My Travel Blog

  An Unexpected State Park Discovery As far as scenery goes, much of southern Minnesota consists of agricultural fields as far as the eye can see. Many native Minnesotans, like me, head north, past the Twin Cities, or to the Mississippi River bluffs on the southeastern side of the state for a more visually stimulating nature experience.  However, just three miles south of Mankato, Minnesota, is a little creek called Minneopa that feeds the southern part of the state's largest, most scenic waterfalls. It is located on Gadwell Road, just off Highway 169, quietly tucked away in the middle of the corn and beans.  I recently discovered this little gem of a waterfall and the small state park that governs it while traveling back and forth to visit my granddaughter in the state's west-central part. I happened upon it while searching for a more scenic route than the flat corn and bean fields; I chose the Minnesota River back roads path and was pleasantly surprised to find this bea...

  Explore Arizona's incredible deserts. All photos are by Tamarajo, edited in Instagram or Snapseed, unless noted. The Deserts of Arizona My first visit to Arizona was in the early nineties, when my husband suggested we take a trip to see his mother, who lives in the Phoenix-area suburbs. Before this trip, I had barely left my home state of Minnesota, aside from a couple of border crossings into Iowa. My only exposure to a different climate came from what I saw on television or read about in a book.  Given my limited travel experience, I wasn't prepared for the completely different climate and landscape I encountered. As a Minnesota native, I had taken trees, water, and greenery for granted before this journey.  When I arrived in the desert basin of the Phoenix region, I was greeted by wide-open spaces of dusty-colored nothingness and barren mountains in the distance, with some Saguaro cacti sprinkled here and there. I felt a little bit like I had just arrived on another ...