Category Archives: Travel

Natural Wonders of the USA Part 3

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Natural Wonders

Lets continue down the list of the wonders in each state. I hope you are finding this as interesting as I am. Maybe you’ll be inspired to check some of these out.

9. Tennessee – Ruby Falls

I’ve been to Tennessee. Best Bar B Que I’ve ever tasted. It ruined me for our local stuff!  Plus I saw so much wildlife on that trip. But I didn’t see the Natural wonder for Tennessee. That is Ruby Falls. 

Ruby Falls, Copied from Internet

Ruby Falls is different. You won’t find it off a trail or roadside. No, Ruby Falls is an underground cascade that follows a series of falls down 145 ft. The underground cavern is located in Lookout Mountain. Lookout Mountain is located minutes from downtown Chattanooga and would certainly be an extraordinary experience.

10. Massachusetts – Chesterfield Gorge

Massachusetts, my home state. I’m ashamed to say that I have never heard of our Natural Wonder. It’s called Chesterfield Gorge and if our weather ever clears up I’ll definitely take a trip to see it. 

File:Chesterfield Gorge, West Chesterfield MA.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

The gorge features deep walls that rise up to 30 feet high. The cliff edges do not feature any trails that go to the bottom but you can travel along the cliff top, which offers a terrific view of the gorge as well as the river and surrounding forest.

11. Arizona – Antelope Canyon

Every photographer has heard of Antelope Canyon, Arizona. I’ve dreamed of photographing it for years. I’ve been to Arizona several times. I usually stay in Sedona,  the beautiful Red Rock country.  It’s hard to believe that the Grand Canyon wasn’t Arizona’s number one Natural wonder but I can truly see Antelope Canyon too

Grand Canyon AZ- 2011 Photo credit Deb Neumann

Antelope Canyon- From internet

Antelope Canyon is  spectacular especially when you have the right light. The best time to view the canyon is in the summer.  Prone to flash flooding, you’ll want to avoid it during the monsoon season.

12. Washington State- Ho Rainforest

Washington is another state that I’ve checked off as visited. I went to Seattle where I rode to the top of the Space Needle and visited the Chihuly Glass Museum. Not Natural Wonders but certainly beautiful.

Seattle Harbor – 2013 Photo credit Deb Neumann

Washington State is located in the Northeastern part of the USA that is considered rainforest. Located in Olympic National Park is an old growth forest that can get as much as 14 feet of precipitation a year! That certainly qualifies the area as rainforest!

 

Hoh Rainforest, the most famous rainforest in the lower 48 states, has recently gained attention as perhaps “the quietest place in the U.S.”—the perfect remedy to noisy modern life.

I’ve not been to the Ho (Hoh) rainforest but I did experience the rainforest on my trip to Alaska. I believe that was the Tongass National Forest. Amazing places. wet and lush. And yes, quiet. All that moss and soft earth seems to absorb sound.

Next Time on Natural Wonders

We’ll explore 3-4 more natural wonders in my next post in this series. I hope you join in. Have you been to or heard of any of the places we’ve mentioned? Please share your experience in the comments! I’d love to hear from you.

Natural Wonders of the USA- Part 2

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Natural Wonders

Lets continue with our Natural Wonders List.  Next up

4. North Dakota

And guess what is the Natural Wonder for North Dakota- Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Nice to know I’m on the right track. 

The Theodore Roosevelt National Park in the western part of North Dakota is comprised of three separate badlands which altogether stretches out over 110 square miles. Its  a popular wildlife viewing area which is my interest. So No I haven’t been to North Dakota yet and Theodore Roosevelt National Park is on my list for when I do go. 

Moving on to

5. South Dakota

The Natural Wonder in South Dakota is Custer State Park and yes, I have been there. It’s a really great state park. Not only did we see bison, lots and lots of Bison, we saw mule deer and pronghorn antelope but the most fun were the “Beggin’ Burros”. The burros are wild donkeys that live in a small section of Custer State Park along the road. They are called “begging burros” because they’ve become famous for approaching vehicles and expecting food.

 

Beggin Burro 2011 – Photo credit Deb Neumann

6. Delaware

Number 6 on the list is Delaware and that state’s natural wonder is Brandywine Creek. You may have heard of it because it was a battlefield in the revolutionary war.  We lost that battle but of course we all know that we went on to win the war. Now it’s part of Brandywine Creek State Park. It looks really pretty. 

7. Rhode Island

Rhode Island is another neighboring state, one that I go to often. The Natural Wonder on the list threw me at first. Then I realized it was located on Block Island.. I have been Block Island for a weekend. I was out there to photograph lighthouses. But the Natural Wonder is Mohegan Bluffs. 

Mohegan Bluff- Photo credit Deb Neumann

8. Montana

Another State I’ve yet to visit. The big thing on my list is Going to the Sun Road. Good to know that Going to the Sun Road is part of Glacier National Park so I don’t have to skip one to do the other. Although Glacier is in the name, over the last 12,000 years, the glaciers of Glacier National Park have largely disappeared. While 150 glaciers existed in the mid-19th century, only about 25 exist now. That’s sad but I saw lots of glaciers on my trip to Alaska.

I think that’s enough for this post. 3 states that I need to visit. One done and the Wonder seen. The list will be continued. 

Natural Wonders of the USA- Part 1

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Natural Wonders to See

I love lists. I love to make them and then check them off. It helps me get things done so I like seeing these lists of places to see and things to experience. Like this list of Natural Wonders in each state that I found.  I decided to go through the list and see what I’ve done and what still need to be checked off. It kind of goes with my 50 State Challenge.

Best Natural Wonders to see in each state!

1. Wyoming

Lets kick it off with Wyoming. Devil’s Tower. Located in Crook County, the Devils Tower is the first national monument in the US, established by Theodore Roosevelt in 1906.  I’ve been to Wyoming. It was a great trip but I was in Jackson Hole and Devil’s Tower is to the east so I didn’t see it that trip. It’s on my bucket list.

 

2. Vermont

Next on the list is one of my neighboring states, Vermont. I’ve been hanging out in Vermont since I was a kid. It was a family tradition to take Sunday drives to Vermont and count the deer that came out to graze in the fields at dusk. My favorite weekend is the Maple Sugar Weekend when the sugar shacks open up for tours and fresh maple syrup and maple sugar abound.  You have to watch for it because it depends on the weather when it gets scheduled. But I digress- the number one Natural Wonder in Vermont is… Quechee Gorge. 

Quechee Gorge 2014- Photo Credit Deb Neumann

Yes I’ve been there. Many times. This time I took the trail to the bottom of the gorge. Most folks take their pics from U.S. Route 4 bridge. You can see the bridge in this picture. It’s pretty spectacular from the bridge too.  It is among the deepest gorges in the country and the deepest in Vermont at 165 feet.

3. Alaska

I went to Alaska in 2013. Our cruise took us into Glacier Bay. Gorgeous and number 3 on our Natural Wonders List. We went in May and it was COLD! Brrr- 

College Fjord Glaciers

Glacier Bay, Alaska – 2013

The first 3

So of the first 3 on the list I’ve been to all 3 states but only 2 of the Natural Wonders.  Can’t wait to see what the next 3 Wonders are on the list. 

 

 

What’s in North Dakota?

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What about a trip to North Dakota?

In 2011 my sister and I spent an amazing week in South Dakota. When I was planning that vacation everyone asked me What’s in South Dakota? Truthfully, I had no idea except Mt. Rushmore but it turned out to be one of the best vacations we’ve taken. It had all my favorite things like wild animals, draw dropping scenery and even a dinosaur dig. So when I ask myself what’s in North Dakota, I hope I have a similar surprise! 

The Number 1 Attraction

The number 1 attraction in North Dakota is Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The park lies in Western North Dakota where the Great Plains meet the Badlands. A scenic loop drive will take you through the south section’s colorful Painted Canyon. The badlands in South Dakota are breathtaking and I’ve been to the Painted Desert in Arizona so I will have to explore the Painted Canyon!

File:Painted Canyon overlook Theodore Roosevelt NP ND1.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

Painted Canyon Overlook; Photo credit Wikmedia Commons

Wildlife

One of the best places to view wildlife is on the South Unit’s Scenic Drive. Bison, mule deer, prairie dogs, and horses are readily visible. Also be on the lookout for coyotes, pronghorn, bald and golden eagles, white-tailed deer, turkeys, and elk.

What's in North Dakota?

Prairie Dog with Flower – Photo Credit Deb Neumann 2011

Leaving the South Unit behind I’d like to head north for the North Unit’s scenic drive. A 14 mile Scenic Drive (28 miles round trip) is an out and back drive. The first half of the road traces the bottom of the badlands. Midway through, it crawls up out of the canyon to the North Unit’s most iconic view, River Bend Overlook.

20+ EPIC Things to Do Theodore Roosevelt National Park (+ Photos)

River Bend Overlook- Photo from Internet

 

From there, it’s an easy drive along the rim of the badlands to Oxbow Overlook at the road’s end. The road is almost entirely paved with only one stretch of gravel and is open to motor vehicles (including RVs) and cyclists.

Bison are common but careful observers may spot bighorn sheep on or near steep cliff edges. Since I missed the Big Horn Sheep in Colorado I’m still anxious to get a look at some. 

Aurora Borealis

Around here the Northern Lights ( Aurora Borealis) are a rare sight and often lost in the ambient light from the cities and towns but North Dakota is said to be prefect for viewing the lights that dance across the sky in vivid green, purple and blue. The aurora is most active in March and September. Still likely to have snow at that time of year!

Northern Lights Free Stock Photo - Public Domain Pictures

Northern Lights Free Stock Photo – Public Domain Pictures

If I get to go…

I’m sure there are many more things to see and do in North Dakota. I must remember to have my passport in case I cross to Canada or get to the International Peace Garden that sits on the border of the US & Canada. 

 

 

 

Minnesota’s North Shore Scenic Drive

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Minnesota’s North Shore Scenic Drive

In my last post I mentioned Minnesota’s North Shore Scenic Dr.  I am still sorting out my new life in retirement but I am sure I won’t be able to keep my time share. It is just too far outside the budget. With that in mind I need to re-think how I approach my travels and explorations. 

One of the options that caught my eye was Minnesota’s North Shore Drive.  Once I heard about it I wanted to know what it was. I see Scenic drives on almost all of my trips but they are not always that scenic. This one does sound worthwhile. It runs 154 miles along Lake Superior to the Canadian Border.  I learned that it is also called North Shore All-American Scenic Dr. 

And We Begin in Duluth

The Scenic Drive starts in Cabal Park, Duluth where you can watch the huge ore boats and ocean bound ships enter the harbor by passing under the Aerial Lift Bridge.  I thought the bridge looked familiar.

Historic Bridges - Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge (Bridge L6116)

We have one too. Ours crosses the Cape Cod canal and is now the second longest lift bridge in the United States, the longest being the Arthur Kill Vertical Lift Bridge between New Jersey and Staten Island, New York.

Cape Cod Lift Bridge- Photo credit Deb Neumann

The Pink Beach

Have you ever seen a pink beach? I saw one in Hawaii but they sure aren’t common. I would hate to have to search for it like we did the green sand beach in Hawaii but according to the guide books you can drive right up to this one. The beach is bordered by cliffs of rhyolite which breaks off and crumbles when Nor’easters sweep through. The rhyolite gives Iona’s Beach  it’s unusual pink color. 

iona's cobblestone beach lake superior

Split Rock Lighthouse

Are you a light house fan? Located on a 130-foot cliff on the rocky coast of Lake Superior, Split Rock Lighthouse is an intact 1910 light station that guided ships across the often stormy waters of western Lake Superior. You may have heard of the Edmund Fitzgerald .  Each year the light house is lit to commemorate the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald and all the lives lost to the Great Lakes shipwrecks. 

Waterfalls and Hikes

Roadside waterfalls and trailheads abound along the drive. The guidebooks suggest allowing time for multiple side trips to enjoy these wonders of nature. And you don’t have to go to Hawaii to experience a black sand beach.  It’s easy to remember it’s name. They call it Black Beach! 

Grand Portage

You’ve made it. Grand Portage is almost the end of the drive. A mile down the road you’ll reach the Canadian Border. But getting back to Grand Portage,  Grand Portage National Monument tells the story of the North West Company fur trade. The monument includes a reconstructed depot and 8.5 mile portage (hiking trail) to Fort Charlotte that bypasses waterfalls and rapids on the Pigeon River. To see High Falls, make sure to visit Grand Portage State Park six miles north on Highway 61.

 

High Falls - Grand Portage State Park, MN | turn off your computer and go outside | Flickr