Road Trip Archives - Golden Age Traveling

Mid-West Adventure through IA, MN and NE – August 2023

Last month Gene got some unexpected time off (expiring vacation days) and we decided to do a Mid-West adventure through IA, MN, and NE. The first stop on our trip was in Des Moines, IA. Gene doesn’t remember being there, but I still say we were there together in like 2009 or 2010. Anyway, we started our Mid-West adventure there and it happened to be there during their annual State Fair. It was so amazing and it was extremely organized. They had everything, even parking and shuttles to the site down to a science. I was VERY impressed. Anyway, once inside the fairgrounds, I enjoyed seeing all the animals, especially some of the horse shows. I am going to eventually do a post on the fair, but wanted to share a little bit on this post about its history. Continue reading “Mid-West Adventure through IA, MN and NE – August 2023”

Japanese Tea Garden – San Antonio, Texas

Last year, Gene and I spent Christmas and New Years in San Antonio, Texas. One day after spending a few hours at the Alamo and River Walk, we decided to check out the Japanese Tea Garden. The Japanese Tea Gardens also knowns as Sunken Gardens is located on the northwestern edge of Brackenridge Park and was originally a limestone rock quarry. Years later, in 1880, it was a cement company called the Alamo Cement Company for over 26 years. Continue reading “Japanese Tea Garden – San Antonio, Texas”

Phoenix Gold Mine Tour – Idaho Springs, Colorado

A couple of years ago we only had a few days for our anniversary so we spent a long weekend in Idaho Springs here in CO. It’s only an hour or so away and was a nice but short getaway. While in the area we decided to a tour of the Phoenix Gold Mine. We had been to a few cave tours like Carlsbad Caverns in NM, but never a gold mine. This was new and different for both of us, and we were excited for our tour. Continue reading “Phoenix Gold Mine Tour – Idaho Springs, Colorado”

Junction Bridge and Riverfront Park – Little Rock, Arkansas

While in Little Rock, Arkansas we did a lot of exploring, and enjoyed checking out the Arkansas River. One of the cool things we saw was the Junction Bridge near the Clinton Presidential Library. Originally built as a railroad bridge in 1884, Junction Bridge was then rebuilt in the 1970’s and was eventually converted into a pedestrian bridge in 2008. It is a life-span bridge crossing the Arkansas River and ties together the towns of Little Rock and North Little Rock. Continue reading “Junction Bridge and Riverfront Park – Little Rock, Arkansas”

Pompeys Pillar National Monument – Pompeys Pillar, Montana

Standing 150 feet above the Yellowstone River in Southern Montana and consisting of sandstone from the late Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation, 75 – 66 million years ago, is Pompeys Pillar National Monument. While we were staying in the area to see family, and being related to John Colter of the Lewis and Clark expedition, we made sure to check it out one evening. Although perhaps best known for the inscription left behind by William Clark of the expedition, this site boasts the markings of thousands of years of human occupation. I will share more about the monument in a minute, but first want to share a little about the interpretive center. Continue reading “Pompeys Pillar National Monument – Pompeys Pillar, Montana”

Stax Museum of American Soul Music – Memphis, Tennessee

While in Memphis in October of 2020, we did a lot of museums related to music such as the Rock n Soul Museum, Sun Studio, as well as seeing Elvis’ Graceland. We ended up buying a Backstage pass pilgrimage with included the three above, as well as the Stax Museum of American Soul Music. I didn’t know much about this museum before we went, but I learned a lot while there and while working on this post Continue reading “Stax Museum of American Soul Music – Memphis, Tennessee”

Georgia O’Keeffe Museum – Santa Fe, New Mexico

Located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum is something I had wanted to visit and explore for quite a while. I was very happy to be able to see it on our latest trip to the area. For those that may not know, the Georgia O’Keefe Museum is in honor and dedicated to the artistic legacy of none other than Georgia O’Keefe. More about her life throughout this post. For now I want to share more about the museum itself. Continue reading “Georgia O’Keeffe Museum – Santa Fe, New Mexico”

Phoenix Zoo Lights – An Annual Tradition in Phoenix, Arizona

Last year we were in Phoenix on Christmas and Gene and I went to the Phoenix Zoo Zoo Lights with my best friend’s sister and brother’s families. It was something I had never done even here in Colorado so I was so excited to experience it with my extended family.

Continue reading “Phoenix Zoo Lights – An Annual Tradition in Phoenix, Arizona”

Memphis, Tennessee – Our Top 10 Things to See and Do

In October of 2020 Gene and I was able to finally visit Memphis Tennessee on a birthday road trip. We had a blast and had a whole list of things we wanted to see and do. Of course, we never have time to do everything on one trip. Added to that, we met with friends who live in a different part of Tennessee and they had a list of their own, lol. With that in mind, I decided to create a list of some of the most exciting things to see and do in Memphis so you can plan your next trip. These are not in any particular order. Except Graceland is first as I grew up loving Elvis and couldn’t wait to visit his home.

Continue reading “Memphis, Tennessee – Our Top 10 Things to See and Do”

US Presidential Statues 1969-2017 – City of Presidents Tour Rapid City, SD

On a road trip in May of 2022, we found ourselves in Rapid City, South Dakota. We had visited Mt. Rushmore on a previous visit but had never checked out what they call the City of Presidents. This is a series of life-sized bronze statues located among the city and streets of downtown Rapid City. According to their site, The City of Presidents project began in 2000 to honor the legacy of the American presidency. Each sculpture is privately funded, and the pattern of placement was chosen to maintain an orderly structure and eliminate any sense of favoritism or political gain. The City of Presidents is part of the Rapid City Historic District Tour. This is the final post of a 5 part series on these amazing statues and includes US Presidential Statues 1969-2017. I hope you enjoy the series as much as I enjoyed learning a lot about our former Presidents while doing research. Continue reading “US Presidential Statues 1969-2017 – City of Presidents Tour Rapid City, SD”