I Took My First Cruise at 50, and I Wish I Had Done It Sooner
TravelAwaits.com - Even before I turned 50, the idea of sharing a ship with thousands of strangers intent on eating and drinking themselves into a stupor while bombarding little destinations with drunken reveling and entitled behavior was torturous. I would rather not travel than travel on a cruise ship. Boy, was I wrong… and more than a little close-minded and judgy about the idea of cruising.
I Just Experienced Hurtigruten’s Inaugural Cruise to the Galapagos, & Here’s Why I Loved it
TravelAwaits.com - With only 35 guests aboard, the Santa Cruz II was my floating home away from home on Hurtigruten Expeditions’ inaugural cruise to the Galapagos Islands, and with stellar cuisine and a staff of highly-educated naturalists and cruise leaders, I couldn’t imagine a better way to explore a location that ranks high on many people’s bucket list.
Sleeping in the morgue of Eureka Springs’ Crescent Hotel, one of the most haunted places in the U.S.
ROADTRIPPERS - Built in 1886, the Crescent Hotel is a favorite for paranormal enthusiasts for its spooky reputation—but it also offers family-friendly activities and views so pretty that even the prospect of seeing a ghost (or several) doesn’t keep people away.
See Oklahoma through a Native lens at this new museum - National Geographic
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL - The vision for the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City was always ambitious. The center was established to promote the unique cultures, history, contributions, and resilience of the First American Nations in Oklahoma.
‘A long time coming’: More Oklahoma communities implementing police body cameras
All over the country in recent years, body-worn cameras (or body cams) have become a key tool for building transparency and trust between law enforcement and the public — and for determining what happened after an incident occurs. Oklahoma is no exception, and municipalities around the state have worked to get body cameras up and running in their police departments.
See Glowworms Give a Dazzling Show at This National Landmark - National Geographic
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL - The viridescent mossy glens and labyrinths of rock passageways at Dismals Canyon, in northern Alabama, could easily double for Middle Earth in J.R.R. Tolkien’s epics. But the real magic of this privately owned National Natural Landmark can’t be seen during the light of day. When the sun sets and night settles, tiny glowworms called dismalites shine bright with blue bioluminescence.
Fantastic Outdoor Adventures Near Scenic Sparta, Tennessee
TRAVEL AWAITS - The Upper Cumberland region of Tennessee is one of my favorite places in that mountainous, green state. Home to 14 state parks (the most in any region), it’s a fantastic place to get your nature and outdoors fix.
How To Spend A Long Weekend in Palo Duro Canyon
Travel Awaits - Nicknamed “The Grand Canyon of Texas” because of its size, stunning geological features, multicolored layers of rock, hoodoos, and steep mesa walls, Palo Duro Canyon is also the second-largest state park in the state parks system, and it features 30 miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails
A Seabird Haven - On the Canadian Islands of Haida Gwaii the Work to Save the Ancient Murrelet Goes On
BIRDWATCHING DAILY - While the largest eradication program ever of rats was successful on one of the islands of Haida Gwaii, the rats continue to return. Naturalists are working to clear the rest of the islands of rats and the non-native deer species that threaten nesting sites.
In many ways, the return to a pure natural state also reflects the fight of the Haida people to regain their indigenous cultural identity as well.
Spiro Mounds: A Walk Among the Ancients - Cowboys & Indians Magazine
COWBOYS & INDIANS - More than 1,000 years ago, the field where I stood was a thriving prehistoric Native American city and one of the largest and most important Native American centers in the Mississippian region. Up to 10,000 people lived in and around the main city area, and the winter and summer solstices attracted thousands for three days of religious ceremony.
A city within a park: Arkansas’ Hot Springs National Park turns 100 - Roadtrippers Magazine
The resort town of Hot Springs, located about an hour southwest from Little Rock, is a hybrid of sorts. One side of the main street includes hotels, boutique shops, and restaurants, while the other side belongs to the national park with its medicinal waters, miles of hiking and biking trails, and the historic Bathhouse Row.
This little-known Native American society was once as powerful as the Aztecs and Incas - National Geographic
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC - The Spiros were once “the single most powerful group ever to exist” in North America. This groundbreaking new exhibit in Oklahoma shares their story.
