From its first view, I was hooked, and I knew Heather was too. That's why I only thought of this as the place for our wedding - and so it was. Definitely more exciting than the back patio of a stately mansion.

216 files, last one added on Jun 05, 2011

A truly awesome city with so much history and emotion. I look to DC in the summer of 05 as the catalyst to who I currently am politically and personally. I could go down there every couple months and never grow tired of the monuments and museums.

157 files, last one added on Aug 28, 2011

A work in progress. We start with Ford's Theater where Lincoln was shot. Eventually, as time and money and weather cooperate, I'll get the other stops, too.

30 files, last one added on Aug 28, 2011

Ok, so it's not like Jefferson's home, but it's still nice - save the LONG waits to get into the mansion. And yes, it's true that Washington wasn't really a man of words (we can't all be Jefferson), but it is American history and it has a great view of the Potomac and a cool weathervane on top!

46 files, last one added on Apr 09, 2009

Heather loves HGTV and I think Jefferson is the greatest president we ever had. Is it any wonder that we went to his former mansion outside Charlottesville?

35 files, last one added on Sep 18, 2008

The best time of the year for Longwood Gardens is also the busiest time of the year. Plan early and remember that traffic is hellacious on weekends and between Christmas and New Year so get a garden pass or get advance tickets. Prepare yourself for some elbows to the side and people not looking while they walk, but that said, prepare yourself for some beautiful displays and arrangements. Dont't forget to dress warm!!

257 files, last one added on Dec 19, 2011

An hour or so past Harrisburg, these views are pretty typical for ridges along the trails of Pennsylvania. That said, the boulder ridge was sweet. The view from the actual rocks was better in fall than summer - I'm just saying.

77 files, last one added on Dec 25, 2011

There are some good things to see at French Creek. A loop trail around the lake and a trail up the mountain that really isn't that long. Also, there is frisbee golf. Other than that, nothing else comes to mind. Sorry.

40 files, last one added on Mar 18, 2012

This folder contains Blackwater Falls and the Falls of Hill Creek.

129 files, last one added on Oct 05, 2010

The various photos from Elkins, West Virginia, where Ol' Girl and I went on our honeymoon.

116 files, last one added on Dec 19, 2010

Douglas Falls is actually polluted by all of the effects that have come from mining way back when. That said, if you don't know why things are reddish / orange, they actually look kind of beautiful. Just don't swim in the water!

54 files, last one added on Aug 28, 2011

Deep Creek Lake in Maryland is actually on the western side of the state not far from the playground world of West Virginia's woodlands. Heather and I went with her friends Kelly and Ted and enjoyed the wonderful pursuit of kayaking together... and she didn't even kill me!!!

21 files, last one added on Aug 28, 2011

Let us start with Swallow Falls on the West Virginia border, a great trip that Heather and I took where we saw her friend Kelly and Ted in the summer of 2011. However, we saw this on the way home... some of the only waterfalls we did in 2011.

40 files, last one added on Mar 09, 2012

The 2 big mountains of West Virginia that we took on, Spruce Knob (the tallest) and Seneca Rocks (the one we walked up) are on display here.

86 files, last one added on Oct 11, 2009

The site of some serious haunting that was documented by the TAPS guys (soon to be by the Ghost Adventurer wimps), the trans allegheny lunatic asylum ia a really cool spot for psychologists too as it once housed the "not right" (whether they were truly not right or just dumped off by family).

42 files, last one added on Oct 04, 2009

While Dan finished his thesis (or most of it), Heather played with Ted and Kelly in West Virginia's autumn glory.

33 files, last one added on Dec 19, 2010

On the 4th time, he made it to see Coyote Buttes and the Wave. WOO HOO!!! The toughest hike ever. All the same, he learned Crash Davis' rule - "DON'T THINK! IT CAN ONLY HURT THE BALLCLUB!"

29 files, last one added on Sep 16, 2007

Red Yosemite in all of its glory. If you go there, you will clearly love the Zion Narrows or you're a communist spy and traitor to all that is America. Someday, we're going back and doing the Subway, Angel's Landing, Orderville Canyon, and some of the other slots. Someday.

171 files, last one added on Jun 07, 2010

My favorite national park, which is famous for the archaeological ruins that are preserved here. While you can wander the mesa tops and sides, it's really all about the cliff dwellings.

76 files, last one added on Jun 08, 2010

The best new place I visited in 2007's desert odyssey. The ampitheater is an incredible view and an amazing place to hike around. Highly recommended by the good folks at this website.

98 files, last one added on Jun 08, 2010

From the NPS - Over 200 million years ago, the logs washed into an ancient river system + were buried quick + deep enough by massive amounts of sediment + debris also carried in the water, that oxygen was cut off + decay slowed to a process that would now take centuries. Minerals absorbed into the porous wood over hundreds + thousands of years crystallized within the cellular structure, replacing the organic material as it broke down over time. Here large jewel-like crystals of clear quartz, purple amethyst, yellow citrine, + smoky quartz formed.

53 files, last one added on Jun 08, 2010

And yes, the Navajos do use this as a selling point when they take you on a tour of both sections of this awesome slot canyon.

115 files, last one added on Jun 05, 2010

Delicate Arch and the scenery of these amazing geological wonders of the Southwest. Over the years, I've seen more and more of it, but the temperatures are just too unbearable to truly spend a day there. That said, I dream of going back and doing the Fiery Furnace.

108 files, last one added on Jun 08, 2010

We weren't able to do many things during vacation 2010, but we did make it to this place, but before it was over, we ended up getting super sick and going out of commission the whole next day. Prior to that, here were the views of the scenery (Rainbow Bridge!) from Glen Canyon and the dam that created Lake Powell.

69 files, last one added on Jun 02, 2010

Waterholes Canyon is located on Navajo land right outside of Page, Arizona. It costs about $11 to get in, and the trail is actually a rocklined avenue through to the bottom of the fenced in area. When you get there, it's actually more narrow than it looks.

Definitely a fun hike.

25 files, last one added on Jun 06, 2010

Everyone makes such a big deal about the Grand Canyon, but Paria is a lot quieter and they have Buckskin Gulch, the Toadstool Trail, and the Wave.

29 files, last one added on Sep 13, 2007

I know I said that I would never go back there, but seeing as I'm going below the rim, I now have an excuse to go back in there.
I still meant it when I said that there is no reason to go to this park if all you're going to do is take pictures of the rim because you'll just want to throw annoying kids, annoying dogs, and angry touristy types over the edge. That said, I'm probably angry to state that.

81 files, last one added on Jun 01, 2010

The Utah equivalent of the Grand Canyon in all of its above the river glory, which is to say it's basically a nice view, but a long drive out into the middle of nowhere. Someday, we're going to do the Grand Gallery and see the sights from the floor of the canyon. Of this, I dream!

32 files, last one added on Jun 07, 2010

The unspoiled Native American run part of Mesa Verde, which is really cool, but you're at the mercy of where the Utes want to take you. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but it's not a guarantee what you're getting until you get there.

16 files, last one added on Apr 12, 2011

The tourist trap that is the first proven meteor strike of serious magnitude on our planet - and what a big hole it is!!

20 files, last one added on Jun 08, 2010

North of Phoenix is a creek that you can wander and hike / swim through. It's pretty peaceful, but in all honesty, it's more about flyfishing than it is about hiking.

14 files, last one added on Aug 23, 2007

For what is there and what is the geological wonder of this national park, it's a great place to visit once, but as a fellow traveller asked me, "what's there?" not much if you're not a rock hound scientist, but it's definitely worth 1 visit - esp. if you like picking all the fruit you can eat from the orchards.

22 files, last one added on Sep 16, 2007

Right before the Navajo Bridge, you will come to this little stop, and while it's a roadside attraction and Navajo jewelry stop, it's actually a really cool place to stretch the legs and imagine the ghosts of great warriors come and gone as you marvel at the rocks and houses built up against them.

13 files, last one added on Apr 12, 2011

The Colorado Plateau. Soon to be updated again because nothing beats slots canyons and the beautiful meditative silence of the desert except Reese Witherspoon, but seeing as she is not in my life, I'll have to "settle" for the desert.

83 files, last one added on Apr 12, 2011

Where they'll appreciate me.
Hopefully, just like Tom Waits sings, I'll look good without a shirt on when I'm hiking the canyons and deserts of all things in the South West and great void between the Rockies and the Sierras.

29 files, last one added on Jan 14, 2010

For the dinosaurs, the animal mounts, or whatever you go there for, Carnegie kicks butt. Aron Ralston went there and Randy Pausch taught there, plus my cousin works for them. Good school.

81 files, last one added on Jan 29, 2011

Sullivan Falls, Pigeon Falls, Bear Run Falls, and a lot of nameless little falls on Sullivan Run, which is a beautiful but scrambling around the sides trail right next to Ricketts Glen. It is beautiful, but be prepared to go belly button deep or through the brush to move through the creek above Sullivan Falls. This was described as Ricketts Glen before the trails went in, which is sort of true, but it's hard to be that awesome. Still, worth a trip if you go to Sullivan / Luzerne County for the weekend.

108 files, last one added on Jun 20, 2010

The rougher side of Sullivan Run (at least for cars) was a journey through mud and bogs on an ealry fall day in 2009. More photos will follow when the weather improves and we can feel warm while treking through the water to get to Big Falls and Lewis Falls. Until then, here is Upper and Lower Twin Falls.

34 files, last one added on Jan 01, 2010

Spring is great for Ricketts because the greens are so electric. Summer can be really hot and often, there isn't much water coming down through. Rainy mornings are the best. If only I could win Powerball and end up living near there permanently, I would be a very happy person.

231 files, last one added on Jun 01, 2009

May 17, 2008, I took Heather to Ricketts for the first time. The water was flowing more than I had ever seen it flow before. These are the cream of the crop pictures from spring and summer. I hope you enjoy the pictures of that trip as much as we did.

119 files, last one added on May 21, 2008

Fall is also a great time to be amongst the waterfalls though there isn't much foliage colors to be seen except when you're entering into the woodlands. That said, there are still a healthy mix of colors here and ther that definitely make it worth your while.

140 files, last one added on Oct 11, 2009

AThe picturesque town of Jim Thorpe and the Old Jail that you can still visit to check out the historical executions of the Molly Maguires.

97 files, last one added on Sep 25, 2010

The final waterfall is the tough one - even if the ones before it are accessed with root grabs to ascend the 60degree incline (and greater) that much of the climb is. Definitely one of the more picturesque trails of PA. You will literally go off the map to get to the final falls - but trust me, they're worth it!

164 files, last one added on Sep 18, 2010

While we were technically there before (Indian Ladders is the top of Hornbecks Creek), the real deal stuff is from the bottom of 209. There are 3 falls with a gorge in between 1+2 that features a series of 10+ foot un-named falls that make for extreme kayaking fun - time to learn how to do that (and get a good insurance policy and health care plan!!!).

103 files, last one added on Dec 21, 2010

And so it was that in June of 2009 we finally tagged the bottom of Raymondskill (3rd visit). Almost 200 feet tall (ff you count both falls as 1), it's definitely a must see - but mostly for what's at the bottom.

68 files, last one added on Dec 21, 2010

Yes, it's bigger than anything at Ricketts, but you also have to pay additional funds to get in AND they have this thing about not letting people in to hike during the winter. Personally, in the words of my personal hero Bill O' Reilly, we think that is ridiculous.

142 files, last one added on May 11, 2009

The first waterfall on the Route 209 circuit. There is the 2 upper falls and the 1 lower falls, which are all really neat and quite challenging to get at from the bottom. That said, if all you see is the lower falls, do them in summer and check out the glistening green ferns that fill the creekside.

129 files, last one added on Dec 20, 2010

Raymondskill, Tumbling Waters, Silverthread, and Dingman's Falls are all included in this album. More updates in the fall when the leaves start to change!

173 files, last one added on May 22, 2011

Despite the rain I saw when I went there, the 1000+ steps to the top of the trail (1030 or so), it was a great view of the surrounding world of central PA.

141 files, last one added on May 22, 2011

The home of Rainbow Falls, which also houses Raystown Lake, some superb views, a balanced rock, and a lot of rhododendrons and mountain laurel. The trail is really not maintained, and frankly, it's easy to get into adventures trying to find the blazes as things that aren't the trail, looks like the trail - not to mention how many trails all run together in one small section of the map. A nice place to hike - if you know that.

36 files, last one added on Jun 05, 2011