channel islands national park Archives -

2015 has been another great year of firsts for us. We’ve visited new destinations, enjoyed new experiences, and had several “who knew?” moments.

Here are some of our favorite 2015 experiences:

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain

–Katharine Lee Bates

During our twenty-day road trip from Chicago to Monterey, California, down to Santa Monica and back across Route 66, my favorite patriotic song, America the Beautiful, came to mind. The topography constantly changed. From mountains, some still with snow, to lush valleys, to the hot, dry desert and ocean views, the landscape painted a beautiful backdrop for our trip. We’re sharing some of the scenic areas that we drove through in this video.

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in U.S. Long Cuts. We are merging U.S. Long Cuts with Midwest Wanderer, adding a “Beyond the Midwest” menu option.

Off the coast of Southern California sit five islands that make up the Channel Islands National Park. The only way to get there is by private boat or by the park’s concessionaire boat service, Island Packers. We took a day trip to Santa Cruz Island, a little more than an hour away by boat. What we found once we reached the island was a whole different world from the busy California coast.

Midwest Wanderer explores history, nature, and culture through road trips along scenic and historic U.S. highways, byways and trails

channel islands national park

2015 Midwest Wanderer Year in Review

Landscape Across America

Channel Islands National Park Adventure