KerryReis57

Even though this was the second designated national park, I had visited 48 years ago, I had the opportunity to revisit Acadia with a decent camera to capture its beauty. Originally created as Lafayette National Park in 1919, it was renamed Acadia National Park in 1929. The majority of the park is based on Mount Desert Island next to the city of Bar Harbor, but it also includes some of the smaller islands nearby, as well as a small peninsula to the east. The most visited part of the site is the top of Cadillac Mountain on Mount Desert Island with great views of the Atlantic around it.

Just a few miles south of New Orleans, the Barataria Preserve, one of six locations the comprise the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, provides nature lovers with a savory and humid taste of the Louisiana bayous around the Mississippi delta region. Being able to walk the trails early in the morning may have been the reason that I did not have to worry about having to avoid the park rules about not feeding alligators.

Originally, a national lakeshore in the national park service, Indiana Dunes National Park was re-designated as a national park by congress in February 2019. It encompasses a strip of sandy beaches, forests, and trails, surrounding a state park, next to the southern tip of Lake Michigan.

Stretching along the mid-western edge of the lower peninsula of Michigan, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore presents hiking trails and steep overlooks on the dunes providing awesome views of Lake Michigan.

Just off of Wisconsin’s small Bayfield Peninsula in Lake Superior lies a little archipelago of forested islands with sandstone cliffs, sea caves, and sea stacks which attracted lumber, quarrying, and fishing industries in the past, but are now protected under the national park service as Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.

Situated along the Canadian border in Minnesota, Voyageurs National Park is an expanse of lakes surrounded by vibrant forests and ponds created by beaver dams, making a relaxing place of exploration.

Formed from basalt ridges rising up in the middle of Lake Superior, Isle Royale National Park is isolated from the rest of the continental US, although it does host moose and wolves on the island. It is the least visited national park in the lower 48 states, since it can only be reached via boat or seaplane transport during the summer season. Trails are tight, but the natural experience is amazing.

Even though these images were taken ten years ago when this Appalachian natural wonder was just designated as a National Recreational Area, these images still proudly present the New River in West Virginia as it winds through a deep gorge in the Appalachians and under the third highest bridge in the US, which was recently re-designated as a National Park and Preserve, the newest national park in the US. As my friends tell me, since I have already been there, I can mark it off my national park bucket list.

Some holiday cheer to brighten the end of a dark year!

In 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius erupted, burying the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. It wasn’t until the mid-eighteenth century that parts of Pompeii was discovered, and during the mid-nineteenth to the twentieth century, the city was slowly uncovered from its burial site. It is now an archaeological treasure, providing a major perspective of the culture of the early Roman Empire to historians and tourists alike.

Along the Lisbon riverfront along the Tagus River mouth to the Atlantic Ocean, two structures honor the connection of Portugal in the era of discovery and exploration during the 16th century. The Discovery Monument honors Portugal’s explorers in this age of discovery, and the Belem Tower, a 16th century fortification, served as the ceremonial gateway for explorers to Lisbon.

Lucerne sits on the west side of the lake that bears its name in the north central German section of Switzerland. Surrounded by glorious mountains, the cultural beauty of the city stands out with fabulous historic sites like the Chapel Bridge and the Lion’s Monument. Mountain top excursions and boat cruises around the lake provide a natural adjunct to the baroque history within the city.

During a Scandinavian cruise, I was able to experience the extravagance of the Catherine palace in Pushkin, Russia, 30 km south of Saint Petersburg, a virtual monument of the Tsarist regime. Built in the mid 1700s by Empress Elizabeth, the daughter of Peter the Great and Catherine I in honor of her mother, the baroque palace consists of over 100 rooms as well as a massive garden area.

As we continue to social distance during this pandemic period, it is time for me to bring out more images from my past European trips. During a tour of France, a wonder of the Ancient Roman Empire was presented to the group, Pont du Gard, the tallest aqueduct built by the Romans to transport water within the empire, is still standing in southern France as it crosses the river Gardon on its way to Nimes.

An Elite Review for Disappeared and Found on InD’tale Magazine. Wow, and much appreciated.

Within a U-shaped dip of the Rio Grande, the river border between the US and Mexico, a desert and mountain diverse biosphere in western Texas is protected in Big Bend National Park. Early spring is a prime time to explore the park before summer heat invades it, and I was lucky to be able to slip down in a quick road trip and explore just before the COVID-19 began to affect travel.

In December 2019, Congress re-designated the White Sands National Monument as a national Park. For this reason, I am reposting this montage with an updated caption. Following is the information copied from the previous posting: Gypsum deposits from an ancient sea constantly under play from prevailing southwesterly winds have formed the iconic white sand dune area in White Sands National Monument near Alamogordo, New Mexico. The area is surrounded by the White Sands Missile Range, a military testing ground. When tests are occurring, the monument area is closed to the public.