I’m sure that anyone who knows me is wondering, “What the heck is Ashlea doing in Wyoming and South Dakota?!” Hahaha…if you had asked me prior to 2022 if I’d ever plan on visiting these two states my answer would have definitely been “God, no! Why would I do that?” But like many of the adventures I’ve had in the last few years, these were two incredible places I stumbled upon thanks to my adventurous, outdoor-loving fiance (also YES, I got engaged in May 2024!!! Will have to blog about it to fill everyone in on the details!) In September 2022, my fiance Aidan finished his 4-year contract in Active Duty Army and took a medical sales job in Chicago, so we took a ROAD TRIP all the way from Seattle to our new home! 

On this road trip, we wanted to get in all the beatiful sites we could possibly see, including some of our favorite stops: Jackson Hole in Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, the Mammoth Site in South Dakota, and Badlands National Park in South Dakota.

As many of you know, prior to dating Aidan, I was NOT a girl who enjoyed the outdoors (unless it was playing nine holes on a perfectly manicured golf course — the country club life is definitely for me!) However, I’ve been SO grateful to be exposed to such beauty, plus it’s been an incredible way for us to get to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses while dating!