My niece, Kyria, is a world traveler and adventurer. Over the years she has worked for solid chunks of time, often as a contract worker for FEMA, in order to make enough money to travel the world. She’s visited over 60 countries, many of them solo. Now in her 40s, having spent the last 10 years living and working in the San Francisco Bay area, she realized that there were many mountains still to climb (and cities to see, and people to meet), so at the beginning of this year, she quit her job in finance, sold or got rid of all of her things including her house, and set off alone on her bicycle to see more of the U.S. and Canada. She’s still traveling, and after she finishes this trip, she plans to start traveling the world again, most likely as a slow traveler, where she will stay in one place for about a month at a time. 

She is doing what so many of us only dream of — picking up stakes and experiencing the diverse scenery and cultures on this earth. I’ve always loved her photographs of the places she’s visited, so I asked her to share some images of her adventures with us. They are all taken with her Pixel 4a camera phone. If you want to see more of her journeys and her musings, check out her blog. And if you’re thinking of a similar trip, she has lots of tips on how to pack, what to bring, how to save, and much more.

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For the past several months I have been seeing things from a different perspective — the seat of a bicycle. It is amazing how moving slower than a car, being able to stop when you want, and experiencing the wind in your hair and the sun on your back can be so freeing! In the past six months I have ridden through thirteen U.S. states and five Canadian provinces. Below are some of my favorite photos from this journey so far.

The first section was through the states of California, Oregon and Washington, where I stayed mostly on dirt roads, away from the hustle and bustle of the crowds. The scenery here was varied and included some wonderful views of oceans, deserts and mountains, all in the space of a few weeks.

The next section was through the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta, where snowcapped peaks were an everyday occurrence. Every turn brought  with it a new beautiful view, but one of my favorite sections was the Icefields Parkway.

Next up was a dirt road extravaganza down the Continental Divide of the Rocky Mountains. This included Alberta, BC, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico. Again, there were such differences, but each place had its own kind of beauty!

After that, I experienced the Midwest at its finest! Rolling fields of wheat and corn, interspersed with peeks of some of the Great Lakes made this section special.

In Ontario, the farmlands were very similar to the Midwest, but the special part of this section was riding along Lake Huron for the majority of the time.

In Quebec, I had some city time, which included the old town sections of Montreal and Quebec City. In between, the riverside bike paths were a cyclist’s dream come true.

Arriving in Nova Scotia in the fall is the way to go, and the yellows and oranges were like fire in the trees. Top that with many seaside views and you have the recipe for great photos.

Back on the West Coast, I had a lovely time exploring the town of Bellingham, which is nestled right on the Puget Sound. There is something so calming about the views of the water coupled with the smell of the pines.

And now the trip is almost at an end, and I will make my way back home. But one thing that will never end is the memories of the things I have done, people I have met and all of the sights and sounds and smells of the road.

Happy trails!

Kyria