If you aren’t familiar with how Google’s Search Engine works here’s a very quick overview. Google has a bunch of bots crawl the entirety of the internet and categorize websites. You can think the bots as a bunch of invisible librarians collecting websites and cataloguing them to different shelves in a giant, digital library. People who manage websites have a number of standards to follow to help these bots navigate and categorize a website. In the industry, we call these standards Search Engine Optimization or SEO for short.

For this article, I am targeting an old blog post and updating it to target specialized, lightly competitive topics or keywords in an attempt to rank on google search results for a niche market. Basically, I’m trying to target a very specific subset of Google Searches that less websites would be covering and competing with me over.

Getting Started with Content Improvements

First off, you’ll want to ensure you’ve installed Google Search Console and Google Analytics, so you can begin tracking searches that lead to your website and page traffic. This will help you track the results from your changes. You aren’t going to get to the top of Google Search in a day but you need to see if you’re making progress otherwise you’ll need to try another strategy or more keywords.

The content of the post I’m targeting for this article was a simple listing of a few hikes I had done over the summer in the Finger Lakes Region of New York. It was just a list with some minor descriptions and pictures but it had already gotten some visits from user’s who had naturally found my website through google searches. We call these types of visitors organic traffic in the digital marketing world. 

Step 1: Research Keywords

Keywords or the words and phrases that may be in a reader’s search must be relevant to the content you are creating. The key is to think about your target audience and how they would search for something. For example, if I was targeting locals to an area I might use specific city or feature names such as Ithaca or Seneca Lake whereas if I was targeting tourists I might want something more general such as Finger Lakes or Northern New York. There are many useful Keyword planning tools (some free, some paid) that help your strategize what you should target.

Start by Making a list of relevant Keywords for your Article

Examples of Keywords from my blog post include: Hikes, finger lakes, waterfalls, dog-friendly, New York State, Seneca Lake, Ithaca, Nature, Trails, Lakes, Watkins Glen, Parks, Finger Lakes, Fingers Lake, Ithaca New York, Letchworth State Park, Buttermilk Falls, Taughannock Falls, Seneca Lake, Robert Treman State Park

Make a list of Long-Tail Keywords 

These are more specific searches visitors who are more likely to be looking for your exact content would use, we call those high-intent visitors. 

Mine Include: 

• Finger Lakes Waterfalls
• Hiking Trails near Ithaca, NY
• Best Hiking in the Finger Lakes

Now Find Keywords with Low Competition

Keywords planner tools will be vital for this part but you could also just search your keywords and see how many articles surface to get an idea of how competitive it is.

If you are just starting out, It’s better to find a more specific, less competitive market to surface your content than to try to compete with more general terms. While the reach for these keywords will be smaller, the likelihood of ranking higher and serving the needs of a website visitor will increase. Most Google Search users don’t go beyond the first page of their search results so it’s more important to rank higher on smaller volume searches than rank lower for high volume searches.
For my blog post I determined, Finger Lakes Waterfalls would have much less search volume than New York trails but be far less competitive for those words. 

Based on my research it also became clear that “hiking” and “trails” provided more value than the word “hikes” and I have several hikes at parks that have high ranking values so I may want to try to add mentions of those places higher up on the page but I will cover that when I get to Step 3.

Step 2: Create an Optimized Headline

The Do’s & Don’ts of creating Optimized Article Headlines that are attractive to readers and Google Search bots

DO

Do include keywords in the headline. 

Keywords help search engines find and categorize your page and it’s valuable for users searching for content.

Do use words to create an emotional connection with readers.

Articles with titles that trigger an emotional response increase the likelihood that someone will connect with it and want to read the article. 

Do include proper names and places. 

If your blog post covers a person or a place, be sure to include that in your title. Searches with proper nouns are common and generally less competitive than general search terms. I.e. Finger Lakes Waterfall Trails vs Waterfall Trails

Do try writing more than one headline. 

Write several headlines for the same piece of content and pick the best one that most reflects your content and targeted keywords.

DO NOT

Do not use a headline that doesn’t reflect the content of the website. 

This will cause people to leave, in marketing lingo, we call these “bounces” and there’s no real value in web visitors that leave right away. 

Do not write a long, verbose headline just to include more keywords. 

These do not help SEO and they are less likely to be clicked by a user, keep it to 50-60 characters. The search engine crawlers don’t process anything beyond that character limit anyway.

Do not include a barely coherent headline that’s just full of your researched keywords. 

This is commonly known as Keyword stuffing. It is a page ranking technique that attempts to trick the search engine bots into ranking a page by including unnecessarily repeating words and phrases. It includes adding words out of context or using words that aren’t relevant to the page content. Not only does this ruin a visitor’s experience of a page this could cause the offending website to get penalized. Google could decrease a website’s ranking or remove it from google search results entirely. 

My Current Headline:

Hikes & Parks in the Finger Lakes Region

Potential New Headlines

• New York’s Finger Lakes Trails: 15 of my favorite hikes near Seneca Lake
• New York’s Finger Lakes : 15 of the Best trails near Seneca Lake
• New York: 15 incredible lake & waterfall trails in the Finger Lakes
• 15 Gorgeous trails near Seneca Lake in New York
• New York: 15 incredible dog-friendly Finger Lakes hikes near Ithaca
• New York: 15 Incredible Hikes near Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes Region
• 15 Hikes near Seneca Lake
• 15 Family Friendly hikes near Ithaca, New York
  

Step 3: Populate Your Meta Data

The Meta Description is a hidden description on the webpage meant for search engine bots. It’s what’s usually shown to Google Search Users in the Search Engine Results Page aka the SERP. This can be considered a very short introduction to your content in a couple of sentences and should include targeted keywords while still avoiding keyword stuffing. I want my meta description it to be compelling enough to entice a user to click through to my article but also informative to the search engine to make sure it helps the page rank on Google Search. Another important note is it should be under 300 characters.

One of the best tools for maintaining and auditing metadata on WordPress sites is the Yoast SEO Plugin.The Yoast SEO Plugin is free, though there is a premium version but it is vital for anyone on WordPress that wants to get started with SEO Optimizations on their website.

Current Meta Data Description:

NONE

New Meta Data Description:

From beautiful waterfalls to tranquil green lakes, The Finger Lakes offers some of the best waterside trails in New York State. Here are 12 of my favorite trails that are completely dog-friendly.

Step 4: Optimize Content to Rank in Search

Since I’m working backwards and cleaning up an already written blog post, the main thing I want to focus on is including variations of my keywords through my writing and adding an introduction. This will help search engine bots and human visitors understand the content of my website and also helps enhance my writing for human readers since I’m not repeating the same words over and over again.

The main focus of this update is to include keywords in the first paragraph. Such keywords as Finger Lakes Trails and Seneca Lake Waterfalls since those are general enough to cover most of my content but specific enough to get the appropriate audience. 

In my current article I went right into the list without an introduction at all. Not only is this not helpful for page rank, it’s not a great experience for a reader who might not be as familar with the Finger Lakes or what the area has to offer. 

I want to remember include the keywords at a regular cadence but I do not want to go overboard. Not only could this potentially get penalized for keyword stuffing (see the explanation in Step 1) but this doesn’t make for a very good article for a human reader. 

Step 5: Add Optimized Visuals

You want users to stay on your web page and read your entire article, one way to do that is to use visuals to keep a reader engaged. Even though the amount of time on page is an indirect factor in getting to the top of Google Search results, it does help and it provides value for visitors to continue to experience a website. 

It’s important to ensure all videos and images are the appropriate size for the page. Large media will slow down the loading time of the page and create a bad experience for your visitors.

I recommend optimizing images through a free image optimization tool, there are plenty out there if you just search around. If you use WordPress there are a several quality plugins that will handle this step for you, all you have to do is upload the image and it will compress it for you with zero effort.

If you are using another CMS check to see if it already supports image compression or research ways to compress images yourself. I prefer to optimize my images before uploading them to WordPress, a favorite tool of mine is ImageOptim, which only works on Mac computers but they offer alternative tools if you visit their website.

Step 5: Add Alt Text to Images

In addition to adding visuals to create a better experience for your users you want to ensure that all of you images have alternative text or Alt text. Alt text helps images surface in Google Search and are another gateway for users to enter your page.  Alt Text also helps visually impaired readers know the content of an image. If you are on WordPress adding alternative text is very simple. 

A few key points to remember when making alt text for a blog’s images:

• Limit the characters, Use 125 characters or less
• Describe the image and be specific as possible
• Since you’re already limited on characters don’t bother including “Image Of” or “Picture of”
• Use Keywords that are relevant to the picture.

The Yoast SEO Plugin on WordPress will warn you if you are missing alternative tags on images anywhere on your page. Another helpful feature of the free version of the tool.

Step 6: Link to additional Blog Posts

Don’t force this but if you happen to mention past blog posts that are related to your current topic and potentially valuable to your reader then link to them. Not only does this keep users on your site and keeps them engaged, it also helps show the value of your content to search engines

The Yoast SEO Plugin also makes note if a page is missing internal links (pages on the current website) or external links (pages on other websites) internal links.

Step 7 : Publish your updated posts and keep an eye on your analytics

If you followed my previous article about installing Google Analytics and Google Search Console on your website then you already have the tools ready to start see how your page is doing. You won’t see immediate results, that’s the frustrating things about website optimization, it’s more a wait and see sort of game. In the meantime you can log into Google Search Console and trigger your updated web page to be re-indexed so Google sees the changes sooner and then wait and see if it helps with your web traffic.

Conclusion

As I mentioned there are additional factors, beyond content optimization, that go into where a page ranks. Those factors include more technical aspects of a website such as page speed, schema, mobile friendliness, domain age and authority, and user experience. Which I will cover in a future blog post, subscribe to my blog for future updates.

Keep in mind that applying these changes to a brand new website on a new domain might take a bit longer to surface results so be patient. 

The post Get to the top of Google Search in 7 Simple Steps – Using WordPress appeared first on Paige Ponzeka.

Google Analytics is a free web analytics service that provides statistics on web visitors and basic analytical tools for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and marketing. Google Analytics is a very powerful tool but I recommend starting small and focusing on core visitor insights relative to your goal whether it be boosting website traffic, decreasing bounce rate (people leaving your site) or increasing time on site.

Google Search Console is a powerful and free SEO tool provided by Google. It allows site owners to check on page indexing status and provides resources to optimize website visibility on its search engine. Through Google Search Console you can measure your websites search traffic and performance, see keywords are driving users to your website and address optimization issues. One important note is that Google Search Console only supplies data on unpaid Organic Google Search Results, which simply means how many users are finding your site via natural google searches without the help of any paid for ads to drive them there.

The key difference between Google Analytics and Google Search Console is Google Analytics focuses on the traffic of people that visit your website while Google Search Console focuses on how the Search Engine sees and ranks your website.

Getting Started with Google Analytics

Google Analytics** is a breeze to setup on any website and is compatible with any WordPress site. You can easily install and setup Google Analytics with Site Kit by Google, the official Google WordPress Plugin. There is no fee for the Google Site Kit Plugin WordPress Plugin or for Google Analytics. You can also skip the Plugin and install Google Analytics manually though that may be a bit more challenging and I’d only recommend that to users familiar with WordPress themes or WordPress development. I have some options for manual installation laid out below.

Step 1: Create a Google Analytics 4 Account

Whether you’re using the Site Kit WordPress Plugin or manually installing Google Analytics on your site, you will need to configure you analytics account. Head over to analytics.google.com, login to your google account and create your analytics account!

If you are just getting started with Google Analytics, I’d recommend going with Google Analytics 4 since Universal Analytics is going to stop working in 2023. You will get the latest and greatest with Google Analytics 4 anyway so there’s no reason to not switch.

2. Setting Up Google Analytics 4 on your website

After you’ve finished exploring your dashboard click the “Setup Assistant” Tab on the top lefthand side of your sidebar. You’ll see some options to get started. Click on the Tag Installation Step and then press the button for the “Web” Platform.

Set up your website URL and Stream Name. Make note whether your website is https or http and set that with the dropdown. It’s also important to note if it’s www.[somedomain].com or [somedomain].com. Once you fill out that information click “Create Stream”

You will then be taken to a Web Stream Details Page for the final step in adding this to your website. I’d recommend selecting the first option “Global Site Tag” unless you are familiar with Google Tag Manager and already have it configured.

If you click the Global Site Tag Option and open it, it will show a code snippet that you have to copy and put into the head of every page on your website. Thanks to the power of WordPress we should only need to add this in one place.

In the next step will decide on how we want to add the Google Analytics Tag to our website.

3. Adding Google Analytics 4 Global Tracking Script to your website

The following instructions are for adding a Google Tracking Script to a WordPress Website, if you are using another CMS such as Joomla, Shopify, or Squarespace look at their documentation on how to add analytics tags or reach out to your website provider’s customer service. This is a fairly common ask so they should have instructions readily available.

On to our WordPress options, if you aren’t using the plugin it can get a little tricky.

Option 1 – Use Site Kit by Google to add the Google Analytics code Snippet to your WordPress website

This is the easiest solution, install the Site Kit by Google Plugin and follow the steps to connect your account and it will install the required scripts for you.

Option 2 – Add Google Analytics Code Snippet through WordPress theme settings

This would depend on the theme you are using and if it’s configured to support custom Head content. In WordPress Admin – Go to Appearance in the sidebar -> Themes -> Select the Customize button on your active theme.

If your theme does support custom header code, you might have to do some digging to find it. Look for a field called “Header Code” or “Head Code”. If you do find it, just paste the entire code snippet into that field of the theme and hit save.

If you can’t find, you might be out of luck and you’ll have to look at Option 3.

Option 3 – Edit WordPress theme header.php file to add Google Analytics Snippet

If you have access to your WordPress theme files you just need to find the header.php file in the theme folder and the Google Analytics code snippet to the top of the <head>. Paste it as close to the top of the head as possible.

Once you follow those steps you will be ready to start tracking website visitors through Google Analytics!

It may take a bit for the bulk of website data to populate but in 10-15 minutes you can visit a page on your website and check your Real Time Report to make sure your snippet is working properly.

Getting Started with Google Search Console

To get started with Google Search Console you need to verify ownership of your domain. Head over to search.google.com and click “Start Now”. Enter the information for your domain. You’ll get a popup that asks you to verify domain ownership via a DNS record.

This may sound intimidating but this is easy to configure through your whomever you bought your domain from and another bonus is if you bought your domain from any of the following providers listed in the dropdown under “Any DNS Provider” You can just select that option and verify through your account without having to add a TXT Record.

If you didn’t purchase your website from the listed domain providers you’ll have to do it manually. The best way is to look up how to add a TXT Record in the documentation of your DNS provided. Each provider is different so it doesn’t provide much benefit to show my provider’s details. It is really straight-forward once you do find the documentation, it took me longer to find where I should add the TXT Record then to actually add it.

After you add the record go back to your Google Search Console setup and click “Verify”.

One you’ve verified your Domain on Google Search Console you can Use Google Search! Similar to Google Analytics it may take some time for all of the data in Google Search Console to popular.

So go take a break and come back to your GA and GSC accounts and take a look at your data tomorrow! Happy Tracking!

The post Setting Up Google Analytics & Google Search Console appeared first on Paige Ponzeka.

Not only are you beating all of the warm weather crowds that flock to the National Parks this time of year but you get to enjoy the snow-covered mountains amongst its famous towering trees. 

The History of Sequoia National Park

Established in 1890, Sequoia National Park protects over 400,000 archers of forested mountains. Sequoia National Park is also home to Mount Whitney which is the highest point in the contiguous United States at 14,505 Feet above sea level. The park is just south of Kings Canyon National Park. Kings Canyon National Park can be entered by driving north up Generals Highway from Sequoia National Park, however, this portion of the road is closed during the winter months leaving Kings Canyon National Park only accessible via State Route 180. 

Sequoia National Park is most notable from the trees from which it gets its name, the giant sequoia trees. One particularly famous giant sequoia, General Sherman Tree is the largest tree, by volume, on Earth. Which is a specific claim to fame. On paper, it might seem like a bizarre claim to fame but you can only truly grasp the sheer size of this tree when you are standing in front of it. 

Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park are still recovering from a massive September 2020 forest fire that led to its partial shutdown and still several of it’s popular trails lead through very obviously burned-out terrain. It does put visitors at greater risk of experiencing washed-out trails, rock slides, mudslides, and falling trees but I experienced no issues during my hikes. I was impressed by how much work the Rangers seemed to get done in maintaining the park trains. It’s important to note, though some of its mature giant sequoia trees have charred bark, many of its most famous and largest giant sequoia trees are still alive and thriving.

The land that encompasses Sequoia National Park was first home to the “Monachee” Native Americans who mainly resided in the Kawash River drainage in the foothills region of the park. Seasonal residents including the Tubatulabal Native Americans. They used the eastern part of the park as summer hunting grounds. 

You can find pictographs at several sites within the park left behind from the tribes that first called this land home. They can be found at Hospital Rock and Potwisha

Getting to Sequoia National Park

The best way to enter Sequoia National Park is through Three Rivers, California. This quaint little town has the last gas station before you enter the National Park. I would suggest filling up since there aren’t any gas stations inside the park. There’s also Sequoia Coffee Company,   an artisan coffee shop with fresh coffee drinks, a limited selection of sandwiches, and delicious griddle donuts. There are a few other lunch and dinner spots along the ride into the park including; a sub shop, a bbq joint, a food truck, a sweets and ice cream place, and a few markets to stop for groceries and souvenirs. There is also a hardware store that would be a great place to pick up some supplies if you are heading into a winter play area or looking to camp in the warmer months.

Where to Stay when Visiting Sequoia National Park

If you are looking for somewhere for a long weekend stay I would highly recommend Three Rivers. It is quiet and easily accessible to the park. There are a few small Inns and Riverfront cottages in town but the town is rather small so if you are looking for somewhere with more of nightlife you won’t find that in Three Rivers. But Three Rivers, CA is an incredible launching pad into Sequoia National Park since it is an easy 15-minute drive to the park entrance.

If you were willing to trade traveling a bit further to the park entrance for a bit more selection in the bar and restaurant scene, I would Visalia, CA. Visalia, CA is a much larger city with many more options for post park visits but you will have to sacrifice a longer drive to Sequoia National Park since Visalia is about 45 minutes away from the park entrance.

What to do in Sequoia National Park in the winter

An absolute must when visiting Sequoia National Park is the General Sherman tree. Though there was some snow and ice along the trail during my winter visit most visitors seemed okay in a pair of rugged hiking boots. Normally I’d recommend trekking poles and microspikes kept in the backpack of any winter hike and they would be useful during this trip.  If you are looking to get into winter hiking I would recommend picking up a set from Kahtoola or Yaktrax.

Sequoia National Park gets snow from December to May but the snowiest seasons are generally February to March. I went to visit Sequoia National Park in mid-March and though it got hit with a few end of the week snowstorms Generals Highway, the winding road that leads up to the Sequoia groves, was only closed for a couple of days and opened up for some early Sunday hiking so the trip was still salvageable. 

The best way to get updates on the road conditions in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park is to follow the Alerts on their website and to call their line for road conditions – (559) 565-3341 (press 1, then 1). Don’t rely on the weather report in the foothills or in nearby Three Rivers. The foothills were usually 10-20 degrees warmer, so if Three Rivers got rain there was a good chance the mountains were getting snow. 

If Sequoia National Park does get hit with some snowstorms during a winter visit there are still plenty of activities surrounding the park that make it still salvageable. There are plenty of activities in Sequoia National Park if it snows. See the list below 

1.  Marble Falls Trails – Moderate – 7.4 Miles. The entrance to this trail is just off the Potwisha Campground in the foothills of the National Park. It can be a bit narrow at points and though it is rated as moderate I would put it on the easier end of moderate. This trail has incredible waterfall views along the way and ends at the foot of cascading waterfall down gorgeous white stones.
2. Paradise Creek Trail – Easy – 5.5 Miles – Though rated as easy this trail gets a bit more challenging towards the end but you’ll get some beautiful river views as a payoff.
3. Visit the Foothills Visitor Center 
4. Follow Highway 180 north and Visit Kings Canyon National Park including Grant Grove.
5. Visit a dedicated Snowplay Area in Wolverton or Grant Grove – Remember to be careful and Pack in and Pack out your sled, even if it breaks.
6. Ski & Snowshoe in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park. A few places nearby offer rentals.

If there is some snow on the ground but Generals Hwy is still passable grab your trekking poles and hit the trails! it’s highly recommended you download offline versions of the maps since trails can be hard to find in the snow. 

These are my favorite winter hikes in Sequoia National Park:

1. General Sherman Tree Trail – Easy – 1.2 miles – This is paved the entire way, the only thing that could make this trail minorly challenging is the compacted ice that forms on the concrete. This is also a great launching point for other park trails that are listed below.
2. Congress Trail – Easy – 3.0 Miles – A bit more rugged than General Sherman Tree Trail but this takes you along some of the other famous trees in the grove including The House, and The Senate (get the theme yet?).
3. Giant Forest Loop Trail – Easy – 7.0 Miles – Another great trail that launches around the General Sherman Tree trail. Can get icy in the winter.
4. Big Trees Trail – Easy – 1.3 Miles – Be prepared for snow conditions but this hike is a wonderful way to explore the groves if you’re short on time.
5. Moro Rock Full Trail – Easy – 3.8 Miles – While this trail is considered easy it’s really hard to find in the snow and it also goes through some burned areas so I had a lot of trouble keeping track of where I needed to be without constantly looking at my map. Another option would be to hop on the park roads that close in the winter. You still get some hiking since the roads aren’t plowed but they’re a bit easier to follow. This trail leads up to the top of Moro Rock but it’s closed if it’s snowy or Icy, be warned that a great portion of the stairs sits in the shade and they get extremely icy and dangerous. If it is icy, the trail is closed and you aren’t climbing these stairs without crampons.  I would plan to tackle this later in the day in the hopes that the ice has warmed up and melted in the afternoon sun. After wandering this trail make sure to stop by the Giant Forest Museum and Park Gift Shop.
6. Crystal Cave Trail – This trail had been closed due to damage caused by the Wildfires but when it does open up this short trail is only available by booking Ranger guided tours but it lets you enjoy some time in a marble cavern. When it opens back up add this on your list.

The post Visiting Sequoia National Park in the Winter appeared first on Paige Ponzeka.

1. Harness & Seat Belt

Nova loves traveling with the windows open and I wouldn’t feel as secure with it if we didn’t have a harness and seat beat. No matter how secure you feel about your dog staying planted in their seat, it just takes one second for the worst to happen, better to be safe than sorry. Most importantly this protects your pup from bouncing around the cabin if you find yourself in an accident. 

2. Traveling Waterbowl

I love these traveling Zippy Bowls from Kurgo. They fold down into a little taco that is easily throw into a bag or stuff into a pocket and are great for hiking since they can balance easily on uneven surfaces. I take the kurgo Zippy Bowl every where Nova and I go but I also have one of those collapsible travel bowls always hanging in my car. 

3. Reusable Water Bottles & Reservoirs

To save money and the environment I always keep a couple of refillable water bottles on hand. Before heading out on a long drive I fill them up and throw them in my passenger door cup holders. I carry a few different bottles; This Collapsible Hydrapak reservoir for longer drives, these Platypus SoftBottle water bottles are lightweight and also double as water for my dogs pack and I always keep the classic Nalgene filled for me.

4. Portable Pet Hair Vacuum

If your dog sheds, I highly recommend a Pet Vacuum both for your car and anywhere you may stay along the way. Nothing is worse than driving down the road with your windows open and seeing a wind-whirl of hair circle you. I highly recommend the BISSEL Pet Hair Eraser, it might be a little pricey but it’s great at picking up pet hair and holds a charge fairly well.

5. Seat Cover or Pet Hammock

A car seat cover is a must have if you’ll have a dog in your backseat. There’s so many options that it’s hard to recommend a particular one but I will say, if you have a small or medium-sized dog, this Kurgo Half Hammock Seat Protector looks really interesting, especially if you’ll have passengers or additional supplies in the other seats. I currently use a full seat cover like this Frisco Quilted Water Resistant Bench Car Seat Cover

6. Travel Food Bag

Dog Food bags are bulky and not the easiest to carry around. I picked up this food Grade ICEMULE DryPack and use it to carry any leftover food to our new destination. It’s made of Nylon, so its foodsafe, it’s waterproof, durable and extremely lightweight.

7. Odor-Proof Bags

I picked up these LOKSAK OPSAK Odor-Proof Bags from REI, they’re mainly meant to detract bears on camping trips but I’ve found them great for when I have to hike out with a poop bag when I’m out on the trail and don’t have to smell it along the way.

8. Portable Dog Pad

I love this Ruffwear Highlands Dog Pad it’s not thick enough to sleep on every night but we use it when my dog wants to snooze outside or if I want to stop for lunch and give my dog a place to rest. It’s also great if you use the “Place” command. I’ll probably be snagging a thicker everyday bed sometime soon.

9. Enrichment toys

One of the best engagement toys out there is the kong, almost every dog owner has one. These are great to keep a dog occupied when left home alone. I usually stuff it with some combination of wet dog food, peanut butter and dry treats.

10. LED Safety Collar

Whether you’re on the road and need to take a quick walk down a darkened street or you’re arriving late to a destination and want to give your dog some time outside before turning in, an LED safety light or collar is never a bad idea. The best thing is they weigh almost nothing and take up minimal room in a bag. I like the Nite Ize Nitehowl Rechargeable LED Safety Necklace it can cycle through colors, which drains the battery a bit faster but I think it really draws attention to the dog.

The post 10 Things You Need When Hiking or Traveling with a Dog appeared first on Paige Ponzeka.

From Letchworth to Watkins Glen, New York’s Finger Lakes region is rich with some of the most breathtaking waterside trails in North America. You can walk alongside the gorge in Taughannock State Park and then stroll up to the base of the tallest free-falling waterfall in the northeast. Taughannock Falls is 30 feet taller than the famous Niagara Falls. Or you can take a break from all the waterfall trails and take in the incredible glacial lakes of Green Lakes State Park or head into the forest and hike along the plentiful streams.

The small college town, Ithaca is a great launching point for all of these incredible hikes and any number of the wineries and breweries located on the Finger Lakes Beer Trail  or Wine Trail are wonderful places to stop after a long day of chasing waterfalls. A bonus, if you are traveling with a dog, most of the places offer dog-friendly outdoor seating and all the trails in this list are dog-friendly.

1. Letchworth State Park – Gorge Trail – 14 Miles – Moderate

Letchworth State Park should be the first or last stop on this list since it is a bit further west of the Finger Lakes but it is worth the drive. Letchworth is one of the most popular parks in the area it is sometimes called the Grand Canyon of the East. When you see it you’ll understand why, it has three different waterfalls and towering gorges that offer incredible views.

The trail provided might seem like a rather long hike but you won’t notice how long you’ve traveled because each step is a different, more breathtaking view. I highly recommend making a day of this and doing as much of the hike as possible but if you are limited in time you can always turn around at any point in the out and back hike. 

2. Taughannock State Park – Combine the North Rim Trail and South Rim Trail, and Gorge Trail – 5.1 Miles – Moderate / Easy

Taughannock State Park is home to Taugannock Falls which is the tallest waterfall in the Northeast. You can follow the rim of the waterfall and then head up to get an overview of the waterfall from a hilltop, then you can head to very easy and relatively short gorge trail to get underneath the waterfall for some incredible views. For safety reasons you cannot get RIGHT under the waterfall or swim in the pool since rocks have sometimes fallen down into the pool at the bottom.

If you only have time for one trail or want to keep it more kid-friendly, just go with the Gorge Trail which is an easy, 2 Mile hike to the base of the waterfall. 

3. Green Lakes State Park – Green Lakes Perimeter Trails – 10 Miles – Easy

Not normally on any Finger Lakes Hikes lists, I had never heard of this trail until a local mentioned it to me. The trail I chose for this park is rather long, and it’s not entirely necessary for taking in these gorgeous lakes.

It starts at a small parking lot outside the park but I really enjoyed hiking through the vast fields before coming into an overlook of the incredible turquoise green glacial lakes. You can shorten this visit by driving into the park and doing the easy trails around the two lakes. This trail also takes you by a swimming beach with a concession stand for snacks but keep in mind that the beach is not dog-friendly. 

4. Robert H. Treman State Park  – Rim Trail and Gorge Trail Loop – 4.3 Miles – Moderate

This is a moderate hike that is a bit of a workout so it could be rougher with smaller children but it was one of my favorite quick hikes in the area. The trail leads you right along the water through these intricate stone paths. There are a number of additional trails in the park if you’re looking for shorter or longer hikes to change your route. There are a total of 12 waterfalls at Robert Treman State Park but the main attraction is 115-Footer Lucifer Falls which this trail takes you past. 

5. Sampson State Park – Seneca Lakeshore Trail – 3 Miles – Easy

If you need a break from all the waterfalls the Seneca Lakeshore Trail was a great trail for an easy walk alongside Seneca Lake and is perfect for a quick trail run while you’re traveling. A couple of miles into the trail there is a point where you can head down to sit right on the side of the water at a little beach. There isn’t much foot traffic at this trail since all the other hiking trails get all the attention but it was a great place to take a break from all the crowds

6. Watkins Glen State Park – Finger Lakes and Gorge Trail Loop – 2.6 Miles – Easy / Moderate

Hands down this is the most famous hike in the Finger Lakes Region. I would recommend trying to hit this trail in the off-hours, I went early in the morning on a weekday and had the trail practically to myself minus some morning trail runners and it was amazingly peaceful and serene and I really got to enjoy the beauty of this wonderful place. The trail takes you right through the falls and at a few points you walk underneath the water as it falls over the side of a stone wall. This is a short hike but it does include a bit of stairs so take your time to enjoy the trail. There are a number of trails that lead into Watkins Glen State Park and the falls if you want to make this a much longer hike.

7. Buttermilk Falls State Park – Lake Treman Loop via Gorge, Bear and Rim Trail – 4.5 Miles – Moderate

This gorge trail can go on for a good long while so you are welcome to extend your hike beyond the 4.5 miles of this trail. This is a similar hike to Watkins Glen with gorgeous stone steps and dividers as you hike alongside the smaller waterfalls and take bridges the criss-cross the gorge, still a wonderful hike that’s not nearly as busy as some of the more famous trails.

8.Seneca Meadows Wetland Preserve – Trail – 4 Miles – Easy

Another great trail if you’re looking for a break from all the crowds at the waterfalls and just want to go for a nice evening stroll. This is another great place for a quick trail run. Some of the paths may be overgrown so you might be forced to take the primary path but its a flat route most of the way

9. Cayuga-Seneca Canal Trail to Seneca Lake State Park – 10 Miles – Easy

Hike 5 miles in towards Seneca Lake State Park and stop at the lake shore for a quick picnic at the more developed park before heading back. There’s some cute artwork further in the trail and canal or luscious green views most of the way. This would be excellent for any longer runners or bikers but could admittedly get a little boring for a solo hike. 

10. Connecticut Hill Wildlife Management Area – Van Lorne Hill Loop – 6 Miles – Easy

The name might be confusing but this trail is located in New York State in the Finger Lakes Region. Throughout the trail you’ll hear the bustling stream as you hike through the forest, a quiet trail, I didn’t see a soul when I hiked this early on a Sunday and appreciated a break from the busier hikes.

11. Geneva, NY – Generva Lakefront Trail to Seneca Lake Park – 4.5 Miles – Easy

Another great running route, this trail is a bit more developed than the others but its offers gorgeous views of Seneca Lake and you can also rent some kayaks and go out on the lake afterwards or stop for lunch in Geneva. 

12. The Ithaca Waterfall Tour

I found a lot of waterfalls closer to Ithaca, NY had very short hikes and just made myself a Ithaca Waterfall Tour with stops at several of them. I suggest stopping by my favorite coffee shop in town, Gimme! Coffee (I recommend adding on of their homemade syrups to your coffee!) and then swinging by these waterfalls that require very short walks up to the base of the falls. When you’re done swing by the Cornell Dairy Bar for some incredible Ice Cream. 

• Potters Falls
• Wells Falls
• Cascadilla Falls
• Ithaca Falls
• Triphammer Falls

Here’s a Map with the recommend route to check out the waterfalls throughout Ithaca

The post New York’s Finger Lakes: 15 of the Best trails near Seneca Lake appeared first on Paige Ponzeka.

Wild: From Lost To Found on the Pacific Crest Trail By Cheryl Strayed

This book has been my bible for the past few years. I’ve read it no less than half a dozen times.Strayed dealing with the grief of the loss of her marriage, the loss of her mother and her broken family and decides to drop her life and hike 1,100 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail. Wild covers the events that lead to that journey, her person journey along the trail and the people she met along the way. Please do not watch the movie, they are not the same thing.

“Fear, to a great extent, is born of a story we tell ourselves, and so I chose to tell myself a different story from the one women are told. I decided I was safe. I was strong. I was brave. Nothing could vanquish me. Insisting on this story was a form of mind control, but for the most part, it worked”

— Cheryl Strayed

I Might Regret This: Essays, Drawings, Vulnerabilities, and Other Stuff By Abbi Jacobson

This book is equal parts reflections, drawings and a tapping into Abbi’s brain as she talks about what lead her to drive across the country alone and takes your through her journey by reflecting on each city she lands in along the way. She touches on her hit comedy, Broad City, queer relationships and whether or not Bed and Breakfasts are good for solo travels.

“The stars out there, out west, are different, they’re brighter and bolder, and they make you feel that the world is so much more than you ever could have thought, that maybe you’d only been focusing on a tiny little corner. I know all those stars are there too, in my New York sky, but I don’t see them. There’s too much in the way. ”

— Abbi Jacobson

Woodswoman: A young ecologists’ life in the log cabin she build herself in the Adirondack Wilderness By Anne LaBastille

I accidentally stumbled upon this book on the shelves in my first stay in OWL Library and then couldn’t put this down. Written in 1991, LaBastille covers her own life from when she found a plot of land to build her own isolated cabin on a lake in the Adirondack wilderness. Her opinions on City life.

“ There is a dynamic and an energy in cities which is diametric to the life-forces of the forest. Still the cabin is the wellspring, the source, the hub of my existence. It gives me tranquility, a closeness of nature and wildlife, good health and fitness, a sense of security, the opportunity for resourcefulness, reflection and creative thinking.”

— Anne LaBastille

Real Queer America: LGBT Stories from Red States By Samantha Allen

Allen has an interesting take on the queer culture in big liberal cities vs. queer culture in smaller red state towns. Since the numbers of gathering places and people are smaller in small red cities, the L’s, G’s, B’s & T’s have to coexist under one roof creating more of a cohesive community instead of the fragments you see in larger liberal cities.

“Nothing could be queerer than getting out of your comfort zone.”

— Samantha Allen

Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Centry By Jessica Bruder

I can’t count how many people brought up this book, actually the movie based off this book so I decided to check it out after not being able to finish the movie. Bruder spends a few years entrenched with several people who live out of their vans or trailers as the cross the country looking for work. The story is larger than that as she explores the communities this nomadic life style creates and the economic disparities that drive them to live this way.

“Some call them “homeless.” The new nomads reject that label. Equipped with both shelter and transportation, they’ve adopted a new word. They refer to themselves, quite simply, as “houseless””

— Jessica Bruder

Crier’s War (Book 1) By Nina Varela & Iron Heart (Book 2) by Nina Varela

Taking a break from all of the nonfiction, I found this Scf-fi fantasy novel that features some queer characters. After the War of Kinds ravaged the kingdom of Rabu, the Automae, designed to be the playthings of royals, usurped their owners’ estates and bent the human race to their will.

“If longing is madness, then none of us are sane.”

— Nine Varela

The post Reading List for a queer woman on the road – Part 1 appeared first on Paige Ponzeka.