Point Arena Lighthouse

Photo:

Krystina Castella

Mendocino

Point Arena Lighthouse

Photo:

Krystina Castella

Mendocino

California Historical Landmark

Krystina Castella

Mendocino is a village that sits on the rugged cliffs of California's northern coast. The town dates to the 1850s when it was established as a logging community. Today, Mendocino is a haven for

Click here to read more of the article.

Featured

"Crown of the Continent"

Glacier National Park

"Crown of the Continent"

Krystina Castella

Glacier National Park, located in Montana's Rocky Mountains, is renowned for its breathtaking landscapes that include rugged peaks, pristine forests, and spectacular glacier-carved...

Click here to read more of the article.

Breathtaking Views of Zion NP

Zion National Park

Southwestern Utah

Krystina Castella

Zion National Park is an expansive natural playground located in southwestern Utah, characterized by high plateaus, deep sandstone canyons, and rock formations. The park covers ...

Click here to read more of the article.

Photo: Krystina Castella

Randyland

The most colorful spot in Pittsburg

Krystina Castella

Randyland is the creation of eccentric folk artist, Randy Gilson. Gilson had an idea to transform his home in the Mexican War Streets neighborhood of Pittsburgh's ...

Click here to read more of the article.

The Painted Hills

Krystina Castella

Badlands National Park

The Painted Hills

Krystina Castella

Badlands National Park, located in southwestern South Dakota, contains a colorful landscape with sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles, and spires jutting out from a grass prairie. Within the park the Painted Hills, made of layered hues of red ...

Click here to read more of the article.

Surprise: The Blue Angels

Krystina Castella

Surprise: The Blue Angels

Pensacola, Florida

Krystina Castella

This was one of those unplanned spontaneous experiences that makes road trips so sensational. We had just left our picturesque campsite at Blue Lagoon State Park in Pensacola, Florida. Our son was on-line in ...

Click here to read more of the article.

Laundromat

Krystina Castella

Vernonia, Oregon

Antiques, Trails & Charm

Krystina Castella

Tucked in the lush foothills of Oregon’s Coast Range, Vernonia is a small town that blends history, nature, and charm. Once a bustling logging hub...

Click here to read more of the article.

Play

Splash Pad

Krystina Castella

James Island County Park

James Island, South Carolina

Krystina Castella

For a recreational vacation head right outside of Charleston and visit James Island County Park. It offers camping, open meadows, fishing, crabbing and miles of paved trails for walking, biking ...

Click here to read more of the article.

Photo: Krystina Castella

Krystina Castella

Lakeshore Bike Trail

Chicago, Illinois

Krystina Castella

Upon arrival in Chicago on a sunny summer afternoon, we experienced the city at its best. Driving up along Lakeshore Drive we saw residents pour out of their apartments to enjoy the beautiful ...

Click here to read more of the article.

Rafts

Krystina Castella

Huntington Beach Play

Risky Muddy Fun

Krystina Castella

Huntington Beach Adventure Playground is for families seeking an outdoor play area that encourages creativity, physical activity, and adventurous play. In the heart of Huntington Central Park, this park offers ...

Click here to read more of the article.

Little Blue Door

Krystina Castella

Children’s Garden, Huntington

Pasadena, California

Krystina Castella

If you find yourself in Pasadena on a warm day with children under seven treat yourself to the enchanted environment of the Children’s Garden at the Huntington.Enter through a tiny blue door into a whimsical landscape to ...

Click here to read more of the article.

Bridge in Park

Krystina Castella

Central Park, NY

Experiencing NY Through Play

Krystina Castella

In the middle of Manhattan’s concrete grid, CentralPark opens like a playground for all. Olmsted and Vaux designed it...

Click here to read more of the article.

Strong National Museum of Play

Krystina Castella

Strong Museum of Play

Rochester, New York

Krystina Castella

The Strong National Museum of Play is dedicated to the exploration and celebration of play. Located in Rochester, New York it is filled with interactive exhibits and is home to an impressive collection of toys ...

Click here to read more of the article.

More Play...

Nature

Big Bend National Park

Krystina Castella

Big Bend National Park

The Desert and the Rio Grande

Krystina Castella

Big Bend National Park offers a blend of natural beauty, ancient history, and cultural heritage, situated in the remote deserts of southwestern Texas. The Rio Grande is a defining feature of Big Bend, offering a dramatic contrast to the ...

Click here to read more of the article.

Photo: Brian Boyl

The Outer Banks, North Carolina

Delving into stories at three parks

Krystina Castella

If your perfect family vacation spot includes beautiful long stretches of beach, mini golf courses and kite and candy shops OBX is filled ...

Click here to read more of the article.

Palo Duro Canyon

Palo Duro Canyon State Park

Canyon, Texas

Krystina Castella

The second largest canyon in the US is in the Texas panhandle, just south of Amarillo: Palo Duro Canyon. Home of some fascinating conflicts in the westward expansion, the canyon now feels like ...

Click here to read more of the article.

Everglades National Park

Krystina Castella

Alligators All Around

Florida's State Reptile

Krystina Castella

On hikes throughout Florida’s numerous wetlands, rivers, swamps, and lakes it is not unusual for us to come across a wild alligator or two. While alligators were endangered 50 years ago the population is ...

Click here to read more of the article.

Photo Krystina Castella

Krystina Castella

Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve

Celebration of California’s State Flower

Krystina Castella

Just 68 miles North of Los Angeles and 15 miles west of Lancaster is the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve. From Mid- February through Mid-May the grassy landscape fills with a dreamscape ...

Click here to read more of the article.

View from Island in the Sky

Krystina Castella

Canyonlands National Park

Rivers lie at the Heart

Krystina Castella

Canyonlands National Park, located in southeastern Utah, is an expanse of desert landscapes, offering breathtaking vistas, deep canyons, towering mesas, and intricate rock formations. The park, which spans over 337,000 acres ...

Click here to read more of the article.

More Nature...

Art & Design

Fallingwater

The best time to visit

Krystina Castella

When considering the places I wanted to visit on this trip across the country I immediately thought of Fallingwater. I wanted to experience being there ...

Click here to read more of the article.

Photo: Krystina Castella

Krystina Castella

Murals of Cincinnati

If walls could speak

Krystina Castella

Cincinnati is a city in transformation that cares about the community through investing in art! It is home to a vibrant collection of ...

Click here to read more of the article.

Mount Rushmore

Krystina Castella

Mt. Rushmore & Crazy Horse

The Black Hills, South Dakota

Krystina Castella

The Black Hills of South Dakota is a region steeped in natural beauty and historical significance. Mount Rushmore National Monument and the Crazy Horse Memorial are two monumental sculptural attractions that sometimes jut out and sometimes ...

Click here to read more of the article.

Prairie Modernism and More

Krystina Castella

Columbus, Indiana

Prairie modernism and more

Krystina Castella

Arriving on a Sunday a few hours before sunset Columbus, Indiana was as sleepy as any small town could be. The visitor’s center, small shops, restaurants and churches ...

Click here to read more of the article.

Kitty

Krystina Castella

Murals of New Orleans

Krystina Castella

We arrived in New Orleans on a cold overcast day and stumbled upon an explosion of color. Art expressing the history, culture and people of the community. Publicly funded murals, sanctioned street art and graffiti are ...

Click here to read more of the article.

Nomade: Jaume Plensa

Krystina Castella

Pappajohn Sculpture Park

Des Moines, Iowa

Krystina Castella

We arrived at the Pappajohn Sculpture Park and were excited to see one of the most impressive collections of modern sculpture in the country. More than two dozen large sculptures made by internationally acclaimed artists ...

Click here to read more of the article.

More Art and Design...

Cities & Towns

Photo: Krystina Castella

Krystina Castella

Fredrick, Maryland

Biking the historic loop

Krystina Castella

It is not the size of neighboring DC or Baltimore but Fredrick, Maryland has an intimate charm that attracts ...

Click here to read more of the article.

Castillo de San Marcos

Krystina Castella

St. Augustine, Florida

Established 1565

Krystina Castella

St. Augustine is the oldest continuously occupied European and African American settlement in the United States. It was claimed in 1565 by Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon, forty-two years ...

Click here to read more of the article.

Goodman's Photo: Krystina Castella

Krystina Castella

Pagosa Springs, Colorado

Healing Waters of Colorado

Krystina Castella

Pagosa Springs calls itself the “hot springs capital of Colorado” with 25 natural geothermal soaking pools. "Pagosah" is a Southern Ute word for "healing waters" and the town is home to the world's deepest hot spring. If driving through stop and soak in ...

Click here to read more of the article.

Mural Railroad Square

Krystina Castella

Tallahassee, Florida

Pizza and the creative spirit

Krystina Castella

After an unproductive alligator search we crossed into the Florida’s Big Bend looking for good pizza. We imagined that in Tallahassee, a college town with over 70,000 students ...

Click here to read more of the article.

Old Town Lancaster

Krystina Castella

Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Old Meets New in Pennsylvania Dutch County

Krystina Castella

In Lancaster, the center of Pennsylvania Dutch County, you will absorb the coexistence of Amish heritage and modern society. Electric vehicles share the road with horse drawn carriages, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Shoppers carrying groceries ...

Click here to read more of the article.

California in New Mexico

Krystina Castella

Gallup, New Mexico

The Golden Age of Route 66

Krystina Castella

Located along Route 66, Gallup, New Mexico is a haven for travelers seeking a blend of Native American culture, outdoor adventure, and a nostalgic trip through America's mid-20th-century ...

Click here to read more of the article.

More Cities and Towns...

Roadside Attractions

Apple Orchard, Avila Valley Barn

Krystina Castella

Avila Valley Barn

Avila Beach

Krystina Castella

Avila Valley Barn, at Avila Beach area of California’s Central Coast, captures the essence of farm-fresh goodness. Established as a family-owned and operated farm, The location invites visitors to step into a world of wholesome

Click here to read more of the article.

Krystina Castella

Iowa 80

World’s Largest Truckstop

Krystina Castella

In Eastern Iowa when driving on the 80 interstate you can’t miss the descriptively named Iowa 80 Truckstop. From the outside ...

Click here to read more of the article.

Museum of Barbed Wire, McLean, TX

Krystina Castella

Barbed Wire & Murals

Route 66 in McLean TX

Krystina Castella

A quick stop for gas on Route 66 led us into the 1.2 square mile town of McLean, Texas which happens to be on the National Register of Historic Places. This remote town makes the most of ...

Click here to read more of the article.

Winchester Mystery House

Krystina Castella

Winchester Mystery House

America's most haunted places

Krystina Castella

The Winchester Mystery House, in San Jose, California, is as a testament to eccentricity. Built by Sarah Winchester, the widow of firearm magnate William Wirt Winchester, this sprawling mansion is famous for its labyrinthine

Click here to read more of the article.

Scotts Bluff, Photo: Krystina Castella

Krystina Castella

Scotts Bluff National Monument

Gering, Nebraska

Krystina Castella

As the great plains give way to the foothills of the Rockies along the North Platte River, the first outcroppings of the foothills are a set of bluffs in Western Nebraska called Scotts Bluff. Named after a fur trader ...

Click here to read more of the article.

Waterfall, Blue Ridge Parkway

Krystina Castella

Blue Ridge Parkway

The Appalachian Mountains

Krystina Castella

Driving the Blue Ridge Parkway is a journey through the natural and cultural heritage of the Appalachian Mountains. The road stretches 469 miles from Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina with many ...

Click here to read more of the article.

More Roadside Attractions...

Articles

Surprise: The Blue Angels

Krystina Castella

Surprise: The Blue Angels

Pensacola, Florida

Krystina Castella

This was one of those unplanned spontaneous experiences that makes road trips so sensational. We had just left our picturesque campsite at Blue Lagoon State Park in Pensacola, Florida. Our son was on-line in ...

Click here to read more of the article.

CicLAvia in Hollywood

Krystina Castella

CicLAvia

Welcome Back!

Krystina Castella

On an average day for the average person biking in LA is not easy. There is traffic to navigate and distance to cover. At CicLAvia (Inspired by Bogotá’s weekly ciclovía) restrictions fade and we experience a glimpse at what Los Angeles could be like if our city was car free. We see neighborhoods that are ...

Click here to read more of the article.

Junior Rangers and their badges.

Krystina Castella

Junior Rangers

A playful way to explore the parks

Krystina Castella

There they were. Two inspired children on a mission, storming through the visitor’s center doors of Fort Necessity National Battlefield just outside of Pittsburg. They proudly showcased their achievements all over their clothing. As they made their way to the front desk, they enthusiastically asked the ranger on duty, “Do you have Junior Ranger booklets?” These kids were...

Click here to read more of the article.

Krystina Castella

Ice Cream Trucks

The taste of summer

Krystina Castella

Before I saw the truck I heard the jingle off in the distance. I knew the melody well-The Entertainer. Once in sight it was hard to miss. A brightly colored truck ...

Click here to read more of the article.

Krystina Castella

All About Hay

Golden Pixels in the Landscape

Krystina Castella

In the American prairie states hay is hard to miss. Golden pixels in the landscape in many shapes and sizes. I decided to find out as you never know when I will need to whip out these facts at a dinner party or if a student develops a project around horses or cows ...

Click here to read more of the article.

Photo: Krystina Castella

Krystina Castella

American Flags

Expression of our National Identity

Krystina Castella

One thing American’s have in common is the symbol of the American flag. As our national symbol of identity to each person or group it offers diverse and complex ...

Click here to read more of the article.

More Articles...