USA Travel Blog

The everglade is a wide shallow river flowing southwards for about 80 miles and emptying into the Atlantic. Flow rate is very very slow about one mile per day. The local Calusa Indians called named it Pa-hey-okee. The everglades wet lands are teaming with wildlife, there are over 300 species of birds, 190 types of fish and many varieties of trees and plants bottle nose dolphin are also residents of the everglades as well as the ubiquitous alligator.

Visitors to the everglades National Park must be willing to venture into the mangrove-lined waterways and saw-grass plains. First time visitors are advised to start off with the short, organized trips on the more navigable creeks, led by park naturalists like Mr. Ettling. Experienced paddlers can plunge right into water and enjoy self guided trips, camping on sand spits or raised “chickee” platforms.

The Everglades endured decades of damming, draining, diverting and pollution before being recognized as an important ecosystem. The everglades National park was established in 1947 on the southern portion. The Big Cypress National Preserve is another park in the everglades located to the north; it sits on the site where the Miami International airport was to be built in the 70’s. The wickedly fun, high speed air boats are to be found here but are not permitted in the National Park because of the damage the cause to the local flora

One hundred fifty years ago, most of the territory from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains and the Canadian border all the way up to the Gulf of Mexico was all pristine grassland. Nomadic herds of pronghorn antelope and bison roamed the never ending waves of wildflowers and grasses, these precious landscapes are largely gone today. The prairies along Interstates thirty five and eighty are being preserved. The preservation includes sowing wildflowers and native grass in corn and soybean fields. A great place to start your journey into the prairies is Chicago, Chicago has been at the forefront of grass land preservation for more than 40 years; there are several prairies to be found around Chicago.

Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area is located about 8 miles south of Exit 112 of I-80. It is a crown jewel in the treasure chest of American prairies. The state of Illinois was covered in thirteen million acres of tall grass prairie; Goose Lake; at 2,537 acres is the largest of the remaining areas. The best time to visit Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area is in late summer and fall. The grass can reach 8 feet; there are seven miles of hiking trails to take in the grandeur of the grass land and a visitor’s center where you can enjoy displays and numerous interpretive programs.

The Finger Lakes, New York attract an interesting crowd every year; they come to catch lake trout. Lake trout has been derided by fishing enthusiasts as a boring fish to catch that offers no challenge. even so, lake trout has its devoted fans, some of them so devoted not only to spend much of their leisure time trying to catch one, but also to buy cottages or houses fronting on the deep, chilly bodies of water where lake trout flourish.

The shores of the six major lakes are lined with weekend and vacation homes, on the road leading to the lake there are several vineyards too. Fishing is not the only recreational activity on the lake; there is sailing, boating, swimming and water skiing. Those not fond of physical activities can enjoy themselves by sitting by the shoreline sipping on the local wines.

Ohio’s landscape was shaped by the ice age; most of Ohio’s 45,000 square miles are flat; however a small section of it was untouched. On the southwest corner lies a heavily wooded area called Hocking hills padres.A sparsely populated area of rugged hills and spring-fed brooks and waterfalls. The hills are generously covered in walnut, hickory and cherry forests. Hocking hills spreads over 500 square mills into several counties. Residents of Columbus and other surrounding towns and cities have for years flocked to the hills for weekend long retreats. Most have bought or built second homes here while others have gone on to retire here.

Hocking Hills is all about being in the open. Cross-country skiing, hiking and fishing are the main recreational activities. The area has a number of state parks and protected areas, which include waterfalls and caves. Other activities include the washboard music festival held in June each year and is sponsored by the Columbus Washboard Company draws washboard and jug bands from all over the country. The annual spring cleanup of route 56 is the main social event for the second home owners and is held on the Saturday before Easter. The largest festival is the lily festival held annual in July showcases local musicians and artists.

Those familiar with Mount Baker will not hesitate to give you direction to the mountain; there is only one to get there. Washington State Highway 542 is a cul de sac so to speak that leads to the mountain. Turn east from Bellingham and drive for 56 miles. Mount Baker has been a skiing locale for close to 60 years; and has remained unspoiled over the years; there are no homes to buy or hotels to spend the night. It is all basic down to earth mountain terrain. Every February it is home to the best professional snow boarders.

Mount Baker was amongst the very the first ski spots to allow snowboarding on the West Coast. Mount Baker is celebrated for consistently deep snowfall, in the 1998-99 winter season it recorded 1,140 inches of snow. The mountain has 1,000 acres of skiing terrain to challenge even the very best snow boarders and a vertical climb of 1,500 feet.

Woodstock, the pictorial historic village located twenty miles east of Killington. Woodstock has a rich legacy when it comes to winter sports. In the early twentieth century visitors came here to enjoy the town’s illuminated toboggan run, as well as snowshoeing and sledding. In ‘34, a few local enthusiasts used a Model T Ford engine to make the first ski tow in America at the base of Gilbert’s Hill. A couple years later, a small ski area called Suicide Six opened, on a peak a few miles north of town. Suicide Six, is currently part of the Woodstock Inn and Resort complex woodstockinn, and has a loyal following among families who treasure its relaxed and out fashioned feel.

At Suicide Six you can enjoy many of the pleasures of big-mountain skiing without the troubles that go with it. There are twenty two trails, two double chairlifts and a J-bar, a ski school, a snowboarding half-pipe, a lodge with a bar and cafeteria and a rental shop. The place is reasonably priced; all-day lift tickets during the high season are $39; $25 for children. Beginners can hope on the J-bar for $7, all day long. Guest can ski for free in the middle of the week except during the holidays. The resort has family ski packages which can be viewed on the resorts website.

Winter Park, Colorado’s 4th largest ski resort runs a Ski for Free program, in which interested skiers volunteer to help run the resort’s racing events and in return they get to ski for free. Volunteers who work 4 hours receive a free lift ticket which they can use on any day of their choice; those who work fewer hours get a pass which can be used on the same day only.

The ski-racing season usually begins in late November and runs till the end of March. The resort is also open in summer and volunteers can work in summer bicycle races and still earn vouchers for use in winter. Volunteering is a great way to save money during the holidays, a one day adult lift pass can set you back seventy dollars. Visit winterpark, for more information about the program.

The shore the shore, is the named adopted by many Minnesotans for the north shore of Lake Superior. The area of Lake Superior has been a tourist site for many years. In the early days local fishermen took guest in summer that traveled from Duluth North on the postal boat.

The North Shore is open to visitors all year round. In summer, it’s a retreat for climbers, hikers and swimmers. In fall, the leaves change color and transform the shore into a breath taking scene. Lake Superior’s sheer cliffs and granite coves, the birch, pine and fern forests, are redolent of the coast of Maine. In winter, Snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and downhill skiing at the top of the most vacationers list.

Ridgway was founded in 1891 as the northern station of the Rio Grande Southern Railroad, today it still retains its Old West tang. The Roads in the historic downtown area are gravel, though the roads will soon be paved. The east-west streets bear the first names of the town founders and north-south streets the names of their wives and daughters. For years Ridgway was a stop over town for many visitors on their way to the ski slopes in Telluride, this has changed in the recent past, it has attracted second-home buyers and young families who have been turned away by the high property prices in Telluride.

Majority of those who visit Ridgway ridgway, are won over by the dazzling scenery, its rural atmosphere and a host of recreational activities. The local population consists of outdoors enthusiasts, ranchers and environmentalists in a fresh day mix of the old west and modern day living. In winter, the slopes open to snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling. The Ouray Ice Park attracts ice climbers, while the San Juan Hut System is open to robust backcountry skiers. In summer you are can choose from mountain biking and hiking through miles of Forest Service roads, climbing mountain peaks, off road driving along some of Colorado’s hairiest roads or boating and swimming in the reservoir at Ridgway State Park.

The non-profit Milwaukee International Film Festival theMilwaukee international film festival is a non profit event whose aim is to present thought-provoking, quality films from all over the world and the Midwest as well. Education is the corner stone of the festival. The festival educational goal is to foster understanding between individuals and communities across the barriers of ethnicity, culture, religion and language.

Cities recognize the benefits of film festival as way to promote themselves as a cultural venue. Milwaukee International Film Festival’s existence in Milwaukee prop ups the city’s rebirth as a flourishing centre for entertainment and the arts. New state legislation has been enacted which offer the best tax incentives in the country for film makers to make their movies in the state of Wisconsin; the film festival showcases local film industry in Milwaukee.