This place blew my mind. It’s huge, it’s beautiful, and I was happy and surprised to discover that it’s so accessible that even those in wheel chairs can tour a large portion of this national treasure. I’ll start with the huge part. There are larger caves in the world, but there aren’t any with more space available to visit if you aren’t a scientist with … Continue reading Carlesbad Caverns National Park
This cave is the largest one in Texas and very, very cool. I love exploring caves (on guided tours, not crawling around on my own) and I’ve been to many of them here in the U.S., as well as in Mexico and Switzerland. This one is the most interesting one I’ve seen, ever. A natural limestone slab bridge with a span of about 60 feet … Continue reading Natural Bridge Caverns, Texas
I have one of those Passport books issued by the National Park Service. You know, the kind where you stamp the passport at each park you are lucky enough to see? It’s a fun way to document your travels, and it’s even more fun when you get a stamp from one of the parks that is less visited. Dry Tortugas is definitely one of those … Continue reading Dry Tortugas National Park
The Everglades is huge. I mean, I knew that from looking at the maps (1.5 million acres), but it didn’t really sink in until I drove to the park entrance and the ranger said, “Welcome to the Everglades. Your campground is straight ahead on this road forty miles down.” Ten minutes later, my cell phone coverage went out, and didn’t return until two days later … Continue reading The Everglades
“There are no other Everglades in the world.” Those are the introductory words of the famous book, “The Everglades: River of Grass”, written in 1947 by Marjory Stoneman Douglas (April 7, 1890 – May 14, 1998). They are considered to be the most famous words ever written about the Everglades, and the book itself is a delightful description of what once was, and was almost lost. … Continue reading The Everglades: River of Grass
The Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is about 30 miles east of Naples, and is an incredibly accessible way to view the Everglades ecosystem. The 2.5 mile walk along elevated boardwalks takes you through “pine flatwoods, wet prairie, around a marsh, and finally into the largest old growth Bald Cypress forest in North America”. There is an abundance of wildlife to observe, and plenty of spots along … Continue reading Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
A visit to the birthplace of Juliette Gordon Low (1860-1927) in Savannah, Georgia has been on my bucket list since I was eleven years old. That was the year my mother took her Girl Scout troop (including my two older sisters) all the way from Missouri to Florida to see the newly opened Disney World. Along the way, they stopped in Savannah, while I stayed … Continue reading Mothers, Daughters and Girl Scouts
Boone Hall Plantation was not at all what I expected to find. Thanks to my self-righteous gene, I tend to visit old historical plantations with the expectation that they are going to try and glorify the past while ignoring the human cost of enslaving an entire race of people (my self-righteous gene has no problem going back hundreds of years to judge). I went to … Continue reading Gullah Culture at Boone Hall Plantation
A visit to Fort Sumter was a terrific way to start my big trip. It’s located on an island in the Charleston harbor, and is accessed via a ferry ride from either Patriot’s Point on the Mount Pleasant side, or from Liberty Square in Charleston. I left from Patriot’s Point, and as the ferry pulled away from the dock, I found my way to … Continue reading Fort Sumter National Monument
I worked as a ballot clerk on Election Day in November of 2016. It was a wonderful experience and I finally got to see first hand how the voting process works, how the integrity of it is carefully protected at the local level, and how people of different political views come together to make sure everything is fair and runs smoothly. I’m lucky to … Continue reading The Women’s March on Washington
Magic Carpet Caravan 