We haven’t posted in a few weeks as things have been busy, but we wanted to check-in as we have just finished making plans for a National Parks trip to Southern Utah and Northern Arizona for later this month. It’s a trip that we are very excited about and we cannot wait to share our experiences in this amazing area with you.
I believe that the Banff, Alberta area is one of the single most beautiful areas in all of North America, and I am not the only one. There is so much raw beauty stuffed into this one area of the Canadian Rockies that it is almost impossible to appreciate unless you see the area yourself. From its beautiful and majestic mountains and glaciers to its pristine and crystal clear lakes, the Banff area has it all.
The Great Lakes region doesn’t get the notoriety for beauty that the American West or the Atlantic and Pacific coastal regions do, but there are some incredibly beautiful areas in the Great Lakes region.
A few of my absolute favorite areas in the Great Lakes region are Split Rock Lighthouse and Gooseberry Falls State Parks in Minnesota. Both state parks are located near the coast of Lake Superior in Northern Minnesota, and both state parks are absolutely gorgeous. Even better, they are both in very close proximity to one another, so it is very easy to see them both in one trip.
Erin Hills Golf Course (host of last year’s U.S. Open) is a beautiful, but extremely challenging, course that is a gem deserving of the buzz its receiving in the golf world. Situated 35 miles northwest of Milwaukee, the 7,812-yard, par-72 track lies in the small town of Erin, Wisconsin. The course’s dramatic landscape takes advantage of the natural slops of the land, which makes for exciting but tricky lies and stances. It boasts a course rating of 77.9 and a slope of 145. During the 117th U.S. Open, the course played 7,693 yards. The course was easily among the most challenging courses I have ever played.
Ever since I moved to the Milwaukee area about 15 years ago, I have been absolutely enthralled with the Door County region in Northeastern Wisconsin. It is an absolutely stunning area that is an immensely popular vacation spot for people in the Midwestern United States.
I have been to the Redwood State and National Parks in Northern California, and they are beautiful parks. They are also relatively far away from any major metropolitan city. They are located where I would expect large Redwood trees to still be standing, on the north coast of California. I think Muir Woods National Monument is so unique because it is where you wouldn’t expect large, old-growth trees to still be standing.
Olympic National Park is one of our favorite national parks in the American Northwest. There is a wide variety of scenery, with scenic coastal views, beautiful temperate rain forests, and fantastic mountain vistas all available for you to see. Olympic National Park also sports a wide variety of wildlife. Whales, black bears, elk, mountain goats, and a variety of other animals live in the park or off its coast.
Arriving at Bandon Dunes golf resort feels as though you have traveled to Scotland or Ireland. The courses at Bandon Dunes are designed to capture the natural environment of the magnificent southern Oregon Coast. The courses have huge sand dunes, large pine trees, and tremendous views of the Pacific Ocean. The resort has four championship courses and offers an unparalleled links golf experience in the United States. The namesake course, Bandon Dunes, offers the most amazing scenery of the group, and arguably the country.
While the REAL ID Act got a lot of attention when it was first passed back in 2005, it is something that hasn’t been in the news all that much in recent months. However, now that the Department of Homeland Security’s implementation deadline (January 22, 2018) is here, we thought it would be a great time to review the REAL ID Act and let you know how this could impact your travel plans.
Pebble Beach is ranked as the best public golf course in America, and one of the most beautiful courses in the world. The course runs along the shore of Carmel Bay and offers scenic views ofthe bay on several holes.