The Best For Last. My 50th state: Alaska!
Traveling is more than a hobby for me; it’s a way of life. Everything I own, including my two dogs, fits neatly in my car and everything I really need fits in a backpack. Over the past ten years my dogs and I have crossed the country fourteen times, taken dozens of regional road trips, hiked thousands of miles in all 50 states and lived in ten states on both coasts: PA, OR, MD, VA, NM, MT, MI, WV, ME and MT.
The Raven & the Rattler at Utah’s Capitol Reef
For my 30th birthday, after seven years of living out of my car between housesitting jobs, I bought myself a home on the road: a 5 by 10 foot solar-powered Teardrop trailer. I spent three whole glorious summers living on the road, boondocking across 37 states and seven Canadian provinces.
At least once a year, I leave the dogs with friends and travel overseas. So far, I’ve flown to Hawaii, ridden a train around Europe, volunteered in post-hurricane Honduras, gone mountaineering in Ecuador and trekking in Peru and visited my mitochondrial motherland: the UK!
Trekking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
Trains, planes and automobiles are great ways to cover a lot of ground, but my favorite way to travel is on foot. Years ago, I got into the habit of taking a long walk everyday and since then, my own feet have carried me over a lot of miles.
If you’d like to get an idea of just how much ground I’ve covered, check out my travel photos on flickr. I started taking photographs over a decade years ago, while I was living in Oregon and 100,000 photos later, I have cultivated quite the eye. My photos have appeared in magazines like EARTH and Afar and have won numerous awards. I post new photos from new adventures several times a week on flickr (yeah, I get out A LOT!) and if you’re looking for photos of some specific place, just ask. I’ve probably been there!
Zion National Park from Angels’ Landing
All the photos on the Blonde Coyote blog are mine (unless otherwise indicated) and prints, posters and calendars can be ordered by emailing me at theblondecoyote@gmail.com or through my website at www.marycapertonmorton.com. Enjoy!
All images © 2005-2021 Mary Caperton Morton. Please do not repost my work (photos or text) without first gaining permission. Stealing is bad Karma. Thank you!
Travels with the Blonde Coyote 
This is incredible! I love the photos, and great to see someone do what they love. I’ve always wanted to travel.
Thanks Chris! I enjoy my life immensely, every single day. All you need to travel is a few hours and a good pair of walking shoes. Get out there and see more of the world, even if it’s in your own backyard or hometown! Thanks for reading!
Those are great words of advice, thank you! Looking forward to seeing more of your posts/photos. =)
Great blog! Ilove traveling too …keep it up! xoxoxox
That s the good life!! Volunteering in Honduras and mountaineering in Ecuador sound great (even if volunteering must be hard).
I’m not sure which is harder: volunteering or mountaineering! On the Ecuador trip we spent a few days working at a school in a desperately poor neighborhood on the outskirts of Quito, helping with the kids and building a new classroom. That experience was just as intense as the mountains! Photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/caperton27/sets/72157603837065930/
The girl with the dogs still haunts me… where is she now? What will become of her? Somehow she seems worse off than the dogs.
Wow, very excited to hear you’ve made such strides in the world. Impressive and inspiring.
I really like your pictures, your blog and your outlook. Could you be the only writer out there that isn’t a Narcissus? Good on you.
Haha, what a lovely comment. Believe me, I have my moments! 😉 Thanks for reading! M
Hi, let me say first that you have a wonderful life so thanks for sharing it on your amazing blog. I’m a Canadian who has fallen in love with New Mexico and someday I must return. The land and its legends hold such fascination for me and that’s how I found your site. At the moment I am obessed with Billy the Kid and enjoyed your connecting story to him. Thanks for travelling and sharing your amazing photos. You are definitely an earth angel walking in this world. Liz
excellent blog – I really enjoyed reading it, it is so interesting and your photos are stunning – I have added you to my blogroll
I just want to tell you how very much I’ve enjoyed reading your blog….but even more than that…I love your photography…..thumbs up and hat’s off….a new follower!
Your photos are amazing. I am hiking the Lewis and Clark Trail in its entirety for a thesis, maybe a book. 300 miles in…… Your blog inspired me even more!
Wow! That’s quite a hike! I’ve logged some miles on their trail up near Lolo Pass in Montana. Happy trails to you! M
It has been a great experience. Will have to get some advice from you when we get to Montana. We do it in segments as I am a teachers so some is done during the year, most is done in the summer months. My goal is to be done by 2015. Feel free to give us pointers at lewisandclark2011.com.
Sounds like an awesome summer project! I’ve always been in awe of that journey. The summer I lived in Montana, I tried to find the spot near Lolo where the expedition thought they were going to summit the next hill and see the Pacific. Definitely plan to stop by the DeVoto Cedar Grove, near Lolo Pass. Huge old trees where Bernard DeVoto worked on abridging the Lewis & Clark journals. I’ll be following your trip! M
Will have to follow your advice when we hit Montana. Safe travels watch out for the alligators in Colorado!
Good for you! Lovely read. Very pleased that the opportunity came to find your words and images. Every success to you.
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Lovely!
you have a wonderful live
A friend introduced me to your blog almost 2 years ago and I have enjoyed following your travels through the seasons and locations. My boyfriend and I are preparing to walk the Portuguese route of El Camino de Santiago in two weeks. I am inspired and encouraged by your nomadic style and am planning on channeling some blonde coyote energy on this pilgrimage.
Wow, I thought my sister traveled a lot, but your adventures definitely take the cake! Great work and photos, I’m looking forward to reading some of your articles too.
came across your blog while searching for AT maps, very cool!
Thanks for all the great posts in your blog. So many cool places and great ideas! It’s inspiring me to get outside more! Also, now I’m considering buying a teardrop trailer. Please keep up the great work.
I read about your hike of the Pedernal. My sister and I ( both over 60, not blonde but def coyote material) are going to hike /summit Sept 26/27.
We also saw it from kitchen Mesa last year while at Ghost Ranch.
Your adventure inspires us to give it a try. We are fans of Ms Okeefe and are planning on painting while at GR and Chaco.
Thanks for sharing your experiences.
Pat Giles
love your book “aerial geology.” I’ve got a geology degree, grew up in Alaska. I worked 8 summers in the Brooks Range, and I think your portrayal (in 3 pages or so) is pretty good. Hard to summarize that place in 3 pages! Overall, the best thing is your representation of a lot of the earth’s cool places. I would do the book perhaps a bit differently, but it’s always easy to judge someone elses work! Overall, a very nicely done book with great vision.
Very cool pics! The section on graffiti (I don’t remember which page it was) reminded me of the street art in Richmond, VA: https://www.visitrichmondva.com/things-to-do/arts-culture/street-art/