Day 1: Zion Canyon *Note that Brian and Sylvia made the pilgrimage to Zion Canyon some five years ago. During this time, Brian, then a man of a ‘certain age’, has become a man of a certain age plus five years. Therefore, a few minor dramatic liberties have been taken with the account that follows…IE, Brian has forgotten most of […]
Three Canyons, One Trip…An American Southwest Sampler
Zion, Bryce and Red Rock Canyons: A Southwest Sampler *Zion Canyon, which we visited in March of 2013, is one of BecauseItzThere’s Best Places to hike in North America. We think it’s the best of the Southwestern US National Parks, excepting only Grand Canyon NP. Bryce Canyon and Red Rock Canyon aren’t chopped liver either. **Zion Canyon contains a pair […]
North Carolina’s Wild South Mountains
South Mountain State Park, NC *We traveled to South Mountains State Park in the Spring of 2015. This was a sad time for Sylvia and I as my mother had just recently passed away after a long and difficult battle with heart and lung problems. Among many other things, the outdoors is a place we go to heal. **We have […]
Forest Ridge Park in Wake County Opens
Forest Ridge Park is Wake County’s newest! Located in the extreme Northern Corner of Raleigh, near the Wake County Line, is the new Forest Ridge Park. We think it may become on of the best places to hike in the Triangle area. Though it is a multi-use park, most of this new recreational area is preserved in its natural wooded […]
Beat the Crowds to Crowders Mountain
Crowders Mountain State Park, NC **We originally hiked Crowders Mountain State Park in 2012, and this trip draws heavily from that visit…so if you see some fashion styles that appear ‘so yesterday’, this explains it. **We have added Crowder’s Mountain to our list of Best Hikes in the Carolinas. It’s got some very fine trails if you can find a […]
The Roof of the Smokies…The Gregory Ridge Trail
The Gregory Ridge Trail, Great Smoky Mountain National Park *One of the Best Hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains is the Gregory Ridge Trail **We have added Gregory Bald to our list of the Best Hikes in the Southern Appalachians. It’s a fine trail well worth doing IF you can make the logistics work…this is one trail where getting there […]