Read more about the article Blackwater Falls State Park – Davis, WV

Blackwater Falls State Park – Davis, WV

Just about 20 miles shy of the Maryland border, Blackwater Falls lies in the northern end of West Virginia. Passing the ski resorts of Canaan Valley and Timberline Four Seasons, we drove through Davis and into the state park.

An easy 1/4- mile trail to the falls

I had read this was one of the top 10 places to visit in West Virginia and we had driven two hours out of the way for this. It did not disappoint. Walking down a 1/4 mile path, we soon heard the rush of the falls. They roared magnificently. (more…)

Read more about the article Dead Horse Point State Park – Moab, Utah

Dead Horse Point State Park – Moab, Utah

It doesn’t get much better than this. Surprisingly Dead Horse Point State Park is not a national park, but a state park. It’s no less beautiful than nearby Canyonlands and Arches. In fact, it’s located just off Utah 313 about ten miles before the Island of the Sky entrance at Canyonlands NP. Don’t miss this spectacular park. After paying $9 entrance fee per car (it is valid for 3 days), drive to the Dead Horse Point Overlook. If you think it looks similar to the Grand Canyon in Arizona, you’re not alone. This was the site of the final scene in the early 1990s movie, “Thelma & Louise.” (more…)

Central Georgia Day Trip – Jarrell Plantation, Juliette and High Falls State Park

The sunshine was out – the first time in over a week. We had to get outside and do something. We headed down I-75 just about an hour south of Atlanta and did three distinctly different activities.

Jarrell Plantation:

Built in 1847, by John Fitz Jarrell, this plantation survived Sherman’s March to the Sea. As time went on and the family grew, more buildings were added, such as the 1895 House for son, Dick Jarrell and the sawmill in the early 1900’s.

At the visitor center, a 15-minute film describes the history of the plantation. Interestingly enough, one of the descendants continued farming on the land until the 1960’s. Fortunately, the family donated most of the buildings in 1974 to the state of Georgia to show others what plantation life was like.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t the Tara or Seven Oaks type of house. Rather, the original 1847 House was just a one story house for the Jarrell’s and their seven children. The boys slept in the loft upstairs, while the girls had a room and the parents had a room. Later, the porch on the back of the house was enclosed making two rooms and a “honeymoon room” a room for travelers was added by enclosing part of the front porch.

My husband enjoyed that everything, especially the location of each of the buildings, was original. This was unlike Oconaluftee Mountain Farm Museum at the Cherokee, NC entrance of the Smokey Mountain National Park, where the buildings had been moved their from elsewhere in the area. Here, we could see how the house was built on the highest part of the property in order to get the best breeze.

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Read more about the article Petit Jean State Park – Morrillton, AR

Petit Jean State Park – Morrillton, AR

It’s actually hard to write this post. Usually because I relish writing about my trip after the fact. But somehow I feel that if I write about it, I will be putting it to rest. I don’t want that trip to end.

Just a short drive from Little Rock lies Petit Jean State Park. Because the pickings are scarce in the AAA guide-book for Arkansas, I decided we better review what’s on the list. Petit Jean was the first state park in Arkansas, founded around 1921 with help from Stephen Mather of the National Park Service.

We started off at the point in the picture above. Overlooking the Arkansas River, we saw the remains of a building and a cemetery. It turns out this land was a former YMCA Camp Mitchell until it burned in the 1940’s. Later that decade, it was purchased by the Episcopalian church which leases the land to Petit Jean today. (more…)