BASED IN THE BAY AREA · EXPLORING THE PNW & BEYOND
Where We Went, What Worked, and How We’d Do It Again
Emma’s Trip Notes shares firsthand itineraries, hiking notes, road-trip lessons, and practical planning details from trips we actually took — across national parks, the Pacific Northwest, and destinations farther from home.
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ABOUT THE NOTES
Based in the Bay Area. Usually headed somewhere outdoors.
Emma’s Trip Notes started as a way to keep track of the places we’d actually been — the hikes worth waking up early for, the drives that took longer than expected, where we stayed, and what we’d change the next time around.
Most trips start in the American West: Yosemite, Glacier, Yellowstone, the Canadian Rockies and the Pacific Northwest.
But the notebook goes farther too — from mountain towns to coastlines and international destinations.
No perfect-trip formulas. Just firsthand notes to make the next trip easier to plan.
Where We’ve Been
Start with a destination and explore the routes, notes and lessons from our trips.
GLACIER NATIONAL PARK
Alpine lakes, Going-to-the-Sun Road, Logan Pass, Many Glacier, and some of the best hiking we’ve done in a national park.
ROAD TRIP • HIKING • 2–5 DAYS • MONTANA
Explore Glacier
BANFF + JASPER
Glacial lakes, the Icefields Parkway, trail decisions and a realistic Rockies road-trip plan.
ROAD TRIP • HIKING • 7 DAYS • CANADA
Explore Banff + Jasper →
WASHINGTON STATE FALL COLORS
Choose Mount Rainier, the North Cascades or Mt. Baker based on timing, conditions and hiking effort.
SEASONAL GUIDE • FALL HIKING • WASHINGTON
Read the fall-color guide →
NEW ZEALAND
Two firsthand road trips across the North and South Islands.
LET’S KEEP IN TOUCH
A few travel notes for your next trip.
New places to explore, little things I wish I’d known before going, and a note when a new guide or travel tool is ready. I’ll write when there’s something worth sharing.
How I use your email
Kit manages subscriptions and sends these occasional travel emails for Emma’s Trip Notes. Every newsletter includes an unsubscribe link. To request deletion, email hello@emmastripnotes.com.
SEASONAL NOW
Mount Rainier, the North Cascades and Mt. Baker change on different schedules. Choose the region that fits your dates, current access and ideal hiking day.
FEATURED TRIP
5 Days in Glacier National Park
Our complete route from Lake McDonald and Going-to-the-Sun Road to Highline Trail, Grinnell Glacier, Iceberg Lake and the east side of Glacier.
What You’ll Find Here
ITINERARIES — Day-by-day routes that leave room for real-world travel.
HIKING NOTES — Trail distance, difficulty, access and what to expect.
WHERE TO STAY — Lodging strategies designed to reduce unnecessary driving.
TRIP LESSONS — What worked, what didn’t, and what we’d do differently.
Why Emma’s Trip Notes?
Travel planning gets much easier when someone tells you what the trip actually felt like. Emma’s Trip Notes is a collection of firsthand routes, photographs and practical planning notes from our travels — shared to help make your own trip easier to plan.
COMING SOON
Take the Plan With You
Some destinations will eventually include downloadable Trip Kits with saved locations, day-by-day plans, parking notes, packing lists and backup options.