So often I write about places that aren’t very well known. That’s because I want others to be able to experience the lesser-known places that I’ve enjoyed. However, I don’t want to be stuck in “off the beaten path”. So,…
How to Visit the Golden Gate for Less
For several years I’ve wanted to go to San Francisco, just so we could walk across the great Golden Gate Bridge. However, every time we thought about it, something always went wrong, and we always ended up doing something else. …
Prettiest Little Falls in Olympic: Marymere Falls
One of our favorite hikes in Olympic National Park is the trail to Marymere Falls. For some reason, we always seem to end up doing the trail whenever we visit the park. There are probably three reasons for this, 1)…
Experience Volcanic Remains Up Close at Newberry
There is one terrific thing about Newberry National Volcanic Monument: the volcanic features here are really cool, and you can actually experience them without signs saying, “Say out! Stay off! Unsafe! Fragile!” Some of the areas are like experiencing another…
Fantastic Rock Formations at Chiricahua
If you like rock formations, and you’ve worn out Moab, Utah, the place for you to visit is Chiricahua National Monument in southern New Mexico. Here, gray rock towers point skyward in the most amazing shapes and number. Many of…
A “Hidden” Desert Meadow: Hidden Valley, Moab
Located just outside of Moab, Utah, it’s surprising that more people don’t know about Hidden Valley. If this scenic desert meadow was inside of one of the national parks in that area—Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, or even Canyon…
An Awesome 13er: Fitzpatrick Peak
At the end of a recent trip to Colorado, we suddenly realized that we’d climbed mountains that were 10,000, 11,000, 12,000, and 14,000 ft high. We decided that we definitely needed to climb a 13er just to complete our record. …
“The Loneliest Road in America” – Route 50
On a recent trip, we were talking to a couple that we met on top of a cinder cone (literally—we’d climbed to the top, and they came up right as we were about to climb down). “You’ve got to do…
See Amazing Mining History First-Hand in Creede
Most people have probably never heard of Creede, Colorado, unless they are theatre buffs or mining fanatics. In other words, most people who’ve heard of the little town of Creede in western Colorado know about it because of the Creede…
Walk in the Footsteps of Indians on the Ute Trail
Think top-of-the-world feelings. Awe-inspiring mountain vistas. Lovely wildflowers. Classic tundra experience. And you hardly have to hike to get to it. This is only a partial listing of the wonders that await visitors who walk part of the Ute…