scenic drive Archives - ETB Travel Photography

Things to Do in Mena

For our third annual girls hiking trip, we visited Mena in the Northwest corner of Arkansas. We normally have a group of 5 or 6, but schedules weren’t aligning, so Carol and I just drove from Dallas to Mena in hopes to soak in some fall colors. The short four-hour drive took us on highways and backroads, and we arrived just before dark.

I was in the area briefly thirteen years ago during my year-long road trip following scenic byways, and I’ve wanted to return for some leaf peeping. Unfortunately, this early November weekend didn’t bless us with vibrant reds and oranges, but we still saw some autumn colors and enjoyed ourselves around town.

History of Mena

Mena, the county seat of Polk County, Arkansas was founded as a railroad town in the 19^th Century. It is situated amid the mountains of Ouachita National Forest. Mena has a checkered past. It was once called the sundown town for its unacceptable treatment of African Americans. It was also in the news a lot for its role in a drug-smuggling operation and the Iran-Contra Scandal.

Today, while it has a diversified economy of agriculture and manufacturing, it has become a tourist destination due to its numerous recreational opportunities available in the surrounding national forest and state parks.

EXPLORE!

Hawaii’s Kohala Coast

The Kohala Coast

After a full 12 hour day driving the Hamakua Coast from Kona yesterday, I opted for the closer Kohala Coast today. It still felt like a lot of driving, and if I had it to do over again, I’d probably just stay in Waikoloa Village at one of the resorts and relax a little more given my short time here. That said I have a problem with FOMO, fear of missing out, so I had to see everything!

LET’S GO

Day 248 – Yellowstone’s Grand Loop (Part 2)

Day 248 of a Year Long Road Trip Along America’s Scenic Byways

Upper Geyser Basin

I started out today visiting Old Faithful. The geyser is well known because of its consistency. It erupts every 40 to 126 minutes for a few minutes. While it doesn’t spew as high as Grand Geyser, the world’s tallest predictable geyser, it still puts on a good show. Old Faithful is located in Upper Geyser Basin along with 125 other active geysers. In fact, Yellowstone is home to 200 of the 500 active geysers found in the world!

While waiting on Old Faithful to work its magic, I wandered along the boardwalk past a variety of springs, pools, and geysers including Chromatic Pool, which I found to be the one of the prettiest as I breathed the rotten egg smell of sulphur. Chromatic Pool’s colors are created by microscopic lifeforms. Incredibly, these organisms can survive conditions that would be lethal to most other living creatures, including humans.

ON THE ROAD Again!

Day 223 – The Scenic Sunrise Shore – Part 2

Day 223 of Year Long Road Trip Along America’s Scenic Byways

Huron National Forest

Petey and I left Harrisville State Park this morning and spent most the day driving. Along the way, we got in a few stops as we continued south down Michigan’s Sunrise Shore. When we arrived in Oscoda, we took a 40 mile roundtrip scenic drive through the Huron National Forest along Au Sable River. In route, we pulled out at an overlook, took the stairs to the river’s edge to test the waters, and picked a few wild raspberries on our way back to VANilla.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN!

Day 220 – Upper Peninsula Drive – Part 2

Day 220 of Year Long Road Trip Along America’s Scenic Byways

This morning I investigated another portion of Pictured Rocks National Seashore in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Since Petey wasn’t allowed on the trails, I did a quick hike through the hardwoods to Chapel Lake and Chapel Falls. The Chapel Lake Overlook is a bit of a misnomer. My only view was a splash of water through the trees.

The falls was relatively protected by trees as well, but with a little work I was able to snap a photo of the water streaming down the cliff. Overall, I wasn’t as enthusiastic about this hike as my book led me to believe I would be. Perhaps I needed to make the six mile roundtrip to Chapel Rock.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN!

Day 203 – Flaming Gorge Getaway

Day 203 of Year Long Roadtrip Following Scenic Byways in the USA

Dinosaur National Monument

I finally tore myself away from Steamboat on Wednesday and traveled to Dinosaur National Monument where I found a campsite near the Green River and tried staying cool in the shade for the afternoon and evening. Today was simply crazy! I don’t even know where to begin. For what felt like a blistering hot morning (though I suspect it wasn’t even 80 degrees) and an afternoon full of thunder showers, I have to say, my day was nothing short of excellent.

I began the morning in Dinosaur National Monument, a park that spans across the Utah/Colorado border. I took a variety of short hikes beginning with a short uphill climb to Cub Creek Petroglyphs where I found some of the largest rock carvings I have seen on my adventures. The carvings included triangles, swirls, and faces in addition to large lizard like animals and a figure that looked like a flute player. The well defined petroglyphs seemed to have weathered the harsh, desert conditions.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN!