Explore the Emerald Coast near Fort Pickens
Nicholas Upton
May 14, 2012
With bright white beaches, perfect spring weather and plenty to do, Pensacola, Florida, is a great place to explore the Gulf of Mexico before the summer heat and humidity sets in. History buffs can check out the stalwart Fort Pickens, one of only four forts that never fell during the civil war. The... Read more »
Ancient History in Chaco Canyon
Donna Ikenberry
May 14, 2012
Spring was perfect with mild days and clear nights just right for exploring and stargazing. We hiked through the abundant ruins during the day, marveling at the Chacoans’ architectural skills. At night, we stared up at the Milky Way and countless stars, knowing we were gazing at the same sky they did... Read more »
Sand, Sun and Something for Everyone
Amanda Lepinski, Associate Editor
May 9, 2012
Central Beach at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Photo by National Park Service. Lake Michigan splashes its mighty waters on shorelines across four states: Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and, of course, Michigan. A visit to this great lake offers big-game fishing, swimming, boating and camping,... Read more »
Craters of Diamonds State Park
Pamela Selbert
May 7, 2012
A little more than a century ago an Arkansas farmer named John Wesley Huddleston spotted two “round pebbles with fiery eyes that blazed up at him” from the gravel of his barnyard where he was feeding his hogs. Huddleston arranged for the stones to be sent to a jewelry store in Little Rock to be appraised.... Read more »
Fossil Hunting in Keystone Kansas
Pamela Selbert
April 30, 2012
Heading south from Oakley, Kansas, a rustic town noted for the 1868 bison shoot in which William Cody became legendary “Buffalo Bill” Cody, U.S. Highway 83 cuts across terrain that is mostly as flat, round and brown as an old penny. But here and there along the 26 miles south to Keystone Gallery,... Read more »
Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Park
Len Cousineau
April 23, 2012
Only about 50 miles from the incomparable Mammoth Cave, another of Kentucky’s attractions draws travelers who are interested in American history. Although George Washington is often viewed as the father of our nation, perhaps no one has done more to shape the country we live in today than Abraham Lincoln.... Read more »
Out of Africa, Outside Phoenix
April 17, 2012
Head 90 minutes north of Phoenix and find yourself in Africa. Well, Out of Africa is more like it. At the Out of Africa Wildlife Park in Camp Verde, Arizona, you can feed a giraffe, watch a zebra smile for handouts and see tigers play and chase plastic inflatable prey in and out of a swimming pool. Tour... Read more »
Traveling Death Valley By Trailer: Why Not?
Barry Zander
April 16, 2012
I grew up picturing the desert as I saw it on Saturday morning TV westerns. That impression – of uninhabitable expanses that required 100 gallons of water to drive across – stayed with me until I experienced the desert for myself. As RVers, we seek variety in our camping spots. My wife, Monique,... Read more »
Let’s Go To Idaho!
Nicholas Upton
April 14, 2012
Idaho often get’s a bad wrap, sandwiched between the tourist meccas of Wyoming, Nevada, Washington, Utah and Oregon, the state is often forgotten by travelers. Yellowstone, Las Vegas the forests of Oregon and the mountains of Utah seem to get all the publicity. Idaho, however, is packed with... Read more »
America’s Outback: Knoxville Tennessee
Bill Graves
April 12, 2012
“A culture fed by those who teach and those who learn never lacks for exhilaration.” I’ve forgotten what it’s like to break a nine-to-five workday with lunch in a wooded park where spring is rampant. And I can’t remember the last time I laughed at kids running with feigned trepidation through... Read more »
