Aug 31, 2009 12:02 - By: Laura Charon
Fall foliage
Contrary to the thermometer outside my window, which at this second is reading a balmy 108 degrees (September in Arizona – gotta love it!), the fall weather will soon be upon us. Nothing says fall to me more than the round of upcoming harvest fairs and festivals, scheduled for September through November.
The Arizona Expo and State Fair is being held from October 16th through November 8th (closed Mondays). Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children and seniors, and kids under five years old are free. Parking in all fair lots is $10. The fairgrounds are located at 26 W. McDowell Road in Phoenix, just off of I-10. This year’s concert series includes Stone Temple Pilots, Bob Dylan, Lady Antebellum, The Black Crowes, David Cook, and Kelly Clarkson. The fair is entering its 64th consecutive year and features the traditional round of carnival rides, fried foods, craft and livestock displays and contests, and rodeo events.
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Jun 19, 2009 14:56 - By: Kim Tracy Prince
I’m not talking Smokey.
Big Bear Lake, CA
You’ve heard by now that the economic downturn has affected travel in a big way. People are sticking closer to home for their vacations or not going on vacation at all. If you have a little bit of money set aside, however, this turn of events means your dollar will go a long way.
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May 22, 2009 14:04 - By: Laura Charon
Kartchner Caverns Entrance
Kartchner Caverns State Park is located in Benson, Arizona. The “live” cave system was discovered in 1974, and extraordinary lengths have been achieved to preserve the fragile state of the cave’s environment.
Upon arriving at the park, visitors first enjoy a “Discovery Center” where they can peruse displays showing the different formations, minerals, and photographs of the original expeditions into the cave. A 15-minute video is played while people await their tour to begin. It describes how two intrepid amature spelunkers discovered an opening the size of a stretched-out coat hanger, wiggled their way along a shaft 200-feet long on their bellies, and discovered one of the most important series of caves in recent years.
This cave is “living”, meaning it still supports bats, and is still “wet” (limestone formations are still forming drop by drop). The explorers knew that once the word got out that the caves exist, they (the caves, that is, not the explorers) would be converged upon and killed in short order. So they, along with the Kartchner family (the landowners) appealed to the State government and made it into a State Park. They kept the modifications as subtle as possible to preserve the caves as they were when they were discovered. As it is, 85% of the cave network has never had a human foot upon it.
There’s lots more information and pictures! Click here to Read More »
May 13, 2009 10:42 - By: Laura Charon
The state of Maine is peppered with many old stone military forts and defenses. They provide for a perfect place to explore, picnic, enjoy the fresh air, and get a little educational history to boot.
Now me? I LOVE exploring. I love climbing around rocks and poking around tidal pools. I follow any path I come across to its end if I have anything to say about it (I’m eventually halted by my husband’s proclamation, “That’s it! I’m not walking any more!”). And when it comes to forts, I want to stick my nose into every nook and cranny I can gain access to.
One such fort is the Fort Popham State Historic Site in Phippsburg, Maine. Located on the banks of the Kennebec River, construction initially began on the fort in 1862, with the intent to defend against the Confederacy’s ironclad warships. Construction halted in 1869, though the fort was briefly garrisoned during the Spanish-American War, and again in WWI.
These days the fort is a popular destination for tourists and locals, and is a sanctuary for multitudes of native wildlife species. Like this guy:
And this guy, who was munching on the same school of fish that the seals were hunting:
The majority of the fort is open for exploration, with only a few precarious areas fenced off from the public. The place is just a dream to photograph, with all sorts of appealing arches and fantastic stone masonry.
Fort Popham is located 15 miles from Bath on State Route 209, in Mid-Coast Maine. The best time to visit is in the spring, summer and early fall. Explore the fort, sit along the rocky shoreline and enjoy the scenery, and stop by nearby Popham Beach for a swim in the ocean (in the summer, of course!)
