by hcherdon | Jan 3, 2017 | Blog, Travel
One of my goals is to visit all of the states in the United States at least once. In order for a visit to count, I must visit some place within the state boundaries other than the airport or train station. Pretty simple.
Lately I’ve noticed that I’ve made almost no progress on my travel goals in the past few years and it’s time to change that. My travel bucket list is admittedly huge, but it’s the journey that counts. So, I’ve decided just to focus on the U.S. list for the next year and cross some of these local places off the list.
To be honest, I’m far less excited about visiting any place in the United States. Europe is where it’s at for me right now. Plus, I admit, some U.S. states have actually managed to completely turn me off with their politics and/or culture. For example, some of the Southern states still run rich with racial tension. The air is thick with hate, and honestly, I don’t like being around it.
However, I do still have an overall goal of visiting all of the United States and have quite a few to go. So, why visit those places first and get them out of the way.
Here’s where I’m at… I’ve visited 22 of 50 states so far and I’m hoping to hit Colorado next.
U.S. States I’ve Visited
Visited 22 out of 50
Visited States in Pink
States Not Visited in Green
Alabama
Alaska
- Denali National Park
- Gates of the Artctic
Glacier Bay National Park (UNESCO)- Katmai National Park
- Kenai Fjords National Park
- Lake Clark National Park
- Wrangell – St. Elias National Park (UNESCO)
Take an Alaskan cruise and see the glaciers
Arizona
- Grand Canyon National Park (UNESCO)
- Petrified Forest National Park
- Saguaro National Park
Arkansas
Hot Springs National Park
California
- Channel Islands National Park
- Death Valley National Park
- Joshua Tree National Park
- Kings Canyon National Park
- Lassen Volcanic National Park
- Pinnacles National Park
- Redwood National Park (UNESCO)
- Sequoia National Park
- Yosemite National Park (UNESCO)
Colorado
- Explore the Denver Zoo
- Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
- Great Sand Dunes National Park
- Mesa Verde National Park (UNESCO)
- Rocky Mountain National Park
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
- Biscayne National Park
- Dry Tortugas National Park
- Everglades National Park (UNESCO)
- Kayak to Mound Key Archaeological State Park, a Native American-made shell island
Georgia
Hawaii
- Haleakala National Park
- Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (UNESCO)
Idaho
- Yellowstone National Park (UNESCO)
Illinois
Indiana
- Ride the world’s largest water coaster at Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari in Santa Claus, Indiana.
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Mammoth Cave National Park (UNESCO)
Louisiana
- Monumental Earthworks of Poverty Point (UNESCO)
Maine
- Visit Acadia National Park
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
- Isle Royale National Park
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
- Play at St. Louis’s whimsical City Museum
- Dive in the Bonne Terre Mine in Missouri
Montana
- Glacier National Park
- Yellowstone National Park (UNESCO)
Nebraska
Nevada
- Death Valley National Park
- Great Basin National Park
- Participate in Burning Man
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
- Carlsbad Caverns National Park (UNESCO)
- Taos Pueblo (UNESCO)
- Chaco Culture National Historical Park (UNESCO)
New York
- Niagara Falls, New York
- Statue of Libery in New York (UNESCO)
Attend a broadway musical, Manhattan, New York, New York
North Carolina
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park (UNESCO)
North Dakota
- Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Ohio
- Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Oklahoma
Oregon
- Crater Lake National Park
Pennsylvania
- Visit Independence Hall in Pennsylvania where the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
- Badlands National Park
- Wind Cave National Park
Tennessee
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park (UNESCO) (also in Tennessee)
Texas
- Big Bend National Park
- Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Visit the Missions of San Antonio, including the Alamo (UNESCO)
Utah
- Arches National Park
- Bryce Canyon National Park
- Canyonlands National Park
- Capitol Reef
- Zion National Park
Vermont
Virginia
- Shenandoah National Park
- Monticello and the University of Virginia (UNESCO)
- Visit Williamsburg, Virginia
Washington
- Mount Rainier National Park
- North Cascades National Park
- Olympic National Park (UNESCO)
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
- Grand Teton National Park
- Yellowstone National Park (UNESCO)
US National Parks Not Located in the 50 United States:
- American Samoa, Virgin Island, Reef, Islands, Congaree, Lake, Valley, Isle Royale, Tree, Katmai National Park and Preserve, Kings Canyon, Kobuk Valley, Lake Clark, National Park of American Samoa, North Cascades, Redwood, Rocky Mountain, Saguaro, and the Virgin Islands
by hcherdon | Jan 2, 2017 | Blog, Travel
One of my favorite little hideaways in the world is one of Italy’s best kept secrets. Located not too far from the bustling Southern Italian city of Bari, the tiny historic town of Alberobello remains an historic wonder.
I love this place because it feels like I’m in an alternate universe.
The houses seem to be from some long lost alien planet. I also love that it represents a group of people who thought outside the box to make the best of their situation, people who weren’t afraid to challenge the expected.
Home to less than 11,000 people, the little town is famous for their cluster of trulli, a particular type of small structure. And wow, aren’t they are adorable!
This little village does not disappoint!
A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996, the Trulli of Alberobello are indeed, truly unique. At the time they were constructed, trulli were typically used as temporary field shelters or storehouses. However, in Alberobello the trulli a tax was placed on homes and by not having a permanent roof, one could avoid their home or business being taxed as permanent property. So cool! Built of stacked rocks with no mortar, the roofs could be easily knocked over in the case that the authorities show up.
While the town was founded as early as 1000 AD, the trulli date back as far back as the 1400s. They were all built on land that was granted to a feudal lord, who ordered the people to build temporary structures instead of permanent ones to avoid having to pay taxes as city. Alberobello was not officially recognized as a permanent town until 1797.
There’s not a whole lot to do here, but there is enough to fill at least a long afternoon. The town museum here is definitely worth a visit.
Plus, you could spend the afternoon just walking the winding streets and pathways throughout this maze-like, little village.
There are also plenty of shops with a wide variety of souvenirs, if you’re into that sort of thing. Choose to support a local business selling things made locally and your money will go the further towards helping this place survive. This community thrives on tourism.\
If you get a chance to make it to Southern Italy, be sure to stop in and visit this little town. It’s one of the most unique places you’ll ever visit.
Have you been to Alberobello? Did you like it? I’d love to hear about your experience. Please post it in the comment section below.
by hcherdon | Jan 28, 2016 | Blog, Health & Wellness
The truth is… going green works best when it’s a lifestyle change and not a new hobby. I find the most effective way to make a change stick is to implement it gradually, in small steps, so you get used to it, and it becomes a normal, regular part of everyday life.
Here are three things that represent a shift in your thinking and how you approach life overall. I believe that if you can start keeping these three concepts in mind, you will see big changes eventually.
1. Carry a reusable water bottle.
Just avoid using bottled water all together. It’s pretty much one of the worst choices you can make for the environment. Plus, you’ll stay much more hydrated if you just carry a reusable water bottle. It’s practically proven. This habit can also save you lots of money, especially when you’re travelling or out and about.
2. Reduce, reuse, recycle.
You’ve heard it before, but seriously. It’s time to get with this. Reduce it, reuse it, upcycle it, compost it, recycle it, whatever you can to extend its life. Apply this concept to everything, at every level and your efforts will make a huge difference.
3. Do you really need that?
The next time you go to purchase something, seriously ask yourself… do you really need that? Whatever it is, there’s a pretty good chance that the answer is ultimately no. Of course, you can make up reasons, but will that item really affect your experience in life in an meaningful, impactive way? If the answer is no, then you probably don’t need to purchase it. And if you ask yourself this question often, you’ll find he result is that you tend to consume less, which means you save more and waste less. And that’s much better for our planet.
Do you have any mind shifts that have helped you live a greener life?
by hcherdon | Jan 21, 2016 | Blog, Travel
Let’s face it. Cruising the high seas is by no means a green or eco-friendly method of transportation. Cruise ships waste more and pollute more than most all other forms of travel. But if you find yourself taking a cruise, there are a few ways that you make your trip a little more eco-friendly than it might have been.
1 – Carry a reusable water bottle.
Never buy water sold in disposable water bottles. Also, you can take these reusable containers to the restaurants on the boat with you. And of course, you will also want to carry them when you go into port. As an added benefit, carrying a reusable water bottle can also help you stay consistently hydrated while traveling, which can be difficult and often gets overlooked in all the fun.
2 – Reuse your towel.
If you can use it several times before tossing it to the dirty laundry, that would be best. I tend to use my towels for at least a few washes before discarding them. One thing that helps is that I am careful to hang them up properly to allow them to air out properly. This prevents mildew and bacteria from growing, allowing for more uses.
3 – Don’t flush the loo unless you go number two.
Yep! There I said it. A little pee never hurt anyone, but the excessive flushing of toilets is wasting an unbelievable amount of precious water resources. So, unless you go two, don’t flush the loo.
4 – Take as few showers as possible.
Speaking of wasting water resources, it’s best if you can reduce the amount of waste water you produce on the ship, you can reduce the amount of pollution going into the ocean.
5 – Turn your powered items off when you leave the room.
Don’t leave your power appliance plugged in, as many of them still use a little bit of energy. This is good habit to practice everywhere you go and at home, too.
6 – Skip the souvenirs.
Especially the cheap, plastic souvenirs both on the ship and in port, too. Instead, take lots of photos and make videos. These photos and videos will work better as souvenir replacements if you put yourself and your travel mates in them. Don’t try to take a great landscape for your desktop background. You can get those photos all over the internet. Don’t waste the opportunity. Put people in the pictures. These are the photos you can never replace and can never take again.
7 – Take mass transit in port.
When you go to port, walk if you can. If you can’t walk or bicycle, opt for mass transit travel options as much as possible. This is an obviously greener option.
8 – Bring reusable bags.
If you are going to shop when you travel, be sure to throw a few reusable shopping bags in your backpack or travel pack, so you can avoid collecting new ones.
9 – Choose one of the “greener” cruise lines.
While all cruise ships are big polluters, some companies are attempting to take a more responsible approach and are taking small steps to make their ships more eco-friendly.
In 2012, a Neilsen survey on global corporate responsibility found 46% of consumers are willing to pay extra for products and services from companies that show a commitment to social responsibility. 66% ranked environmental sustainability as more important than any other cause listed.
by hcherdon | Sep 17, 2015 | Blog, Travel
Ask anyone who’s ever really known me and they’ll tell you I’m ambitious, to say the least. That’s what life is for, right?! So, after much thought, I have decided to share my travel bucket list with you. I hope you’ll follow along with me on my adventures across the globe.
Visit all of the 50 United States
I’ve visited 22 of 50 states so far and am hoping to hit Colorado next. See my whole list of US Travel Goals.
Visit all of the European Countries
Visited: Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy
Still Need to Visit: Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Republic of), Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, Ukraine, Vatican City
Visit all of the Continents
Visited: North America, Europe
Want to Visit: Asia, South America, Africa, Antarctica, Australia
All the US National Parks:
Visited: Glacier Bay, Hot Springs, Mammoth Cave
Want to Visit: Acadia, American Samoa, Arches, Badlands, Big Bend, Biscayne, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Reef, Carlsbad Caverns, Islands, Congaree, Lake, Valley, Death Valley, Denali National Park & Preserve, Dry Tortugas, Everglades, Gates of the Arctic, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Great Basin, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Great Smoky Mountains, Guadalupe Mountains, Haleakala, Hawaii Volcanoes, Isle Royale, Tree, Katmai National Park and Preserve, Kenai Fjords, Kings Canyon, Kobuk Valley, Lake Clark, Lassen Volcanic, Mesa Verde, Mount Rainier, National Park of American Samoa, North Cascades, Olympic, Petrified Forest, Redwood, Rocky Mountain, Saguaro, Sequoia, Shenandoah, Theodore Roosevelt, Virgin Islands, Voyageurs, Wind Cave, Wrangell – St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Zion
Random Travel Goals
Take an Alaskan cruise and see the glacierCruise the Greek islands- Make a film in Paris, France
- Kiss someone at the top of the Eiffel Tower, in Paris, France
- Attend the opera in Paris, France
- Have a warm drink in ice hotel
- Eat at an underwater restaurant
- Stay in an over-water bungalow
- Climb Machu Picchu, Peru
- Dress for Carnival in Venice
- Attend a broadway musical, Manhattan, New York, New York
- Niagara Falls, New York
- Swim with dolphins
- Swim with manatees
- Try peode in the desert
- Visit space
- Mash grapes with my feet in a vineyard
- Scuba dive the Blue Hole in Belize
- Backpack the rainforest
- Ride the Chunnel train
- Soak in Grutas Tolantongo, Metzquital Valley, Hidalgo, Mexico
- Edward James’ Las Pozas, Xilitla, Mexico
- Xcaret Park, Riviera Maya, Mexico
- Play in the jungles of Tamasopo, Mexico
- Swim between continental plates in Iceland’s Thingvellir Lake
- Participate in Burning Man
- Tour Lava Beds National Monument
- Visit Williamsburg, Virginia
- Visit Edith Macefield’s house in Ballad, Seattle, possibly the inspiration for the movie Up
- Dive in the Bonne Terre Mine in Missouri
- Have a Drink at the Tonga Lounge in San Francisco
- Take a boat ride on Kaindy Lake in Kazakhstan
- Fly away at Coupe Icare where flying and art come together
- Play at St. Louis’s whimsical City Museum
- Cross Le Passage de Goi ou Goa
- Pedal myself to bliss at Ai Pioppi in Italy
- Hike the spine of Angles Landing Trail at Zion National Park
- Celebrate Festa alla Zucca in Italy in October (festival of pumpkins)
- Swim in the tradition of the Antique Pool in Hierapoiis
- Scale the Travertine Terraces of Pamukkale, Turkey
- Walk between the continental plates in Iceland
- Kayak to Mound Key Archaeological State Park, a Native American-made shell island.
- Ride the world’s largest water coaster at Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari in Santa Claus, Indiana.
- Canoe the Gorges du Verdon in South France.
- Cross the Ponte Vecchio bridge in Firenze, Italy.
- Creep around Bodie California State Historic Park where ghosts of the 1800’s lurk.
- Explore Coronado, California’s sunken ship, SS Monte Carlo.
- Stand 282 feet below sea level in Lake Badwater in California’s Death Valley.
- Stomp the grounds of Caesarea Maritima in Israel.
- Attend the Battle of the Oranges in Northern Italy’s Ivrea, the largest food fight in Italy
- Walk the paths of Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia
- Hear the Sea Organ on the shores of Zadar, Croatia
- Walk the potentially deadly, historic Boomway in Britain
- Stay in Aydinli Cave Hotel located in Cappadocia
- Stay in Castello di Galeazza in Italy
- Climb the Chocolate Hills in the province of Bohol in central Philippines
- Walk on Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland
- Visit Deadvlei in the Namib Desert in Africa
- Play at Salina Turda in Romania
by hcherdon | Jun 22, 2015 | Blog, Gardening
Mostly due to a highly irregular, rampantly inconsistent lifestyle, I’ve been unable to maintain any plants in their living state for very long. However, life lately has offered a little more stability. Plus, my recent move to a mostly organic diet has brought on the need for an edible garden.
As someone who has almost no experience gardening, I realize I should start small, with just a few plants. But instead, I’ve taken the path less traveled. Diving right into the gardening world, I have started with an expansive array of plants for my first garden. But, let’s be honest, extreme is my style.
To fully understand what I’m doing, I’m doing both soil and hydroponic plants and I’ve bought a number of plants in 4″ pots, as well as a variety of seeds, to be started in both soil and plugs.
Here are some seeds I started in soil. This batch includes 6 of each:
- Rainbow Bell Pepper Mix
- Jalapeno Early
- Rainbow Cherry Tomato
- Roma Tomato
- Broccoli
- Marshmallow – yes, Marshmallow is a plant!
- Carrot
- Catnip
- Cilantro/Corriander
- Italian Parsley
- Common Chives
- Peppermint
I also setup some small kitchen herb plants on my kitchen window sill. The one one the left is from Tillery Street Plant Co. but the others are from Trader Joe’s. I wish the herbs from Trader Joe’s had come with more information about the species, but oh well. I’ll figure it out eventually. This includes:
- Provence Lavender
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Oregano
My Sweet Fennel on the left and Doublemint on the right sit on the front porch, where they get early light and some afternoon shade. I got these in 4″ pots just a few days before this photo.
My back porch is already starting to fill up with the plants that need full sun. All of these were transplanted from 4″ pots and were purchased at Tillery Street Plant Co. or the Natural Gardener. Cool place!
And some more on the back porch… several different peppers, asparagus, eucalyptus, sage, pumpkin, cucumber, watermelon, some mints, hyssop and fruit trees.
Here’s my Variegated Eureka Lemon Tree.
And my Mexican Lime Tree.
This actually doesn’t cover everything. I also started other seeds in little plastic food containers. Ill get pictures of all of those, as soon as they sprout. Those batches include:
- Basil Culinary Mix
- Rainbow Bell Pepper Mix
- Italian Parsley
- Cilantro
- Stevia
- Lettuce Garden Mix
- Lettuce Gourmet Mix
- Spicy Mesclun Greens
I’ll post some garden updates in the next few days. Wish me luck!
