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5 Activities to Try in Great Smoky Mountain National Park

The Great Smoky Mountain National Park is a park like no other with abundant wildlife and frequent bear sightings. It’s been on my list too long, but I finally made my way to it for a three-day trip I won’t soon forget. Three Reasons Great Smoky Mountain National Park is Famous Great Smoky Mountain National Park is famous for its “smoky” vistas, extensive hiking trails, and density of wild black bears and synchronous fireflies. It’s one of the most popular...

exterior of the rock and roll hall of fame show a black glass pyramid with red sign at the bottom
A large waterfall cascades over a brown and green granite cliff. Green trees surround

Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a hidden gem in the Midwest

Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a hidden gem in Ohio worth visiting. Located 30 minutes south of Cleveland and Akron, this park has a diverse landscape of forests, meadows, wetlands, and rivers and a rich history and culture. Being an urban park, it’s not entirely like other big national parks because it’s intersected by small towns and somewhat disbursed. However, that means cell service is plentiful, roads are paved, and locations are easier to navigate. Visitors find waterfalls, a spectacular...

A three level beige clay house seems to spring out of a waterfall that appears to come out of its lower section. green and yellow trees surround it.

Roadtrip in Pennsylvania Wilds and the Highlands to see Fallingwater

This season, take a weekend getaway to visit the Pennsylvania Wilds, the Laurel Highlands, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater. I drove through Pennsylvania to Fallingwater in the fall while the leaves were changing from green to gold, orange and red. Still, the drive in any season would be spectacular, whether it’s green leaves and summer sunshine, white and snow-covered, or the cheerful blooms and rushing waters of springtime. Fallingwater is the masterpiece house built by architect Frank Lloyd Wright in...

3 Reasons The Watchman is the Best Trail at Zion National Park

The Watchman Trail in Zion National Park is the most underrated and overlooked trail in the system. That’s to your disadvantage. It may be my favorite of all the hikes in the park. Now, hear me out. I have my reasons. Zion is a hiker’s park. Unlike most other national parks, if you’re going to Zion, chances are you’re also a hiker of some level. Sure you could just drive through and look at the glorious bright red-orange mountains, but...

Monument Valley road

Take an Epic Drive Through Monument Valley in Utah and Arizona

When I took the scenic route toward Monument Valley along US 191 from Moab down into Arizona, I had no idea of the surreal, almost magical drive that awaited me. I’ve been to Zion, Bryce, Arches, Canyonlands, the Grand Canyon and many other places in the area considered among the most beautiful, but none compared to the simple majesty of Monument Valley. I think perhaps the beauty comes from the simplicity that we so seldom find in today’s world. There...

A wood sign with green lettering at entrance to Devil Den

Hiking Devil’s Den Preserve in Connecticut

The Devil’s Den Preserve in Connecticut is over 1,700 acres of pristine forested New England land perfect for hiking and spending time in nature. I visited the preserve during my two-year road trip as a nomad, traveling in my van, hiking, seeing historic areas, and staying in short-term rentals, and I returned several times. Also known as the Lucius Pond Ordway, the Devil’s Den Preserve is the largest protected woodland preserve in Fairfield County and one of the biggest just...

a long wood ship post on the wharf with a star carved into the end. pole is yellow and star is blue

Salem History: It’s More than Witches

Salem, Massachusetts, isn’t filed with toil and trouble, at least not anymore. It is a place best known for witches, but as one of the oldest communities in America, there’s more to Salem’s history. Salem was one of the earliest American settlements and has been a place of critical seaport trade since the early 1600s. While tourists mostly come for the witches, there’s much more unique about this early American town, like historic residential neighborhoods, including the House of Seven...

View of Brant Lighthouse on Nantucket Island with houses grey shingle houses behind and bright blue water in foreground.

How to Spend One Amazing Day on Nantucket

Having done it, I can say with confidence one day on Nantucket is not enough! I wish I had stayed a week and will definitely return to do just that. However, if you’re in the area and have one day, visiting Nantucket will make the most splendid summer day trip.   I visited while staying near Boston during my nearly two-year-long solo road trip through the United States, Mexico and Canada. I’d heard of Nantucket before but knew little about...

house porch the brick looks orange and shaped like octagon, looking north

Inside the Famous Mark Twain House in Hartford, Connecticut

The Mark Twain House in Hartford, Connecticut, is a strange and unique place, reflective of one of America’s most beloved and extraordinary people. Samuel L. Clemens, aka Mark Twain, was born in 1835 in Hannibal, Missouri when Halley’s Comet soared by overhead. Twain, though nearly as well traveled as the comet, spent much of his life in Hartford where his cherished Gothic Victorian house is open for tours. If you’re a fan of ornate Gothic architecture or American writing, visiting...