Super-fantastic Journeys

The oceans off the coast of Nova Scotia are the perfect habitat for a culinary treat of the ocean, the Lobster.  The Nova Scotia lobster fishery is a part of life in the province as the number one seafood exporter in the country.  The lobsters off the coast of Nova Scotia are known for their hard shells and the meatiness of the lobster inside.  Lobster is a sustainable food source and the fisheries off of Nova Scotia are managed to make sure that there are fisheries open but that no single area is overfished.  It should be no surprise then that lobster is a focal point of many culinary gems.  You can eat lobster for every meal of the day if you want, which a must admit I did while I was there. Probably the best known way that we think of lobster being prepared is the old fashioned lobster boil.  The lobster is cooked in salted water, oftentimes with corn and potatoes and is served on a platter in all it's glory.  The bright red shell pulls you in as you put your bib around your n

 Getting to Nova Scotia takes a little bit of extra work.  There are not a lot of flights from the US that go directly into Halifax. in fact, at this time I only count six and some flights are seasonal and end once the summer season is over.  At the end of this post, you will find a chart of the different airlines that have flights into Halifax.  In addition to originating in the United States, you can take a flight into a major Canadian airport like Toronto and find a carries like Air Canada, Jazz or Porter that will fly you into Nova Scotia.  If you take this option, be sure to leave yourself enough time to get through customs and still make your next flight. The first leg of our flight was from Dallas to Newark, NJ on United Airlines.  The flight took off later in the day that we are used to so we were able to pack that morning and make it to our 2:45 PM departure.  There was some weather in our flight path so we had to fly east to Atlanta before turning and heading north

Visiting Nova Scotia is a dream vacation for individuals who like the outdoors, rugged sea coasts, lighthouses and of course food and drink.  Located on the far eastern side of Canada on the Atlantic Ocean, Nova Scotia has a style and culture all of its own from the rest of the country.  The people are extremely welcoming and friendly.  The seafood is fresh and can be found everywhere you go with the love or lobster and seafood chowder.  The views are amazing and while it is Canada's most densely populated province, there is open space, lakes, forest and seaside bluffs everywhere. Cape D'Ore Light House and Cliffs near Advocate Harbor Steven Yackel   We had 8 days to visit the province in mid-October of 2019.  We explored the largest city of Halifax on foot before setting forth on a 2000 mile journey north to Cape Breton and around the inspiring Cabbot Trail. We then out to the sunrise coast at Pictou, out into the Bay of Fundy for a great sea kayaking excursion and the

Don't forget to look up, you may be missing one of the best parts! As you travel the United States visiting the State Capitol Building, or in some places called the State House, is a great activity to build into your trip plans.  As a governmental building, the State Capital is open to the public and often provide tours, either guided or self-guided.  While visiting the house and senate chambers and learning something about the history of the state taking a moment to pause in the  rotunda  and looking up can be rewarding. Take a look and see some of the rotundas I have been fortunate to visit. State of Washington State of Texas State of Maryland State of Illinois State of Connecticut State of New Mexico State of Montana State of Arkansas

The best place to drop quarters into a machine in Las Vegas is not in a casino.  If you want to have a great time on just a few dollars, the best place to go is the Pinball Hall of Fame .  That is right, there is a Pinball Hall of Fame and all the machines are a hands-on interactive exhibit.  The best thing about pinball machines over slot machines is that there is actually some skill involved in playing pinball and your skill determines your ability to win free games, not just luck. Located just east of the strip on Tropicana (driving or uber is suggested) this 10,000 square foot facility is currently filled with 260 pinball machines that you can touch and play.  The machines date from the 1950s to the 1990s and yes I was able to find a number of my favorites.  When you pull up outside the building and vinyl sign makes you wonder if you made the right decision for an activity compared to all the glitz of Vegas.  Once you walk inside there are rows and rows of machines for you t

Through our multiple visits to Bandelier National Monument, we have hiked a number of the trails that depart from the visitor center.  The hiking here is very accessible and is friendly to the time-crunched traveler.  I would highly recommend one of the trails that takes you through the ruins.  This is a dream spot for kids to hike because they get to climb ladders and go through narrow passageways. Main Ruin Loop Trail Distance: 1.4 Miles Trail Type: Loop Elevation Gain: 291 feet Difficulty: Easy All Trails Map The Main Ruin Loop Trail begins and ends at the visitor center.  The trail is 1.4 miles in length and is broken into two sections.  The first section is paved and is handicap accessible.  The second portion of the trail has some narrow sections of stairs to climb as you work your way up onto the cliffs sides to be able to access the carved out alcoves that were made in the side of the canyon for homes and storage.  Ladders from the trail will allow adventurers to climb

Bandelier National Monument is located near Los Alamos, NM, and is on the eastern slope of the Jemez Mountains.  Once the home of ancient Pueblo people, the national monument is a great place to explore a diverse ecosystem and the cultures that have inhabited the area over the years.  The park only has 3 miles of road but has over 70 miles of trails on over 33,000 acres of land.  Created in 1916, the park is probably best known for its ruins of ancient people who lived amongst the cliffs and eventually developed a large village on the valley floor below. The Frijoles Canyon is a hub for the activities at Bandelier National Monument and the park's visitor center.  Located at the base of the canyon, the road winds down the side of the canyon to a small parking area.  Parking is very tight here, and in the summer months (May 16 - October 16), visitors must take a shuttle from the nearby town of White Rock which also hosts a new visitors center.  The shuttles run every 30 minutes

I would have never guessed that Arkansas might be the first state that I would have visited all the National Park Sites in.  I only have one left to go.  I always made fun of Arkansas until I actually visited it. Arkansas is known as "The Natural State" and it is a well-earned title.  There are some amazingly beautiful places to visit in Arkansas and I still have a lot of the state to explore.  There are seven different sites run by the National Park Service in Arkansas.  Six of the site are historical in nature and one site is based on the natural beauty of the area. I have ranked the sites here based on my preferences and only rank the sites that I have been to. #1 - Buffalo National River The Buffalo River became America's first national river when it was established in 1972 and snakes its way 135 miles through northwest Arkansas through the Ozark Mountains.  It is one of the few remaining undammed rivers in the lower 48 states.  The large bluffs, surrounding