A Grand Last Day
Travel Heide Brandes Travel Heide Brandes

A Grand Last Day

Very few places in the world are as awe-inspiring as the Grand Canyon in Arizona. The extraordinary depths of this 277-mile canyon and the artistic swirls and colors of the mile-deep walls draw millions of people to the Grand Canyon National Park every year.

Read More
Travel Heide Brandes Travel Heide Brandes

Wildflowers of Stars - Mystery in Yosemite's Night Sky

I was lying on my back with my friend Heather, staring up at the impossibly dark night sky above Yosemite National Park.

The wildflowers of stars sparkled in that darkness, and we listened to a woman sing a long, sweet and mournful song about loss and the aching pain of missing someone.

Read More
When life hands you lemons… take them on the road - A cross-country trip to retrieve a car yields worries, answers that only travel brings
Travel Heide Brandes Travel Heide Brandes

When life hands you lemons… take them on the road - A cross-country trip to retrieve a car yields worries, answers that only travel brings

My friend and I were in California to steal a car.

OK, maybe “steal” is too harsh of a word. We were repossessing a car, a purple little Honda Fit that was an expensive reminder to me and should be for anyone reading this to never, ever, in your whole life, co-sign on anything for anyone.

Read More
The Fire Gods of Carrier, Oklahoma
Human Interest Heide Brandes Human Interest Heide Brandes

The Fire Gods of Carrier, Oklahoma

On Monday, the night sky above Oklahoma City’s Bricktown will erupt in an explosion of light, noise and music. Crowds of gaping mouths sighing “oooh” and “aah” accompany the bombastic display of colors that race into the sky, detonating into spectacles of sizzling brightness that paint the night with celebration and American pride.

Read More