Although it only takes a single look to be awed by the Grand Canyon, there are nearly 600 miles of rim ledge from which to gaze, each mile offering a new vantage point and unique perspective of the mighty crack. The Canyon itself is constantly changing with the seasons, one month offering the contrast of baked rock against muddy waters and another mixing white snow with green underbrush. It is no small thing to look at the Grand Canyon, and it would be impossible to see all of its wonders in one trip.

As an American, I reassure myself that I can return to the Grand Canyon. But what if your trip was a once-in-a-lifetime event? What if you didn’t know you could return – and really, none of us is ever guaranteed another trip anywhere – and you wanted to make the most of your moment? Rather than pick one lookout point on one rim on one day, many international travelers choose to soar above and below the Grand Canyon, taking in the view with the gluttony of a Las Vegas buffet.

The Papillon tour company shuttles visitors by from Vegas hotels to the Boulder City airport, where customers await their turn to board one of 48 helicopters. Standing in the airport lounge waiting for my name to be called, I heard party after party called from Spain, Brazil, the UK, Canada, and other countries around the world. Only once did I hear a state beside my own welcomed. Perhaps, as Americans, we take for granted that we will have endless opportunities to explore our own natural wonders; maybe we just don’t realize how impressive our native countryside is.

Grand Canyon helicopter tours offer a unique opportunity to fly above the canyon and dip below the rim, covering more miles in a two-hour tour than you could hope to cover by bus or hiking boot in days. On select tours, the aircraft will descend 4,000 feet to the canyon floor, setting down beside the Color River where passengers can then explore on their own. After time for photos and a celebratory champagne toast, visitors can climb aboard their helicopters and effortlessly scale nearly a mile of rocky terrain.

The Grand Canyon is a geological marvel that should be experienced rather than seen. It’s plateaus and Godly staircases beg to be conquered. From my helicopter seat, I vowed to return and go deeper, stay longer, get closer to the rocks that sipped past my window. But I remembered, too, that future adventures are never certain, and I was grateful the chance to stuff this visit and my memory with as many vistas as possible.

Just in case.

Photos: Britt Reints

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania is the site of America’s bloodiest battle, and a deeply moving place to visit for anyone who is even a little familiar with the Civil War. However, there are a few things you can do before and during your visit to Gettysburg National Military Park to ensure that you and your kids get the most of your trip to this somber place.

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Tourists on the parade ground at Fort Sumter National Monument. If you are going to see any of the Civil War battlefields, forts and sites on the 150th anniversary of America’s plunge into the Civil War, this is one trip that needs to be on the top of the list.

The year 2011 marks the 150th anniversary of America’s plunge into the Civil War. And for history buffs who intend to check out some of the sites, forts and battlefields from that bloody brother vs. brother conflict, the Fort Sumter National Monument is one site that needs to be near the tip of the list of places to see.

Sitting in the center of Charleston Harbor, the only way to you reach the fort is via boat, and there are two places you can catch the ferry for the 2-hour-and-15-minute-tour: the Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center at Liberty Square at Aquarium Wharf in downtown Charleston, or across the harbor at the Patriots Point Maritime Museum in Mt. Pleasant. The tour consists of approximately 35 minutes of narration while cruising historic Charleston Harbor to the fort, an hour at Fort Sumter itself, and then 30 minutes of continued narration on the return trip.

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The Adirondacks is a vast protected wilderness area in northeast New York State, part of the Adirondack Park, a state preserve. Of the 6 million acres of mountains, forests, wetlands and lakes, approximately 2.7 million acres are state land.

Natural History

The Adirondacks are unusual mountains as they form a dome rather than a line of mountains like the Rocky Mountains. For five million years pressures under the earth have been causing the uplift of the Adirondacks Mountains. Studies also show that this uplift is continuing even now. If it were not for the uplift, the mountains would have been eroded away. Many of the smaller features of the Adirondacks came about through glaciation. As the glaciers moved, the glaciers picked up boulders and deposited them elsewhere. These re-positioned, or erratic, rocks can be seen scattered throughout the Adirondacks in fields and on mountain tops. The ice also carved out bowl-shaped hollows called cirques and melting ice water formed kettle ponds, many of which account for the ponds and wetlands in the Adirondacks.

Uplift in the Adirondacks

More On Glaciation

The Adirondack Rocks

Geology of the Park

The Adirondack Story

Human History

The Adirondacks have thin soil not suited for farming. The Algonquian and Mohawk Indians used the area for hunting but did not settle there. Apart from some mining in the Champlain Valley at the end of the 18^th Century, the area was left alone and viewed as a hostile wilderness until the 19^th Century. It was in the 1800s that both loggers and tourists began to visit the area. The writings of William H.H. Murray’s and others helped popularize the Adirondack region. Wealthy families set up Great Camps for weekend retreats. Verplanck Colvin was the main driving force behind the formation of the state park. He surveyed the Adirondacks and developed a report emphasizing the importance of the area in supplying water to the city of New York. The Adirondack Park was founded in 1892 to protect the area from logging and development.

Logging in the Adirondacks

Adventures in The Wilderness by William H H Murray

Hiking in the Adirondacks

Fire Towers of the Adirondacks

Adirondack Great Camps

Ecology

The Adirondacks support a wide diversity of plant and animal species. The combination of temperate forest and boreal forest found in the region provide a unique ecological condition for many flora and fauna. The boreal forests mean that the Adirondacks are home to many birds normally only found further north in Canada, such as the boreal chickadee, gray jay, spruce grouse, rusty blackbird, Bicknell’s thrush, and black-backed and American three-toed woodpeckers. Other wild species found here include moose, striped skunk, opossum, and varieties of shrew. Another feature of the Adirondacks are the wetlands. These areas are crucial in filtering water, preventing erosion and serve as a habitat for fish and wildlife.

Adirondack Flora and Fauna

Wildlife Connectivity in the Adirondacks

ATVs in Adirondack Park

Acid Rain in the Adirondacks

Response of Adirondack Ecosystems to Atmospheric Pollutants (PDF)

The Mountains

Between 1918 and 1924 brothers Robert and George Marshall climbed what they believed to be the highest forty-six mountains in the Adirondacks, all over 4,000 feet. Despite getting some calculations wrong, the tradition of the brothers continues with the Forty-Sixers Organization which is made up of hikers who have climbed the forty-six high peaks of the Adirondacks. The highest peak is Mt. Marcy at 5,344 feet. Whiteface Mountain is an impressive peak and site of two Winter Olympic Games. Whiteface is only thirteen miles from Lake Placid and has seventy-six downhill ski runs in winter and a road to the top of the mountain offering splendid views year round. A very scenic but easy hike goes up Black Mountain.

The Adirondack Forty-Sixer Peaks

Black Mountain Hike

Whiteface

Activities

There is a huge range of outdoor activities in the Adirondacks for all times of the year from hiking to climbing, mountain biking, horse riding and skiing. The Hudson River offers excellent white water rafting and canoeing and kayaking are very popular. For families there are many activities. The High Falls Gorge has walkways and bridges for exploring the falls. The Wild Center Museum gets rave reviews for its interactive exhibits, events and fun play areas. Fishing is allowed in some areas of the park and in winter there is downhill and cross country skiing plus plenty of hikes to do in snow shoes. Adirondack Beach on Schroom Lake has safe swimming in the summer.

High Falls Gorge

Adirondacks Featured Hikes (PDF)

Attractions in the Adirondacks

Snow Sports

Adirondack Fishing Guides

White Water Rafting