The Final Natural Wonders
The results are in and clearly I can’t count. I’ve compared the states we’ve covered with an alphabetical list of states and everything matches. I’ve gone back over each post and checked and can’t find a counting error but I still come up with states 48 & 49 to finish off. Obviously I can’t count. So aside from my challenge with numbers, we will wrap up this series with California and Texas. I am proud to say that I have been to both states. However I have not been to the Natural Wonders that are on the LIST.
California- Yosemite National Park
California is a big state with so much to see and do. I’ve been to San Diego for work so didn’t get to explore much. I’ve been to LA several time. I got to visit the Queen Mary and take a harbor tour past Alcatraz. Neither of which can be called a natural wonder. The Channel Islands are on my bucket list as well as Big Sur and Redwood country but according to the Natural Wonders list the top Natural Wonder in California is Yosemite National Park.
The massive national park extends into Tuolumne, Mariposa, Mono, and Madera counties, and covers about 1,169 square miles. Yosemite Valley is a 7 mile wide canyon with incredible rock formations, including El Capitan, the world’s tallest granite monolith and one of the world’s top rock climbing destinations. Yosemite Falls is the largest waterfall in North America with breathtaking views. Peak visitation at the falls is in the spring as it is comprised entirely of melting snow. The park is also known for its Giant Sequoia trees, which are estimated to be over 3,000 years old
Yosemite Falls – Photo from Internet
Texas – Palo Duro Canyon
On my trip to Texas, we stayed in San Antonio and explored the Alamo and the Spanish Missions. We dined on the River Walk but we didn’t explore the wilds of the state.
Spanish Mission San Antonio TX- Photo Credit Deb Neumann
The River Walk- San Antonio – Photo Credit Deb Neumann
Called the Grand Canyon of Texas, the Palo Duro Canyon is the second largest canyon in the country. You don’t have to rough it to explore either. Glamping (luxury camping) is now available! Each glamping site is fully furnished with air conditioning, luxury rustic furnishings, refrigerators, microwaves, coffee makers, games, bicycles, gas grills and gas fire pits, covered porches with rockers, porch swings, and much more. More information on glamping at Palo Duro Canyon.
Lighthouse- Photo Credit Thomas Shahan Flickr
That’s a Wrap!
Thanks for joining me on our exploration of the Natural Wonders of the USA. As for me, I’ve added a lot to my travel bucket list.