California Redwoods. Redwood National Park.

The two types of California Redwood Forests offer visitors and hikers some of the most amazing woodland experiences on earth. On the Northern Coasts of California we find Redwood National Park and the tallest trees on earth - the Coast Redwoods, Sequoia Sempervirens. Redwood National Park combines with several California state parks to straddle highway 101 for over a hundred miles along a beautiful coastal route all the way up to the Oregon Border.

When driving this route don't miss the "Avenue of the Giants" turnoff and, more importantly, DO NOT take the Orick bypass if you want to see trees and wildlife. The "Scenic Route" near Orick used to be the main route, and along this road you'll likely see Roosevelt Elk and are guaranteed to see superb Redwood forest. Stop in to the tiny Prarie Creek Redwoods visitor center for a great introduction to the region. Patrick's Point State Park with Wedding Rock and a beautiful long beach is a good spot if you can only visit one park in that area.

In the Mountainous High Sierra region of east central California you find the "Giant Redwoods", Sequoiadendron Giganteum, which are the world's thickest and most massive tree by species. These Giant Sequoias are not botanically considered a "Redwood" but most people know them by that name. Sequoia National Park is home to thousands of these trees that are so wide they almost defy imagination.

Photo Credit: Sequoia National Park

The Grand Tetons of Grand Teton National Park rise in Wyoming in this Ansels Adams photo from the 1940's. Wyoming is home to two amazing national parks - Yellowstone NP and the Grand Teton NP. French trappers named the three spectacular peaks known as South, Middle, and Grand Teton. These effectively form the centerpiece of a National Park known for beautiful lakes, rivers, aspen forest, and towering majestic mountains. Although the Grand Teton requires some technical skill to climb, Middle and South can be scaled without special equipment though the hike is steep and rocky.

This Ansel Adams Photo posted at Flickr and listed as in Public Domain

Wyoming History

National Park Service

US History at Travel, Highways, and History

A worker building the Empire State Building in 1930 New York City. The Chrysler Building towers above the New York Cityscape but still well below what would become the world's tallest building for many years.

For New York Travel check out our sections at Travel Highways and History, or click here for New York History.

Johnny Cash Guitar at Hard Rock Cafe

Music History fans won't want to miss the collection of guitars and memorabilia at the Hard Rock Cafe in Las Vegas. From Johnny Cash to Prince the walls are lined with great pieces of American musical history.
The Hard Rock is an "off the strip" venue in Las Vegas about a 15 minute walk from the strip. Aside from some amazing music history, the most notable feature is the new nightclub "Body English" with a light and music pulsating million dollar chandelier above the dance floor.

Johnny Cash Guitar
Originally uploaded by JoeDuck

Palazzo Hotel Las Vegas

Palazzo Las Vegas Interior #166
Originally uploaded by JoeDuck

This is an interior shot of the Palazzo Las Vegas. Unfortunately it really does not do this beautiful waterfall lobby justice. Palazzo is the newest hotel on the strip and a wonderfully elegant venue which is connected to the Venetian Hotel, a favorite among Las Vegas regulars and also known for a rich Italian motif including a canal complete with gondola boats and singing gondoliers, superb dining, the TAO nightclub, and regular opera performances in the huge open area at the end of the canal.

The Palazzo is luxury suites only, and it just opened this month.

Palazzo Hotel, Las Vegas Nevada

Palazzo Hotel, Las Vegas Nevada
Originally uploaded by JoeDuck

The Palazzo Hotel in Las Vegas is the area's newest venue, with thousands of luxury suites and a stunning Italian motif. The massive towers are adjacent to the Venetian Hotel and the Sands Convention Center, making the combined venue one of the largest Hotel Casino Resorts in the world with over 5000 rooms and a massive convention center.

If you are travelling to Las Vegas this winter be sure to ask the Palazzo about their suite specials which offers a taste of some of the most luxurious accommodations in the world for under $200 per night. Performing several nights per week at the Venetian are the Blue Man Group.

New York History and Travel

We've just re-launched our New York Travel section here at Travel Highways and History and also have some excellent detail on the very interesting History of New York, which for you movie buffs was not nearly as tied up in the violent gang related bloodbaths depicted in Francis Ford Coppola's film "Gangs of New York". Although there were gangs around the Five Points area, the level of malice and organization in the film appear to be historically.... exaggerated to say the least. Here's a better historical background of the Five Points.

For most travelers the words "New York" conjure images of one of the world's largest and busiest cities. Wall Street massive wealth starkly contrasted with the poverty of other areas, the Statue of Liberty, Manhattan, Brooklyn Bridge, and much more.

However New York is much more than a city. The State of New York is fairly large by East Coast standards and offers a diverse landscape of ocean, mountains, and farmland. Long Island contains long stretches of sandy beaches. The Adirondack mountains in Northern New York are one of the USA's most pristine wilderness areas, set aside long ago as a natural preserve. The Catskills are not as rugged as the Adirondacks and are known more for the resorts catering to New York's early elite as for their natural beauty. Farming is bigger in New York than most realize, with many dairy farms, an active apple orchard industry, and farming Sugar Maple trees for the sap that is boiled down to make Maple Syrup. As a child who grew up in Northern New York one of my very fondest memories was heading out to the forest to watch the grizzled old men collect sap in buckets hanging from the sugar maples. The sap was the consistency of sugar water but was then boiled in large, open vats and stirred gently until it became a thick amber syrup. I still remember the taste of the warm samples, scooped out of the vat into tiny paper cups for the "tourists".