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Adventure Playground: Berkeley, California
Photo:
Krystina Castella

Adventure Playgrounds

Read On!
Adventure Playground: Berkeley, California
Photo:
Krystina Castella

Adventure Playgrounds

A history and a visit

Krystina Castella

Adventure playgrounds offer unrestricted play in either natural or junk environments, and kids explore and invent with found materials. Today they are growing in popularity in the United States due to modern parent’s awareness of ...
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Featured

Silverton, Colorado
Photo:
Krystina Castella

Silverton, Colorado

Mining and Old West Charm

Krystina Castella
Silverton, Colorado, is a picturesque town that embodies the spirit of the Old West. Surrounded by the towering peaks of the San Juan Mountains, this former mining town ...
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Catalina Casino
Photo:
Krystina Castella

Catalina Island

A quick escape from the mainland

Krystina Castella
Catalina Island, accessible by ferry off the coast, is known for its natural beauty and boating, with opportunities for sailing, kayaking, and
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Photo: Krystina Castella
Photo:
Krystina Castella

Ohiopyle

An Outdoors Overload

Krystina Castella
Ohiopyle sounds like it is in Ohio doesn’t it? It is actually in the Laurel Highlands a beautiful region of Southwestern Pennsylvania. We booked a campsite in Ohiopyle State Park to stay ...
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Fresh Eggs, Lopez Island
Photo:
Krystina Castella

San Juan Islands

Islands of the Puget Sound

Krystina Castella
The San Juan Islands, in the Pacific Northwest are known for serene landscapes, abundant wildlife, and charming communities. This archipelago comprises several islands, with
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Model in Museum
Photo:
Krystina Castella

Starved Rock State Park

Oglesby, IL

Krystina Castella
Starved Rock is a sandstone butte towering over the Illinois river and its namesake State Park. It is home to numerous falls, canyons, and hiking trails. It gets its name from a legend of a battle between ...
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Viewpoint Grand-Escalante Photo: Brian Boyl
Photo:
Brian Boyl

Grand Staircase-Escalante

Desert to coniferous forest

Krystina Castella
In southern Utah, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is an expansive place with 1.87 million acres of America's public lands from desert to coniferous forest. It is filled with canyons, arches ...
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Play

Bridge in Park
Photo:
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...
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Wave Pool
Photo:
Krystina Castella

Eugene T. Mahoney State Park

On the Platte River, Nebraska

Krystina Castella
Eugene T. Mahoney State Park, on the Platte River near Ashland, Nebraska, offers an outdoor experience with a wide array activities and natural beauty. The aquatic center features
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Rafts
Photo:
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 ...
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Photo: Krystina Castella
Photo:
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 ...
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Little Blue Door
Photo:
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 ...
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Splash Pad
Photo:
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 ...
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Nature

Freshkills Park
Photo:
Krystina Castella

Freshkills Park

Staten Island, New York

Krystina Castella
Freshkills Park, located on Staten Island, New York, represents one of the most transformative environmental projects in the world. Once the site of the world’s largest landfill, Freshkills is  ...
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Inside Old Man's Cave
Photo:
Krystina Castella

Hocking Hills State Park

Logan, OH

Krystina Castella
Hocking Hills is nestled in the western foothills of the Ohio Appalachian Mountains. It features a stream cut canyon with massive overhangs sporting a stunning trail that passes by caverns, caves ...
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Sleeping Bear Dunes
Photo:
Krystina Castella

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

A Ojibwe Legend

Krystina Castella
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, has huge sand dunes, clear lakes, dense forests and a clear star filled sky. Stretching for 35 miles along Lake Michigan, this national lakeshore also
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Starfish, Ruby Beach
Photo:
Krystina Castella

Olympic National Park

UNESCO World Heritage Site

Krystina Castella
Olympic National Park, located on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State encompasses ecosystems that range from rugged coastline and lush rainforests to towering alpine
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Beach, Anastasia State Park
Photo:
Krystina Castella

Anastasia State Park

St. Augustine, Florida

Krystina Castella
Anastasia State Park, located in St. Augustine, Florida, is a stunning coastal park renowned for its pristine beach and historic lighthouse. The park features over 1,600 acres of unspoiled nature ...
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Photo: Krystina Castella
Photo:
Krystina Castella

Carlsbad Caverns

Bats, Caves and Speleothems

Krystina Castella
In a midst of a landscape covered with flaming oil rigs just below the surface of the Chihuahuan Desert are more than 119 caves—formed when sulfuric acid carved the limestone underground
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More Nature...

Art & Design

Photo: Brian Boyl
Photo:
Brian Boyl

Seven Magic Mountains

Contrast of Nature and Culture

Krystina Castella
When driving on Interstate 15, just south of Las Vegas, Nevada be sure to stop at Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone’s land art piece Seven Magic Mountains. At about 35 feet tall the massive sculpture consists of thirty-three boulders ...
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Nomade: Jaume Plensa
Photo:
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 ...
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Photo:
Krystina Castella

Barn Quilts

Folk Art of America’s Heartland

Krystina Castella
If you are looking for an excuse for a road trip head out to discover the grassroots movement of barn quilts. A form of American folk art barn quilts are painted wood or metal squares that ...
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Kitty
Photo:
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 ...
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Masks from different cultures
Photo:
Krystina Castella

Museum International Folk Art

By the people. For the people

Krystina Castella
The Museum of International Folk Art is my favorite place to visit in Santa Fe. The anchor exhibit Multiple Visions: A Common Bond is an immense collection of toys, travel souvenirs, street art, miniatures, ceramics, textiles and just about anything that can be categorized as folk art. The 10,000 pieces on display were ...
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Photo:
Brian Boyl

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 ...
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More Art and Design...

Cities & Towns

Haystack Rock
Photo:
Brian Boyl

Cannon Beach

Kites of Coastal Oregon

Krystina Castella
Cannon Beach, a seaside town located along the Oregon coast, is most famous for, Haystack Rock, towering 235 feet above the shoreline. It is a protected marine sanctuary and attracts birdwatchers who flock here to see
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Rainbow Row, Charleston
Photo:
Krystina Castella

Charleston, South Carolina

Get lost in Southern Charm

Krystina Castella
Our first impression of Charleston, South Carolina was that this is a city that understands its quaint beauty. Although the Charleston ...
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Mural Railroad Square
Photo:
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 ...
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Mural by Chickasaw artist Brent Greenwood
Photo:
Krystina Castella

Sulphur, Oklahoma

Dive into the "Little Niagara"

Krystina Castella
Sulphur, Oklahoma is home to the Chickasaw National Recreation Area and chock full of creeks, falls, springs, campgrounds, and buffalo. The Oklahomans who camp here say this is their favorite place in the state and not like anything ...
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Victoria Harbor
Photo:
Krystina Castella

Victoria BC

British Columbia, Canada

Krystina Castella
Victoria, the capital of British Columbia, Canada, sits on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. The heart of Victoria is its historic Inner Harbor, where you can watch seaplanes take off and land, catch a glimpse of the historic
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Photo: Krystina Castella
Photo:
Krystina Castella

Amana Colonies, Iowa

America’s longest-lived Communal Society

Krystina Castella
Have you ever heard of the home electronics brand Amada? Its roots have very humble beginnings with a community established around utopian ...
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More Cities and Towns...

Roadside Attractions

Photo: Krystina Castella
Photo:
Krystina Castella

World’s Largest Thermometer

Baker, California

Krystina Castella
If you have every wondered where and when the hottest temperature every recorded on earth is the answer is 134 degrees F in Death Valley, California on July, 10 1913. That temperature inspired Willis Herron to build World’s Tallest Thermometer to draw freeway travelers ...
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Photo: Krystina Castella
Photo:
Krystina Castella

A Rainbow of Color

Ft. Collins, Colorado

Krystina Castella
The Colorado State University Trial Gardens in Fort Collins, Colorado is a breathtakingly beautiful place to lose yourself in flowers of every color, texture, shape and form. The purpose of ...
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Photo: Krystina Castella
Photo:
Krystina Castella

Carhenge: Alliance, Nebraska

Stumble upon a roadside treasure

Krystina Castella
When driving through Nebraska on Highway 87 the hours can pass by slowly as corn and hay dominate the landscape. However, just outside of ...
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Bright Yellow Greek Revival Photo: Krystina Castella
Photo:
Krystina Castella

William Taft Historic Site

History and Décor

Krystina Castella
Visiting the childhood homes of well know figures tells us a bit more about the environments that shaped their character and philosophy. On a quest for ...
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Scotts Bluff, Photo: Krystina Castella
Photo:
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 ...
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Bridge over Colorado River
Photo:
Brian Boyl

Hoover Dam

Art Deco meets Engineering

Krystina Castella
The Hoover Dam, one of America's most iconic landmarks, is an engineering and artistic marvel. Built during the Great Depression and completed in 1936. It straddles the border between Nevada and Arizona state lines and
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More Roadside Attractions...

Articles

Photo:
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 ...
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Surprise: The Blue Angels
Photo:
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 ...
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Photo:
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 ...
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Photo:
Krystina Castella

The Staten Island Ferry

A NYC favorite

Krystina Castella
Some people love trains, other cars or planes. My adoration is for the Staten Island Ferry. Having grown up on Staten Island the ferry connected ...
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CicLAvia in Hollywood
Photo:
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 ...
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Everglades National Park
Photo:
Krystina Castella

Florida Love

Favorites of the Sunshine State

Krystina Castella
Florida and California (where we live) have many commonalities. We both have oranges, palm trees, beautiful and sunny warm weather in winter. However, there are many differences that draw us back to visit Florida ...
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