California Dreaming

Our 12-week trip throughout the states is getting to an end folks! Watch out for my next 12-week adventure in Australia though! Subscribe and follow my blog on the links below.

California is considered by many the most beautiful state in the United States, I cannot say i disagree!

That being said, I would tell you to go to California during summertime! for the winter there is not as nice.

Yosemite National Park

I have talked about many national parks during my trip, but Yosemite is something special, this is an AMAZING work of nature! There are many things to see in there, I recommend getting a tent and camping while you hike around the park area.

Death Valley

If you are going to California looking for beaches, this might not be the place for you. Nonetheless this is another nature work of art, this place is definitely worth a visit. It has a mystic vibe to it, go by yourself and walk around, enjoy the silence there.

Big Sur

My favourite place to Drive in America!!!

Besides being an amazing drive, Big Sur also offers places to hike and beaches to chill!

Channel Islands National Park

This national park is made out of 5 islands, therefore to enjoy this beautiful place at its full magnitude you will need to rent a boat. It can be a little pricey to get a private boat to show you around, but it is definitely worth the money and the time. You can get to there from Santa Barbara, another place I recommend spending some time meeting!!!

Our trip has come to an end. 

Thank you all for reading my posts, I hope you enjoyed it. Stay tuned for more info on my next trip... 12-weeks down in Australia!

Chillin' in Nevada

We are almost at the end of our 12-week trip, on this post we arrive in Nevada!

Nevada has two amazing sides, one is its natural beauty the other one is its man made counterpart, for example Las Vegas and Reno. 

Las Vegas

I was a little bit apprehensive for the first time i went to vegas, because I was not in a mood to go party, I just wanted to meet places, but I am happy my good friend Filipe forced me to. Vegas is a very cool place to see if you have never been there, but if you passed by already at some point then you can maybe skip it.

I recommend going to the Bellagio Fountains, Shark Reef Aquarium and Downtown.

Reno

Reno "The Biggest Little City in the World" is a very cool town situated in the middle of the desert. I definitely recommend anyone in Nevada to stop by for at least 3 to 5 days.

In reno it is always fun to walk around and go to restaurants casinos and etc., also i recommend going to the national automobile museum, the Nevada museum of art and the truckee river walk.

Lehman Caves

Now going on to the natural side of Nevada, these caves are beautiful cave formations with over 300 shields.

Lake Tahoe

This beautiful lake is our last stop before we transition into our last state, California!

Lake Tahoe is considered the deepest lake in north america, it provides an amazing view during the summer, and a great amount of activities during the winter time. So stop by, you won't regret it!

Down In Arizona

These last few weeks we will cover my favorite places in the United States (if you don't consider Hawaii)

The state we are going down to on this post is ARIZONA!

Arizona is a beautiful place! but i recommend going there in the summer for you will enjoy the view way more with a blue sky and a sunny day.

Grand Canyon

This is probably the most famous attraction in the state, nonetheless it keeps up to its reputation. The Grand Canyon is a beautiful natural formation, and if you have never seen it, you have to!
I recommend anyone that goes down there to take the helicopter flight offered, but if you don't have that much cash to spend you can always take a few more days and hike around!

Monument Valley

This is an amazing view of the wild west landscape, in the Monument Valley you will definitely feel like you are in a wild west movie. I really recommend getting a car to travel through it though.

Hoover Dam 

This is one of the most marvelous engineering work of art i have ever seen, when you get close to it you will see how immense this construction looks like!

Petrified Forest National Park

This is a crazy natural formation with a large selection of petrified trees and petrified animals. It is a really cool place to visit, you probably won't waste more than half a day if you pass by!

Meeting Colorado

Our next destination is the state of Colorado. Colorado is an Amazing state with two different faces. One in the summer one in the winter. I prefer the summer for sightseeing and the winter for activities, nonetheless you will it enjoy it regardless of the season you go.

Colarado has so many beatiful places, that i will be short on the descriptions and let the pictures speak for themselves. 

Rocky Mountain National Park

This is one of the most beautiful locations in the United States where you can see a beatiful contrast of lakes and mountains in the same landscape, at the rocky mountain mountain park you can hike, mountain bike, horseback ride, ski and snowboard depending on the season, there are also facilities for campers!

Garden of the Gods

This amazing piece of paradise in Colorado is a great sight of nature! You usually have to walk quite a bit to enjoy all the natural features of this place, but it is worth it. From here you can also take a peek of our next location.... Pikes Peak!

Pikes Peak

Pike's Peak in Pike National forest is a mountain with 4,300 meters of elevation, an AMAZING place for hikers to go, the walk is of a medium difficulty but the view at the peak is completely breathtaking.

Mesa Verde National Park

This place is an amazing indian ruin in between beautiful natural cliffs, its a crazy mix of history and nature! I recommend anyone in Colorado to stop by to explore this place!

Black Canyon

Just look at the picture!

Across Oklahoma

After coming out of texas, we are going to go up to the state of Oklahoma.

Have you ever heard of Route 66? One of the most famous roads in the United States, and the state of Oklahoma have preserved it's history by maintaining well preserved small cities, gas stations and motels around this route, therefore it is really worth it to check it out! Follow the route for a little bit.

The state of Oklahoma is also filled with rivers, and as Oklahoma has been created by dams it is safe to swim, fish and enjoy water activities at those rivers!

Tulsa City

Let's go up all the way to tulsa city as our first point in Oklahoma. Even though the music scene in Tulsa is not as big as in other cities I still recommend people to go and check out the music scene over there for they can hear a special mix of styles that Eric Clapton once characterized as "Tulsa sound".

For attractions in Tulsa I would say that the Gilcrease Museum and the Philbrook Museum of Art are definitely worth a visit. I recommend spending 1-3 days in the city and then catching the route 66 from there.

Oklahoma City

As tulsa, Oklahoma city is a nice city, but there isn't much to do here so spend from 1 to 3 days, check the main attractions and make your way back into the country. I recommend taking a look at the National Cowboy Hall of Fame located there.

Lawton

As I mentioned before, keep on route 66 and check out all small cities and attractions that run through it. When you are done following the route there is a beautiful Wildlife Refuge located in Lawton, where you can find a wide range of animals like bisons, longhorns and etc. In lawton there are 59 thousand acres of an amazing natural landscape .

Riding in Texas

After all the travelling done in the past weeks, we finally arrive at Texas!

Texas is in between one of my favourite state in the states, because there is so much to explore and get to know around, and once you leave the big towns you find yourself in a completely different environment. 

My route in this state will take you between the two main cities Dallas and Austin, but in between these cities you should get out of your way and explore the country towns!

To start of our first destination in this great state will be Dallas:

Dallas is an amazingly modern city, and i would definitely recommend spending at least four days here.

In dallas there is plenty to do for all tastes, nonetheless I would recommend anyone to go check out the city center to see the Reunion Tower, take a stroll on the Fair Park and see the Sixth Floor Museum (a museum devoted to the Kennedys, whereas the shot that killed John F. Kennedy is believed to have been fired from).

Another one of my favourite locations in dallas is the White Rock Lake Park. This is a beautifully laid out park, where the Dallas arboretum and botanical garden can be found, the arboretum and botanical garden offer a humongous variety of plants and birds to see. Also within the White Rock Lake Park there are 10 miles of trails where you can hike or mountain bike. You should spend at least half a day within this region!

Next stop: Austin

In austin I am going to tell you again to go see the botanical garden and the park that is linked to it, for they are outstanding as well! You should also stop by the Zoo and the footbridge. Austin is also very nice if you walk around the north side of the city, so you should spend one to two days in there, get some rest walk around a little bit and from there bus or hitchhike to our next location.

Counting Mississippi

I have been away for the past few weeks, but now i am back! And for the next state I am going to talk about Mississippi.

Gulf Islands National Seashore

The gulf islands national seashore is a beautiful formation that extends from Mississippi to Florida, most of this formation is currently submerged under the water, but the barrier islands that are accessible have beautiful white sand beaches and dense maritime forests. Amongst these islands there are hiking trails, camping and picnicking areas available to the public.

Vicksburg National Military Park

For the ones that are interested in History and the civil war this is the perfect destination, on the vicksburg national park one of the most decisive battles of the civil war was fought, in celebration to this more than a thousand monuments and markers were made, also the war trenches have been reconstructed for the public.

Rock and Blues Museum

Next stop is my favourite destination in Mississippi, the Rock and Blues Museum, this museum covers the blues & rock scene from the 1920's to the 1970's, in the museum you can find many signed pictures from blues musicians from that time (something really rare to see).

Jackson

For our last stop in Mississippi, we are going to the city of Jackson.
Inside Jackson that are many things to see, but I would recommend visiting the museums for they are really amazing ones! There is the Old Capitol Museum, the Mississippi Art Museum, the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum and the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, also there is the Russell C Davis Planetarium.
If you're not that into museums, I would recommend stopping by anyways and just taking a walk around, for Jackson is a really nice city!

Arkansas!

Our next state is Arkansas...

I definitely recommend someone that is going to Arkansas to visit Little Rock at least for a day or two, Little Rock has many museums and historical attractions available. If you do decide to go to Little Rock i recommend visiting the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site.

We will start Arkansas by going to the Ouachita Mountains!

Hot Springs National Park

This hot springs in the Ouachita Mountains have been a very popular tourist destination. Indians in the past believed they had healing powers. The park has old bathhouses that for the public use and an observation tower where people can go up to check the visual.

Even though I'm not a big fan of touristy points like this, I found interesting the spiritual value given to these hot springs by the people that live there.

Buffalo National River

The Buffalo National River is a narrow unpolluted river. The area close to the river is protected and therefore untouched by men, so there is a very rich variety of wildlife around. Hikers and horseback riders can go through those areas by taking trails. 

Mammoth Spring State Park

Located inside the town of Mammoth Springs (a cute little town that's worth spending some time around) the Mammoth Spring State Park has one of the largest springs in the US, where the water flow is about 9 million gallons of water per hour. Also in the park, there is a restored old train depot to check out.

Mount Magazine State Park

This Park is amazing for who is into adventure!

It is a destination for rock climbers, hikers, bikers and ATV riders.

So if you are in the mood for doing something a little bit more adventurous Mount Magazine is the perfect destination.

Relaxing in Missouri

The state I will talk about in this post will be Missouri!!!

After talking so much about nature in my last post I decided to take an urban approach to Missouri.
As always it is good for travelers to spend some time in the city to stock up, rest and socialize.

I will start by talking about St. Louis, the biggest city in Missouri.

St. Louis at night

St. Louis Gateway Arch

The big arch in the picture above is the St. Louis Gateway Arch, a beautiful iconic structure that represents the "Gate to the West. The arch is 192 meters high. Visitors can take an elevator up to a platform 625 feet above the ground, and from there they are able to have an amazing view of the whole city.

Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Park

Located just below the Gateway Arch, this park is very colorful and filled with nature and it is definitely worth seeing if you are around.

Old Courthouse

The Old Courthouse is a building from 1864, it held many important trials in the past, but now it is a museum that showcases historical exhibits.

Branson

Leaving st louis and heading southwest you will find a small town with a population of around ten thousand people, this little town is called Branson and it is considered to be the "live entertainment capital of the world". You will find live music almost anywhere on the streets along with hand-made souvenir stores. Bransons is also a great stop for travelers to rest and explore the nature of missouri, with lots of tours and routes leaving from there. Branson is very close to the border that we will cross to get onto our next state, Arkansas!

Camping in kentucky

Now the next place I am going to talk about is the homeland of KFC! Kentucky State!

I've been making a mix in between traveling in the wild and getting to know some cities,

but in kentucky I'm going to change the rhythm for a bit. This state is going to be solely nature! So prepare your camping gear, because you will need it here.

I am going to cite the 3 major sights that someone should see in Kentucky:

Cumberland Gap National Park

Cumberland Gap National Historical Park is a gap in between the mountains of Cumberland, it also was a well known indian trade route.

The sighting over there is amazing, I would recommend spending some time in there, at least 4-5 days so you can hike around and see the mountains and the Gap. A popular hiking route over there is the trail to Hensley Settlement (an old preserved town).

The park also offers miles and miles of underground caves, so if you're into cave exploring I would say you would be amazed! But be careful, if you don't have experience with caves you should hire their guided service tours.

Daniel Boone National Forest

Also located near the Cumberland Mountains, the Daniel Boone National Forest offers a great view of the rugged terrain of the west appalachian mountains and it also is a great place to hike, camp, rock climb, boat, hunt, fish, ride and target shoot. There also is aNatural Bridge formation measuring 65 ft high and 75 ft wide that is definitely worth seeing. I would recommend spending 3-4 days here to take advantage of the recreational activities offered. Also it has good camping spots to spend the night.

Mammoth Cave National Park

Now to the west of Kentucky you can find one of the world's largest cave systems, with more than 400 miles of passages discovered so far. This park is really AMAZING! but to experience it you have to take the guided tour and even having a guide with you, you'll need some experience going through caves. So if you can prepare beforehand, you definitely won't regret it!

If you do not enjoy mountain hiking or cave exploring, then i do not recommending going to Kentucky, because besides that there isn't much to do over there. 

Starting at the Top

Hello everyone, my name is Julio, I am a marketing student, musician and an ocasional backpacker, so I am making this blog a blog about traveling across the United States.

The first destination in the states I am going to talk about is New York.


But not New York City as you are imagining right now...

New York state!

New york has humongous sources of nature to explore! And as a backpacker it is your duty to get to know more than New York city!

The first location I would recommend to a traveler, specially if he is coming from Canada, would be
Letchworth State Park in Greater Niagra.

Letchworkth state park has 14,350 acres with amazing sightings of canyons and waterfalls. Letchworkth state park was considered to be the "Grand Canyon of the east".

The state park has numerous recreational activities and accommodations, and as it is close to Niagara and Buffalo it shouldn't be hard for a backpacker to find a hostel to sleep in or buses to travel there.


Now the second location I would suggest to a traveler in New York would be the:

1000 Islands-Seaway

The 1000 Islands-Seaway is a beautiful formation of almost two thousand islands, with many types of sea and land attractions. This place has an amazing natural landscape and it is one of the best spots to enjoy the summer in New York.