“Is this Heaven?” No, and it isn’t Iowa either. It’s Washington, baby, and the view from up here is one of the most breathtaking ones you will find anywhere in North America. Where is “up here”, you ask? “Up here” would be the summit at Crystal Mountain Resort, where, after a brief ride on a gondola, you are afforded one of the most fantastic views of Mount Rainier that you may ever see.
Read MoreHave you ever wanted to sit down at the Double R Diner with a damn fine cup of coffee? Or maybe take in the view of the gushing falls next to the Great Northern Hotel? Perhaps get a glimpse of Sheriff Truman’s retro Ford Bronco? While the titular town of David Lynch and Mark Frost’s mind-bending murder mystery series “Twin Peaks” may not exist in real life, a handful of landmarks and landscapes seen and used in the show are out there — and only a short drive from downtown Seattle.
Read MoreWhile paying a visit to our good friend Abe or taking in the magnificence of the World War II Memorial or reflecting quietly at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial are all perfectly good uses of your time in the nation’s capital, there is also a good selection of watering holes for those looking to wet their whistles after the sun goes down.
Read MoreWith the largest road atlas money can buy (thanks, grandma) laid out on the kitchen counter and some fancy new highlighters in hand, I began marking points. I marked places where I knew people, drew lines connecting the dots, checked the mileage with Google Maps to make sure I wasn’t planning ridiculously long drives (I max out at about 14 hours), and started feeling giddy.
Read MoreWhile haunted houses and ghost ships and corn mazes filled with chainsaw-carrying killers may be better equipped to scare your pants off, there is something to be said for ghost towns, as well.
Read MoreHard cider is quickly becoming the most popular drink in many cities across the U.S. – and it’s easy to see why. From smooth and sweet to tart and tangy, you’ll find your favorite brew in one of the U.S.’s top 10 cities for cider lovers.
Read MoreThe lives of cultural objects — books, films, TV shows — can take funny paths sometimes. In some cases, as with the recent blockbuster film Black Panther, they are loved instantly. In other cases, they stumble out of the gate and only become appreciated later on, like the works of Edgar Allan Poe and many a posthumously-famous author. In still other cases…
Read MoreYou've heard of Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Zion. You could name in which state you'd find the Grand Tetons, the Grand Canyon, and the Great Smoky Mountains. But the most-visited national parks constitute just a fraction of the beautiful federally-protected lands that you can visit in the United States.
Read MoreAhh, the open road. You make up a special playlist, cram every last thing you might possibly need into the car, and set off for parts unknown, ready for adventure around every turn.
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