America’s Most Loved - The Legacy of Will Rogers
ROUTE MAGAZINE - August 2022
BY Heide Brandes
Fortunately, the museum dedicated to one of the most beloved Americans in history is located right along Oklahoma’s stretch of Route 66. Tourists who may never have heard of the man who was once the top entertainer in the world now buzz through, thanks to the car clubs and bus tours that follow the Mother Road.
The Angel of Ash Fork: Fayrene Hume continues her contributions to Ash Fork history and families
ROUTE Magazine - On any given day in Ash Fork, Fayrene Hume is outside pulling weeds or picking up trash along the side of the roads. At 85, Hume doesn’t care if the townsfolk call her children in town to express their worry or surprise. Hume has lived a life that has been beat to her own drum, and the town of Ash Fork is darn lucky.
7 Bold Winter Adventures To Experience In Alaska
TRAVEL AWAITS - For those who seek bold winter adventures, here’s the good news. You don’t have to be a young extreme athlete to enjoy these bold winter adventures. While you do need to be physically mobile and healthy, these wild winter adventures — ranging from snow machining to ice climbing — can be enjoyed by travelers of all experience levels and ages.
Lubbock's deadliest tornado gave rise to modern weather technology — and a new memorial
The Houston Chronicle - Nov. 19, 2021 - The first ever multi-vortex F5 tornado on record spurred life-saving advancements in weather science.
7 Things I Loved, Plus 4 Things I Didn’t During Princess’s Alaska Cruisetour
Travel Awaits - I get why people dream of cruises and just how easy it is to relax and just enjoy when you are being pampered, cared for, and catered to by a cruise ship company. Coming from the eyes of a brand-new cruiser (this won’t be my last cruise, I guarantee you), here are the seven things I loved — plus the four things I didn’t — during the Princess Alaska Cruisetour.
This New Galápagos Cruise Takes You in the Footsteps of Charles Darwin
FODORS - If conservation, education, and a deep dive into a place most people consider a “bucket-list” destination is more your speed, this cruise will leave its mark. Like Darwin himself, you’ll discover a pristine world that seems touched only by evolution, all while enjoying unlimited beer and wine on a small expedition-style ship.
The Healers Who Treat Bad Luck
BBC TRAVEL - Hundreds of traditional healers in Ecuador provide spiritual cleansings. But these aren't for the thin-skinned: among other options, they can involve a rub-down with stinging nettles.
I Tried Heli Ice-Climbing in Alaska: What It Is & Why You Should Try It
TRAVEL AWAITS - I tried heli-ice climbing in Alaska, one of the extreme winter adventures you can choose. At 50 years old, I discovered that despite the fear and the Elvis-gyrating legs, I loved it. Here’s why I think you’ll love it too.
A Vampire Sent Me To A New Orleans Sex Club
FODORS Travel - Here I was, a single female alone, decked out in a pretty little red dress and sassy boots smack dab in the middle of a New Orleans sex club. I had no idea what I was walking into.
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.
