Running Archives - LucyLou Travels

Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park is a wonderful place for hiking, exploring and camping. I published a post last May titled California Dreaming, which highlighted multiple national parks on our trip. This post is an expansion of that to highlight Yosemite specifically. Through this more detailed series, I hope to give you all the info you’ll need to make a trip of your own.

We visited Yosemite National Park in December 2019 and loved seeing the park in winter. Yosemite is one of those places that lives up to all the hype that you hear about it. While we only got to spend three days and two nights in Yosemite, I could have easily spent weeks there. It is truly mesmerizing. I recommend at least one visit, but hopefully many.

Yosemite National Park Basics

The 1,200 square mile park is California’s most popular national park and there is no question as to why. It is located in the Sierra Nevada mountain range in central California and sits 195 miles from San Francisco, 176 miles from Sacramento and 313 miles from Los Angeles.

Yosemite is well known for the ancient and majestic sequoia trees that populate the park. Not to mention the dome rocks that tower over you as you enter the valley floor alongside the many waterfalls and meadows found throughout. Elevation in the park ranges from about 2,000 feet to 13,000 feet. Yosemite experiences large amounts of precipitation from October to May, with snow covering the park throughout winter.

There is an entry fee to visit the park, or you can use your America the Beautiful parks pass for covered entry. During the 2021 season you will need a reservation to enter. Make your reservation on Recreation.gov well in advance as the time slots are likely to be booked up quickly.

Yosemite National Park is located on Me-Wuk (Southern Sierra Miwok) lands.

Getting There and Away

You can drive to Yosemite via the south, west and north. The most common routes are from the San Francisco area, as well as from the Los Angeles area. It is advisable to use the park shuttle bus once you are inside the park due to all the traffic. Note that the shuttle is not running in 2021. There is also a YARTS bus that can also take you from Yosemite to the train station. YARTS travels east to Mammoth Lakes, west to Fresno and north to Sonora.

Tejon Pass California — Crossing the Tejon Pass going north.

For our trip, we drove north to Yosemite from Los Angeles. There can be a lot of traffic, so we planned to leave by 5am to avoid it. Even though a 4am wake up call sounds rough, it is highly advisable if you are leaving from Southern California.

We drove out on the empty darkened LA freeways and hit the Tejon Pass by dawn. As we climbed the pass, daylight started to creep in, exposing the snow covered hillsides along the highway. We had lucked out, the pass was just a few days out of being shut down completely from a snow storm. The car crested the ridge and we rode into the valley below as the storied California farmlands fanned out on both sides. This eventually made way to a mountainous forested area that meandered into the national park.

Where to Stay

For our visit to Yosemite, we opted to stay inside the park in one of their lodges. While they are a bit more pricey, it was very much worth it to be able to reach the trails from your door. If you stay outside the park, you will have to queue up each day with a long line of cars. We stayed our first night in a cabin in Curry Village and our second night at the Yosemite Valley Lodge. Both were beautiful in their own way, with Curry Village more rustic and Yosemite Valley Lodge a step up in decor and price.

There are 13 campgrounds in the park, which you can review here. You will need to make a camping reservation on Recreation.gov well in advance of your stay. Those looking to splurge should check out Yosemite’s most famed lodge, the historic Ahwahnee.

What To Do

There is much to be said about Yosemite’s many opportunities for adventure that can’t all fit here. The most common activities are taking a hike, going on a wilderness tour and a whole range of active sports such as trail running, biking, fishing and horseback riding. I have highlighted what we did below.

Go for a Hike

Prior to heading to Yosemite, I recommend looking up some of their trails and hikes. There is a great transit system that drops off visitors at most trailheads throughout the park, making everything more accessible without a car. The Yosemite Conservatory also offers tours that can take you to see some of the key highlights.

Since we were there for such a short time, we ended up doing trail runs on hiking trails to see more of the park. We checked out the Valley Loop Trail, Lower Falls Trail, and Mirror Lake Trail. Also, it was winter when we visited so a number of the trails were closed. Before you go, check out the park’s hiking page, which has a ton of information.

Go for a Run

Our first trail run was on the Mirror Lake Trail, which offered an enchanting setting around a lake and allowed us to leave from our doorstep in the Curry Village. We did an 8 mile trail run, but you can also do much shorter hikes from the trailhead. See our Strava outline below.

Yosemite trail running

On our second day, I ran solo around the Valley Loop Trail. This trail was mostly paved, with parts of the run in more remote areas of the valley. I was petrified the entire time that I would come across a bear, but thankfully that did not happen! Even still, it was a great way to check out the valley in the early, misty morning while most people were still sleeping. See the Strava route below.

On our last morning, we took a run around the Lower Yosemite Fall Trail. We got out early to avoid the tour buses and crowds at the falls. Because of this, we were completely alone. Such a treat in this often crowded park! It felt special to have the place all to ourselves with the valley dew in the air.

Take Some Photographs

There are a lot of opportunities for beautiful photography in Yosemite. Ansel Adams Gallery offers photography classes and some of the other tours also offer chances for great photography. We took a lot of photos just walking around the Lower Yosemite Falls trail, which is a popular spot for visitors. But really, just get out there in the park and you will find so many inspiring views.

What Next?

If you want ideas for outdoor places to visit, read my other posts to see what adventures await nearby. If you are in California, I highly recommend you making Joshua Tree National Park part of your trip. I recommend reading my posts about the beautiful state of New Mexico, the Grand Canyon or about Rocky Mountain National Park.

New Mexico Outdoors

New Mexico is a magical place. It is somewhere that I always find peace and grounding. When I visit, I get to spend time with my family and explore countless trails amid diverse desert, forest and alpine terrains. From the endless skies to the electric sunsets, and the unending views everywhere you look, New Mexico is truly an enchanting place.

This post is a smattering of outdoor adventures from my recent trip to New Mexico. There is so much to do within this wondrous state, with so many diverse landscapes. What I am outlining doesn’t come close to covering all that you can see and do here, but let it inspire you to see for yourself.

Taos West Rim Trail — Walking the Rio Grande Gorge West Rim trail in Taos.

Before You Go

New Mexico has many natural wonders throughout the state. Most trails are accessible via car depending on where you are based and there is a lot of good information out there on sites like AllTrails, Hiking Project and Outdoor Project.

It is important to plan ahead before you head out on your hike/walk/run/bike. Bring plenty of water, especially during the warmer months when the sun can be brutal. Be aware of storm or lightning warnings, as this can be a big issue and you don’t want to be caught out in the middle of a lightning storm. I also always recommend letting someone know where you are headed before you embark on your adventure.

Taos Area Outdoors

The Taos area is a place of unbelievable beauty. There are so many trails to explore via hiking, walking, camping, trail running, biking and horseback riding. I found the Taos Hiking Guide by Cindy Brown to be really helpful to plan out and look up hikes in the area. There are also some helpful trail guides on AllTrails, the Taos Ski Valley website and the Hiking Project.

The Taos area is located on Jicarilla Apache, Pueblos, Comanche and Ute land.

Below are just a few of the trails around Taos that we got to check out on this trip, with many more to explore next time.

Hike, Run or Walk the Taos Foothills

Taos Hiking — Trail running in the foothills of Taos.

Since we were staying just outside of town, we were lucky enough to be located right along the foothills. Each time we went out for a hike or trail run, we enjoyed the smells of piñon and the views of the mountains in the background. There are a bunch of trails to choose from in the lower foothills and canyons near Taos. Here is a link to some trails that start near the Taos pueblo.

Williams Lake Trail

Williams Lake Hike — The start of Williams Lake trail from the Taos Ski Valley.

The Williams Lake Trail is one of the most popular hikes to do in the Taos area, and with good reason. It is a relatively easy to moderate hike for four miles roundtrip that takes you through some stunning scenery to reach Williams Lake. We had done this hike in snowshoes during winter on a previous trip and it was lovely to explore this route again in summer when everything was green. It is one of my favorites in the area and I would recommend it to anyone with a few days to spare in Taos.

Williams Lake New Mexico Outdoors — Williams Lake sits at an elevation of 11,040 feet.

The breathtaking views of Williams Lake.

Devisadero Loop Trail

Devisadero Trail — Reaching the top of the Devisadero Peak.

We did our first longer trail run in Taos by leaving from the foothills and taking a few connector trails to reach the Devisadero Loop Trail. This trail had some great views and was difficult as a trail run, but we enjoyed it nonetheless. It is fairy exposed, so remember to bring plenty of water.

Running the Devisadero Loop Trail and connecting trails.

Devisadero Loop Trail Run on Strava. Check out that elevation gain!

Taos Trail Running — Views of Taos from the Devisadero Loop trail.

Manzanita Canyon Trail

The longest hike we did in Taos was on the Manzanita Canyon Trail. It was a total of 8.3 miles roundtrip, with very steep elevation gain on the way up and down. Our total elevation gain was 3,429 feet. Whew! The views from the ridge just below the Lobo Peak were absolutely stunning. And the nice thing about this trail is that it was only lightly trafficked, allowing us lots of time to ourselves.

Strava stats for the Manzanita Canyon Trail.

New Mexico — Views from just below Lobo Peak on the Manzanita Canyon Trail.

Rift Valley Trail

We tried out the Rift Valley Trail for a trail run on two different occasions. This trail is a beautiful, fairly easy one with limited elevation gain that winds around the Rio Grande and provides great views of the gorge, shrubs and valleys in the area. It is very exposed with hardly any trees, so bring lots of water. We tried both the Rift Valley Loop Trail and the Traders Trail here on two different runs and enjoyed both of them.

New Mexico Rio Grande Gorge — Views of the Rio Grande Gorge.

West Rim Trail

Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, New Mexico — Rio Grande Gorge Bridge.

We hiked the Rio Grande Gorge West Rim Trail, which is a fairly easy and flat trail that takes you along the west side of the Rio Grande River. It is an out and back trail, so you can decide how long you want to go. We hiked it for just over four miles roundtrip. Note that there is a rest stop with bathrooms at the start and the trail is very exposed, so bring some water.

Hiking the West Rim Trail — Miguel contemplating the views.

Amole Canyon Hike

We enjoyed a low key hike on the Amole Canyon Trail towards the end of our stay in Taos. There are a bunch of linking trails in Amole Canyon so you can hike various distances, but due to an impeding set of storm clouds, we kept it pretty short.

New Mexico Outdoors — Views of the Quaking Aspen trees, which lined the entire trail.

Albuquerque Area Outdoors

I have spent the most time in Albuquerque over my years visiting New Mexico. There is a lot to see and do here, both in the city and in the surrounding area. Here are just a few trails we checked out this time.

The Albuquerque area is located on Pueblos land.

Run, Bike or Walk the Bosque Trail

Bosque Trail Running — Bosque Trail in Albuquerque.

One of my favorite places to visit in Albuquerque is the Bosque Trail that runs along the Rio Grande River. There are paved trails for biking and running, as well as many smaller trails right along the river, such as the one above. The trails along the river are nicely shaded and allow a slight respite from the hot summer days. You can walk, bike and run to your hearts content on this trail and there is always something new to explore.

Explore the Sandia Mountains

We did a trail run into the Sandia Mountain Wilderness on the Embudo Trail. It was a hard one, with a steep incline on the way up, but great views out towards Albuquerque once you reached the top.

Sandia Mountains trail running — The first mile of this trail run was pure incline and it was brutal!

Sandia Mountain Views — But the views of Albuquerque from above made it all worth it!

We didn’t get to do my favorite Sandia Mountain trail on this trip, the La Luz Trail. This one is not only my favorite, but one of the most popular when you are visiting Albuquerque. I highly recommend it as an addition to your next New Mexico trip.

Jemez Area Outdoors

Located around an hour and a half from Albuquerque, Jemez Springs has some amazing beauty and a plethora of outdoor adventures to offer. There are many trails to check out in this area. On this trip we tried out the Las Conchas Hike and really enjoyed it.

The Jemez area is located on Jicarilla Apache and Pueblos land.

Jemez Las Conchas Hike

The Las Conchas Trail near Jemez Springs was a beautiful one. You take a fairly easy route along the river and you are allowed to bring your dogs along on leash. You can also extend the hike by trekking through the river, which we did and loved getting a bit wet and messy.

Overall, this trail was a lovely one, but be aware of weather warnings, especially impending storms. We started heading back when we saw clouds, but we still found ourselves stuck in a pretty nasty hail and lightening storm, which I would much rather avoid next time! We waited it out until it was safe to make a run for it and return to our car for safety.

Santa Fe Area

This was the first time that I had done some hiking up in the area near Santa Fe and I was really impressed by the diverse views and trails. There are a lot of trail options that you can check out near Santa Fe.

The Santa Fe area is located on Jicarilla Apache and Pueblos land.

Camping at Black Canyon Campground in Santa Fe.

Black Canyon Trail Hike

We camped at the Black Canyon Campground just outside of Santa Fe on the way up to the Santa Fe Ski area. From our campsite, we could hike directly up to a loop trail that took us up to a ridge that looked out on the surrounding valleys. It was a fairly easy hike with some great scenery.

Nambe Lake Hike

The Nambe Lake hike is a total of 6.5 miles roundtrip, with a steep incline on the way up to the lake. You start the hike from the Santa Fe Ski Area and wind through various types of trees and forest as you make your way to the top. This hike was a tough one, but well worth it, especially if you bring some lunch to picnic around the lake when you finally make it.

Make a Plan to Visit

If you can’t tell by now, New Mexico is a place you should place high on your outdoor adventure list. There is so much to see and do here, with endless trails to explore each time you visit.

Check out some of my other travel adventures on my destinations page.

Athens, Greece

Athens: An Essential for any Greek Trip

Athens is both parts mesmerizing and chaotic. We visited Athens last year expecting it to be a short but necessary stop in between Greek Islands. What we found instead was completely different than we had anticipated. From the ancient Acropolis looming above the city, to the cute courtyard cafes spilling out onto alleyways, to the culture you can find at every turn, Athens is a true wonder. Believe me when I say that you don’t want to miss this fascinating city.

Last year we took our first trip to Greece and we loved it. This post will detail our third stop to the capital of Greece: Athens. In it, I will share highlights from our very brief visit to Athens. The first post in the series was about Santorini, followed by Milos and then Naxos. The final post of the series will be about our last stop to the Ionian Island of Corfu.

Trip Planning: Before

I spent a lot of time planning for my trip to Greece. My focus was on creating an itinerary that showed us various islands at a good pace. For Athens, I planned it as a stopover on our way from the Cycladic Islands to our last stop on the Ionian Island of Corfu.

Prior to arriving in Athens, I booked our two nights of lodging in a central location that was accessible via public transportation. I also booked our flight out of the city. Since there is good public transit in the city, we didn’t rent a car.

Getting There

We took a large ferry from Naxos to the Athens port, which was a smooth ride. I booked the ferry directly through Sea Jets. From the port, we took a subway to our hostel downtown. The subway was fairly easy to navigate once we figured out how to buy a subway ticket. Once at our hostel, we walked everywhere.

Aside from the many ferry options arriving into Athens, there is also a large airport with many daily flights to nearby islands and European cities.

Athens Basics

Athens is the capital of Greece and it’s largest city. The recorded history of the city spans over 3,400 years, with the earliest human presence between the 11th to 7th millennium BC. It’s size is around 15 square miles and there are more than 664,000 people living in the Athens metro area, with over 3 million inhabitants in the greater Athens area.

The city is fairly easy to navigate on foot, but also has a workable, while dated, subway system. ATMs are abundant and most places in the popular tourist districts offer English language information and menus.

Where to Stay

There are a lot of options for lodging in Athens. We stayed downtown in the Psirri neighborhood so that we were in walking distance to the main sights, including the Acropolis. I booked us a private room at the City Circus Hostel, which had a small, but clean room and some great common spaces. When you book directly through the website, they include breakfast in the price.

What to Do in Athens

Visit the Acropolis

With only one full day to explore Athens, we spent our time visiting the Acropolis site. We first took a run around the Acropolis, which was very impressive in the early morning. Later in the day we made a visit to enter the Acropolis. Even though it was an extremely hot visit, I am very happy that I got to see such an iconic piece of history.

This article outlines how best to visit the Acropolis and how you can buy your tickets in advance. To avoid the lines, I highly recommend getting your tickets ahead of time, as well as making your visit early in the day. Since we didn’t get our tickets beforehand, we were met with a long line. Luckily, we were able to figure out how to purchase our tickets online and got to skip the ticket line.

Inside the Acropolis it was very crowded and there were lots of people vying for good photo spots. There is also hardly any shade in the Acropolis complex, so dress appropriately if you go in summer. I also recommend bringing plenty of water with you.

Wander the Neighborhoods and Shops

The nearby neighborhoods around the Acropolis are filled with lots of shopping and food options. We meandered around the shops and got some gifts for family. Even though it was very crowded, we found it to be an interesting experience.

If you are able to spend more time in Athens, there are lots of other recommended places to visit. I have heard great things about the Acropolis Museum, as well as many of the other famous ancient structures around town. There are extensive articles about what to do in Athens. You can find some of them here or here.

What to Eat

We din’t get to fully explore Athen’s food scene due to our limited time, but there are A LOT of food options. I would recommend walking amongst the many sidewalk cafes and restaurants to see what looks good, as well as asking locals for advice.

On our second day, we tried food from TsiknaBoom, a small local restaurant that was recommended at our hostel. It had a very low-key feel and the souvlaki were amazing.

Here, here and here are a few articles for food suggestions in Athens.

Running in Athens

Running in Athens is a mesmerizing experience. As you run around, you are likely to bump into various ancient temples, artifacts or monuments. Our only run while in Athens allowed us to literally circle the Acropolis. That was definitely one of the more epic travel runs we have ever done! It was hilly and hot, but inspiring to run in the presence of such history.

Getting Away: Next Stop Corfu

We took a subway from our hostel to the Athens airport, which was fairly easy to navigate. We then boarded a short plane flight from Athens to the island of Corfu, which was our final stop in Greece. Once we arrived in Corfu, we were able to pick up our rental car right outside of the departure gates and head to our Airbnb.

Naxos, Greece

The Ancient Splendor of Naxos

The next stop on our Greece trip was to the beautiful island of Naxos, which is the largest and greenest of the Cycladic Island Group. Naxos has a lot of charm within it’s ancient alleyways, natural wonders and local delicacies. Since our stay in Naxos was fairly short, we focused ourselves in the capital of Chora, also known as Naxos City. We explored the ancient castle and old alleyways on foot and wandered around tasting food at different cafes. I hope to one day return to Naxos to explore the other parts of the island.

Last June we took our first trip to Greece and we loved it. This post will detail our third stop in Greece to the island of Naxos. My first post in the series was about our stop in Santorini, followed by my second post about Milos. Follow up posts will outline our stops in Athens and the Ionian Island of Corfu.

Trip Planning: Before

As I mentioned in my Santorini and Milos blog posts, I did a lot of research before visiting Greece. My main focus was to build a good itinerary that didn’t feel too rushed. Specific to Naxos, I made sure I had our transportation booked ahead of time, as well as our lodging. Since we would be in Naxos for only two nights, I did not book us a rental car for our time there. In hindsight, I wish I had booked a car for at least one day to explore the island.

For lodging, I looked at places on Airbnb and booking.com that were located in Naxos City. My main goal was to find something close to the beach and within walking distance to the ferry port. I also booked our ferries ahead of time, both coming from Milos and then leaving for Athens.

Getting to Naxos

As mentioned in my Milos post, we took a very rough ferry ride from Milos to Naxos. Thankfully that was a one time event and our other ferry rides were uneventful and smooth. The majority of visitors appear to arrive to Naxos via ferry, but there is an airport that you can access as well. Upon arriving at the ferry port, it was a short walk to where we were staying. Since we didn’t rent a car, we walked or ran to get around the island.

Naxos Basics

Naxos is the largest of the Cycladic Islands at 165 square kilometers. The island is known for its lush valleys, beautiful beaches and ancient villages. The climate of Naxos brings mild winters and hot summers. The island is considered to be more fertile due to a stable water supply, which allows it to support a bustling agricultural sector. In total, the population of Naxos is around 19,000, with a large portion concentrated in the capital.

Upon entering the main port, you will see the Portara, which is the doorway to the ancient Temple of Apollo. Beyond this magical site, the city expands up the hillside. It is a bustling city filled with hotels, restaurants and shopping. There are plenty of ATMs and it is easily navigated on foot.

Shopping — Checking out the shops in the Naxos alleyways.

Where to Stay

We stayed at a cute little family run hotel that I found through Airbnb. It was a clean room with a balcony, a refrigerator, AC and breakfast was included.

Our Airbnb was in a good walkable location to downtown Naxos, where we spent a lot of time. We could also venture out to the Agios Georgios Beach directly from our hotel. We enjoyed having a balcony and being so close to the beach.

Since we didn’t have a rental car, we were limited to staying near the ferry port in Naxos. There are many other options in other parts of the island that might feel more private. For our needs this place was great, but review what you need and let that guide where you choose to stay.

What to Eat

While we were pretty low key with our meals, we did have one amazing dinner while we were in Naxos. We ate at Doukato Naxos, which sits in a small courtyard in the middle of old town. We found the food to be spectacular, the service amazing and we were overall very impressed. I definitely recommend it if you are in Naxos. We also ate a lot of ice cream while we were there, to beat the heat of course!

What to Do

There are many notable things to see around the island, including some beautiful beaches, ancient villages, as well as Zas Mountain. Since we were located only in Naxos City, we didn’t get to explore much of what the island has to offer. I will outline what we did get to do below.

Explore Naxos Old Town

We spent most of our time walking around Naxos, especially the old town area where the castle is located. The maze-like alleyways are filled with impressive architecture, tourist shops and small cafes. This was a fun place to wander around in to experience some of the city’s charm. There are also some really delicious restaurants located in this area.

Go to the Beach

We lucked out that the Agios Georgios Beach was right below our Airbnb. We spent our second day laying out on the beach and relaxing under the sun. This beach is nothing spectacular, but has a nice array of chairs and umbrellas for rent and little restaurants that you can order from while on the beach. If you have a car, I recommend you check out some of the more picturesque beaches on the island.

Visit the Temple of Apollo

Apollo temple — Temple of Apollo with Naxos City in the distance.

The Temple of Apollo at the entrance to Naxos is remarkable. It sits on a strip of land jutting out from the capital near the ferry port. The temple is the only remaining piece of an unfinished temple created in 530BC. There are four remaining parts of the temple, each weighing about 20 tons. It is an easy walk from downtown and worth a visit.

Views looking back at the city from the Temple of Apollo.

Naxos Running

Naxos has more options for running in comparison to some of the other islands. This is mainly because there are a number of empty rural roads that you can safely run on. The first run that we took was along some rural roads near our Airbnb that lead out of town. From this vantage point, we got to see another side of Naxos by running through the farmlands outside the capital.

On my second run in Naxos, I headed to check out the Temple of Apollo on a route near the water. Since I went early, I was rewarded by having the beautiful ruins mostly to myself.

Strava run — Strava Temple of Apollo run.

Reading on Naxos

We stopped by an adorable used book store called Papyrus Jewellery and Used Books to stock up on some reading material while we were in Naxos. The bookstore has a large selection of used books at good prices to re-up your book supply while you are in town.

Getting Away: Next Stop Athens

Ferry to Athens — Boarding the very large ferry to Athens.

With a decent amount of apprehension we took our last ferry ride to Athens on Seajets. It was a huge boat, as you can see from the photo. Thankfully we had smooth sailing on calm seas into the Piraeus Ferry Port in Athens. The ferry port is about 14km south of the city center, so you will have to take the subway or a taxi to your final destination in the city.

Milos, Greece

Milos: My Favorite Greek Island (so far)

The island of Milos is spectacular. It feels like a hidden gem, though it is starting to get more recognition recently. In fact, it wasn’t even on my radar when I first started planning our trip to Greece. After reading about it on a few travel blogs, I decided to add it to our itinerary. I am so grateful that I did. If you are visiting the Cycladic Island Group, or Greece in general, I strongly urge you to add Milos to your trip. It was by far my favorite island in the Cyclades and it is one of the most enthralling and relaxed places I have ever visited.

Last June we took our first trip to Greece and we loved it. This post will detail our second stop in Greece to the island of Milos. My first post in the series was about our stop in Santorini. Follow up posts will outline our other stops on the trip. This includes the Cycladic Islands (Santorini, Milos and Naxos), Athens, and the Ionian Island of Corfu.

Trip Planning: Before

As I mentioned in my Santorini blog post, I did a lot of research and planning before visiting Greece. My main focus was on building a good itinerary that didn’t feel too rushed. Specific to Milos, I made sure I had our transportation and lodging booked ahead of time. I researched anything related to Milos that could help me understand the island better. A few articles that helped me are here, here and here.

For transportation, I booked our ferry and rental car beforehand. Most of the islands in the area are not too far apart, so ferry hopping is easy to do. For lodging, I looked at a lot of hotels and Airbnbs, but ended up picking an Airbnb that was affordable and in a great location. I generally leave the day to day activity planning until once I have arrived.

Getting There & Around

We took a short two hour ferry from Santorini to Milos. I booked my tickets by looking at schedules on this site and then booking directly with Seajets. On the ferry you have assigned seats and you can purchase food on board. There is also an airport on Milos with direct connections to Athens.

Once we arrived at the Adámantas port, we were able to take a short walk to the car rental agency. We used our car to get everywhere and we were grateful to have it. If you’re not planning on renting, many hotels and Airbnbs offer to pick you up from the ferry port or airport. It’s important to note that there are limited public transportation options on the island. Due to how spread out everything is, I’d suggest you rent a car for at least part of your visit to experience the picturesque villages and unique beaches.

Milos Basics

Pollonia Milos — Catching the sunset in Pollonia, Milos.

Milos is the fifth largest Cycladic island, at a size of roughly 58 square miles. The population is just under 5,000 people. The main language spoken on Milos is Greek, with many people also speaking English. Most of the menus at restaurants are in both Greek and English. ATMs are widely available and many places take credit card.

Milos can feel like you are on another planet with it’s otherworldly landscapes and geological formations. It was created from a series of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, which explains the lunar looking surfaces and dramatic coastlines. There are large swaths of the western part of the island that are inaccessible to tourists, with rugged terrain in some areas that should be avoided in a rental car.

The weather in Milos is hot and sunny in the summer. It was hot during our visit, so we spent most of our time at the beach to avoid the heat. We were grateful to have AC at our lodging in the evenings. Due to the location of the island, it can get quite windy at times. This is something to consider when traveling by sea.

The picturesque Zoodokos Pighi church on Milos.

Where to Stay

Milos Airbnb — View from our Airbnb balcony.

There are a lot of options for lodging on Milos, with most of it located on the northern part of the island. The main lodging areas are the port of Adámantas, the main town of Plaka, and the smaller villages of Klima and Pollonia. Where you choose to stay depends a lot on where you want to be on the island. Some like to be closer to the port or in town, but we opted to be in a more tranquil village setting in close proximity to the beaches.

We stayed at a basic, but cute little Airbnb in Pollonia, which is a charming fishing village on the northeast part of the island. The village has an intimate collection of houses and fishing boats mixed in with tourist lodging and seaside restaurants. Our Airbnb had AC, a small refrigerator and a balcony looking out onto the water. Our host was very knowledgeable and gave us great advice for food, beaches and what to do with our time. We couldn’t have asked for more during our stay.

The Food

We had some amazing food on Milos. We lucked out that our Airbnb host gave us a great list of places to eat at and all of her recommendations were spot on. Even better, so many were within walking distance from where we were staying.

On our first night, we visited the Armenaki Restaurant in Pollonia, which had some really yummy selections. The restaurant has outdoor seating along the beach and a staff with a sweet personal touch. Armenaki also has an extensive cellar collection of wines from all over Greece.

On our second day there, we ate at a hidden gem called Ergína’s Restaurant. It is located on a hilly perch in Trypiti with great views out to the sea. The food at Ergina’s was amazing and the salads were some of the best we had during our entire trip. I highly recommend making a stop there for lunch or dinner.

Greek salad — Delicious salad at Ergína’s in Trypiti.

We stopped by the Kivotos ton Gefseon bakery and restaurant repeatedly for their delicious bakery and breakfast items. The restaurant sits at the entrance to Pollonia and it is an easy stop on your way out of town. It has delicious and well priced food and baked goods with an adorable back courtyard. This place is well worth a visit for a meal or some baked goods.

Milos bakery — *In the courtyard of the Kivotos ton Gefseon bakery.*

What To Do

Milos is relatively spread out and there are many things to do with your time. You won’t regret taking a drive around the island and visiting some of the smaller villages, churches and restaurants. Aside from the beaches, there are some cool points of history to check out. One of the most popular are the Milos Catacombs. We tried to make a visit there, but it was unfortunately closed when we went. There is also a mining museum and an archaeological museum if you are up for that type of activity.

Go To The Beaches

Papafraga Beach & Caves

The Papafraga beach and caves are more of a geographical wonder to gawk at than they are a beach to swim in. The rock and cave formations are very unique and worth checking out, even if briefly. You can hike down the craggy rocks to the water to see the underside of the cave area. Many people do go swimming, but we opted to take some pics from above and move on to the next spot.

Algomandra Beach

The Algomandra Beach is very beautiful cove-like setting with a small beach and crystal clear turquoise water. We were able to lay out on a small area of the beach and take a dip in the cool and refreshing water.

Sarakiniko Beach

The Sarakiniko Beach feels like you are on the moon. The lightly hued rock formations are in stark contrast to the emerald blue water and sky. There is an inlet of water that enters the rocks where most people fan out to swim or lay out. This area doesn’t seem so much like a beach, but more like a rocky swimming hole. I recommend making a stop here to check out the fascinating rock formations and taking a quick swim.

Paliochori Beach

The Paliochori Beach was the largest, most typical feeling beach that we visited while on Milos. It has some really cool colors due to the geothermal rock formations. The water is a beautiful dark turquoise that nicely contrasts with the orange red hue of the sand and rocks. There are chairs and umbrellas for rent all along the beach that offer protection from the sun. The water was chilly, but it helped beat the heat. We enjoyed our time here and I would recommend making a visit.

RUNNING ON MILOS

We took all of our runs in Milos on the roads around Pollonia and directly outside of town. Since Milos is not super crowded like Santorini, we felt safe enough running on the main roads. We were vigilant about cars and ran opposite traffic. Due to the heat, we took our runs in the evening, which was a lot cooler. The sunset views on our runs were absolutely incredible.

Getting Away: Scary Ferry to Naxos

We took a ferry to get to our next stop of Naxos. The morning we were due to head out, our Airbnb host warned us that the wind was bad and that the sea would be rough. We proceeded as planned to our ferry. During the 4-5 hour ride, we were tossed around as if we were in a washing machine. It was an extremely unpleasant experience, but I learned a lot from it. Mainly that you should always pay attention to local advice. If it is very windy out and the sea is rough, change your plans accordingly. Thankfully, our next ferry ride to Athens was extremely smooth sailing.

Visit Milos

In short, we loved the chill atmosphere, stunning beaches and scrumptious food of Milos. I hope to return again some day and I recommend that you add it to your next trip, too.

Running California Style

Running the trails and paths of California

I use the sport of running as a means to explore when I travel. I can get places faster and check out a destination in a different way by running ‘behind the scenes.’ On our trip to California in December, we ran some trails, roads and a tiny bit of track. Everywhere we ran had its own special magic. We got to do runs in the LA area, Yosemite and north of San Francisco. This post will highlight the best runs from our trip. You can link to the full rundown of my trip to learn more about our California adventure.

Prior to arriving at each of our destinations, I looked up potential running routes and hikes in the area. You can do this directly on the park sites or just by googling the area. I also look on All Trails and use my Strava or Footpath apps to plan out nearby routes.

Exploring the foothills

California running — Miguel running on the Thompson Creek Trail.

running track — Getting some track work in at Pomona College.

While we were staying in the LA area, we went on a few runs and did one track workout. For our longer runs, we ran on the dirt trails of the Claremont Wilderness Park at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains and the Angeles National Forest. The park has some great trails that are popular for hiking, mountain biking and trail running. That includes the Thompson Creek Trail, a nice biking and running path along the foothills. We also headed to Pomona College to do a brutal 5 mile tempo workout on the track.

running California foothills — Running in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains.

Checking out the yosemite Trails

Once our trip took us up north, we moved primarily to trails. At Yosemite National Park, our time was limited, so we ended up doing our runs on hiking trails in the park. Our first run was on the Mirror Lake Trail, which offered an enchanting setting around a lake and allowed us to leave from our doorstep in the Curry Village.

Trail running — Mirror Lake Trail out and back run from Curry Village.

Yosemite trail running

On our second day, I ran solo around the valley on the Valley Loop Trail. This trail was mostly paved, with parts of the run in more remote areas of the valley. I was petrified the entire time that I would come across a bear running alone, but thankfully that did not happen! Even still, it was a great way to check out the valley in the early, misty morning when most people were still sleeping. In fact, while we were there, we didn’t see any larger animals on any of our runs.

On our last morning, we took a run around the Lower Yosemite Fall Trail. We got out early before the tour buses and crowds started piling up at the falls. You can see in the photos above that we were completely alone. Such a treat in this often crowded park! It felt special to have the place all to ourselves with the valley dew in the air.

Running in Golden Gate Recreation Area

The next part of our trip took us to the Bay Area. We chose to stay north of the city to be closer to nature. And since we were very close Golden Gate National Recreation Area, we could leave from our doorstep to the trails nearby. The vast network of trails and fire roads in this area gives you tons of running options. For our first run there, we mixed it up and ran a few different interconnected trails with spectacular views of the ocean and coast. And since we were largely on fire roads, the terrain wasn’t too technical.

On our second day in the area, we got lucky to be invited by a friend to a group run up Mt. Tamalpais. Mt Tam has a stunning 2,571 foot peak with a panorama view of the surrounding hills, valleys and ocean. The out and back peak run was hard as hell, but worth every bit of the toughness.

Tamalpais running — Mount Tamalpais out and back trail run to the peak.

Mt Tamalpais Running — View from the peak of Mount Tamalpais.

Some running Resources

Check out my running page, which will link to all my running articles in one place. Stay tuned by signing up for the newsletter for future posts.