by Melanie McManus | Feb 2, 2020 | Exploring and Experiencing, Stories, Texas
Read This Article On The Star Tribune I didn’t know much about Big Bend National Park until a recent travel writing conference took me to El Paso, Texas. As always, I wanted to squeeze in some prime hiking, if possible. What I discovered is that if I drove about...
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 | Sep 13, 2019 | Canoeing/Kayaking, Stories, Wisconsin
Read This Article On The Star Tribune The Wisconsin River churns through Wisconsin Dells and Lake Delton as it winds throughout the state. And it’s here, along a five-mile (8 km) stretch, that the river passes the incredibly beautiful “dells”...
by Melanie McManus | Aug 23, 2019 | Hiking, Minnesota, Stories
Read This Article On The Star Tribune The Border Route Trail is a 65-mile (105-km) hiking trail that runs through the Boundary Waters. And specifically, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, or BWCAW, which lies between Minnesota and Ontario, Canada. Many people...
