Lap Around America

Caves and cave systems hold a unique fascination for humans, most of whom have spent their entire lives on the earth’s sunny surface. Beneath it,

Of all the national parks, it’s pretty safe to say that Crater Lake has the coolest origin story. Some several thousands of years ago, the

Branson’s transformation into a tourist destination began around the time that Marble Cave got a new name. The cave had attracted enough attention to move

In 1994, John Berendt’s non-fiction novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil turned the New York Times Bestseller List’s readers’ minds toward Savannah.

Somewhere between Oregon’s Cascade Mountains and the high desert lies Bend. Once upon a time, it was called Farewell Bend, because here the pioneers on

Like many an American city, Chicago began as a settlement on the far reaches of the frontier. Unlike most other American cities, Chicago’s explosive growth

By the end of the year 1865, much that had been foggy for America had become crystal clear. More than 600,000 Americans had fallen in

Through a curious mixture of spontaneity and careful planning, Carmel-by-the-Sea became – and remains – something that is increasingly hard to come by in a

Williamsburg, Virginia is part of the Historic Triangle, which also includes Jamestown and Yorktown. What began as a tiny New World outpost in the 17th

In Moab, Utah, you can explore sites straight out of a Martian landscape. And Moab boasts a variety of ways to explore this red planet

In 1862, Thomas and Frank Davis traveled West to the Idaho Territory. They were two of many drawn to the Boise area by rumors of

New Orleans’ long and vibrant history, combined with a lively set of present-day attractions, has put it at the top of many a traveler’s bucket

You might have trouble finding a city brimming with more history than Philadelphia. Besides being home to many of the nation’s “firsts”, including the first

In the age of sailing ships, the Spanish colonists of northwest Florida were battered by a series of storms and misfortunes so fierce that they

Even in a country with a past life as a colony of one or more European imperial powers, Mobile stands out. (No, its nickname “The

The southern tip of Florida sustains a truly astonishing array of flora and fauna. A unique set of conditions supports both freshwater and marine life

In 1972, 13 hot air balloons took flight from Albuquerque, New Mexico. What began as a bid for increased publicity around a local radio station’s

Among the national parks, Big Bend is something special. Located in west Texas and named for a large bend in the Rio Grande, the park

For a city like Duluth, Minnesota, a title like “The Zenith City of the Unsalted Seas” doesn’t seem too lofty. Part of what makes Duluth