Rancho Guejito is a 23,000 acre vineyard, farm and cattle ranch, located just a few miles past the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. It is one of the last remaining Mexican land grants that is still a single parcel of land. Originally 13,000 acres were granted by the Mexican governor to the owner, Customs Inspector …
The San Diego Zoo takes up 100 acres of Balboa Park, 6.5 of those acres are dedicated to the Elephant Odyssey exhibit. The first elephants to arrive in San Diego came by rail in 1923. After the boat ride from Asia to San Francisco followed by a train ride to San Diego they refused to …
The Western Science Center was created from the excavation of Diamond Valley Lake reservoir in 1995. At that time the reservoir was North America’s largest excavation project. This project led to the discovery of over 100,000 fossils. It makes you wonder what scientists would find if they just kept digging. More than half of all …
Something I noticed about our Southern trip, something that I have never in my life experienced before while traveling, was how surprised people were that we were going to the south, that this was our final destination. It started before our trip, people would question where we were going. If I said with a huge …
We have completed our southern circuit, returning to Houston to fly home. When I hear ‘Houston’, the first thing I think of is the famous words, “Houston, we’ve had a problem” (often erroneously quoted). Since we are already here, visiting the Houston Space Center became part of our itinerary, our last activity before escaping this …
Oakland Plantation is one of two plantations that make up the Cane River Creole National Historical Park. Located thirteen miles from each other, we focused on the larger of the two, where seventeen original buildings remain. The original owner of Oakland Plantation received a Spanish land grant in 1785. Descendants of slaves forced to work …
Natchitoches (pronounced nack-a-tish) is Louisiana’s oldest city, the oldest settlement in the land acquired by the Lousiana Purchase. Established in 1714, there are over 200 structures in the city’s historic district, on both sides of the Cane River, listed on the National Registrar of Historic Places. Ornate wrought iron benches line the banks of the …
Garvan Woodland Gardens is the botanical garden of the University of Arkansas, a gift from a local philanthropist who hand selected every specimen planted here over a period of 40 years. The 210 acre garden sits on a woodland peninsula, almost completely enveloped by the Ouachita River. The towering pines provide shade to those exploring …
Lake Ouachita (pronounced wash-ah-taw) is Arkansas’ largest lake completely in the state. It has 690 miles of shoreline, all of which are surrounded by the Ouachita National Forest. It is supposed to be one of the cleanest lakes in the nation. Fishing, boating, skiing, swimming, kayaking, camping on some of the 200 lake islands aren’t …
Hot Springs National Park is difficult to explain. It is a National Park but is completely accessible. According to the rangers on site, it is the oldest National Park, developed in 1832, before the National Park system was established. Superior Bathhouse is the only brewery in the world whose primary ingredient is thermal water. It …
The Memphis Pyramid is located on the banks of the Mississippi. It was built as a 20,000 seat arena (becoming the tenth largest pyramid in the world) but over time, for various reasons, has become a Bass Pro Shops megastore. It has an archery range, a bowling alley, a shooting range, laser arcade, 600,000 gallons …
A trip to the south wouldn’t be complete without a paddlewheel boat ride down the Mississippi River. The Mississippi is second longest river in North America; it takes a drop of water that joined the river at the beginning, in Minnesota, three months to pour out into the Gulf of Mexico. The Mississippi is also …
Elvis Presley purchased Graceland for $102,000, 22 years after he was born in a two room home his dad built. Elvis loved his family and shared his wealth with them, inviting his parents and grandmother to live at Graceland with him. It is still a family home, owned by his daughter, who stays at the …
The Memphis Zoo in Overton Park was created in 1906, but it was written into the city’s master plan dating back to 1888. This historic, award-winning zoo sits on 76 acres and houses over 500 different species of animals. The Animals of the Night exhibit was a nice place to have a little reprieve from …
The Peabody Memphis opened in 1925. In the 1930s, the general manager thought it would be humorous to put five live mallard ducks in the hotel fountain. In 1940, a bellman, Edward Pembroke, a previous circus animal trainer, offered to care for and train the ducks. Soon after he became Duckmaster. He was Duckmaster for …