Mackinac Island

As they traveled along the northernmost region of Michigan, travelers Mike and Roxanne visited one of the highlights of the area, Mackinac Island; detailing their tour of the area in their journal, Mike and Roxanne Travel East. The island north of the tip of the mitten which is Michigan is accessible only by ferry.  Because of this limited access, very few vehicles are seen on this island.  Instead, people get around the quaint town by bicycle or horse and carriage rides.  Bicycles are rented by the thousands, charged at an hourly, daily or weekly rate depending on the visitor’s needs.  All varieties of bikes are available; standard, 3 or 7 speed, tandems and more.  The horse and carriage rides are extremely popular and very fitting for the charming village; some of the carriages are quite large, holding groups up to 50 people. One of the highlights of visiting the island is touring Fort Mackinac.  Standing here on the island since the late 1700’s, tourists can either take a guided or self-guided tour of the buildings.  A reenactment is performed of an actual court martial that proves to be quite interesting and entertaining. Many shops dot the hilly island; candy merchants are very well attended where visitors can view fudge being made, and sample the many varieties that are available for purchase. Arch Rock is an interesting sight on the island, as well; towering over the water line at 146 feet, and as wide as 50 feet across.  The rock arches due to the effects of... Read more

Corn Palace, South Dakota

When travelers Bill and Debbie visited the one and only Corn Palace in South Dakota, they documented their amazement and wonder of this unique showplace in their travel diary, Bill & Debbie’s USA Trip. The story of the Corn Palace preceded Bill and Debbie’s visit by a little over 100 years.  Famous explorers Lewis and Clark traveled through the area in 1805, and expressed their belief that the wind swept desert area was good for nothing except buffalo roaming.  Some 80 years later, residents of Mitchell, South Dakota who knew this assessment to be untrue wanted to demonstrate how wonderful the area was in which to live.  The rich soil found here proved to be the ideal condition for growing corn and other grains, and to prove their point as well as to encourage outsiders to move to the area, an organization called the Corn Belt Real Estate Association decided to do something unheard of; construct a building that would illustrate the crops that would thrive in South Dakota.  Thus was the humble beginning of the Corn Palace. The original Palace was a wooden structure that measured 100 x 66; built in 1892.  An astronomical cost for the day, this building had a price tag of $2,976.48.  The building was elaborately decorated with the available grains and grasses that were locally grown, and visitors were intrigued.  Such popularity was gleaned in this unusual tribute to natural resources that it soon became necessary to construct a larger structure.  In 1905,... Read more

A Visit to Alcatraz Island

As discovered by the Rogers family while on vacation, the infamous Alcatraz Island has a lengthy and interesting history. After their visit there, they described their experiences in their trip journal, Rogers Adventure. Here is their wonderful Alcatraz posting. The island was originally named Alcatraz because of its sole inhabitants, the pelicans; the name is actually the Spanish word for the bird. While many people are familiar with the island as the famed maximum security prison, few realize that this island has been a fortress for California since the 1850’s. A protective measure for the harbor of San Francisco, Alcatraz served first as a military fortress early in history. Later, during the Spanish American War, the island was used to house prisoners captured during the war. It was the very prisoners held on the island first that fashioned the cold, stone walls that became the well known prison. The year 1934 saw the opening of the famed prison Alcatraz, which was recognized as being the final leg of a criminal’s journey. The island was used exclusively at the time for the prison, its guards and their families. Although separated from the prison element, family life went on in a traditional sense for the families of the guards; gardens were tended, children played, and school was attended by all children after traveling by a ten minute boat ride to the city of San Francisco. Records show that up to 80 children lived and played on Alcatraz at one point. Many... Read more

Acadia National Park aka Mount Desert Island

There are many national parks in the United States, but as Dimitri and Madolyn discovered and mentioned in their Trip Journal, 2008 Keys 2 Canada, Acadia National Park is considered to be one of the most beautiful of all the parks.  On the east coast in Maine, conveniently located off Highway 1, Acadia, or Mount Desert Island as it was first known, is complete with mountains, islands, forests and coastlines; a visual feast for the eyes.  Here is their wonderful posting. Acadia National Park itself is actually mostly island. Long ago, explorer Samuel Champlain saw the bald peaks of the mountains on the island, and was struck by the similarity of them to mountain deserts. Using this simile, he named the mountains l’Isle de Monts Deserts, which became over time Mount Desert Island. The lofty mountain Champlain was viewing and named the island after is Cadillac Mountain, which was named by yet another explorer named Cadillac, who also founded Detroit, Michigan. A few interesting facts about the island Park is that it was the first of any eastern national parks to be implemented east of the Mississippi River, and that Cadillac Mountain is the highest point on the entire Eastern seaboard north of Rio de Janeiro. While Acadia National Park has no single “pull” factor such as Old Faithful or the Grand Canyon, it does have a great deal charm, beauty and solitude that invites visitors to partake. It is merely an incredibly lovely and serene place to contemplate life’s... Read more

Crater Lake National Park

A lake exists in Oregon that is unlike any other lake in the United States. Travelers Ron and Jane make sure they stop to see Crater Lake every time they are traveling through the area, and have given great detail of its beauty in their web journal, Ron & Jane’s Travels, see the Crater Lake posting. Crater Lake is now a popular National Park, but at one time was simply an incredibly beautiful spot. Formed an estimated 7,000 years ago, the lake is a product of a massive volcanic eruption that took place at that time. Mt. Mazama is the volcano, and the force was so powerful when the eruption occurred that it extended eastward to Montana and northward to Saskatchewan. It is believed that Mt. Mazama surpassed Mount St. Helens in sheer power at least 42 times over. The volcano no longer exists, as the magnitude of the explosion caused the natural feature to collapse upon its own foundation. Where God had placed a 12,000 ft. mountain, Mother Nature replaced it with a 4,000 foot deep basin; the basis of Crater Lake. Rain water and melted snow eventually filled the volcanic scar, and it is currently at a depth of approximately 1, 943 feet of the bluest water one could ever imagine. The lake has a secure foundation; lava flows from subsequent eruptions before Mt. Mazama collapsed formed a sealant around the lake, causing precipitation to accumulate in its depths. There is no outlet or inlet for the lake whatsoever. This pure water, along with the extreme depths, is credited... Read more

Into Denali National Park, Alaska

One of the last remaining wildernesses can be witnessed in Denali National Park, as can be attested to by the Rogers’ last trip described in their epic travel diary, The Rogers’ Adventure commencing at their Tok to Fairbanks journal entry. Mountains, rivers and diverse wildlife decorate the pristine, remote area in Alaska that was originally designed as a safe habitat for Dall sheep. Traveling into Denali National Peak takes visitors along the Tenana river valley, passing through several small towns such as Nenana. Native tongue translates “Nenana” as meaning point of camping between two rivers; referring to the intersection of the Tenana and Nenana Rivers. The city of Nenana is an important shipping port, with a variety of foods, freight and fuel coming in for distribution to small towns along the river. The town of Healy is another great tourist stop, well known as being the location for the largest coal mine in Alaska, the Usibelli Coal Mine. While the mine is not open to the public, it supplies millions of tons of coal toward the operation of 6 major power plants in the State of Alaska, as well as being a chief export item to Chile and South Korea. Denali Park itself was established in 1917, although known at that time by the name of Mount McKinley National Park after President McKinley. It wasn’t until 1980 that the park was renamed Denali National Park. In the native Athabascan language, Denali means “high one”. Fifteen miles into the park brings... Read more

Luray Caverns

Natural formations and attractions are truly the most marvelous of all sights, as was witnessed by the Hammonds when they visited the Luray Caverns in Luray, Virginia and detailed their adventure in their trip journal, Hammond’s Canada and US Tour. The Luray Caverns are active caves; a term meaning that there is a stream flowing through it. A knowledgeable tour guide takes visitors through the cavernous rooms of the Luray Caves where many wonders await to provide a feast for the eyes. An immense lake of clear, pure water exists in one of the larger “rooms” of the caverns that acts as a mirror, reflecting a perfect image of the incredible cave formations that have developed on the ceiling of the cave. Read more  Read More →

Historic Tombstone

Many places in the United States are full of the history that formed our country and, as Gary and Barb discovered, Tombstone in Arizona is one of those fascinating locations. Writing of their experiences in Tombstone on their journal, Gary and Barb’s Travels, the couple share in detail what they gleaned about the city’s past. Read more  Read More →

Tuzigoot National Monument

Pueblo ruins dot the Verde Valley in central Arizona; remnants of the Sinagua people from the time period between 1100 and 1450 AD. Recently, a visit to one of the largest and best preserved of these – Tuzigoot National Monument – was made by Larry and Lee Ann and their experience is documented in their online Trip Journal, Larry & Lee Ann’s Journey. The name “Tuzigoot” is a term originating from the Apache language meaning crooked water. The term applies to the nearby Peck’s Lake, which is a runoff from the Verde River. The site has provided a great deal of information and insight to the Sinagua people through excavation; over 400 burial sites have been located in the hillside. The structures themselves also give a glimpse into their lifestyle of the time; the large pueblo has two stories that in all contain 110 rooms. It is likely that hundreds of Sinagua people were living in this and other pueblo homes. The land was purchased by Yavapai County in Arizona for the paltry sum of $1.00; a sale which enabled the land to pass from United Verde and Phelps Dodge to the County allowing excavation to continue. In the hands of Yavapai County, federal relief grants were able to be secured to finance the research project once the land was turned over to the Federal Government. Excavation of the pueblo and surrounding area was completed through the University of Arizona, headed up by Louis Caywood and Edward Spicer. From 1933 to 1935, the ruins were carefully... Read more

Furnace Creek at Death Valley National Park in CA

For travelers Ron and Jane, Death Valley National Park is a destination that everyone would be able to enjoy. In their travel journal, Ron & Jane 2007-08-09, they describe their favorite spots here, which include Furnace Creek. Furnace Creek is a village in the center of the beautiful Death Valley National Park. Accommodating travelers that visit the National Park with the Furnace Creek Ranch, Furnace Creek Inn and several campgrounds, Furnace Creek is also the location of one of the Park’s Visitor Centers as well as a museum. For a taste of the area’s history, visitors can browse amongst actual pieces of machinery that were used years ago in the local borax mines. The Borax Museum can be found at the Furnace Creek Ranch. The name Furnace Creek just might be attributed to the fact that the highest North American temperature reading was recorded here; 134 degrees in the year 1913. This temperature almost rivals the world high temperature which was documented as 136 degrees in 1922, occurring in Libya. Furnace Creek is also just a short trip away from some of the best attractions in Death Valley National Park. The Badwater Salt Flats used to be a salty lake which blanketed Death Valley long, long ago. The incredibly salty water, around three times saltier than sea water, is credited with the moniker “Badwater”; so named when a thirsty mule refused to partake of the water. While the area will still fill with water after a hard rain, the evaporation rate in the area... Read more

Next Page »