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Krystina Castella
Catalina Island
Read On!
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Krystina Castella
Catalina Island
A quick escape from the mainland
Krystina Castella
Catalina Island, accessible by ferry off the coast, is known for its natural beauty and boating, with opportunities for sailing, kayaking, and
Featured
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Krystina Castella
Murals of New Orleans
Krystina Castella
We arrived in New Orleans on a cold overcast day and stumbled upon an explosion of color. Art expressing the history, culture and people of the community. Publicly funded murals, sanctioned street art and graffiti are ...
Photo:
Krystina Castella
Carlsbad Caverns
Bats, Caves and Speleothems
Krystina Castella
In a midst of a landscape covered with flaming oil rigs just below the surface of the Chihuahuan Desert are more than 119 caves—formed when sulfuric acid carved the limestone underground
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Krystina Castella
Springview, Nebraska
The Good Life
Krystina Castella
While on a road trip have you ever passed through a small town and get the feeling to stop? In Springville, it was the subtle clues, a zebra painted house and the nearby retro gas station that lured us ...
Photo:
Krystina Castella
Joshua Tree National Park
Coachella Valley, California
Krystina Castella
Drive only 60 miles north of Palm Springs or 130 miles east of Los Angeles and you will find the dramatic deserts landscape of Joshua Tree National Park. Its unique placement in the Coachella Valley showcases ...
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Krystina Castella
San Antonio, Texas
Riverwalk, The Alamo and Country Music
Krystina Castella
San Antonio, Texas, offers a diverse range of experiences including the iconic Riverwalk, the historic Alamo, and its lively country music scene. The San Antonio Riverwalk, or Paseo del Río, is a network of walkways along ...
Photo:
Brian Boyl
Durango, Colorado
Trains meet outdoor adventures
Krystina Castella
Durango, Colorado was one of those places we just passed through. On our way from Los Angeles to Santa Fe traveling parts of the Old Spanish trails that are now roads and freeways. A stopping point for gas on our way to the mining towns of Silverton or Ouray. Near our special campsite at the cliff dwellings of ...
Nature
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Krystina Castella
Death Valley National Park
Embrace the Desert Silence
Krystina Castella
Despite its morbid name, if you love the quiet of the desert Death Valley is a lively place to visit. In fact, it is one of the most naturally quiet places in the continental United States. The Largest National Park outside of Alaska, it offers 5300 square miles of open space and dramatic ...
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Krystina Castella
Freshkills Park
Staten Island, New York
Krystina Castella
Freshkills Park, located on Staten Island, New York, represents one of the most transformative environmental projects in the world. Once the site of the world’s largest landfill, Freshkills is ...
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Krystina Castella
Savannah's Parks & Waterways
Put on your walking shoes
Krystina Castella
Savannah is a great walking town. A stroll around will take you to twenty-two ecological diverse neighborhood parks and ...
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Krystina Castella
Yosemite National Park
Embrace diversity in the Valley
Krystina Castella
No matter how many times we have visited we are always in awe of Yosemite National Park. When arriving from State Highway 41 the first sweeping expanse of the views of the valley is glimpsed from Tunnel View Overlook. Here you will see ...
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Krystina Castella
Assateague National Seashore
It is all about the Horses!
Krystina Castella
If you’ve ever wanted to spend the day sitting on the beach watching herds of wild horses play in the waves Assateague National Seashore is ...
Photo:
Brian Boyl
Zion National Park
Southwestern Utah
Krystina Castella
Zion National Park is an expansive natural playground located in southwestern Utah, characterized by high plateaus, deep sandstone canyons, and rock formations. The park covers ...
Play
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Krystina Castella
Lakeshore Bike Trail
Chicago, Illinois
Krystina Castella
Upon arrival in Chicago on a sunny summer afternoon, we experienced the city at its best. Driving up along Lakeshore Drive we saw residents pour out of their apartments to enjoy the beautiful ...
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Krystina Castella
Children’s Garden, Huntington
Pasadena, California
Krystina Castella
If you find yourself in Pasadena on a warm day with children under seven treat yourself to the enchanted environment of the Children’s Garden at the Huntington.Enter through a tiny blue door into a whimsical landscape to ...
Photo:
Brian Boyl
Gooseberry Mesa
Slickrock mountain biking
Krystina Castella
Over 20 years ago we walked into the only bike shop in Springdale, Utah, an undeveloped town, right outside of Zion National Park. We asked if there was any good biking around. The owner told us that recently some guys went up to the top of the mesa a few miles away and painted dots on the slickrock and made bike paths. It sounded ...
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Krystina Castella
James Island County Park
James Island, South Carolina
Krystina Castella
For a recreational vacation head right outside of Charleston and visit James Island County Park. It offers camping, open meadows, fishing, crabbing and miles of paved trails for walking, biking ...
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Krystina Castella
Adventure Playgrounds
A history and a visit
Krystina Castella
Adventure playgrounds offer unrestricted play in either natural or junk environments, and kids explore and invent with found materials. Today they are growing in popularity in the United States due to modern parent’s awareness of ...
Photo:
Brian Boyl
Millennium & Maggie Daley
A Day of Play, Chicago
Krystina Castella
Millennium Park and nearby Maggie Daley Park are two public spaces in Chicago where the whole day can be filled with play. At these parks locals ...
Art & Design
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Krystina Castella
Murals of New Orleans
Krystina Castella
We arrived in New Orleans on a cold overcast day and stumbled upon an explosion of color. Art expressing the history, culture and people of the community. Publicly funded murals, sanctioned street art and graffiti are ...
Photo:
Krystina Castella
Murals of Cincinnati
If walls could speak
Krystina Castella
Cincinnati is a city in transformation that cares about the community through investing in art! It is home to a vibrant collection of ...
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Krystina Castella
Columbus, Indiana
Prairie modernism and more
Krystina Castella
Arriving on a Sunday a few hours before sunset Columbus, Indiana was as sleepy as any small town could be. The visitor’s center, small shops, restaurants and churches ...
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Krystina Castella
Barn Quilts
Folk Art of America’s Heartland
Krystina Castella
If you are looking for an excuse for a road trip head out to discover the grassroots movement of barn quilts. A form of American folk art barn quilts are painted wood or metal squares that ...
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Krystina Castella
Shotgun Houses
The colorful vibe of a community
Krystina Castella
Shotgun Houses, the iconic, colorful homes scattered throughout the American South stand out in New Orleans because of the overt personalization. Through color ...
Photo:
Brian Boyl
Seven Magic Mountains
Contrast of Nature and Culture
Krystina Castella
When driving on Interstate 15, just south of Las Vegas, Nevada be sure to stop at Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone’s land art piece Seven Magic Mountains. At about 35 feet tall the massive sculpture consists of thirty-three boulders ...
Cities & Towns
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Krystina Castella
Charleston, South Carolina
Get lost in Southern Charm
Krystina Castella
Our first impression of Charleston, South Carolina was that this is a city that understands its quaint beauty. Although the Charleston ...
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Krystina Castella
Las Vegas
An Oasis in the Desert
Krystina Castella
After weeks of camping and living in dirt showing up with a mud-covered SUV to the glitz, lights and artificial environments of Vegas is just what we need. In nature ...
Photo:
Brian Boyl
Durango, Colorado
Trains meet outdoor adventures
Krystina Castella
Durango, Colorado was one of those places we just passed through. On our way from Los Angeles to Santa Fe traveling parts of the Old Spanish trails that are now roads and freeways. A stopping point for gas on our way to the mining towns of Silverton or Ouray. Near our special campsite at the cliff dwellings of ...
Photo:
Krystina Castella
San Antonio, Texas
Riverwalk, The Alamo and Country Music
Krystina Castella
San Antonio, Texas, offers a diverse range of experiences including the iconic Riverwalk, the historic Alamo, and its lively country music scene. The San Antonio Riverwalk, or Paseo del Río, is a network of walkways along ...
Photo:
Krystina Castella
Tallahassee, Florida
Pizza and the creative spirit
Krystina Castella
After an unproductive alligator search we crossed into the Florida’s Big Bend looking for good pizza. We imagined that in Tallahassee, a college town with over 70,000 students ...
Photo:
Krystina Castella
Springview, Nebraska
The Good Life
Krystina Castella
While on a road trip have you ever passed through a small town and get the feeling to stop? In Springville, it was the subtle clues, a zebra painted house and the nearby retro gas station that lured us ...
Roadside Attractions
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Krystina Castella
Carhenge: Alliance, Nebraska
Stumble upon a roadside treasure
Krystina Castella
When driving through Nebraska on Highway 87 the hours can pass by slowly as corn and hay dominate the landscape. However, just outside of ...
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Krystina Castella
Scotts Bluff National Monument
Gering, Nebraska
Krystina Castella
As the great plains give way to the foothills of the Rockies along the North Platte River, the first outcroppings of the foothills are a set of bluffs in Western Nebraska called Scotts Bluff. Named after a fur trader ...
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Krystina Castella
Blue Ridge Parkway
The Appalachian Mountains
Krystina Castella
Driving the Blue Ridge Parkway is a journey through the natural and cultural heritage of the Appalachian Mountains. The road stretches 469 miles from Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina with many ...
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Krystina Castella
Wall Drug
South Dakota's Free Ice Water
Krystina Castella
Wall Drug, located in Wall, South Dakota, is a roadside attraction that has captivated travelers for decades. Originally a small pharmacy, it has grown into a sprawling complex featuring, shops, restaurants ...
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Krystina Castella
Chairy Orchard
A Landscape of Chairs
Krystina Castella
It was one of those rainy-day drives where we were constantly questioning if we should pull over to the side of the road because the rain was coming down so hard. In times like these we typically do a search on attractions near me which happened to be Denton, Texas- just outside of Dallas. That is how we found the Chairy Orchard surfacing right to the #1 spot. We had no idea what it was, but it was something to do for a bit until the rain let up. We were puzzled by...
Photo:
Brian Boyl
Randyland
The most colorful spot in Pittsburg
Krystina Castella
Randyland is the creation of eccentric folk artist, Randy Gilson. Gilson had an idea to transform his home in the Mexican War Streets neighborhood of Pittsburgh's ...
Articles
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Krystina Castella
American Flags
Expression of our National Identity
Krystina Castella
One thing American’s have in common is the symbol of the American flag. As our national symbol of identity to each person or group it offers diverse and complex ...
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Krystina Castella
State Welcome Signs
First Impressions
Krystina Castella
First impressions mean everything. That is how I feel about Gateway Signs more commonly known as State Welcome Signs. The approach to a sign, the design ...
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Krystina Castella
Florida Love
Favorites of the Sunshine State
Krystina Castella
Florida and California (where we live) have many commonalities. We both have oranges, palm trees, beautiful and sunny warm weather in winter. However, there are many differences that draw us back to visit Florida ...
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Krystina Castella
Campground Christmas
A Summertime Celebration
Krystina Castella
Celebrating Christmas is merry. The decorating, the music, the sweets. A full month of diversion from the everyday filled with the excitement of the season. But in July? While camping? To our surprise Christmas was uncovered at Ledges State Park in Iowa. From the park’s name we expected sandstone rock ledges, a flowing creek and lush trees nestled...
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Krystina Castella
The Staten Island Ferry
A NYC favorite
Krystina Castella
Some people love trains, other cars or planes. My adoration is for the Staten Island Ferry. Having grown up on Staten Island the ferry connected ...
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Krystina Castella
Ice Cream Trucks
The taste of summer
Krystina Castella
Before I saw the truck I heard the jingle off in the distance. I knew the melody well-The Entertainer. Once in sight it was hard to miss. A brightly colored truck ...
