Friday Photo Post: Harpers Ferry

St. Peter's Church
Harpers Ferry National Historic Park

Shenandoah River where it meets the Potomac River

From other Travel Blogs...

Copper Mountain

TRAVEL TIPS:
Less than a Shoestring has listed several safety tips for the solo traveler.

A list of 10 travel tips with a twist. Rolf Potts turns Sir Francis Bacon's "Of Travel" essay into a modern magazine article.

Vagabondish shares tips on How to Choose the Perfect Backpack.

TRAVEL DESTINATIONS:
Considering a trip to Quebec? A short guide to Quebec City can be found at Smarter Travel.

Read about Culinary Travel Across Italy. Mmmm... after reading this, I was ready to book my own flight to Italy.

Smarter Travel suggests skipping the crowds and visiting Yellowstone National Park in winter.

TRAVEL THOUGHTS:
Amanda at Vagabondish is starting a series about Dark Tourism. Brave New Traveler also has a good article on the subject, Dark Tourism: Bearing Witness or Crass Spectacle? by Eric Daams.

Should you give treats to local children when you travel? Some thoughts at Traveling Stories Magazine in A Question of Candy.

For more travel articles, check out the section marked From other Blogs in my sidebar.

From other Travel Blogs...

Red Rocks Park near Morrison, Colorado

TRAVEL NARRATIVES:
Dave from GoBackpacking started his round the world trip today. His first stop is Tahiti, but I'm not at all jealous. I like the below freezing temps we are experiencing in Minnesota, really. Ha! In a recent post, Dave shared his packing list and a photo of everything he is bringing on his trip. Could you pack like that for a year on the road?


TRAVEL DESTINATIONS:
Learn about the history of Central Park on Eyeflare.

National Parks Traveler has two articles that caught my eye: Paddling Into Yellowstone National Park and How the National Seashores Came to Be.

Read about the Big Sur Coast in California on Real Travel.


TRAVEL TIPS:
Nath at Ubertramp is at it again. He is sharing even more travel tips with Hidden Money Belts and How to Hide Money on your Person.

Not just for women, Beth at Wanderlust and Lipstick shares 5 tips for solo women travelers.

TRAVEL WRITING:
Check out Vagabondish for some great tips on How to Write a Travel Journal That's Worth Reading. I especially like the suggestions to use different color pens to mark different days, and to create an index of your entries. I even have one of those pens with 4 different colors to choose from.


TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY:
The holidays are here, and it seems like cameras are on sale at all the stores. If you are thinking of buying a new camera for yourself or someone else, here are some good resources to help you choose a digital camera.

Digital Photography School has several tutorials on how to buy digital cameras.

Should you buy a DSLR camera? Check out the traveler's notebook useful article and quiz to help you decide.


For more travel articles, check out the section marked From other Blogs in my sidebar.

Friday Photo Post: Fall Colors at Rocky Mountain National Park

Autumn colors at the Alluvial Fan in Rocky Mountain National Park near Estes Park, Colorado.

National Parks Traveler has more information about seeing the fall colors at National Parks.

*related post: Rocky Mountain National Park

Friday Photo Post: Shenandoah National Park

I'm excited because Doug and I will be in Washington D.C. for our anniversary next month. Just thinking about our trip brings back memories of when we lived in Maryland. These pictures are from a road trip we did on the Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park.


At the southern end of the drive, one of our last stops was at the Blackrock Summit parking lot at mile marker 84.8. A short 10 minute walk led us to Blackrock and a fun climb up to some amazing views.

From other Blogs...

Here in the northern hemisphere, fall is in the air and Gadling shares a fun way to enjoy the autumn colors with Fall Leaf Peeping by Rail. Gadling also brings a USA Today tipping chart to our attention. The chart has up to date tipping guidelines for 77 countries.

Continuing with the theme of enjoying this season, National Parks Traveler suggests visiting Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and shares tips of what to do at the parks. There is also an article about visiting Arches and CanyonlandsNational Parks during the fall.

Do you have your own suggestion for a getaway? Is it for $500 or less? Rob at Go Budget Travel is having a $500 Getaway Contest, with a prize of $500 USD for the winner!

A post on hiking in Hong Kong on Grigo's blog, Wondering with Wind caught my eye. Hiking in Hong Kong... What? That is one of the reasons I love blogs. I learn so much every day. If I'm ever in Hong Kong, I am definitely going on one of these hikes.

Need help writing a travel journal, blog or even book? David at authorblog is sharing writing tips in a series of posts called Telling Write from Wrong. For more technical help, check out Daily Writing Tips.

For other travel articles, check out the section marked From Other Blogs in my sidebar.

More State Parks on the North Shore of Lake Superior

Gooseberry Falls

There are many state parks along the north shore of Lake Superior. We've hiked most of them several times over the years. I mentioned Temperance State Park and Tettegouche State Park in earlier posts, here are some of the other parks we like to visit.

Gooseberry Falls: Usually our first stop as we drive up scenic Highway 61, Gooseberry Falls State Park is a popular place to climb over rocks around the upper, middle and lower falls. It is a short hike to the main falls area from the parking lot at the visitor's center. Depending on the water level, you can climb all over the falls themselves. There are longer hikes along the Gooseberry River if you really want to stretch your legs. You can also drive down to the beach and enjoy a picnic lunch and hunt for agates.

Split Rock Lighthouse

Split Rock Lighthouse: Although Split Rock is close to Gooseberry Falls, we usually save it for the last day so we can visit the rocky beach early in the morning before we drive home. The Minnesota Historical Society offers guided tours of the lighthouse and other buildings. You can hike or drive down to the beach from the lighthouse. There are several miles of hiking trails in the park and the paved Gitchi Gami State Trail section between Gooseberry Falls and Split Rock Lighthouse is now complete and open for biking, skating and hiking.

Palisade Head

Palisade Head: Located within Tettegouche State Park, Palisade Head is just south of the entrance to the park at mile marker 57 on Highway 61. This is a great place to stop for scenic views of the cliffs above Lake Superior. Drive the narrow winding road to the top, then walk around the rocky edges. Be careful, there aren't any fences and it can get very windy.

Cascade River

Cascade: Another spot with parking right off Highway 61, Cascade River State Park has a nice trail on the west side of Cascade River. Less than a mile from the parking lot is Cascade Falls and the Cascades, but you can follow the river for several miles past that on the Superior Hiking Trail. After your hike, walk across Highway 61 and climb down to the beach where you can relax and enjoy a picnic lunch.

Devil's Kettle

Judge C.R. Magney: Further up the North Shore, past Grand Marais, is Judge C.R. Magney State Park. This is the first year we visited this park and found the trail to the Devil's Kettle waterfalls to be a little challenging with a steeper trail and many stairs. It was worth it, though. Most people turn back after seeing the Devil's Kettle, but if you are still feeling energetic, you can continue hiking along the Brule River.

Hiking in Tettegouche State Park

High Falls 2007

The Minnesota State Parks along the North Shore of Lake Superior have miles of excellent hiking trails. One of the more dramatic hikes we enjoy is to the High Falls and Two Step Falls of the Baptism River in Tettegouche State Park. If you are staying at the park, you can start your hike from the campground, otherwise you can drive up to the nearby trail center and start your hike from there.

Baptism River 2005

We usually take the bridge across the river, but this year the water was low, and we were able to walk across by stepping from rock to rock. We were also able to stand at the edge of the High Falls. The last time we did this hike, the boys had to stand further away because of higher water levels.

High Falls 2005

From the top of the High Falls, you can hike down to the base of the falls, continue down to Two Step Falls, and then cross the river again to return to the trail center. The loop around the falls is about 2 miles, but it can be strenuous.

Base of High Falls 2007

There are a total of 23 miles of hiking trails, including 12 miles of the Superior Hiking Trail, inside the park. Another trail head is located off Lax Lake Road (402). From there, you can hike around several inland lakes. You can also park down by the visitor center off Highway 61 and walk to the beach at Lake Superior or enjoy the hike out to Shovel Point, which includes several scenic overlooks.

Beach at Tettegouche State Park 2005
Shovel Point in the background

Related posts:
More State Parks on the North Shore of Lake Superior
Camping at Temperance State Park

Camping at Temperance State Park

I recently took our three boys camping at Temperance River State Park, along the North Shore of Lake Superior. Doug was supposed to come with us, but scheduling conflicts occurred, and I was faced with the decision of canceling the trip or taking the boys on my own. I decided to go for it, and I'm glad I did because we had a great time.

One of the reasons is our campsite. This is the view from our tent. We were very close to Lake Superior, and it was so nice to fall asleep to the sound of waves hitting the shore. In the morning, the beach was deserted so the boys had the lake to themselves when they went swimming while I got breakfast ready.

Our days were spent hiking and climbing over rocks in several of the State Parks in the area. The water was very low, so we were able to go all over the different waterfalls. At night, we sat around the campfire, eating dinner and talking about our day.

You can access the Superior Hiking Trail from parking spots outside Temperance River State Park right off Highway 61. When we hike at the park, we follow the trail along the river for a few miles, then return to our campsite. You can also take a short walk from the parking lot down to the beach at Lake Superior.

Related Posts:
Hiking in Tettegouche State Park
More State Parks on the North Shore of Lake Superior

Friday Photo Post: St. Croix River

View of the St. Croix River dividing Minnesota and Wisconsin at Taylors Falls.

Interstate State Park at Taylors Falls, Minnesota

We visited Interstate State Park in Taylor's Falls this weekend. The Taylors Falls Queen, one of the excursion boats run by Wild Mountain, was docked at the park. They have 30 minute or 80 minutes daily excursions available. You can bring your own picnic lunch, or there is a snack bar on board to satisfy anyone with the munchies. Dogs are allowed on board as long as they are leashed at all times. Dinner, picnic and specialty cruises are also available.

Wild Mountain also offers canoe and kayak rental at the park's canoe base. You can paddle from the park to the Osceola Landing 7 miles away, or to William O'Brien State Park 17 miles away. The first trip takes about 2-3 hours, and the second one takes about 5-7 hours. There is a shuttle at both landings so you can return to your car.

Wild Mountain itself is about 7 miles north of Taylors Falls. During the summer, you can cool off at the waterpark or try out the alpine slides and go-karts.

We stayed at Interstate State Park this visit. For 2 1/2 hours we climbed all over the rocks, walked along the paths, and looked at the glacial potholes. We brought our 9 year old golden retriever with us and she impressed everyone with her climbing abilities.

If you bring a dog to the park, make sure you have bags to clean up after them. We also brought a traveling water dish for Gabby. It folds up and fits into our CamelBak* water pack, and when we stopped for a break, we filled it with water from the pack. We also had water bottles in the car so she could drink again before we left the park.

During our exploration of the park, we stopped to watch some rock climbers on the Wisconsin side of the St. Croix River. There are opportunities to climb on the Minnesota side of the river, too. Climbing Central lists some of the different routes that are available.

Interstate State Park, Wild Mountain, and the historic town itself are all good reasons to visit Taylors Falls. About 40 miles away from Minneapolis and St. Paul, it is a good choice for a day trip or weekend escape.

*I was going to link to the camelbak site because I love their product, but the site requires flash player, and that irritates me. Instead, here is a link to CamelBak on wikipedia. We use our water packs whenever we go hiking. They are a great way to stay hydrated, and we can pack trail snacks, a small first aid kit, rain jackets and a camera inside the pockets and webbing.

From other Travel Blogs...

Odeum of Herodes Atticus at the Acropolis in Athens

TRAVEL TIPS:
Dave at Go Backpacking goes into his archives to share Top 10 Travel Tips (circa 1999), and in the comments, Pam from Nerd's Eye View mentions her own Rules of Travel. Good advice in both lists.

More great tips from Start Backpacking as Greg shares 10 ways to keep your backpack safe while traveling.

Learn how to practice Simple Beach Yoga for Backpackers at Brave New Traveler. This is a good lesson for anyone, not just backpackers.

Mike at Vagabondish did the research for us and lists some good resources for locating WiFi Hotspots.

TRAVEL DESTINATIONS:
Viator gives an interesting lesson with Ancient Rome: A Beginners Guide.

More Off the Well Worn Paths at National Parks Traveler. This time it is the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.

Guardian Unlimited has a good article if you want to read more about the Islands of North America.

From other Travel Blogs...

Photo by Lisa Pertile

Some of the interesting articles I read this week:

Going to Rome? Viator shares some great day trips you might want to consider. Or, if you aren't going to Rome, but you'll be in New York City, check out their article on hiring a private tour guide/personal photographer to help you get oriented to the city. I love this idea. Most of my travel pictures are of other people, and if someone offers to take a picture of me with the others, the results are usually less than satisfactory (blurry, odd composition, etc.) and I think it would be great to get some fun shots that look good.

Neil Woodburn from Gadling is writing a 17 part series on visiting Alaska without the cruise ship. I'm saving his articles in my Alaska planning file.

I've mentioned that Machu Picchu is at the top of my list of travel dreams, so I was intrigued by an article in the New York Times about The Other Machu Picchu, Choquequirao.

National Parks Traveler has another Off The Well-Worn Path report, this time on Great Basin National Park.

And last, but never least, Our Man in Granada made me laugh with The top 10 yings and yangs of living overseas.

For even more articles, check out the section marked From Other Blogs in my sidebar.

From other Travel Blogs...

National Parks Traveler has some good articles this week, including The Essential Yellowstone and Off the Well-Worn Path: Cape Lookout National Seashore.

Have you been wanting to learn a new language, or brush up on your Spanish? Check out The Ecua Traveler's post on free Spanish Lesson podcasts.

Angie at Alaskan Explorer shares her favorite Alaskan travel resources.

Going to Italy? Viator shares the Top Five Florence Tours that are popular with their readers.

Nathan at Ubertramp has put together a backpacker's wish list with Shiny Stuff for Backpackers.

For more travel articles, check out the section marked From other blogs in my sidebar.

*the picture above is from Montmorency Falls, Quebec

From ProBlogger's Group Writing Project...

Cats in Dubrovnik, Croatia

Darren Rowse at ProBlogger had a group writing project last week, and several travel articles were submitted. Here are some of my favorites:

Five gems, what makes a good pub? by Pints of Ale
Five Travel Blogs You Gotta Read by Sheila at Perceptive Travel Blog
Top 5 Reasons Why We Travel by Timen at in my All Stars
Top 5 Reasons to Make Nova Scotia Your Next Travel Destination by Blogging Nova Scotia
My Top 5 Future Photowalking Locations by Photowalking.org
5 best places to go while visiting Acadia National Park by Acadia
My Five Most Awestruck Travel Experiences by Exit Row Seat
Top Five Strategies for Traveling Light by Graham Barker: The Blog
Top 5 DC Things To Do This Summer by DC365
Top 5 Italian Words You Really Don't Want To Mispronounce at Bleeding Espresso
Top 5 Things To Do In Istanbul by Let's Meet Where the Continents Meet

Check out ProPlogger's full submission list for articles on several other subjects, including personal finance, photography, and of course, blogging.

From other Travel Blogs...

Kiahuna Beach in Kauai, Hawaii
Photo by Scott Carpenter

Thinking of taking a RTW trip? The Lost Girls have a 3 part series detailing the expenses for their round the world adventure, including total costs, breakdown of flight, gear, accommodations, and breakdown of food, travel, entertainment.

Timen at in my All Stars shares Top 5 Reasons Why We Travel. He does a great job of explaining our need to get out and see the world.

National Parks Traveler has another guide to the parks, this time it's The Essential Glacier with tips for visiting Glacier National Park.

Conor is having a party! The place to be: New York City on June 21st. Conor's Mildly Thrilling Tales and Next Generation Nepal don't have any more details on their sites, but we'll keep you posted when we find out more. It's sure to be a great time, though, and a chance to help raise money for Conor's orphanage.

Backpackers.com has a post about Geobeats, a website featuring video travel guides. I ended up spending far too much time at Geobeats, exploring all the videos. The videos teaching the top local phrases are a great idea.

Another trail is being added to my summer of walking in England. Smarter Travel has an article about walking the Pennine Way that I found interesting.

Darren Rowse at ProBlogger has a group writing project going on. Stay tuned, I'll be writing about some of the travel articles that were submitted.

For more travel articles, check out the section marked From other Blogs in my sidebar.

Cunningham Falls State Park, Maryland

If you are in Maryland, I highly recommend visiting Cunningham Falls State Park in the Catoctin Mountains, just west of Thurmont. There are 9 hiking trails ranging from easy to difficult. We chose the 3/4 mile cliff trail and had fun hiking through the woods, climbing over rocks, and exploring the Falls.

After exploring the Falls, we walked back to the beach at Hunting Creek Lake and cooled off in the water. The boys also played in the sand, building castles with moats while Doug and I relaxed on a blanket. We brought a picnic lunch, but couldn't resist buying the boardwalk fries with vinegar for an extra snack.

Afton State Park, Minnesota

This weekend, Doug and I took our golden retriever, Gabby, to Afton State Park. It was a beautiful day, the sun peaking out after a short burst of rain, too windy for a bike ride, but perfect for a hike. The park is located on the St. Croix River, not too far from St. Paul, and very close to our house.

We chose a short 2 1/2 mile hike on some nice trails. The trails went along the river, through deep ravines, along the bluffs that overlook the river, and over grassy ridgetops. Walking through groves of oak trees, we spotted wild turkey and grouse that Gabby paid no attention to, even when we stopped to watch.

I enjoyed the sound of dried leaves under my feet and the smell of spring. Gabby must have liked it, too. She would stand with her nose in the air, closing her eyes against the wind. She might have been imitating me.

There are 24 hike-in camp sites, about 1 mile from the parking lot if you want to stay overnight. We plan on camping there with the boys this summer. There are also 2 picnic areas and 4 picnic shelters if you just visit for the day.

From other Travel Blogs...

Ruins at Ephesus in Turkey

It was another good week for interesting travel articles. Here are some of my favorites:

1. Timen at in my All Stars has launched the Trusted Travel Blog Network. Check it out, and be sure to nominate your favorite travel blogs.

2. Gadling had several good travel articles, including Do It Yourself Volunteering and Spanish Immersion in Guatemala by Jamie Rhein, and Talking Travel With Matthew Polly by Justin Glow.

3. Conor Grennan from How Conor is Spending All His Money shares another great story about his orphanage in Nepal with Sock Puppet Photos.

4. Ian at Brave New Traveler started a Flickr Photography Pool and invites you to share your travel pictures.

5. Ubertramp has more travel tips with How to Choose a Backpack.

6. Learn about Nicaraguan Communications at Our Man in Granada.

7. Smarter Travel has an interesting article on Taking the kids to the Galapagos Islands.

8. National Parks Traveler has some good advice for visiting Arches National Park near Moab, Utah and Acadia National Park in Maine.

9. Pia Taylor at Backpackers.com writes about keeping your valuables safe when traveling.

10. Last, but not least, This non-American Life made me laugh with a post on Nudity Season.

For more great travel articles, check out the section labeled "From other blogs..." in my sidebar.

*The above picture was taken at the ruins of Ephesus in Turkey.

Friday Photo Post: Gunnison Nat'l Forest

These are my favorite pictures from our adventure in Gunnison National Forest. Looking at them makes me want to go back and do more exploring.