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Rene on Padre Island

Enjoying Free Oceanside Camping on Padre Island

Camping on Padre Island in Texas is one of few public places where you can park right on the beach for free. This is because a large strip of beachfront is part of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and is free to public access. Sleeping on the beach in the Gulf of Mexico was a surreal experience, and surprisingly, it gave me more privacy and remoteness than I’ve ever gotten at a campground or RV park. Heading to Padre...

5 Tips for Visiting the Alamo and Other San Antonio Missions

The beautiful architecture and unique history of the San Antonio missions make them all worth visiting. I didn’t expect to learn so much about American western history, but I did, and I’m better for it. The history of these sites wasn’t entirely what I believed. San Antonio Missions National Historical Park is a National Historical Park and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site preserving the San Antonio Missions in Texas. They say you can ride a bike between the...

San Antonio Market shops

Exploring San Antonio’s Historic Market Square

Nearly every weekend, San Antonio’s Historic Market Square comes to life with authentic Mexican heritage, shopping, and delicious tex-mex food, so I decided to check it out. As I drove into town, I wasn’t exactly sure where the market was, but it quickly became clear … follow the mariachi band … and the people. I parked a few blocks away and simply followed the sounds and crowds. It led me right to the square. There, about four city blocks are taken...

Detroit Instuite of Arts

8 Must-See Art and American History Museums in Detroit

These American Art and History Museums in Detroit should be on your list. OK, my love of museums and Detroit is no secret, but as someone who’s been to many of the most revered museums in the world, I’m telling you, these are worth the time. Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) The best thing about the DIA is its fabulous modern and contemporary collections. They have several van Gogh, Matisse, Picasso, O’Keeffe, Warhol and — my favorite the Diego Rivera...

Eastern Market Detroit

8+ Reasons to Visit Detroit’s Historic Eastern Market

Eastern Market sits unassumingly just outside of Downtown Detroit in what has become its own district. If you pass it by on a weekday, you may not even notice the sheds lining the road, but on certain days this nationally recognized icon comes to life. When I’m in Detroit, I don’t miss an opportunity to spend a morning at the market, wandering the stalls, taking in the scents of various food vendors, sampling the produce and watching the buskers perform...

Sedona, Arizona

8 Things to See and Do in and Around Sedona, Arizona

If you’re looking for a place to relax in a beautiful environment, there are plenty of things to see and do in Sedona, Arizona. The warm desert air is sure to soothe your weary bones, while the diverse geography offers plenty of outdoor activities, or spaces and places perfect to sit back and relax. Here are a few of the things I enjoyed in Arizona. Vortexes The Sedona vortexes are energy centers that are said to exist at ley lines...

Shoshone Falls, Idaho

5 Great Places to Explore in Idaho Now

I was driving down a winding Idaho mountain road just as the sun was rising over the horizon when I saw them: Three huge white wolves running across the Sawtooth Valley floor. I slowed my car and watched as the two rear wolves caught up to the leader, who had been far ahead but stopped to wait. Then, together, they ran into a patch of trees and I drove on to my destination. This is Idaho. On that same drive,...

Mesa Verde, Colorado

5 Places to See in Colorado When Mountains are Calling

I took a week-long drive through Colorado beginning in Denver. In that week, I’d travel to every corner of the state, stopping only to hike or sleep. After months of nothing but Chicago, I wanted to see something besides concrete. So I mapped out a plan, rented a car, and headed into the mountains. I’d never been to Colorado before and I wasn’t prepared for its savage beauty or wide-open vastness. Mountain roads nearly 14,000 feet high stunned me. The...

Maroon Bells, Aspen, Colorado

Discover Magic Hiking to Maroon Bells in Aspen

Hiking to Maroon Bells and Crater Lake in Aspen’s White River National Forest is worth getting up early for … real early. I rose before the sun and drove nine miles into the White River National Forest to see the most photographed mountains in North America. As I was driving in the dark down the long road to the trailhead, a deer nearly ended its life in front of me. I forged ahead undaunted and hoped it was the only...