The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is one of the most beautiful places in the Midwestern United States if not all of North America. Tourists flock to this stretch of the Lake Superior shoreline each year to do some kayaking, hiking and enjoy the beautiful landscapes. However, each year I see tourists arrive at Pictured Rocks completely unprepared.
The Great Lakes are packed with incredible coastlines, many I’ve photographed from shore but never paddled. That’s why I’m taking this kayaking trip—and sharing my itinerary to spark your own adventure.
While Arches and Canyonlands draw most visitors to Moab, the Corona Arch hike remains one of the region’s true hidden gems. Close to town, easy to reach, and accessible for most hikers, it’s quickly becoming a local favorite—especially since the arch itself is every bit as big and beautiful as the famous Delicate Arch inside Arches National Park.
Known by many as the “Niagara of the West”, the breathtaking Shoshone Falls in Southern Idaho is a landmark that all travelers who visit the American Southwest should have on their itinerary. With a drop of 212-feet (roughly 65-meters), Shoshone Falls is actually 45-feet (or roughly 14-meters) taller than the infamous Niagara Falls on the border between New York State and Canada. In addition to the high drop, the fact that rim of Shoshone Falls stretches to roughly 1,000-feet wide makes this waterfall special. So if you are a waterfall enthusiast, landscape photographer, or just love to see some of mother nature’s breathtakingly beautiful landscapes, the Shoshone Falls in Southern Idaho is an absolute must-see destination.
The Great Lakes region is one of the most overlooked travel destinations in the United States, offering a surprising mix of natural beauty and memorable experiences. A standout highlight—often featured in any Mackinac Island Visitor Guide—is Mackinac Island on Lake Huron. Once a military outpost, it’s now a peaceful, car‑free escape for travelers looking to slow down and disconnect.
If you are a big fan of waterfalls, then you are in for a real treat if you ever visit the Portland, Oregon area. There are some incredibly beautiful falls in North America, with Niagara Falls in New York State probably the most famous of those. Though Multnomah Falls in Oregon doesn’t get the notoriety that Niagara Falls gets, it is a beautiful waterfall in its own right.
If you like wildlife, especially marine wildlife, the state of California in the United States has some absolutely wonderful wildlife viewing experiences available to visitors. One of my favorite of these experiences is seeing the large Northern Elephant Seals along the coast of the state. It really is impossible to appreciate how large and powerful these seals are until you see them on a beach with your own eyes.
It is a marvel of the achievement of modern man. It is the taming of one of America’s mightiest rivers. A river that has sculpted such beautiful landscapes as the Grand Canyon. Constructed starting in 1931, the Hoover Dam sits on the border between the states of Arizona and Nevada and harnesses the massive power of the Colorado River to provide electricity to much of the West Coast of the United States.
Twenty years ago, very few people had heard about Antelope Canyon. Flash forward to today and it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the American Southwest. As more-and-more people post pictures of this stunningly beautiful place on social media, the popularity of Antelope Canyon continues to grow.
If Monument Valley looks familiar to you, there is a very good reason for that. It is one of the most used locations for media of all formats. Over the decades there have been dozens-and-dozens of movies that were filmed among Monument Valley’s beautiful buttes and mesas.
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