by Melanie McManus | Dec 29, 2019 | Exploring and Experiencing, Stories, Wisconsin
Read This Article On The Star Tribune Rock climbing never seemed enticing to me. That’s not surprising, since I have a fear of heights. But then I learned two things. First, Devil’s Lake State Park, near my home, is considered one of the best rock-climbing...
by Melanie McManus | Dec 28, 2019 | Hiking, New Mexico, Stories
Read This Article On The Chicago Tribune White Sands National Park got its prestigious national park designation in December 2019. From 1933 to 2019, it was a national monument. When I visited White Sands, I had a blast hiking around the park. But the most enjoyable...
by Melanie McManus | Dec 12, 2019 | Exploring and Experiencing, Stories, Wisconsin
Read This Article On The Chicago Tribune The Nutcracker is one of America’s endearing holiday traditions. An 1892 two-act ballet, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky penned its famous musical score. And the libretto, which is the text of an opera, was adapted from...
by Melanie McManus | Nov 6, 2019 | Europe, Exploring and Experiencing, Spain, Stories
Read This Article On The Star Tribune I’ve visited Spain many times before, but never made it to Málaga. That’s probably because on my second trip to the country, I fell in love with hiking the Vía de la Plata, or VDLP. The VDLP Camino is one of five main...
by Melanie McManus | Sep 30, 2019 | Europe, Hiking, Spain, Stories
Read This Article On HowStuffWorks.com When I first learned about El Caminito del Rey, I was incredibly intrigued. For this hiking path in southern Spain consists of narrow boardwalk attached to the sides of cliffs in many spots. Yikes! When I saw photos, it looked...