists and vendors - 5475 Essen Lane - 6pm-9pm
Boomerang Comedy Theatre: Improve Student Showcase - Feel free to bring BYOB - Boomerang Comedy Theatre - 7pm; 8pm & 9pm - Free but tickets required
Highland Road Park Observatory - Evening Sky Viewing: Weather permitting, view the night sky through telescopes - 7:30pm-10pm - Free -Turn off headlights when driving in
SUNDAY - June 11th
Baddies Who Brunch: High energy drag performance with bottomless mimosas and table seating brunch - Independence Park Theatre - Doors open at 10am; Show starts at 11am - $35 Don’t forget to bring singles to tip the fabulous queens!
Hilton Drag Brunch: High energy drag performances, brunch menu and bottomless mimosas - Must be 21 or older - Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center - 10am-2pm - $60 Don’t forget to bring singles to tip the fabulous queens!
BASF’s Kid’s Lab: Float or Sink: Explore the science of chemistry during a 45-minute hands-on workshop - Ages 6-12 - Louisiana Arts & Science Museum - 1:30pm & 3pm - Tickets included with regular admission
Mary Poppins Jr.: Central Community Theatre puts on musical based on the popular Disney movie - Manship Theatre - 2pm & 6:30pm - $29
Baton Rouge Super Regional - LSU Baseball: LSU vs UK - Alex Box Stadium - Time to be announced - Tickets required
MONDAY - June 12th
Baton Rouge Super Regional - LSU Baseball: (Only if needed) LSU vs UK - Alex Box Stadium - Time to be announced - Tickets required
TUESDAY - June 13th
Red Stick Farmers Market: Local fruits and vegetables, fresh breads, garden plants, prepared foods, jams, jellies and more - Main Library at Goodwood - 3pm-6pm
WEDNESDAY - June 14th
Red Stick Farmers Market: Local fruits and vegetables, fresh breads, garden plants, prepared foods, jams, jellies and more - ExxonMobil YMCA - 9am-12pm
Sunset Paddle: Youth age 12+ and adults - Milford Wampold Memorial Park - 7pm-8:30pm - Rentals: single kayak-$10; tandem kayak-$20; canoe-$25 - Registration required at brec.org
THURSDAY - June 15th
Red Stick Farmers Market: Local fruits and vegetables, fresh breads, garden plants, prepared foods, jams, jellies and more - Pennington Biomedical Research Center - 8am-12pm
Juneteenth Panel Discussions: Talk will unpack the post-emancipation triumphs of Black Americans - Shaw Center for the Arts - 5pm-7pm
ONGOING TEMPORARY EXHIBITS
Baton Rouge Gallery Center for Contemporary Art: Exhibits by Mary Ann Caffery, Margaret Humphris, Phyllis Lear and David Scott (until June 19) - Free
Capitol Park Museum: Carnival in the Nation’s Capital: The Washington Mardi Gras Ball (until Sept 16) - Creole New Orleans, Honey! The Art of Andrew LaMar Hopkins (until Sept 16) - Back Roads to Back Yards: The Flora and Fauna of South Louisiana (until Oct 28) - The History of Louisiana’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities - Free
Cary Saurage Community Arts Center: Why Pride: A Collaboration with the Trevor Project (until now July 2) - Free
Louisiana Art & Science Museum: Diamonds of History: Mighty Women by Ashley Longshire (until July 2) - Pinpointing the Stars (until Aug 1) - Illustrating Health (until Aug 6) - Our Louisiana (until Jan 14) - Artistry and Accuracy l: Botanical Illustrations by Margaret Stone (until March 3) - Children & Seniors-$10; Adults-$12
Louisiana State Archives: 70th Jubilee Invitational Exhibit (until June 29)
LSU Museum of Art: I, Too, am Thornton Dial (until July 2) - Hank Willis Thomas/Unbranded: Reflections in Black by Corporate America (until July 30) - Children (under 12)-Free; 13 and older-$5
LSU Textile & Costume Museum: Til Trends Do Us Part: A Retrospect in Changing Fashion in Bridal Wear (until Aug 31) - Free
Main Library at Goodwood: Fiber Artists of Louisiana - Guardians, Harbingers and Sentinels (until June 30) - Free
Old State Capitol: Jazz Age Juxtaposition: The Prohibition Era of Louisiana (until Aug 19)- Political Parties and the Culture of Conventions (until Dec 15) - Free
West Baton Rouge Museum: Angela Gregory: Doyenne of Louisiana Sculpture (until Aug 7) - WBRP Resident-Free; Other Adults-$4; Seniors, Military, Students-$2

Hi all,
I'm from Australia (23 F) and my parents and I have booked return flights to Seattle. We're not interested in LA or SF, so Seattle seemed like a great option for its proximity to nature/mountains/Canada. We'll be there for 21 days, two of those are getting to/from airport. So 19 days of actual on-the-road sight seeing. Parents have been to USA before, I haven't.
We're heading over in August, and we're planning on hiring a car and doing a road trip. While we also want to check Washington (the state) out, we are also interested in seeing Vancouvesurrounding areas and Montana or Wyoming for the national parks there.
Some things we like:

• Mountains, rivers, nature, places that are walk-friendly and we also love hiking (though nothing too difficult)
• Beaches (happy to not swim... but picturesque beaches)
• Interesting cities (Seattle and Portland seem a lot like Melbourne - we like this vibe)
• Good food and cafe culture
• Small picturesque towns
• Very curious about the more absurd side of American culture
• I'm into photography

Things we don't like:

• Theme parks/Movie related stuff (like in LA), nightclubs lol

Anyway my main question is... what would you suggest for a 19-day road trip in the north west that somewhat pertains to the above? Any cute picturesque towns you would recommend, or nice nature related stuff? Do national park permits get booked out quite in advance? Should I be worried about bears?!?!
Olympic National Park looks awesome, but so do the national parks in Montana/Wyoming. We've got a fair bit of time and are used to driving long distances.
Thanks all!

Hi all,
I'm from Australia (23 F) and my parents and I have booked return flights to Seattle. We're not interested in LA or SF, so Seattle seemed like a great option for its proximity to nature/mountains/Canada. We'll be there for 21 days, two of those are getting to/from airport. So 19 days of actual on-the-road sight seeing. Parents have been to USA before, I haven't.
We're heading over in August, and we're planning on hiring a car and doing a road trip. While we also want to check Washington (the state) out, we are also interested in seeing Vancouvesurrounding areas and Montana or Wyoming for the national parks there.
Some things we like:

• Mountains, rivers, nature, places that are walk-friendly and we also love hiking (though nothing too difficult)
• Beaches (happy to not swim... but picturesque beaches)
• Interesting cities (Seattle and Portland seem a lot like Melbourne - we like this vibe)
• Good food and cafe culture
• Small picturesque towns
• Very curious about the more absurd side of American culture
• I'm into photography

Things we don't like:

• Theme parks/Movie related stuff (like in LA), nightclubs lol

Anyway my main question is... what would you suggest for a 19-day road trip in the north west that somewhat pertains to the above? Any cute picturesque towns you would recommend, or nice nature related stuff? Do national park permits get booked out quite in advance? Should I be worried about bears?!?!
Olympic National Park looks awesome, but so do the national parks in Montana/Wyoming. We've got a fair bit of time and are used to driving long distances.
Thanks all!

Do you know how some decisions in life just feel so right? Imagine a nice warm pizza right out of the oven. The pizza is covered in gooey cheese, warm meats, and whatever else will delight the eyes and nose so late into the night. So image, if you will, going out for just the briefest of seconds to enjoy the crisp feel of the fall air on your face. You come back to the apartment building that you, and appropriately 50 or 60 of your neighbors call home, only to find smoke billowing down the halls as you suddenly remember that you turned on the burner, and not the oven to preheat, and the smoke is from that pizza you left on the stove. If you feel like burrowing down the deepest hole after reading that, just remember that you are not alone. In the last week, I have taken a job at a hydroelectric power station as an operator, which at the time felt like an easy no-brainer decision. The job description was nothing if not a little enticing. There was a hefty sign-on bonus, more money than even I thought I was worth, and housing courtesy of the Corps of Engineers, which consider the aforementioned fire above, I needed pretty badly. My name is Kate Fugate, I am 24, and in so, so much, debt that I have moved to a small town in the northern Appalachia wilderness hoping to carve out a life here. The town is very small, having a few local stores primary consisting of convenience stores, gas stations, and dollar stores. The town is deeply forested and has recently had the honor of having this vast area be designated a National park. The houses are sandwiched into a sharp valley, consisting of a river, sprawling train tracks, and speckled with bridges of all makes and builds. If you were to come here at night, and I very much doubt you would be here at night, you might also take notice of the emergency room-slash-post office combination with twinkling neon lights. If you plan on staying here for very long, and once again, I doubt it, you should get to know the staff. The main attraction, and the reason that I am christening this journal, is that as much as I would like to believe otherwise, this place is weird but we will get into that more a bit later. What should be the most prominent feature of the town, the dam, is actually not in town. It is about 15 miles upstream, hidden on an unmarked road nestled in a forgotten corner of the park. This fortress spans the length of the river from hill to hill, and is a huge concrete wall with an office building made of brick and a stunningly massive art -deco window spanning the two floors of this structure neatly tucked off the side like an after thought. There are massive, brilliant flood lights spanning the entire length of the dam and stretching pretty far upstream. The concept is pretty simple, water goes in, spins turbines, and comes out on the other side, and creates the miracles that we all know and love: electricity. In addition, this place prevents flooding and is an all-around great place for serving the town as an early indicator for fires and other disasters. To make matters even more excruciatingly boring and downright fucking frustrating is that there no cell or internet connections to the dam or the cabin nearby that I get to call home. The formal answer I got back for this pile of fake manure is that the cell tower determined the population to “insignificant” to put a cell tower in this area, which I can almost buy. The sorry excuse for the internet is that the park service determines this spot too high of a national security threat and doesn’t want the risk of Russians destroying the place or something, this reasoning being absolutely shit if you ask me. In order to still get a tiny shred of civilization, I have to climb a stairway to heaven itself up a fire tower, on a hill to get just enough Wi-Fi to keep some semblance of sanity. And let me tell you, my ass is burning, my tounge is dry, and my lungs are one iota from exploding from the effort, and it is worth it. My first day here started off with my coworker, Sam, showing up two hours late for our designated meeting. He was dressed in bright white pants and a striped plunging v-neck tiger shirt and I would be lying if I didn’t say my first impression was trying to find a camera crew, because I was just certain that someone was trolling with me. He was average height, approximately 35, black hair, blue eyes, and very well groomed hair, and huge muscular arms and, all-in-all, gave off an energy that he thought he was a very pretty boy. We shake hands, before he cocks his head and give me a quizzical look, “Hey I noticed on your paperwork, is your name actually —“ I cut him off hard and fast, “Yes, it is. My parents were a bit, well, downright eccentric, alright? Don’t use that name, don’t even remember it alright. Do me a favor and call me Kate, Katie if you prefer.” He looks a bit taken aback and I feel a shred of remorse for the hostility, “Can do, may name is Samuel Carrington but Sam sounds more approachable if you wouldn’t mind using that.” We take a quick tour of the facility going into the offices, him quickly pointing out the landlines, emergency switches, exits, ect. He goes over the more technical aspects of the job, but then stops right before going into the turbine room, looks me dead in the eye with more seriousness than I thought was possible. “There are only a handful of rules you absolutely must follow: 1. Treat the equipment well, it is fucking EXPENSIVE and a lot of it is specialized. There is no hydroectric repair store just sitting around the corner. 2. Do not leave the site. I am dead serious about this one. Do. Not. Leave. The. Site. The only time you can leave is if you have someone competent here. I am only here two days a week as I have other obligations with the government, as you know the rest is up to you until we can get more people here. 3. Don‘t turn off the turbines for any reason. There are people downstream that stake their lives on the continual operation of this place. 4. If, for whatever reason, this place can not operate due to exceptional circumstances, or can no longer contain the river you must activate the emergency system. In addition to letting out an alert, it allows for people to know in advance to get to higher ground. This is critical, we are the only thing preventing everyone downstream a brutal watery demise.“ We head continue the turbine room talk about more dull operating procedures and then stop by a small office space. Sam stops and swings open the door which reveals all of a tiny efficiency apartment. “This is my room while I am here, if you need anything feel free to swing by.” He gives me a wink as I contemplate vomiting on his stupid gold tasseled shoes “We have a cabin for you since no other apartments exist and it was left furnished by my last guy.” We walk a short gravel path uphill to a small old cabin with a porch. He swings open the door, leaving very little to the imagination. Bed and mattress, fridge, stove, fill nearly all the available space. Right smack in the middle of the table sits a pissed off mostly hairless cat, that jumps off the table gives us a hiss for good measure and runs off into the woods. “Look, we can probably get rid of that if you want. I have no clue how it got in here, or hey, look at it this way! You already have a built in roommate! Feel free to decorate this place anyway you want, if you want I can go get us some food, and I can help you move in. Tomorrow I can go on a grocery run.” I open the cabinet to find an assortment of canned oddities left over from the last occupant. “No, that really won’t be necessary, but thank you so much for the offer.” I say trying to be nice. And then the thought occurred to me that this guy is being perhaps a bit too friendly. “Hey, is it alright if I have some, umm, well, overnight friends over? Very special female friends?” I asked trying to be subtle to see if that would discourage him. “Well douse me in gasoline and toss me a match. Are you a lesbian? That is so freaking awesome! I love chicks too, how cool is that? I shoulda known what with the flannel and pickup truck.” He says, totally oblivious to my growing acceptance that this guy was mostly harmless, if not a touch stupid. Sam cracks open the fridge, and rapidly shuts it back, as a slightly warm pungent smell swaggers into the room. “Yeah, definitely gonna get some real groceries tomorrow.” “Yep, that’s me, I’m a super lesbian.” I lie feeling like this statement may come back and haunt me. I turn on the kitchen facet as black water spills out. Sam looks at it a little concerned, “Might want to let that run for a bit, if it doesn’t clear soon, I’ll look into having it fixed. But look, seriously, if you need any help at all, don’t hesitate to call. This place is pretty spooky and it is easy to get hurt or in trouble out here. I’ve only been here about 3 months and my last coworker got pretty messed up. I liked him pretty well and it is an easy, if not boring job but it can take a toll.” Sam stepped out on the porch shooting a slightly nervous look at the woods before looking back at me. I waved him out, “It is alright, I’m fine, I can take care of myself. I will see you bright and early in the morning.” Sam nodded at me with me with a warm smile and made the short trek back to the dam. Night swiftly fell, and I was clutching my stomach off loading the contents into the porcelain alter for a cruel sadistic god. I hadn’t checked the expiration date too closely before downing a can of beef tounge I had found in the cabinets, which in retrospect was such a fuckingly stupid move on my part. I stepped back into the main living area to see just a swift glint of metal, before listening to the “Crash” as my widow was busted in and a hand swiftly unlocked the door from the inside. “Shit, this is real bad.” My brain thought. As my body tensed for a fight, in walked a figure in a green ranger uniform. The guy was 26-27, 5’11, light brown hair, green eyes, fair skin. He looked absolutely furious but satisfied. “I got you now, you jackass arsonist.” He says, grabbed me by the arms and tossing me on a stuffed chair hard. I feel a flash of pain on my ass as I land. “Damn, I realllly hope that wasn’t a needle.” I think as jump back up. Now, he looked back at me with with sheer bewilderment in his eyes. “OH shit, oh shit, I am gonna die.” I feel dread sneak into me as I scramble looking around. I take up a knife from the counter and plunge it into his hand. He lets out a yelp and given me a kick to my already twisted stomach. ”This is it.” I think as I land on the ground, and take the chance to grab his leg while it is still in the air. I push forward as he stumbles backwards. “Wait, but your not -“ he tries to slide out of the cabin but I pull down his socks and bite like a rabid dog, with all the energy I had. I taste a glint of metal. He starts really letting his lungs work now before coming to his senses again and grabs a fire extinguisher off the porch and hits me squarely with it. My vision swiftly faded to white after that. My next memory has me coming back to consciousness in a hospital room. I am under a blanket with cows on it, and look over to see a shitty thin blue curtain with yellow ducks on it. As I try to piece back my memory, I hear a commotion on the other side of the curtain. One female voice nearly splitting my ears says, “Are you a dumbass? You look like one to me dumbass. You obviously weren’t thinking, dumbass. God, what a dumbass.” Another male voice joins in, ”A girl, you beat a harmless girl senseless. And the poor thing was starting the job at the power plant. If you weren’t in already in the hospital, I’d put here, but to be fair that would make Dr. Sanders work harder, and unlike you I actually like the guy.” An older man wearing a white coat comes in about this time who I presume is the aforementioned individual, gives me the mouth zipping motion, a wink and walks to the other side of the curtain. “Well, she’s dead. You may as well see your handiwork.” The old doctors says. A younger voice pipes up, “B-B-But it was an accident. I didn’t mean-“ The curtain flies open to reveal two police officers, a short and slightly heavy male and a tall African American woman. Both looking ready to kill the park ranger in bed with his hand bandaged up. The young man looks at me absolutely horrified. I can’t help but let out a small snicker at the scene. The white haired doctor cracks up at the look of pure indignation I shoot park ranger. “She’ll be fine.” He says. The two officers looked a bit more at ease. Dr. Sander then goes on to say after sitting down on the edge of my bed, “You spooked us just a bit there, that one over there” he points to the park ranger, “sprayed you down with a fire extinguisher and caused some temporary asphyxiation.” The guy piped up, “I am so so so sorry. My name is Reuben, call me Ben. I’m so sorry, I had you mistaken for someone else. I’ll make this up to you. I really really fucked this up. Please don’t hate me,” he says. He was genuine, I fully believed that. “Glad you said, that Ben, because I’m pretty sure I need a door now. My name is Katie.” I went over and gave him a light smack to the back of the head. Dr. Sanders gave a puzzled look and picked my chart off the bed, “Wait, isn’t your name -,”. I stopped him, “Yep, it is, please for the love of all that is holy, just don’t.” After that, the female officer who’s name I learned was Talia, dropped me back off at the dam the next morning. Sam who had only the vaguest of ideas of what had gone on that night was filled in by Talia of the rest of the details and she quickly leaves afterwards leaving a cloud trail in the gravel. “Well,” Sam says “I guess this means your leaving.” “Are you kidding?” I say, “I only just got here.” Sam cracks a wide smile, “You’re in luck then, I forgot to show you something yesterday.” We go into the dam, down into the basement under the water level under the turbine rooms. I gasp as I look into the room, it was beautiful. There was a massive window looking out underwater. I could swear for the slightest second though that a fish swam by, displaying three eyes, and a sharp row of teeth. I knew in that moment that this river holds terrible and dark secrets and I had not even dipped toe in them. This is Katie, signing off, until next time.

I am a park ranger in Yellow Stone National Park. It all started about a week ago when 3 hikers went missing. So like normal I went looking on the trail they were last seen but I saw nothing until there was the sound of a women weeping. I started getting closer then I realized that it was one of the missing hikers. "Hello are you ok?" I said as the women looked up at me. Then she screamed "There was a creature that looked like a big bear with nothing on its head". Then I saw It. It looked like a big polar bear only black but it had no meat or skin on its head. I ran faster than I had ever ran before. I could hear the women's screams from half of a mile away. Then I got back to the park ranger office no one was there probably because it was 3am. But then It broke the window I could hear the window smashing. Then it all stopped. BANG! The door came crashing down. But there was nothing there. I walked slowly over to the door then I saw It.

We will be going in July (for 6 days including travel time) and plan to spend one day driving to Hana from our hotel in North Ka’anapali. We will be downloading the Shaka guide and using that since I have no idea where to begin planning out the stops. The only thing was have officially planned is our Waianapanapa reservations at 12:30-3PM.
One thing I know I want to do is visit Haleakala National Park and go hiking at Pipiwai Trail and see the crater. I will not be doing the sunrise reservation. Is the Road to Hana and Haleakala Park doable in one day if we left at 5AM or is this recommended to be done separately on another day?