Oʻahu, known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the State of Hawaiʻi. The world famous neighborhood of Waikiki is on Oʻahu home to public places including Kapiʻolani Park, Fort de Russy Military Reservation, Kahanamoku Lagoon, Kūhiō Beach Park, and Ala Wai Harbor.
In the middle of Texas Hill Country lies the charming city of New Braunfels named for Braunfels, in Germany. The city has a sizeable German Texan community. Old fashioned in its mannerisms, New Braunfels will make you feel right at home. Explore Gruene Historic District, float down the Guadalupe River and dine at Bier Gardens where you will enjoy the oompah music.
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is a recreation and conservation unit of the National Park Service that encompasses the area around Lake Powell and lower Cataract Canyon in Utah and Arizona, covering mostly desert. Filled with geologic wonders, and a vast panorama of human history the recreation area also offers world class fishing, golf, powerboating, jetskiing and kayaking!
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is a nature reserve, primarily within the Colorado Desert region of Southern California. The park features vast arid landscapes and dramatic mountains. Anza Borrego has natural springs and oases with the state's only native palm, the endangered California fan palm. Some areas of Anza-Borrego Park is the habitat for the Peninsular bighorn sheep, and the oases are filled with wildlife of all types of fauna, especially for bird-watching. Throughout the Park, visitors may see Kit foxes, Mule deer, Coyotes, Greater roadrunners, Golden eagles, Black-tailed jackrabbits, Ground squirrels, Kangaroo rats, Quail, and Prairie falcons.
The Quapaw Quarter of Little Rock, Arkansas is a section of the city including its oldest and most historic business and residential neighborhoods. The name of the area was first given in 1961, honoring the Quapaw Indians who once lived in the area centuries ago. As many as fifteen separate National Historic Register Districts make up the Quapaw Quarter, including more than 200 separate homes and buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. Throughout the Quapaw Quarter, many small and large homes from the Antebellum and Victorian eras can be found, in addition to several examples of Craftsman-style architecture.
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida. The beaches, conventions, festivals and events draw over 38 million visitors annually into the city, from across the country and around the world! The historical Art Deco district in South Beach, is widely regarded as one of the most glamorous in the world for its nightclubs, beaches, historical buildings, and shopping.
Chaco Culture National Historical Park hosts the most close-knit and extraordinary accumulation of pueblos in the American Southwest. The park is located in northwestern New Mexico, between Albuquerque and Farmington, in a remote canyon cut by the Chaco Wash. Containing the most sweeping collection of ancient ruins north of Mexico, the park preserves one of the United States' most important pre-Columbian cultural and historic areas.
Brighton Beach is an ocean-side neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Brighton Beach was dubbed "Little Odessa" by the local populace long ago, due to many of its residents having come from Odessa, a city of Ukraine. Brighton Beach is replete with restaurants, food stores, cafes, boutiques, banks, etc., located primarily along Brighton Beach Avenue and its cross streets.
Olympic National Park is located in the U.S. state of Washington, in the Olympic Peninsula. The park can be divided into four basic regions: the Pacific coastline, alpine areas, the west side temperate rainforest and the forests of the drier east side. The coastal portion of the park is a rugged, sandy beach along with a strip of adjacent forest. There are two native communities; the Hoh River has the Hoh people and at the town of La Push at the mouth of the Quileute River live the Quileute.
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park is a state park in Monterey County, California near the town of Big Sur on the state's Central Coast. Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park is popular for its hiking trail through the redwood groves and trail to Pfeiffer Falls. The park is centered around the Big Sur River. It has been nicknamed a "mini Yosemite."
Polihale State Park is a remote wild beach on the western side of the Hawaiian island of Kauai. Its remoteness makes it difficult to access however with only sugar cane roads leading there, a four wheel drive vehicle is the best mode of transportation. Nothing is available for purchase anywhere in the park; visitors to the park should bring water, food, an umbrella, and all supplies they feel they need. It is most definitely worth the effort once you arrive.
Cape Cod Bay is a large bay off the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to the state of Massachusetts. Cape Cod Bay is also teeming with endangered whales with visits from over 200 different north Atlantic right whales. The Bay is filled with remote un-crowded beaches, delicious lobster specials and old world charm.
-Tracy Smith
Lake Chelan is the perfect spot for a summer vacation either as a romantic spot for two or adventure with the entire family, the dramatic landscape, direct access to water and warm summer temperatures make it an ideal destination. Take a ferry to Stehekin where the population is a mere 75 permanent residents, a short ride up Lake Chelan, and stroll through the historic district, the Stehekin Pastry Company, and the one-room Stehekin School.
Forest Grove is located in the Tualatin Valley, Oregon a short drive from Portland. One of the largest giant sequoia trees of the state of Oregon can be found in Forest Grove. Hagg Lake, just a few miles away, is a great fishing spot is filled with Rainbow Trout, and is also great for waterskiing, and kayaking. Downtown is a history buff's haven lined with ancient iron streetlamps, restored boutiques and wine bars.
Pyramid Lake is just northeast of Reno, Nevada and is named because of the rock formations peeking through the surface. The lake is completely within the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation. Whether your visit to Pyramid Lake is incited by the guarantee of outstanding fishing, the allure of the warm, salty water, or simply to satisfy curiosity about the primitive lake, this is one Nevada gem that simply can't be ignored.
Fountain Point is an historic landmark located in Suttons Bay Township, Michigan. Its name is derived from a fountain of sparkling artesian spring water, situated on a large point on Lake Leelanau, which has been continuously gushing since 1867. Fountain Point includes smaller private residences and a large resort called Fountain Point Resort. It is open to the public, reservations only, Memorial Day through Labor Day, and features swimming, boating, tennis and numerous other indoor and outdoor activities.
Dillon Reservoir, sometimes referred to as Lake Dillon, is a fresh water reservoir bordered by the towns of Frisco, Silverthorne, and Dillon in Colorado. During ski season, thousands of people flock to the Dillon Reservoir area. Dillon Reservoir is close to four ski-resorts. The reservoir is also a center of attraction for the area. During the winter months, ice fishing and snowmobiling are common activities. For the warmer months, the Dillon Lake marina is open and hundreds of sailboats can be seen docked or sailing.
Lake Winnipesaukee is the largest lake in the state of New Hampshire. The lake contains at least 253 islands and has been a tourist destination for more than a century, especially for residents escaping the summer heat of Boston and New York City. Lake Winnipesaukee is a popular getaway for celebrities, politicians, and families alike.The area is home to numerous summer theater troupes and offers a variety of land and water recreational activities. There are numerous hiking trails in and around the surrounding mountains, which include the Ossipee Mountains to the east, the Belknap Range to the west, and Red Hill to the north.
Watkins Glen State Park is located on the edge of the village of Watkins Glen, New York, south of Seneca Lake in Schuyler County. The main feature of the park is the hiking trail that climbs up through the gorge, passing over and under waterfalls. Watkins Glen is in New York's Finger Lakes region, which has developed a reputation for crisp white wines, and there are many wineries to be explored. We recommend at least a 3 day trip when heading this way, as there is so much to see and do!
Lake Lure is a town in Rutherford County, North Carolina. The Lake Lure area has been used frequently as a filming location for major motion pictures, best known in Dirty Dancing (the dance scenes at the Lodge). It is also a common recreational area for residents and those within 100 miles of the Lake from four states to come visit, picnic, water ski, boat and fish or spend the summer. Dotted with small businesses Lake Lure is a town that will make you feel right at home with its friendly people and picturesque setting.
Mammoth Lakes is a town in Mono County, California. Mammoth Lakes resides on the edge of the Long Valley Caldera. The area around the town is geologically active with natural hot springs which are great after a day of skiing. The town is best known for its lakes, a soda springs, and an obsidian dome. Mammoth Lakes is north of the Owens Valley, a beautiful scenic area with extensive hiking opportunities and adventure tourism.
Wallowa Lake is a ribbon lake one mile south of Joseph, Oregon. On the south end of the lake is a small community made up of vacation homes, lodging, restaurants, as well as other small businesses. Wallowa Lake has been used for recreation since at least 1880. Located near the lake is an aerial cable gondola lift. It runs from the bottom of the valley to the top of Mount Howard. From the tram car, the passenger can see spectacular views of Wallowa Lake as well as the surrounding mountains.
The Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve is a U.S. National Park in Alaska. It is the northernmost national park in the U.S. (the entirety of the park lies north of the Arctic Circle) and the second largest, about the same size as Switzerland. The wildlife is spectacular with moose, barren-ground grizzlies, Dall sheep, black bears, wolves, and caribou calling this park home. The park also features six Wild and Scenic Rivers.
Zippel Bay State Park is a state park in Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota in the United States. It is on the white sand beach shoreline of the Lake of the Woods, near the United States border with Canada. The park is open for year-round recreation including camping, hiking, fishing and cross-country skiing. The park is a great family destination and the kids will love picking choke cherries, blueberries, cranberries, Juneberries, pin cherries, and strawberries as well as catching glimpses of moose, deers, minks, otters, eagles and marine birds!
-Tracy Smith
Luster, one of the largest municipalities in southern Norway, is located in the glacial mountains where the Sognefjord begins its path to the North Sea making landscapes that seem almost surreal. The municipality is home to Feigumfoss waterfall one of the highest in the Scandinavian area and Urnes stave church built in 1150, Norway's oldest Stave church.
Île aux Cerfs (French for deer island) is an island near the east coast of the island of Mauritius. Nowadays there are no more deer on the island, but it has the most beautiful beaches. Every day, tourists visit the island. They depart in boats from the village of Trou d'Eau Douce and spend the whole day on the island. There are plenty of water sports to do as well just take in the natural beauty the island has to offer.
Trunk Bay is one the Virgin Islands National Park's most famous attractions! World class stretch of white sand, clear cerulean water with a marked underwater snorkeling trail popular with beginner snorkelers, and just pure natural resplendence await you at Trunk Bay. I recommend going on one of the "off days" cruise ships do stop there and it can get crowded.
Hvar is a Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea. The island is characterized by its fresh water springs, hillsides covered in pine forests, vineyards, olive groves, fruit orchards and lavender fields. With its mild winters, and warm summers the island of Hvar is a popular destination for tourists, consistently listed in the top 10 islands by Conde Nast Traveler magazine.
Apo Island is one of the world's top diving spots. It is located off the southeastern tip of Negros Island, in the Philippines. The marine habitat around the island is a marine reserve, and it has become a popular dive site and snorkeling destination because of its 650 species of fish and over 400 species of corals!
Cartagena is a Mediterranean city and naval station located in the Region of Murcia, southeastern Spain. Thanks to its strategic position on the Mediterranean, Cartagena has been inhabited by many different cultures which have left their mark on its rich cultural heritage during a glorious and turbulent history. There are plenty of great Roman ruins to explore including the the recently restored Roman theatre of Carthago Nova shown here.
Zlatni Rat is a narrow white pebble beach on a promontory near Bol, located 2 km west of Bol harbour, on the southern coast of the island of Brač, Croatia. The beach is bordered by a pine tree grove where the remnants of a Roman villa rustica, including a swimming pool. The beach is also popular with windsurfers due to a reliable afternoon westerly wind known as a Maestral.
Holbox is an island in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, located on the north coast of the Yucatán Peninsula. It is separated from mainland Mexico by a shallow lagoon that is home to flamingos, pelicans and other rich bird life. It is still relatively new on the tourist hot spot list but is growing each year because of whale shark viewing.
-Tracy Smith
