Infolific » USA

Guide to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Marios Alexandrou — Sun, 19 May 2013 06:32:42 +0000

If you live in Northeastern US you don't have many options for visiting a national park within driving distance. You can head up to Acadia National Park in Maine or down to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. However, for the quintessential national park experience your best bet is to make [...]

Hankering for a Chicago Style Hot Dog

Special Contributor — Wed, 01 May 2013 21:03:34 +0000

Visitors to the Windy City may not know this, but the Chicago area is home to more hot dog restaurants than McDonald's, Wendy's, and Burger King restaurants combined. And it's no wonder, considering the "Chicago Dog" originated there. This famous style of hot dog consists of an all-beef frankfurter nestled [...]

Pagosa Springs, Colorado

Allyson Haymaker — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 00:27:18 +0000

While on a recent trip to the West Coast, we traveled through Pagosa Springs, Colorado. We arrived in town about noon and discovered a natural hot spring in the center of town. We've been to other outdoor spas, but this one is very well developed with dressing rooms and showers. [...]

Western Sonoma County, California

Allyson Haymaker — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 00:17:59 +0000

Western Sonoma County, California is one of my favorite places. This coastal region about an hour north of San Francisco is filled with majestic natural beauty, lovely places to stay and friendly people. I like to start my journey at Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve, just outside Guerneville on State Highway [...]

Lake Minitare State Recreation Area, Nebraska

Allyson Haymaker — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 00:04:27 +0000

While traveling in western Nebraska, my husband and I heard about an unusual lighthouse at the Lake Minitare State Recreation Area. The 55-foot-tall structure is the only inland lighthouse in Nebraska, and one of only seven nationwide. Civilian Conservation Corps workers built the shelter/observation tower out of native stone between [...]

Helen Village in North Georgia

Allyson Haymaker — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 23:54:11 +0000

Lederhosen and dirndls are always in style in quaint Helen, tucked alongside the Chattahoochee River in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Georgia. With its cobblestone alleys, old-world architecture and wonderful gemutlichkeit ("good life"), Helen provides an unexpected touch of genuine Bavaria--with no passport required! This charming village's transformation into [...]

Thomas T. Taber Museum, Pennsylvania

Allyson Haymaker — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 11:39:33 +0000

Anyone who fondly remembers a Lionel train running under the family Christmas tree will love the Shempp train exhibit at the Thomas T. Taber Museum in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Many model railroaders think this collection, founded by the late LaRue Shempp, is the finest in America--and I agree. It features more [...]

Dinosaur Valley State Park in Texas

Allyson Haymaker — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 23:22:34 +0000

You can go wild when you make tracks for these central-Texas attractions. Glen rose, Texas is the only place I know where you can look at prehistoric dinosaur tracks, then drive a few miles to a wildlife park filled with rare and endangered animals. Located in the central part of [...]

Brookgreen Sculpture Gardens, South Carolina

Allyson Haymaker — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 10:50:01 +0000

I found a lovely oasis south of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina: Brookgreen Sculpture Gardens, the oldest and largest attraction of its kind in the United States. Philanthropist Archer Huntington and his wife, Anna, a sculptor, turned the former Brookgreen Plantation into a showcase for art and native plants and wildlife. [...]

Black Canyon, Colorado

Allyson Haymaker — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 04:51:21 +0000

When I first read about Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in southwest Colorado, I seriously doubted it would live up to its lofty billing. But when my family and I arrived at the first overlook, words couldn't describe the magnificent stark beauty of America's third-smallest national park. The [...]

North Dakota's Big Sky Buffalo Ranch

Allyson Haymaker — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 04:17:57 +0000

We enjoyed the thrill of a lifetime at the Big Sky Buffalo Ranch near Granville, North Dakota, when we saw a herd of more than 100 buffalo up close and personal. A member of the Duane Woodall family, which has run the ranch since 1901, drove us about 10 miles [...]

National Historic Trails Interpretive Center, Wyoming

Allyson Haymaker — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 03:16:54 +0000

While in Casper, Wyoming, I ran across the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center, which commemorates the westward journey of the more than half a million pioneers that traveled the Oregon, California and Mormon Trails. The galleries in this 25,000-square-foot center really impressed me. They use life-size dioramas, multimedia exhibits and [...]

Augusta Canal National Heritage Area, Georgia

Allyson Haymaker — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 02:28:35 +0000

Augusta, Georgia is probably best known for the Masters Golf Tournament. But a recent trip to the Augusta Canal National Heritage Area revealed its less-known history as a manufacturing center. In an interpretive center housed in a cavernous old cotton mill, I learned how the city's 8-mile canal was built [...]

Civil War History in Vicksburg, Mississippi

Allyson Haymaker — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 02:11:17 +0000

As part of our quest to visit all 50 states, my husband, Chuck, and I went to Vicksburg, Mississippi last November. We came away pleasantly surprised at the number of historic Civil War sites there. We visited Vicksburg National Military Park on Veterans Day weekend. It was a moving experience [...]

Ridgway, Colorado

Allyson Haymaker — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 13:01:11 +0000

When folks visit us in Ridgway, Colorado, they often say the stunning scenery looks familiar--and it's no wonder. You see, Ridgway and the surrounding area appeared in several classic Western films, including True Grit and How the West Was Won. Several of the best film locations are located along well-maintained [...]

Buckskin Mountain State Park, Arizona

Allyson Haymaker — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 00:49:33 +0000

I think Buckskin Mountain State Park is one of the best places to camp when traveling along the Colorado River in west-central Arizona. Located along the so-called Parker Strip, an 18-mile stretch between Parker Dam and Headgate Dam, the park is a great base from which to explore the area's [...]

Lewis and Clark Trail, Idaho

Allyson Haymaker — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 12:31:50 +0000

Following the trail of Lewis and Clark, my husband, Cliff, and I stopped for coffee in Weippe, Idaho, a hamlet on the high mountain prairie where the Nez Perce fed the starving Corps of Discovery in 1805. Walking up a slight hill from First Stop Java, I entered Cyndy's Echoes [...]

Rome, Georgia That Is

Allyson Haymaker — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 12:12:00 +0000

All roads do not lead to Rome... Georgia. But they should! My husband, Allen, and I knew this friendly community is considered one of the South's best small towns. And after visiting, we agree wholeheartedly. We were amazed at the variety of things to see and do--historic attractions, cultural events [...]

Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun, Colorado Springs

Allyson Haymaker — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 23:05:31 +0000

Quite by accident, my husband, Ken, and I discovered one of the most breathtaking attractions in Colorado Springs, Colorado--the Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun. We were driving up into the Rockies, when a magnificent medieval-style tower came into view, high above us on Cheyenne Mountain. We had to investigate! [...]

Pocahontas County in West Virginia

Allyson Haymaker — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 10:58:06 +0000

My family's favorite fall getaway is Pocahontas County, tucked in the rugged mountains of east-central West Virginia. It's packed with beautiful scenery, historic attractions and virtually unlimited recreational opportunities. There's something for everyone! For instance, I love old country general stores, and there are several to browse through here. The [...]

Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts

Allyson Haymaker — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 09:36:35 +0000

Ww would have completely missed Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts had we not been flower lovers. While driving through the Berkshires on State Highway 2, we saw a sign that read, "A Bridge of Flowers". Intrigued, we turned off the highway and made our way to the little village. What a find! [...]

Fern Canyon, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, Northern California

Allyson Haymaker — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 21:30:19 +0000

Little-known Fern Canyon, located in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park north of Orick, was a highlight of a trip my husband and I took along northern California's coast. The canyon is about 5 miles from the park's visitor center via a bumpy dirt road (no vehicles wider than 8 feet [...]

Hope Cemetery in Vermont

Allyson Haymaker — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 08:29:12 +0000

While grabbing a bite to eat in the small central-Vermont town of Barre some 25 years ago, a waitress told my husband and me about an unusual local attraction--the Hope Cemetery. Now, I normally don't consider cemeteries a tourist attraction. But as we soon found out, a cemetery. We only [...]

New Castle, Delaware

Allyson Haymaker — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 18:09:05 +0000

It's amazing what you can find in your own backyard. Take charming New Castle, Delaware, for instance. My husband, Paul, and I live across the Delaware River from this former state capital, settled by Dutch immigrants in 1651. Its beautifully restored homes built in the 1600, 1700 and 1800s, cobblestone [...]

Nez Perce Culture, Spalding Visitors Center, Idaho

Allyson Haymaker — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 05:47:01 +0000

We got a fascinating look at Nez Perce culture and history at the Spalding Visitors Center, the headquarters of the Nez Perce National Historical Park, located in Spalding in northwestern Idaho. A 23-minute movie gave us an overview of tribal history, and we especially enjoyed the museum, filled with tribal [...]