Five Places to Explore the War of 1812 in the US

Every Friday I’ll take on a fun travel-related topic on Friday Five!  This week let’s talk about places where you can explore history by visiting places that were important during the War of 1812. The War of 1812 was somewhat of a second war of Independence.  Benjamin Franklin was said to have stated the following …

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The Quirky Story of the Littlest Skyscraper in Wichita Falls, Texas

On the surface, Wichita Falls is not an interesting city. It is one of those places you go through on your way to somewhere else. Even the highway was built to accommodate a swift and smooth passage. It is elevated above the city and is a pain to get back on if you dare to …

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How to Use Your Hand to Identify the Five Types of Alaskan Salmon

If you visit Alaska during the summer season there is a good chance you can find a creek or river to watch the salmon run.  Most salmon in Alaska live mostly in the saltwater ocean.  When they are mature and it is time for them to reproduce, they “run up” freshwater rivers in the salmon …

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The National Park Pass : Is it Worth It?

The only way we can travel as often as we do is to be very frugal in our travels.  We shop for the best deals, travel in the offseason and try to stretch our travel dollars through pre-planning and careful spending. I recently tweeted that I was sitting down to do the math on whether …

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Ghosts of My Grandfather : Visiting Clinton Sherman Air Force Base

My Grandfather was a wonderful man. I grew up close to he and my Grandmother, often spending time with them as I grew up. After I became an adult, he loved that I traveled. When I came to visit, he’d pull out his atlas and we’d talk about where I was going or where I’d …

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The Time I Almost Got Eaten By a Bear in Katmai National Park, Alaska

I promised my grandmother before I went to Alaska’s Kodiak Island that I wouldn’t go near the bears.  Unlike most tourists to the area, the bears weren’t really my thing.  There were so many other reasons I wanted to head to Kodiak, the impressive Kodiak bears just weren’t part of the equation I assured her. …

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Fort Worth’s Miniature Train in Trinity Park – The Forest Park Railroad

Truly a Fort Worth tradition since it was opened in 1959, generations of families have ridden the rails along the Trinity River and through Forest and Trinity Parks on the Forest Park Miniature Railroad. I love when we head down to ride the train. One of my favorite places in Fort Worth is Trinity Park. …

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Fort Worth Zoo – The Best Zoo in Texas

While we are lucky to live in Fort Worth for many reasons, a big one would have to be because of the Fort Worth Zoo. Routinely named in the top five zoos in America, the Fort Worth Zoo is a local attraction we head back to time and time again. Even Gary said he was “impressed,” …

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Why You’ll Regret Traveling to Iowa for the Bridges of Madison County

Whenever I plan a trip to visit family, I look around to see what else I can see and do while I’m there. This past weekend, I headed to Des Moines, Iowa and so I began my search. There are only three things Iowa is known for… cornfields, the Field of Dreams (also a cornfield) …

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