Posts tagged — American Travel
Vivacious Variety in Olympic National Park (by Mike Baker)
Established in 1938 by Franklin D Roosevelt, Olympic was the nation's 21st National Park, founded on Washington's rugged northwest peninsula and named after 7,980' Mount Olympus. It is an International Biosphere Reserve and a World Heritage Site, two designations granted to the park due to a rich geography that includes hundreds of species of animals (including over 300 species of birds) and over 1,100 species of plants. The park's distinct ecosystems create a range of diversity rarely found elsewhere: a rugged coastline, glacier-capped mountains, forests, and rivers. The peninsula's diversity attracted –and kept– pre-historic humans, who hunted mastodon with stone-tipped spears as far back as 12,000 years ago, supplementing their diet with deer, elk, and gathered plants. Fish, marine mammals, and shellfish were provided by the...
Read more → about Vivacious Variety in Olympic National Park (by Mike Baker)
An Atlantic Daydream at Acadia (by Mike Baker)
This year marks the 100th anniversary of Acadia National Park—originally named Lafayette National Park—America's 12th national park and the first east of the Mississippi River. The park's 420 million year-old location, Mount Desert Island, was first discovered by French explorer Samuel de Champlain in 1604, whose description of its bare granite mountains stuck for centuries. Eventually, the island’s pristine beauty attracted the attention of the burgeoning wealthy elite of 19th Century New England, who built lavish summer homes amid its "fjard", moraine, and glacial erratic geology. Two such elite were John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and George Dorr, whose love for the...
Read more → about An Atlantic Daydream at Acadia (by Mike Baker)
Exploring the Volcanic National Parks (by Mike Baker)
August marks the 102nd anniversary of three of our “hottest” parks: Haleakala National Park, Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, and Lassen Volcanic National Park. Though both Haleakala and Hawai’i Volcanoes were established as their own separate parks in 1960 and 1961, their geologic magnificence led Congress (with the influence of Congressmen and their wives having dinner cooked over steam vents years before) to create Hawaii National Park in 1916, which included both volcanoes. Maui’s Haleakala is a dormant volcano that last erupted in 1790. Northern California’s Lassen Peak is an active volcano that most famously erupted in 1915. Hawaii’s (or The...
Read more → about Exploring the Volcanic National Parks (by Mike Baker)
Designing Your Space: Living Room Edition
The living room is where stories are told. One of our favorite spots to express ourselves through classic wall decor is right here. We want guests in our homes to know where we're from, where we've been, and what we enjoy. With framed prints, metal signs, canvases, throw pillows, coasters and coffee table books, you've got lots and lots of opportunities to own your space with our artwork. Let's do this. On this week's edition of Designing Your Space, we indulged in a little joie de vivre at 506 Lofts located on historic Church Street in downtown Nashville. We also chatted up interior decorator...
Read more → about Designing Your Space: Living Room Edition
Designing Your Space: Bedroom Edition
The place where you rest your sleepy head and dream sweet dreams. Your sanctuary and safe haven to release the stresses of the day and to start anew with the next. Your bedroom deserves to be dressed up like the enchanted escape it is. Being the decor doctors, as we've dubbed ourselves, we like to imagine how our (over 1,000) designs would fit in any space of your home. The Nashville, Southern, and American Travel themes flow well 'round here, especially in our Airbnb picks this month. This Dreamy Downtown Cottage is a tiny house wonderland. With its outdoor hangout spot...