We visited Norris Dam State Park in Tennessee along with all the national park sites. Before I start writing about being back in Ohio, I thought I would tell you about Norris Dam. Norris Dam was built in the 1930’s and formed Norris Reservoir. The dam was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps as part …
From Happy Trails
Pictures of Azaleas on St. Simons Island
If you have been following my blog for a while, you know that I love the azaleas here on St. Simons Island, Georgia. I walk in the Wesley Memorial Gardens most mornings and the flowers have been beautiful for weeks. They started with just some buds, and then gradually bush after bush has been blooming. …
Crooked River State Park, St. Marys, Georgia
After our excellent lunch at Riverside Café, Tom and I headed to Crooked River State Park to get in some hiking. Because we have been coming to the area for so long, we are checking out some of the state parks that are close by. We considered getting a park pass for Georgia. But a …
Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge
Last week Tom and I spent an afternoon exploring the Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge. Because we are usually so focused on National Park sites, visiting wildlife refuges administered by the US Fish and Wildlife Services is secondary on our list. But we have hit all the coastal National Park sites from Charleston, South Carolina, …
Summary of People We Saw in the Last Three Months
This week is the looking back week, and wouldn’t be complete without a summary of the people we saw while we were in Ohio. We had the usual doctor, dentist, and eye appointments. Our dentist is still Dr. Nolan in Mogadore. He is a great dentist and we use our one day in Akron to …
SPAM Town, USA: Austin, Minnesota
On our way back to Ohio, Tom and I spent several days in and around SPAM Town, USA, also known as Austin, Minnesota. We loved Austin, which is a small city of 24,000 people with a quirky sense of humor. Not every city would enjoy being called SPAM Town, but Austin takes pride in the …
Pikes Peak State Park: Grand Canyon of Iowa
The Grand Canyon of Iowa is Pikes Peak State Park, just a little south of Effigy Mounds National Monument. Located on the high bluffs above the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers, Pikes Peak has wonderful hiking and great views of the beautiful river valley. After spending the morning at Effigy Mounds, Tom and …
Black Hills of South Dakota
We had a great summer at Fort Union Trading Post, but all good things must come to an end. Over the next few weeks I will be writing about our trip back to Ohio. One of our first stops was in the Black Hills of South Dakota. I wanted to take the month of October …
Enchanted Highway in North Dakota
South of I-94, beginning at exit 72 lies the Enchanted Highway. At the end of the highway is a castle. And living in that castle is a man with a dream, a big dream, an enchanted dream. Sounds kind of like a fairy tale, doesn’t it? But the Enchanted Highway is no fairy tale. Instead, …
Fairview Lift Bridge and Cartwright Tunnel
Tom and I headed to the Fairview Lift Bridge and Cartwright Tunnel for a walk on a beautiful day. After all the heavy history of Bighorn Canyon and Little Bighorn Battlefield, Tom and I needed something a little lighter. The Fairview Lift Bridge was completed in 1913. It is one of two almost identical bridges the Montana Eastern …