COLORADO

Colorado is another amazing place if you love the outdoors. Skiing, hiking, river rafting, log cabins, beautiful views, ranches, Casinos and so on… Due to this, I am going to focus on more unknown pit stops then all of the regular outdoor activities that everyone is aware of already.

Pit stops:

Zip line through the Ponderosa forest near Durango, CA .

If you like beer and horses, mix the two by touring the Anheuser-Busch tour center. If you like wine go to the vineyards near Palisade instead (or all over CO really). Or if around Boulder, head over to the Redstone Meadery. Mead is wine made from honey! Haven’t experienced it? Me neither, so while in Colorado give it a try.

If instead of drinking, you prefer to drink tea, the Celestial Tea Company is located in Boulder, CO. If in Boulder this is a must stop for tea lovers. Celestial offers a free tour of the herb and tea garden and it is the largest specialty tea garden in the U.S.

Have you ever kissed a llama? Many companies all through CO have llama trekking up the mountains. So watch out for the spit and give a llama some love.

Sante Fe Trail is a long trail full of history of fur trappers and other western travelers and Native Americans. Along the trail you can also see pictographs, petroglyphs, dinosaur fossils, fire circles, etc. If you like fossils you should also head over to Dinosaur diamond in Fruita, CO.

Georgetown Railroad-take a train through the Rocky Mountains and stop along the way to visit the silver mines—who knows maybe you will get lucky and find some. There are also various gold mines all throughout the state of Colorado. Speaking of money, you can always visit the US mint in Denver.

Pikes Peak-The Royal George ibridge is said to tbe the world’s the highest suspension bridge. Besides that they have whitewater rafting, hiking, biking, horseback riding, museums, old ghost towns, rodeo shows, and much much more. You can even take the Cog railway up to over 14,000 feet high—so enjoy the view.

If you have ever wanted to try out the ranch life, head over the Zapata ranch where they have cattle, bison, and horses. They offer guests a little bit of ranch livelihood.

Lastly, if you are there during the snowy season instead of the ranch season, there are many companies that offer SLEIGH RIDES!

Basically as suspected Colorado has a zillion things to do- so hit Boulder, Denver, Aspen, and smaller areas to have fun during the day and be wined and dined at night.

California

CALIFORNIA

There is not one state that starts with the letter B, so it is on to California. My home sweet home. I am hesitant to post this because I know that I will forget something and people will feel that I did not do the state justice, but here I go with a bullet point overview of the state…

Starting in the North with Napa Valley, where everything that there is to do includes alcohol.

Spas and golfing prevail all over the valley where you can relax, get a facial and a mud bath, or hit a round before you head towards your romantic evening. From hot air balloon rides over the Napa valley and vineyards to limo wine tours, winery train rides, dinner cruises, and even bike and kayak tours there are plenty of romantic activities that end with drinking. Bike inside actual vineyards or after a hard day of kayaking be whisked away to what is deemed the best winery by your tour company.

For the non wine lovers you can of course still do bike tours, kayaking, and hot air balloon rides or you can enjoy some family fun with the Safari West Wildlife Preserve which is a 400 acre wildlife sanctuary that offers jeep tours and over 400 mammals and birds. You can even spend the night in a safari tent (don’t worry you aren’t sleeping with tigers this is a hotel room) or spring for a cottage.

Or if you prefer olives to grapes you can go on an olive oil tasting with Great Olive Tours in St. Helena or Round Pond in Rutherford.

The San Francisco Treat:

Obviously you have the big draws of the place—Coit Tower, The Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and Pier 39, but there also some smaller exciting places to visit such as the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park. If you have time check out Golden Gate Park in general, it is an amazing place, there are lots of little areas within the park including the Japanese tea garden where or course they serve tea, but they also have some beautiful plant life. Take some time and recharge your chi by sitting on a park bench in this divine little spot.

After getting your fill of Japan, move on to Chinatown. San Francisco has the second largest Chinatown in the country (second to New York). Going down random alleys in Chinatown may seem a bit sketchy at first but you can find great souvenirs, fresh cat fish, and hot steaming fresh fortune cookies. You cant go to Chinatown without stopping by Portsmouth square and Waverly place, which both give you the community feel. Next to Waverly is the music center where they have a large array of Asian instruments. Of course also in Waverly place are the Tien Hou Temple and the Norras Temple. Chinatown is really one of my favorite places in San Francisco and you can get great tea.

Ok so you cant stop by San Francisco and not get photos of the Cliff Houses on Ocean Beach and of course Lombard Street.

Move on to Haight-Ashbury where you can run across some great vintage shopping and visit scenes from the movie Milk, and lounge in Buena Vista Park. There are so many different districts within San Francisco to choose from, but the Haight just gives you that hippie feel.

Of course there is a ton more to do while in San Francisco so do some research on the best museums and cultural activities that will meet your needs so that you can spend a couple days in the city and don’t forget to ride the Cable Cars!

If you have some extra time in the Bay Area head over to Oakland. Every little kid loves Fairyland because it is where fairytales come alive. This old fashioned park is best for little kids who will enjoy riding the train, seeing a giant shoe, etc.

After letting the little ones get their fantasy fill from Fairyland, take the entire family for a day at Lake Chabot where there are lots of biking and hiking trails to choose from or hike through Redwood Park, which has just that Redwood Trees! If you don’t like to hike then you can head over to Preservation Park instead where you can look at architecture from the 19^th century, including one of the homes that has been turned into a museum

As you head South hit Yosemite National Park where you can camp, hike, see waterfalls, and conquer half dome. So much to do, so little time.

Santa Barbara/ Santa Monica/ Long Beach

There is no shortage of beaches along the California Coast, where from Eureka to San Diego you can find places to kayak, snorkel, and surf. What we also have along the coast line are Missions. Placed along the great El Camino Real, there are Catholic Missions placed by the Spanish when California was first being established.

While visiting Santa Barbara you can head over to Stearns Wharf where there are plenty f restaurants with ocean views. You can rent bikes, skates, etc and ride along the harbor. If being active on the beach is not your style you can go shopping on State Street or visit the Botanical Gardens, or simply dance the night away at one of the many night spots on State Street or if you didn’t get your fill of wine in Napa, there is wine country in Santa Barbara as well.

If Santa Monica is more your scene head over to the third street Promenade where there are 20 movie theatres, stores, restaurants, fortune tellers, street dancers, and more excitement. If you like the Promenade then you will also like Santa Monica pier which has a Pacific Amusement park and a wooden rollercoaster as well as shops and beach life. More fun for the entire family includes Angel’s attic is a cute little Victorian museum that has dolls and other collectibles displayed, but also offers high tea in the afternoons as well as the Magicoplois, a magic theatre that draws 150 people a night to the variety shows.

Yet another beach to make the list, Long Beach, which is known for their dinner cruises and Gondola rides, but also offers beauty such as the Earl Burns Japanese Garden and the Scorpion Submarine, a military museum which has the decommissioned Soviet submarine. Long Beach also has Shoreline Village which has shops, a waterfront boardwalk, live entertainment, and a carousel for the kids. If you are more than passing through you should spend the night at the Queen Mary, which is a ship turned into a hotel and museum.

Orange County/LA

Of course you cannot visit Orange County without going to Disney land and Universal Studios, but while in Orange County you should visit what I believe to be the prettiest beach – San Juan Capistrano. This peaceful (and less impacted) beach in California offers you beauty and serenity everyday. While in Capistrano take the kids over to the Zoomars petting zoo and bird park, where depending on the time of year you are there they also hold events or house special animals like reindeer.

When you get to the LA area, you will have to visit the Hollywood sign, I suggest running or hiking the mountain up to the sign where you can often see celebrities who often use the mountain for their daily run. I would also hit the Griffith Observatory, which amongst its numerous exhibits also has a state of the art planetarium. Something just as cool and exciting for the kids to see would be Watts Tower, which is made of scrap metal from bed frames, pipes, and even seashells. LA also has Exposition Park, which has a rose garden as well as other beautiful features.

Musuems up the wazoo exist in LA, including the amazing and worthwhile Getty as well as the heartwrenching, but definitely educational, LA also has various museums including the Holocaust Museum. After spending a day filled with education, you can shop, shop, and shop some more at the shops on Melrose, another place you may run into celebrities.

San Diego

San Diego is one of my favorite places in the world, and I have been spoiled enough to live there. One of the main reasons that it is my favorite place is because of the glorious Balboa Park which is home to 13 museums and a Japanese tea garden. You can buy a day pass and visit all 13 of them for about 30 bucks. Beautiful landscaping, old Spanish buildings, museums that change their exhibits regularly, and even an old lady who reads to the children in front of the old theatre, there is just something lovely and quaint about Balboa Park that you cannot help but love.

The best way to see San Diego, for those that have never been is to ride the Old Town Trolley. Start in Old town, which is just that a Spanish settlement that still has old fashioned candy stores and entertainment, this Trolley will take you all around San Diego including to Coronado Island (yes the same Hotel Del Coronado from Marilyn Monroe’s Some Like it Hot), the San Diego Zoo (totally worth it although not on the day you take the trolley since it is an all day adventure in itself), USS Midway, and Sea Harbor Village (which is where I like to spend my New Years Eve celebrating with dancing and fireworks).

If you prefer seeing all of San Diego from an up high view, you can take a hot air balloon ride, go skydiving in Chula Vista, or simply bike up to Mount Soledad, where you can literally on a clear day see to Mexico. You will also be able to see plenty of Beaches, including Belmont Park which has that beach boardwalk feel of shops, ice cream, food, arcade games, amusement rides including a rollercoaster, and bars and restaurants.

I know that there are 1000 more things to do in California. It is a wonderful state and no matter if you like beaches, mountains, snow, museums, zoos, botanical gardens, or anything else your heart may desire California has something for you.

Arkansas

Waterfalls up the wazoo: Little Missouri Falls, Cedar Falls, Haw Creek Falls, Natural Dam, Eden Falls. If you are looking for waterfall Arkansas is the place to be.

After looking at the natural falls look at some other wonders that exist throughout Arkansa—the caves. Literally underneath your feet are the limestone caves of the Ozarks. Some of the caves in Arkansas, such as the Old Spanish Treasure Cave let you experience spelunking at its best when you see not only glorious caves but underwater fossils.


You just explored the caves underneath and now you and the kids wish you had some treasure that you could take home with you. Head over to the city of Hot Springs, or any of the other diamond or crystal digging sites and test your luck. And yes, the city of Hot spring has just that, hot springs. These caves, waterfalls, hiking trails, and diamond mounds are all over the state, so no matter what city you are stopping in on, you will have plenty to do and plenty to see.

Of course while in Arkansas you must head over to the best known “big city” and spend the day in Little Rock where there are lots of art galleries and of course the Clinton Presidential Library, where you can see raccoon tracks from bandits who entered the building before it was finished and officially left their mark.

Arizona

Monument Valley (above)

Painted Desert (above)

Arizona

So you find yourself glancing out at the amazing Grand Canyon, thinking wow this has been a great day, but what in the world should I do for the other 3 days that I am supposed to spend in Arizona? Check out the places below:

Monument Valley is actually located within the Navajo Nation so you can get a guided jeep tour by a real Navajo member, who has grown up in the area, or you can buy artisan products while you are there.

Another Navajo monument, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, is a canyon with pueblo ruins that are very well preserved.

The Painted Desert is quite literally a desert that was painted by God. You can drive through it as you leave the Grand Canyon and drive to the Petrified Forest National Park. Volcanic lava destroyed this forest, but petrified wood made mostly of quartz now covers the area as well as remnants of prehistoric pottery.

If you have time, check out the Chiricahua National Monument which is an amazing park full of different volcanic rock formations. If you would rather skip the desert and see the water, you can head over to Lake Havasu, which has every water sport that you can imagine. If you have the extra cash you can rent a houseboat, take a hot air balloon ride, or spend the day at the golf course.

There are other various hiking trails, mountains, and monuments for hikers and rock climbers all over the state of Arizona. So if that is your cup of tea you can go pretty much anywhere in Arizona for a drink.

Then of course there is the Hoover Dam. There are some arguments over whether the Hoover dam is in Arizona or Nevada, but either way stop by this engineering marvel. This is an important part of US history, as during the Great Depression, thousands of people came to Black Canyon in order to build the Hoover Dam, named for the President.

PIT STOPS

Prima Air and Space Musuem in Tuscan has one of the largest air collections in the world. If you are into space, you should also check out the Kitt Peak National Optical Astronomy Observatory. This is still a working research station.

Heard Musuem in Phoenix has a huge collection of Native American art and also offers live perfomances of Native American cultural activities

The Borgata of Scottsdale is Arizona’s attempt at providing visitors a little bit of Italy in the middle of the desert. Lots of shopping, restaurants, and art galleries this is a nice pitstop if you are driving through the Scottsdale area.

So although Arizona may not be the most exciting state in the union, there are definitely plenty things to do if you are the outdoorsy type.

Alabama

ALABAMA

You don't typically think of Alabama as being on your must visit list, but this state has mountains, rivers, canyons, and TONS of history.

Civil Rights:

A trip to Alabama would not be complete if you did not stop in to learn about the Civil Rights History of the state.

For the History Buff: Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail.

Like old historic towns? Then make sure to stop by the Old Town Depot in Selma. Stop in an remember life during the 19th century with Civil War artifacts and photos from famous confederate generals, governors, presidents, etc. The goal of the Museum is to compile all of the local history of Selma into one place. If you are a Civil War buff, you may also want to hit the Slavery and Civil War Musuem of Selma.

Next stop, head over to the National Voting Rights Museum which examines the Civil Rights struggle of voting rights for African-Americans. The Museum will be sure to mention the Brown Chapel, also located in Selma where Martin Luther King, Jr. started marches toward Montgomery. If you drive (or in solidarity, walk) the national historic trail from Selma to Montgomery, your path will lead you to Edmund Pettus Bridge where marchers were brutally attacked by police officers during the march.

Once your walk or drive gets you to Montgomery end your Civil Rights tour by stopping by the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Church, where Martin Luther King, Jr. once preached and the Rosa Parks Museum.

Don't forget that there are other things to do in Montgomery besides hit the famous Civil Rights spots; you can visit the first White House of the Confederacy or head over to the Orderman-Shaw Historic District, which depicts life in the 1850's as well as various Victorian buildings. Here they have set up an Old Alabama Town with a carriage house, a drugstore museum, a cotton gin museum, a print shop, a country store, a doctor’s office and more.

Wanting to jump ahead to the roaring 20s, you can stop by the F. Scott & Zelda Fitzgerald Museum, where will see the author’s home and personal artifacts, paintings, letters, and photographs.


For the Outdoors-ie type.

One great thing about Alabama is the Scenic Alabama River. From Montgomery you can head over to the Fort Toulous-Jackson Park National Historic Landmark, where the Cosa and Tallapoosa rivers meet you also find a site of ancient Indian mounds. The park has a boat ramp, nature trails, picnic areas, a museum, and camping. You can organize various trips to paddle down the river.

Mixing History and the Outdoors: Horseshoe Bend National Park --

Go back in time by hiking across the Horseshoe Bend National Park where in March of 1814, after hiking 52 miles over 3 days, General Andrew Jackson's army ran into the Creek Indians. Many battles, including this one made Jackson famous and led to his election as President of the US. The park hosts various events where they reinact old war-time scenarios. For those not so interested in the history part, the park has biking, hiking, boating, fishing, and horseback riding.

Little River Canyon National Preserve -- Waterfalls, canyons, sandstone cliffs. Not to be missed national park.

This national park has so many different look outs and they all seem to be AMAZING. If you make your way to Alabama, hike through the same places that General Rosecrans' troops carried supplies through the south in 1863. The entire south is lined with US history, but this place hits two bird with one stone-- history and gorgeous scenery. Waterfalls, canyons, cliffs, and more make this a worthy stop for any traveler.

Noccalulu Falls Park: Frankly you have to love anyplace that has mountains, botanical gardens, nature trails, a train ride, and a petting zoo-- What is not to love?

Pit Stops:

The Ave Maria Grotto is Alabama's only Benedictine Abbey. This four-acre park has 125 miniature reproductions of some of the most famous historic buildings and shrines of the world.

Indian Mound and Museum of Russell Cave has over 7 miles of mapped underwold passageways. Discover newfound species of scorpions, or visit during Native American events.

Alabama Museum of Natural History has not only dinosaur bones but the only meteorite known to have struck a human!

Blakeley Historic State park where 20,000 men fought a fierce battle on April 9 1865 because they were unaware that the Civil war had ended hours earlier.


I am sure that there is much, much more in the state of Alabama -- Native American sites, Civil War reinactments, beautiful national parks, and jazz are all parts of their complete and exciting history. There is definitely plenty to do in Alabama.

The Point of It all

I love to travel and when I book my tickets it is usually for an international flight. Talking to my co-workers I realized that there are so many places in the USA that are hidden treasures. This site, although featuring places that I visit internationally, will focus on places throughout the U.S. that are along the road less traveled. Therefore I will only address the Continental US, since we all seem to already know how exciting Alaska and Hawaii are.

They won't all be posted at once. Instead I plan on going state by state alphabetically adding one per week for a year. Just stick with me and soon we will have a full list of the most exciting places in the US.

I do not claim to have visited all of these places--most likely I have not been to most of them. Simply I am working to compile a list, for myself and for others, of "the places you should go".