Tag: national parks
-
Top Tips for Visiting Manzanar National Historic Site
For travelers on eastern California’s Highway 395, Manzanar National Historic Site provides a crucial look into what happens when nationalism goes so far that it contradicts the nation’s founding principles. Once an internment camp and now a nationally-protected educational site catering to tour groups and road trippers, at Manzanar we explore liberty and justice deprived…
-
Hiking and Road Tripping Hwy 395 Along the Eastern Sierras (Part I)
Any solo female traveler can tell you, it’s easy to fall in love on the road. Maybe with a sexy stranger, maybe with the #2 combo at a roadside burger stand, maybe with a whole new city. Yes, it’s easy to fall in love ON the road, but traveling on Highway 395 in eastern California…
-
How the 2018 U.S. Government Shutdown Will Affect Travel
They agreed to disagree… and for now, that means that the United States government is effectively shutdown until our legislature can agree about how to appropriate money. With more than 800,000 government employees furloughed, which operations will cease or slow? What does this government shutdown mean for travelers, foreign and domestic? Here are some ways…
-
How to Honor MLK Through Travel
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s leadership in the U.S. civil rights movement and violent assassination have left an unparalleled legacy. His peace, passion and perseverance have changed the world and continue to influence us today. You can see how for yourself at the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Park in Atlanta, Georgia. Then, you…
-
What to Do on Lake Erie: Peace & Conservation at Put-In-Bay, Ohio
Road-tripping on I-90 along Lake Erie between Chicago, Illinois and Buffalo, New York, there’s a place that is both peaceful and playful. It’s educational and entertaining. It’s vintage yet vivacious. It’s South Bass Island, home to Put-In-Bay township, Ohio. Whether a stop on a cross-country road trip or a destination of its own, it’s a…
-
How to Thank a Park Ranger for World Ranger Day 2017
There are many types of park rangers performing a variety of duties on our public lands, but what they all have in common is working in service to the resources, wildlife and future generations. Today, July 31, 2017, is the 10th Annual World Ranger Day. I hope that we all reach out in some way…
-
Don’t Be Soar-y For Not Knowing About Canada Day & Other Things I Learned In Montreal & Toronto
“Wow, these Canadians are so patriotic! There are flags and festivities all over the place,” I remarked to my friend as we surveyed Victoria, British Columbia from the ferry dock. It was 2003, my first time to Canada, and I was clueless about international travel. I was so clueless, in fact, that I didn’t even…
-
Six Things in Wyoming You Must See For Yourself
The U.S. state of Wyoming has some incredible sights, but let’s be honest about one thing. Depending on where and how you arrive, the scenery might not make for the fondest first impression. If you expect it to look like Jackson Hole Mountain Resort ski area all over the state, I have some bad news.…
-
Volcanoes and Cliff Dwellings Road Trip: Southern Colorado and Northern New Mexico
How about a road trip south from Denver to southern Colorado and northern New Mexico? This route is often overlooked in favor of “heading west” from Denver over the Continental Divide, but the scenery south is no less spectacular, albeit in a different way. On this road trip, alternate between volcanoes and cliff dwellings in…
-
Hiking in Ocmulgee National Monument, Georgia
If you’re stationed in Warner Robins or otherwise find yourself in Middle Georgia, there’s a great place to hike in the footsteps of indigenous people dating back 17,000 years: Ocmulgee National Monument. This free-entry area offers a natural and historical experience with plenty of parking, gentle trails and ample signage. SPOILER ALERT: what you’ll be…
-
Drive Across California for a Tree, Plus Twenty-Nine
Looking at the map, it’s easy to see that there are many natural spaces close to San Diego like Anza-Borrego or Torrey Pines State Parks. But since it was National Parks Week, I chose Joshua Tree National Park (JOTR) for my Spring in SoCal Roadtrip, a three and a half hour drive from where I was in…
-
Road Trip: Devil’s Tower & the Dakotas
I lived in the great state of Wyoming for nearly a decade, and it bothered me that I had not yet made the time to visit Devil’s Tower National Monument. My “50 by 40 Goal” is to visit all 50 states by the time I’m 40, and looking at my atlas, I realized that a…
-
Colorado’s Cool Sahara, the San Luis Valley
Although many people associate Colorado with swishing down snow-capped summits, there is a lot more to the landscape than mountains. The state also has fertile farms, rolling ranchland the tallest sand dunes in North America. The San Luis Valley (SLV) is a great roadtrip just a few hours south of Denver or north from Albuquerque. This surreal place…