Maryland - Wish List - Part 1

In my last two posts, I’ve shared with you my favorite places to visit and some good things to know before you visit Maryland.  In today’s post, I’d like to share the 1^st half of my top 10 wish list of places I still want to check out (in no particular order).

1.  I haven’t explored western Maryland at all.  One way of seeing the far west would be to take the Historic National Road (Maryland Post #2) to Cumberland and take a ride on the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad.  They have various excursions that take you through the spectacular scenery of the Allegheny Mountains and provide you with information about the scenery, history, and culture along the trip.  The regular excursion even provides you with a 1 ½ hour layover in Historic Frostburg (the town turns 200 years old this year) for you to explore that town’s Main Street area before the return trip to Cumberland.

 

2.  While in western Maryland, I’d like to visit Oakland and the Swallow Falls State Park because I love waterfalls and these aren’t that far away from the Washington, DC metro area.  Within the Swallow Falls Park, there are four waterfalls, of which the Muddy Creek Falls at 53-foot tall is the tallest (great pictures that are copyrighted).  Aren’t they beautiful?

3.  Back in May, I had plans to visit one place on my wish list, Catoctin Mountain, while exploring three of the Maryland Covered Bridges (Maryland post #2).  However, I quickly discovered that the United States Presidential Retreat, Camp David, was located in the Catoctin Mountain Park and they had shut down the entire park because of an international summit being held at Camp David that weekend.  Thus, it remains on my wish list.  I had plans to drive along the Catoctin Mountain National Scenic Byway, which is a 38.5 mile road that takes you from the Virginia boarder to the Pennsylvania boarder through quaint little historic towns, and past museums, memorials, and even the Monocacy Battlefield (Maryland Post #2).

One state park I’d like to visit within the picturesque Catoctin Mountains is the Cunningham Falls State Park.  Within the park, you can swim, hunt, hike, fish, canoe, and camp.  But, I would be there to see the 78-foot Cunningham Falls (or McAfee Falls as some may call it), which is the largest cascading waterfall in the state. 

The park’s trails vary in distance and look very serene.  So, if you’re ever headed up to Catoctin Mountain, you might want to check ahead and see what the President of the United States is up to that weekend.  He might be planning a relaxing weekend in the mountains just like you!

4.  South Mountain is a 40-mile long state park along the South Mountain Ridge from the Pennsylvania line to the Potomac River.  The Maryland’s portion of the Appalachian Trail is situated along this ridge and it’s beautiful.  This area features several impressive scenic vistas, including: 

Annapolis Rock

High Rock



Washington Monument

 

 Weverton Cliffs 

 

5.  While Maryland has 28 lighthouses/light stations/lightships on the Chesapeake Bay, I have a few favorites that I’d like to visit more than others.

 

The Concord Point Lighthouse is at the entrance to the Susquehanna River in Havre de Grace and was in service from November 1827 until it’s decommissioning in 1975.  It is one of the oldest lighthouses in continuous operation on the East Coast.  It is open to the public on weekends from April to October.  I think it looks so well kept and pretty.  Plus, my grandmother spent a few years in Havre de Grace growing up so I’d like to see what the town is like.

 

Thomas Point Lighthouse is 1 ½ miles offshore in the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the South River.  The lighthouse was completed and commissioned in 1875 and was manned until 1986 when it was automated.  It is one of nine lighthouses in the country that are designated as a National Historic Landmark.  It seems to be a popular lighthouse and arguably the most recognized Maryland lighthouse amongst Marylanders; however, not many have been to it because of its location.  The Annapolis Maritime Museum’s Barge House offers just a few boat tours out to the lighthouse each summer.  These three-hour tours are said to involve “physical exertion” because you’ll need to climb up a steep ladder and through a small hatch on the lighthouse deck.  Also, there are no toilet facilities on the tour.  So, please be sure to get more information before planning this trip.

 

Blackistone Lighthouse is on St. Clement’s Island, which is the site of Maryland’s birthplace.  In 1634, 140 English settlers landed here to establish America’s fourth British colony.  The 40-acre island offers not only tours of the Blackistone Lighthouse, but also pier and docking facilities, a sandy beach, and picnic areas.  You can take a water taxi over to the island from the St. Clement’s Island Museum in Colton’s Point.

 

Today’s post is just half of my top 10 wish list of places I still want to check out in Maryland.  Come back soon for part 2.

* Pictures found online.

Louisiana - Wish List

In the last post, I talked about my trip to New Orleans and the cuisines and styles of music from around the world that have blended together to make up present day Louisiana.  This post is a listing of other places around Louisiana that I’d like to go and visit.

One tour I’d love to go on is the Creole Queen Paddlewheeler in New Orleans.  A Mississippi River Cruise on a paddle wheeler would be the New Orleans experience, I bet!  Floating along what they call the Delta area with the plantations along the mighty Mississippi would be fantastic.

 

A friend visited the World War II Museum in New Orleans earlier this year and the pictures looked awesome.  There are so many planes there from the WWII era.  It was definitely not a stuffy old museum.  It seemed new and very interactive.  They even have a soda shop.

 

I’d like to visit the cemeteries of New Orleans like the St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 or the Metairie Cemetery.  According to the Save Our Cemeteries website, the water-logged, swampy soil that New Orleans is built on makes digging more than a couple of feet impractical.  This gruesome revelation was made soon after the city’s first cemetery was established on St. Peter Street just inside the current French Quarter.  Graves started popping to the surface with a grim “Hello” and bodies floated down the street when it flooded – which was often.  The solution was to avoid burial altogether and house the dead in above ground tombs.  St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is the oldest cemetery in the city and was established by the Spanish in 1789.  Many of the city’s first occupants and notorious personalities are entombed here.  Visitors over time have left behind various offerings or tokens at the New Orleans’ cemeteries and I think that would be interesting to see.

 

While in southern Louisiana, you have to stop by Avery Island and tour the famous Tabasco Pepper Sauce Factory.  It’s only a $1 toll to enter the island and they have factory tours of the Tabasco Sauce bottling Monday – Thursday.  While on the island, tour the 170-acre jungle gardens to see a variety of exotic plants and wildlife.

 

To get the real Louisiana experience, you’ll want to take a swamp tour and see some alligators.  It seems like a unique experience through the bayous and swamps seeing all the swamp creatures.  It reminds me of the History Channel’s show “Swamp People” that my parents love to watch.  It just seems a little crazy to me, but I love to hear their Louisiana accents.

Leaving New Orleans, I’d love to take the Great River Road along the Mississippi River.  717 miles of it is in Louisiana, and it takes you past rural towns, historic sites, Antebellum homes and plantations, the state capital, and the history of the Louisiana Purchase.  All I’ve seen online are beautiful pictures along this road trip.

One of the plantations along the Great River Road is the Oak Alley Plantation in Vacherie, which is nicknamed the Grand Dame of the Great River Road and perhaps is the most photographed plantation in Louisiana.  It has a restaurant on the grounds that offers a menu of traditional Cajun and Creole dishes. 

 

Another beautiful plantation that I found online is the Nottoway Plantation Resort in White Castle.  It’s the south’s largest remaining antebellum mansion.  You can also spend the night there.  Information on eight other magnificent plantations can be found at the New Orleans Plantation Country website.

Also, along the Great River Road, be sure to visit the state capital, Baton Rouge, which has the tallest capitol building in the USA at 34 floors.  They have an observation deck on the 27^th floor that overlooks the city.  From the overlook, you’re able to see the capitol’s rose gardens, Louisiana State University, and the mighty Mississippi River.  Even better is the free admission. 

 

In my research, I found a town that I’d love to go visit.  Natchitoches is the oldest town in Louisiana, established in 1714.  Located in the northwest part of the state, “Steel Magnolias,” was filmed there.  The town also has bed & breakfasts, two plantations, and Fort St. Jean Baptiste.

These are just the places I visited or would like to go and visit in Louisiana.  If you know of anywhere else in Louisiana we should check out, please leave a comment below.  Next, we’ll explore what’s just round the corner in Maine.

 

**All photos found online.**

California - My Wish List

California is such a big state that covers most of the west coast, so just because I’ve explored what was just round the corner in San Diego, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, there is still much much more in California that I’d love to see and do.  Here are just a few on my wish list.

One road trip in California that has always fascinated me is the Pacific Coast Highway.  It’s twisting, cliff-hugging, and exhilarating.  The Pacific Coast Highway begins in Olympia, Washington, and over 1,500 miles later you’ll arrive in San Diego.  http://www.roadtripusa.com/routes/pacificcoast/pacificcoast.html.  I’d love to do either all or parts of the highway on another trip to California.

Pacific Coast Highway. Photo found online.

A national park along the Pacific Coast Highway is another place on my wish list, Redwood National and State Parks.  http://www.nps.gov/redw/index.htm.  This park has some of the oldest and tallest trees.

Another National Park that’s on the wish list is the Sequoia National Forrest - http://www.nps.gov/seki/index.htm.  It has giant trees and is a huge canyon area.

A place on my wish list and a location I’m half tempted to go to this summer is Yosemite National Park.  Anyone interested in coming with me?  Here’s where to get helpful information on planning a trip to Yosemite - http://yosemitepark.com/, http://www.myyosemitepark.com/ and http://www.nps.gov/yose/index.htm.  I’m not entirely an outdoor girl, but I love seeing the animals and seeing the breathtaking scenes including the waterfalls.  I’ve heard it rivals Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, which I loved.  I want to see Bridal Veil Falls which is 620 feet high and El Capitan.  It’s just amazing looking.

Yosemite National Park. Photo found online.

This week, we’ve looked at what I’ve done and what I’d like to do in California.  Do you know of any places I should include on my wish list for California?  If so, please leave a comment below.  It’s amazing what you’ll find just round the corner.  Next week, we’ll look at Colorado!