Native American Lakota referred to the area as mako sica, or “land bad.” When I visited the Badlands National Park in western South Dakota, I saw “land beautiful.” Read more
Exploring Badlands National Park
Author: Connie
Illinois State Fair Ag Tour – A Peek at Local Agriculture Industry
Are you going to the Illinois State Fair? Be sure to take the Illinois State Fair Ag Tour for an inside view of the state’s agriculture industry.
Exploring North Central Iowa’s Pilot Knob State Park
State parks are always a fun way to spend recreational time, whether you stay in a lodge, a campground or simply take a day trip. Depending on the park, you can hike, canoe, fish or picnic in a beautiful natural setting. It’s also fun to check out features that set one park apart from another. Last summer, during a trip to north central Iowa, our travel group visited the 700-acre Pilot Knob State Park. One of Iowa’s oldest state parks, established in 1923, Pilot Knob State Park has a couple of unique features. Read more
Corey Lake Orchards: One-Source Farmers Market
The farm is quiet on the late February day we visit. Equipment and supplies are stored for the winter, glistening snow blankets the fields and ice fishermen are on the lake across the road. But farm work never stops. Winter is when grapevines are pruned, tractors are maintained and Beth Hubbard, owner of Corey Lake Orchards, grows tomato plants in the greenhouse. Read more
John Dillinger Museum: Crime Doesn’t Pay
Crime doesn’t pay. That’s the underlying message of the newly reopened John Dillilnger Museum in Crown Point, Indiana. The museum had been located in the Indiana Welcome Center in Indiana since 1999. The move to the Old Lake County Courthouse brings you that much closer to the Dillinger story, since the notorious gangster escaped from the county jail a short block away from the courthouse in 1934. Read more
Driving Through Bear Country USA
Bears are the stars, of course, at Bear Country USA, home to the world’s largest collection of privately owned black bear. However, bears aren’t the only animals you’ll see as you take the three-mile drive through the 200 acre attraction. In fact, we didn’t see any bears for quite a while as we traversed the trail. Read more