national park | Scenic Pathways

Natchez Trace Scenic Drive

April 5, 2022November 20, 2022 roscoe

Natchez Trace National Parkway National Park The Natchez Trace Parkway runs from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee, about 440 miles. Traveling the Trace is an excellent way to step back in time to an era of the scenic road trip where you take the time to enjoy the trip itself. Trucks and commercial vehicles aren’t allowed on the parkway. Nor are billboards, stop lights, or commercial establishments. Along the roadsides, the human footprint is light, only a changing variety of scenery and topography provided by Mother Nature. Along the route…

Traveling The Modern Natchez Trace Parkway

March 5, 2022November 20, 2022 roscoe

A Great Road Trip One of the most scenic and stress free road trips you can take. In the Spring you can catch the blooming Red Buds, Dogwoods, and wildflowers. In the fall beautiful colors as the leaves are changing. The Natchez Trace Parkway begins north of the city of Natchez (see our article on Visiting historic Natchez, Mississippi), the oldest town on the Mississippi River and the southern terminus of the historic Natchez Trace. The parkway runs 444 miles, through three States, ending south of Nashville, Tennessee. There are…

Fort Pickens Campground | Pensacola Beach

February 5, 2022April 24, 2022 roscoe

Fort Pickens Campground RV Park Review Pros & Cons, What to like and not like about camping at Fort Pickens. See campground maps, pictures, information and links below. The Fort Pickens Gulf Islands National Park RV park and campground is set about a half mile east of the old fort, nestled between the remains of several of the coastal artillery gun batteries that were constructed during World War II. The campground is about 6 miles West of the town of Pensacola Beach, Florida down a paved road that runs along…

Hot Springs National Park

December 25, 2021January 8, 2022 roscoe

Hot Springs National Park – Camping, Hiking, and Scenic Attractions Located near the southern end of Arkansas Scenic Highway 7, Hot Springs National Park is located in the center of the city of Hot Springs while also set in the mountains surrounding the town. Situated in a valley in the Zig-Zag mountain range, Hot Springs is surrounded by hills. The National Park begins in the center of the city and encompasses the mountains to the east and west. So only minutes from downtown Hot Springs you can be in the…

Fort Pickens National Park

December 14, 2021January 8, 2022 roscoe

Camping and Visiting Fort Pickens & Gulf Islands National Seashore Park – Pensacola Beach, Florida What is there to do at Fort Pickens Gulf Islands Park & Campground? Fishing, beach combing, swimming, and sunbathing on sparsely populated white sand beaches on the Gulf of Mexico. Tour the historic Fort Pickens and Island Gun Batteries and learn about the military history of the Fort and of Santa Rosa Island. Hike the several hiking and nature trails in the park. Bird-Watching. Over 280 species of birds have been identified on the gulf…

Bathhouse Row – Hot Springs National Park

December 1, 2021January 29, 2022 roscoe

Hot Springs National Park – Visiting Historic Bathhouses Row & Attractions Seven of the original historic Hot Springs bathhouses along Bathhouse Row remain and have been restored or in the process of restoration. Some offer classic hot springs spa experiences, others are open for tours, and some have been repurposed for other uses (like a restaurant or brew house). The historic Fordyce Bathhouse serves as the National Park Visitor Center. In addition to information on the park and activities, the various rooms and services of the original bathhouse have been…

Raspberry Island Lighthouse

July 7, 2021August 15, 2022 roscoe

Raspberry Island Lighthouse Tour – Apostle Islands The Raspberry Island Lighthouse is one of six lighthouses in the Apostle Islands. Three of them are open to the public for guided tours; we elected to tour the one at Raspberry Island offered by Apostle Islands Cruise Service in conjunction with the Apostle Islands National Park Service. The ship left the dock at Bayfield at 1:30 pm and traveled through the islands to Raspberry Island, making a brief stop at Oak Island to drop off some campers who would be camping and…

Hot Springs Restaurant Reviews | Ohio Club

December 30, 2017April 20, 2021 roscoe

Restaurants & Pubs Hot Springs National Park Some of Hot Springs most favorite restaurants are located a good distance from the National Park Bathhouse Row and downtown Hot Springs. But when we visit we are there for the camping, hiking, and history that the National Park offers so when we eat out, it is downtown near the park headquarters. Restaurant Review – The Ohio Club Located across the street from Bathhouse Row, the historic Ohio Club has been doing business since it opened in 1905 as a Casino and Saloon,…

Visiting Historic Natchez Mississippi

December 19, 2017November 24, 2021 roscoe

Natchez, Mississippi celebrated its 300 year anniversary in 2016. Rich in historic preservation, Natchez is the oldest city on the Mississippi River and the southern terminus of the historic Natchez Trace, now a Scenic National Parkway which runs over 400 miles through three states. Antebellum Homes, Historic Mansions & Structures Natchez was fortunate to have a large number of its historic structures survive the great Civil War. Several Antebellum Homes are open for tours year-round and special Pilgrimage Tours are offered in the spring and fall. Maps for walking tours…

Wisconsin Lake Superior Ice Caves

January 1, 2017August 15, 2022 roscoe

The Bayfield Ice Caves Touring the ice sculptures of the Bayfield Lake Superior Ice Caves was easily the most popular 2014 & 2015 winter event around Lake Superior. In 2016 and since that time, the Lake Superior Ice was not safe enough to allow travel to the Ice Caves and Formations. But the winter Lake Superior Region Weather Forecast provides hope that travel to the Sea Cave formations will be possible, perhaps as early as Feb 1. In 2014, For the first time in 5 years the ice on Lake…

Historic Pensacola Florida

May 24, 2015December 29, 2021 roscoe

In the early spring we like to escape the cold Wisconsin winters by traveling to Northern Florida and the Florida Panhandle. One of our favorite places to spend some time is in Pensacola and Pensacola Beach. Since we travel by motorhome, we stay at RV parks and prefer state and national parks for their wilderness settings and hiking trails. On our first visit to the area we stayed at the Fort Pickens Gulf Islands National Seashore Park campground on the far western end of Santa Rosa island. The island is…

Fall Color Effigy Mounds

November 1, 2014September 14, 2021 roscoe

Effigy Mounds National Park – Fall Color Hikes Located on the Iowa side of the Upper Mississippi Great River Road, Effigy Mounds is a popular fall color attraction due to its mature mixed hardwood forest, its well-maintained and annotated nature/history trails, and its elevated scenic views of the Mississippi River and surrounding bluffs. An added attraction is its founding feature: the hundreds of Indian Burial Mounds and its educational displays on the ancient Mounds culture. We picked the second weekend in October for our visit since during the same weekend…

St Croix Falls Interstate Park

January 21, 2013September 14, 2021 roscoe

St Croix Falls Interstate Park – Fall Color Interstate Park, a cooperative effort of Wisconsin, Minnesota and the National Park Service, is located on the St. Croix Wild and National Scenic River which forms part of the state line dividing the northern part of Wisconsin and Minnesota south of Duluth. It is actually two parks. There is the Wisconsin Interstate Park (St. Croix, Wisconsin) on the east side of the river and the Minnesota Interstate Park (Taylor Falls, Minnesota) located on the west bank. It is located about 60 miles…

Fall Trip to Marquette-McGregor Iowa

November 6, 2012August 18, 2020 roscoe

Quaint Mississippi River Road Towns ARVY, our RV motor home, had not been driven in well over a month, the gas in its tank was getting old, and we needed to mix some fuel additive + gas stabilizer into the fuel mix for the winter. Having noticed that Eagles Landing Winery was having a free wine tasting event so we decided to take a trip on the first Sunday in November to McGregor and Marquette Iowa to give our motor home the needed exercise and visit the Winery plus take…

Effigy Mounds National Park

June 13, 2012September 9, 2020 roscoe

Effigy Mounds – McGregor, Iowa Officially called Effigy Mounds National Monument, Effigy Mounds is located in the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River a few miles north of Marquette and McGregor, Iowa. Visiting the park is a great opportunity to get some healthful exercise, enjoy a nature walk through a mature northern hardwood forest, experience some great views of the Mississippi River, go “birding” or watch the eagles fly, and learn more about the American Indian mound builders who inhabited the area a thousand years ago. In addition to the annotated…