WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?
Where have you been? That is not a question from your mother or your spouse, it is from your friend and relative.
If we know you’ve been to a place we’re going on vacation we could get tips from you. If it’s a place we’ve been to, we could give you suggestions. Just in general, it’s nice to know where people have traveled.
As of September 2024, we have been to 49 states in the United States. If you’re interested, ask us which state we have not yet been to and give us ideas if you’ve been there.
Our recently departed cousin Sharon London Person once asked for restaurants others would recommend for her cross-country travels. It’s an interesting idea.
Another cousin noted in an obituary that the deceased spouse had visited all the continents except Antarctica. Wow! That would have been fun and educational to discuss with her. Why put it in an obituary? Talk about your travels with friends and relatives.
Some of our favorite spots in the United States have been Canyon de Chelly National Monument in Arizona (which exceeded our opinion of the Grand Canyon), where we stayed at the historic Navajo-owned and operated Thunderbird Lodge, LaPosada Hotel in Winslow, Arizona, and Sedona, Arizona, at sunset. The old mining town of Jerome, Arizona is another great place to visit.
Driving through the Grand Tetons to Yellowstone was spectacular, as was Big Sky, Montana, and the treacherous yet eye-opening scenic drive to Bozeman. Mackinac Island, Michigan, and the Wisconsin Dells fall into favorites. Chattanooga and Louisville were fun places we have visited.
Medora, North Dakota, home of the Rough Riders Hotel, and Teddy Roosevelt National Park are great places. Various areas of South Dakota, including Mt. Rushmore in Keystone, and staying at Powder House Lodge, a resort “nestled quietly in the Black Hills,” Crazy Horse, Custard State Park, The Badlands, Deadwood, where we stayed at the historic Bullock Hotel and attended a ghost tour, Spearfish Canyon, Sylvan Lake, Rapid City, Needles Point Highway, and Sioux Falls are not to be missed, and I could go on and on.
While we stayed in our share of hotel chains, I would be remiss not to give a shout-out to the Rocket Motel in Custer, South Dakota. Some places we reserved in advance and others we just came upon.
Little Rock, Arkansas, and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma were surprisingly exciting places to visit. We just loved Joshua Tree and a trip to nearby Palm Springs, California, which holds special memories for us from the times we visited my Uncle Jack (1911-2005), who, as a Pioneer of Palm Springs, had a star cemented on Palm Canyon Blvd., near Bob and Dolores Hope’s stars. We had a great time with cousins visiting Death Valley on a day when the temperature was a high of 108 degrees.
After enjoying countless trips to Charleston and Beaufort, South Carolina, and almost as many to Savannah, Georgia, they’re all on top of our list of favorites. A 1979 vacation to the Aloha State, included a week’s stay at the Hilton Hawaiian Village on Oahu and an unforgettable 13-hour day trip flying to and touring the Big Island, Maui, and Kauai.
All the major cities, from Portland, Oregon to Portland, Maine, including but not limited to, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Austin, Boston, Denver, Omaha, New York, and D.C. with countless museums and innate charm hold special memories. There’s so much to explore from shore to shore.
We’ve been to the Alamo, the Liberty Bell, the White House, the Washington Monument, and walked up the Statute of Liberty, toured the Empire State Building and most of the other areas and popular destinations in those magnificent cities. We’ve built sand castles at the Jersey shore, toured many lighthouses, and skipped stones in the waters of the Catskill Mountains and beyond.
Seeing all five Great Lakes, which I remember studying about in school, gave me great pleasure. We’ve traveled through countless enchanting state parks, national parks and abundant mountain ranges throughout the country. Now that I’ve scratched the surface, please stop me before I leave the fresh thoughts of places in the United States and give a synopsis of every state, and other countries we’ve enjoyed.
Have you visited the places I’ve listed? Let me know in the comments below or shoot me an email. I’m more than happy to discuss our travels and hear about yours. It’s what makes life interesting.
August 17. 2016 Canyon de Chelly National Monument Arizona (Need I say more?)