Archive for ‘United States’

The Top 10 US Cities to Visit During Christmas

The Top 10 US Cities to Visit During Christmas

The holiday season can be a magical time of year and it can also be a magical time to travel with family and friends. Throughout the United States, cities large and small put on fantastic displays, events, and festivals to celebrate the holiday season. We’ve all seen the Hallmark movies that showcase little towns that become aglow around the holiday season and wish we could visit. Well, dream no more because there are cities in America that provide that holiday spirit without having to visit a movie set.
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Top 10 National Park in Autumn to Visit

Top 10 National Park in Autumn to Visit

The national parklands in the national park system of the United States are among some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. Between the mountain, desert, ocean, rainforest, and other terrains that make up these stunning parks, there is a wide variety of beauty that can be enjoyed by travelers who visit. While these national parks are breathtakingly beautiful year-round, many are even more beautiful during the colorful months of autumn when the leaves are changing color and mother nature has painted the landscapes with vibrant colors.

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Rocky Mountain National Park Guide

Rocky Mountain National Park Guide

There are a number of absolutely breathtaking mountain ranges in the United States and the Rocky Mountains in the Western part of the country are some of America’s most beautiful. Perhaps nowhere else in the country is this beautiful mountain range better showcased than in Rocky Mountain National Park in the state of Colorado. That is why I was beyond excited to create my Rocky Mountain Park Guide to share this beautiful park with you. Though with so many wonderful things to say about the park, it was hard to know where to being. With a range of elevation between 7,600-feet ( 2,316 meters) and 14,259-feet ( 4,346 meters) inside the park, the diversity of landscapes and wildlife that you will see while visiting Rocky Mountain National Park is truly awe-inspiring. In addition to a myriad of other wildlife, the park is home to over 280 different bird species, an abundance of elk, and the bighorn sheep that have become a symbol of this alpine park.
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Capitol Reef National Park Visitor Guide

Capitol Reef National Park Visitor Guide

With five popular national parks within a relatively short distance of one another in Southern Utah, there is definitely no shortage of amazing outdoor activities in the area. If you throw in the parks and monuments in Southern Colorado and Northern Arizona, this region is one of the premier outdoor adventure regions in North America. If you love outdoor adventure, then you will love all of the activities and sights that are outlined in my Capitol Reef National Park Guide. While some of the other national parks in Southern Utah may get more attention on tourist sites, any hardcore national parks enthusiast will tell you that Capitol Reef National Park is a hidden gem in the US National Parks system.
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The Ultimate Corona Arch Trail Hiking Guide

The Ultimate Corona Arch Trail Hiking Guide

While Arches and Canyonlands National Parks draw a majority of the tourists to the Moab, Utah area, the Corona Arch is one of the Moab regions hidden gems. Because of its proximity to the city of Moab, the Corona Arch Hike is quickly becoming one of the areas most popular hikes. It is easy to get to, fairly accessible to people without a lot of hiking experience, and the Corona Arch is every bit as big and as beautiful as the infamous Delicate Arch inside Arches National Park.

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The Ultimate Shoshone Falls Guide for Travelers Who Love Beautiful Waterfalls

The Ultimate Shoshone Falls Guide for Travelers Who Love Beautiful Waterfalls

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.
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Craters of the Moon National Monument Visitor Guide

Craters of the Moon National Monument Visitor Guide

As anyone who has traveled the United States by car extensively will tell you, sometimes you just happen to come across a landscape during your travels that so completely blows your mind that it renders you speechless.  For me, one of these is undoubtedly the kind of weird, extremely cool, and very unique landscape of Craters of the Moon National Monument in southern Idaho.  If you aren’t familiar with this park, you are definitely missing out.  If you were to take a road trip thru Idaho, the contrast between the black lava formations and craters found inside the national monument and the landscape found throughout the rest of the state is nothing if not striking.
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National Parks Trip – Detailed Itinerary

National Parks Trip – Detailed Itinerary

My trip to the American West and Southwest is fast approaching and I have been very busy putting together a detailed itinerary for our trip.  There are no flights or hotels involved in this trip, so you would think the planning process would be easier.  On the contrary, I have found that the logistics of planning a cross-country camping road trip are even more complex than planning your typical fly-and-stay vacation.  Add to that the complexities of the COVID-19 situation and it has been a very interesting travel planning exercise.
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The Ten Best Fourteeners for Beginners to Hike in Colorado

The Ten Best Fourteeners for Beginners to Hike in Colorado

As a beginning hiker, the tougher 14ers in Colorado like Capitol Peak, Long’s Peak, Little Bear Peak, or “The Deadly Bells” might be too much for you to tackle at the moment, but that doesn’t mean you can’t set your sights on the clouds.  In fact, there are a number of challenging, yet completely doable, 14ers in Colorado that beginning hikers can attempt to tackle.  With the experience of summiting these easier peaks under your belt, it won’t be long before you build up the experience and confidence needed to tackle some of the more difficult peaks in Colorado.
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The Quintessential Crater Lake National Park Guide

The Quintessential Crater Lake National Park Guide

While Crater Lake National Park in southern Oregon may not be as well-known as some of the other parks in the Western United States, that doesn’t mean it isn’t every bit as beautiful.  In fact, as lake parks go, it may be the most beautiful in America.  Centered around a deep, water-filled volcanic crater that has formed the deepest lake in North America, Crater Lake is also well-known for its rough wilderness and great hiking and snowshoeing trails.  If you aren’t into hiking, getting out on the crystal blue waters of Crater Lake to Kayak or go for a swim may be just what you are looking for.  Regardless of what you do when you visit, one thing that won’t be in short supply during your stay is tranquility.
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