Category: USA Travel

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Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site

Planning a trip to Central Kentucky? Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site in Hodgenville is an interesting and peaceful place to spend an hour or two learning more about the life of our 16th president.  We visited the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site on a recent weekend trip to Kentucky, along with Cumberland Falls, and Kentucky Horse Park. Located approximately an hour south of Louisville, Kentucky, off I-65, the park is nestled among rolling hills and farmland and is the perfect spot for a walk or picnic. 

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Ashtabula County Covered Bridge Tour, Part 3

Welcome back to our Ashtabula County Covered Bridge Tour! In part 1 of the tour, we visited the six covered bridges on the eastern side of the county. Then, in part 2, we explored the eight covered bridges of central Ashtabula County.  To read about either of those parts of our road trip, click on the links in the previous sentence. Thirteen of these bridges are on the North & Eastern route of the official Ashtabula County Covered Bridge Tour map.  The final part of our tour starts in Windsor at the Windsor Mills Bridge and then goes north to Riverdale, Mechanicsville, Harpersfield, and West Liberty Bridges.  All of these bridges are on the South & Western part of the Ashtabula County driving tour. Continue reading “Ashtabula County Covered Bridge Tour, Part 3”

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Ashtabula County Covered Bridge Tour, Part 2

If you’ve been following along, you may know that for the 4th of July weekend this year, we decided to do some local exploring. The county north of us is known for its covered bridges and even has a fall festival dedicated to them. We decided that we would visit all 19 of the Ashtabula County covered bridges over the course of the weekend. We started with the six bridges along Route 7 as we made our way north to Conneaut, Ohio. If you are coming from Youngstown or Pittsburgh, Route 7 is the first exit in Ohio off I-80. If you are coming from Erie, you could reverse the beginning of our tour as Route 7 is the first exit in Ohio from I-90, as well.

The second part of our tour started with lunch in the historic Ashtabula Harbor by the drawbridge, followed by eight covered bridges in the center of the county. These eight bridges are located in Sheffield and Plymouth townships, Ashtabula, and Jefferson. If you are following the official map, they are bridges 9-14 and 1-2 . The official covered bridge driving tour of Ashtabula County starts in Jefferson, the county seat.

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Two Days in Kentucky: A Weekend Road Trip

This past weekend, Dennis needed to go to Cincinnati on business and had to be there on both Friday and the following Monday. Because we live in the opposite corner of Ohio, over 300 miles away, we decided to drive down and take the weekend to explore Kentucky. Despite closures due to the current virus situation, we were able to make the most of our two days in Kentucky. Continue reading “Two Days in Kentucky: A Weekend Road Trip”

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Visiting Chaco Culture National Historical Park

Chaco Culture National Historical Park near Farmington, New Mexico, is a place that must be seen to be believed. It’s not easy to get to, but it’s definitely worth the trip. Located in the high desert of Northwest New Mexico, Chaco Culture is the site of the largest buildings built in the United States prior to the 19th century.

In addition to being a national park, Chaco Culture National Historical Park is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the USA’s most important and comprehensive examples of pre-Columbian architecture.  Thousands of people lived and worked in these massive pueblos between 850 and 1250 A.D.  Chaco Canyon was the center of the ancestral Puebloan world with dozens of great houses connected to roads leading to 150 more throughout the region.

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Bandelier National Monument

On our recent New Mexico adventure, one of our first stops was Bandelier National Monument. Bandelier National Monument is 33, 677 acres of national park land located near Los Alamos, New Mexico. The fifty square mile site preserves the ancient dwellings of the Ancestral Puebloans who made their homes in and around the canyon in two different eras,  from 1150 to 1600 A.D.

President Wilson designated Bandelier as a national monument in 1916, making it one of the oldest national monuments in the country. With 50 square miles of undeveloped land, 70% of which is wilderness, Bandelier National Monument has over 70 miles of hiking trails.  It’s the perfect spot to explore ancient dwellings and view wildlife all at the same time.

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First Flight Lunar Module in Warren, Ohio

Many of us having been staying close to home lately and exploring sites that are familiar to us. For many years, I’ve passed by a small local monument and never taken the time to stop. This past weekend, Dennis and I had an excellent dinner at Sorrento’s Ristorante, located at 2488 Parkman Road in Warren. After dinner, we decided to check out the small fenced in park across the street. This small park , the First Flight Lunar Module, recognizes Warren native Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon.

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Exploring the Ruins of the Southwest

Have you ever been surprised with a weekend getaway? This winter, Meghan and Joe surprised me with a weekend getaway to some of the historic ruins of the Southwest in New Mexico and Colorado.

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Visiting the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Colorado

With recent events, many families are scrapping their summer vacation plans in favor of road trips and outdoor adventures. Luckily, we live in a big country with a variety of landscapes to explore. If you find yourself in Colorado, be sure to check out the Garden of the Gods Park in Colorado Springs. With its spectacular rock formations, awe-inspiring vistas, and extensive trail system, there’s something for everyone to see and do.

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9 Ways to Explore Historic Cheyenne, Magic City of the Plains

Cheyenne, Wyoming, isn’t really on the way to Denver from Northeastern Ohio, whether you choose the northern I-80 route or the southern I-70 route. However, it really isn’t that far out of the way.  Dennis had spent a lot of time in Cheyenne and Laramie working, and he wanted to show me a few of his favorite places in historic Cheyenne, the capital of Wyoming.

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