The Pine Tree State

Another place in the United States that grabs my attention is the state of Maine. From looking at photos, the scenery seems just gorgeous. Maine has both ocean and mountain landscapes. Visitors can view lighthouses, historic sites, and wildlife in rustic nature. Maine offers cruises, hiking, canoeing, hot-air balloon rides, and museums to its tourists. A famous historic place to visit in this state in the home of the accomplished writer Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Also, more remaining forts exist in Maine than anywhere else in America. However, what appeals to me is observing the wildlife as well as the scenery. Here in Maine, one can see moose, seals, fox, whales, deer, black bears, and many kinds of birds such as: bald eagles, puffins, and blue heron. If you love bird-watching, Maine is the place to go. For those who enjoy remaining active, Maine offers ATV rides, hunting, hiking, boating, bicycling, fishing, golfing, camping, and more. Then, of course, there are winter activities such as: sledding, snowmobiling, skiing, ice skating, and dog sledding. These are great ways to enjoy nature with your family and friends.

Let us turn now to the national and state parks! The most famous park in Maine is Acadia National Park which has thirty thousand acres of inspiring landscapes. Other popular parks are Baxter State Park, Allagash Wilderness Waterway, one end of the Appalachian Trail, and White Mountains National Forest. Yes, Maine would be so beautiful to see! Just researching about these places makes me excited. Maine also proves that America is a beautiful country.

http://www.visitmaine.com/attractions/

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.destination360.com/north-america/us/maine/images/s/biking.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.destination360.com/north-america/us/maine/biking&usg=__dfLpO237n_wGopXOHlDoqvzZyPI=&h=332&w=415&sz=97&hl=en&start=10&zoom=1&tbnid=Clu3f2dAm_dAkM:&tbnh=124&tbnw=155&ei=pending&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmaine%2Bscenery%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1T4ACAW_enUS389US397%26biw%3D1020%26bih%3D420%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C463&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=597&vpy=74&dur=1045&hovh=201&hovw=251&tx=82&ty=102&oei=dJJETfyMO4GClAei7eXvDw&esq=2&page=2&ndsp=10&ved=1t:429,r:8,s:10&biw=1020&bih=420

GET IT OFF!

“MOM!” I heard this screeching voice of my five year old brother as he ran for his life down the road toward our rented pop-up camper. He was out of breath when he reached her, and somehow from his frantic, crying words she understood what had happened to him.

This occurred in Kentucky during our first camping experience. In one way, the experience was shocking to us kids. Each inch on every wall of the restroom was covered with insects; as a child, this was quite disturbing. Some insects were large, and some had interesting stripes on their bodies and long legs and antennae. We often teased my little brother for yelling, “No – NO – get away; get away!” while he was using the restroom. A day or two later, both my brothers were walking back from the restroom when my younger brother felt something on his back. He anxiously asked my older brother if it was a “bug,” and it was! It was a “big” one! My little brother took off down the road screaming for Mom to "get it off!" I can still visualize him running as fast as his little legs could take him. His head was back. His arms were pumping. His mouth was wide open, but by the time he reached Mom the “bug” was gone. It probably was more scared than my brother was. This was the start of my family's many camping memories.

Here in Kentucky we visited Mammoth Cave, Fort Boonesborough, Natural Bridges State Resort Park, and the tiny cabin where Abraham Lincoln was born. These experiences were the first in many more to come.

One of the Most Amazing Sights in the World

One of the most famous sites in the entire country – and the world – is the Grand Canyon in northwest Arizona, but somehow our family never planned a visit there. It is one of the top seven natural wonders of the world alongside Mount Everest, Victoria Falls, the Great Barrier Reef, and others. According to the National Park Service, approximately five million people from around the world visit this breath-taking scene every year.

The area of the Grand Canyon was inhabited by Native Indians but was discovered by Spanish explorers in the sixteenth century. It is eighteen miles wide, two hundred seventy seven miles long, and one mile deep! The Colorado River runs through the canyon. Some believe this river formed the canyon by erosion over large amounts of time; however, this is not accurate according to what God says in the Bible.

The view from the rim of the canyon is an amazing sight, but the more daring sightseers hike down paths that lead to the very bottom. Some see the inside of the canyon while on horseback, while others enjoy rafting through the base of the canyon on the Colorado River. Pictures of this place are awe-inspiring, but to see this sight for your own would be amazing. The Grand Canyon would be quite a change of scenery from the flat land of Ohio and southern Michigan that I am familiar with. This planet Earth we call home is simply beautiful, and the Grand Canyon proves that point.

http://www.bobspixels.com/kaibab.org/misc/gc_7wond.htm

http://books.google.com/books?id=zFARvsnCLhgC&printsec=frontcover&dq=grand+canyon+national+park&hl=en&ei=G-BBTdmfDIOglAfyjYHwDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CEgQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/index.htm

http://books.google.com/books?id=ZSmJ4Fed0r0C&printsec=frontcover&dq=grand+canyon+national+park&hl=en&ei=9OdBTeXvIIOKlwfQxZDlDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CFcQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q&f=false

INTRODUCTION

In this blog, I shall be discussing both my own experiences when traveling the United States and other popular sights that I hope to see one day.  My years as an elementary age child brings back many memories I spent with my family of six as we drove back and forth across the beautiful United States.  I am hoping this will encourage you to have an adventure of your own, to reminisce about your own travels, or to possibly share thoughts with me about the similar places we have visited.  I will surely enjoy describing the majestic nature of America, and I hope you will enjoy it too. 


I am one of four children, and we have grown up in the Mid West with our parents.  Every summer from the age of seven to eleven, my family would prepare for our vacation which was never less than two and one half weeks long.  After I was eleven, we only inserted short excursions to historical sites while we visited relatives, except when we traveled to Michigan's Upper Peninsula when I was thirteen.  Whether we drove to the West or the East we stopped to visit our spread-out family along the way.  Our parents have taken us to Fort Boonesborough in Kentucky, Mammoth Cave, Pike's Peak, Rocky Mountain National Park, Chimney Rock, Plymouth, Cape Cod, Virginia Beach, Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Mount Rushmore, De Smet  in South Dakota, Devil's Tower, Gettysburg, Washington D.C., Smoky Mountain National Park, Mount Vernon, the Statue of Liberty, Philadelphia, Ellis Island, Valley Forge, and my personal favorite, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on the grand shores of Lake Superior.  May this blog stir your imagination and cause you to appreciate more fully the land we call home.