Las Vegas

I have been to Las Vegas a couple of times even though I don’t gamble. It was fun walking around and seeing the buildings, free shows, etc.

Free things to do:

1.       Caesar’s Palace Caesar’s Palace features The Fall of Atlantis Show. Animatronic figures fight for control of Atlantis. The platform is an aquarium that contains puffers, flounder, sharks and a variety of fish. On the West end is the Festival Fountain Show where visitors are entertained by Greek gods. This is a laser, water and light show.

2.       Circus Circus The last time we were in Las Vegas we stayed at the Circus Circus. We got a free drink and a free ride at their amusement park. We went on the roller coaster which was a lot of fun. There are also free circus acts. Different acts perform each half hour.

3.       Bellagio Hotel and Casino This hotel contains the World’s Largest Chocolate Fountain at 27 feet tall. It contains 2100 pounds of flowing chocolate. The Bellagio also has the world-famous fountains. The fountains are choreographed to music.

4.       Hard Rock Café Inside you will find rock and roll memorabilia including Eric Clapton’s guitar, John Lennon’s glasses, Jimi Hendrix’s shirt, and a gold microphone that belonged to Frank Sinatra.

5.       Treasure Island Outside there is a free show called The Sirens of Treasure Island. It is about the clash between tempting sirens and pirates. The show contains singing, explosions, dance and drama.

6.       Mirage Hotel Outside there is a volcano that erupts every 15 minutes from 7:00 p.m. to midnight. Flames shoot into the sky spewing smoke and fire 100 feet above the water below.

Montpelier, Vermont

●Capitol of Vermont

●Population of 7,855 at the 2010 census: It is the smallest state capitol in the United States.

Things to Do:

1.       Vermont State House The capitol building is beautiful with its gold dome. It is one of the oldest and best preserved state capitols in the United States. It is open Monday through Friday 8-4 p.m. You can take a free guided tour on the half-hour July through mid-October or walk around the building yourself.

2.       Downtown Montpelier There are many beautiful churches, bookstores, shops and restaurants in the downtown area.



The library

3.       Bragg Farm This is a maple syrup farm. They have a gift shop as well as an animal farm with goats and ponies. You can listen to a talk about how they make maple syrup. They have free samples of maple syrup in all four grades, maple butter, jams, etc. They even make maple soft serve ice cream that you can buy.

4.       Green Mount Cemetery This is a 35 acre cemetery. You can either walk or drive through the cemetery. There are many ornate headstones.

Fairbanks, Alaska

●Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska, and the second largest in the state behind Anchorage. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city was 31,535.

●Average winter low temperatures range from -15 degrees F to -25 degrees F.

●The Alaskan Railroad goes north from Seward to Fairbanks.

What to do:

1.       Ice Museum The ice museum is the world’s largest year-round ice environment in the world. The ice museum contains many ice sculptures including jousters on horses, Sarah Palin, animal chess set, an ice bar, an igloo, a xylophone that you can play, a polar bear, ice beds, and many more. They provide you with a jacket since it is 20 degrees F inside. If you pay extra, you can get an appletini in a martini glass. You get to keep the ice glass! The museum is located at the Chena Hot Springs Resort 60 miles from Fairbanks. The museum is open every day of the year.

2.       Chena Hot Springs Chena Hot Springs is located in the same area as the Ice Museum. There are also goats, hiking trails, sled dogs and a campground. During the winter you can hike up to a small hut to watch the northern lights. There is an outdoor hot springs rock lake for adults 18 and up. There is also an indoor family pool.

3.       Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge This national wildlife refuge has a 2 mile trail that lets you see Alaska’s plant and animal life. It is located on the north side of College Road about halfway between the University of Alaska, Fairbanks and Steese Expressway. The visitors center is open Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

4.       Georgeson Botanical Garden The gardens are located on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus. This is a five acre garden that is open to the public during the daylight hours, May through September.

5.       Pioneer Park This is Alaska’s only historic theme park. It is free to get in. There are many shops, restaurants, museums, and attractions including mini-golf, railroad, carousel, dance hall and theater.

6.       Riverboat Discovery Climb on board an authentic Alaskan sternwheeler, the Riverboat Discovery. Take a tour with native Alaskans in a traditional village and meet some of the pioneers who call this land home.

7.       University of Alaska Museum of the North

10 things to do in Salt Lake City!

I have been to Salt Lake City many times. It is a gorgeous city at any time of year.

What to do:

1.       Park City, UT The 2001 Winter Olympics were held here. You can view where the luge, skeleton, bobsled, and freestyle took place. There is a little museum where you can view memorabilia from the Olympics including Kelly Clark’s snowboard, Bodi Miller’s gear and Timothy Goebel’s outfit. Make sure to also visit historic downtown.

2.       This is the Place Heritage Park There are many statues and memorials of the early Mormons who found this place. There is also a living historic village that recreates daily pioneer life during the 19^th century.

3.       Temple Square The architecture is phenomenal. It is dominated by a magnificent six-spired temple. You can take a free tour around the premises. They talk about the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints as well as what is happening today.

4.       Salt Lake City Capitol building Make sure to go on an hourly tour. You see more than the self-guided tour and it is really informative. There are some great murals in the building.

5.       Council Hall

6.       Gilgal Sculpture Garden This mid-20^th century garden features 12 original sculpture and over 70 stones engraved with scriptures, poems, and literary texts.

7.       International Peace Gardens These gardens feature floral architecture and displays representing other countries. Open May-September, dawn until dusk.

8.       Red Butte Garden This garden is part of the University of Utah. The garden features more than 150 acres of landscaped grounds and colorful flowers with walking paths.

9.       Big Cottonwood Canyon This canyon offers great hiking, camping, rock climbing, and biking in the summer. In the winter there is skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, sledding, and cross country skiing.

10.   Great Salt Lake This 20,000 square mile lake is the second saltiest lake in the world. It is also a wildlife refuge attracting millions of migratory birds every year to the ten islands within it.

Sheridan, Wyoming

I spent my last semester of college in Sheridan, Wyoming as a student teacher in Kindergarten. Sheridan is a small town in northern Wyoming. The Big Horn Mountains surround Sheridan.

●Population: 17,444

What to do:

1.       Trail End Historic Site This is a mansion that was finished in 1913. It was the home of John Kendrick. Kendrick was a cattle rancher who served as governor of Wyoming before being elected to three terms as a United States senator. Trail End is a state-operated museum and is known locally as Kendrick Mansion.

2.       Kings Saddlery Museum This museum contains many saddles, leather work, guns and Western artifacts. It is located behind the retail store.

3.       Kendrick Park This park is located at the corners of Badger and Beaver Streets. The park includes a children’s play area, an ice cream shop, a swimming pool, and a buffalo and elk conservatory. I walked by this park everyday and it was so neat to see elk so close up!

4.       Historic Downtown

5.       Cross Country Skiing at Sibley Lake

6.       Camp, bike, and hike in the Bighorn Mountains.

7.       Shell Falls The Falls are just off of US 14.

8.       Mint Bar

Seward, Alaska

Kyle and I went to Seward, Alaska for my 22^nd birthday. Seward is absolutely gorgeous! Seward is one of Alaska’s oldest and most scenic communities. This town offers a bustling harbor, quaint shops and galleries, and many different ways to tour Kenai Fjords National Park.

●Seward is the 7^th most lucrative fisheries port in the United States per value.

●Seward is the southern terminus of the Alaskan Railroad.

●In 1927, 13 year old Benny Benson of Seward, won a territory-wide American Legion contest to design a flag for Alaska. His design became the territorial flag and eventually the state flag.

●Seward is located 126 miles south of Anchorage.

Things to do in Seward

1.       Benny Benson Memorial Park

2.       Kenai Fjords National Park-Exit Glacier Exit glacier is only 15 minutes from town. A half-mile trail leads you to the base of the glacier. When we went to Exit Glacier the road had been flooded from a rainstorm.

3.       Alaska SeaLife Center This is the state’s only marine research and rehabilitation facility. Come face to face with puffins, sea lions, and harbor seals.

4.       Glacier and Wildlife Day Cruises Choose which boat tour you want to go on. You will see glaciers, fjords, and wildlife.

5.       Take a walking tour. Walk along Main Street. There is a collection of refurbished railcars from the Alaska Railroad. They now house several private businesses. Visit the small boat harbor. Go to the Kenai Fjords National Park Visitor Center. Walk along the paved Coastal Walk. The coastal walk follows the route of the original Iditarod National Historic Trail. Visit the library, the Taroka Inn, The Liberty Theater, the Van Gilder Hotel, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, the Ballaine House, the Cameron House, the Stewart House, the Resurrection Bay Historical Society Museum, and the Buoy Tree.

6.       Look for the many murals in town.

Where to Stay

On the way to Exit Glacier there are many camping spots that are free! You can just pull off and claim a spot.

                                                            The view from our campsite!



11 things to do in Banff National Park!

View from the Cascade Gardens



I went to Banff in September 2010. It was snowing but it was still gorgeous. It was a nice time to go because there weren’t too many tourists and the aspens were at their peak.

●Canada’s first National Park, established in 1885

●1 ½ hours west of Calgary in Alberta

●Connects to Jasper National Park

What to do:

1.       See Lake Louise. While at Lake Louise, walk through the Chateau Lake Louise.

2.       Visit the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel.

3.       Ice fields Parkway This is a gorgeous drive that passes through lakes, glaciers, rivers, waterfalls, and mountains.

4.       Banff Gondola The gondola takes you to the top of Sulphur Mountain for spectacular views. To get there take Banff Ave south across Bow River. Take a left on Cave Ave. Take a right on Mountain Ave and follow that road until it dead ends at the gondola parking lot.

5.       Parker Ridge Trail This is a 2.5 mile round trip hike with a view of the Saskatchewan glacier.

6.       Cascade Gardens These gardens are behind the park administration building. It is free to walk around. There are many paths that go over bridges and through gazebos.

7.       Bow Falls Bow Falls is located right behind the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel.

8.       Lake Minnewanka The lake is located 15 miles north of Banff. This is the park’s largest waterway.

9.       Vermillion Lakes From downtown, take Mount Norquay Rd. north towards Hwy 1. Turn Left on Vermillion Lakes drive. The hike is 3.7 miles round trip. There are 3 lakes and there are wonderful views of Mt. Rundle.

10.   Banff Upper Hot Springs These soothing hot springs are open year round. From downtown, cross the Bow River bridge. Turn left on Spray Ave. Take a right on Mountain Ave. The hot springs are at the end of the road.

11.   Surprise Corner This is the spot where most of the famous pictures have been taken of the Banff Springs Hotel. Drive down Banff Ave towards Bow River. Turn left on Buffalo Street. You will see the parking lot just after the view opens up.