Nature

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

Capitol Reef National Park, located in south-central Utah, known for its geological formations, including colorful canyons, monolithic domes, and twisting gorges. The park is defined by the Waterpocket Fold

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

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

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

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

Rated the #1 State Park in Pennsylvania, Ricketts Glen features a necklace of 25 picturesque waterfalls along a four-and-a-half-mile trail through the

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,

The quaint town of Valentine, NE. is quiet for much of the year and in summer becomes a destination for nationally acclaimed canoeing, hiking, biking, horseback riding, tubing, kayaking, hunting, fishing, and

No matter how many times we have visited we are always in awe of Yosemite National Park. When arriving from State Highway 41 the first sweeping expanse of the views of the valley is glimpsed from Tunnel View Overlook. Here you will see

Just outside of Brain Head, Utah standing at 10,000 feet is the dramatic natural amphitheater of Cedar Breaks National Monument. The attraction here is the

Mono Lake in the Eastern Sierra near Lee Vining, California, has a rich geological and ecological history that spans millions of years. This ancient saline lake, dates back at least 760,000 years. Its high salinity and alkalinity create

Hidden in the Lower Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, in the Sequoia National Forest, Horse Meadow is a haven for nature lovers. It is known for grassy meadows and wildflowers, creating a colorful landscape during the spring and summer months. The meadow is crisscrossed

Savannah is a great walking town. A stroll around will take you to twenty-two ecological diverse neighborhood parks and

Millennium Park and nearby Maggie Daley Park are two public spaces in Chicago where the whole day can be filled with play. At these parks locals

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

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,

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

Bryce Canyon in Utah is otherworldly. Typically, it is overlooked because of the more famous nearby red rock of the Southwest neighbors Zion and Grand Canyon National Parks. However, it is impressive, less crowded and a place like no other. Situated along a high plateau at the top of the Grand Staircase it has the largest collection of hoodoos (irregular columns of rock) in the world. Gazing at the hoodoo spires

Devils Tower National Monument located in northeastern Wyoming, is an impressive geologic feature that rises above the surrounding flat plains. The site offers a unique blend of natural wildlife, outdoor adventure, cinematic history

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...

North Cascades National Park offers natural and engineered landscapes, with some of the most picturesque landscapes in the Pacific Northwest making popular destination within Washington State. The park's prominent features include over

Mammoth Lakes, in California's Eastern Sierras, is a rustic resort town surrounded by stunning landscapes, that transform dramatically with the seasons. In the summer

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

Yellowstone National Park, established in 1872 as the first national park in the world covers over 2.2 million acres across Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. The park is famed for its geothermal features, abundant wildlife

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, spanning North Carolina and Tennessee is the most visited National Park in the United States. The name comes from the Cherokee people who called the landscape “place of the blue smoke” referring

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

Grand Canyon National Park cannot be explained in words or photos. At 6000 feet deep, 18 miles wide, and stretching over 277 miles of the Colorado River it is so immense that the only way to experience it is to be in its presence. The park provides

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 being transformed

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

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,

Our first impression of Charleston, South Carolina was that this is a city that understands its quaint beauty. Although the Charleston

At thirty-five miles long and 15 miles wide Salton Sea is the largest lake in California. Twice the size of Lake Tahoe. Situated in the Sonoran Desert the land where it stands was originally a salt sink

Santa Fe’s adobe architecture, art, food, unique culture, biking, skiing, and beautiful weather makes it a joy to visit. Founded sometime between 1607 and 1610, Santa Fe was established around the same time as Jamestown, Virginia, and about a decade before

Lone Pine, California on US Route 395 is a little over 3 hours north of Los Angeles and where the big wall of the Sierras starts to take shape. The tiny old

Despite its morbid name, if you love the quiet of the desert Death Valley is a lively place to visit. In fact, it is one of the most naturally quiet places in the continental United States. The Largest National Park outside of Alaska, it offers 5300 square miles of open space and dramatic

Drive only 60 miles north of Palm Springs or 130 miles east of Los Angeles and you will find the dramatic deserts landscape of Joshua Tree National Park. Its unique placement in the Coachella Valley showcases

Every year wildflowers lovers throughout southern California ask, “Will Anza Borrego have a super bloom?” In years with abundant rainfall, the Sonoran Desert landscape is filled with an abundance of colors. At the peak

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

Twenty years ago, Ft. Collins, Colorado was one of those college towns that was an undiscovered gem. Back then it was best known as the town where Disneyland Main Street designer, Harper Goff grew up and used for inspiration. Today the word is out, and it has become a mecca of experimental food (mac and cheese pizza!), nature, art,

In Northern Colorado Rocky Mountain is the quintessential National Park. Originally home to Ute and Arapaho people and later homesteaders and ranchers today It offers

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

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

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

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

Right across the Northampton Street bridge from New Jersey at the intersection of the Lehigh and Delaware rivers is the picturesque

If you’ve ever wanted to spend the day sitting on the beach watching herds of wild horses play in the waves Assateague National Seashore is

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

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

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

Over 20 years ago we walked into the only bike shop in Springdale, Utah, an undeveloped town, right outside of Zion National Park. We asked if there was any good biking around. The owner told us that recently some guys went up to the top of the mesa a few miles away and painted dots on the slickrock and made bike paths. It sounded intriguing. Then he told us. ”It’s rather technical”. This was the first time