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All posts by : Averi Melcher

Just here to share my travels, spread happiness and take lots of pictures along the way.
26 Questions I Wish I Asked Before My First Backpacking Trip

    26 Questions I Wish I Asked Before My First Backpacking Trip

    Last month, I ventured out into the desert wilderness with a few nature newbies. And they had some questions. Like, really reasonable, smart questions that I didn’t even think to ask before my first backpacking trip. I’m not sure if

    Categories Hiking & Backpacking North America USA Things to Do in Duluth, MN: 13 Day Hikes and Can’t-Miss Adventures

      Things to Do in Duluth, MN: 13 Day Hikes and Can’t-Miss Adventures

      Orange leaves were everywhere, blue skies fading to pink across the horizon of Lake Superior. The silhouette of a couple was illuminated by the sky as they emerged from a nearby trail. After a day of hunting for the best things

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      Categories Beginner's Guides Gear & Packing Daypack vs Backpack: What’s the Difference?

        Daypack vs Backpack: What’s the Difference?

        “What’s the difference between a daypack and backpack?” This is a question a lot of beginner backpackers have.  If you’re new to hiking or camping or have never fallen into the rabbit hole that is the sporting gear section in

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        Categories Caribbean Mountain Biking Puerto Rico 6 Epic Mountain Bike Trails in Puerto Rico

          6 Epic Mountain Bike Trails in Puerto Rico

          When it comes to outdoor adventures, there is no shortage of fun things to do in Puerto Rico. But “mountain bike” and “Puerto Rico” may not be the first pairing that comes to mind. Trust me, it can and should

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          Categories Central America Costa Rica My Journal from 30 Days at Surf Camp in Tamarindo, Costa Rica

            My Journal from 30 Days at Surf Camp in Tamarindo, Costa Rica

            I’m not a surfer. Yet, in early 2017, I found myself living at a surf camp in Costa Rica. But I AM a writer. So naturally, I wrote down all of my inner struggles while battling board rash and figuring

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            Categories Lifestyle Outpost Trade Ups the Ante on What a Trade Show (and a Weekend in the Redwoods) Should Be

              Outpost Trade Ups the Ante on What a Trade Show (and a Weekend in the Redwoods) Should Be

              Outpost Trade is the summer camp that young me always wanted to attend. It mixes the combined feel-good vibes of a music festival and a weekend spent sleeping under the stars. And so, I headed up to North California to

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              Categories Bicycle Touring North America USA A Guide to Biking in Yellowstone: 11 Days of Mountains, Hot Springs and Wildlife

                A Guide to Biking in Yellowstone: 11 Days of Mountains, Hot Springs and Wildlife

                I’ll be honest, biking in Yellowstone wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be. I didn’t always vibe with the crew I traveled with. I was laughably unprepared for the weather and the roads. And, though I’m not new to bicycle touring,

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                Categories Bicycle Touring North America USA Biking in Yellowstone: 5 Reasons Why It’s Madness (but You Should Do it Anyway)

                  Biking in Yellowstone: 5 Reasons Why It’s Madness (but You Should Do it Anyway)

                  Thank you to Moosejaw for kindly sponsoring this post about biking in Yellowstone and why it’s my madness. All opinions are 100% honest and completely my own. Moosejaw has some super awesome high-quality gear for bicycle tourist and general outdoor lovers and a

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                  Categories Lifestyle I Bought a Van! A Preview into the How and Why of my New Van Life

                    I Bought a Van! A Preview into the How and Why of my New Van Life

                    Over at Casa Averi, there has been some talk of full-time nomading for some time. I’ve even been throwing around the term ‘van life’ with increasing frequency, spending my free time browsing tutorials on van conversions and scanning Pinterest boards

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                    Categories Bicycle Touring North America USA The Pacific Coast Inland Detour Bicycle Route

                      The Pacific Coast Inland Detour Bicycle Route

                      I’ve been getting a few route requests since my post about my misadventures on the Pacific Coast Highway. So, I thought I’d share the map. For those of you who didn’t catch it, my friends and I had the impeccable timing of

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                      Categories:

                      • Beginner's Guides
                      • Bicycle Touring
                      • Budget
                      • Caribbean
                      • Central America
                      • Colombia
                      • Costa Rica
                      • Ecuador
                      • Europe
                      • Gear & Packing
                      • Health & Fitness
                      • Hiking & Backpacking
                      • Inspiration
                      • Lifestyle
                      • Misadventures
                      • Mountain Biking
                      • North America
                      • Norway
                      • Panama
                      • Puerto Rico
                      • Scotland
                      • South America
                      • Stories
                      • Surfing
                      • Sustainability
                      • USA
                      • Working Remotely

                      About Me

                      Photo I'm Averi!
                      I'm Averi!

                      Bicycle Explorer. Curious Mind.

                      I've known for awhile now I want to embark on a bike ride of epic proportions. I've known for even longer that I want to do something meaningful with life, something that really impacts people.

                      So, where do I begin?

                      1. Figure out what it takes to bicycle around the world - gear, routes, bicycles, etc.

                      2. Spread happiness wherever I go.

                      I'm not sure where exactly this will take me, but I do know this: I want to focus on the human experience - giving words to other people's stories & helping them in a way that benefits them, with no expectation of anything in return.

                      I want to bicycle and ask one simple question of people: What's your bliss?

                      This is my little project in this big world. Thank you for being a part of it.

                      Never miss an adventure

                      @thepedalproject

                      • Bariloche has some of the most accessible trails I’ve ever seen. And not just casual-stroll-through-the-neighborhood trails. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Nope 👎🏼 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Real mountain hikes with epic views and bright blue lakes. They are extremely well marked (very easy to do this on your own - perfect for solo travelers) and can all be found on barilochetrekking.com.You can sort by:* Distance* Difficulty* Duration (multi day or day hike)Then - and this is truly the best part - you can take PUBLIC BUSES right to the trail head, or very close by. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Write down that website and extend your stay in Bariloche, people! It’s more than a 1-day stop to get food and gear before heading further south in Patagonia.
                      • I decided to take a rest from IG on a Friday, and then it turned into a long weekend and then a weeklong vacation. And then, when I looked up I noticed it had been a month. 😝😝 I’ve been traveling for me.  Discovering places without worrying about how they’ll look on a feed and getting my creativity back. I don’t like to talk about #bucketlist places because that word kind of makes me cringe a bit (idk why??), but I have to say Patagonia is damn close to one if there ever was. I’ve been reading travel memories and drooling over this place for almost a decade. And now here I am and it just didn’t feel right sulley my first view by having it be through an iPhone screen. Ya know? Plus, it was E-A-S-Y to not log into Instagram. Like, scary easy. I didn’t plan it. I got busy packing and prepping (and, you know, running a business) and then I just.....forgot. Sure, for a few days I missed it and I had fleeting thoughts here and there on a mountain top of which preset would look 💯. But then, like that on again off again relationship you finally left and never looked back on, I just forgot about it and realized my life is really damn great on it’s own. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀So, here’s the update: I’m over here in Patagonia 🙋🏼‍♀️. Where the lakes are the bluest I’ve ever seen and the mountains 🏔 are just begging to be climbed. It took 2 weeks of prep, plus re-buying most my gear here (more on that coming soon), 1 month of travel, and a few side trips, and I still feel like I’m just dipping my toes in. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀📸: @dani_gonzalez1217_
                      • Lara Croft or Indiana Jones? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I love it when a place makes me feel like I’m somewhere right out of the movies. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀One last photo of the Malacara Volcano 🌋 before I show you some other stuff I’ve been doing in Mendoza and Buenos Aires this summer. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••.....#argentina_ig #discoverargentina #hiking_my_life #girlswhohike #southamericatravel #solotravelers #malargüe #volcanmalacara #volcanoes #getoutstayout #earthpix
                      • Summer livin’ ☀️ 🌊 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I never considered myself a ‘surfer’ until I started traveling in South America and the grand majority of bodies of water here are pools. Which are wonderful, but calm. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I do know there are some great places to go here, though! I’m just hanging out in the other parts 😝. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Until I catch my first South American wave (which is las olas, pronounced the same as “hola”, which I love), I miss those California beaches and the post surf tacos. But not just any taco. The ones @citytacossd makes. The way they’re supposed to be. The stuff dreams are made of. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀If you dream of tacos, that is. 🌮🤩

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                      Latest Posts

                      • A 2021 Fall Foliage Map: When & Where to See The Leaves Changing This Year
                      • 43 Stunning Photos of Bucket List-Worthy Travel Destinations in Latin America
                      • Otavalo Market in Ecuador: How to Visit South America’s Largest Market
                      • Vitamins for Vegetarians: A Guide to Staying Healthy Overseas
                      • The 7 Best Workout Apps for At Home and On the Road
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