Category: USA
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Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens
While Philadelphia is probably most well known for it’s cheesesteaks and its central role during the American Revolution, one of the things I like most about it is it’s creative atmosphere. I had taken a road trip here specifically to visit the Philadelphia Museum of Art, but wanted to take a look at the now…
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Moreau Lake State Park- A Fall Foliage Favorite
In the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains and oft overlooked in favor of the ever popular Lake George, Moreau Lake State Park has quickly become one of my favorite New York parks for hiking through the fall foliage. I can’t keep using the phrase “hidden gem”, but really; people ought to be talking more about…
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Cuyahoga Valley- Ohio’s Backyard National Park
Smack in between New York and Chicago, Cuyahoga Valley National Park is one of the most bizarrely designed National Parks I’ve ever been to. Perhaps it is because the park was originally a National Recreation area, but the fact that it features natural, man-made, and private attractions is fairly unique to the park. Residential areas…
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A Shortcut Through Petrified Forest National Park
While perfectly able to host a multi-day adventure, the Petrified Forest National Park’s relatively small size and prime location smack in the middle between Interstate 40 and Highway 180 in Arizona makes it the perfect drive through park. A straight drive through the park takes about an hour, end to end, but obviously stopping points…
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Las Vegas’ Surprising Neighbor; Red Rocks Canyon National Conservation Area
Just a half hour drive west of Las Vegas, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area hosts a 13-mile scenic drive with plenty of hiking, rock climbing and biking options to offer. While currently the park is only allowing admissions at pre-booked times, exploring the park can take as much time as desired once inside. The…
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Back Again, Woodstock ’69
A touchstone of the counterculture generation, Woodstock is an instantly recognizable name. Fans, however, will know that the event didn’t take place in the town of Woodstock but on a dairy farm located in Bethal, New York. The onsite museum offers a movie viewing and audio guides, but I visited with my father who had…
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Taughannock Falls State Park
Standing 33 feet taller than Niagara Falls, Taughannock Falls is the tallest free-falling waterfall in the Northeastern United States. The State Park encompasses the waterfall, it’s surrounding trails and a fairly grassy beach area where Taughannock Creek spills out into Cayuga Lake. The Lower Falls area is extremely popular due to its convenient location near…
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Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse- The Colossal Sculptures of South Dakota
Once known as the Six Grandfathers (Tȟuŋkášila Šákpe) by the Lakota Sioux who lived in the area, the mountains now more commonly known as Mount Rushmore are something of a visible representation of injustices faced by the native occupants of this land. While the territory was originally protected by the Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868),…
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Buttermilk Falls State Park
One of my favorite parks in Upstate New York (and endlessly popular amongst the Ithaca and Binghamton University crowd) is the delicious sounding Buttermilk Falls State Park. Just as pretty as Watkins Glen State Park and distinctly less crowded, the 811 acre park boasts a small lake, woodland and gorge-side hiking trails, a natural pool…
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Watkins Glen- A Finger Lakes Favorite
With the pandemic limiting our travel experiences, more Americans are beginning to discover beautiful places to explore close to home. One of the more popular of these locations is Watkins Glen State Park, located just off of Seneca Lake in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of upper New York. Only four and a half hours…