Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is located in the San Luis Valley in southern Colorado. The dunes are up to 750 feet tall, making them the tallest sand dunes in North America. The Southern Ute Tribe occupied the area, as well as the Apaches and the Navajo.
Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a large sculpture carved into the granite face of a mountain in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, created it between 1927 and 1941 with the help of over 400 workers. It features George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. These presidents were chosen … More Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorials, South Dakota
Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota was established in 1903 by President Theodore Roosevelt. Although we were unable to see the caves, we did drive through the park and admire the rolling hills and numerous bison along the way. The park protects the country’s largest remaining natural mixed-grass prairie. The park is named for … More Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota
Badlands National Park protects a Martian-like landscape in South Dakota, composed of pinnacles, buttes, and prairie. The National Park Service manages the northern unit and the Oglala Lakota tribe comanages the southern unit of the park with the NPS. The Wounded Knee Massacre took place just outside of the park on December 29, 1890, where … More Badlands National Park, South Dakota
Theodore Roosevelt National Park protects three areas of badlands in western North Dakota. The Little Missouri River flows through the park where prairie dogs tunnel through hills and bison roam. Roosevelt first came to this region to hunt bison in the 1880’s and later bought the Maltese Cross Ranch. He later bought the Elkhorn Ranch … More Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota
Quarantine life on the farm in Montana consists of an eclectic mix of fire stoking, cooking, reading, puzzling, and walks in the field. This downtime is much needed and has been a kind of reset button for us. Although there is the incredible disappointment of cancelled travel plans and a lot of unknowns about what … More Quarantine Life in the Montana Cabin Home
Two days before we left the Maldives for our Egypt, Jordan, and Israel group trip, Israel closed its borders. In a frenzy, we called Intrepid (our tour company) to inquire about the rest of the trip. We were reassured that the Egypt and Jordan part of our trip would still go according to plan. So, … More Cairo, Egypt
The Maldives are a collection of islands in the Indian Ocean. It is a chain of 26 atolls, which are ring shaped islands or reefs made of coral that formed from prehistoric volcanoes that are now extinct. The coral grew on the volcanic rims and formed barrier reefs, allowing calm and shallow lagoons to form … More Dhiffushi, Maldives
Anuradhapura was the home of the longest continuous kingdom in the world, lasting 1400 years with 189 successive kings. It is home to three Buddhist monasteries of over 5000 monks each, and the most sacred Bodhi tree in Sri Lanka. We did a bike tour around the large archaeological site. The first stupa we visited … More Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka
Dambulla Cave Temple is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. One of the ancient kings hid at the site for 14 years around the 1st century BC. A monk helped him hide while he trained people to fight to regain his throne. He offered the temple to the monk in thanks for his service. There … More Dambulla Cave Temple, Sri Lanka