Road Trippin'

L/R,T/B - Jenn Minocqua (WI), Niagara Falls (Canada), Old Faithful (WY), Groundhog Day (IL), Matt South Bend (IN), Yellowstone (WY), Views (WY)The month of May found us at home after nearly four months exploring the mysteries of the orient and the islands of Polynesia.  After a few weeks at home we hopped in our Jeep and set-off to experience some of the strange and exotic offerings on the open roads of North America.  Nearly 6,000 miles, 15 states, and two Canadian provinces later, we’re ready to share what we saw:

• National Parks – Niagara Falls, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, National Grasslands, and others
• National Treasures – The Great Lakes (all five of them), Niagara Falls, Old Faithful, and the world’s largest cow and buffalo statues (both in North Dakota)
• A Salina, Kansas Car Dealership – Where we stopped for a bit of unplanned vehicle maintenance
• Family and Friends – Matt Gray in Chicago, Aaron Stratton and family while visiting Ohio
• Great Little Towns – Woodstock, Illinois where the movie Groundhog Day was filmed and Lake Geneva, Wisconsin where we stayed in the Grand Geneva Resort which was originally built as the first Playboy Club in the United States…Photos of ‘Hef’ and many celebrities from the glory days of the ‘60s and ‘70s were on display
• Great Museums – The Studebaker Museum in South Bend, Indiana and the unforgettable Arabia Steamboat Museum in Kansas City, Missouri

As we reflect on our seven week break from the international scene, the words of Paul Theroux come to mind, “One of the greatest rewards of travel is the return home to the reassurance of family and old friends, familiar sights and homely comforts.”  We’ve made the most of our fleeting time in the U.S. and are happily recharged and ready to set off on our next adventure:  Hiking across Scotland, 135 miles along the John Muir Way leading from Helensburgh in the east to Dunbar in the west.

Up, Up and Away - Boulder, Colorado

Hot Air Balloon Ride in Boulder, COWe recently received an offer we couldn’t pass up when Gary, a friend of Matt's, called to ask if we'd like to “catch a lift” in his hot air balloon. 

Early in the morning with coffees in-hand, we headed towards a vast field near Boulder, Colorado where several people were staging their balloons.  We found Gary and his lovely wife Rachel, said our good mornings, and quickly got to work preparing for launch.

In about 30 minutes, we were ready for takeoff.  We climbed into the basket with Gary and up, up and away we went over fields, homes, and ponds.  The weather was clear and lovely, providing an incredible, panoramic bird's eye view. 

While floating in for our landing, we were fortunate to spot two playful coyotes.  Rachel, who was in hot pursuit with the SUV and trailer, arrived a few moments after we touched down.  We packed up the balloon, drove back to the original launch site and opened a celebratory bottle of New Zealand champagne. 

Thanks to Gary and Rachel, we were able to check off one more item from our bucket list.

Natchez Trace Parkway

We are easing into our world travels with a warm-up trip in the continental US.  Ironically, our warm-up trip started with record cold weather in much of the Midwest, including Ohio where we traveled on January 2nd to see family and friends.  After a long weekend of enjoying the familiarities of home, we headed south to check the first item off of our bucket list, The Natchez Trace Parkway, an historic 444 mile route stretching from Nashville Tennessee to Natchez Mississippi.

Our road trip on the Trace was enjoyed at a relatively relaxed pace.  We stopped at a variety of sites such as:

• Jackson Falls
• Memorials (Meriwether Lewis and the War of 1812)
• Native American ceremonial mounds (Bear Creek, Pharr, and Emerald)
• Cypress Swamp (pictured above)

Along the way we witnessed a variety of wildlife including deer, turkeys, and hawks.  It was a beautiful, well organized, and well maintained route; we recommend it to anyone wanting to get off the highway and return to an unspoiled environment.

TripAdvisor's 10 Destinations on the Rise

TripAdvisor's 10 Destinations on the Rise offers a great idea generator for the upcoming trip.  We noticed a few destinations already included on our list of "must visits" and some new considerations as well. 

For those targeting specific regions, the article offers an option towards the top which reveals TripAdvisor's picks for the top 10 destinations in the United States, Europe, South America, Asia, and the South Pacific.

Cameron Area Wind Farm - Tehachapi Pass in Southern California

Road trips allow you to slow down and see sites you may have never noticed normally.  We loved seeing the Cameron Area Wind farm at Tehachapi Pass in Southern California.  It's the largest number of turbines we have seen.