When it comes to Off The Beaten Path adventures, the Wild Center Adirondacks is a must-visit in New York State. By Tom and Patti Burkett The Adirondacks are full of surprises, as you might expect from an area that’s been a recreation and vacation land for more than a century. It began in 1885 and over […]
It was one of those picture-perfect October days, late in the afternoon, when we pulled into the parking lot of Storybook Land in Aberdeen, South Dakota. By Tom & Patti Burkett “Storybook Railroad closed for the season,” the sign read at the entrance as if to ward off the oncoming disappointment from a carload of children. […]Read More
Before it gets to Lake Michigan, the Kalamazoo River widens to form a couple of connected lakes and on either side are the towns of Saugatuck and Douglas — and one of those roadside attractions that is a “barrel of fun.” First, a little background on the area, which is perfect for a Michigan RV […]Read More
If you’ve ever been to visit Assateague, Chincoteague, and other barrier islands in Virginia, you’ve spent some time on U.S. Highway 13. By Tom & Patti Burkett We were here in the early spring to see the waterfowl migration, and it was spectacular. Headed south toward Norfolk, we passed through Wachapreague and Nassawadox, and […]Read More
Don't let this creep you out but this off the beaten path report is about bats — the kind with wings. There are a number of places across the U.S. where you can see mass flyouts of these nocturnal mammals, and we encourage you to make time for one or all of them. Some are in […]Read More
By Tom & Patti Burkett RV Podcast Off the Beaten Path Reporters This spring our rhubarb plant went out of control. It sprouted three huge flowering stalks which bent from their own weight and then grew sideways and then up again reminding us of nothing so much as Audrey 2 from the Little Shop of Horrors. “Feed […]Read More
By Tom & Patti Burkett Dinosaurs are one fun thing you can count on seeing in your RV road trip on the blue highways of North America. They're everywhere! Many of us grew up fascinated by these prehistoric creatures, and had our first look at one on the Sinclair Oil gas station sign. If we […]Read More
It's an amazing sight that happens every May around this time: a mystery of nature known as the synchronous fireflies display. It happens in the Congaree National Park in South Carolina. Each year the fireflies somehow are able to coordinate their blinking to turn on and their lights at precisely the same time. Thousands upon […]Read More
Petrified Wood Park in South Dakota By Tom & Patti Burkett The year was 1930 and, just like everywhere else in the USA, times were tough. In small towns much of the population was living hand to mouth, scrabbling for odd jobs to get the family from one meal to the next. Lemmon, South Dakota was one […]Read More
The George Washington Carver Memorial in Diamond, MO By TOM & PATTI BURKETT Here are a few things we learned at the George Washington Carver Memorial in Diamond, MO. In 1932, George Washington Carver was invited to speak to the United States Congress, which at the time was considering a tariff on imported peanuts. Members […]Read More
Exploring French Link, IN By Tom and Patti Burkett We heard from Tom’s sister that the West Baden Spa Hotel in French Lick, Indiana was something to see, so when we were in the area, we detoured to have a look. The original hotel, the Mile Lick Inn, was built before the Civil War. The area’s mineral […]Read More
By Tom and Patty Burkett We recently saw “Rocketman,” the Elton John biopic, and in one of the grand scenes he’s sitting at the the piano on a rotating stage playing Pinball Wizard. Bells were dinging and that characteristic sound of metal balls bouncing off electric bumpers was everywhere when we stepped into the Pinball Museum in Asheville, […]Read More
Driving across Nebraska on highway 4, it’s hard to miss the big building sitting at the top of the hill. From below, it looks like a plow blade cutting through the prairie soil. And, of course, that’s exactly what the architect intended. The visitor center at the Homestead National Monument brings together stories and artifacts from across the continent […]Read More
By Tom and Patti Burkett The first time we pulled into the Blue Heron Visitor Center the place was buzzing. Food tents were up, children were chasing big metal and wooden hoops down the road, women were walking around in dresses from the early 1900s, and a bluegrass band was picking away to accompany it all. It […]Read More
By Tom & Patti Burkett Driving across Nebraska on highway 4, it’s hard to miss the big building sitting at the top of the hill. From below, it looks like a plow blade cutting through the prairie soil. And, of course, that’s exactly what the architect intended. The visitor center at the Homestead National Monument brings together stories and […]Read More
By Tom and Patti Burkett For years we’ve had the City Museum of Saint Louis on our list of travel stops, so recently when we went to visit out park ranger daughter in the Ozarks we piled into the vehicle and drove the two hours north. We were advised to arrive early, because the museum is a popular […]Read More
By Tom and Patti Burkett We were looking forward to a stop in Lindsborg, Kansas. Many of Tom's ancestors are Swedish, and we maintain a number of Swedish traditions, especially around holidays. There are a number of Scandinavian heritage towns in the Midwest, and this is one of the most enthusiastic. It was clear from the moment we […]Read More
Southern Illinois is nestled between two of the biggest rivers on the continent. Historically, regular floods of both the Ohio and the Mississippi left the region covered deep in silt, fantastically fertile soil. Until the early twentieth century, most of our country’s wheat was grown here. Settlers arrived here early, brought in by the rivers and the […]Read More
By Tom & Patti Burkett Off the beaten path travel is all about small towns. The last generation highways and two-lane roads that wind through every state go right down the main street of every county seat, shipping terminal, and stringtown strip built since we began to travel on four wheels. Transportation, too, has had […]Read More
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