Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge, northwest Missouri

Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge, northwest Missouri

A wild-goose chase is an often-used idiom. An idiom is a non-literal phrase or expression whose meaning is not discernible from the actual words of the phrase. From the process of usage, the phras...
Monroe Elementary School — National Historic Park, Topeka, KS

Monroe Elementary School — National Historic Park, Topeka, KS

In 1896, the Supreme Court ruled in Plessy v. Ferguson that state-mandated racial segregation did not violate the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause. That decision established the legal doct...
The Getty Center — Los Angeles, CA

The Getty Center — Los Angeles, CA

In the mid-twentieth century, J. Paul Getty was long thought to be the worlds' richest private individual. Even adjusted for inflation, his billionaire status - around six billion dollars (34 bill...
West Cliff Drive — Santa Cruz, CA

West Cliff Drive — Santa Cruz, CA

One of my favorite walks is along West Cliff Drive toward Lighthouse Point in Santa Cruz, California. I must have traipsed out to Lighthouse Point a hundred times. Each time, there is fascination ...
The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi — Santa Fe, NM

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi — Santa Fe, NM

One of Santa Fe's legendary figures is Archbishop Jean Baptiste Lamy. The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, near the Plaza in Santa Fe is one of its most famous landmarks. The structure...
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park — Felton, CA

Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park — Felton, CA

Apparently, there is no documentation as to whether Woody Guthrie visited Redwood forests. However, I have to believe, since Woody lived in California from 1937 through 1941, loved to "roam and r...
Minnesota

Minnesota

I have family in Minneapolis. If you are tough enough to endure the winters, Minnesota is a wonderful state to raise a family.  Minnesota consistently ranks within the top 10 states for public ...
Quartz Mountain State Park, Oklahoma

Quartz Mountain State Park, Oklahoma

Driving across the flat of Oklahoma the arrival of Quartz Mountain catches you off guard. Though still impressive, millions of years of erosion have whittled the mountain down to a more manageable...
General Grenville Dodge Mansion — Council Bluffs, IA

General Grenville Dodge Mansion — Council Bluffs, IA

Every room of General Grenville Dodge's mansion is decked out with holiday cheer, each decorated by a different local group or person. The imposing mansion with brick walls that are two feet thic...