Natalie F

It is filled with effigy mounds, thousands of plant and animal species, and unlimited places to explore.  You can run, hike, bike, and even drive through the Arboretum.  There is a visitor center and you can host an event here.  Trail info  One of my favorite trails is in the Grady Tract area near Greene Prairie.  There are two entrances:  The east entrance is located at: Wingra Drive and Haywo...

Just a 1.5 mile walk from Edinburgh Castle is the Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh.  It’s worth a stop and you could easily spend 1-4 hours here. Plus, it’s a fun walk from downtown Edinburgh.  There’s plenty of shops and restaurants along the walk, or just soak in the architecture. Additionally, you’ll be right by the Water of Leith river once you arrive at the Gardens.   The plants are beaut...

There are no specific trails in this conservancy, so just choose the path that looks the best to you.  It would be hard to get lost here and all the trails put together are only about 3 miles.   There are some hills, but nothing too serious. bathrooms in the parking lotsmall parking lotfreecommonly will see turkeysoutstanding colors in the fallHere is a link to a map of the Conservatory (includ...

Pele, the Hawaiian volcano goddess, is said to have sat here just before finishing her volcanic activity to form Oahu.  She left here and moved on to the islands of Molokai and Lanai.   The hike is only about a mile to the beach.  You start at the parking area for the Makapu’u Lighthouse Trail.  Take the side trail on the right, down into grass.  It’s an easy to follow path.  Once you reach the...

Park on Huff Street on the bridge that divides Lake Winona (we parked in the lot by the Visitor Center).  Walk on Huff St. towards the highway (14/61) and turn left on W. Lake Boulevard (be careful here, it’s a busy road).  Continue on Lake Blvd. past Cty Rd. 44 .  Before the first house on Lake Blvd. you’ll see the wooded path.  Follow the path up and you’ll eventually get to Garvin Heights Pa...

*Unlimited photography options with the ferris wheel, beach, ocean, and sunsets *Abundant people watching opportunities  *Plenty of ways to get a workout in including swimming, volleyball courts, running, or riding a bike There is a bike and walking path that runs along the coast.  One of my favorite things to do is walk the path and look at the beach houses to the north, or head south and chec...

This is a fun and scenic stop near Eau Claire, WI.  It is beautiful all year round, but especially in the fall.  The mill was initially used to ground wheat, which was a very important part of Wisconsin's economy during the Civil War era.  It has been used for many different things since then.  Currently it is owned by Amish folks.  They have a store you can walk through and there is a museum. ...

Along the Wild Atlantic Way north of Sligo sits Mullaghmore, a small fishing village with sandy beaches and world famous surf waves that reach almost 100 feet tall.  We walked along the coast for a while here and truly enjoyed ourselves, it was our last few hours in Ireland and was the perfect way to end our time in such a breathtaking country.    Inishmurray Island is just a boat ride away a...

There are not many sandy beaches in the lovely state of Wisconsin.  This might be the best one.  If you are from Wisconsin, you also might consider Lake Michigan an ocean when you are craving a real ocean.  And it comes close!  Even though it’s not on a real ocean, this beach has it all. There’s tiki bars, beach volleyball, incredible sunrise views, and more!   https://county.milwaukee.gov/EN/P...

More info can be found about that here.  This is a beautiful 105 acre conservancy with several different trails.  It’s a great spot for a picnic and to bring the family.  There are interpretive signs so you can learn about the history of the land like glaciers and the different settlers.  They even have a 12 acre food pantry garden now called “Forward Garden.” Trail and maps  The address is 744...

There’s plenty to do here: relax on the beach, walk the neighborhood, soak in the views of the Madison skyline, bring a kayak or SUP to get on the water, or go for a swim.     Always be sure to check the blue-green algae levels before swimming in a Madison lake. That can be done here.  Thankfully Madison invested in a system to help with this problem at Bernie’s Beach:  “the system uses an impe...

This is an easy drive with nice views.  On a clear day you can see across Kachemak Bay, showing off glaciers, mountains and Mount Augustine Volcano, a stratovolcano. Start at either West Hill Rd. or East Hill Rd.  Then turn left or right onto Skyline Dr.  Other recommendations in the area: We had a nice dinner at the Little Mermaid. Huge menu, but tiny restaurant, get a reservation. Two sisters...

This lakeside park has a newer bike/walking path. The park itself is an excellent spot for a picnic or catching a sunset! There is a nice play area and a rocky beach.   The path is known as the Lower Yahara River Trail and opened in 2017. It provides a non-road connection between Madison and McFarland via Madison’s Capital City Trail and McFarland’s McDaniel Park.  There is a map at the park wi...

This garden is open to the public from dawn to dusk, 7 days a week, free of charge.  The gardens are tended by summer interns.  During the off-season they are maintained by volunteers and apprentices.  We made our first stop here earlier this week.  It was beautiful. Tons of plants and lots of space to wander.  They have perennials, annuals, fruit trees, vegetables, grapes, and more!  There are...

It’s a dream of mine to live in Carmel-by-the-Sea.  You might recognize Carmel because Clint Eastwood was the mayor from 1986 to 1988.  An idiosyncrasy you may not know about Carmel is the fact that there are no street addresses on any house in Carmel.  Everyone gets their mail at the post office, this was done to ensure people knew their neighbors.  There are also no parking meters or street l...

This place has it all : a bomb fire pit, live music, distillery, restaurant, 48 taps, mountain views, and more!  Not to mention, it’s in a great location for exploring. It’s close to tons of breweries, wineries, and cideries, it’s just a few miles from the Appalachian trail, and close to Shenandoah National Park.   My husband and I camped here for a weekend getaway May 2019.  We had such a  go...

If you come on a weekend expect there to be a crowd, but there is plenty of space for everyone.  You can hang out on the shore, float in the water on an inflatable floatie, kayak, canoe, or spread out on one of the many sand bars close by.  Depending on the time of year and level of the water, you can even walk to the closest sand bar without getting wet past your waist.  Bring a cooler and spe...

On a road trip with a friend in July of 2019, this beach came recommended to us. The tidepools, rocks cutting into the sea, and photography opportunities made it a spectacular stop.  There are stairs down to the beach and we were the only ones at the park.  If I remember correctly, it’s quite a narrow road to get here, so be cautious of oncoming traffic. Parking was free. Bring a picnic and soa...

I discovered Mathews, VA while watching Beachfront Bargain Hunt on HGTV! It’s a quiet county close to the coast.  There is another beach in Mathews county, but this one is my favorite! It is a beautiful beach and it’s always been quiet the times I have been.  https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/natural-area-preserves/bethel No bathroomsMakes for a great beach to lay out at or walk alo...

It is over 7,000 acres and has a maximum depth of 24 feet.  There are several public boat landings if you are lucky enough to own a boat.  For this specific adventure, you can fish right off County Rd. V in Poynette.  It’s a scenic spot that can get busy, but if you go during the week it’s quiet and calm.  Here, you'll have water on both sides of you!   Fish in Lake Wisconsin include  Largemout...

It’s a must do while in Edinburgh.  It’s featured in films like Cloud Atlas, One Day, and Eurovision. It’s even said to be the inspiration for Diagon Alley in Harry Potter! Check out the shops, grab a drink at one of the coffee shops or restaurants, and be sure to take some pictures of this gorgeous street with its winding road and popping colors.

Amsterdam has about 90 islands and 1,500 bridges.  That makes getting around it fun and unique.  You can take a boat tour of the canals.  I would recommend renting a bike.  That’s how the locals get around.  According to “IamAmsterdam,” there are over 880,000 bikes in the city. Additionally, over 2 million kilometres are cycled by Amsterdammers each day; that’s over 1,242,742 miles!  Some of th...

Hoʻomaluhia Botanical Garden is on my list of the top ten most beautiful nature places you can drive to. Hoʻomaluhia means "to make a place of peace and tranquility."  This breathtaking gem was built in 1982 by the US Army Corps of Engineering to prevent flooding.  There’s a lot to do here, you can even camp and fish.  There’s a nature trail by the Botanic Library that takes you to a lake. It...

The city of Glasgow has a lot to offer and this is a gem I am happy we had the opportunity to check out while we were here. It may seem odd to suggest a graveyard, but it’s a beautiful site.  The graves are intricate and the views are endless.   Some history:  The burial ground was intended to be interdenominational The first burial was in 1832: Joseph Levi, a jewellerThere have been 50,000 b...