~ places i’ve been in the u.s.a. ~

I’ve traveled extensively around the United States as I’ve lived here most of my life. Below is a round-up of the most recent road trips I’ve taken. Before the age of digital photos, I also took a huge road trip all around the U.S. in 1979, right after I graduated from college, with my first husband Bill.

I’ve lived most of my life in Virginia (Yorktown, Mathews, Richmond and Northern Virginia), but I lived in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho for four years. I also spent 4 1/2 years living abroad in South Korea, Oman, China, and Japan.

ROAD TRIPS:

Four Corners Road Trip (May 2018): on returning home from the four corners
1. Colorado: Colorado National Monument, Grand Junction, Durango, Silverton, Crestone, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Ouray, Pagosa Springs, San Juan Skyway, Telluride
2. Utah: Moab, Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Dead Horse Point State Park, Hovenweep, Natural Bridges National Monument, Valley of the Gods
3. Arizona: Canyon de Chelly, Coal Mine Canyon, Hubbell Trading Post, Monument Valley, Navajo National Monument, limited Route 66, Petrified Forest National Park, Sunset Crater National Monument, Walnut Canyon National Monument, Flagstaff, Window Rock, Winslow, Wupatki National Monument
4. New Mexico: Bisti Badlands, Chaco Canyon, Gallup
5. Missouri: Gateway Arch National Park.
  
  Colorado National Monument
  
  Arches National Park
  
  Arches National Park
  
  Arches National Park
  
  Dead Horse Point State Park
  
  Canyonlands
  
  Natural Bridge National Monument
  
  Hovenweep
  
  Valley of the Gods
  
  Monument Valley
  
  Najavo National Monument
  
  Coal Mine Canyon
  
  Wupatki National Monument
  
  Sunset Crater National Monument
  
  Winslow, Arizona
  
  Petrified Forest National Park
  
  Route 66
  
  Hubbell Trading Post
  
  Canyon de Chelly
  
  Aztec Ruins National Monument
  
  Bisti Badlands
  
  Four Corners
  
  Mesa Verde National Park
  
  Great Sand Dunes National Park
Midwestern Triangle Road Trip (February 2019): on returning home from a midwestern triangle road trip
1. Kentucky: Louisville, Lexington, Covington.
2. Illinois: Carbondale, Murphysboro, Shawnee National Forest (visit my sister).
3. Indiana: Lincoln Boyhood Home, George Rogers Clark National Historic Park.
4. Ohio: Cincinnati.
  
  Lincoln Boyhood Home National Memorial, Lincoln City, IN
  
  George Rogers Clark National Historic Park, Vincennes, IN
  
  Garden of the Gods, Shawnee National Forest, IL
  
  Murphysboro, IL
  
  Bird cigarette cards of my sister’s
  
  Churchill Downs, Louisville, KY
  
  Louisville, KY
  
  American Sign Museum, Cincinnati, OH
  
  Cincinnati, OH
  
  Cincinnati, OH
  
  Cincinnati, OH
  
  Cincinnati, OH
  
  Cincinnati, OH
  
  Cincinnati, OH
  
  Covington, KY
  
  Cincinnati, OH
  
  Lexington, KY
  
  Lexington, KY
Road Trip to Nowhere (September 2019): on returning home from a road trip to nowhere.
1. Ohio: Hopewell Culture National Historic Park, Cincinnati: William Howard Taft National Historic Site.
2. Illinois: Springfield: Lincoln Home National Historic Site, Murphysboro/Carbondale (where my sister lives).
3. Nebraska: Missouri River Basin Lewis & Clark Center, Omaha, Tower of the Four Winds, DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, Fort Atkinson, Swedish Heritage Center in Oakland, Norfolk, Ponca State Park, Toadstool Geologic Park, Fort Robinson, Scotts Bluff, Chimney Rock, Ogallala, North Platte, Gothenburg, Homestead National Monument, Willa Cather’s birthplace in Red Cloud.
4. South Dakota: Yankton & the Missouri National Recreation River, Spirit Mound, Vermillion, Sioux Falls, Palisades State Park, Mitchell, DeSmet (Ingalls Home & Museum), Brookings, Watertown, Sisseton, Spearfish Canyon, Deadwood, Sturgis, Wall Drug, Badlands National Park, Rapid City, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, Chapel in the Hills, Jewel Cave National Park, Custer State Park, Wind Cave National Park.
5. Minnesota: Moorhead (Heritage Hjemkomst Interpretive Center)
6. North Dakota: Fargo, Jamestown, International Peace Garden, Minot, Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center in Washburn, Knife River Indian Villages, Bismarck, Mandan, Enchanted Highway, Dickinson, Fort Union Trading Post, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Medora.
7. Wyoming: Devils Tower National Monument, Cheyenne.
8. Colorado: Fort Collins, Rocky Mountain National Park, Lory State Park, Flatirons Vista, Denver.
9. Kansas: Topeka: Brown vs. Board of Education National Historic Site.
10. Missouri: St. Louis: Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site.
  
  biggest ball of stamps at Boys Town, Omaha
  
  DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge – The Missouri River
  
  “First Council” sculpture at Fort Atkinson State Historical Park
  
  Yankton, South Dakota
  
  Sioux Falls, South Dakota
  
  Corn Palace, Mitchell, South Dakota
  
  “The Prairie is My Garden” by Harvey Dunn
  
  Hjemkomst Center, Moorhead, MN
  
  murals in Bismarck, North Dakota
  
  Enchanted Highway, North Dakota
  
  Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota
  
  bison in Theodore Roosevelt National Park
  
  Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming
  
  Badlands National Park, South Dakota
  
  Mount Rushmore, Rapid City, South Dakota
  
  Crazy Horse Memorial, South Dakota
  
  horsebackriding in Custer State Park, South Dakota
  
  Toadstool Geological Park, NE
  
  Scotts Bluff, NE
  
  painted cowboy boots in Cheyenne, Wyoming
  
  Arthur’s Rock Trail at Lory State Park, CO
  
  Flatirons Vista hike in Colorado
Canyon & Cactus Road Trip (October – November 2020): (utah: points southwest and arizona {points south})
1. Colorado: Denver.
2. Utah: Little Wild Horse Canyon in the San Rafael Swell, Goblin Valley State Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Kodachrome Basin State Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Kolob Canyons, Zion National Park, Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, Pipe Spring National Monument, Snow Canyon State Park, Sprindale, St. George.
3. Arizona: Sedona, Montezuma Castle National Monument, Red Rock State Park, Tuzigoot National Monument, Jerome, Prescott, Scottsdale, Phoenix, Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, Tucson, Saguaro National Park (East & West units), Mission San Xavier del Bac, Tumacácori National Historical Park, Tubac, Bisbee, Tombstone, Chiricahua National Monument, Fort Bowie National Historic Site.
4. Nevada: Valley of Fire State Park.
5. Texas: El Paso, Abilene.
6. Arkansas: Little Rock, Hot Springs National Park, William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home, Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site.
  
  “Ghost Forest” at Denver Botanic Gardens
  
  skeleton at Denver Botanic Gardens
  
  Ariana and Alex at Happy Camper Pizza in Denver
  
  Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge
  
  Ariana, Alex and Mike at Little Wild Horse Canyon in the San Rafael Swell
  
  Little Wild Horse Canyon in the San Rafael Swell
  
  Goblin Valley State Park
  
  Capitol Reef National Park
  
  Capitol Reef National Park
  
  Capitol Reef National Park
  
  me at Chimney Rock at Capitol Reef National Park
  
  Chimney Rock at Capitol Reef National Park
  
  Aspens in Dixie National Forest
  
  Kodachrome Basin State Park
  
  Kodachrome Basin State Park
  
  Bryce Canyon National Park
  
  Bryce Canyon National Park
  
  Bryce Canyon National Park
  
  Bryce Canyon National Park
  
  Bryce Canyon National Park
  
  Cedar Breaks National Monument
  
  Virgin River at Zion National Park
  
  Zion National Park
  
  Zion National Park
  
  Mike at Zion National Park
  
  Angels Landing viewpoint – Zion National Park
  
  Zion National Park
  
  me in the Narrows
  
  the Narrows at Zion National Park
  
  me, Alex and Ariana at Switchback Grille
  
  Mike and me at Zion National Park
  
  our Airbnb in Sprindale, UT
  
  Airbnb in Springdale, UT
  
  Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park
  
  Pipe Spring National Monument
  
  St. George, UT
  
  Snow Canyon State Park
  
  Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada
  
  Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada
  
  Mike at Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada
  
  Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada
  
  Montezuma Castle National Monument, AZ
  
  Montezuma Well, AZ
  
  Red Rock State Park, Sedona, AZ
  
  Red Rock State Park, Sedona, AZ
  
  Red Rock State Park, Sedona, AZ
  
  Amitabha Stupa, Sedona, AZ
  
  Amitabha Stupa, Sedona, AZ
  
  Tuzigoot National Monument, AZ
  
  Phoenix Art Museum, AZ
  
  Heard Museum, Phoenix, AZ
  
  Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, AZ
  
  Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, AZ
  
  Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, AZ
  
  Saguaro National Park West, Tucson, AZ
  
  Saguaro National Park West, Tucson, AZ
  
  Saguaro National Park West, Tucson, AZ
  
  Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, AZ
  
  Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, AZ
  
  Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, AZ
  
  Tubac, AZ
  
  Mission San Xavier del Bac, Tucson, AZ
  
  Saguaro National Park East, Tucson, AZ
  
  Bisbee, AZ
  
  Tombstone, AZ
  
  Chiricahua National Monument, AZ
  
  Chiricahua National Monument, AZ
  
  Chiricahua National Monument, AZ
  
  Ysleta Mission in El Paso, TX
  
  Frontier Texas! in Abilene, TX
  
  Grace Museum, Abilene, TX
  
  Paramount Theatre, Abilene, TX
  
  Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas
  
  Magnolia gas station near Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site, Little Rock, Arkansas

5. Great Lakes Road Trip: Minnesota, Wisconsin, & Michigan (May-June, 2021): (minnesota {points south}; minnesota {points north}; a wisconsin road trip: of apostle islands & cheeseheads; michigan’s upper peninsula to mackinac island and michigan’s lower peninsula: “the mitten”)

Minnesota: Winona, Lake Pepin, Frontenac State Park, Red Wing, Rochester, Austin, Albert Lea, Blue Earth, Luverne, Blue Mounds State Park, Pipestone National Monument, Jeffers Petroglyphs, New Ulm, Minneopa State Park & Falls, Mankato, Northfield, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Stillwater, Taylors Falls, Banning State Park, Cloquet, Duluth, Voyageur’s National Park, International Falls, Ely, Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW), Tettegouche State Park, Split Rock Lighthouse State Park, Gooseberry Falls State Park.
Wisconsin: Dickeyville, Prairie du Chien, Wyalusing State Park, La Crosse, Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge, Port Wing, Cornucopia, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Bayfield, Washburn, Ashland, Hayward, Chippewa Falls, The Highground, Wisconsin Dells, Devil’s Lake State Park, Madison, Milwaukee, Door County, Sturgeon Bay, Green Bay.
Michigan: Escanaba, Marquette, Munising, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Tahquamenon Falls State Park, Whitefish Point, Sault Ste. Marie and the Soo Locks, Mackinac Island, Mackinac Bridge, Petoskey, Charlevoix, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Leelanau Peninsula, Old Mission Peninsula, Traverse City, Grand Haven, Holland, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Ann Arbor, Dearborn, River Raisin National Battlefield Park.
Pennsylvania: Johnstown Flood National Memorial, Flight 93 National Memorial.

6. South Florida: Miami, Everglades, Keys, Fort Lauderdale and St. Augustine (March 2022)

7. Texas-New Mexico Road Trip (Tex-New Mex) (October 2023): TEXAS: Caddo Lake, Jefferson, Austin, Luckenbach, Fredericksburg, Big Bend National Park, Terlingua Ghost Town, Marfa, Guadalupe Mountains National Park. NEW MEXICO: Carlsbad, Cloudcroft, White Sands National Park, Ruidoso, Santa Fe, Pecos National Historical Park, Manhattan Project National Historical Park, Bandelier National Monument, Abiquiu, Taos, Albuquerque.

STATES & PLACES VISITED:

California: Death Valley (1979); Redwood National and State Parks (1979); Los Angeles (2014); San Simeon (2014); San Francisco & Monterrey (1982, 2014); Venice (2014); Anacapa Island (Channel Islands National Park) & Joshua Tree National Park (2015).

me at Death Valley National Park, CA

me in Venice Beach

Venice Beach

Venice

Monterrey, CA

San Francisco, CA

San Francisco, CA

Anacapa Island, CA

Anacapa Island, CA

Joshua Tree National Park
Delaware: Cape Henlopen, Nemours Estate, New Castle, Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Rehoboth, Winterthur, & Dover (June, 2019).
1. on returning home from delaware
  
  Rehoboth, Delaware
  
  Cape Henlopen State Park, Delaware
  
  Biggs Museum, Dover, DE
  
  Nemours Estate
District of Columbia: Washington: Smithsonian Museums, Union Market, National Art Gallery, Cleveland Park, Renwick Gallery, U.S. Capitol, and much more (1988-2020).

U.S. Capitol, D.C.

Korean War Memorial, D.C.

Cherry blossoms, D.C.

Dumbarton Oaks, D.C.

Franciscan Monastery, D.C.

Kenilworth Gardens, D.C.

D.C.

Renwick Gallery, D.C.

Ben’s Chili Bowl, D.C.
Florida: Florida Keys & Key West (1979); Orlando (Disney World, Sea World, Epcott) (2002): South Florida (Miami, Everglades National Park, Florida Keys, Fort Lauderdale) (2022); St. Augustine (2022) (see above under Road Trips).
Georgia: Savannah (2000); Atlanta (2008). Atlanta (2023)

MARIETTA mural

me with Allie

“Wait for a Dream” mural by Helen Choi

“Cyclorama”

Homecoming for Allie

cozy Allie

Centennial Olympic Park

The World of Coca-Cola

The World of Coca-Cola

Martin Luther King, Jr. birthplace

me on Kennesaw Mountain

being grandparents

Jandira, Alex and Allie

Kennesaw Mountain
Hawaii: The Big Island, Oahu, & Honolulu (1989).
Idaho: Coeur d’Alene (lived here 1980-1984); Salmon River (1983); Hayden Lake (1980-1984).
1. on returning home from coeur d’alene, idaho

fullsizeoutput_18a07 — me on the Salmon River in Idaho

Illinois: Chicago (August, 2020): three days in chicago

The Bean, Chicago

Chicago Theatre

Chicago River

Chicago

O’Keeffe in the Art Institute of Chicago

Art Institute of Chicago

Welcome to West Town

Biking along Lakeshore Drive

Chicago skyline

marina in Chicago

Chicago

view from 360 Chicago

875 N. Michigan Ave – 360 Chicago

Baha’i Temple House of Worship

Pullman National Monument

Pilsen

mural in Pilssen

Ernest Hemingway Birthplace Home

Chicago

Chicago River Boat Tours Architecture Tour

Louisiana: New Orleans (1979).

Maine: Acadia National Park (1990?).

Maryland: Deep Creek Lake (2011, 2012); Blackwater Wildlife Refuge (2013); Cunningham Falls (2013); Annapolis (2014); Solomon’s Island (2014); Assateague Island National Seashore (2015); Sharpsburg & Antietam (2015); Baltimore (2020): fort mchenry & returning home from baltimore before the pandemic.

Antietam, Maryland

Baltimore Inner Harbor

Assateague

me in Assateague

Assateague

American Visionary Art Museum, Baltimore

Massachusetts: Cape Cod (2000). Boston (2021).

Boston Irish Famine Memorial

Old State House and Boston Massacre Site

Paul Revere

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Ray and Maria Stata Center at MIT

Michigan: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (1979).

Mississippi: Vicksburg National Military Park (2023).

Vicksburg National Military Park

U.S.S. Cairo

Vicksburg National Military Park

Missouri: St. Louis (1979), Gateway Arch National Park (1979, 2018), Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site (2019).

fullsizeoutput_16112 — Gateway Arch National Park, St. Louis, MO

Montana: Glacier National Park (1979, 1983).

New Hampshire: Lake Winnipesaukee, White Mountains & Kancamagus Highway (1979, 2014).

New Hampshire 2014

New Jersey: Cape May & Wildwood (2001, 2017).

on returning home from cape may

Cape May, NJ

Cape May Point State Park

Cape May Point State Park

Cape May, NJ

Cape May, NJ

Wildwood, NJ

New York: New York City; Adirondacks (2001); Catskills (2014); Buffalo & Niagara Falls (2018).

on returning home from the adirondacks
on returning home from niagara falls

Buffalo, NY

Niagara Falls (2018)

North Carolina: Asheville; Ocean Isle; Cataloochee Ranch & Smoky Mountains National Park (2003); Nag’s Head (many years).

Ohio: Cuyahoga Falls National Park (August, 2020).

fullsizeoutput_1eb70 — Cuyahoga Falls National Park

Oregon: Crater Lake, Oregon (1979)

fullsizeoutput_14465 — Crater Lake, Oregon

Pennsylvania: Lancaster (1988, 2016); Ohiopyle & Fallingwater (2012); Philadelphia (2016); Pittsburgh (2018).

on returning home from pittsburgh

Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia, PA

Lancaster, PA

Pittsburgh, PA

Pittsburgh, PA

Pittsburgh, PA

Pittsburgh, PA

Pittsburgh, PA

Pittsburgh, PA

South Carolina: Hilton Head (many years); Beaufort; Charleston (November 2019).

on returning home from charleston, south carolina in 2019

Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina

Tennessee: Nashville (2017); Greeneville (2019).

on returning home from nashville

Loveless Cafe, Nashville

Nash Trash, Nashville

Nashville< TN

Grand Ole Oprey, Nashville

Nashville, TN

Johnny Cash Museum, Nashville

Nashville, TN

Nashville, TN

Texas: Dallas, George W. Bush Museum, Sixth Floor Museum at Dealy Plaza, Plano, & Early (all 2016), Abilene (2020). (Also see Texas-New Mexico Road Trip (2023) above).

George W. Bush Museum in Dallas, TX

Dallas, TX

Vermont: Bennington (2014).

2014-07-13 18.27.35 — painted moose in Bennington, VT

Virginia: Yorktown (my hometown 1961-1980); Williamsburg (my college town 1974-1978); Virginia Beach; Mathews (lived 1984-1985); Richmond (lived 1986-1988); Northern Virginia: Vienna (lived 1988-1992) & Oakton (where I live 1992-present); Arlington (lived 2007-2008); Alexandria, Charlottesville, Shenandoah National Park (many years), Monterey (2013), Douthat State Park (2013), Lexington & Staunton (2013) Mason Neck (2014), Chincoteague Island National Wildlife Refuge (2015), Great Falls National Park (many times).

Douthat State Park, Virginia

Yorktown, Virginia

Virginia Arboretum

Chincoteague, Virginia

Potomac River, Virginia

Great Falls, Virginia

Shenandoah National Park, VA

Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens, Richmond, VA

Shenandoah National Park, VA

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, Vienna, VA

West Virginia: Berkeley Springs (2001); Lost River State Park; Babcock State Park & Shepherdstown (2015); Thurmond, New River Gorge, Kanawha & Fayetteville (2016); Harpers Ferry (2017), .