The Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath in Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a gem for bicyclists. I’ve actually now done it twice, once back in 2022 and again this past spring (2025). Both adventures were great, with smooth trails, wildlife,…
Patriotic 4th of July Fun at North Bridge
The first shots of the American Revolution – “The shot that was heard around the world,” according to Ralph Waldo Emerson – were fired across North Bridge, about 17 miles outside of Boston, Massachusetts. (Of course, Mr. Emerson might have…
See the USS Constitution Fire its Cannons on July 4th!
I found out something new: Every July 4th, the USS Constitution sails from Boston Harbor out to Castle Island where it blows off its cannons. The army on shore responds with its own gunfire, and then the Constitution sails back…
History at Harmony Borax Works
The Harmony Borax Works is one of the classic stops in Death Valley National Park. I like them because they offer both great history and a good view of the surrounding area. The 20 Mule Team, made famous by the…
Finding Butch Cassidy’s Cabin at Robber’s Roost
When one of your less adventurous group members says, “There’s this off-trail adventure in the middle of nowhere with a really cool cabin built by Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch Gang; we’ve got to go see if we can…
Great Allegheny Passage: Salisbury Viaduct to the Mason-Dixon Line
The Great Allegheny Passage is most famous as a rails-to-trails – and it deserves its fame. By connecting seamlessly into the C&O Canal Path, bikers can travel all of the way from Pittsburg, PA to Washington, D.C. pretty much without…
Driving the Fayette Station Road & Views of the New River Gorge Bridge
If you want a unique and personal perspective on the New River Gorge Bridge, you really need to take the Fayette Station Road from one side of New River Gorge to the other. This was the road – the only…
French Cabin in the Maze District
There isn’t a whole lot of hiking on top of the Orange Cliffs in the Maze District of Canyonlands National Park, but there are a few things to see (mostly overlooks, which are well worth seeing in their own right). …
Upper Salt Creek to Kirk Cabin
Upper Salt Creek was a hike I’d had my eye on for quite a while. I’d even almost convinced my group to do it back in 2020 on our way back from Death Valley (we landed in Arches and Island…
Exploring the History of Nuttallburg
Did you know that you can visit old coal mining camps in New River Gorge National Park? The most famous of these camps is accessed via the Kaymoor Miners Trail on the Fayetteville side of the gorge (not far from…