Tallulah Gorge State Park (Tallulah Falls, Georgia)

Tallulah Gorge State Park is a beautiful place with amazing views of the gorge, waterfalls, and beautiful scenery.

Tallulah Gorge is one of the largest canyons in the eastern part of the United States.

 A fairly easy hike to the rim allows spectacular views of the gorge’s waterfalls. The gorge is around 1000 feet deep and runs for 2 miles.

If you are up for the hike, there is a suspension bridge that is 80 feet above the canyon floor. We did not make it to the bridge, but you can view it from the rim.

Location:

338 Jane Hurt Yarn Drive

Tallulah Falls, GA 30573

Happy Travels! 

America's White Desert (New Mexico) White Sands National Monument

When you hear of a white desert, usually its referring to the Sahara el Beyda in Egypt. With its massive chalk rock formations throughout an isolated land, it is one of the most astounding natural wonders of Egypt. But there is a white desert in the United States that is just as amazing and is also an astonishing natural wonder.

White Sands National Monument is 275 sq miles of white sand dunes composed of gypsum crystals. This gypsum dune field is the largest of its kind on Earth.

Gypsum, unlike other rocks, is water soluble. When rain falls on the surrounding mountains, the layers of gypsum start to dissolve, and runs down the mountains. With the Tularosa Basin and the dunes being fully enclosed, there is no outlet for the water, so the gypsum stays within White Sands Monument.

Unlike most sand, the gypsum sand does not readily convert the sun's energy into heat and can be walked upon safely with bare feet, even in the hottest months.

 It was completely cloudy with a misty rain when we arrive, but cleared off some while we were there. I looked like a total snow white out for a while.

There are four types of dunes within the park; barchan, parabolic, transverse, and dome dunes. These can be seen along the eight-mile scenic Dunes Drive.

The drive starts at the visitor center and leads deep into the gypsum dune field. The first five miles of are paved and the last three miles are a hard-packed gypsum sand road.

There are several places along the drive to stop and play on the dunes. Sledding is a popular activity in the park. Waxed plastic snow saucers work best and can be purchased at the gift shop.

White Sands is located next to a Missile Range and is closed occasionally due to missile testing. Check here for open status.

Hours of operation vary throughout the year. Check the schedule here.

The three picnic areas, the Yucca, Roadrunner, and Primrose, are named after the most iconic plant and animal species in the monument. These picnic areas are located about six to seven miles from the entrance off Dunes Drive.

White Sands is truly one of America’s most amazing places! It is sure to impress all ages and be an unforgettable experience.

The actual physical address is:

 19955 Highway 70 West

  Alamogordo, NM 88310

Happy Travels! 

Garvan Woodland Gardens (Fall ) Hot Springs, Arkansas

Garvan Woodland Gardens is a 210-acre botanical garden nestled in the Ouachita Mountains of Southwest Arkansas. It is located along the shoreline of the beautiful Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs.

Every season brings something new to see at the garden. Right now, Autumn in the Woodlands and the Mum Fest are in full swing with thousands of chrysanthemum blooming throughout the gardens.

There are surprises around every corner.

The Fall season is from September 1- November 18 for this year.

 Paved paths will lead you over several unique bridges, around waterfalls, and along ponds filled with large coy fish.

The Christmas season starts in the middle of November, so you can see where they have already started stringing the lights and getting ready for it. Christmas at the gardens is amazing!

Location is:

550 Arkridge Rd, 

Hot Springs, AR 71913

Hours are:

Open Every Day:

February 1 through November 18, 2016

9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Last admission sold at 5:30 p.m.

Holiday Hours: November 19 through December 31, 2016

Noon - 9 p.m.

Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Days.

Admission Fees:

Adults (age 13 and up)   $15.00  

Children 6-12     $5.00    

Children to age 5    Free

Happy Travels! 

Lake Lure (Blue Ridge Mountains) North Carolina

Lake Lure is a small area located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina.

We stumbled upon Lake Lure by accident. We were headed to Chimney Rock and decide not to go when we got the entrance. Three tour buses were pulling in ahead of us! It was early morning and we had about an 8 hour drive ahead of us that day. 

We looked around Chimney Rock Village. Everything was closed because of it being so early, but it was very charming. The town became popular in the 20’s and 30’s which is when most of the buildings were constructed.

We walked over bridges and explored along the river running behind the shops on Main Street.

A little ways down the road is where is found Lake Lure.

The area was so pretty, especially the lake in the early morning light!

The lake is located in the Hickory Nut Gorge and is surrounded by granite cliffs and tree covered mountains.

I didn't find out until later that the Lake Lure area has been the filming location for many movie scenes. Some of the movies include:  Dirty Dancing, Forrest Gump, The Last of the Mohicans, A Breed Apart, Thunder Road, and Firestarter. They even have a Dirty Dancing Festival there! How cool is that!

The large sandy beach at the swimming area would be a perfect spot for relaxing in the sun on a summer day. This is a place that I would love to return to when the weather is warmer!


Happy Travels! 

Bald Rock (South Carolina)

Bald Rock is a heritage preserve in Cleveland, South Carolina

It is located on the left going up the mountain towards Caesars Head State Park. It is a large area of exposed granite with views of the valley below.

The Rock face has accumulated great amounts of graffiti over the years, which takes away some of the natural beauty of the area.

Bald Rock is a nice place to visit if you are in the area.

Caesars Head State Park - South Carolina

Caesars Head State Park is located in Cleveland, South Carolina. The Park gets its name from a rock outcropping on top of the Blue Ridge cliff.

We visited this park towards the end of a long trip through the mountains of North Carolina. We were so glad to find a place with amazing views that didn’t require a 3 mile hike up steep terrain! :)

To get to the Caesars Head overlook does not require any hiking. It is only a few hundred feet from the parking area.

The overlook provides a great view of Table Rock Lake.

If you are up for a hike, the Raven Cliff Falls trail leads to 420-foot waterfall. A suspension bridge allows access to two overlooks to the falls. The trail is about 4 miles round trip. Maybe next time we will be up for the hike.

This park is a great place to visit, especially in the Fall. The views and fall foliage are beautiful! 

Happy Travels! 

The Dallas Arboretum (Pumpkin Houses) - Dallas, Texas

The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden is a 66-acre botanical garden located on the shores of White Rock Lake in Dallas, Texas.

The Nationally Acclaimed Pumpkin Village is the biggest autumn attraction at the Arboretum. It is one-acre filled with 90,000 pumpkins, gourds, squash, bales of hay and cornstalks skillfully arranged into houses, walkways, and other fun structures.

The village has been featured in magazines such as SouthernLiving and House Beautiful.

The Village was very cute and the Gardens are beautiful, but there were two things that I didn’t like.

We went at 9am on a Sunday morning thinking that it would be the least crowded time. This was defiantly not the case. There were so many people that it was hard to even walk without getting bumped in to!  I asked the lady at the information desk if there would be a better time to come back that it would not be so crowded. She informed me that it was like that all the time and that there was not a good time. She said that they even have to close the parking lot at times. So, keep that in mind!

The other thing that I didn’t like was that in addition to paying $15 a person to get in, you have to pay $15 to park. That probably would not have bothered me so much if we would not have had such a long walk from the parking lot to the entry and if it would not have been so crowded.

The majority of the crowding was around the pumpkin village, so the other areas of the garden were more relaxing.

Location:

8617 Garland Road

 Dallas, Texas 75218

Admission Fees:

Adult general garden admission (13-64): $15

Seniors general garden admission (65 & over): $12

Children general garden admission (3-12): $10

Children general garden admission (2 & under): Free

On-site self parking or parking garage: $15

The gardens are beautiful and the Pumpkin Village was fun. Hopefully your visit will be less crowded and relaxing!   

Happy Travels!