Our visit to Alaska began on the Golden Princess Cruise Ship and ended in Anchorage, AK. We set sail from Vancouver, BC. The ship was beautiful, complete with all the amenities you would expect. We enjoyed the cruise and would do it again (Actually this was our second cruise to Alaska on Princess Cruise Lines.) The main focus and points of interest of this blog are ship excursions, Anchorage, and Denali National Park.

Providence Canyon State Park, also knows as Georgia’s “Little Grand Canyon”, is a 1,108-acre Georgia State Park located in Stewart County in southwest Georgia. The canyons, up to 150 feet deep, are around today due to poor farming practices in the 1800s. I was impressed as we entered Canyons 4 and 5. There are 16 canyons in the park, but only 9 canyons that you can visit. The colors and layers visible in the rock formations include pink, orange, red and purple hues.

We began at the visitor center where there is a short four-minute film about the canyon and its beginnings. They have a junior ranger program like national parks complete with a pin. Be sure to pick up a map of the park. One of the rangers explained the map and directed us to the downhill walk into the canyons. If you don't have a full day, it was suggested to visit Canyons 4 and 5 first and then 8. They are the most beautiful of all the canyons in the park.

Be sure to wear old shoes because they will turn orange from the red Georgia clay. Also, there can be a thin layer of water to walk through as you traverse the walking paths. The canyons sit below sea level. At the canyon floor you can walk around many rock formations as you visit each canyon.

You can walk the Canyon Loop Trail (about 2.5 miles) starting at the visitor center, going down into the canyons and them up and around the rim of the canyon. The views are stunning! There are also picnic areas and a playground. Bring your food and drink into the park, there isn’t any place near to purchase food. We picnicked while enjoying the views from the rim. This is a family friendly park, and you can easily spend all day visiting.

The Plains High School is the first of three locations that are the Jimmy Carter National Historical Park in Plains, GA. Jimmy, our 39th president, and his wife, Rosalynn, both graduated from Plains High School in the 1940s. The school closed in 1979 and is now a museum and visitor center.

The second stop is the Train Depot that was used as Jimmy Carter’s 1976 election campaign headquarters. This is a self-guided museum where a film is available on the tv and some campaign artifacts. The depot is where many people worked long hours to secure victories for Jimmy Carter, starting with state senator, then governor of Georgia, and then the historic presidential victory of 1976.

The third stop is Jimmy Carter’s Boyhood Home. Earl Carter, Jimmy’s father, bought the property in 1928 and was a farmer of corn, cotton, peanuts, and sugar cane. Jimmy lived in this house starting from 4 years old until he left for college. There are audio stations as you walk around the grounds and buildings (including the family commissary and barn) where you can hear Jimmy Carter himself sharing childhood stories. Currently there are a few farm animals seen around the grounds and crops are still grown here, including peanuts for which the Carter family is known.

45,000 prisoners entered the gates at Andersonville Prison (officially known as Camp Sumter) and over 13,000 died there. Once you entered the gates, you soon discovered that prison life at Andersonville was no life at all. The Andersonville National Historic site remembers all those whose were prisoners of war not only of the Civil War, but all American entanglements up to and including Operation Iraqi Freedom and back as far as the Revolutionary War.

The current park sits on 515 acres. Inside the visitor center there are two short films to watch and a museum about prisoners of war throughout history. We spent a good three hours at the site. The grounds include the original prison area with a small creek running through it and the National Cemetery.

We walked around the perimeter of the prison grounds to get a good view of the entire area and stopped at placards along the way containing information about the prison. One of the reasons for death in the camp was the lack of adequate uncontaminated fresh water. There is a reconstructed gate resembling the original entrance gate. There is a spring that miraculously sprung up after lightning hit the ground and is still there today. There is also a small section of exterior fence wall to show what the camp looked like back in 1864.

Be sure to also visit the cemetery. Here you will find the markers of most of the men who died. Clara Barton, founder of the Red Cross, was very instrumental in figuring out who was buried where and ensured that grave markers were erected. This is a National Cemetery and soldiers are still being buried there today. The town of Andersonville, GA is accessed just outside the national park. It has a small visitor center and shops.

On our most recent trip to Maine, my husband and I visited *Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge near the US/Canada border. The headquarters’ visitor center is worth a look and there are bathrooms available inside. During the summer and into the fall, it is a good idea to use insect repellent. More information can be found HERE.

We walked the 1.6-mile Raven Trail because we only had about an hour to spend in the park, but there are many other hiking trails within the refuge to be discovered. The Raven Trail is a moderate trail with hilly terrain and a high dense canopy cover. The flora and fauna were beautiful and we saw many different species of plants including some yellow mushrooms.

Next we stopped by St. Croix International Historic Site, which is jointly owned by the United States and Canada. The site boasts a visitor center and a leisurely walk around the area, highlighting the historical information about the island that was settled by the French in the early 1600s and their interaction with the native peoples. The site also offers stunning views of the St. Croix River and the Island of the same name. The visitor center was closed when we arrived, so take note of opening hours before visiting the park. See the website HERE.

If you are feeling adventurous and have your passport with you, a drive across the Franklin Delano Roosevelt* bridge out to Campobello Island, in Canada, can be the beginning of a wonderful journey. There is a lighthouse on the island as well as the Roosevelt Campobello International Park. This park is jointly administered by Canada and the United States.

The Roosevelt’s spent their summers at this memorabilia-filled cottage. You can take a tour of the 34-room exquisitely decorated home. Upstairs includes the children’s bedrooms and views of the beach and water. Many of the artifacts inside the home belonged to the Roosevelt family, including Franklin’s hat and pipe seen on a table in the living area.

We spent an hour having tea in the Wells-Shober summer cottage (within the park property). This is a program that introduces you to Eleanor’s life and her public service. We experienced this tea (complete with cookies) and throughly enjoyed the 2 ladies who were quite knowedgeable about Eleanor Roosevelt, the family, and the history.

We spent a good hour wondering around a small portion of the 2800 acre park. The walk down to the beach from the Roosevelt summer cottage is beautiful where you can catch a glimpse of Friar’s Head (a headland atop a large rock formation called “the old friar” and much of the bay.

We then drove over to the Mulholland Point Lighthouse where we had a picnic lunch (the Roosevelt’s loved picnicing) and enjoyed the views from the lighthouse. Before we left the island, we drove over to Campobello Gift House where we purchased the Orange Pekoe Tea that was served to us at Eleanor’s Tea.

Once back in the United States we stopped and walked around the coastal town of Lubec, ME. We were mostly interested in ice cream and purchased two dishes of flavorful ice cream at Love at First Light Gifts. They have a sign outside indicating that Lubec is the Eastern Most Town in the United States of America. Based upon a recommendation we made one more quick stop at Monica’s Chocolates. The candys are made from Peruvian chocolate, so beaufully crafted and deliciously melt in your mouth.

We drove down along the coast of Maine to Acadia National Park and visited my sister. Her love of Maine and her spirit of adventure took us to Deer Isle, where we hiked through the Barred Island Preserve and emerged at the isthmus between the preserve and the small island. The hike through the preserve required careful footing as you walk over tree roots, rocks, and moss.

You can only cross the isthmus (beach area) at low tide and be sure to get back across before high tide or you will be swimming back. The two pictures show the beach area when we arrived and when we returned after climbing around the island. You can see the difference an hour makes as the tide changes every 6 hours. Click HERE for more information. Select “The Land” tab, then the “Preserves and Islands” tab. There are no bathrooms in this area.

Our next adventure was on Mount Desert Island in Acadia National Park. We hiked the Gorham Mountain Trail. We parked at the Gorham Mountain Trail parking lot where there are bathrooms at the far end of the parking lot. We walked back to the parking area after completing the mountain hike. There was fog in the morning, but it dissipated as we climbed the mountain.

This hike is considered a moderately challenging route. There are many rocks to traverse, and the last part feels like you are descending a dry riverbed of rocks and boulders. The out-croppings along the hike present many views of the area from above. The hike took about 2 hours, but we were in no hurry and stopped for many photo opportunities.

After we completed our hike, we were very close to Sand Beach, so walked down and onto the sand beach. It is one of the few cold-water, shell-based sand beaches in the world. There are bathrooms near the beach area parking lot, where you can change into bathing suits if you wanted to go in the water. For the website click HERE. There are many other hikes around Acadia National Park, some of which are quite difficult to climb. The walk back from Sand Beach to the Gorham Mountain Trail parking lot is a beautiful stroll along the coast of Mount Desert Island.

A very easy hike around Jordan Pond in Acadia National Park allows for a pleasant afternoon. It is called the Jordan Pond Path and took us about 2 hours to walk around, not because it was difficult, but because we stopped so many times for pictures and to enjoy the views across the lake. You can see the Bubble Mountains from the path. We began the hike just behind the Jordan Pond House. So, when we finished the loop around the pond, we treated ourselves to tea and popovers, which has been a popular tradition since the 1890s.

We ventured south and arrived at Ft. Knox State Historic Site and the Penobscot Narrows Observatory. It is the tallest public bridge observatory in the world. You take an elevator up 420’ inside the western pylon to visit the observatory. The 360° panoramic view is spectacular!

Ft. Knox State Park, established in 1844, sits strategically at the mouth of the Penobscot River. It is one of the well preserved military forts in New England. Both of these sites are worth the stop and plan to spend at least 2 to 3 hours exploring. There are bathrooms at the Ft. Knox Visitor Center.
Click HERE for the website.

Whether it is the snow-cap or the shining mica-laden granite, the White Mountains are pure beauty. The mountain range is a subrange of the northern Appalachian Mountains and covers about a quarter of New Hampshire. Mount Washington, located within the Presidential Range, is the highest peak at 6,288 feet and contains Alpine tundra. You can visit the top of Mount Washington a few different ways. We chose to ride the Cog Train to the top of Mount Washington.

The Cog, created in the 1860s, was the first mountain-climbing cog railway in the world. You can drive to the peak ascending up a steep, narrow mountain road without guardrails. The Appalachian Trail takes you right through the peak of Mount Washington. There are also local trails that will take you to the summit. If you decide to ride The Cog to the summit, there are two different engines. The steam engine and the biodiesel-powered engine. We rode up with the biodiesel-powered engine. The steam engine exudes much smoke and was not for us.

The weather at Mount Washington is unpredictable. We were there on a very foggy day. The temperature drops as you rise to the top, so you might want to dress in layers. Much more information about the Cog Railway can be found at this website and you can visit the White Mountain National Forest via this link. Two of the pictures show the weather change from the base of the train ride to the foggy top of the mountain. The other picture is both the steam engine and a biodiesel train in the station.

The Von Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont is a captivating blend of Austrian heritage and Vermont charm. Nestled amidst 2,600 acres of pristine wilderness, this lodge offers an enchanting escape for visitors. The hills are alive with the sound of music.

But it’s the Von Trapp Brewing Bierhall that steals the show – we enjoyed the local craft brews with a bratwurst sandwich and side salad (which includes both the cucumber and tomato salads) for lunch. You can view some of the brewing process with a trip upstairs. Placards on the wall describe the making of lagers, environmental stewardship, and the history of the Trapp Family Singers. There is a gift shop available when you enter the bierhall.

There is a very unique church in Stowe, VT. Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church became a reality after Maria Von Trapp discussed with the local bishop the building of the church on farmland that belonged to the Dutton family. Brother John Dutton (originally Ira Dutton) was born on the farm and later in life became a brother and went to Molokai, Hawaii to assist Fr. Damian with the people at the leper colony. The murals and paintings inside and outside the church are the work of artist Andre Girard. The art inside depicts scenes from the New Testament and outside are scenes of the people in Hawaii.

The next day we spent driving south on Vermont Route 100 (Waterbury-Stowe Road) to stop in at various local attractions. We first stopped at Cold Hollow Cider Mill. There is a short film about cider making and free tasting of the apple cider. There is a large shop where you can purchase everything apple and then some. They make their very own apple cider donuts. My personal favorite apple cider donut is at Sky Top Apple Orchard in North Carolina.

We made a quick stop near Waterbury. We visited Cabot Creamery Store to sample the cheeses and dropped into Lake Champlain’s Chocolates. We could have visited Smuggler’s Notch Distillery, also on this property, but that will have to wait for our next trip to Vermont. At Cabot Creamery, there were some cheese varieties I have not personally seen in grocery stores.

Next, we were off to Ben & Jerry’s Waterbury Factory for a tour and of course to sample the ice cream. The tour was teriffic and all the employees we encountered were quite entertaining. All the tourists were rather happy too, probably because everyone loves ice cream! The graveyard in memory of the “Dearly Depinted”(discontinued varieties) was worth the visit.

We took a stroll through the Waterbury Village Historic District. It is a very cute town and we would have liked to visit the shops, but the town had experienced a flood in July causing great damage. Most of the businesses were still recovering and not yet open to the public. I did stop and rest for a little while outside Prohibition Pig and Distilery wishing they were open. The town is quickly recovering and businesses will be open again. We will definitely visit again when we drive through Vermont next.

The next morning, a short drive took us to the capital of Vermont, Montpelier and the State House. The people at the State House were very welcoming. Montpelier is a city steeped in history and charm. As the least populous state capital in the United States, it exudes a sense of intimacy and community. Nestled in the north-central part of the state, Montpelier rests along the banks of the Winooski River. Vermont State House serves as the seat of Vermont’s state government with its gleaming golden dome that catches the sunlight, symbolizing the state’s commitment to democracy and progress. André Girard left his mark here as well with his stained glass windows.

Our next stop of the day was at the Morse Farm Maple Works. This was a gem to find and was recommended to us by the lady at the front desk in the State House. We enjoyed the film which showed how to tap Maple trees for their sap and make it into syrup. They have been in the syrup business for over 200 years and originally learned from the Native Americans. On average, it takes 40 gallons of maple sap to make 1 gallon of pure maple syrup.

Norwich University, in Northfield, VT was our last stop. Our nephew attends the university and we were able to visit him. It is known as the Military College of Vermont and was founded in 1819 by Captain Alden Partridge, a former superintendent of West Point. Norwich University holds a significant place in military history because it is recognized by the United States Department of Defense as the “Birthplace of ROTC” (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps). For more information about Norwich University, click HERE.