The Traveling Seniors

July 15, 2019

MONUMENT VALLEY NAVAJO TRIBAL PARK IN UTAH

Reaching the park mid-day in late May was like opening the door into a fantasy-land. The scale and quiet strength of the place cannot be described adequately. The accurate name of the park is “Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park” and it will take your breath away! Who doesn’t have Monument Valley on their bucket list? This park is NOT a national park but is located in a part of a 25,000 square mile Navajo Nation Reservation. Therefore, Monument Valley is administered by the Navajo Nation. WHEN TO GO Monument Valley can be very hot in the summer months. We visited in late May and the weather…

written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2019, Blog, Utah

July 8, 2019

ONE OF THE WORLD’S GREAT RAILROADS: DURANGO TO SILVERTON, COLORADO

All Aboard! Hop on a coal-fired, steam-powered train that still uses the 3-foot narrow gauge tracks that were constructed to haul silver and gold ore from the San Juan Mountains in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado! This trip is truly a thrill! You HAVE to take this ride! Frommers lists the 3-foot narrow gauge Durango-Silverton, Colorado Railroad one of America’s 10 most fun and this train trip has been called, “one of the best in the world.” The views are jaw dropping along the route of this “Old West” steam train! This train line is a designated National Historic Landmark. The 45-mile route takes approximately 10 hours roundtrip. We…

written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2019, Blog, Colorado

July 1, 2019

THE NEEDLES DISTRICT OF CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK IN UTAH

Towering rock needles, arches and canyons ribbed with bright bands of red and white rock await you in the Needles District of Canyonlands! We explored the Needles District in the southeastern part of Canyonlands National Park. The “Needles” was named for the colored spires of Cedar Mesa Sandstone that dominate the landscape and may be considered the most “backcountry” of the Canyonlands districts. The landscape is indescribable and we found the experience one-of-a-kind! This district has a visitor center, ranger programs, a scenic drive and campgrounds, including the Squaw Flat Campground. There are four districts in Canyonlands: The Needles District The Sky District The…

written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2019, Blog, Utah

June 24, 2019

AMERICA’S OLDEST CITY: THE CHARMS OF HISTORIC ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA

Stu and I attended the 2019 Florida Birding and Photo Fest in St. Augustine, Florida and were totally captivated by the birds, the city, the food and the residents of America’s oldest city! The charms of historic St. Augustine, Florida will keep you enthralled, no matter what your interests! St. Augustine is America’s oldest city and has 400 years of history and culture to enjoy! This city dates from 1563! Of course, we had heard of Juan Ponce de Leon, Sir Francis Drake, Henry Flagler and the Timucua Indians. What we didn’t know is that all are a part of the history of the coastline between…

written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2019, Blog, Florida

June 17, 2019

A “DON’T MISS” STATE PARK IN UTAH: DEADHORSE POINT STATE PARK

Don’t bypass our American state parks! The most awe-inspiring state park we have visited, to date, is the incredible 5,362 square acres of Deadhorse Point State Park in Utah! When you enter, Deadhorse Point State Park is a tease. It is so unassuming UNTIL you reach an overlook! This state park is a neighbor to Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park. It rivals the national parks in every way! Driving the Deadhorse Point Mesa Scenic Byway (U-313) was spectacular! This road took us through miles of red rock canyon country. The Byway is 35 miles long and takes 2 hours to drive at the…

written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2019, Blog, Utah

June 10, 2019

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO PAT CONROY’S DAUFUSKIE ISLAND, South Carolina

If you know the books or movies entitled, “The Great Santini” and “The Prince of Tides,” you know of author Pat Conroy. After graduating from college at The Citadel, he took a job in 1969 teaching in a one-room schoolhouse on the isolated island of Daufuskie. Daufuskie is a small island about three miles off the South Carolina mainland and, to this day, there are no bridges to the island. It is the southernmost inhabited sea island in South Carolina. A young white man, Conroy was enraged by the substandard education being given the native children on the island. He spent a year teaching the students about the wider world…

written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2019, Blog, South Carolina

June 3, 2019

QUIRKY, ARTSY AND HISTORIC OLD BLUFFTON, South Carolina

Do you love quirky little towns? Do you love the low country of South Carolina? Do you love communities with festivals and events all year round? If so, get yourself to Old Bluffton, South Carolina! Bluffton has been called the “last true coastal village of the south.”* Bluffton was named the #5 “Happiest Seaside Towns” by Coastal Living Magazine. Bluffton, originally a resort area during the summer for inland planters, it was a ferry stop between Savannah and Beaufort, SC. It is only a 12-minute drive from Hilton Head! The arts community and historic preservation communities are alive and well in Bluffton. Shops and galleries give…

written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2019, Blog, South Carolina

May 27, 2019

IDYLLIC ST. SIMONS ISLAND, GEORGIA

Ahhh. Close your eyes and picture a seacoast island with early American history, charmingly upscale shops, a fetching downtown filled with restaurants, luxurious golf courses, as well as enclaves of picture-perfect homes (both old and new). That’s the resort destination of St. Simons Island, Georgia! I drove to St. Simons from Savannah on Highway 17 and the trip there took a little longer than 90 minutes. I spent a day exploring St. Simons Island and needed more time to relish my surroundings! Ω HISTORY Remnants of shell rings left behind by Native Americans have been found that are 3,000-5,000 years old!…

written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2019, Blog, Georgia

May 20, 2019

THE HEART OF THE LOWCOUNTRY: BEAUFORT, South Carolina

As seniors, we have won the right to stroll. To stroll for hours. To stroll slowly. Strolling through the heart of the low country means walking Beaufort, South Carolina and there couldn’t be a nicer place for it. I took my time walking the historic district “out” to The Point and had strolled my way around old Beaufort in one afternoon! Using Beaufort as my headquarters, I explored a few of the 200 islands in Beaufort County, SC. By doing so, the diversity of the county struck me as unique in all of America. HISTORY Beaufort County was the site of the second landing…

written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2019, Blog, South Carolina

May 13, 2019

REDCLIFFE PLANTATION STATE HISTORIC SITE IN South Carolina: A SCANDALOUS HISTORY

Not all southern plantations look like Tara or Twelve Oaks but all have histories that span generations. That is the case with Redcliffe Plantation in Beech Island, South Carolina. We spent an entire afternoon learning about the history of the plantation as well as the families and slaves who lived there. The interpretative history tours at Redcliffe are superb. We learned a great deal! Our visit to Redcliffe Plantation took us well beyond the romance of the age and any idealized version of plantation life. The documented history of the plantation and what happened there is a stark and very real view into a plantation run by a…

written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2019, Blog, South Carolina