Hawaii

Honolulu (Joanna)

Joanna’s conference in Honolulu (ASPB) and few days of sightseeing on Oahu.

Effigy mounds on Mississippi River

Effigy mounds are ceremonial mounds in shapes of animals, built by American Indians who lived in this area. There are thousands of mounds near upper Mississipi river. ☞ Effigy Mounds National Monument Iowa is a very interesting historical site with good easy hiking trails and great views of the Mississippi. ☞ Wyalusing State Park is just across the river. Good camp site, more hiking trails and half a day canoe trail through the wetland in the triangle between the Mississippi and Wisconsin River. Good weekend spot for Chicagoans.

Lidar of Marching Bears Mound Group
Lidar of Marching Bears Mound Group

☞ More info from source: wikipedia

Effigy Mounds National Monument and Wyalusing State Park trail maps

☞ Effigy Mounds trail map
☞ Wyalusing maps

 

Mammoth Cave & Smoky Mountains

Started by visiting Mammouth Caves for a day, drove along the Blue Ridge Parkway (stayed in Maggie Valey), hiked in the Smoky Mountains (4D/3N), camped  at Indian Creek Campground (Cherokee Indian Reservation) and visited other sites in the NP, finishing in Cades Cove and Knoxville.

Our hike: Round Bottom/Beech Gap Trailhead ➜ Laurel Gap ➜ Tricorner Knob ➜ Pecks Corner ➜ Enloe Creek ➜ Round Bottom.

Loop from Round Bottom/Beech Gap trailhead

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Grand Teton-Yellowstone-Bighorn Mountains-Black Hills-Badlands

Itinerary: Chicago ➜ North Platte ➜ Rock Springs ➜ Jackson ➜ Craig Thomas Discovery & Visitor Center/Rockefeller Preserve/Phelps Lake trail ➜ Jackson ➜ ☞ Grand Teton Crest Trail  ➜ Colter Bay Village/Taggart/Bradley Lake trail ➜  ☞ Yellowstone ➜ Cody/Granite Pass/Buffalo ➜ Devils Tower ➜ Black Hills/Lead/Keystone/Custer State Park-Wildlife Loop Rd ➜ Hot Springs/Jewel Cave/Sylvan Lake/Cathedral Spears trail/Needles Eye/Custer State Park ➜ Badlands Sage Creek Rim Rd and  Rt 240-Cliff Shelf/Notch and Castle trails ➜ Sioux Falls ➜ Chicago

In addition to Teton Crest trail and many walks in Yellowstone we also hiked to Phelps Lake, Bradley and Taggart Lakes, and Cathedral Spears.

Phelps Lake

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Bradley and Taggart Lakes

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Cathedral Spears

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