Covered Bridge at Brown County State Park

Nestled in the rolling hills and forests of Indiana, and just a few miles from the artist colonies and unique shops of Nashville, Indiana, Brown County State Park is one of Indiana’s favorites.

Brown County State Park

Famous for: Being Indiana’s largest state park.

Admission: $4-7 for a daily vehicle permit or $36-$46 for an annual permit.  See fees page for details.

Travelers will like: Hiking trails, horse trails, mountain bike trails, and beautiful scenery.

Best hotel in park: The Abe Martin Lodge has 30 guestrooms and a newly completed indoor aquatic center.

Camping in the park: Several different campgrounds appeal to different types of campers: Electric sites for RV’ers, non-electric sites for tenters, and a horse camp for those with horses are included in the 600+ campsites available in the park. Read More »

Many of El Fuerte’s historic buildings and mansions date back to the mid-1700’s, but the crown jewel of architecture in this colonial-era town in northwest Mexico is the town’s Palacio Municipal. Though the Palacio was constructed between 1903 and 1907, its relative youth does not detract from its manorial appearance.

Interior courtyard of the Palacio Municipal in El Fuerte, Mexico

The two-story brick structure today occupies an entire city block on one side of the town square. Designed in a traditional rectangle with an open-air courtyard, the front of the Palacio features five colonnaded arches that give way to the interior, where two levels of recessed government offices enjoy protection from the midday sun provided by a double tier of pink arches, connected Read More »

Prickly pear cactus, a 100-foot quartzite cliff, and a bison herd are just a few of the things you can see at Blue Mounds State Park in southwestern Minnesota.

Blue Mounds State Park

Admission: $5/vehicle/day or $25 for an annual state parks pass.

Easy site seeing: Hike the trails to see the “mound,” or the mysterious line of rocks that aligns with the sun on the first days of spring and fall.

Camping in the park: 87 campsites, 40 of which have electric hookups. Read More »

Before the Mighty Mississippi becomes so mighty, it begins as a stream that visitors can walk across at Minnesota’s Itasca State Park.  Have you walked across the Mississippi?

Itasca State Park

Famous for: The Headwaters of the Mississippi River.

Admission: $5/vehicle/day or $25 for an annual state parks pass.

Families with young kids will like: Wading across the Mississippi Headwaters.

Families with teenagers will like: Geocaching in the park.

Other travelers will like: Exploring history, as the entire park is listed as a National Register Historic District.  (It is also Minnesota’s oldest state park.) Read More »