Inspired Travels With Patti

Exploring Pennsylvania’s State Parks: Hiking Tips, Confidence Building & Cold-Weather Adventures with Abbi Miller

• Patti Hunt • Season 1 • Episode 14

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I (Patti Hunt) interview a special young lady who will inspire you to explore the outdoors, starting right where you live. Her goal is to visit all 124 Pennsylvania state parks, she has been to 22 and will keep going through the fall and winter. She hopes to help build confidence through travel and solo exploration, Abbi shares her journey, lessons, and practical advice for hikers of every experience level. Whether you’re an RVer, glamping enthusiast, or trail beginner, this conversation will ignite your sense of adventure and push you toward that first step outdoors.  

Quote “Your comfort zone will kill you. You kind of just have to do it, you can't just live in your little bubble.” — Abbi Miller

Guest Links 

* Abbi on the Trail TikTok

* Abbi Miller Creative Instagram

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Exploring 124 state parks. Abby, what is the best part of exploring state parks, especially in the winter? So the most exciting thing for exploring state parks in the winter is the amount of different activities. You can go hiking. You can go skiing, you can go stay in a cabin. Um, I think just the options are endless and it's really exciting for me. That's great. I have not necessarily been as big a fan of the snow, but I am gonna try to embrace it Mm-hmm. I think by the end of this you will have inspired me to go get out in the state parks, even though right now, at the time of the recording, it Mm-hmm. and we are gonna soon be in the cold weather. So I think by the end of this you'll Yes. inspired me. my listeners, we are gonna talk today about all things state parks. We are gonna focus on Pennsylvania, but this will apply to anybody that has a state park near them, and most people do. We're gonna talk about exploring in the winter. And we're gonna talk inspiration to get out and travel because by the time we are finished with this episode, if you are not inspired to get out and travel, I don't know what's going to do it. So just wait for this episode. For those of you are new to Inspired Travels with Patti. I'm Patti Hunt created this channel to inspire others to live life fully. And for me that is through travel. Now I want to introduce my incredible guest. She's from Bedford County, Pennsylvania, which is South Central. She lived in New York for five years. She lived, um, in North Central Pennsylvania. She started traveling when she was 17 and that that was more local trips. She's driven across the country back and forth twice. Took a month long cross country road trip, driving from Pennsylvania to Seattle, Los Angeles, and back national parks and major cities while staying in campgrounds, hotels, and budget hotels. She is a marketing. She works in marketing and runs her own graphic design studio, focusing on branding, website design, and social media. And here's the kicker. She's right? years old. Abby Miller, welcome to Inspire Travels with Patty. Well, thank you for having me. I'm so excited to be here. I, to have you. I actually came across your content on TikTok what's funny is I started TikTok about three months ago. There's not much there. My 27-year-old daughter told me I had to be on TikTok and I saw your content I was just to it. The things you were showing in the state parks, Pennsylvania state parks, I've lived in Pennsylvania almost all of my life. I'm a lot older than you. And the things that you show and the things that you have have seen just in the PA state parks absolutely amazing. let's get my listeners to get to know you. Did you grow up traveling? I honestly didn't grow up traveling a whole lot. Um, my parents are divorced, so we kind of did our own things and I grew up an athlete, so I feel like a lot of the times it was either my parents coming together to take me to a softball tournament or a volleyball tournament. So we kind of got to travel in that aspect around the state. You know, I got to go down to Myrtle Beach for, um, my softball team went to the World Series, so that was kind of. It consumed my weekends and my time. Um, I did go on a couple of trips with my friends, like we went to the beach, Rehoboth Beach, Virginia Beach, you know, kind of this typical, you know, Pennsylvania vacation, but nothing crazy, you know, nothing out of the ordinary. Uh, so it was kind of when I became an adult or an adult-ish, uh, you know, when I was almost graduating high. School where I kind of decided that I have an itch for something more. So what started this? This love of exploring, Yeah. So I always attribute it to my dad. Um, he grew up, um, doing civil air patrol, so if anyone's not familiar with that, it's, you know, where you're training, you know, young men and women individuals to go out and either survive in the wilderness. Um, it's kind of military style in the sense where, you know, it's a lot of like, repetition, routine. Um, and they also train, um, these young men and women to go out and do search and rescue. So I feel like, you know, being around that and just being around him, you know, very hands-on outdoorsy, I kind of discovered my love for the outdoors. Um, and he would just, you know, take me out exploring whether that's in my backyard, down in the woods, or, you know, anything like that. So I feel like that kind of sparked my interest, um, just to get out and explore more. And I know me and my friend at the time when we were in high school, just. Sitting in homeroom, we were like, we gotta get outta here and like, figure out something to do. You know, there's not much to do around here. You know, we, we found some spots and we kind of just took it from there. I was told recently I was in Hershey at the RV show and there was a park ranger there and I was told that in Pennsylvania you are no more than 20 minutes away from a state park. No matter where you are Yes. So what I'm saying is there is no excuse for somebody to not get out. yeah, yeah, I look at travel and I always thought it was far away. It was expensive. There was packing, there was aggravation, but it doesn't have to be that, you know, going out and exploring Right. parks. Just again, watching your content and, and now having had experiences myself, it's a whole different world. How do you think travel, your travel experience kind of shaped your views of things? Did, did traveling change your, your belief? Yeah, that's an interesting question. I definitely think it pushed my comfort zone in a lot of ways. I know for my cross country road trip, my parents were obviously, you know, very cautious and worried. Um, but I think just pushing myself and kind of taking that step and having the confidence to do that, you know, it kind of excelled me into the next chapter. You know, I moved to New York by myself. I kind of got that experience and I think just, you know, doing things that are uncomfortable more so shaped me to how I see the world and, you know, how I go out and go on these hikes by myself or, you know, go travel and, you know, fly to Europe by myself, you know, I have the confidence now to do those things. So I think it's just important to. Take that first step and then, you know, eventually you'll have those confidences to do those things. there are a lot of people that don't want to travel because they're afraid they don't have the right person, they don't have the, the perfect situation. So how did you build up, tell people, like what was that like trying to build up that confidence at such a young age? Yeah. Yeah, I mean, I definitely attribute it to my parents. Again, like they prepared me in a lot of ways and I, I know for, you know, some people they don't have that resource, but just in looking at like the PA state park list, they have so many events. That are hands-on where you can learn, you know, with social media, there's so many different people that you can, you know, learn these things from and these skill sets from. So I think finding, you know, that person that you look up to, to like learn from and build that confidence is really important. Um, and then kind of, yeah, just figuring it out on your own too. You know, whether that is in your backyard, you know, you don't have to go across the country, but just go on a trip and just drive you know yourself and just see where you end up and explore on your own time. You know, I feel like slowly you can build up that confidence. And I think that's the important thing. It's taking that first step in all of my life, trying to, you know, do things. They were, you know, that that new thing is usually outta your comfort zone. People are scared, they're Yep. like. But taking that first step is what helped. So definitely you are definitely an inspiration. Now you're looking 124 state parks. And again, I've lived here all my life and I had no idea. 124 Yes. And I didn't know that there was 124 either when I lived, you know, growing up here you don't realize, but like you said, I mean, there's this. State park, you know, in every 20 miles. It's, it's kind of crazy and it's amazing that, you know, a lot of people don't know. Yeah. So I'm glad we are bringing this out to people and for people who aren't from the area. of people who are RVs come into the area during, You know, in September for the Hershey RV show. Now there's no reason not to get to a state park. There's tons of them. Yeah. So you've done 22 of them. What inspired this project? Yeah. So, you know, I have a very heavy social media presence, you know, with my graphic design business and, you know, reaching out to clients. Um, you know, I was connecting in that way for a while. And, you know, I just felt that there was a sense of, um, I was just kind of missing that like genuine, like passion, you know? It was kind of like a lot of repetition, a lot of like the same things, showcasing my work. And I kind of just wanted to do something that was just like fun and like my passion, you know? So I kind of just, one day I thought to myself like, I wanna do this. Series, you know, something that I can stick to, something that I can look forward to. And you know, I think with my graphic design business, I do focus on brands like through adventure, through community and like cultivating that, um, and building, you know, businesses with confidence. So, you know, it kind of relates back to it in a sense, and it still shares my passions. So that's when I decided, you know, I'm, I'm back in Pennsylvania, I'm gonna make the most of you know where I'm at and you know, my surroundings. So I decided, you know, I've already been to a couple of state parks. There's so many that I didn't even realize. And yeah, I kind of just took it from there and decided to get on TikTok and I know that's a really great place to build community. There's not a lot of creators in Pennsylvania. So I think just bringing to light, like we said about these great places that our Pennsylvania natives can visit. What's your TikTok called? Abby. I had it in front of me. So it's Abby on the trail and then the AT is Explore Abby. let's tell people what was, share a place that you've been, one of the state parks and one of the things that just, you'll never forget one of those, ah, kind of moments. Yes. one of the first memories I have at least, you know, traveling outta my comfort zone, um, you know, hiking would have to be at Ricketts Glen State Park. Um, I remember, I think it was, you know, either during school, after school, me and my friend, you know, it was senior year, we were like, we're outta here. And we decided to just drive and, you know, kind of hit little stops along the way. I think we stopped, um, at Nag Park in Scranton. We stopped at, um, I can't remember. It was like, oh, the seven tubs in Scranton. We stopped at the seven tubs in Scranton. We had like a little, you know, road trip with stops, but it was in a PA essentially. But you know, from Bedford where I grew up, it was like a three and a half hour drive. And I remember on the way back we stopped at Ricketts, Glen State Park, and I just was like in awe that this place existed in Pennsylvania. I felt like I stepped into a fairytale wonderland. I remember, you know. Being 17, like this cannot be real. Like this is insane. And I think, you know, it has blown up a little bit more now and it's more well known. Um, and I just remember like, it wasn't that busy when I first went, so I think just, it was a special moment because I, you know, got to be, you know, there and just kind of take it for what it was. Like, I kind of just stumbled upon it, you know, whereas now I know it, it does get more popular and crowded. So you have to be selective of the days that you go, but, and I, I kind of always will remember that. And now that I'm in. Like Columbia County, like North central ish, Pennsylvania. I'm pretty close to Ricketts Glen, so it's kind of like a close to home thing now, um, to where I go with, you know, I take my mom's dogs and we go together and it's just, yeah, it's just a really special place for me. And you know, I think it's kind of where my story started in a sense as well. What was it? Is there something specific about it that was so amazing? Like you felt like you, it was unreal, is what you said. Was there something about. Yeah. I think, I mean, I think along the hike there's like 19 or some waterfalls. Um, and I guess just being from south central Pennsylvania, like we didn't really have, you know, a lot of like, like bigger waterfall hikes. You know, we have a couple like Laurel Hill, like. Closer to Somerset County. Um, and like raised town I know has, um, a couple hikes that feature like some little waterfalls, but I just think, you know, with that loop that you take in Ricketts Glen, um, you just hit all of the waterfalls and like, you know, I think it's Canoga Glen where it's like it 90 some feet and you're just looking up and it's just, you know, it's a magical, like I said, it just felt so unreal and, you know, just the fact that we kind of made that drive, it was just a very special moment. That's incredible. wanna get into as you're talking about hiking, there are different hikes for different people. I across the country. Yep. and a half times and we've stopped and gone on hikes in several places. And I always joke about the fact that a hike will say, you know, one mile flat, easy trail, and I'm at two miles and I'm still not there. So I always joke that when they touch how far it is, it's like, I guess how the bird would fly, not how you would walk. So you have to take that into consideration. My audiences of all ages, all ability levels. Mm-hmm. would be a suggestion for people starting out hiking? Do you have some suggestions for people? Yeah, I definitely think, I mean, all trails has been my best friend when it comes to hike. You know, it offers some really great recommendations. It shows, you know, hikes in your area. I also love to just like, talk to people in my community and, you know, say, Hey, like, you know, have you checked out this hike? Or, you know, do you know any really good spots? Like to start out, just like I said, kind of building that confidence in finding those key people who have kind of experienced it. Um, and then that'll give you the confidence essentially to, you know, kind of take that first step and go hiking and go on that trail. And I think, you know, I've been to a lot of state parks where most of them feature like a lake, so there's like a lake loop where it's, you know, an easier, more level, moderate, um, loop or hike. Um, so I think that that's really important too, to maybe like start small and just kind of, like I said, always be prepared. Like, you know, if I'm going to a state park, I'm grabbing a map, you know, I have all trails on my phone. I have my portable charger just so I can feel the most confident and ready and prepared. For anything. I think that's super important. So yeah, I think, you know, just starting there and then, you know, working your way up and I mean, I think it's always important to go with a friend, um, if you can, you know, especially starting out and then kind of work your way up to that, you know, where you can go alone or you feel confident to go alone. So. I think that's a great idea. All Trails is an app Yeah. I'll and I'll put that in the show notes. I've used it myself and it is great, but take into consideration if it says a mile or two miles or it's moderate or easy. It's different for different people. That's just been my experience. I love what you said. Mm-hmm. you know, have your phone, make sure you have a charger that, you know, like, so important. And I like, you know, Yes. with a friend, if you're going alone, I would certainly let somebody know, Hey, this is where I'm going. I'll let you know when I get back. Here's where I'm going to be. Because Yep. in a park, the cell phone, there's no cell service. Yeah. you know, you, you wanna Yep. That's why you take a physical map with you. Right. Yes. Yeah, so I think that's really important too, that you bring that up about the cell service because you know, you think in Pennsylvania it's smaller scale. You think there'll be cell service, but you know, you could go in one wrong cut in, like, you know, in a pass of the mountain and you lose service. So, you know, it's, it's kind of, you know, important. Well, it's not kind of, it is important, you know, be prepared in that sense. And just know that a lot of these state parks that you will visit, you will lose cell service. So yeah, just kind of knowing your. Forehand taking that physical map, I just stress that all the time. It's super important. And we're saying that to prepare people, neither of us wanna scare people. We do want you to get out, right? with somebody, talk to people who have done it. Start small if you have shoes is also very important. I just saw TikTok video that somebody was making fun of a woman who is. through this trail in flip flops, so there were rocks and it Mm-hmm. Have the right shoes for sure. Be be prepared when you're going on a long hike, what other things would you take with you? Do you take the snacks and. Yeah. Yeah, I think it's really important. Like you said, even if you're going on a short walk, you know, through the woods, or if it's a lake loop trail, I think it's always important to pack a bag regardless of, you know, the, what all trail says. You know, if it says it's super easy, one mile hike, you never know, you know, if you could deviate or, you know, if you do take a wrong turn, you get lost. I think it's just important to have, you know, the basics. Water and more than enough water, like you said. Um, I think it's always important to have snacks, uh, just to stay, you know. Energized on the trail. No matter, no matter what or the, the length or distance, um, it's important to have some kind of first aid kit. You know, my first aid kit includes like, um, a brace, like in case I like sprain an ankle, um, with some sports tape, you know, bandaids, um, like antiseptic wipes just in case, you know, you get cut. Um, I also have like a fire starter source, so like a lighter matches. I just think those like things are just like kind of key to have and just, you know, always important. Um, depending, like now in fall. It's hunting season, so I always carry some sort of orange garment if I'm going out hiking. And I think that's always important to remember, especially if you're taking your dogs, you, you know, having something orange for them as well. Um, I'm trying to think of what else. I did a whole video on my TikTok about what I, uh, pack for a day, but we'll put that in the show notes and just leave yes. done it. You've already said it. I Yep. Mm-hmm. It being hunting season, and I guess if Yes. To a state park, you could find out if it's hunting season and kind of avoid certain areas, right, Yeah.'cause I know Sundays, uh, you're not allowed to hunt in state parks in Pennsylvania. Um, but I know elsewhere you're now allowed to hunt. So if you're not on state parklands, um, you just have to watch out. And I think there's a couple dates here in November where you are allowed on Sunday. So yeah, you just have to like read. I mean, they're really great about posting, just kind of, again, knowing your surrounding. Checking out the trail head, all the information, if there's bugs, ticks, you know, packing, bug spray, wearing the appropriate pants versus shorts. You know, I'm always wearing pants, socks, you know, as far as like ticks and bugs. I think that's important just to, you know, kind of be prepared. Right. And prepared for like when there's poison ivy and those kinds of things. Knowing what to Mm-hmm.'cause you don't wanna come home with poison ivy for sure. Exactly. let's jump into the fun stuff. Certainly I've been in parks and taking walks through the park. The waterfalls are one of my favorite as well. When you go To a state park, how far will you, like how far do you hike in a, in one of your days at a state park? Is there a distance you usually go? Yeah. Um, I try to hit, um, anything over like a mile and a half. Um, I think the longest one to date that I've done on this series is around like eight and a half miles, so I'll go, you know. Kind of depends. I think a lot of, like the lake loops, they kind of average around like three miles. Um, I just did Milton State Park, uh, that was like a two and a half mile loop. Um, but on some of the longer hikes, like I'll kind of have to do some trail engineering and, you know, again, use all trails, use the state park map and kind of use, and, you know, the intersections and kind of map out like a longer route. Um, but again, just preparing and knowing. I, I love just. Being in the woods and going for a long amount of time. So I actually hiked from one state park to another state park as well. And that was, uh, I think around seven miles. so yeah, I'm kind of up for, you know, any distance. I think just, you know, making sure you go at the right time, checking in on, you know, all trails, like you said, it, it might say X amount of hours, but it might, you know, based on your skill level, you know, your endurance, it might take you longer. So just always accounting for that and, you know, making sure you don't get stuck out in the dark. Right. And that's another thing too, as it gets dark in Pennsylvania now, it's like, what, five o'clock that it's getting Mm-hmm. You really wanna plan Yeah. time you're going out, about how long. But even if you say, okay, it's, Mm-hmm. one mile hike and you could do a mile and say minutes, whatever that timeframe is, add on. Mm-hmm. need to add that time and take that into consideration. getting getting stuck out there in the dark. Not fun. Um, I do wanna talk more about the, yeah, the fall and winter hiking, but I want to share open road resorts and. You know, think about the National Park. So Yellowstone National Park, someplace I absolutely have got to get to. It's on my list of things to do and Open Roads, open Road Resorts has a campground called Red Rock RV Park right outside of Yellowstone. So I wanna share that with people. The information will be in the show notes. And what I really want to do is get to the tiny homes. They have these amazing tiny homes. How incredible. so my Yeah. get there, explore Yellowstone, and again, that'll be in the show note. So let's talk about, now that it is the fall, I feel like the weather's still been pretty nice for fall. It's been in the sixties here, at least Yeah. the east coast of Pennsylvania. Mm-hmm. Um, so, so what is different? What is your plan for the fall and then winter? Mm-hmm. Different when you go out hiking? Yeah. I think, you know, when you're packing for even, you know, a short hike, long hike, I think having those pieces, you know, weather can be predict, unpredictable. Um, so, you know, having kind of layers I always think is an. Important. Um, having dry socks, uh, you know, in case it rains. I think that that's an important thing to have. A rain jacket, layers a hat. Um, just kind of knowing and planning and looking at the weather ahead is really important. Um, like I said, as we go into the snow season, um, you know, just planning hikes, you know, making sure you have really, really, really good shoes. Um, even if you need crampons, uh, you know, I know we haven't had a lot of snow in the past couple years, but. You know, just to always be prepared. Um, I personally don't use trekking poles, but they are helpful and I have used them before, like out west when I went hiking. Um, and I think, you know, in a snow climate and, you know, when it snows, it would be, you know, helpful to bring those along as well, um, because it can, you know, get really dangerous. Um, you know, when you go out and there's ice. Snow. So just, I think, you know, it's more important in that aspect to always go with the group and, you know, because if you fall and twist your ankle and you're there by yourself, if you don't have a form of communication, um, then you're kind of in a bad situation. Um, I plan on, um, for my travels, you know, during the fall and the winter, I really wanna purchase the Garmin. Uh, mini in reach is called, you'll have to link it in the show notes. Um, it's basically a It's like a satellite phone, so it goes off of GPS. And no matter where you are, you can program it to have your contacts, and then there's an emergency 9 1 1 contact. So in the push of one button, it'll locate your exact location no matter what. So you don't even have to, you can clip it to your bag. It's like amazing. Like my dad's already like, I need to get this for you. You know, just in general. I think it's a great tool. I think it runs. About $350. So it's a little bit more of an investment, but I think, you know, to have that, you know, versus relying on a phone or a cell service or if you slip and fall and can't get to your phone, like to have that there, you know, that's, you know, one of the things that I really want to invest in and get that as I go along my travels for the fall and the winter. Yeah, especially in the fall and winter. I think if you're going on that smaller Yeah. know the root, you Mm-hmm. it. clamp ons, I'm assuming they're the things that have. Spikes in them. Can you explain that? And the polls for people who have never done this, yeah, yeah. Some people, like I said, just use a really great like winter hiking boot, so making sure it's waterproof. I know some boots already have the spikes on the bottom, and I know a lot of people just use that solely, but they also sell just like the crampons that you kind of attach on your boot. I haven't really explored, I just have the winter hiking boots kind of with the. Um, uh, like the spikes on the bottom. Um, but I, I do personally think that getting a pair of like crampons or an additional like, you know, trucking, um, equipment would be helpful. Um, and then the poles in general, you know, you can use them when you go hiking, you know, in the summer. And, you know, it is really nice if you go on steep inclines as supports as you're going down. Um, you know, it just relieves a lot of the pressure on your legs. And I think just, you know, if you're have knee troubles or if you know are. Worried about, you know, balance twisting your ankle. They can be really nice to just have you know with you as well. Right. And that's something that people probably wanna try out before they actually get out there and do some great big hike. You know, wear the boots before you get on the hike to make sure you know they Yes, So let me back up a minute. Have you done winter hiking before or is this something new? So I've done a little bit of winter hiking, but it's relatively new to the extent of, you know, going like religiously. Um, I remember, I think I did Blackwater Falls in the winter in West Virginia. Um, but at that point, like I wasn't, you know, that was kind of towards the beginning of my hiking journey. So I think I do a lot of things differently now and just. You know, be more cautious and, you know, plan out my hikes better if I'm going on longer hikes that I'm, you know, less familiar with. I think, you know, I'll, there'll be a lot more planning involved, um, in winter hiking. But I, I think two years ago I did Hickory run State Park in the winter. Um, and that, that was when I actually like invested in a nice pair of like winter hiking boots. Um, but I only got out like probably like two or three times that winter season. So, like I said, I'm gonna be really intentional this year. Um, you know, obviously as I check off more state parks on my list. Um, and going, so, What other activities you had mentioned skiing. What else are you looking both doing over the winter in the state park? Yeah. So I definitely wanna go skiing. Like I said, I started skiing and high school, so I did ski club and we went to Blue Knob State Park. Actually, that was one of my first state parks just because it was so close to home. And we would go up every week and go skiing and it was so much fun. And I, you know, I got my own skis and when I lived in New York, I didn't get out as often as I'd like. But I think now back in Pennsylvania, I'm gonna make, you know, an intention to hit state parks that I can, um, and then, you know, other mountains as well. So I'm really excited. And I also wanna do snowmobiling, so if I can get into a state park on the snowmobile trails, if we get enough snow. I think that would be really, really fun.'cause I've never been Right, right. Those people who aren't in Pennsylvania, snow could be anywhere from a couple inches or nothing to, you know, Exactly, we've had a couple of feet or more, so there's been usually the years that I had to shovel for the years that there were a couple feet of snow. It never yes, we're right. and obviously things like dressing appropriately, you know, it's Mm-hmm. all of that stuff is, is pretty obvious. But I figured I should mention how many, so 22 of the 124 state parks, how many do you think you'll hit this fall and. I would say I'll hit, my goal is to hit another, like. 25, I'd say. Um, I think it's manageable. I mean, I have so many near me in like Central Pennsylvania, but I also, you know, I wanna get to like South Central and like near you southeast. Um, so yeah, it all depends on like the weather. I'm unfortunately injured right now. I. Two weekends ago, I hurt my Achilles tendon and it's taking a while to heal, so I'm kind of out of commission for now. But I, I definitely wanna take it easy and, you know, let that heal before I get back out. But I'm excited, you know, even if it's not, you know, pretty waterfalls or, you know, the fall leaves, I think. Just getting out in general, like it just, it's what I love to do, so I'll continue doing that throughout winter. I also wanna Mm-hmm. bit about, there are, for those of my listeners that are RVers, and you might not know Mm-hmm. it, but there are places for RVers, there are rv, um, places in the parks as well as you mentioned cabin. So for people. me and you that don't have the rv, um, there are cabins and places you could stay so you can like be immersed in the park and go through a hike and come back. Have you experienced the cabins that are in some of the state park? I haven't, you know, me and my family, we grew up right near Shawnee State Park, so we'd go camping. We had a little pop-up camper when I was younger, so we'd go camping there, we'd go geocaching fishing. So I spent a lot of time, um, like that. In Pennsylvania, I haven't done a lot of camping within the state parks, uh, but I did just see Pennsylvania partnered with a glamping experience. So I know I think 14 or 15 state parks now have glamping campsites and they look incredible. So I'm really excited. I definitely, they, a lot of them are getting booked fast and I know that's like the popular thing now. Um, but I'm definitely gonna be intentional, you know, looking into the spring to like book ahead of time in the summer, like, because they just get filled so fast. Like my, my top bucket list state park is Cherry Springs, uh, 'cause of the star gazing at night. So I love to go camping there. Even world end State Park, like we drove past as I was getting ready to go on my hike, we drove past the campsites there and it just was like so gorgeous. And, um, I, I think they had a RV like area as well, or camper RV area. So a lot of the state parks do offer that. But yeah, I'm definitely gonna look into like cabins. I know they just. So much, which is great. Clamping sounds more like my, my cup of tea. I don't do the camping roughing it kind of thing. Um, and that's good to know. Yeah. had not heard about that. So for those people who are looking to go to the state parks and stay in, you know, that wanna stay and do stargazing, that sounds amazing. glamping. Yeah, the information I, the Pennsylvania State Park. In the show notes. Um, and there's so much, it sounds so incredible. And what's interesting is, again, I've lived in Pennsylvania all of my life. I could probably count on one hand how many state parks I've actually been to, and it's just kind of sad yeah. so much beauty right here. Like we've been saying, Yeah. minutes from where, 20 minutes or less from wherever you are. There's no reason for Yeah. to get out and, and again, if you can't hike a lot of parks, there's areas you could drive through so you don't have to feel like Yes. out. And the hike, I, there's so much yeah. Like for example, um, at Kinzua Bridge State Park, they have, you know, a lot of accessible, like handicap accessible trails. And I know a lot of state parks are intentional, um, in putting those spaces in for those who, you know, either don't have the gear or aren't. Able to go, you know, on the rocky trails. So I think that was really great. You know, Kinzo Bridge has the visitor center with so much history. Um, a lot of these state parks you can drive to the lookouts, you know, of course it's fun to go on the adventure of hiking to the top, but I know that's not accessible for everybody. So, you know, the fact that you can still get out, see these amazing views, find the, you know, not only state parks, but like county parks and, you know, different places like around the state parks. There's just so much. So it's, it is really exciting and it just, it just takes, you know, a quick Google search or, you know. Follow along your favorite people, and you know, that's why I hope to bring, you know, light to all of these places. And you mentioned visitor centers, and I recommend that when people are Yes. into an I, if there's a visitor center, stop by, talk to the rangers there, let them give you the information. Even if you do all the research before you go, even if we all watched all your videos, you know, on TikTok, Mm-hmm. to go in because they'll tell you if there's something going on at the time that you are going Yep. park. There's great information and there's usually like just, just content information for you to learn about before you go. So I highly recommend Yeah. Do you go into the visitor center? Is that something you do? Yeah. I try to, a lot of times it's like a Sunday and I, I miss, you know, when they're open. But like you said, whenever I can, I go in, I talk to the Rangers. Um, I know at Zu Bridge when I stopped in, they had a whole educational day where I got to sample like local teas that they had brewed there, you know. It's very educational. That's what they're there for, you know? Um, and I think it's a great resource again, just to talk to that person for those people that travel with kids. visitor centers and the Rangers. I think it's invaluable. Let the kids go in and ask their questions. Mm-hmm. that's what they're there for. They love the education and even if it's a park or an area you've been to, there's so much information that didn't know. Like I Mm-hmm. there were 124 state parks. I mean, who Yeah. I would've guessed. So yes, it's good to know. I just wanna, while we're talking about travel and anybody now that's been inspired to come to Pennsylvania or travel across Pennsylvania, I wanna talk about open roads, fuel card, and this is a discount fuel card that gives you discount on diesel fuel. And it is amazing. I used it for three years while I was traveling on the road, saved so much money. They also have a toll pass. Now we have the Pennsylvania EPAs and Pennsylvania turnpike. Unfortunately, it's the most expensive road, toll road in the world, so I fact checked. Yeah, unfortunately. Yes, unfortunately, and you could, a lot of times you could avoid that road, but Open Roads also has a toll transponder that you can use for all 48 states. All of that will be in the show notes, just some helpful information while you're traveling. What is something you are really, what's the biggest thing you're excited about going into the winter months as you think about travel, your ankle's all healed, you're fine, you're ready to go out. What's the biggest thing you're looking forward to? I think, again, going back to like skiing and just getting on the mountain, um, I think that's one thing that I'm really looking forward to. Um, I haven't, you know, gone out probably in the past two years. Um, so just, you know, getting back into it. With skiing, it's a little bit more challenging just because I'm not, as I would say, skilled and, you know, confident as I am, you know, hiking. So I think just kind of building on that. and yeah, just kind of getting involved and like finding ways that I can, you know, look ahead to spring even, you know, I wanna start doing like group hikes or, you know, with, you know, women in my area that don't have the confidence to go out by themselves. Um, kind of creating those spaces and creating conversation, educational pieces. So, yeah, I think there's a lot to come and a lot of, you know. Things to look ahead for. So yeah, I'm just excited for the next chapter. so when you come Mm-hmm. go on a hike together. I gotta be honest, the Mm-hmm. not my favorite time here, but I am going to get outta my comfort zone and start embracing it and getting out more in the cold. Just have to bundle up more. But that is something that I'm going Yep. Myself to do this year is be out more in the cold weather. Once both of our feet feel Yes. that. Okay, so I gotta say you've been to 10 countries, um, and I'm Mm-hmm. 10 countries, 41 states, one territory, Mm-hmm. Parks, 21, and National Mm-hmm. Three. You are 25 Yep. and Yes. there are people that are afraid to go to their local park. So what could you say, how could you inspire people to get out and take that first step? Just it's just one step. What would you say to those people? Yeah, I think definitely just put your phone down for once. I know there's a lot of content, you know, we're consuming, we're consuming, and we're like, oh, you know, I, I would love to go there, or, you know, I would love to do this. Um, but I think just kind of putting it on paper and just writing down, you know, your goals, kind of, you know, what do I see myself doing? Where do I see myself going? And you know, once you write down those goals, you can kind of attain it more. You know, you see all these things online and you're like, wow, you know, wish I could go there like it and scroll and, you know, if you actually write it down, like, for me, hiking, like I plan my weekends, I look at what state parks are near me, I, you know, oh, this weekend I have more time, so I'm gonna drive farther. So I see what's attainable. I write it down, I plan it out, and then I kind of just do it. even when I went cross country, the first time I was, you know, 17, I worked a grocery store job and then, you know, I quit. I saved up just enough money and we went, you know, and we kind of made due with what we had and we stayed at hostels, budget hotels, we went camping. And, you know, it doesn't have to be, you know, this grand expensive trip. I think that's always important to remember too. You know, if you plan it in advance and then you set aside, you know, X amount of money every month and then you know, you have something to look forward to. So I think just planning, writing down your goals and kind of seeing where you want to take your life or your lifestyle, and I feel like that's how you kind of make it happen. And that's how I made it happen. So I encourage everyone to do the same. And if you could make it happen there, nobody has any excuse why they can't make it happen Right, right. something, Yeah. like you said, putting your phone down. Yes, I've, and I've done Yeah. where I see these places, I'm like, oh, that'd be so cool, whether it's in the country or Mm-hmm. around the world. Oh, that'd be great. And instead of just liking it and scrolling. It's on the list, but Mm-hmm. is great and then you have to start working toward it. Like, what am I going to do Right. till the end of the year? I have a couple trips planned. Yeah. go to the Keys before the end of the year and then, you know, Mm-hmm. those goals and then figure it out. But taking that first step is so important for people. Yeah, I agree. Do you have any or travel outside parks? Do you have any of those planned for the winter? uh, not plans. I just got back, excuse me. I just got back from Spain. My friend got married in Spain. Um, so I went hiking. There in one of their, uh, they're called natural parks instead. Well, they have national and natural parks. He was trying to explain our tour guide the difference. Um, but it was really, it was just really amazing. I've been to Barcelona once before, but I actually got to, you know, a couple days in Barcelona this time. So it was really, it was really, really nice. I, I mean, I love Europe in general and everywhere I've been like, I can't recommend enough. And, you know, definitely international travel can be intimidating, but again, just, you know, first step is getting that passport, you know, finding, I know there's so many like group excursions and um, just like trips that you can go on. I know they can run a little bit more pricey versus planning it all yourself, but, you know, just meeting those people or, you know, sharing that experience I think would be so valuable. you know, or on the other end of it, you. Could go with a friend and, you know, plan it all out yourself and kind of do it more on the budget friendly side of things and just kind of figuring it out as you go and just, you know, just kind of getting out there and doing it. I know it's a lot easier said than done, but um, that's kind of how I've approached everything. Thing. yeah, and, and while you're saying it's easier said than done, there was nothing special about you. You just deci like, and I mean it in that didn't come out right. But I mean, it wasn't like you were this, this world traveler, you just decided to take that first step. And you started traveling locally and then you traveled across the country and then you know, to other countries. So it was a first step Yeah. I'm sure you made mistakes along the way. You learned as you go. Mm-hmm. So, and then here you are going to Spain and still you're going on hikes. So I guess that's, uh, one of four biggest things is the height. Thanks. Yeah, yeah. I mean, I do, I love hiking so much, and like I said, I've, I've been hiking since like. 2017. Um, but I also, you know, I lived in New York City for five years, so that was like a, you know, a hard transition in that aspect where I didn't get out as much, but I got to explore in other ways. You know, whether it's parks within a city or, you know, finding different like communities or people, cultures, foods. Like, I feel like there's so many ways to like essentially explore. Um, so I kind of look at it from, you know, all of the lenses, all the perspectives of just trying something new, kind of, you know, pushing, you know, pushing your comfort zone. And I always live by like, your comfort zone will kill you. So, you know, you kind of just have to, you kind of have to do it, you know, you can't, you can't just live in your little bubble. And I think that's kind of what has shaped my kind of, I guess, worldview on things. And like I said, it's just the confidence. I always say confidence, confidence, confidence, you know, to do these things. And I hope, you know, to empower other, you know, women to get out and, you know, have that confidence to do it themselves. And, you know. Find your community if that's what you, you know, you're more drawn to, and yeah. You just kinda, you gotta do it. Right. And it takes time and it builds. And I think that's the message here I just did. For people who want to hear more about like traveling that are solo, what want to be part of a group. I did an episode that went live November 6th that was with a woman who travels solo, but she says traveling solo but not alone. So she finds group. And I, I gotta be honest, I always thought of these group trips as, you know, the, okay, we're gonna get off here and you're gonna have an hour in this little town and there are all different types of group type travel and you brought it up. There are people that get together as groups and go hiking, find what it is that you like, that you enjoy and you'll be able to find people to, to connect with if you don't wanna go solo. Well, Yeah. One more question with the state parks to get into them. Are they free? yes, this is perfect. Yes, I wanted to talk about this actually. So another great thing about visiting the state parks, you know, we have 124 and they're free. So you literally just go, you don't need any kind of permit or, well, it's a camp, you do, but you know, to just hike or just, you know, enjoy the lakes that they have, you know, the beaches, it's just free. So I think that that is just so wonderful. And like I said, the resources, the park rangers, you know, the educational days, I think, you know, some events that you go to, you know, whether it's like a partnered with another business or something, you know, it could be a cost, but. Just to go is free. And I know like going across the country to different state parks or I mean national parks, like you have to pay and it's like $35 a park. So you can imagine on that trip that we went on, if we would've, we were to pay the entry fee to every single national park, it would've been so costly. Um, they do have like a national park pass, which we got. But you know, the fact that all of these Pennsylvania parks are just free is just insane to me, you know? And I feel like our tax paying dollars are going into, you know, the department of, you know, natural resources and I feel like, you know, we might as well take advantage. And that's awesome. And I'm gonna repeat 124 parks in their freight as I've been to parks across the country. Yeah. The, some of the fees to go into the parks are cost, it gets costly. If you're gonna go to a number of them, they're 25, 30, 30 $5 sometimes like usage, you get a national park pass. Uh, so that's awesome. So nobody has an excuse money-wise not to go to one of our 124 Pennsylvania state parks. That's, that's a big one. I'm, I'm glad we thought of that one. Okay, so I want to encourage people to check you out on TikTok. And it's Abby on the trail. So much amazing content. I love it. I just sit there and watch and I'm like, oh, I want to go, Oh, honestly. And you. Yes, I remember my foot's hurt, but it's gonna be better really soon and I'm gonna get out there and start walking. Um, but yes. Amazing content on TikTok. You're only on TikTok, right? I have an Instagram as well that's more, um, my graphic design, business focused. I mean, I do post some hiking content on there as well, but that's at Abby Miller Creative. I. Let's talk a little bit about that. What, let's talk about what you do when you're not hiking. So I, I kind of have been always like a creative person my whole life, you know, whether that's crafty, I used to paint a lot, um, just like, yeah, any way I could really find a creative outlet. Um, I went to fashion school actually, and I graduated in marketing and advertising communications. Um, so just being in New York and being very creative, you know, at a fashion school it was, it was really, really great. I met a lot of great people. Um, but then kind of as I graduated, I transitioned and I kind of wanted to do more like events. Experiences, you know, I grew up playing sports, so I actually got a job with ESPN and I worked with their advertising. Team at the time in New York. So I kind of transitioned from fashion to sports, but I still was in a creative role and I just, I knew that was my passion. Um, so it was then I started picking up some freelance projects and I decided to open my own graphic design studio. Um, so I really wanted to use, you know, my skill sets to help other businesses. You know, I, I like to be in a, involved in a lot of different things. I'm very passionate about a lot of different things. Um, and with these passions, I wanted to, you know, help other businesses, organizations, non-profits, kind of have that confidence, you know, in their visual branding, you know, whether that's logo design or with their website. You know, I think it speaks, you know, volume in having those, um, key design assets and, you know, having that. So, yeah, I've just kind of been doing that ever since. Um, and I, I love it. You know, I brought a lot of brands to life and I continue to, you know. Focus on that, you know, whether that's in an outdoor recreational space, whether that's in a community, uh, based space, I think, you know, it's just important to know always, you know, think about that, um, as far as yeah, the design world and yeah. So if anyone needs any design services, Yeah, definitely reach out. And I will also put that in the show notes. I am going to catch up with you in the spring to see how many parks you've gone to. I'm gonna keep up, we'll stay connected For my listeners, they could go to my Instagram, Facebook, TikTok. Under Inspired Travels with Patti, you and I are gonna put updates. So when you've gone to number of parks, you're gonna send me pictures. We already put updates. We're gonna show you that so my listeners could follow along with you as well as following you on TikTok. I just wanna thank you so much. I appreciate you taking the time to be on and sharing such an amazing you're, you are truly inspiring and again, I wanna remind my listeners 25 years old, so nobody has an excuse. You are incredibly, one has an excuse and I started at 17. there you go. So thank you. And for my listeners, I just wanna remind you, travel isn't about where you go, it's about how you live, and I'm encouraging you to live life to the fullest every day.