Recent Stories
Fire destroys historic Monroe Station
OCHOPEE, Fla. — For many people traveling to Miami or Naples, the route along U.S. 41 through the Big Cypress National Preserve almost always had a stop at their favorite pit stop, Monroe Station. Built in 1928, the station was the only place where residents and travelers along the TamiamiRead More…
A thrilling way to get closer to the Canyon
GRAND CANYON VILLAGE, Ariz. — If you ask people which part of the Grand Canyon National Park they like the most, you will most likely get answers such as Bright Angel Trail, Hopi House or Hermits Rest. But what fascinates me the most is the 25-mile Desert View Drive onRead More…
7,000 feet above the Canyon on a mule
I hope you will not have … anything … to mar the wonderful grandeur, the sublimity, the great loneliness and beauty of the canyon. Leave it as it is. You cannot improve on it. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it.” —Teddy RooseveltRead More…
Biscayne Bay, a coral reef experience
HOMESTEAD, Fla. — The waters of Biscayne Bay are crystal clear and hold 10,000 years of history. Visitors to Biscayne, the northernmost area of the Florida Keys, can experience the wonders of this turquoise paradise in many ways, ranging from exploring the coral reef, kayaking down the waterways, or simplyRead More…
An Everglades guide for the non-outdoorsy
FLORIDA CITY, Fla. — The outdoors. For female readers who hear those words and immediately flinch in disgust, have no fear. Put down your iPhone and your recent purchase of “Camping for Dummies” because, with these tips, you will be ready to play dress up when trekking the trails ofRead More…
Canyon gives photographers many choices
GRAND CANYON VILLAGE, Ariz. – Grand Canyon always tops on many nature-lovers’ to-do lists. No matter what device one may hold to record those amazing moments at Grand Canyon, those photos and videos will always earn rounds of applause. Nevertheless, there are several ideal spots to capture the magnificent landscapesRead More…
Hermits Rest offers great Canyon views
GRAND CANYON VILLAGE, Ariz. — Having nine platforms where you can stand almost on the edge of the canyon and look down, where you can have overlooks of the canyon, the trails and some parts of the Colorado River, where you can hear the faraway sound of the rapid river, thisRead More…
A spot for healing on Bright Angel Trail
GRAND CANYON VILLAGE, Ariz. — For almost 1,000 years, the Hopi Native Americans have called the Grand Canyon their home. The canyon is embedded in their culture as deeply as it is engraved in the sandstone of the Colorado Plateau. According to Hopi lore, the Hopi’s ancestors fell into anRead More…
The C&O Canal: D.C.’s hidden gem
POTOMAC, Md.—A narrow, two-lane street winds between columns of oak trees and hills of sun-drenched wilderness. Orange, yellow and crimson leaves are strewn about the cracked, gray cement. The serene, but inconspicuous, woodland landscape leading up to the C&O Canal makes the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park quiteRead More…
Old Faithful remains reliable, enchanting
WEST YELLOWSTONE, Mont. — Walking into the Old Faithful Visitor Education Center and seeing on a sign that the time marking the geyser’s next predicted eruption is five minutes away is more of a marker for a maelstrom of sprinting to occur than anything else. You will find tourists armedRead More…
Mammoth Hot Springs offers vivid displays
WEST YELLOWSTONE, Mont. — A total of 600,000 years – that’s the length of time it took for a volcano’s eruption to create concrete, perceivable effects that lasted to modern times. A total of 600,000 years for the lava that at one time ravished the earth to fuel the creationRead More…
Yellowstone — the best place for fall colors
WEST YELLOWSTONE, Mont. — It was early morning before sunrise. We were all trembling in our white van, due to the 30-degree weather outside, while driving past the entrance to Yellowstone National Park. Then, just a few miles into the park, everyone froze at the moment when we saw somethingRead More…