Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood… Make big plans; aim high in hope and work.Daniel Burnham Daniel Burnham was 26 years old when he moved to Chicago and joined the architecture firm Carter, Drake, and Wright. The year was 1872, and the city had been devastated by a terrible…
Editor’s note: I am so envious of Mandy and the incredible stately homes of the UK she gets to explore, like this one. For more of her adventures, click here to visit Mandy’s index page. This summer in the UK has been a very odd one weather-wise, so I had been hesitant to plan any…
Chicago is special. There’s no other way of putting it. A downtown kept beautiful with flowers and green spaces. Fountains. High-end shops filled with actually nice people. But the highlight of any Chicago trip is experiencing the uniqueness of the city’s skyline. Here, buildings are not just square towers, but rather individualized gems. Old buildings…
The Angels Camp Museum is no ordinary small town historical collection, a fact apparent from my first step inside. A fantastically curated exhibit on Mark Twain, the region’s most famous resident, gives way to a hall full of old cars and carriages, which in turn leads to a replica of an old medical office (complete…
Yosemite, land of rock and water, of towering trees and grassy meadows, of deep valleys and their surrounding mountains. It is my happy place. Unfortunately, it is also the happy place for millions of other visitors each year, who clamor to the California icon to hike, camp, and ooh and aah at the breathtaking scenery.…
I found Simon Wheeler dozing comfortably by the bar-room stove of the old, dilapidated tavern in the ancient mining camp of Angel's…Mark Twain, The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County The Angels Hotel facade looks much as it would have in 1864-65, when a young Samuel Clemens would have been a guest here in Angels…
Visitors to Oakhurst, California, just outside the south entrance of Yosemite, find a town of 15,000 or so ready to cater to tourists and the lovers of the outdoors. Hotels, restaurants, shops, and supply stores line the streets, all frequented by people eager to see the area. In 1849, at the start of California’s gold…
Rolling hills with huge oak trees stretching up to the bright blue skies give way to mountainous forests of ponderosa pine. The largest caverns in California yawn their mouths at the biggest trees in the world. Rushing rivers feed alpine lakes, while kayakers and skiers vie for athletic supremacy. One place shouldn’t have all of…
Editor’s note: the US national parks system is truly diverse, ranging from awe-inspiring beauty to a more subtle wonder, like in this view of Amistad National Recreation Area by Christian, our resident national parks expert. For more of his experiences, click here to visit his index page. The Amistad National Recreation Area lies along the…
The pine forest passes slowly by me. Reclined on a log bench, I stare at the trees and the complex patterns of shade and sun they produce. Birds chirp, and here and there I can spot one overhead as the branches thin. The whistle of a steam engine breaks the forest calm, and all heads…