Mesa and Phoenix: Markets, Food Trucks and The Apache Trail
We always have fun throwing out the phrase "we get around" but while staying in Mesa, Arizona we definitly lived up to the self proclaimed reputation.
This was one of those places we drove so much we almost proclaimed ourselves offical car tourist too! Ok, maybe that's an exaggeration, but we were super happy to have our 40mpg car! Mesa is just a short drive from the Superstition Mountains, downtown Phoenix and the famous Apache Trail. We visited all of them and everything in between.
The Painted Desert: where rocks morph into fiery colors
The Painted Desert is a vast rocky badlands alongside historic Route 66 that stretches from Arizona’s Grand Canyon to the Petrified Forest. Funny little tidbit: The Painted Desert isn't a desert at all; it’s actually the largest intact Grassland in the Southwest.
We had no idea the Painted Desert covered such a wide area and we weren't sure what to expect from this national park. The park receives little to no recognition, or visitors, in comparison to its neighbor the Grand Canyon, and to be perfectly honest we weren't convinced it was worth freezing our butts off (it was 20 degrees) or the drive.
Petrified Forest: The Land of Dinosaurs
Exploring Walnut Canyon’s Ancient Cliff Dwellings
On our way to the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert here in Arizona, we noticed another little patch of green on the map...Walnut Canyon National Monument.
We just renewed our America the Beautiful pass and as a general rule, we don’t pass up a green spot on a map unless it’s crazy out of the way.
Gettin High – Acadia From Above
Acadia National Park just outside of Bar Harbor, Maine is a stunningly beautiful area. But let’s be frank (and I don’t mean hot dogs), you can only hike so much before your feet are ready to fall off. So, we made the reasonable decision to give our feet a break and send our adventurous soles for an exploration of Acadia from above! We are always on the hunt for something unique, trilling and sometimes slightly dangerous. And this was definitely a unique experience! Our pilots were incredibly friendly and we had some very cool planes to choose from. I like having options, especially when it comes to my feet leaving the ground!
Bar Harbor Maine to Hampton Beach New Hampshire
July 11-14 2012 Heading out of Maine As we head out of the Bar Harbor area and towards New Hampshire we come to a sign that says, “Fort Knox”. We looked at each other very confused and say, “I didn’t think Fort Knox was in Maine?” So, we turned in and decided we should go check it out. After all, what’s a road trip good for if you don’t discover something new along the way! First thing we notice is how open it is…not exactly locked down like Fort Knox. Come to find out, this is the first Fort Knox but not the one with all of the gold….dang; we could have tried out our Bonnie and Clyde skills! The Fort Knox with the gold is in Kentucky. This Fort Knox is on the Penobscot River in Prospect, Maine and is known for its architectural features and its history with cannon batteries. [gallery layout="lightbox" columns="2" ids="3184,3181"]
