Living on Florida’s Space Coast, you’re either wowed by rocket launches or take them as a matter of course. I’m new enough to be wowed by living on the edge of space and being part of a family who worked on the space program.
Destinations
Follow in our footsteps: inspiration for your exploration. This section covers destinations big and small, including multi-stop itineraries.
Island Triathlon on Half Moon Cay
While cruising the Caribbean on the Nieuw Amsterdam, our first port of call was the private island of the Holland America Line, Half Moon Cay. It was an ideal day for an island triathlon: bike, paddle, and sail.
Men, Mining, and Mineral Point
Preservation of the rich mining history of Mineral Point, Wisconsin, traces its roots to a couple who decided to restore miners’ cottages by opening a restaurant called Pendarvis.
The Pint-sized Ponces of Punta Gorda
Ponce de Leon, it seems, was a short fellow. In Punta Gorda, Florida, you’ll find pint-sized statues, murals, and even the Fountain of Youth to recollect his 1513 visit to Charlotte Harbor.
Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello
President Thomas Jefferson’s Virginia home and plantation of Monticello offers a glimpse into the early life of our country, and his role as a Founding Father of the United States.
On a Mission with Space Shuttle Atlantis
Thirty years. Six spacecraft. 135 missions. Learn the rich history of the Space Shuttle program inside Space Shuttle Atlantis, a compelling exhibit space at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, with its primary focus the orbiter Atlantis.
Winter at Orlando Wetlands Park
Winter is the best time to visit Orlando Wetlands Park, a prime birding destination located along SR 50 between Orlando and Titusville in the small town of Christmas.
Finding Peace in a Garden
On a June trip to Duluth, the surprise discovery of a garden hidden in the woods along the Superior Hiking Trail at Enger Tower helped ease the pain of losing a loved one.
Minnesota’s River of Waterfalls
Where its namesake river drops 900 feet in three miles, Minnesota’s Cascade River State Park is a dramatic place to take a deeply wooded hike along Lake Superior’s North Shore.
Backpacking Isle Royale National Park
What’s the best way to see Isle Royale National Park, the least visited and most remote National Park in the continental United States? Explore its rocky ridges and dense woods by backpacking across it.
Hiking Roots
No stronger sense of place shaped my life and my future than the setting of my childhood home. On our recent trip to the ALDHA Gathering, I walked the Appalachian Trail of my youth to seek out memories.
Auto Know Lake City
It takes a real car guy to find these offbeat treasure troves of auto-related antiques scattered around the quiet little city of Lake City in North Florida.
