Petrified Forest National Park is one of three national parks in Arizona … bonus points if you can name the other two! It’s known for its large deposits of petrified wood, i.e. trees that turned to stone since about a bazillion years have passed. Also in PFNP, the “Painted Desert” and its extraordinary colorful beauty! It’s a...
Along Route 66 just outside Amarillo, TX is one of America’s most interesting art installations: Cadillac Ranch. You can see it from the freeway: what the heck is that? Invented in 1974 by a group of San Francisco hippies (let the stereotypes abound!) called the Ant Farm, they wanted to create something that would “baffle the locals...
Oklahoma City is a mix of lots of things, but in ALL things it is undeniably “America.” Or, as some say, “‘Murica!” This includes the horrific 1995 bombing of the Murrah Federal Building, which is memorialized in the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum. The museum was one the BEST we’ve ever seen (and...
Arkansas’ official motto: “The Natural State.” We’ve revised that to: “Wow, Wow, Wow!” Around every corner, gorgeous scenery and uncrowded attractions. Arkansas has quickly become one of our favorite destinations! Here, just a few of our favorite things from Little Rock and Hot Springs! Garvan Woodland Gardens No...
Memphis is famous around the world as the “Birthplace of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” not only because Elvis and B.B. King are rooted in Memphis, but also because almost 20% of the early inductees into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame came from within a 100 mile radius of Memphis. There are more than 1,000 commercially recorded songs with...
We’re getting centered! Besides being in the “center” of our 7-week trip, Jackson is also in the “center” of Mississippi; we stayed at LeFleur’s Bluff State Park in the “center” of Jackson; and this stop really “centered” us emotionally, as we took a break from sightseeing and touristing and did some...
Our next foray was along the Mighty Mississippi, the lifeblood of neighboring historical cities Vicksburg and Natchez. The Civil War was about to come vividly to life! Like Gettysburg, Richmond, and Bull Run, the Siege of Vicksburg is one of the most iconic Civil War battles. Vicksburg’s location high on the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River...
NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston is one of 10 space centers in the U.S., the most famous being Kennedy in Florida (from where most shuttles take off), and this one, for the popular but erroneous quote, “Houston, we have a problem.” (Actually said: Houston, we’ve had a problem here.) JSC is 1,600 acres of geek heaven, but at this apex in...
Danger! Danger! DANGER all around! At the southernmost point of our trip, along the Gulf of Mexico on Galveston Island, Texas, there was something to worry about at every turn! We thought we’d do some kayaking at Galveston Bay State Park, but no! DANGER!!!! OK, forget the kayaking — let’s go hiking instead! ...
Austin is a groovy, vibey, hip-n-happenin’ city with a fantastic slogan: Keep Austin Weird! And in fact, Austin is indeed weird, as if there are no rules whatsoever and everyone just does what they want. Thumbs up to that! Their alternate slogan: Tacos ‘N’ Traffic. Also accurate! Thousands of cars crawl by in...