The Rocky Mountains National Park is absolutely stunning! The mountain scenery and wildlife are among the best in America. The park offers plenty of fishing, hiking, camping, climbing, and driving sight seeing. There is a plethora of information on their website.
Photos By Jerry Suchman
Set aside as a national park in 1832, the legendary hot springs of Arkansas are a particularly relaxing and restorative vacation spot. You might go in for a week of lounging about with a couple good books, but a couple days is all I can handle. Check out their webpage to see what’s happening.
It’s like walking into a mountain straight out of Lord of the Rings. You can almost hear the drums pounding deep in the earth as you decend the 800 ft. to the trails. You’ve got to really want to get there because it’s seems like it’s in the absolute middle of nowhere. I personally love the rugged desert and rock of that part of NM. Another of my all time favorite places on (or under) the earth.
One of my favorite places on earth! The reefs in this state park are among the best diving in the US. Molasses reef, the Benbrook wreck, and several others are superb. You can snorkel the reefs as well, but you’ll need a boat to get to them. Boats can be rented at the park HQ. Swimming is available at the park, no boat needed. I’ve seen nurse sharks, manta rays, and more barracuda than I can count. Fish life is amazing! Watch out for mosquitos!!!
The Arch is a must-see monument if you’re ever in the mid-west. You can take a tram ride to the top…I jumped out of the tiny car at the last minute as I was seized by a bout of claustrophobia. It is an engineering marvel. In addition to the movie and literature available at the Arch, if you’re planning a trip, there is a Discovery Channel movie on it that you might be able to find at the library or Amazon.
This national park runs through North Carolina and Tennesee. Some of the best hiking and auto touring on the East Coast. Points of interest include: Blue Ridge Parkway (auto tour), Gatlinburg, TN (entertainment and resort town in the mountains), numerous hiking trails, white water rafting, kayaking, a photographer’s paradise!
