Infolific » USA

Wolfeboro, New Hampshire

Allyson Haymaker — Thu, 17 May 2012 01:15:23 +0000

We'd always been curious about Wolfeboro, a little town in our state of New Hampshire that proclaims itself as the "Oldest Summer Resort in America". So one day we decided to explore and see what it has to offer. We discovered that Wolfeboro is a charming town located on Lake [...]

Cape Flattery, Washington

Allyson Haymaker — Tue, 15 May 2012 12:36:38 +0000

My husband and I recently took a long-awaited trip in our motor home to the Northwest, where we saw amazing places like Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks. But one of the highlights of the entire trip was a little-known spot in Washington: Cape Flattery, the northwesternmost point in the continental [...]

Indiana Hoops Hall of Fame

Allyson Haymaker — Tue, 01 May 2012 19:44:53 +0000

INDIANA is crazy about high school basketball. And the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in New Castle is the best place around to experience "Hoosier hysteria". I've been volunteering here for 13 years, and have never seen anything like it. You can hear a locker room pep talk from legendary [...]

Katmai National Park, Alaska

Allyson Haymaker — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:54:53 +0000

To celebrate my retirement, my husband, Ron, and I took a once-in-a-lifetime trip to vast, wild and rugged Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska. I've always dreamed of visiting Katmai (pronounced "cat-my"), renowned for its abundant bears, towering mountains, active volcanoes, misty fjords and mind-boggling vistas. This 4.7-million-acre park, [...]

Prospect RV Park Near Pearsony Falls, Oregon

Allyson Haymaker — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 00:09:36 +0000

The area around Prospect, Oregon is beautiful--it's on the Rogue-Umpqua Scenic Byway, which is often called the "Highway of Waterfalls." When my husband and I camped at Prospect RV Park, we found pretty Pearsony Falls--plus two taller falls, within about a mile of our campground, and more nearby. The park [...]

Mesilla, New Mexico

Allyson Haymaker — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 23:02:00 +0000

We've visited New Mexico often. But my husband, Henry, and I somehow missed picturesque Mesilla until recently, when an RV park owner steered us that way. Many of the village's adobe buildings near its central plaza date to the 1850s. In fact, the historic building that houses La Posta de [...]

The Frost Place, New Hampshire

Allyson Haymaker — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 19:57:08 +0000

While visiting New Hampshire, I stopped at The Frost Place, a museum and arts center located in a Franconia farmhouse. Beloved poet Robert Frost and his wife, Elinor, lived here from 1915 until 1920 and summered here until 1938. I saw first editions of his work and fascinating memorabilia he'd [...]

Visiting Essex, Connecticut

Allyson Haymaker — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 04:43:55 +0000

When it comes to charming towns, one place instantly comes to mind: Essex, Connecticut. First settled in 1645, Essex is the quintessential New England village with its brick sidewalks, white picket fences, antique shops and boutiques. I love looking at the beautifully restored Colonial homes that fill the town. And [...]

Highland Maple Festival, Virginia

Allyson Haymaker — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 13:50:08 +0000

The best place I've found to satisfy a sweet tooth is at the Highland Maple Festival in scenic north-central Virginia, where you can tour five maple-sugar camps. It's fun to watch the "sugar making" process from tapping the trees to bottling the syrup. It harkens back to a time when [...]

Cass Scenic Railroad State Park, West Virginia

Allyson Haymaker — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:47:18 +0000

For an enjoyable ride through the West Virginia mountains, hop a train at Cass Scenic Railroad State Park. Once used for logging, rare geared Shay locomotives now pull open passenger cars through switchbacks, steep grades and unspoiled wilderness to Whittaker Station, a restored 1940s logging camp. A round-trip ride takes [...]

Ouray, Colorado

Allyson Haymaker — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:08:52 +0000

One visit and you'll see why this Colorado town is known as the "Switzerland of America". My husband, Myles, and I never really had a favorite vacation destination--until we visited Ouray, Colorado. Some friends introduced us to this quaint Old West town in 1992, and since then we've returned every [...]

Giant Springs State Park, Montana

Allyson Haymaker — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:55:35 +0000

My family always enjoys stopping at Giant Springs State Park in Great Falls, Montana. The park is named for the huge spring discovered in 1805 by the Lewis & Clark expedition. Giant Springs is one of the world's largest freshwater springs, with a daily flow of 338 million gallons of [...]

Bar J Chuckwagon Supper and Western Show, Wyoming

Allyson Haymaker — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:55:35 +0000

Against a backdrop of the stunning Teton Mountains near Jackson, Wyoming, our family enjoyed a wonderful evening filled with great food and wholesome, top-notch entertainment at the Bar J Chuckwagon Supper and Western Show. The rib-stickin' meal was first-rate. For $16 to $24, you get either barbecued beef, chicken, pork [...]

Fort Stanwix National Monument, New York

Allyson Haymaker — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 21:08:22 +0000

If you're driving through beautiful central New York, Fort Stanwix National Monument in Rome is definitely worth a stop. This reconstructed Revolutionary War fort, originally built in 1758, depicts what life was like on the frontier in the mid-1700s. In 1778, troops here withstood a 21-day siege, stopping an invasion [...]

German Heritage Days in Grand Island, Nebraska

Allyson Haymaker — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 08:29:23 +0000

The "running of the wieners" at German Heritage Days in Grand Island, Nebraska is safer than the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, and more fun than a barrelful of monkeys. Every September, about 100 dachshunds speed down a special track in the Wiener Dog Race. Eight to 10 [...]

Sumpter Valley Dredge, Oregon

Allyson Haymaker — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:26:52 +0000

The dredges that once mined gold out West typically aren't open to the public. So my husband, Larry, and I jumped at a chance to board one of the biggest ever made--the venerable 1,240-ton Sumpter Valley Dredge (above) outside scenic Sumpter, Oregon. Built for $350,000 in 1935, the dredge produced [...]

Lawyers' Winterbrook Farm, Maryland

Allyson Haymaker — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 03:17:20 +0000

When we spotted a huge orange contraption outside a cornfield near Thurmont in Maryland's Catoctin Mountains, my husband, Doug, and I detoured to investigate. Doug was delighted to learn it was Lawyers' Winterbrook Farm's unique pumpkin cannon. A "cannonmaster" showed Doug how to load it...adjust aim for wind and elevation...and [...]

Round Church in Richmond, Vermont

Allyson Haymaker — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:33:43 +0000

The Old Round Church in Richmond, Vermont is a lovely landmark and may have been the first community church in the country. Representatives of five Protestant congregations built the structure as a community house of worship in 1812-13. Legend has it that 17 men worked on it--one for each of [...]

Visiting Georgetown, Tennessee

Allyson Haymaker — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:17:52 +0000

Looking to visit a peaceful town that's full of interesting attractions? Well, my husband, Jim, and I highly recommend Georgetown on the South Carolina coast. Originally established in 1729 as a shipping point for rice and indigo grown on area plantations, this cute little seaport on the Sampit River is [...]

Williams Reindeer Farm, Alaska

Allyson Haymaker — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:58:10 +0000

Near Palmer, Alaska, I discovered a very unique attraction--the Williams Reindeer Farm. I thoroughly enjoyed letting friendly reindeer eat out of my hand--a gooey experience that was an adventure in itself--as well as learning all about these interesting animals. For instance, I found out that reindeer can't kick their feet [...]