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

“It’s a building,” my kids said.

“Yeah, I’ll pass,” my husband added.

None of my family members could understand why I was so excited to spend an afternoon touring a house in western Pennsylvania that no one had been vacant for forty years. Even I, a Frank Lloyd Wright fan, wasn’t sure what to expect beyond an initial moment of awe upon seeing a home teetering on the edge of a waterfall.

The waterfall, as it turns out, was only a smart part of what made the former home of Pittsburgh department-store tycoons, the Kaufmann family, such a marvelous spectacle to explore.

Fallingwater was built for the Kaufmanns in the 1930s as an escape from the dirt and noise of the Steel City. When they originally commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright for the project, the Kaufmanns assumed they were having a home built with a view of beautiful waterfalls. It wasn’t until they saw the first sketches that they learned their home was to be built on top of the falls and into the surrounding mountainside.

A home teetering above rushing water is a sight to behold and an auditory wonder, no doubt. But the architectural genius is most evident inside the home where Wright’s firm hand controlled precisely how his building would be enjoyed. He used tight corridors and narrow doorways to force relief and an outward facing perspective upon entering his rooms and built-in storage spaces to dictate a clutter-free living space. Wright envisioned a family living among nature, not just looking out at it through windows, and he created sweeping decks, wide angel windows, and a waterfall-level patio to accommodate this vision.

Self-guided ground tours of Fallingwater start at $8, although a $20 guided tour of the house and guest quarters offer much more information than what can be gathered with the naked eye. An in-depth tour is $65 per person and is the only tour option that permits photographs of the inside of the house. Reservations should be made several weeks in advance for any of the guided tours, especially during the fall months when the autumn leaves allow for breathtaking photographs of the area.

Photo Britt Reints

The gorgeous Atlanta Botanical Garden

The first time I tried to visit Atlanta’s Botanical Garden was in early March of 2010. My then fiance and I were on a date, and I was looking for something romantic and peaceful to enjoy. As we walked up to the Botanical Garden’s entrance, I quickly realized that most of the plants were still in their “sleepy” winter state. In other words, most of them were rather dead and sad looking. Even though it was late winter, the day was beautifully sunny with clear, blue skies, and it had never occurred to me that late winter was not the best time to go.

“Do you still want to go in?” my fiance asked.

“No,” I admitted. And that was that.

If only we had persisted with our original plan! Now, after four years of living in Atlanta, Georgia, I can happily report that I finally made it to the Botanical Garden, and now that I have, I truly cannot believe that I had never visited before. The gardens are truly spectacular, and much larger than I had anticipated. “This is a world-class botanical garden,” my dad exclaimed, and he was right.

We picked a great day – partly sunny with just a hint of coolness in the air. It was in mid-September, so the Fall plants were starting to hit their stride and yet it was warm enough for many of the summer flowers to still be in bloom. One of the most impressive parts of the garden was the 600-foot long pedestrian bridge. It gradually slopes up until you are suspended among the tree tops, and the bridge’s construction makes it appear as though there is nothing really supporting the bridge.

The pedestrian bridge at the Atlanta Botanical Garden

As a gardening newbie, I loved the Wall of Herbs! A large variety of herbs are arranged vertically on a wall. The smell as you walk by this wall is just heavenly. The herbs are located in an area called the Edible Gardens, where you can admire rows of seasonal vegetables and fruits being grown. I had never actually seen a pomegranate tree before, so that was neat.  Just past the edible gardens was The Orchid House, which serene and lovely. It felt like you were walking through a tropical rain forest, and the place like a giant, blooming flower. I saw many different orchid varieties I had never seen before, including one that only blooms at night. Neat

The incredible vertical Wall of Herbs at Atlanta's Botanical Garden

The Botanical Garden is one of those places that you need to visit in different seasons in order to really appreciate it. Afterwards, I found out that if we had gone inside during early March, there would have been plenty to see and enjoy including the Winter Garden. Here in Atlanta, we are fortunate to have many plants which bloom year-round due to the relatively mild winters we normally have. I’ll just have to head back to the gardens this winter to see what there is to see.

If you do go, plan on spending at least 3-4 hours exploring, though even that is nowhere near enough time to fully appreciate all there is to see and do. You really need an entire day; next time, I plan to bring food and have a little picnic on a bench somewhere. Can’t beat that for some relaxing afternoon fun! And don’t worry about getting bored from looking at too many plants and flowers — there’s a wonderful assortment of sculptures and art work scattered throughout the grounds to keep everyone’s interest piqued.

Atlanta Botanical Garden

Photos: Jenny Bengen-Albert

As we anticipate our first frost here in Minnesota tonight, it gets us thinking about fall.  Through my window, I see corn that is drying up, soybeans that are turning from green to yellow to tan, and trees whose tints have begun to change ever so slightly.  In the coming weeks, people in many places will begin their traditions of fall color viewing, and many of these scenic drives take place along a river route.  This year, why not see the leaves from a different vantage point?  Instead of driving alongside a river, look for fall colors from the Mississippi River itself!  Here are some ideas.

Mississippi Headwaters in Itasca State Park, Minnesota

Start at the Source. At the source of the Mississippi River in Minnesota‘s Itasca State Park, you can actually wade across the Mississippi River as it begins its journey to the Gulf of Mexico.  Trees in the park line the river, and you can cross back and forth as many times as you wish.  There’s something exciting about walking across the Mighty Mississippi, no matter what your age.  Itasca State Park is open year-round and the only cost for this experience is a $5/vehicle pass into the park.  You may wish to stay longer and enjoy some of the many trails that run through this scenic park.

Drive across the river. Well, you won’t exactly be driving as you cross on the Cassville Ferry, but you’ll be making the journey in your car as it is shuttled from Cassville, Wisconsin, to Millville, Iowa, or vice versa.  Catch the Great River Road from either side and visit such places as Stonefield Village just outside Cassville or get a birds-eye view of the river valley from Pikes Peak State Park.  During the fall months, the ferry runs only on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and the cost is $15/car.

Go cruising. In the Mississippi River town of Dubuque, you can take a relaxing ride on the river and get a history lesson along the way on a Spirit of Dubuque cruise.  This replica paddlewheeler runs up and down the river from the Ice Harbor area of Dubuque.  Views of the city and surrounding areas are beautiful, and you may catch a glimpse of wildlife as well.  After your river cruise, take some time to learn more about the Mississippi River at the excellent National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, which is right next to the dock area.  Several cruises run through October, and prices vary.

The Minnesota DNR says we’re in for one of the best leaf-peeping seasons in quite some time, so I hope you’ll have some time to take in the fall colors along the Mississippi River, or wherever you are this fall as the leaves turn.

Photo credit: the author.