The Detour Effect

09/20/2026

But we’re not at peak yet with the colors, still some time left!

09/18/2026

Introducing: Dog Collar Patches! Unlike iron-on or sew-on patches, these are fully removable and mix-and-matchable. Unlike dog tags, many can be worn at the same time, so they are collectible. Snap them around the collar you already own - no special gear necessary. Let your doggy show off their adventures!

I drew all the designs by hand using my photographs from my blog as a reference (no AI). When you browse the product pages, you’ll see which of my photos they’re based on. Maple has been helping me test them 🐶

More designs are coming, but if you have a request, submit it via the Suggestion Box on https://thedetoureffect.com/dog-collar-patches/

*I will be donating 50% of the sales from the Big Bend patch to No Big Bend Wall.

Happy adventuring! - Claire and Maple 🍁

01/11/2025

Did you guys know you can do a virtual online 360° tour inside the Svalbard Global Seed Vault? Can go underground and look at the boxes to see which countries have sent seeds to be stored. Pretty cool:

Stunning, interactive experience created by The Virtual Tour Experts.

01/02/2025

I had so much fun researching for this article about unique trip styles and tour operators to book with in 2025! I already knew about half of them, but ended up going down rabbit holes and finding so many more that I'm excited about. Have you ever booked with Far Horizons Archaeological and Cultural Trips, Atlas Obscura Trips, The Laid-Back Company, Against the Compass, Noma Collective, Walking Mentorship, Roads and Kingdoms, FTLO Travel, or any of the other travel companies on my list?

Most travelers are aware of Intrepid or G Adventures, but if you have a niche interest, consider booking a trip with one of these unique tour operators instead.

12/31/2024

Happy New Year! If the holiday has you reflecting on your life goals and you're looking for a new adventurous job change to kick off 2025, try using these outdoor industry/adventure travel job boards instead of the typical Indeed or ZipRecruiter (which always have such irrelevant results when you try to search keywords like "travel" "outdoors" or "remote"):

Keywords like “travel” or “outdoors” bring up irrelevant results on Indeed or ZipRecruiter. Try searching on these outdoor industry job boards instead.

11/25/2024

Are you on BlueSky yet? The travel and outdoorsy crowds are! How to find your people:

How to curate your BlueSky social media experience to show only fun content related to your interests and hobbies, particularly if your hobby is travel.

11/13/2024

Did you guys know I've contributed a few locations to Atlas Obscura? Check it out -

Loughcrew Cairns: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/loughcrew-cairns-ireland
Ilulissat Icefjord: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/ilulissat-icefjord-center
Birka Viking Burial Mounds: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/birka-viking-burial-mounds

Do you have an account there? I've also been logging places I've been on my Atlas Obscura map:
https://www.atlasobscura.com/users/the-detour-effect

The Detour Effect on Atlas Obscura

10/31/2024

I always find it so interesting when I see similar archaeological or landscape features across huge distances. For instance, when cultures who had no contact with each other came up with the same ideas (petroglyph rock art that looks uncannily similar in Utah and Jordan, or burial mounds/passage tombs that look similar in Cahokia and Ireland). Or when I was hiking in the Smokies, thought “this reminds me of when I hiked the West Highland Way in Scotland,” looked it up and found out that’s because they were the same mountain range back during Pangea. Kyrgyzstan looks like a mix of pretty much everywhere - Wyoming, Colorado, the Alps, Triglav. I saw twisted gold torc jewelry at museums in both Ireland and Romania, and Native ear spools at museums in Ireland and Arkansas.

Here’s some examples, all my own photos. Do you kinda see it?

10/22/2024

I started a YouTube channel so I'd have someplace to put my video shorts that isn't dependent on TikTok/Reels algorithms. It'll be quick to-the-point hiking, archaeology, and travel videos. I subscribed to a few friends that I remembered have YT accounts, who did I forget?

Hiking the world 🥾 Living nomadically 🛻 Writing about it 📝 Read my free self-guided hiking, road trip, and city-hopping itineraries over at the blog, plus stories about living out of my truck, full-time travel, hitchhiking, archaeological sites, easy day trips via public transportation, and...

10/18/2024

The National Museum of Romanian History in Bucharest features exhibits spanning from prehistory to Daco-Roman times and King Carol I's coronation. If you can't visit anytime soon, read about the fascinating history behind some of the artifacts:

The National Museum of Romanian History in Bucharest has exhibits spanning from prehistory to Daco-Roman times and King Carol I's coronation.