Born and raised in the Arizona sun, I’m one of the rare “Original Natives” you hear stories about. I grew up in Scottsdale back when it felt a little more like the Wild West and a little less like a luxury resort. My parents instilled a serious case of wanderlust in me early on, trekking us across as many states as a station wagon could reach (with the occasional glamorous flight thrown in for good measure).

As a married woman and a few years in Mesa, my husband and  kidsI followed the scent of the pines up to the small mountain community of Payson, where we’ve called home for the last 30 years.

The Evolution of the Adventure

My “sweet husband” and I have been in the vacation rental game since long before it had an app. We started renting beach houses in San Diego 35 years ago, survived the early 2000s era of VRBO, and eventually embraced AirBnB during a memorable road trip to Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Our travel party has evolved quite a bit over the decades:

• Phase 1: Traveling with kids (Chaotic).
• Phase 2: Traveling as a duo (Peaceful).
• Phase 3: Traveling with Gracie and Jaxon, our two Rhodesian Ridgebacks (Loud, rowdy, and requires a very large backseat).

Yes, we are those people who plan our adventures around our dogs. If there’s a path to be explored in these United States, we’re probably on it—usually being pulled along by 160 pounds of Ridgeback muscle.

A New Lens on Retirement

In 2020, I started my “retirement job,” which turned out to be my true passion: Real Estate Photography. I absolutely love it. There is something so rewarding about capturing the character of a home or the raw beauty of God’s creation.

Whether I’m framing a shot of a mountain sunset or a perfectly staged kitchen, I’m constantly in awe of the world around us. This blog is a digital scrapbook of those passions—a place where my love for travel, photography, and the great outdoors collide.

Why I’m Here

I’m so grateful you’ve stopped by! My prayer is that these stories and photos bless you, give you a laugh (likely at my expense), and inspire you to book that “adventure of a lifetime” you’ve been putting off.