Posts

There are 85 state parks in Iowa, each one of them as beautiful as the last, but there is one state park that shines even brighter than the rest – Pikes Peak State Park. Located in McGregor, Pikes Peak State Park encompasses nearly a thousand acres of land, including a 500-foot-tall bluff overlooking the Upper Mississippi River. U.S. Department of Agriculture/Flickr Pikes Peak was named after Zebulon Pike, an American explorer who was sent by the government in 1805 to select a site for a military fort....

With lakes and seashore, New Hampshirites have plenty of beaches to choose from. One beach in particular stands out though – not just for its beautiful shoreline and great swimming, but also for the hidden natural history hidden beneath its waves that most visitors don’t know about. Just a bit up the coast from the always crowded Hampton Beach, you’ll find Jenness State Beach in Rye. Google Maps This sandy beach would be worth visiting just for its great swimming and views - it’s a perfect spot for families....

Amusement parks just aren’t the same these days. The vintage carousels and Ferris wheels of old are long gone and replaced by modern versions that look exactly the same no matter where you go. Luckily, there’s a place in Texas where nostalgia abounds and childhood forever lives on – Kiddie Park in San Antonio. Established in 1925, Kiddie Park is the oldest children’s amusement park in the entire country. Facebook/KiddieParkSanAntonio...

Have you seen the mega milkshakes topped with cakes, candies, and other delights on social media? You can now try one of these amazing over-the-top milkshakes for yourself, right here in Missouri. Located on Delmar Blvd, Beyond Sweet is creating huge milkshake masterpieces that can satisfy any sweet tooth. Check them out this summer and see what all the buzz is about! Beyond Sweet is serving up mega milkshakes topped with your favorite treats, fair food, and good old fashioned ice cream cones....

There’s thousands of beautiful places in Northern California, but there’s also the most epic mountain escape that you have to experience today. The Mount Shasta area is an outdoor lover’s paradise with plenty of opportunities for hiking, waterfall exploration, swimming, boating, and more. Keep reading to learn more about this one of a kind vacation. Ready to escape the city and head into the hills? Mount Shasta is the best place for it....

Located in Ashland, the Fairy Ponds are absolutely enchanting. This lovely hidden gem is tucked into the woods along the beautiful Ashland Creek, and it’s a wonderful place to relax in a peaceful setting. The Fairy Ponds are a wonderful local secret located along Ashland Creek. Stumbling upon this place is just as magical as its name implies. flickr/ Al Case Following the short trail to the Fairy Ponds, you’ll find a beautiful section of the creek where the crystal-clear water flows into numerous shallow pools before continuing downstream....

Most Rhode Islanders are familiar with the state’s most famous vampire, but few know the fascinating history associated with it. Occurring in the 19th century, the New England Vampire Panic is a well documented period of history fueled entirely by urban legend and fear. Rhode Island was at the center of this series of unfortunate events consisting of the exhumation of corpses and burning of internal organs. The belief was that tuberculosis was caused by the dead consuming the life of their surviving family members and the only way to stop the disease was to dig up the dead and burn their hearts to halt the “vampire” activity....

In Missouri, you can sleep in cabins, tree houses and even a restored train car. And now, you can even spend the night in a monastery. Yep, you heard me right — roaming the halls with real monks. The sprawling campus of Conception Abbey is located in small town Conception, which is just under 100 miles north of Kansas City. Conception Abbey/Facebook Conception Abbey is a Benedictine monastery that is home to a group of Roman Catholic monks....

Looking for a fun and memorable SoCal adventure? If you’d like to experience Southern California in a completely unique way, you’ll want to check out this relaxing and scenic gondola ride in one of SoCal’s most beautiful oceanfront towns. If heading to Venice isn’t in your budget this season, you can have your very own Italian adventure right here in SoCal without straying far from home. gondola paradiso Located in the town of Oxnard in Ventura County, Gondola Paradiso brings the charm of Italy to Southern California on their relaxing and romantic gondola rides....

It was hard enough to be a pioneer settler in the Salt Lake Valley in the late 1800s…imagine burying a family member, only to find that a grave robber had dug him up and stolen his clothing! The grave robber who was convicted of this crime was sentenced to live on an island in the Great Salt Lake. What happened next is a mystery. Early Mormon settlers in the Salt Lake Valley had a rough existence....

Have we told you how much we love St. Augustine? The nation’s oldest city is one of the coolest places to visit, not just in Florida, but in the whole country. The entire city is full of historic buildings and landmarks, from the Castillo de San Marcos to The Fountain of Youth. There are also several beautiful buildings from the Gilded Age, when many wealthy and influential figures would spend winters in Florida’s mild climate....

The community of Southgate was once home to a phenomenal high class country club known as the Beverly Hill Country Club. Along Route 27, the club sat atop a grassy hill starting in the 1930s. The social elitists frequented the club, spending their evenings dining and dancing the night away under crystal chandeliers and wandering up and down te designer spiral staircase, until the unthinkable happened—and an unexpected disaster in Kentucky turned this 5-star country club into a pile of ashes and rubble....

Each state has its own local legends that seem as though they couldn’t stand on their own two feet, too imaginative to possibly be real. But in North Carolina, there’s an unexplained phenomenon that has been happening since the mid-1800’s and it’s certainly real. If you’ve ever visited Cape Fear, then there’s a good chance that you may already know what we’re talking about. Gerry Dincher/Flickr Unexplained for as long as we can remember, nobody who has experienced these loud booms can appear to agree on exactly what it is we’re hearing....

Folks like to look past the Midwest. We’re just flyover country to much of the rest of the US. But Wisconsinites know that life here is actually pretty awesome. The people are nice, the food is great and life here is pretty great. That’s what it seems rather appropriate that something as down home and quintessential as the best apple pie in American was made by one of our own....

Can we all agree that Georgia has some of the freshest seafood in the country? It’s because we have one of the most blessed locations in the U.S., with direct access to the Atlantic Ocean. So many people flock to our wonderful state in order to indulge in fresh, straight-from-the-ocean seafood. No more frozen fish or week old crab legs—no not in Georgia. The fish is always fresh, and that is something we pride ourselves deeply on....

When you think about the risks of living in New Orleans, what comes to mind? While many of these things have very positive sides as well, here are some of the biggest risks of living in New Orleans. Lack of privacy Flickr.com / traveling mermaid If you live in a shotgun, you get used to being in people’s business—and the city is so small, it’s like that even when you go out!...

Louisiana is a special place to many. If you grew up here, then you’ve certainly picked up some interesting habits along the way that many consider unique to Louisiana. There’s a lot to be proud of if you grew up in ‘da bayou, and here are some signs that you grew up here. You measure distance by time or bodies of water. Andi Jetaime/Flickr If you’re giving directions, you may say something like, “go up the road about 10 minutes....

Graffiti is an interesting thing. Some people find it to be heinous additions to a normally stunning(?) concrete jungle, whereas others tend to consider it a solid work of art. No matter which side you stand for, we’ve found some awesome shots from all over Tennessee just for your viewing pleasure. Have you spotted any? This dragon outside the Belcourt Theater is AWESOME Thomas Hawk / Flickr A graffiti infused moment, courtesy of Bonnaroo Jade McClelland / Flickr...

Have you ever just sat and watched the beauty around you in Georgia? The nature in Georgia is beautiful, yet mystical! Look at these eerie shots taken in Georgia that are spine-tingling! A beautiful hawk against the backdrop of a dawn’s first light. Vicki DeLoach via Flickr A foggy morning in Cobb County looks magical. J. Michael Raby via Flickr Another dawn in Georgia is a beautiful way to start the day!...

So you’ve just moved here and you’re wondering how long it will be before you’re considered a South Carolinian. Well, there are two sides to that answer. On the one hand, if you’re not born in South Carolina you can never technically be considered a “native.” But there are some things you can do to be considered a South Carolinian anyway. Here are those things: You’ve toured at least one historic plantation....