Reflections from 2019 – An Epic Year of Travel

This was an epic year of travel for me – the best ever. I was very fortunate to be able to go somewhere special each month.

I visited National Parks in the US  as well as a few new places in my home country. I had a completely unique experience as a volunteer citizen scientist in Kenya. And my feet touched the soil of South America for the first time. To top it all off, I was totally spoiled on a one of a kind barge cruise on the Burgundy Canal in France. I don’t think any year in travel can get much better.

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There’s a Little Bit of Paradise in the Garden of the Gods Illinois

The Garden of the Gods Illinois and Shawnee National Forest provides outdoor recreation, interesting history and beautiful scenery, all of which is within an easy 6 hour drive from 30 cities and towns in the Midwest. After road tripping through the Midwest, I am sharing my list of things to do in Garden of the Gods, Illinois.

Despite having lived in Chicago for many years, it is only as a recent visitor back to the state that I discovered the wooded beauty of the Shawnee National Forest and the Garden of the Gods Illinois. Who knew there was so much scenic wilderness in a state known for growing corn?

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