When I think of the places I like to go in winter, I think of serenity in nature - the stillness that comes to the world with animals hibernating and seeds waiting in the ground until warmer weather urges them to sprout. There's a peaceful beauty that I love about these cold months when snow… Continue reading A Winter Weekend Getaway: Buckhannon and Audra State Park
In living in Arizona, I've had the opportunity to visit a lot of amazing places around the state. Though I've written full posts about some of them, there were also several places that I couldn't write a full post on but still wanted to mention. From the desert oasis of Agua Caliente Park to the… Continue reading Day Trips in Arizona
Walking down gravel steps on a hemlock-lined trail into the gorge at Hocking Hills State Park, I felt a bit like Alice entering Wonderland, leaving the familiar world at the top for the shadowed magnificence at the base of the gorge where vibrant green ferns and rocky sandstone walls encased the most beautiful part of… Continue reading Hidden Gems: Hocking Hills State Park
Despite living in West Virginia for most of my life, I had never actually visited the state's Eastern Panhandle until summer 2020. Our day around the Berkeley Springs area was actually part of a longer road trip; I was taking an exam in Martinsburg, which is close by, and we were visiting family friends in… Continue reading One Day Around Berkeley Springs, WV
There's this story you get told in school about history, and it's fairly straightforward and simple. Which makes sense - elementary school kids aren't historians trying to become specialists in one area of history or another. The goal is just giving students a general understanding of history and how we got to today. And that's… Continue reading Blennerhassett Island
Most people know that Michigan is bordered by 4/5 Great Lakes. However, what is less well-known is that hydrologically Lake Michigan and Lake Huron are the same lake. They're divided for a few reasons but mostly because of how they narrow at the Straits of Mackinac between regular Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. The Mackinac… Continue reading Visiting Mackinac Island
Besides the well-known National Parks, the US Park Service also recognizes certain National Rivers such as the New River in West Virginia (As of 2021, this is the newest official National Park). This "park" technically includes 70,000 acres of land along the river, and the best way to see it all, in my opinion is… Continue reading Hidden Gems: US Route 60
Monongahela National Forest has always been one of my favorite places in West Virginia. I've always loved taking weekend trips in the area with my family, and I"m excited to share a few of my favorite places here! There's so much to do - from state parks to caves to cute little towns with amazing… Continue reading How to Spend a Weekend in Monongahela National Forest
Wonderlust Wanderings 