Raleigh-based travel notes, guides, and road-tested escapes.

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The Cubeless ChroniclesRaleigh-based travel notes, close escapes, and longer adventures from North Carolina and beyond.

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”

Marcel Proust

The Cubeless Chronicles

Salmon-colored sunrise over a rugged mountain valley
Hiker sitting on a rocky overlook above a mountain valley
Ruined manor rising from a green lawn
Sunlit meadow with tents below jagged peaks
Couple posing on a palm-lined overlook
Boardwalk leading through a green wetland
Stream rushing past a large boulder in autumn woods
River curving through a European city at dusk
Mountain summit framed by evergreen slopes
Castle ruins on a rocky grassy rise
City skyline against a clear blue sky
Mountain ridges under a cloudy sky
Tropical palms and turquoise water along a beach
Sunlit mountain valley beneath towering clouds
Distant sea cliffs under heavy gray clouds
Tropical beach at sunset with silhouettes in the distance
Tropical beach path lined with tall palms
River winding through a golden valley beneath mountains
Brick lighthouse viewed from below
Mountain lake with soft blue hills beyond
Foggy mountain overlook in peak fall color
Colorful beachfront letters beneath palm trees
Dark lake water under towering summer clouds
Sunflowers against a pink evening sky
Castle perched above rolling countryside
Lakeside town with a ferris wheel at dusk
Glacier peaks rising behind a turquoise lake
Snow-dusted mountains over a bright blue lake
Hiker in a magenta jacket above a glacier lake
European skyline framed by a window opening
Woman standing by a waterfall in a rocky gorge
Grand palace behind a wide green lawn
Stone archway inside a medieval ruin
Coastal hills and sea framed by palm trees
Autumn trees glowing beside a mountain trail
Trail sign and waterfall beneath snow-covered peaks
Tree roots and driftwood woven together in the woods
Hiker smiling on a rocky alpine trail
Sunflowers with a tall monument in the distance
Waterfall spilling down a steep cliff face
Hiker overlooking a long mountain lake
Dramatic mountain ridge overlooking a lake far below
Close-up selfie in knit hats near a waterfall
Castle spires above a European skyline
Layers of blue mountain ridges at sunset
Mountain overlook with dramatic layered clouds
Blue sky above alpine rooftops and a bell tower
Hiker standing on a rocky peak above the clouds
Sandy beach backed by palms and a calm sea
Spiral staircase viewed from below
Empty beach with a leaning palm over the sand
Open field with snow-capped mountains under blue sky
Cloud-filled valley below a winding mountain road
Two statues walking hand in hand
Stone church beneath a cloudy sky
Wide mountain valley under streaked clouds
Skyline rising beyond autumn trees in a city park
Colorful street lined with brick storefronts
Historic stone abbey beneath gray skies
Patagonian skyline at dusk with pastel clouds
A High Country Long Weekend

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North Carolina / October 20, 2022

A High Country Long Weekend

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About us

Hi, we're Daniel and Sydney.

This travel blog was born out of a desire to express our perspectives, document our adventures, and share our passions with you. Our ultimate goal is to quite literally “leave the cubicle behind” (i.e., The Cubeless Chronicles) by retiring early, living comfortably, and traveling the world indefinitely; however, while we continue to work toward that stage in our financial independence journey, we want to show that Living Cubeless (™ not actually pending) is a mentality, and you can do it without selling a tech startup or winning the lottery. More than anything, we simply hope this travel blog will inspire you to get outside and do something with this precious gift we call life.

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Start with a few favorite North Carolina trips, then drift outward into longer adventures farther from home.

Forest-covered cliffs in New River Gorge National Park under a partly cloudy sky.

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New River Gorge National Park

Growing up in West Virginia, you might think I would have explored and enjoyed all the Mountain State had to offer before leaving the state at twenty-one. However, there are some parts of my home state I could not have appreciated until I was older and certainly not until I was able to experience its...

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Taking a Ride on the Elkin Vine Line

Once a bustling town steeped in the textiles industry, Elkin has pivoted to become the premiere wine hub in North Carolin’s most popular viticultural region, the Yadkin Valley AVA. We were fortunate enough to spend a weekend in Elkin with friends a few weeks ago and highly recommend this area for the budding oenophiles among...

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Journeying through Patagonia’s W-Trek: A Trekker’s Dream Come True

Trekking along the W Trail Imagine standing at the foot of towering granite peaks, surrounded by glaciers and turquoise lakes. This breathtaking beauty is what awaits trekkers on the W Trail in Torres del Paine National Park, located in the vast and rugged region of Patagonia at the southern tip of South America. A UNESCO...

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“Traveling, it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.”

Ibn Battuta

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Raleigh-based travel notes, close escapes, and longer adventures from North Carolina and beyond.

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