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Krystina Castella
Arches National Park
Moab, Utah
Krystina Castella
Arches National Park, in eastern Utah near Moab, has more than 2,000 natural stone arches, set in desert landscapes. Delicate Arch, set against the backdrop of the La Sal Mountains has become a symbol
Photo:
Krystina Castella
Pittsburg, PA
Bridges and Learning
Krystina Castella
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania once known for its steel mills, has become a hub of education, technology, and the arts. Often referred to as the "City of Bridges," it is nestled at the confluence of the
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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
Photo:
Brian Boyl
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
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Krystina Castella
Capitol Reef National Park
Colorful Canyons and Fremont Culture
Krystina Castella
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
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Krystina Castella
Ricketts Glen State Park
Necklace of Waterfalls
Krystina Castella
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
Photo:
Brian Boyl
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
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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 the free mineral-rich waters
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Krystina Castella
Mobile, Alabama
Antebellum Era & Mardi Gras
Krystina Castella
Mobile, Alabama one of the oldest cities on the Golf Coast is home to seven historic districts. Filled with antebellum homes, murals, and the home of the original Mardi Gras parade. The Mardi Gras Museum shares
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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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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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Krystina Castella
Greenburg, Indiana
Be inspired at the Beguiling Tree
Krystina Castella
Among rolling cornfields, halfway between Cincinnati and Indianapolis is the Victorian brick laden picturesque town of Greensburg. As the seat of Decatur County it is famous for the tree that grows to the roof its courthouse tower, several stories
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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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Krystina Castella
Valentine, Nebraska
Love and Nature
Krystina Castella
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
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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
Photo:
Brian Boyl
Bryce Canyon National Park
Get Lost Amongst Utah's Hoodoos
Krystina Castella
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
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Krystina Castella
Cadillac Ranch
Amarillo, TX
Krystina Castella
Cadillac Ranch, outside of Amarillo, TX, is something between art and a roadside attraction. The installation created in the 70’s by land artists
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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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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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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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 to his restaurant the Bun Boy in the desert town of Baker, California. Baker on Interstate 15 is between Los Angeles and Vegas
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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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Krystina Castella
Las Vegas
An Oasis in the Desert
Krystina Castella
After weeks of camping and living in dirt showing up with a mud-covered SUV to the glitz, lights and artificial environments of Vegas is just what we need. In nature
Photo:
Brian Boyl
Cedar Breaks
Bristlecones and sheep dogs await
Krystina Castella
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
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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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Krystina Castella
Ft. Collins, Colorado
Old West meets the New Frontier
Krystina Castella
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,
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Krystina Castella
Rocky Mountain National Park
Embrace the wildlife and vistas
Krystina Castella
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
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Krystina Castella
Springview, Nebraska
The Good Life
Krystina Castella
While on a road trip have you ever passed through a small town and get the feeling to stop? In Springville, it was the subtle clues, a zebra painted house and the nearby retro gas station that lured us
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Krystina Castella
Park City, Utah
Polishing the silver of its mining past
Krystina Castella
Park City has grown substantially in the 20+ years since we last visited. It is now an upscale getaway for enthusiasts who love biking and skiing, the arts, high end shopping and eating. There are many new neighborhoods, shopping
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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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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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Krystina Castella
Delving into Omaha History
Omaha, Nebraska
Krystina Castella
Originally homeland of the Midwestern Native American tribe the U-mo'n-Ho'n, (the Omaha People) today Omaha Nebraska is a bustling riverfront
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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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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
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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
Photo:
Brian Boyl
Millennium & Maggie Daley
A Day of Play, Chicago
Krystina Castella
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
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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
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Krystina Castella
Easton, Pennsylvania
Waterways and Bridges
Krystina Castella
Right across the Northampton Street bridge from New Jersey at the intersection of the Lehigh and Delaware rivers is the picturesque
Photo:
Brian Boyl
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
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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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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
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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
Photo:
Brian Boyl
Washington, DC
Not an Ordinary Mall
Krystina Castella
By foot or by bike nothing in the US capital compares to the being at the National Mall. At one end of the mall are the Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. Memorials, in the middle is the towering
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