Anchorage, Alaska

Fishing – Anchorage is base camp to world-class sportfishing throughout Southcentral Alaska – although anglers can pursue four species of Alaska salmon, rainbow trout and more right in the city.

The Iditarod Sled Dog Race – It’s unlike any other event in the world. A race over 1,150 miles of the most extreme and beautiful terrain known to man: across mountain ranges, frozen rivers, dense forests, desolate tundra and windswept coastline.  The race starts in Anchorage on March 6th, 2010.

Chugach Range. Photo from http://www.flickr.com/photos/30574893@N04/

Chugach State Park -  Chugach State Park is the third largest state park in the nation and a stunning backdrop to the Anchorage landscape.  This nearly half a million acre park is rich in recreation opportunities including some of Alaska’s most accessible hiking, skiing, camping wildlife viewing, snowmobiling, rafting, and climbing.

Anchorage Market and Festival – Held in downtown Anchorage every Saturday and Sunday throughout the summer, this open air market mixes one-of-a-kind arts, crafts and giant Alaska grown vegetables with live music, street performers and a selection of local and international food.

Gold Panning – Strike it rich at Crow Creek Gold Mine, Indian Valley Mine, or El Dorado Gold Mine!

Alaska Botanical Gardens – With more than 1,100 species of hardy perennials, and 150 native plant species, the Alaska Botanical Garden is the place to experience the abundance of the summer sub-arctic growing season and to learn about flora native to Southcentral Alaska.

Alaska Botanical Gardens. Photo from http://www.flickr.com/photos/8003170@N06/

Denali National Park and Preserve – Surrounding Mount McKinley, the tallest peak on the continent at 20,320 ft, is the 6 million acre Denali National Park & Preserve.  The park offers great wildlife viewing and colorful wilderness expanses. Shuttle buses take wildlife lovers and campers deep into the park.

Anchorage Trails – Enjoy Anchorage and the surrounding area through its scenic trail systems.

Earthquake Park – The site where huge tracts of land slid into the Inlet during the the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in North America (in 1964).  The park now features an interpretive display explaining the quake, along with the area’s geology, flora and fauna.  It’s also an excellent spot to view the city, Cook Inlet and Mount McKinley on the northern horizon. Located on the scenic Tony Knowles Coastal Trail.

Sedona, Arizona

Sedona's red rocks from the Vista. Photo by Julie Atkins.

Oak Creek Vista – Here you can get a bird’s eye view of what awaits you down the road and, at the same time, shop for Native American jewelry and other craft items from the local Native American artists who set up displays along the pathways.

Sedona Trolley – Join the Sedona Trolley for one of their two, fun and informative, fully narrated 55 minute tours that take you to all of the best places in town. Visit historic spots, take in the breathtaking views, inspirational landmarks, vortex sites, and photo ops.

Air Tours – Get a fresh perspective of beautiful Sedona from the air with hot air balloon and helicopter tours.

Chapel of the Holy Cross. Photo from http://www.flickr.com/photos/frankfoxphotography

Chapel of the Holy Cross – Spectacularly situated between red-rock towers in Sedona, Chapel of the Holy Cross the is a Catholic chapel with amazing views, especially around sunset.

Oak Creek Canyon – Get your camera ready for this one, and don’t forget your swim suit, hiking shoes, and fishing pole. Just 7 miles outside of Sedona, State Rt. 89A descends a breathtaking series of switchbacks into a scenic, smaller cousin of the Grand Canyon. Known for colorful rocks and unique formations, Oak Creek Canyon is famous the world around for its spectacular scenery.

Seattle, Washington

The Space Needle – A 41-second elevator ride takes you up 520 feet to the observation deck of the Space Needle, built for the 1962 World’s Fair. Enjoy a meal at SkyCity, the restaurant at the top that revolves 360° while you dine.

Seattle Aquarium – Meet Alki, the sea otter pup born at the Aquarium. Walk under the water in a glass dome as bluntnose sixgill sharks and other Elliott Bay creatures swim all around you. Touch a sea anemone. Learn about the lives of salmon at the world’s first aquarium-based salmon ladder. Marvel at the impossibly bright-colored coral reef fish. And don’t forget to wave to the giant Pacific octopus.

Pike Place Market – Born in 1907, Seattle’s Pike Place Market is the granddaddy of farmers’ markets. Today, it’s a major tourist attraction with 200 businesses operating year-round, 190 craftspeople and 120 farmer booths – plus street performers and musicians. Flowers by the bucketful, flying fish, fresh pastries and fruit, handmade cheeses, local honey, wine, an assortment of restaurants, import goods, antiques, collectibles and lots of surprises are around every corner.

Ferries of Seattle – Traveling by ferry is a state of mind as much as a means of transportation to some of the Puget Sound’s most historic and scenic sites. Views of the Olympic and Cascade mountains, the Seattle cityscape and the green shorelines will draw you out onto the deck to feel the salt breeze on your face. The state ferry system takes passengers and their vehicles from Seattle and nearby departure points to Vashon Island, the Kitsap Peninsula, the San Juan Islands and Canada.

5th Avenue Theatre Tour – Take a free tour of this Seattle landmark, built in 1926 for vaudeville and silent movies and restored to its former splendor in 1980. The theater’s opulent design was inspired by the Forbidden City and other palaces of Imperial China.

Seattle Architecture Tour – The nonprofit Seattle Architecture Foundation offers a number of guided tours, exploring downtown buildings, skyscrapers, historic theaters, public art and other fascinating aspects of Seattle’s architecture.

Cheyenne, Wyoming

Great places to visit in Wyoming’s capitol, Cheyenne:

Frontier Days Rodeo. Photo from www.cheyenne.org

Cheyenne Depot Museum – The beautiful art deco train station now houses this hands on museum.

Cheyenne Frontier Days – The world’s largest outdoor rodeo!

Historic Downtown Walking Tour – Take a self-guided walking tour through the historic downtown Cheyenne.

For a fun way to travel during your visit, take a trolly or a horse drawn carriage ride!

Giant boots in Cheyenne. Photo from http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeypeters/2878391069/

While in Cheyenne, make sure you keep an eye out for the colorfully painted giant cowboy boots that are scattered around town.

Silverton, Colorado

One of my favorite places to visit in the West is Silverton, Colorado.  There are a few things one must know before visiting this former mining town located in the Rockies.  First, expect a lot of snow in the winter.  In the cold months of the year, Silverton is covered in several feet of snow, and even in the summer months, snow can be easily found on the peaks of the surrounding mountains.  Speaking of mountains, if you get car sick easily, beware of the extremely curvy roads that get you to Silverton.

Off Road trail near Silverton. Photo by Julie Atkins.

The Silverton area is known for great hiking, off-roading, fishing, and just many more adventure activities.  The roads around Silverton the Silverton area have many pull-offs for viewing the breathtaking mountains or gushing streams.  Also along the roads are trails open to those who want an offroading thrill, or an easy hike.  The area is also a great place for skiing, and there are several ski resorts in the nearby area, such as Silverton Mountain.

The town of Silverton, because of its silver mining past, is part of the National Historic Landmark District.  Many of the the town’s original buildings are in place and open to those who want to discover Silverton’s past.  One of these locations is the the town jail which presents mock gun fights in the street every day at 5pm.  Another historic attraction is the Durango and Silverton Railroad which is still treks through the mountains after 127 years.

Red Mountain. Photo by Julie Atkins

North of Silverton, about 10 miles is the picturesque Red Mountain and its mining ruins.  Another 10 miles up the Million Dollar Highway is the town of Ouray (pronounced “eur-ay”).  Ouray is home of Box Canyon Falls Park.  The park starts off with a short hike up the mountain that provides great views of Ouray and the surrounding mountains.  The trail then crosses the raging waters of the falls from a high perched bridge and then dissapears into the mountain through a short tunnel.  The trail takes hikers down to the base of the falls via suspension bridges and staircases hanging off the walls of the canyon.  The beautiful falls make an 80 foot drop from the top of the canyon to the base, splashing hikers as it rushes past the trail and on through the canyon.

Gallup, New Mexico

“Greetings from the ‘Indian Capital,’ Gallup, New Mexico!”

Gallup is located in the Southwest’s “Four Corners” area where New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado meet.  The town is unique in that it is land locked by Navajo reservation land.  Gallup life is deeply rooted in Indian culture and is a great place to find side-of-the-road Indian wares and reservation trading posts.

One of Gallup’s most famous spots is El Rancho Hotel.  The seventy-two year old hotel was originally built  for movie stars who were filming in the Southwest.  Famous guests include John Wayne, Katherine Hepburn,  Gregory Peck, Humphrey Bogart, President Reagan, President Eisenhower, and many more.  Today, the hotel is full of vintage charm as well as modern day conveniences.

View of Church Rock from the Pryramid Rock trail at Red Rock State Park. Photo by Julie Atkins.

If you’re looking for some outdoor adventure, Gallup is located near many famous New Mexico National Parks such as Petroglyph National Monument and Bandalier National Monument as well as numerous parks in the Four Corners area.  In Gallup, off of the famous Route 66, is Red Rock State Park.  The park is home of Pyramid Rock and provides a hiking trail to the top of this unique pinnacle.  The pyramid-shaped rock provides a spectacular view of Gallup, nearby Church Rock, and the surrounding desert.  Red Rock also hosts the Inter-Tribal Cerimonial, Wild Thing Rodeo, and the second largest balloon rally in the world.

Red Rock State Park. Photo by Julie Atkins.

Gallup is full of things to do and see and is a great place to stay while visiting the surrounding areas.  If you’re planning a trip to the Four corners area, or even just visiting Albuquerque, check out New Mexico’s Gallup.