In recent years, the tiny town of Moab, Utah has transitioned from a sleepy desert town into a booming tourist destination that attracts travelers from all over the world who wish to bask in Utah’s stark beauty. Moab may host increasingly large crowds, but there are still a few corners of serene beauty that are…
In 1892, the fledgling town of Mitchell, South Dakota wanted to showcase its fertile soil. In an effort to attract visitors and permeant residents, the powers that be in Mitchell constructed a small wooden Corn Palace to highlight the region’s corn production. In the Great Plains, grain palaces were all the rage in the late…
The interior of Sloup Castle is fairly rustic, but the towering exterior is without a doubt one of the most striking castles in all of Europe. Located in the Czech Republic, Sloup Castle—which means “column” in Czech—is carved directly into a rugged slab of sandstone that stands over 100 feet tall. The placid reflection of…
In the 19th and 2oth century, the rugged and beautiful land where Bear Rocks Preserve now stands was the site of unchecked logging and cattle grazing. Over time, a mighty red spruce and hemlock forest diminished until only a few scrawny red spruce trees remained. Thankfully, conservationists in West Virginia recognized the splendor of Bear…
Daniel Boone National Forest is one of the state of Kentucky‘s most beloved destinations. Spanning 21 counties, Daniel Boone National Forest is home to cascading waterfalls, picturesque natural arches, and pristine lakes. There are even a few quirky roadside attractions in the mix. No trip to Kentucky is complete without a detour to explore the…
Walter Inglis Anderson was a reclusive New Orleans-born artist who spent most of his life in Mississippi. In the mid-1940s, Anderson became enamored with a small island on the Mississippi Gulf Coast called Horn Island. Anderson risked his life on countless occasions to travel to Horn Island in a small boat to paint colorful portraits…
Scottish artist Andy Goldsworthy has always been proud of the fact that he uses salvaged natural materials to create artwork that will ultimately decay and become one with the earth from which it was salvaged. In 2010, Goldsworthy gathered fallen trees in a gorgeous park known as the Presidio of San Francisco to create a…
In the late 1700s, writer Daniel Defoe wrote a fictional story about an English adventurer named Robinson Crusoe who ended up shipwrecked on a remote island. Crusoe befriended animals, fought off cannibals, and built a small island sanctuary for himself using foraged tools. Robinson Crusoe was such a smash hit that the name of the…
