November 25, 2019

SLOT CANYONS AND HORSESHOE BEND: THE BEST GUIDE TO PAGE, ARIZONA

updated 11/19     Only an hour and a half from both The Grand Canyon and Zion National Park is Page, Arizona. Yet, most people bypass Page and some of the most incredible national wonders in America!   SPECIAL UPDATE December 24, 2019 According to azcental.com, traffic jams have led slot canyon tour operators to discontinue the popular photography-only tours of the slot canyon on the Navajo Reservation near Page in northern Arizona as of Dec. 20,  2019.  You can still take photos with your phone or camera on regular tours, but no tripods will be allowed. As the number of visitors increased, tour operators found it increasingly difficult to carve…

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written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2018, Arizona, Blog

November 18, 2019

A COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE ALAMO IN San Antonio, TEXAS

updated 10/19   WHY WE WANTED TO GO   Neither Stu nor I had been to The Alamo for decades. It is easy to overlook how significant a role The Alamo plays in America’s history.   Our generation grew up with Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie and Jim Travis. These men were our heroes. We were excited to see The Alamo! We looked forward to the moral lessons and action-packed episodes from those television shows coming back to us as we arrived. Instead, as adults, the sacrifice and bravery of the men who fought at the Alamo made us reverent and reflective.    We have put together the history of the…

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written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2018, Blog, Texas

November 11, 2019

THINGS TO SEE IN OCONEE COUNTY, South Carolina: the “LAND BESIDE WATER”

“How did they do that?” When we visit a place, a theme or question about the place usually pops into my mind. I know, weird.  In Oconee County, South Carolina, the question was, “how did they do that?”    Oconee County is the westernmost county in South Carolina and couldn’t be more different from how you picture the coastal areas in the state. The Cherokee word, “Ae-quo-nee,” means “land beside water.” Here, three huge man-made lakes (Keowee, Jocassee, and Lake Hartwell) dot the hills. Oconee County is also home to 67 summits, ridges, ranges and mountain trails.      Picture 90,000 acres of protected forests, historical sites, hikes, fishing and small southern towns….

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

November 4, 2019

TOP THINGS TO DO IN VICTORIAN EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS

Updated 11/19   A Victorian enclave in the midst of the Ozarks?   YES! And it is a visual stunner! The entire town is on the National Register of Historic Places!   The history of this charming town began with tribes who spoke of a “Great Healing Spring” in the vicinity.* Indeed, in the middle of town, you’ll still find Basin Springs Park. By the 1870s, people were coming to the springs to heal various ailments.The power of the healing waters became famous and Eureka Springs was born in 1879.   HISTORY   According to Eurekasprings.com, a white man by the name of Alvah Jackson found the Basin Spring in 1856. When the…

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written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2018, Arkansas, Blog

October 28, 2019

ALABAMA’S FORT MORGAN

Damn the torpedos, full speed ahead” –Admiral David Farragut Stu surprised me with a trip to Alabama, a place where he lived for many years. I’d never visited Alabama and am now a big fan! The quote above is something we heard a lot growing up and in war movies, but do you know where that phrase originated? Union Admiral David Farragut was leading ships into Mobile Bay in Alabama in an effort to capture Fort Morgan during the Civil War when he yelled to his naval comrades, “Damn the torpedos, full speed ahead!” The Battle of Mobile Bay began on August 5, 1864 and lasted two-weeks. The battle ended with the Fort’s…

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

October 21, 2019

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO N.C.’S BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY

Can you picture 469 miles of natural splendor? Splendor that runs from Virginia through North Carolina and connects the Shenandoah National Park with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park? If you can, chances are you have explored the Blue Ridge Parkway!   Stunning long-range views and more than 100 trails comprise “America’s Favorite Drive.” The Parkway is more than a visual treasure! There are campgrounds, biking, musical events, arts and crafts (the Folk Art Center), hiking, historic as well as interpretive sites (including Revolutionary War sites and the Museum of North Carolina Minerals).    What is the best part? The Blue Ridge Parkway is free and open all year, depending on winter weather. In North…

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written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2019, Blog, North Carolina, Road Trips

October 7, 2019

COLLEGIATE PEAKS SCENIC BYWAY IN COLORADO

Updated 9/19     Soar high among 14,000 foot peaks and breathe in the crisp air on the Collegiate Peaks Scenic Drive in Colorado!       THE ROUTE OF THE COLLEGIATE PEAKS SCENIC BYWAY     The Collegiate Peaks Scenic Drive is an old stagecoach route through canyons carved by the Arkansas River in Colorado. The American Gold Rush, dancing waters, white cliffs and ghost towns are awaiting you!     The paved scenic route is 57 miles long and took us hours to drive since we stopped to admire vistas and take photographs. If you drive straight through, you can travel the portion in Chalk Creek Canyon in only 2-3…

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written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2018, Blog, Colorado, Road Trips

September 30, 2019

3 HAUNTED SITES IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, South Carolina

The low country of  South Carolina is one of those places where you walk through time. Different periods of American history are stacked one on another everywhere you turn. Paranormal activity is reported throughout this beautiful state, including hauntings at a fort and two sets of church ruins we visited.    OLD SHELDON CHURCH in YEMASSEE, South Carolina   The Old Sheldon Church Ruins is an historic site 17 miles north of Beaufort, South Carolina in Yemassee, SC.   The church was originally known was Prince William’s Parish Church and was built between 1745 and 1753.  The church was burned by the British in 1779 during the Revolutionary War. The church was rebuilt…

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

September 23, 2019

8 LESSONS I LEARNED TRAVELING SOLO AS AN OLDER WOMAN

Readers write us and say they would love to travel more but they are divorced or widowed. Most are women.      Stu is a fabulous travel partner, but I am here to tell you that I love, love, love traveling alone. It is true that I have been on my own quite awhile and traveled for work.  Over time, I got used to eating in restaurants by myself (I always took a book at first), and have experience hailing cabs and negotiating airports. But I am an introvert. I am also about to be 70.     I want to share what I’ve learned by traveling alone in hopes…

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written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2019, Blog, Information, Travel, Trip Planning