On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens blew its top and destroyed 230 square miles of forest. The eruption left at least 57 dead and created a mudslide that reached 50 miles. Two years later, President Ronald Reagan established Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument in order for the environment affected by the eruption to regenerate naturally.
More commonly known as Mount Charleston, the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area is a great place to beat the desert heat of Las Vegas. The park is part of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and it’s only a 45 minute drive from the Strip.
The D. H. Lawrence Ranch was the New Mexico residence of English novelist D. H. Lawrence (1885-1930) for a total of 11 months in the 1920s. It’s located about 20 miles north of Taos in the Carson National Forest.
Swimming in the Utah Crater is a unique way to spend an hour if you’re in the Salt Lake City or Park City area. This natural hot spring in the town of Midway is part of the Homestead Resort complex.
Timpanogos Cave National Monument was a real treat to visit. Not only were the cave formations spectacular to look at, the tough walk up was a great workout.
The Loop Road is a 70 mile scenic drive that begins and ends in Lander, Wyoming. We drove a portion of the road one late morning.
If traveling between Denver and Estes Park, it’s a great idea to drive down the Peak to Peak National Scenic Byway. This 55 mile route takes a bit longer but is well worth the time.
Long gone are the Gold Rush days of Idaho Springs, Colorado, but the small town has struck another form of gold – tourism. Just 30 miles west of Denver, Idaho Springs and neighboring Georgetown make for a nice day tour.