If you have a loved one, friend, or relative that you enjoy spending time with but they don't quite understand the challenges of traveling gluten-free, forward them this article. I decided to write this blog post to give insight to those who don't live with a chronic illness to better understand what life is like when you live with an auto-immune disease or another chronic disease, syndrome, or disability.

Did you know that having an auto-immune disease such as Celiac, Hashimoto’s or Rheumatoid Arthritis equates to having a disability? Many people usually picture a person in a wheelchair or someone who has lost their vision, however; disabilities don’t always show up on the outside! 

Traveling with a disability can be difficult and needs more preparation and consideration when creating travel plans. There are many details to consider before you go on your trip to have a great travel experience. Here is what you want to think when traveling with disabilities.

​When you are preparing for a trip, you’ll want to consider your health to have a smooth and enjoyable experience during your travels. If you have an auto-immune condition like I do, you’ve most likely experienced issues with changes in weather or altitude. You can also be affected if you have a medical condition such as diabetes or heart disease. Before going on any trip, make sure to consult with your doctor and the CDC to find out if the destination you’d like to vacation is a good choice for you!

​Will the Change of Weather Affect You on Your Vacation?
Traveling to a different climate can affect your health because the change in weather can cause you to become sick or worsen an existing condition and affect how your medication works. Therefore, ensure to take precautions before going on vacation or traveling for work purposes, such as having all your required medications with you on your trip.​

Since many people have been camping for their COVID vacation, I wanted to share with you a great gluten-free and chemical-free skincare line with amazing products for you and your family when you're camping or having fun outdoors. Utah is known for its outdoor fun and adventure; however, you need to be safe in the sun. Did you know that Utah is #1 for skin cancer in the United States? Since we are at high elevation, our sun is much stronger than other places at lower elevations, so you can burn easier. Additionally, some people think they can't get a sunburn in the winter when it's cold; however, that is entirely false. You can actually burn easier in the winter because not only are you getting sun from the sky, you are also getting reflected sunlight bouncing off of the snow.

I love camping. I love the outdoors, sleeping outside, sleeping in my hammock, having a campfire every night, not caring about smelling like campfire smoke or makeup. The beautiful trails I hike and the out-of-the-way places I find when I'm taking that road trip to my next camping spot. There are so many things to love!

Few activities are a must when camping. One, especially in Utah or climates that are dry and at high elevation, is taking care of your skin. The largest organ in your body can quickly become dehydrated, burned, and bitten during outdoor adventures unless you take proper precautions with your skincare.

Chemical Free Hydration for Your Skin

Keeping skin hydrated means drinking lots of water. The higher elevation, the less oxygen and the more water you need to drink, however, if you're drinking lots of water, you want to also take an electrolyte supplement or salt supplement, so you don't unbalance the electrical connections in your body! Remember, if you're out in the heat, drinking more water doesn't cool your body temperature, you must pour water on you, bath in cool water, get into a climate-controlled environment or wrap a wet towel on your head or your hotspots on your body to cool yourself down.

Besides my hands, I find my face is super hard to keep hydrated, especially overnight. Lemongrass Spa's Coconut Overnight Rehab Cream is a high moisture cream, applied at night, to rehydrate dry skin. 

Healing Elements is a fantastic cream that keeps my super dry skin hydrated overnight as well. Besides being super-healing, it smells deliciously amazing! It's heavy cream, with a texture like a salve. There's no doubt you have a protective layer between your skin and the elements when you put this on your skin. My dog Lily loves to have a taste when I'm applying this to my skin after a shower.

Never had the inkling to ski? Would you rather have the flu in the middle of summer than hit a snowy slope in the middle of January? Going to Salt Lake City doesn’t have to be all skiing, wiping the possibility of cultural activities off your to-do list. There aremany fun cultural and science activities to do here in Salt Lake City, especially if you love museums. From art and science to laughs and escape rooms, you’ll find something for everyone in Salt Lake City.

Art Museums
There are multiple art museums you can check out while you’re in Salt Lake City. Make sure to check hours for each art museum on their websites listed here. The Utah Museum of Fine Art is all about the history of art across the world. There are two museums that host modern art and are free and open to the public: Urban Arts Gallery and the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art.

Science and Nature Museums
From pre-historic dinosaurs to science, STEM and gardens, Salt Lake has a myriad of science and nature museums to see. See exhibits, movies, planetarium shows and IMAX shows exploring space and technology at Clarke Planetarium. Find dinosaurs lurking about, Native American cultural artifacts and learn about genetics the Natural History Museum of Utah. When you visit The Museum of Natural Curiosity you’ll get to explore over 400 different interactive exhibits — no two visits will ever be the same. For an eclectic mix of art and science, check out The Leonardo. Visit the Hogle Zoo to walk through a safari of wild animals from all over the world.

Enjoy a Great Craft Brew?
Like a refreshing pint now and then? You’ll love the 

Four years ago, I discovered the Pacific Coast Highway in Sunset magazine. By the way, if you've never read an issue of Sunset - beware - this publication is addicting! More specifically, Sunset magazine embroils the senses with the unique, fantastic getaways and the most inspiring and delicious interior decorating a magazine publication has to offer.

In the beginning, my basic knowledge of Pacific Coast Highway, or PCH as it's commonly known, was how the highway mingled with the west coast of the United States from the northern California coast to  Southern California. I had been searching for a fantastic road trip adventure, and, to my traveler's delight, Pacific Coast Highway was the journey I was looking for! 

After piling through information on Pinterest about PCH, my heart was pounding to go and explore the grains of sand, exquisite views, and glorious mountains, which caress the Pacific Coast Highway shoreline.