Oct 19, 2009 14:18 - By: Laura Charon
The view of Flagstaff from the top of Mars Hill.
Last weekend my husband had to work up in Flagstaff, AZ, about two and a half hours north of our home in Chandler. I availed myself of the opportunity for a free hotel room, and drove up to join him on Friday night.
Saturday I set out to explore the lovely city of Flagstaff. I wanted to enjoy the wonderful fall weather to its fullest, so I decided a bit of hiking was in order. After perusing the area map provided to me by the hotel, I found one of the entrances to the Flagstaff Urban Trail System (FUTS, pronounced “foots”).
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Oct 07, 2009 14:47 - By: Laura Charon
I’ve mentioned before, more than once, that Boston Massachusetts is one of my favorite cities. It’s hard to beat the combination of fresh seafood, architecture, and history of the place. Handily, there is one ideal location that combines all three, to provide you with an unforgettable experience on your next trip to Boston – The Freedom Trail.
The Freedom Trail is a three-mile walking tour along the heart of historic Boston, marked by a red line or red brick along the sidewalks. It begins in Boston Common (America’s oldest public park), and ends in Charlestown at the Bunker Hill Monument. Area maps can be purchased at the Information Booth near Park Street Station, and are also available at most area hotels.
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Sep 28, 2009 12:12 - By: Leahpeah
Majestic Lake Powell in Page, Arizona
With nearly 2,000 miles of shoreline, Lake Powell stretches into both Utah and Arizona. On a houseboat you can explore the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Lake Powell area. The rock canyons and towers are one of the most beautiful sites in the world. If you don’t want to stay on the water or guide your own boat, there are tours available as well as hotels RV parks, and campgrounds. All together it makes a complete family vacation package in a place with a rich history of being a backdrop for numerous movies such as Planet of the Apes and Maverick.
Family oriented activities include golf, guided fishing excursions, boat rentals with GPS, powerboat with water toy rentals and a complimentary Lake Powell Explorer pack aimed at younger kids and their parents. The pack includes a parent’s guide, hiking maps, word puzzles and a field trip to the Glen Canyon Dam Visitor Center.
Glen Canyon near Lake Powell, Page, Arizona
Book a package with days between November 5th to 8th and you can be a part of the Balloon Street Fair and watch the Hot Air Balloon Regatta fly overhead.
Photo credits both go to Wolfgang Staudt.
Sep 23, 2009 9:43 - By: Laura Charon
A bridge in the Grottos Day Use area in Independence Pass, CO.
Independence Pass connects Aspen and Leadville, Colorado via State Highway 82. It is the second-highest paved highway in Colorado, reaching 12,095 feet at its highest. With a 6.5% grade and narrow switchbacks all along the road, traversing Independence Pass is an adventure in the summertime, and prohibited completely in the winter (the road is closed altogether).
The ghost town in Independence Pass, CO.
In the late 1800’s, Independence Pass was the main route into and out of the Roaring Fork Valley during its heyday as a location for silver mining. The town of Independence was established in 1879, and by 1880 was inhabited by 1,000 people. Once the silver ore was completely mined, the population dwindled until the last person moved out in 1912. The ghost town is currently an historic landmark and active archaeological site.
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Sep 20, 2009 10:21 - By: Laura Charon
Equitours is “America’s oldest and largest horseback riding vacation company.” They only sponsor tours that have been carefully selected for quality, safety, and value. With a huge amount of world-wide destinations to recommend, visitors are provided with a wealth of information with which to make their travel decision. A sample of some of the destionations available include:
California Redwood Coast Ride: A seven-day itinerary starting at $2,295 per person, which includes food and lodging. Rides feature a different ocean beach each day.
Ireland Atlantic Coast Ride: An eight-day itinerary starting at $1500 per person, which includes lodging and two lunches, and airport/train transfers. Rides feature beaches, mountain trails, local villages, castles, and historic sites.
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Sep 09, 2009 11:38 - By: Leahpeah
Coral Pink Sand Dunes
Many people think of the desert when they think of Southern Utah, but the desert can be beautiful. Encompassing over 3,700 acres, the Coral Pink Sand Dunes make an ideal location for part of your family adventure vacation. The dunes are created because winds flow between the Moccasin and Moquith mountains carrying grains of sand creating the beautiful park. The park is surrounded by the red sandstone cliffs Southern Utah is famous for. Add in the stunning blue sky and the green trees around the perimeter and you’ve got the perfect photo opportunity.
Yellow Flowers at Coral Pink Sand Dunes Utah State Park
If you go to Coral Pink Sand Dunes in your RV, there is an inexpensive campground on the premises. Kanab is nearby and makes a great place to stay if you’re not camping. You can rent off road vehicles in Kanab to play on the dunes as well as go hiking or sand tubing. Two popular places to hike are South Fork Indian Canyon Pictographs, where ancient pictographs can be seen along the sand walls, and Moquith Mountains where you can actually see the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
The park has nice, maintained bathrooms and places for picnics. Check out the other nearby attractions here.
Photo credits – Top image by Passerine, bottom image by Respres.
Aug 17, 2009 13:02 - By: Laura Charon
The 2009 Harley Street Glide that we rented, with the Grand Tetons in the background.
If you have yet to visit the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, I suggest that you hasten forthwith and plan a trip as soon as possible. For it is within this park that you can witness a story like the following unfold before your very eyes.
My husband and I stayed for several days at Teton Village, which is just south of the boundary into the Grand Teton National Park. We rented a motorcycle for two of those days, and had an incredible experience exploring all corners of the park. At the end of one particularly long day of riding, we were heading back toward our hotel via Rt. 26/89/191, along the east side of the park, north of Jackson Hole. All of a sudden, my husband’s helmet-muffled, “Hey!” and pointing finger turned my attention to the right side of the road, where we saw this:
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Aug 12, 2009 12:39 - By: Laura Charon
The Cody Nite Rodeo Arena
Of all the places we visited during our Epic Summer Road Trip, one of our favorite towns was Cody, Wyoming. Cody is located 53 miles from the East Entrance into Yellowstone National Park, making it an ideal jumping-off point for day trips into the park. But there are plenty of interesting things to do in the town itself, making it a great vacation destination in its own right.
A cowboy at the Cody Nite Rodeo, hanging on!
The second night we were in town, we attended the Cody Nite Rodeo. Since Cody is appropriately named “The Rodeo Capital of the World”, we figured this was one event we couldn’t miss. This rodeo is performed every single evening from June 1st through August 31st, every year since 1938.
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