Author: Chris

In the early days of July 1863, the Union and Confederate armies were engaged in two major battles simultaneously. General Lee had invaded southcentral Pennsylvania and was engaging the Union army at the small...

Nestled in the Ouachita Mountains about 50 miles southwest of Little Rock, Arkansas is a place where humans have been coming for centuries to experience the healing powers of natural hot springs. Within a...

Hidden beneath the surface of the Chihuahuan Desert in New Mexico’s Guadalupe Mountains is one of the natural wonders of the world. Carlsbad Caverns National Park is one of the most extensive cave systems...

Located in the Tularosa Basin of southern New Mexico, dazzling white sand dunes cover 275 square miles in the Chihuahuan Desert. These are the largest gypsum dunes in the world and White Sands National...

The saguaro (suh-waa-row) cactus is the enduring symbols of the West with its arms reaching towards the blue sky. Following the capture of Geronimo to the U.S. military in 1886, people began settling in...

Lake Pleasant Regional Park My first stop in Arizona was at Lake Pleasant Reginal Park. Located just north of Phoenix, the scenic Lake Pleasant is a key reservoir bringing water from the Lower Colorado...

Doheny State Beach My first stop on the California coast was just after Christmas when I visited Doheny State Beach. Located in the Orange County community of Dana Point, this was the first state...

As I head out on my 2025 Expedition, I thought it might be fun to share some of those plans with all of you. I’ve been planning my 2025 road trip for about 9...

Valley of Fire is located about 45 minutes northeast of Las Vegas and is Neveda’s largest state park. The geological wonderland became known as “Valley of Fire” in the 1920s after gaining popularity with...